Boom Goes The Rocket!

Well, hello! As you may have noticed around the Internets, for the past two days I've been helping out Rocketboom by dabbling as host of Rocketboom. Yeah, I know. Super scary huge shoes to fill.

I, like many of you, was shocked to hear that Joanne was leaving and was even more shocked when Andrew asked me if I would like to help.

Trust me, I suggested every one to fill that lone seat before me, but I do enjoy the show and think every one that works at the Rocketboom office is amazingly talented, clever and intelligent and do hope that some of that rubs off of me while I can still hang around.

The last thing I ever said to Joanne was while she was in between shooting interviews at ROFLThing. I was like, "Hey, it's professional Joanne!" and she was like, "Ha, professional Joanne? I kind of like that" and then I was like, "She spoke to me!" and ran away and cried into my screen-printed Joanne pillow.

And it was beautiful.

If I don't remain Rocketboom host, hopefully I'll still be able to talk about Space & Science every now and again. Honestly, when I read those stories and scripts I'm always gasping and am amazed at the discoveries. I wouldn't really get to learn about what was happening in those fields if it wasn't for Rocketboom and I did oh-so-love learning about Space in Primary School :P and deeply regretted opting out of Science in Year 10 at High School (when my favourite teacher left to be an artist, all my faith in learning about it died).

Some of the constructive criticism I already knew:

• Enunciate each word - I've had that problem forever. Maybe I should see a speech coach or something. I'm fairly sure it has to do something with having a lazy Aussie-accent type mouth, but I know I can change that
• Make over - I've never been a fan of make up (wore it all the time for concerts and dance competitions and theatre since I was 3 years old) or ever cared about my hair (use to just wear it in a bun for ballet all day), but if I keep getting Melissa Joan Hart comments I will have to either decide to care about it or kill myself. Honestly, there is no alternative road. Look different or die. I do NOT want to be MJH at all. It's such a terrible curse... Don't worry, even I can't tell if I'm joking or not.
• Be yourself - I don't even know who that is. But I will try to develop my own flavour. But I'm pretty boring. I love to be dreadfully serious or a class-clown prat. Let's see if I can actually learn some grace, hmm?
• Lose weight - I'm not sure if this is actually constructive. I am surprised by how many people think I am fat. It's quite shocking, actually, because it just goes to show you how the definition of fat has changed in people's mind over the years. I'll aim to be healthier and stronger anyway.

There were a lot of other suggestions, like growing up. I am 20 years old and am still hoping to continue aging so either way, eventually your wish will be fulfilled.

Tweet at us at rocketboom and thatgirlonline

And here are the episodes in case you did not see them or just want to watch them again because that map is just so bloody fabulous.

This is a really amazing opportunity for me to learn a lot of new things and myself, but don't forget that I'm still hard at work as the Chief Creative Officer at Hitviews - an amazing place that will guarantee you don't get forgotten as the online UGC world tries to become a 2nd Television.

Love, Caitlin.

Plane Thoughts: JFK to LAX to BNE*

*The following entry is from my iPhone Notepad. I would go into more detail about my trip to Australia, but I'd rather save it for my journal.

BEFORE FLIGHT

• This is the nicest Frequent Flyers Club I've seen in a while; apple juice and portobello mushrooms and roasted pepper wraps with shrimp curry sandwiches and apple juice.

• Usually these "clubs" are just a "big toilet and musty armchair club", but the British Airways/One World club at JFK was finally worth that gold QANTAS frequent flyer card.

JFK to LAX

• Song: Quasimodo's Dream by The Reels - Dad use to play this song a lot and when it came onto the earphones of the QANTAS radio I freaked out as all the childhood memories rushed forward to play behind my eyes.

• Happy-Go-Lucky reminds me of my friend Emily. I admire those traits she possesses but also know that I am no where near as compassionate enough as this unusual lady is. I possess one of personality quirks they show in the film, and it was interesting to watch it and go, "I know that...oh, oh dear... I really shouldn't do that anymore." I wont tell you what it is.

