After 23 years with The West - most of them as a columnist - I figured a cold-turkey retirement wasn't going to cut it.
And it's hard to think of a better way than blogging to have a laugh/vent spleen/keep in touch with everyone.
So, if you've come here via my final column: a big hello and welcome to my blog. I'd love to hear from you via the "comments" thingy at the bottom of each post, just be aware that your comments may not appear immediately because I'll be having a look at them first.
A columnist's job often translates to "loony magnet", so I'll feel better if I can check things out before they're posted. This doesn't mean you can't criticise or disagree - I'll only be chucking out the gross and the really nasty.
Oh, and if you're wondering about my headshot at the top of this page, as opposed to the headshot at the top of my column, it's because the column pic was taken six years ago and involved make-up applied with a trowel (it's particularly scary when viewed full size - I look like a tranny).
This new pic is me as I am - middle-aged, un-made-up and pretty bloody ordinary.
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About Me
- Michele
- Albany, Western Australia
- I'm a retired newspaper columnist who's decided to keep her hand in with some blogging. The best part? No deadlines.
Followers
Places I like to visit
- AA Gill
- Arts and Letters Daily
- BBC
- Book Depository
- Booktopia
- Carlton Football Club
- Choice
- Dave Barry
- Dear Old Love
- Decorno
- Etsy
- Guardian
- Herbie's Spices
- My First Dictionary
- New York Times
- Overheard at the Beach
- Stop, You're Killing Me!
- The Age
- The West Australian
- This is why you're fat
- Valley of the Devil Dolls
- Washington Post
- What Should I Read Next?
Labels
- Albany (7)
- Anniversary (1)
- Anzac Day (1)
- Australia Day (1)
- Beauty (4)
- Birthday (1)
- Books (2)
- Channeling Elvis (3)
- Christmas (2)
- competitions (3)
- Dog (4)
- Easter (2)
- family (1)
- first post (1)
- food (7)
- Footy (5)
- From the Crypt (1)
- gardens (8)
- good websites (2)
- health (2)
- house (12)
- kitsch (4)
- magazines (2)
- New blog (1)
- pain in the chest (2)
- pain in the leg (1)
- pains in the arse (1)
- pains in the arse (11)
- park (1)
- politics (3)
- recession (2)
- renos (10)
- Things I won't hear in my lifetime (1)
- TV (1)
- Word of the week (5)
Copyright
All writing and photos copyright Michele Phillips 2009, unless indicated otherwise or the bleeding obvious (eg movie stills). All rights reserved. Please don't use my words and/or photos without my permission. Thanks.
33 comments:
:-)love the untouched up photo - and I thought I could believe everything I read in the paper! Welcome to the bloggersphere - I've enjoyed your West col for a number of months so look forward to your blog - its a lot more fun when you can interact with your readers - I find myself sometimes reading a newspaper story and wanting to comment- but I can't- there's no form!
Thanks Michele for your years of interesting writing. I'm glad we'll be able to keep up with it on the Web.
Peter Foss
Saturday morning's read of the paper will not be the same without your column. We always missed you during your occasional absences, and welcomed your return.
Thanks for the years of amusing columns.
Ian & Anne Steer
:( What will be the point of buying the paper now? It took me a while to work out how to use this blog thing but your worth it. Sorry to see you stop the column. I have enjoyed reading your writing for years and years. Always made me smile! Sure you wont change your mind?
Disappointed indeed.
I've always enjoyed your columns in the West - Saturday's paper won't be the same without them.
Look forward to reading your blog instead!
Hi Michele, I am gutted you are not writing your column any longer. My husband knows to not speak to me when I announce I'm reading Michele. Thanks for all of the laughs over the years.
Tracey
Michele it's good to know that I can keep in touch with your writing/jottings via the web. I'm sorry I didn't keep a copy of your Christmas Carol which fits to the tune of Good King Wenceslas which had me in fits for days. Any chance of having a copy to keep and to share. Of course, you will always be acknowledged as the lyricist!
Harriet
Michele
Saturday mornings will not be the same without your injection of humour. I looked forward to your column every week, for your left field perspective, and putting a spin on everyday life.
Thanks for the blog - it would have been hard for us to go cold turkey too.
Good luck in retirment with the back yard and house, and may both your nipples continue to point in the same direction.
cheers
Dave
Sad to see you've finished at The West. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your columns over the years - they invariably made me laugh or punch the air with a resounding "Yes!". Actually, I've enjoyed reading your stuff since the "Kingia" days ;-) Enjoy this new part of your life.
I have been reading your columns for most of the last 23 years and sorry to see you go.
Have added your blog to my favourites list so I won't miss out.
Happy "retirement".
Kathy
Noooooooooo!!!!!! It cant be true. I have just read your column Time to blogger off. What will my Saturday lunchtimes by like now. I have read your columns for many years and they have always left me with a smile on my face. How many of us can say that we have that sort of impact on people? I thought something was amiss when I didn't see your column for 2 weeks! Still, enjoy your retirement you deserve it. At least we can communicated via here. So Michele yes may the wind be at your back and your nipples pointing in the same direction. Thanks for all the laughs.'
Devastated
Ditto to the above comments. I will miss your ponderings (and advice) but am thrilled to have you hear in cyberland permanently.
Carry on
Amanda
Many thanks to all of you for taking the time to comment - it's great to be able to talk to you in "real" time.
I've only been able to check back occasionally since this morning because we've got visitors coming later and the house is (or rather, was) an absolute tip.
Tomorrow I'll check out all the blogs listed here. And the Kingia?! Bloody hell. Bunbury High revisited.
