No title can summarise

I realise it's been a couple of weeks since I last updated, and for that I'm sorry. My birthday was nice, I got to catch up with my friends and family and just like that, another birthday was gone. Then work got really busy with the end of financial year, so I didn't get time to update. On June 30th I was at work until 10:15pm.

Last week I was only at work for a couple of days because I took some time off for my sister's wedding which was on the weekend that just passed. So I had a few days beforehand to prepare and do the last minute things, and then yesterday off to recover. Her day went off without any dramas and she looked beautiful and happy. They left for their honeymoon yesterday and are gone for 2 weeks, so hopefully they'll get time to relax.

It was a very emotionally draining time, and the last place I feel like being is at work today. While my sister gets married, my own relationship is pretty much over, and my days are mostly spent with tears stinging my eyes. I don't want to talk about it too much in great detail except to say this has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Now it's time for me to look for somewhere else to live, and so tonight I'm off to an inspection on a unit. It's made worse by the fact that we're both still in love with each other, but these underlying issues can't be solved or compromised on. So that's all I've got to say about that. I will most likely not be in the mood to write for some time.

A great day!

Today is my Birthday, yay!! I only have to work half a day today, yay!! And Battlefield 2 was released today, so I get to go home and install and play it, yay!! A great day indeed!! :D

Sleepy Smurf

Once again I seem to be going through a patch of little sleep during the night. I'm not sure why - perhaps the late nights over the weekend threw my body out of whack or something, but for some reason over the last couple of nights I've been waking up at 5am and not being able to fall back asleep, so I'll either lie there until my alarm goes off, or get annoyed and get up. Anyway, no biggie, just that I wish it was the end of the workday already (more than usual).

Tomorrow is my birthday and it seems Ivan and I have had no luck trying to book a place for dinner. The Greedy Goose is booked out for another month and the other place I wanted doesn't do dinner on Wednesday nights so it might end up being a quiet one at home (not that I mind that). I'm only working half a day tomorrow as I'm taking a Flexi for the afternoon, so it'll be nice not to have to be at work for the whole day.

Yesterday I went and spent some of my birthday vouchers. I bit the bullet and pre-ordered the next Harry Potter, and also bought The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Third Day, The Frost. Have I mentioned how much I love books?! I still have another voucher to use at Target but I'm not sure, perhaps I'll put it towards another winter jumper or something. Today is freezing!

I also went and got my stitches out yesterday afternoon and got my biopsy results, and everything is all good, so thankfully, that's all over!

Anywho, that's about it for today, more another time!

PS Did anyone else think it was hilarious that Tom Cruise got squirted with water during an interview? Chuckles galore!

Weekend of gecko woe

Well, the time since I last updated has been a bit stressful to say the least, all to do with my new geckos. I noticed on the first night that the little one, Geckotron, had a bit of a strange walk, with her front legs looking a bit rubbery. I finally called the person I bought them from (let's call her 'S') on Friday to see if she had noticed anything before selling them. She said she hadn't (to which I though 'bullshit') and we discussed the possibilities of what it might mean. We came to the conclusion that Geckotron has a calcium deficiency, and S conceded that it probably occurred when she put both geckos together and didn't make sure Geckotron was eating properly. So, I've now inherited a sick gecko, and needed to get her some calcium drops. They've been ordered and will hopefully be here by tomorrow so I can start administering it.

On top of all that, the two girls have been fighting. We'd noticed a bit of aggressive behaviour with the big one chasing the little one down, but on Saturday night it seems Geckotron finally fought back, taking a chunk of skin off Merckenschlager. This happened at about 1:30am, so I called a 24 hour emergency vet for advice, then tried to find a chemist that was open to get some Betadine. We discovered there aren't chemists open 24 hours in Adelaide any more. Joy. That night I separated the two by dividing their tank with cardboard.

On Sunday morning I ummed and ahhed about what to do for a good hour before calling S. It was cruel to keep them both in a small divided aquarium, so I thought I'd just have to get rid of one. Not an easy decision as I'm already attached to both of them. When I called S and told her what had happened she suggested separating the two until Geckotron grew to full size (about a year away). I told her that's great but my tank is too small for them like that, so she offered me a tank that she had spare for free. Lifesaver! I went and picked it up on Saturday morning (a 100Km round trip) and thus my plans to do nothing on Sunday fell through. They're both set up now, divided so they can no longer fight and should have enough room to be happy while I wait for the little one to grow. Crisis over!! Now I just need to cure this calcium deficiency. Hopefully it's not too late...

Apart from gecko woe the weekend was pretty good. On Saturday we went to Mum and Dad's for a family birthday lunch and it was really nice. I got vouchers galore (spent them today) and a pair of diamond earrings and was generally spoiled (as is necessary on one's birthday :D).

I'm leaving work in just under half an hour as today I get my stitches out. This is a good thing as I am no good at short showers. Hopefully this is the last I'll see of this doctor (although I guess that's dependant on the biopsy results).

I'm tired. The girls upstairs were arguing again last night. It's really not normal, if you hate each other so much why would you stay living there? And with them being the drama queens that they are, they don't simply yell at each other but also slam doors, which is just lovely for us people in the same block of flats. And then this morning at 6am they continued. I can't wait until we buy our own house...

Could time possibly drag any more?

It feels like it should be time to go home by now and yet there is still two and a half hours to go. I don't see how that's possible. I would very much like to walk out right now, but I won't, because it's not the right thing to do. Today is just so boring and non-constructive. I've even already cleaned out my email, and although I don't normally take a lunch break, I went for a walk for lunch today to kill some time. It appears to have not had any effect.

I really should stop going into Borders at lunch time as it's inevitable that the list of books I want (nay, need) just gets longer and longer every time I visit a bookstore. Not that I have an official list, the list is just in my head at the moment. Perhaps I should really jot it down somewhere...

There is less than a week until my 26th birthday and although I'm not doing anything to celebrate, I still can't wait. I already have my gift from Ivan (which was gecko stuff) and know he'll be taking me out to dinner next week (to the Greedy Goose, yay!) but I do love surprises and love being spoiled so am looking forward to the weekend when I get to spend time with some people I care about to celebrate my birthday.

I'm still trying to kill time, as I think you've no doubt realised by now, so let me try to find some other things to ramble about...

What is it with those idiots on Big Brother using the word "confliction"? There's no such thing, you twats! It's really starting to piss me off because they're trying to sound intelligent... I think I may be going off BB *gasp*

Because I'm a geek, I've also been thrilled lastely by the release of the Battlefield 2 demo. The game *should* come out next week and I can't wait to get my copy! I haven't had a great deal of time to have a look at it but from what I've seen I loved it, apart from a couple of things they need to iron out, but that's the way games go. It's times like this you realise just how old your body has become. It used to be that I could spend several hours a night playing a game but now I need to be in bed early enough or I can't get out of bed the next morning. 26 is great but I wouldn't mind the stamina I used to have...

Ah bugger it, I'd better go do some work. And will possibly leave early at the rate I'm going...

Pictures of my baby girls!

Geckotron strikes a pose :)

I have a captive! Muhahahah!

Merckenschlager's the big one

I love my darlings, they're so cute!!

The long weekend hangover

Not that I actually have a hangover, it's more a figure of speech. You know, it's that usual sluggishness you feel after a long weekend when you wake to your alarm to get ready for a short week at work.

