What To Do In 2025

Hello everyone and I hope you all have a happy Christmas and a new year. If anyone has had a tough last year, it wouldn't be too surprising given the costs of living that has plagued us along with wars between Israel and Gaza along with Russia's war against Ukraine.

And then, Donald Trump is the new American president again despite having criminal convictions and his sketchy personality along with his America only motif.

But I'm not too interested in all of this as I have bigger better plans which'll be my new year's resolution. 

Just to refresh your memories, I have moved back to my parents' house late last year as I ran into difficulties in many ways. On the other hand, I've been able to have a good refresh and sort myself out. During that time, I've been working out my plan of attack to eventually move back into the South-East of Melbourne again whilst I currently have some hurdles to sort out.

Earlier, I was renting by myself in Pakenham until the lack of hours of work along with monthly car loan repayments and difficulties building up my social life got too much. So then, I've moved out and into a sharehouse in Berwick which is more closer to Victoria's capital city Melbourne. Despite having some hard times with other housemates and less freedoms to do things, I've been able to build up my savings account. And it's also pleasing that I got my bond back along with some overpaid rent which combined are all into my savings account. 

And later last year had been hard having to leave the South-East of Melbourne but I've also learnt other things that'll help me later in life including the idea of renting utes and vans in each Bunnings store. I still have all of my belongings as the majority are in a storage unit I'm currently renting. Despite some uncertainties, I haven't been willing to throw away my new life and it's good to know that I haven't been losing money. Let alone from my savings account.

One hurdle to address before moving is having a housemate and even using rent assist. With rent assist, Centrelink give renters 75 cent for every dollar of rent they pay. For instance, if a renter pays $500 AUD in rent every week, they'll be provided $375 AUD to cover the weekly rent. And then, $125 AUD will be spent out of pocket. That idea offers good value for money and worth pursuing whilst your current circumstances aren't a hundred percent like mine with inconsistent hours of work and my social circle not big or mature enough.

Although it can be handy to have a housemate, it can be tricky with various factors. These include their personalities, how much rent they'll be willing to contribute, hobbies, pets, any children, these can be troubling worst-case scenario but after my latest consideration, I felt it's best to have a rental by myself with rent assist. And then, build up my life in the area again.

With my social life established, I'll carry on being part of the Unique Rides car group and the SECAN arts hub. Another thing and new to pursue is getting involved with Aspergers Victoria and I'm honoured to become a new member this month after 2 Zoom meetings last year plus the third one to start this year. 

And it's a great idea to pursue after a lack of autism and neurodivergent groups is indeed problematic especially when I don't always feel I fit into communities. I've been thinking about establishing those kinds of groups in the Casey area where I'll intend to move back. As I've been more open to meeting up with other people who are on the same autism spectrum, I feel like being more able to fit and open up to our struggles and anything we can talk about that'll be potentially too quirky for anyone else. I've been fortunate to complete my counselling sessions and felt better accepting my autism being next level.

With art, I'll still carry on with my lifelong skill that'll help me break into the community and in the process becoming a legitimate artist.

And this is my tenth painting completed titled Lost Souls and I've been fortunate to be given a privilege to rent a room at the Noble Park Tennis Club away from the sharehouse I used to live. Along the way, I have participated at 2 events including the Noble Park Art Show and SECAN's 2024 Challenges exhibitions.

There's a previous post regarding my participations so I'll attach the link here.

Not One But Two Art Exhibitions

For this year, it'll be the second year to keep pushing along.

Through SECAN, there'll be a few opportunities to sell some of my artworks including a $100 exhibition where other members can exhibit their artworks and sell theirs for up to $100 AUD. That'll be a good opportunity to offload some artworks of mine. With posters, I've been able to address one hurdle with price.

With those posters of mine available in their gift shop, the $24 AUD price tag seemed a little hefty but after a discussion with the SECAN president, we both agreed I shall drop the price to $20 AUD in line with other items on sale.