• Like the QANTAS HQ person said, there are many seats available on this flight, but she said there were none from LAX to BNE, so how in the world did the Gate Master (as I am calling him now) get me on this flight?

• I don't mind sitting at the very back of the plane; more leg room... but there are far too many off-putting smells...and the nice girl sitting next to me (she really is nice) just spilt balsamic vinegar all over me and my new UNIQLO top.

LAX to BNE

• Well, we all just made it. I love flying but a large part of the LAX airport sucks. And hey, look, a spare seat between me and a young girl; leg room!

• Wait a minute... Someone at the ticketing office tried to squeeze over $1500 out for me for a "booked-out" flight but there are empty seats everywhere! There are even a few rows of four occupied by only one person... and look, that guy is lying down! Thank goodness the Gate Master let me on.

• While watching Revolutionary Road (what a crime to watch films on a tiny square screen!) I was filled with hope instead of sadness**.

• iPhones or anything with a Bitten Apple on it seem to be the fashion icon that cigarettes were then*** Just like one would constantly light up anywhere at anytime to take the edge off real life, we too light up our screens and thumb away at our day or plug up our ears instead of constantly facing the moment; the dullness of everyday life. Why do we try to speed up time? Shouldn't we be always trying to wind the clock back on anything and everything but our faces? See each second tick? Or is it easier to make things go faster when you feel like you are a part of the "hopeless emptiness" of life?

• Song: Blue Note Trip by Various on In The Winelight.

• What a beautiful descent into Australia. Often you hear the engines revving up and down as it the humongous aircraft tries to hit its mark so that all the passengers and crew do not perish upon landing, but this pilot was able to get it spot on. For miles we simply glided down towards the run way, we didn't tilt, we didn't shake... the air was so still and calm and it was the most marvelous landing I have ever been a part of. I wanted to clap to congratulate the pilot. If anyone else wanted to do the same thing or realized the amazing achievement he had just pulled off, they didn't show it.

BNE INT AIRPORT to STH BNE STATION

"Christ! $16.40!? For a single!?"
"Yes,"
"It's gotten worse..."
"Excuse me?" I could tell the train station attendant was pissed at my muffled comment.
"The fair gets worse every time I come back,"
"Hm. Oh." She said shortly in a high pitched voice that I could tell translated into: Fuck. You.

I didn't mean any offense, it just made me nostalgic for the days when they use to boast about the fair only being $9. $13 if you were traveling from Beenleigh.

"From the city to the airport
In 20 minutes flat,
From the city to the airport
For 9 bucks max!
Air Train, woo woo!"

Oh, those were days.

The weather here feels like... nothing. In New York it's always some kind of weather; something to talk about it. It's either a hot bath or very cold. I wouldn't mind the cold if it were not for the winds... This weather this morning simply feels like...nothing; very little breeze, little humidity; it's 7:30am in the morning.

There is a little sweat condensed on my back, but mainly from wearing too many layers and carrying heavy bags. I kind of like the feeling though. It's making my bra itch a little bit, but it reminds me of school or something; that comfortable discomfort.

At one point, while writing this down, I suddenly felt pressed down. As if my body knew, which I'm sure it did, that it was no longer flying.

The platform moved slightly as the train approached.

From then on, the trip was a whirlwind and I knew I wouldn't breath until I returned to New York City... which is a pity, because the air isn't always exactly pleasant...

***

I can't believe I actually typed all this into my iPhone. What silly, unnecessary thoughts. This is what happens when you fly alone. Which makes me wonder what it would be like to simply travel alone and put all your comments and thoughts into a tape recorder... I wonder if I could ever be bold enough to do that?

I don't know... Sounds like a prelude to Krapp, 39 to me.

**The sadness came later and is lasting.
***I'm referring to the time period in which the movie is set, 1950-something, and wow, Caitlin! What an unoriginal, uninspired thought!