The weekend was excellent and lazy and very rejuvenating. Saturday was a bit nuts though, with a lot of running around to be done. I started the day with a facial, but in hindsight probably should have finished with it instead. I then went for a drive to Lonsdale to get the gear for my geckos - some sand, a thermometer, a water dish and some crickets. On the way back into town I popped into Home Hardware to get some plywood, then the search for the polystyrene began. Bloody hell, who would think it would be so difficult to find a sheet of polystyrene? Thing is, I needed the heat mat to sit on it for insulation, and so I needed a heat resistant grade. When I finally found a place that had a sheet, not only would they not cut it to size for me but they didn't know if it was heat resistant. "Oh, you should be ok". I should indeed. I bought the stuff anyway after another hour and a half spent trying to find a place that could at least be helpful. Conclusion: my geckos' home is complete! I pick them up tonight and can't wait!

Saturday night was Maria and Steve's faux Hen's and Buck's night and it was quite good. It was nice to finally meet Steve's family and we had more fun than I thought we would. I think we were the first to leave though, but them's the breaks. Apparently there was one incident, where one of the guys decided to get a tree from next door to throw onto the bonfire rather than use the wood that Steve had in his backyard. Needless to say the neighbour was not pleased one bit, and Maria and Steve had to pay her $150 to replace the tree. Let's hope they get that money back. Must be a guy thing - I didn't find it funny but Ivan did.

Sunday and Monday were so lazy I can't quite believe how little I did on both days. There was just the usual washing to be done, and the rest of the day was spent doing a lot of reading and a lot of nothing. Very rejuvenating!

In world news today: Michael Jackson was found not guilty of all 10 counts against him. Wonder how long it'll be before someone else lays charges...

As a long weekend approaches

Hooray for Fridays! Hooray for long weekends! Hooray for hoorays!

Not that the insane cheering has passed, I shall provide a brief update of what's been happening the last few days, shall I? After all, this blog is more of a diary of events than anything else (although I'd like it to be so much more) so let us begin.

Work this week both sucks and blows. I'm not really sure what it is, just my usual "I'd rather be curled up at home" mentality, but there you go. So, how do I combat that? I apply to relieve for a supervisor so I can be given more responsibility and more reason to complain!

One of the Coordinators here is going on Long Service Leave at the end of this month so I applied for the relief work. I really would like to move up in the Department, and need more experience, so thought it's best if I apply. Myself and another girl here have pretty much the same skills, and rather than choosing between the two of us, they've asked if we wanted to split the role. So I'm doing the first 4 weeks, and she's doing the second. I don't mind sharing, I'm more interested in getting the experience really, and a little extra pay will help.

All of this mole removal and stuff seems to be costing way more than I thought it would, as I received a bill I wasn't expecting for it yesterday, and am expected to still fork out $200 for the privilege of feeling the doctor slice up my back. I know Medicare covers some of it but I still feel as though my life is just one big bill and my credit card will eventually wither and die.

Anyway aside from giving my money to other people, the evenings have been busy lately. On Wednesday night I went to a Field Naturalist's meeting. I've been a member for a couple of years now and have never gotten to a meeting, so it was nice to attend and very interesting actually. I dare say I'll go more regularly from now on.

Last night I met Maria and Mum at the bridal store for Maria's second dress fitting. It's really coming along beautifully and she only has one more fitting to go before the big day.

Tonight should be relatively quiet but tomorrow will be hella busy. In the morning I have a facial, then I need to go to one end of the city to get some polystyrene for insulation for the heat mat, then head to the other end of the city to get some sand for the geckos, then head to Bunnings. Finally, during the night we're going to Maria and Steve's for a BBQ. Neither of them are into strippers or shenannigans so they're not having official Bucks or Hens nights, so this BBQ is pretty much it I think, their last event before their wedding.

I plan to spend the rest of the weekend relaxing.

I guess that's about it then! I really want to write some personal stuff here but will refrain I suppose...

Time to sulk

Hey if I can't sulk here than where can I sulk? Yesterday I went to the Dermatologist to have 2 moles removed and a biopsy done on another one and I'm in a bit of pain at the moment. Note to all: Panadol doesn't do very much at all really. The one on my arm doesn't hurt at all but the two on my back are painful. Not so surprising considering the local anaesthetic didn't work on the mole he did the biopsy on because the skin was too thick and I got to feel him slicing, but no matter. The stitches get taken out two days before my birthday and I can't wait. I'm not worried now that it's all done, the only thing that concerns me is that I'm to take "short showers". That does not compute!

In other news the week has been crazy as hell. Last Thursday night after work I went shopping with Maria, Kay and Dianne for bridesmaid's dresses and shoes and thank goodness, we found something that suited all of us towards the end of the night. I have to find some time this week to go and collect the shoes since we had to order some from another store, and then we need to get our dresses adjusted a bit as they're too long for all us shorties so somehow we all have to get together again.

The weekend absolutely flew! On Saturday I went to a Friends of Belair meeting then Darren came over and we went out for dinner, then on Sunday all I did was go to visit Mum at work and then clean the house and before I knew it, Monday was upon us again (the day I felt sharp stabbing pains in my back).

Only one week until I get my geckos, and I've decided on the names: Geckotron and Merkinshlager. Fine names indeed.

Recovery

Well I'm back at work after two days off, delighted that with this new web blocker thing they haven't blocked Blogger (yet). I actually feel worse today then I did yesterday, but really can't keep taking time off. With the end of financial year approaching there's a lot to do and little time to do it all in, so here I am.

Although, I must admit, today has been pretty uneventful. And I'm leaving early, because Maria's wedding is in only about 5 weeks and we haven't yet got the bridesmaids dresses, so we're going shopping tonight. I really hope we find something that we all agree on and that's in our sizes. Time is not on our side and if we don't find something tonight I'm not sure when we will.

This is week two of Dad's new job and he's still so happy. It's a shame it's only a 3-month contract, but you never know, he might get extended. He's been hearing lots of positive feedback so the chances are pretty good, so long as they have the money to keep him on.

In other news I have a home organised for the two barking geckos I'll be getting! I already had an aquarium, and yesterday as an early birthday present Ivan got me the heat mat and thermostat I'll need to keep them nice and warm! I should be getting them on the 14th, can't wait to bring the little cuties home. One has already been christened Geckotron, but I have no idea what to call the second one. Any suggestions?

PS My stats counter is cool because it tells me where people come from to get to my site, like if they did a search or came through a different site or whatever. But lately there've been a lot of Blocked or Hidden Referrers. Shame on you people, you completely spit on my stat counter! Also I'm secretly jealous, because I didn't know people could do such things...

Ohhh, I guess that's why

So I think I figured out why I had two days off last week for feeling run down. Apparently my body was trying to tell me I was about to get some cold thingy. Today I am feeling dreadful, with a sore throat and a nose that constantly drips. Joy! I hope Michelle's kids don't come down sick :-/

I had one of the nicest weekends, very relaxing. On Saturday I did a little shopping then went to Steve's place for his birthday. It was just the family and a BBQ and was a nice night. On Sunday I went to Michelle's to celebrate her birthday as well as Alisha's and Jacob's. Today is her and Alisha's actual birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY to them! Almost her whole family was there and seeing as they're like my own it was lovely to see them. Today I'm here at work, feeling sorry for myself, especially because I have an hour to go and the last hour has dragged something chronic.

In other news, I've had songs from the movie Annie in my head all day. The sun will come out tomorrow....

***

Weight lost this week: 0.4 Kgs
Total weight lost: 7.0 Kgs

Damn it

It appears my comments are borked again. I'm not sure how long to give it. Last time I gave it three days before contacting the place that hosts them, and then got a completely useless response of "It works for me", not a "Oh, thanks, we've found the problem and it's fixed". So you see, they're not my favourite people to contact.

Anyway, so I'm at home today. My plan was to sleep until about this time, but alas, the phone rang at 8:45am and I've been up since, wasting away the day. I feel quite run down and am longing for a night where I sleep solidly, without waking up for no reason. It's been so long since that's happened.