And then, here's another matter of future exhibitions to get involved with.

Although this looks like an ordinary painting with strawberries, this painting will be a good ticket for this year's upcoming art exhibitions including the Beatles songs with that case Strawberry Fields. Despite not being a fan of the Beatles, it'll be worth participating for the sake of getting into the arts community and build up my reputation. There'll also be this year's Challenges exhibition with words of each month to be confirmed. You'll never know whether I can use my current inventory of art this time.

And when I'll be able to move out again, it wouldn't hurt to go outside the South-East for other activities elsewhere after some extra fuel for thought given to me such as some walking groups.

This is the eastern area of Melbourne spanning up to Lilydale. From Berwick, it's an approximate 45 minute drive. I've even had a job interview at a Burson Auto Parts store in Mitcham. And I've also visited Blackburn and the surrounding area of Belgrave on some handful of times. More experiences that I've accumulated and handy if nothing else in the South-East has to offer for me.

And I still haven't forgotten my intention to work on cars along with my new paintings which both are still on hiatus. With my idea of having my own place and utilising the garage spaces, it'll be a good chance to resume my new hobby by buying cheap cars to fix up to get them roadworthy, registered and sell. This'll be a grand opportunity to use my hobby working on cars as a financial booster whilst gaining mechanical skills as well. I'll look to buy 3 cars to fix and sell.

I've also been keeping an eye at times on the Facebook Marketplace for any spaces to potentially work on cars. Like everything else, all this is a work in progress.

Take this shed for example. This sounds like a good temptation or I could rent a garage space but it's too early at this stage.

But then, the most important thing this year to work on is work. Unfortunately this month, my work hours have been reduced which landed me in a rather hard situation. When I'm lately working around 8 hours a week, I no longer feel confident about moving given the financial woes potentially.

I've been looking to potentially go with a staff recruitment agency with one in Hallam where I've handed in my resume but I'll keep in touch with the recruitment consultant later on. The latest I know with those kind of recruitment agencies is the team will aim to fill in job vacancies once they've been given resumes from job seekers. And it'll be better hands down as opposed to a disability employment service which they'll only allow you to work the maximum of 8 hours a week. Not enough.

But with my current job at Repco, there's hardly potential to grow. However, my store manager has been keen to get me to fill in extra shifts at other stores and that way regain skills and confidence to serve customers both retail and trade with the flow on effect which is to potentially move to better jobs in spare parts or if I want to be ambitious again pursue work at JB HI FI.

So this will go 2 ways heading towards the next month.

What I should also do is allow some quality time with the hard work I'll face to get myself back again.

Towards the end of 2024, I've had a day out starting at St Kilda for some morning tea at the Beachcombers cafe by the beach.

There, I treated myself with the muffin and an iced coffee. After that, I had a walk along St Kilda.

Despite Melbourne's weather being bipolar as you can see, it's been such a pleasing experience considering I rarely go to a beach.

And for my lunch, I went to Easeys in Collingwood. I was recommended by a work colleague of mine to eat in this burger restaurant with those old, retired metro train cars that served loads of Melburnians travelling around the city, I've booked my table at one of those cars.

And this is my burger meal along with the potato trots that I hadn't had for an awfully long time. This is another unique restaurant whether fine dining or fast food which will be key in a lucrative food and beverage industry to stay open particularly Melbourne which is and always will be the food capital of the world. And a lesson worth learning with the case of Carls Jr that isn't too special as I've noticed when I went there once.

Other leisures aside some drawing projects and shopping for DVDs in op shops, I've carried on playing some Pokemon Shield and gaining ground once I've been working out which Pokemon to battle and attacks, this is all a big and good learning curve. And here are the Pokemon that help me propel another genre, more than one of my cousins who's a self-acclaimed best gamer.

Hardships aside, I'm still not wanting to give up as I've achieved a lot and usually I get seriously tested along the way.

Queue the next month and see you next time!