Thanks again,
Michele x
Was devastated to read of your retirement then delighted to read of your blogspot....couldn't have gone cold turkey either after many years of laughing along with you and now looking forward to many more!!! :)
Pat
Hi Michele, I've always enjoyed your columns, even more since you moved to my hometown. It's added a dimension of guessing who the quirky people are you come across- there are plenty here!
I'm glad your retirement doesn't mean the end of a regular dose of your view of the world.
(I always thought there was something familiar about you- another ex Bunbury High person here, bit younger I think)
Barb
Hi Michele,
I guess I am one of your loonies (looneys-?sp).
I am so sorry to read that I have read your final column in the west.
For years, that has been the one sure place I could find a smile or a laugh in the paper.
At one time - and it was the ONLY time I ever subscribed to the paper - I subscribed purely so I could read your column - I think it was then in Wednesday's issue... so that was the only day I ordered.
I'll really miss you - most especially probably NEXT saturday...when it just won't BE there, and there is nothing else to read, that is reliably as uplifting - in a small but significant way.
Thanks for all the pleasure you've brought, and I hope to continue to be able to read your thoughts here.
The Kingia! Yes indeedy, also remember you and 'Branch' being inseparable at school, you and your kiss curls.
Have read all you've ever written I think. How about a reprint of "The curse of the Mummy"?
Why not archive all your writings here, they'll be relished.
Iz
Woo! Welcome to the internet! :) Glad to see you're not completely giving up writing because that would suck. (I think I'm the youngest person reading this blog...) I hope you don't get stalked by loonies (that would also suck) and I look forward to reading your blogs :)
have a nice day
Shock and dismay my Saturday ritual is at an end. The person having so many parrallel experiences is retiring! It's enough to make this grump old tart,well grumpy! Will sadly miss your column. Had the question 1 discussion only this week and most of the time the answer these days are they're pointing down. Love the photo by the way! fisrt time of blogging!
Donna
Hi Michele,
I have enjoyed reading your columns over the years...thanks for the laughs. Loved reading your insights about the absurdities of life and the stupidity of certain rules and regulations. As a teacher anything written about the beaurocratic nightmare (otherwise known at the Department of Education and Training) was relished.
Enjoy your retirement.
Lesley :)
Michele, will miss your quirky outlook on life - there's so many of your columns where I could actually picture you doing what you wrote about.
I have several of your columns in my bits'n-pieces scrapbook, 2 of my favourites are :-
1. The dreadful Christmas newsletter that so many people feel we deserve
2. Modern naming patterns where the spelling of a perfectly nice name can end up looking and sounding absolutely ridiculous.
Retirement means you can take all day - no stress and never actually achieve anything
Enjoy your new life - please make sure that you keep us uptodate with your goings-on as and when you feel like it - but no stress!
Hi Michele,
welcome to the cyber world of blogging! I will def miss reading yours sat mrng section and wish you all the best in your retirement and blogging!
I enjoyed reading about your home renovations days and everything else.....pls keep in touch......(in the cyber world!)
Miss C
Michele, your column was the first thing I read each Saturday morning - even if the paper headlines screamed "alien's arrive on earth", your column was turned to first. Will really miss your sense of humour - delightful and wicked. Will now become an avid fan of your blog. Enjoy your retirement!
Hi Michele,
I too was disappointed to read of your last column but then thrilled when i got to the end and saw you had a blog. Now i can still enjoy having a laugh. Thanks
Hi Michele, I can only add my sincere thanks for the laughs you have provided over so many years.
If only there were more people around who had your wicked sense of humour, the world would be a happier place, certainly a lot funnier one.
Enjoy your well deserved but please please keep your fans up to date with your doings and insights on life.
Richie xx
Saturdays will never be the same. Your sense of humour was exactly what I needed to put a smile on my face. Thank goodness that I can continue to appreciate your delightful writing via the web.
Best wishes for your retirement.
Gerry
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Michelle for your wonderful wit and wisdom over the years, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your column ever since I can remember and will miss you in print. However thanks for your blog, I can still keep up with your latest ramblings. You will be sorely missed from The West.
Hi Michele,
Your column in the West was ALWAYS the first thing I read in the paper and I was so sorry to read that you are leaving. It's great that you aren't leaving us faithful readers without our fix of your humour though. Thanks for sharing your blog address with us all. Linda
Dear Michele
Your column sometimes made me smile but mostly it made me laugh out loud. I will not bother with the Saturday paper any more.Thank you so much for 15 years of fun.
God bless and keep you and all your family safe and well
Marion
Well the picture helps me get over some of my disappointment!
Keep it up!
Thanks Michele for all the laughs. I wrote to the West asking them to bribe you with more money, but after reading your blog I'm kind of glad you've gone from there. I now have so much more to read than one column a week. Love your work
Michele - Sat am is now back to normal as I have just read your blog. Love your work and humour. Still have the image on my brain of your dog with a sparkler up his arse. I look forward to reading your blog often. Frogwatch
Michele - i have read your column for the last 23 years and i have your book 'chocolate nipples and other delights' (which i open whenever i need a lift). what can i say? I have enjoyed your columns and honestly looked forward to each week for a 'michele fix'. in so many ways i can relate to your columns (have a sister in-law from yorkshire) and your writing has always given me a lift through the harder things in life. i laugh at the husband things (am divorced simply he could not do the dishes as well as the dishwasher), the kids (have 2 daughters 19 & 22), the dogs (have a german shepherd named Lily who is just loopy [she is my third shepherd] last one was 15 when she passed away), the renovations (yep been there a few times) and am doing it now.
I just want to say thank you for all the laughs and the humour, i will be following you on the blog. (guess what? had to get my daughter to show me how to find this!!!)
look forward to reading your blog, and hey maybe one day come to albany and bump into you at the local shops.
Birgitta
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