Work has been full-on lately so I think I needed a break from that too. On top of that, they have a web blocker installed now and so I can't access my Hotmail from work anymore. I'm also scared to visit a lot of the sites I usually visit incase I'm being monitored. I'm applying for a temporary relief position, one pay level higher, and the last thing I want is to get in trouble over something silly. But it makes the days longer and more tedious.

The weekend wasn't too bad. On Saturday I had my hair coloured and then went to help Misch set up for her 40th birthday party. It was about 50 Kms away, at a property up past Wistow, so I was planning to spend the night. Anyway, got there at about 2pm and it was a madhouse with nothing having been done. People started arriving at around 4pm and we were still chopping mountains of vegetables for dinner. Thankfully, the other guests chipped in and we were able to relax a bit. It wasn't a bad night, it was a good mix of people, but by 11pm all I wanted to do was come home to my comfortable bed. So I did. Sunday was just a day of recovery really. I played this game called Still Life for most of the day, I'm completely addicted. It's a bit like a CSI game but a bit more dark and gruesome. Oh and I put on 0.1 Kgs too, I guess it's my own fault for snacking too much at Misch's birthday :-/

Long time readers may remember my desire to get a barking gecko to keep as a pet. Well, now that I'm back in Adelaide I've been having serious discussions with one of the ladies from SAHG and she has not one but two she wants to sell! I mean, just look at how cute they are!

May the force be with you

Last night, Ivan and I went to see Star Wars Episode 3. We'd pre-booked our tickets for a session after work here in the city, and Alex was supposed to come with us but he's sick so it ended up being just the two of us. We collected our tickets, went and got some dinner at Pasta Palace, then headed back to the cinema to settle in for a few hours.

Best Star Wars Movie Ever! It is definitely my favourite film out of the 6. I won't give away any plot stuff because there might be a few people who haven't seen it yet who still want to but it was so amazing, my words here don't do it justice. It's a very dark and sad story, and George Lucas has redeemed himself in my opinion. My only complaint is that a lot of the lightsabre duels were panned in too close so you couldn't really see what was happening (apart from the Yoda battles, they were done well). But it's hard to pick a fault with any of the story. INCREDIBLE!

We were lucky enough to get into a session where the cinema was only half full. Unfortunately, there was some idiot who occasionally had a brain fart and decided to yell out during the film, swearing quite badly too. A good example of why drugs are bad and arrests in Bali are good...

Forget me not

I can't believe it's already Wednesday. Being Wednesday is, indeed, a good thing, because it means another weekend is almost upon us again.

We had a Public Holiday here in Adelaide on Monday so the week has gone by faster than normal, and after the crappy couple of days I had at the end of the week last week, it can only be a good thing.

The weekend was great and relaxing actually. On Saturday I went and had a facial, then Mum and Dad picked me up and we went to the football. Having spent last year in Berri, it'd been quite a while since I'd been to a football match so I was looking forward to going. We got there early, so we went to the Crows Shed beforehand as we waited for the rain to subside. I'd forgotten just how loud Mum gets at the football - it was no wonder Dad bought his headphones. It turned out to be a really nice night, and nice to spend some time with the family.

On Sunday, Ivan, Darren and I went to play golf at Patawalonga. I am still absolutely appalling. My score was atrocious and some of my shots made me cranky but I left thinking I'd try it again and look forward to the next time we go.

On Monday I'd planned to do a lot and ended up doing absolutely none of it. With Star Wars Episode 3 coming out tomorrow, Ivan and I decided to watch the first 2 movies again, to remind ourselves of what happened, so that took up all of the afternoon really. We're seeing Episode 3 tomorrow after work, I can't wait.

That's been about it really!

***

Weight lost this week: 1.1 Kgs
Total weight lost: 6.7 Kgs

You have to be kidding me

It has been confirmed today that I am losing my mind. The confirmation came this morning, as I walked out the door to catch my train, ran my tongue over my teeth and thought, 'Hmm, they feel a bit furry'. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd forgotten to brush my teeth.

How in the world does a person simply forget to brush their teeth? It's akin to forgetting to wipe one's arse. Normally, people don't simply forget to do these basic acts of hygiene. I realise some people choose not to brush their teeth on a daily basis but, dear readers, I am not one of those people. I choose to brush, I just simply forget. Astounding...

The day has not improved since that strange start. My days at work seem to be spent waiting for other people. Today has frankly been a bit of a waste. I mean, I've gotten a few things done, but it still doesn't feel like a very productive day, and there's still an hour and a half to go.

In other random ramblings, the 5th series of Big Brother has started and I am once again hooked. I'm not yet as bad as last year, in that I haven't stayed up to watch the Up Late show, but I'm sure in time I'll be doing that too. It's only been a few days and I'm already loving this series. The whole twin/imposter thing is pretty cool to watch.

Finally, what is it with all the freaks in town lately? Seems a person can't go to work without confronting someone a little out of it and announcing this to the world. Yesterday a man was having a frightfully loud conversation with himself. Dude, people don't need to hear yelling at 8:30am, and sometimes there's just not enough room to take a wide berth.

Wow, an hour and 30 minutes to go. Awesome.

Strange days

It's been an interesting few days here, and therefore a long blog post to come, so feel free to skip through it (although I'd forever think of you as rude and uncaring).

I had Friday off work and went to the Friends of Parks AGM at Cummins' Historical House. I'd never even heard of the place but it's a nice place to visit, built in the 1800s. We had some morning tea, then the meeting got underway. As is tradition, the meeting ran a little late but then we had lunch and were taken on a tour of the house which was really nice.

On Saturday Mum, Maria and I went shopping, although it wasn't easy because I'm kinda in-between sizes at the moment so most things were either too big or too small. I ended up buying a couple of pairs of shoes, a handbag, 4 workshirts and some pants. Not bad considering it was hard to find clothes that fit I suppose.

Sunday was Mother's Day so, ofcourse, I went to have lunch with the family. It was an interesting lunch indeed, resulting in Dad taking wire cutters to one of my earrings. You see, I've been trying to take them off for months but wasn't able to figure out the clasp that kept them on. Mum tugged at my ear (causing intense pain, mind you) for a good 10 minutes before we resorted to the wire cutters. After one earring was cut, Dad figured out how to work the clasp. The result - one broken pair of earrings, sore ears, and a few giggles at my expense.

Yesterday I had the morning off work to go to the dermatologist. Not knowing where it was but thinking I knew the suburb, I got off the train station and proceeded to find my destination on foot. Little did I know I'd be walking for 45 minutes, causing my poor feet to ache in my new shoes and making me late for my appointment. There wasn't a chance in hell I was walking back to the train station after my appointment was over, so I had to call a taxi to get me to work. What an idiot. I felt the most stupid when I was walking past the main road I live off. I may as well have walked from home. Note to self: Next time, drive.

So, those were my strange days. They say things come in threes but I'm really hoping I get through today without me being a total idiot...

***

Weight lost this week: 0.1 Kgs
Total weight lost: 5.6 Kgs

Theme of the week

Well, today is proving to be a waste of time so far too, with nothing planned for me to do today. Either things will stay dull and today will be a total waste or everything will hit all at once when the people in charge finally decide to show up. Perhaps I will spend the day playing Solitaire or something, but then, I have no idea exactly what or how they monitor our computer use here...

I left my swipe card at home this morning which is going to be a total pain in the arse because the lady on the front counter tells me she isn't allowed to hand out spare cards to staff who have forgotten theirs, so every time I go to the toilet I'll have to bug someone for their card. Total Pain In The Arse.