Missed Flights and 50-Dollar Taxis

...after this tweet we arrived at the airport and I hurriedly, with heavy bags in each hand, walked into the terminal to check in to QF 108.

The day had been "blah" due to work assignments (aka a video) needing to be created, edited and exported that day and I also had to pack.

This usually wouldn't be a problem except my love for video making has dwindled terribly into a chore and I could not find any inspiration for the task at hand.

I quickly edited it, shrugged over the fact that the sound levels were awful, and sent it off and continued packing until after 5pm.

Any normal person with a flight leaving at 7pm, would probably be worried by now. But not I! I had arrived at the same terminal months before at 6:30pm and was allowed to board (forgetting that it was most likely only still open due to the plane being delayed for 20 minutes). I had also conveniently forgotten about the holiday traffic, so instead of the usual 40 minutes to JFK, the cab driver mumbled that it would be an hour.

That's when I started to get nervous...and started to tweet.

"Are you here for QANTAS!?" A blonde, scary looking woman barked at me.
"Y-"
"The flight's closed. You can't check in."
...
"Really?"
"You'll have to go to the Ticketing Desk and get another ticket!"

The shrill twang of her voice and my own disappointment in myself (and disbelief that there was still an empty seat on a plane that wouldn't fly for another 40 minutes - add an extra 20 for taxing on the runway) made me simply stare along the counter looking for someone nice. When there were no nice people, I turned around, looked up, looked down and started to cry.

In my peripheral vision, I could see a sweetly plump lady greet the scraggly blonde woman and through the voice in my head yelling, "You're an idiot, Caitlin!" heard "Oh no!"

Aha! Someone with compassion! The pigtail plaits had worked!*

The lady came over to me and asked me if I would like to come with her and see what she could do, I just blubbered and followed her.

"Take it from me, never cry over a missed flight!" A lady at the desk offered... but all her wisdom made me think of was that maybe tomorrow's flight was meant to crash and then all I heard were lines from Hook.

About half an hour later of crying deeply (the sort of cries you made as a 7 year old when you accidentally left your party invitation in your desk at school and now didn't know where to go or who to call to partake in the "partying"), a swapping over of people to take care of me (I made no trouble apart from needing a tissue to stem the flow of miserable mucus), a call to QANTAS HQ; "$1500.00, why? Because the flight is full and she'd have to upgrade? Hmm", and a fairly flirty call between my helper and the "Gate Guy" at the QANTAS Boarding Gate; I was able to get on tomorrows flight free of charge.

"How did he do that?"
"Don't ask! Don't think about it!"

I thanked the lovely people and hailed a taxi cab home, relieved that the flight would not cost any extra money, but disappointed that I would have to change plans with my friends and would now be arriving on the day of Tamika and Dan's wedding, which was the reason I was returning to Oz.

I did tweet that I missed my flight, but quickly deleted it realizing that I didn't really want too many people to know and @reply me with "Awws" and "Solutions", instead I texted my friends to change plans, then my roommates with 2 requirements only: pizza and some sort of alcohol.

That night turned out to be fun, there was pizza, my own favourite concoction of inappropriate drink - like the NYUers below our apartment don't dabble in inappropriateness every night anyway - then there was Hitch (shh, Will Smith is The Word!) and dancing and then well...yeah, it was fun.

I woke up the next day, my fairly tidy room glowing from the morning sun, and felt good about things. And left for the airport at 3pm.

*I always wear pigtail plaits when traveling internationally because not only does it keep your hair fairly appropriate looking and lacks the need to pack a brush, it also (and most importantly) makes you look much younger than you actually are. So instead of being a 20 year old idiot, I become a 16 year old idiot. People treat 16 year old idiots a lot nicer...well, at least those who have a vagina anyway.

My Mum Thinks I Swear Too Much Online...

(this is an old forgotten post)

The last time I spoke with my Mother, a day after her birthday, she told me that she had noticed an uprising of vulgar language surrounding my good name... so I told her to fuck off.

; )"oh, how original"