On top of all that I'm still pissed at Ivan for his attitude last night, but hey, that's why I need a private Blog I guess...

I just want today to be over, one of those 24 hours I guess. Tomorrow I get to relax at the Friends of Parks AGM with no work and a long weekend, and I can't wait.

Sorry for the negativity today :(

One more to go

Well, there's only a couple of hours to the day left and then I'm here at work tomorrow but get a bit of a long weekend. On Friday I've booked an Annual Leave day so I can go to the Friends of Parks AGM, and although AGMs are normally a little on the dull side, a day off work is always welcome.

I feel somewhat guilty for getting paid this week, since Monday was a write-off and then I had yesterday off. I was planning on just leaving early to go and visit Mum but when the boss offered "Why don't you just take the whole day?" who was I to refuse? So I did a little relaxing in the morning then got to Mum and Dad's around lunchtime and spent a few hours there chatting to Mum and helping around with some housework. It eased my mind to see her. Although she's in a lot of pain, I'm sure she's glad to be home and she has the rest of the week off so hopefully she does lots of relaxing to recover.

Today has been ok, but inconsistent. The morning was quiet until around 11am and now it's died down again. I'm hoping the last couple of hours fly but I somehow doubt it. I'm in the frame of mind where I wish I had the whole week off, but what's new?

***

Weight lost this week: 0.5Kgs
Total weight lost: 5.5Kgs

Why bother?

Today is proving to be a waste of time and I wonder why I bothered coming in to work today. I was supposed to have a meeting this morning about this project I'm working on because I've gotten as far as I can on my own, but the guy who's supposed to be helping me apparently forgot we were supposed to meet up today and has taken a Flexi day. Joy. I still have my Licensing work to do but I've done all I can at the moment without my boss giving me more work (which I've already gone down and asked for). On top of all that they've moved me down the other end of the building so I can be closer to the project team for a couple of weeks and it's so quiet down here that I keep walking back to my old desk to talk to people.

Anywho, enough complaining (for now).

The weekend was lovely and relaxing. On Saturday morning I just did a little housework and ran a couple of errands and then had the rest of the day to relax. Ivan and I caught up on a lot of TV show watching and watched a couple of movies we've been meaning to watch for a while, and I spent a lot of time chatting online which I just don't get to do as much these days.

On Sunday Ivan had a lot of work to do so I went to my Grandma's by myself to celebrate her birthday. She's 79 now, and unfortunately, we all start to notice that she's starting to fade. It's really sad to see but I think she had a nice afternoon. Maria, Steve and I were there all afternoon, then Mum and Dad arrived around 4pm, when Mum finished work, and I stayed for another hour and a half so I could catch up with them.

Mum goes into hospital today for day surgery and at the moment she's all I can think about. She should be hoem tonight but I'm only going over tomorrow afternoon, as she'll be out of it and not really up to company tonight. I wish I was there though, although she says it's pointless for us all to be sitting there while she's in surgery, so Dad's the only one going. My father can't stand hospitals though, so I'm not sure how well he'll cope. I just called to wish Mum luck, although it hasn't eased my mind too much.

In other news, I've really enjoyed getting back into online gaming after a brief hiatus. We had a bf1942 scrim last night and I love the way the clan I'm in works together. Our war is tonight so I have faith that we'll do well after seeing how well we did last night.

I am really scared I've put on weight this week. I'm 99% sure I have, in fact. It was a terrible week with a lot of takeaway, and for Grandma's birthday we had KFC, and I was devastated to get home and look in my book to find the one piece of chicken I had was almost worth half my daily points total. Terrible. I got on the exercise bike for 50 minutes as a result but methinks I've blown it this week. Oh well, I guess I'll find out around noon today when I get weighed, and no point worrying about it now I suppose, just have to deal with it. One of the reasons I've been posting my weight here is to try and keep me focussed and on track. We shall see if it works when I have to post that I've gone backwards!

Hmm, half an hour of typing and three conversations later and I still have no work to do. I could go home I suppose, but I don't have any Flexi leave left and don't want to use any other leave up. This is going to be a long day...

Crap

I've had a crappy crap crap crap morning. I have learned my lesson though - when the test system won't let you practice something, DO NOT go ahead and try it in the actual database. I have majorly made the data FUBAR!

I am counting down to lunch, as I'm meeting Dad and then from 1 to 3:30pm I have a training course. I just want to get away from this desk after the mess I made this morning.

Bring on the weekend, I say! I'm looking forward to a very relaxed weekend. All I'll be doing is a little bit of shopping, and seeing my family, as it's my Grandma's birthday. The rest of the time I plan to sleep lots, watch a movie or two, read, relax in front of the computer, and I suppose I should do some laundry.

Sweet, only five minutes before I have to meet Dad!

Anyway, better go. Did I mention this day was crap?

Birthday Boy!

Just wanted to do a quick update to wish Ivan a happy 32nd birthday!!! I know he has a busy day today so it doesn't seem like too much of a birthday but I'm thinking of him and sending him lots of birthday hugs and kisses!! MWAH!

Lest we forget

I should have done the right thing and done a separate entry altogether for ANZAC Day yesterday but, alas, I didn't get a chance to. The weekend was quite busy and then yesterday I did nothing at all but Ivan was heaps busy so I didn't really get to use my computer.

So, where to begin?

On Friday night Alex and Darren came over and we had yummy Chinese food, watched a bit of the football and generally just chatted and joked around. It was a really good night!

On Saturday we went to Maria and Steve's for a BBQ so I caught up with the family a bit. We didn't stay too long because again, Ivan was heaps busy, so we pretty much ate, had a quick chat and then headed home. I then went to visit Michelle and stayed there for a couple of hours just catching up. It was so good to see her, I can't believe I hadn't seen her since baby number 3 was born.

On Sunday Darren held a LAN at his place so we were there from around 1:30pm to around 2:30am. A bit of a long night but it was a lot of fun (as LANs usually are). We played Medal of Honour: Pacific Assault, Tiger Woods Golf, SWAT 4, Brothers in Arms, and some Need for Speed Underground. I can't remember if there was anything else. We got a chance to watch a bit of the Grand Prix too, so a good night all in all.

As I said, Monday was lazy for me, although Ivan had a busy one. It was great to have a long weekend though, but it makes coming back to work a bit more difficult (and annoying).

My new glasses arrived today. I *heart* them!

***

Weight lost this week: 0.4Kgs
Total weight lost: 5.0Kgs

Points to mention

I figured I would update my blog while I sit here at my desk, eating my salad. I've really come to realise that I watch way too many TV shows, and hence why I barely log on during the week. Once the TV shows are finished, it's pretty much time for bed, so I don't seem to have the spare time I used to.

I'd like to think though, that although I might not have time to see my friends, that I make an attempt to at least keep in touch with them. Sure, it might only be a quick phone call or email, but I reckon that's better than nothing.

The reason I bring this up is because I've been annoyed at Tash for being a slack friend for months now, but only finally mentioned it to her the other day. I'm just tired of always having to be the one to send her an email or call her or SMS her, even when she has said SO many times that she wants to catch up and she'll "text me closer to the day" and then it doesn't happen unless I hound her to get back to me or I just give up on her altogether. Sure, we were good friends once, but you can't keep considering someone to be a good friend when they seem to have time for other people and not you (eg. she has time to fly to the frikkin' NT for a holiday for a friend but no time for a hello), and when you only see or hear from them once every few months. That's not a good friend, that's an acquantance. When I told her she was very apologetic but I doubt anything will actually change. The reason I say that is because even mixed with her apologies were excuses. For example, "I'm really sorry, but I only have three nights a week free..." blah blah blah. Heard it all before, if you happen to have a breakfast appointment free, Tash, look me up, yadda yadda.

Anyway now that I've vented about that here is something random. One of the stakeholders called for information yesterday and said, I quote, "If you look half as good as you sound I'll have to clone you for my son". Truly my customer service skills are exceptional :D

***

Weight lost this week: 0.7 Kgs
Total weight lost: 4.5 Kgs

Time to kill

I figured I could do a quick update while I waited for my laundry to finish, so prepare to be bored!

This weekend has been nice and generally quiet. On Friday night we caught up on lots of TV show watching and I had a generally early night. I don't know why but my job exhausts me and by the end of the week I'm stuffed. I don't do anything physically demanding, I think it's just the early starts, but there you have it.

Yesterday I went and had a facial and then Ivan and I were supposed to go to his Uncle's surprise 60th birthday. However, because they're not a close part of the family and neither of us really felt like going, Ivan cancelled it, although I do feel kinda bad about not showing up. Instead, we went and had a nice coffee and got ourselves some dinner and had a quiet night in. I watched The Ring 2 and it scared the crap outta me, so I ended up staying up until 2am in an effort to get it out of my head. Today all I'll be doing is paying Mum a visit at work in a couple of hours. Aside from that I really need to do some housework. I'd like to get the last of my things packed away although I don't really feel like doing that today. Instead, I might clean the bathroom or something else exciting.

Aside from that, what is up with the footy tipping this year?!?

Scary stuff

Most people have a fear of dentists. I don't. Instead, I have the same fear of Optometrists. I can't explain what it is, all I know is that I hate going to see them. Perhaps it's because I've had to see them since I was a little kid, the fact that they attach all sorts of contraptions to your head, and repeatedly ask "Is it better with Number 1, or Number 2?".

Regardless of this irrational fear, my eyes have been bugging me lately, so I decided to bite the bullet to get my prescription revised. I am in desperate need of new contact lenses and was told that 1997 was the last time my eyes were tested. Crikey. On top of that, my glasses were something that needed to be in a museum. I think I must have last gotten a pair of glasses around 1990, because once I started high school I desperately wanted to switch to contacts and so only wore my glasses at home and nevermore in public.

So, the old glasses were huge and ugly, although Mum assures me I selected those ghastly frames myself. I've now decided to get with the times and have ordered new contact lenses as well as a new pair of glasses, and can't wait to get them. They're groovy Versace frames about half the size of my old glasses. I'd like to throw out the old ones, but perhaps donating them to the Adelaide Museum would be more worthwhile. After all, they are an artefact...

Anyway, I'll get the new ones in about 2 weeks, yay! I'll be glad to not have to squint at my computer monitor anymore or lean in to read things, or lean closer to the tv to read subtitles.

Aside from that the week has been work and little else. I got my car serviced. Exciting stuff. Today at work is quite dull and braindead, with a few of us doing a major mailout, which is a good Friday job I think. So I'm writing this before we start to try and kill time.

Hmm, perhaps my boredom should not be a reason to write here, as it only makes my readers suffer. Methinks I'll be off now then...

Almost hometime!

It's winding down towards the end of the workday so I thought I'd do a quick update before I go and catch the train home.

I'm really excited because my boss asked if I wanted to be on a new project today. It'll be a challenge because I'll be working on the project in the mornings and doing my own work in the afternoon, but hopefully it will go well and it might impress them. I like impressing the bosses. She anticipates it'll take two weeks but we'll play it by ear. I'll be working with 4-5 other people and am looking forward to the experience. I think tomorrow morning we have our first meeting!

Aside from that it has been a regular day here and so I don't have anything cool to write about, but killing time isn't so bad. I think I'll catch the early train home and go and do some grocery shopping...

***

Weight lost this week: 0.7Kgs
Total weight lost: 3.8Kgs

Pyjama Day

I was off work Friday with a sore throat and so my plans for the weekend got a little shot. Yesterday I went to the doctor and I have some throat infection. Joy. After that I went to see Mum and Dad for a while and spent most of the time there lying on their couch and watching my footy tips go down the drain. Ivan and I were supposed to go to a pub for Krista's birthday last night but in the end I sent him to go on his own. I did feel bad about it, but I was in no mood to sit in a smoky pub yelling over the noise. So I stayed home and had a loooong shower and did my nails and watched the royal wedding. This morning I was supposed to go and see Michelle but, being unwell, I didn't want to make her kids sick, so stayed home. I'm yet to get out of my pyjamas, but think I'll be fine for work tomorrow.

So, I realised the other day that I wrote nothing in my blog about the Pope's death. Truth is, I'm not Catholic so, although it's a massive thing, it really didn't effect me very much. Truth is, I was far more interested in Charles and Camilla's wedding. Ok, so my watching it is partially to perve on Princes William and Harry, but another side of me likes to imagine I'm in high society and mingle with the Royals regularly.

I did notice one thing though. If I'm to ever make it to high society I shall need to invest in some very fancy hats.

Last Night

I prayed last night for the first time in... well, ages. I don't know what else to do, how else to help. My parents are going through a really tough time at the moment and I want to take their pain away.

Dad has been unemployed since just before Christmas now, and for a man who has worked every day of his life it's understandable why it makes him so depressed. When things finally start looking up for him, he seems to get shot down again. On Monday he started working for a bakery doing morning deliveries and he enjoyed it, as he was finished every day by noon and delivering in an area he was familiar with. But on Sunday his sore back returned, but despite that, he went to work, as it was a week trial and he wanted to make a good impression. Yesterday the boss noticed him walking a little funny and, it seems, my Dad is too honest for his own good. The guy said they would not be able to hire him as they need someone reliable without ongoing back problems.

So Dad is devastated and feeling extremely worthless. It seems this is just not his year and he can't seem to get a break. I'm not sure if he can remain positive anymore. I know he'll keep looking for stuff, because that's the type of person he is, but I hate to know he is so down with himself.

My mum is the strongest woman I know but all this pressure is understandably stressing her out, and I think she might be at the end of her rope. Neither of them can sleep from worry, they are constantly crying and down, and it breaks my heart that this is happening to them. I've offered to help them financially but they would never accept that. Although Dad finally got his pay-out from his old employer yesterday so that should ease the burden for a little while. But how do you ease the emotional burden?

Please God, help them both...

Oops-a-daisy

I know I've said this before, but I really should update this more. For a while, I was updating daily, but then I couldn't update from work anymore so that didn't help. Now I've decided not being able to update from work is bollocks, so I'm doing it anyway. It's not my fault really. I've been up to my supervisor twice already and she's still not found anything for me to do, so sifn't use the internet.

So, I tried my hand at golf on Sunday for the first time. Ivan, Alex and I went to a par 3 course at Cudlee Creek (about an hour away). It was such a nice drive up through the hills and the course was quite pretty too, but we got a little unlucky with the weather. Saturday was in the mid-30s and then when we went to golf on Sunday it was quite cold with bouts of gusty cold winds and light rain. We all had a good time but by golly, I need a hell of a lot more practice. We'll stick to par 3 courses for a while methinks! It was a lot of fun though :)

That has been about the only exciting thing that has happened in the past week really. The only other thing I've done is go to a BBQ up at Belair on Saturday which was nice but yeah, it was a bit too hot.

Is it really only Wednesday? How depressing...

***

Weight lost this week: 0.7Kgs
Total weight lost: 3.1Kgs

Easter Goodies

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter/excuse for a long weekend, depending on your beliefs. I sure did! It was lovely to have 4 days off work although it made getting up this morning a little difficult.

We had a pretty quiet weekend but it was very relaxing. On Friday we did absolutely nothing! I can't even remember exactly how the day passed, I think I did a bit of reading and a bit of movie watching and that was about it.

On Saturday we went to see my family for lunch. I'm so proud of them - I'd asked them not to get me choccies because of this Weight Watchers thing but I had a feeling that my sister still might get me some. But they stuck to their word and didn't! Instead Mum and Dad got me three potted herbs which look nice in the kitchen and Maria bought me a pot plant and a toy bunny. We dropped my Grandma home and then came home and did nothing.

On Sunday we went with Darren and Alex to a driving range so I could practice my golf swing. Since trying it out when Sammo was visiting the boys have been wanting to get onto a course but I wanted to make sure I could hit the thing first. It started off messy but in time I consistently hit the ball straight (even if not very far) so I think we'll head out to a par 3 course soon. We were out there for 2 hours and all woke up quite sore the next morning.

Monday was another quiet one, just finishing off a little housework and reading and watching TV. I went to visit Mum because she had to work and we had a coffee and a nice chat so that was a nice way to top of the weekend.

Now I'm back at work and today has been so slow due to lack of work! Hence my updating this even though I'm not supposed to...

***

Weight Lost This Week: 0.8Kgs
Total Weight Lost: 2.4Kgs

Long weekend ahoy!

Man, I'm so looking forward to 4 days off work. The last few days have been flat out, which is good because it makes the time go really quickly, but it makes me a sleepy smurf so I think I'll enjoy the days off.

Anyway, first things first, I lost 1.6 Kgs last week! This week will be a little harder because of Easter thrown in but I'm trying to stay focussed. Actually, when I finish this update I'm gonna hop on the exercise bike for a while.

In other news, my dad is really depressed and I want to help him but don't know how to. He started working parcel delivery for a week but quit because he was so stressed he hardly slept, and now he's so incredibly depressed. I want to help but don't know how... If anyone has suggestions I would really appreciate them.

Anyway, sorry this entry is all over the place, too much going on in my head at the moment for me to write anything coherent I'm afraid.

Rules

The other day while I was at work the big boss went to the guy 2 cubicles down and told him to get off the internet, as it was against policy. Apparently we were all being monitored and work was looking into blocking some sites out. So, I decided, being that it's a new job and I hate getting in trouble for anything, I wouldn't update my blog or go to any non work-related websites from work anymore. It sucks though, because I don't have a great deal of time to log on from home these days, but oh well.

This weekend has been really quiet and relaxing. I went and got a facial yesterday and that was the extent of my activity really, since the Clipsal 500 is in town so I've been watching it on the television. This is the first year I haven't gone in person, because I always go with my Dad, and he's been a bit stressed lately so I've had to resort to watching it on TV like someone with no actual life. It's just not the same.

Anyway, I have to go get some groceries and get back in time to see the race so I'd better take off now. VROOM!!

Let's try that again

Today is my first day on the Weight Watchers program. Normally I wouldn't go announcing something I consider quite personal on my blog but I figure if I do, I won't be as likely to back out. I'm also kinda proud that I've taken a step to get some good, healthy help, as opposed to taking strong medication or trying it on my own and just getting fatter. So, yesterday I went to my first meeting, and have officially started today. I've noticed I'm a little hungrier than I normally would be at this time of day but my body will adjust. I'm looking forward to next Monday, to step on the scales and see what has come off. It's also given me a good excuse to cook and try some new recipes, so that'll be interesting. Anyway, so far, so good!

Yummmm

One of the girls from Berri, Jodie, sent me a package today. I opened it up, and it was a snack-size pack of Nutella, with a little note, "I was having one of these this afternoon and remembered you liked them, so I'm sending you one. Enjoy!" God bless her.

When good shoes go bad

My feet are killing me and it's only just past 10am. There are still many hours left of the workday and much more walking to be done, but my feet are asking, nay demanding, me not to. I have worn these shoes plenty of times before but for some reason, today, my feet are protesting against them. Perhaps it's because this is a Monday, and the universal law is that things should never run smoothly on a Monday? I'm not sure but this seems to be the most accurate theory.

*cough cough*

I realise it's been a week since I last updated, and for that I humbly apologise. I have a mild excuse, being that I have been ill for the last few days and therefore had Wednesday and Thursday off work, and also came home early today. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but there seems to be something going around the office as I think I counted 8 people sick yesterday or today or something.

Anyway, aside from being ill I don't really have a decent excuse. I mean, I had all weekend to jot down a few lines but alas, it did not happen. The weekend was pretty quiet. I can't remember too much of what went on... Oh yeah, I went to the Friends of Belair meeting and then the rest of the weekend was spent playing Sacred I think. Ivan and I had shelved it for a few months because we were tired of it being such a buggy game, but with the newer patches out we thought we'd give it another go and so far, so good.

I also went to the Herpetology (that's reptiles, not some STD) group meeting on Tuesday night and my desire to own a reptile might soon come to fruition. Long time readers might remember my desire to acquire a Barking Gecko (dubbed Geckotron) and now that I'm back in Adelaide it might finally happen. I need to confirm a bit more information before I go ahead with it but all signs so far point to yes.

Anyway, so I'm likely to forget this blog again, if I stop feeling like crap and get completely sick, so forgive me *cough cough*

Justice?

So, the terrorist mastermind behind the Bali bombings gets two and a half years in jail (he's served time already so he'll be out before Christmas) but Mamdouh Habib, charged with nothing, was imprisoned for three years? Wow, it seems the only way to get put in prison for any length of time is to attack the US, then you'll get held in prison without actually being charged for anything. Logic?

Anyway, it makes me mad...

But moving on from the politics and crazy justice systems of the world, I am happy that today is Friday! Us new people have started getting into a bit of the work in the last couple of days but it's still not settled and there are times when we're left with nothing to do. So I blog.

This weekend we're not doing anything over the top, not that we ever really do. Tomorrow I might head out to Belair for a Friends Of Belair meeting because I haven't been to one for over a year and now that I'm back in town I can get into all my environmental groups again. Sunday is the Melbourne Grand Prix so I daresay I'll be in front of the TV for most of the day. And Ivan and I will no doubt get into some gaming.

I find I rarely log on during weeknights anymore. Most of the time I logged on so I could chat to Ivan, and now there is no need to do that. Plus I watch way too much TV now, and also I'm just so tired by the time I get home that I don't feel like sitting in front of the computer. Surely this is just a temporary thing though, as I would miss it too much if I spent too much time away.

Woah, what a ramble!

Hungry, Hungry Hippo

Yep, I'm hungry...

Anyway, so things are pretty quiet on the new job at the moment because our training isn't starting until next week, so at this stage we're just reading some background information, sorting out our desks, and practising in the system with no direction as yet.

Oooh, we got new stationery today, and that makes me an incredibly happy panda. People that get to know me are somewhat rude when they first find out my obsession with stationery and in turn, Officeworks, pointing and laughing at me as if I was abnormal. I am surely normal. It's not my fault they make all sorts of different coloured pens and modern-looking office supplies these days, so why shouldn't I admire them? There's nothing I like more than sifting through the latest Officeworks catalogue.

Anyway, yeah, the stationery is new and exciting!

Fresh start

Well the move went well and I'm writing this from the Adelaide office where I started my new job today. It's a little quiet at the moment because 4 of us have started and things aren't quite set up as yet. Tomorrow there'll apparently be a big desk shuffle but until then things are quiet and I'm tired of reading about groundwater so thought I might do a quick update.

My farewell lunch on Friday went really well and my old workmates were kind enough to get me a $50 Border's Gift Voucher as a farewell present! I left work at around 2pm and got home to find that Mum and Dad had already left but they had done all the cleaning so I didn't need to worry about any of that which was excellent. Ivan arrived at around 3pm, we packed up our cars and waited for the removalists. We took off after a couple of hours, stopped to have dinner at Truro Hotel, and then got home around 9:30pm. The rest of the weekend was then spent packing away some stuff, regular housework stuff and lots of lazing around... stuff. I started playing Playboy - The Mansion which is a sim-game and very amusing and addictive. I played it for at least 4 hours.

It's so much quieter in this office, I think that might take some getting used to. The other new people seem nice, a couple of them are on temporary contracts and seem a little older but I think as a team we'll get on just fine. At lunch I went and spent my Border's voucher, although it was hard to know what to decide on. I ended up buying On The Run and Anna Karenina. I'm also expecting some Dymock's vouchers to arrive soon. Truly, I am not addicted to books...

Emotional Baggage

Today is my last day here in Berri, and although I'm excited to be going home, I'm also kinda sad. I think I'm going to cry at my farewell lunch which is on in half an hour (FYI I've ordered the Porterhouse Berri). I don't really care about the town but I am going to miss most of the people I work with. I've been really lucky and have made some great friends, and it'll be weird to not be seeing them every weekday anymore.

On top of that I quit the AEF, my gaming clan, yesterday. Although I think I made the right decision, that was a hard thing to do, and it was also rather sad. I think at least one person is a bit pissed at me, and I'm hoping they don't let this get in the way of friendship. I just need time away from clans, I'm tired of the politics and bickering that can happen and just want to enjoy gaming again. But I miss those guys already, they were a great bunch :(

On a more hilarious note, someone did a search for the word "pleb" in Yahoo and came up with my site. BAHAHAHAH!!!

Keywords

I got a new site counter thingy (marvel at my technical speak) because I wanted to know how people found my site, and the old counter was a bit stuffed (that's a technical term for "not working") in that respects. Anyway, I noticed someone did a search on the word "vivariums" and my blog popped up as a result. All due to one entry from over a year ago, about when I went to someone's house and was looking at all her vivariums and aquariums. So I've decided to use the word "vivariums" a bit more in general daily conversation. It seems to pay off.

Oh not again!

It didn't seem so long ago that I went through some old comments and came across some spam I had to delete. Yesterday I was looking through some archives and came across some more! It's so annoying, the posts were made in March and the spam comments were posted around December, so it's no wonder they get missed until you decide to do a random check. It makes me so mad, is there nowhere that is safe from spammers? It makes me want to upgrade my comments account but I dunno, don't want to lose the ones I have now by using a different program, but also can't afford to upgrade my current account. So I guess I'll just continue to manually delete them...

Anyway, aside from that minor annoyance things are generally well. Last night 4 of us from work went and had some drinks at the pub as well as dinner, and it was a pretty good night. Because it was a Tuesday we got home quite early (around 11pm).

That is about the only exciting thing that has happened lately.

Perhaps I can resort to telling the story of the skink that ran into my lounge room as I went outside to water the pot plants. I love reptiles so was quite pleased, but didn't want him to stay inside, so I tried catching him. After chasing him around the lounge room for a while unsuccessfully I managed to get him to run into a plastic bottle, which I then took outside. Then he didn't want to come out. Silly skink.

Commence "Freak Out"

I can't believe how quickly this week is flying. I come to work, I go home and have dinner, I might watch either an episode of Battlestar Galactica or I watch some TV while I pack, then it's time for sleep, then rinse and repeat. So why does it feel like I'm not getting anywhere?

This morning I got up at 6:30am to do some more packing, and felt I was doing great. But time ran away from me, and somehow I ended up half an hour late for work. How on earth is that possible? It's so annoying - I need to pack and yet I need to earn wages too. And I look at the pile of boxes and think I've packed heaps, but then I realise I still have a whole room I haven't yet touched, and so on and so forth.

Tonight a few of us from work are going out for drinks. Truth be told, if it wasn't my party, I'd cancel and go home and pack. There just seems to be so much left to still do. I think half the battle is deciding what to pack for moving in with Ivan and what to put into storage. So I'm in Freak Out mode at the moment. Don't think I'll have a big one tonight so that I can get up early and do some more. In fact, I may go home at lunch and do another box quickly. So, I would have thought people would understand if I didn't have time to chat to them online but that does not seem to be the case. Awesome. People can be so "busy" they don't talk to me for months at a time, but heaven forbid I should say I'm busy one day. I love the level of fairness and understanding, truly.

Anyway, so I finished Jennifer Government by Max Barry last night and the book is freakin' awesome! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story. I won't be updating my "read" bit for a while though, because I've packed all the books I am waiting to read, so Max gets a slightly extended plug.

Well, I suppose that's enough procrastinating for now, back to work I go!

The Last Week

So this is my last week here in Berri, the last week I will sit at this here desk, the last week that Bron will be sitting beside me, the last week I can get to work in 2 minutes, the last week I can get instant service no matter where I go. You get the point.

Coming in to work this morning was weird, because people kept reminded me it was my last week here. Tomorrow night a few of us are going out for our last pub night, and then Friday I will have my last work lunch. I must remember to bring my camera along.

Anyway, I'm quite excited it's the last week. I'm going to be nervous on Monday, starting in a new position with a new boss, even though I know most of the people I'll be working with. I was overjoyed that yesterday was the last time I had to say goodbye to Ivan on a Sunday to drive back to Berri. And, unlike John Farnham, when I say it will be the last time, I mean it!

The only downside is the packing. I did a fair bit on Friday, and last night I packed 3 more boxes, but then I open up another cupboard, or go into the lounge room, and realise I have so much left to do. My god, I hate packing. Passionately. At least I'll get some help with some stuff at the end of the week, with Mum and Dad coming up on Thursday and Ivan coming up on Friday. God bless Mum and her cleaning prowess!

Crocodile Tears

Maybe it's a girl thing, I don't know, but sometimes I find I really need a good cry. Last night, as part of the whole packing thing, I was cleaning out my desk and found all these love notes Ivan used to write me, and I just started bawling. Like, a big, sobbing cry.

I'm not really sure why - it's not like I'm unhappy now or anything, but I guess I do miss the way things used to be. I think that's natural though - seems very rare for a relationship to stay in that stage where one person is wooing the other. Most probably I was just at that stage of PMS where I needed a good cry. Plus I have barely slept lately and it probably just all piled up. I felt great after the cry though!

Anyway so today I'm at home packing. I think I've pretty much thrown out as much as I possibly can and the rest is all to be packed up. Just finished the clothes before I started writing and my gosh I have a lot. Next, I'll do the kitchen I reckon.

Oh yeah, good times...

More new stuff

I've put together some Frequently Asked Questions. The link is in my sidebar over there somewhere. -->

Feel free to ask any questions you'd like answered by following the link, as it's hard for me to interview myself :)

Lettuce OD

Ok, there really must be an abundance of lettuce in this country. Lately when getting McDonald's, Ivan has joked around saying we should ask for extra lettuce, because the thing spills out of the sides of the burgers because they put so bloody much of the stuff in them.

I've been getting salads for lunch (too lazy to make them myself) and today I think my salad is made up of 7/8ths lettuce. No kidding, I think half a head of lettuce went into just my salad. They even appeared to have so much of the stuff, that not only have I got the regular lettuce leaves contained in the salad but they've also thrown in some of that shredded shit they put in the sandwiches.

Do the lettuce growers of Australia know their product is being used in such a wasteful fashion? That there is so much of the stuff that stores are, quite literally, giving the stuff away?

Times like these I wish I had a rabbit to feed back home...

Time for a change

So I've decided to keep my blog title the way it is, for now anyway. But I've been spending a fair bit of time trying to teach myself ways to change my blog, so you may have noticed a few differences to the template. I'm also hoping to increase traffic, but the truth is the only way to really do that is to write interesting things, so let's face it, that will never happen :)

I've been doing all this when I really should have been doing work too, but oh well. If you don't like the changes, well, too bad, because I do, hahah!

In other news, there's only a week and a half until I move to Adelaide. I really need to hurry up and get organised, but although I know I need to do it, I haven't actually started to do much yet. I am a complex being indeed.

I have nothing planned for tonight though, so I shall have to do some form of packing, even if it's just for an hour, it all helps.

History never repeats

Going to Glenelg on the weekend raised a lot of conversation dealing with the way the place has changed so much. The conversation was also had with my parents, where a lot of reminiscing about when my sister and I were children and we used to go to the beach was had. I thought I had may as well write the stuff down, before I get too forgetful in my old age.

My parents live in the northern suburbs, so the closest beach to them has always been Semaphore, but when we were children, my parents always took us to Glenelg because it was more of a family beach. Some of the things I remember about it are:

- as a family, we didn't spend too much time laying on the sand. Instead, we laid out a blanket on this grassy area they had and stayed under the shade of the trees there until we wanted to go down for a swim.

- when you got out of the water you could use the outdoor showers to rinse off, just next to the grassy area.

- whenever I got tired of swimming there was this big arcade next to the carpark. Not only could you play on arcade games but there was also a big Ferris Wheel as well as other rides and the Fun House.

- the arcades were cool but I couldn't wait until I was old enough to be allowed to go on the waterslides at Magic Mountain.

- next to our picnic area was a van that used to sell the yummiest cinnamon donuts.

- my sister and I used to love the Skycycles at Magic Mountain, and my dad and I would love the Bumper Boats.

- In year 12 and in the summer holidays afterwards, Susan, Sarah and I would often just drive to Glenelg to walk along the beach and grab a hot dog.

These days, none of the above things can really be done, and it's really sad. The grassed area no longer exists, the arcades are long gone as well as the rides, I have no idea what happened to the little donut van, and there is no quick rinse off using an outdoor shower. Magic Mountain has been torn down, and the carpark doesn't even exist. All in the name of progress hey?

Really, I think it's a shame to lose all of those things because the council decided to make the place one for apartment buildings and a marina, and far too many fancy restaurants. It's no longer a family beach. In fact, with all the apartments, the beach almost looks like a private one. What are the kids supposed to do while their parents sip on a latte? Oh, play on their boat I suppose. I understand the need for upgrades but they've lost everything that made the place the way it was.

Visited

Since Sammo was visiting from Canberra, the weekend was busy but really good at the same time :) I arrived home at about 8:30pm and he was already there with Ivan and Alex, so we just got some dinner and played a few games amidst catching up.

On Saturday morning Sammo and I went to this Aviation Museum in Port Adelaide. I didn't even know we had something like that. It was actually quite good, as they had a Spitfire on display as well as a C47 that you could walk through. Then ofcourse there were other displays, and I was loving all the original documents they had. I can't get over how tiny anyone in the airforce had to be! You could see right into, for example, a nose gunner's position, and it was like this tiny chair, and I can't fathom how people actually could move their arms to fire the guns. I mean, not only did you have to be thin, but it seemed you couldn't even be tall, because your legs wouldn't squeeze into your gunner position.

Anyway from there we took some lunch home, then Alex came and picked us up and the 4 of us went to Glenelg to have a bit of a look around. From there we went to the golf course on Tapleys Hill Road for a round of Mini Golf (which Ivan won, curse him :P), then decided to stay and have a few hits at the Driving Range. I had never really tried that before (Michelle and I went once but I think I only took one swing) but I really enjoyed it. I was really bad at it, but I enjoyed learning and would love to go again and practice some more. We then went, had dinner, and had more computer stuff for the night.

Sunday was pretty quiet as I think we were all a bit stuffed. Just caught up on the tv shows for the week, then headed home, dropping Sammo off at the hotel on the way. Visited Mum and Dad as usual, and then got home at around 8:30pm.

Anyway, so I still need a new name for my blog. I know people are reading this, now, think up some new name for me :)

A rebirth?

I really want to change the title of my blog, because there are way too many people who have random ramblings, so "Mel's Random Ramblings" is no longer original. Any suggestions are welcome in my Comments please. The person who suggests the winning name will win nothing but my gratitude.

The Visitor

When I went to Townsville in June I caught up with a few online friends from various parts of the country. Tomorrow, one of those people, Sammo, arrives in Adelaide for a short holiday and it'll be great to catch up again :)

He arrives early so will spend the afternoon with Ivan before I make the drive down to Adelaide for the weekend. Then I think we'll pretty much be doing the tour guide thing and showing him around Adelaide. Should be good! And the weather's going to be beautiful so it'll be a nice weekend for being out of the house. Sammo leaves on Monday, but I drive back to Berri on Sunday afternoon so Ivan will have to do the entertainment thing. Even though it will only be a short visit, I'm looking forward to it :)

So that's pretty much my weekend!

Revenge of the immune system

I think my body is really hating me at the moment. Although I've been generally eating better and exercising more, I don't think I get enough sleep and I think the sunburn recently has put my body under some stress, and now it's fighting back. I have not one, but three coldsores.

I haven't had a coldsore for years, I can't actually remember the last time I had one. But I felt that tingling before it comes up, and went to the chemist and bought some cream, but alas, my mouth still has three of the damn things on it. And they look so horrible!!! It makes you wonder if the cream is actually helping but I suppose it must be, because they can get a lot worse. But I can't for the life of me remember how long they normally last for, so they'll probably stick around for a couple of weeks or something.

Stupid run-down immune system, no kisses for me this Valentine's Day! :(

Big Day Out 2005

It's not that I haven't had anything to write, it's just that I've been really lazy. So I thought it was about time I blogged about the Big Day Out I went to last Friday. Bron, Ziggy and I caught the train to Wayville at around 10am and lined up for half an hour to get inside, during which time we noted all the people (read: freaky people) who had dressed not for comfort but indeed to make a statement. The statement I got from them was that there are way too many closet Slipknot fans.

Anyway we got in just on 11am, when Frenzal Rhomb hit the stage. Their music is a little heavy for me but Bron likes them and being that 2 of the guys now host a radio program I listen to I had a little bit of interest there. After their set we went and got lunch. We were hoping to get back in time to see The Donnas but thought we'd get our merchandise early, before they sold out of anything above the Tiny size. Boy, was that fun... We were in the merchandise line for an hour, and ended up with shirts that were too small for us anyway.

We missed The Donnas, and missed the start of Eskimo Joe but managed to catch the rest of their set. We then moved across to the Orange stage to see Spiderbait. They were undoubtably The Best Act Of The Day. Fantastic set, excellent interaction with the crowd, in one word they were awesome! When they were done we walked around for a bit and contemplated our next move. With so many stages around the place the clashes were about to begin, with several bands we wanted to see on at the same time as others.

We decided to go and see Little Birdy for a while. Thankfully, they sang most of my favourite songs within the first 20 or so minutes so we then left to go and see the last half of the John Butler Trio set. Again, just like at Wave Aid, they didn't disappoint. Grinspoon was on straight after them and I was pleasantly surprised. The lead singer is a bit of a show pony, and it actually made their performance more fun to watch. After about half an hour we went to see the Hilltop Hoods, who were very popular so we didn't really get to see anything. They were on one of the smaller stages so we were waaay up the back, but they sounded good anyway :)

Before we knew it it was time for dinner which can only mean one thing - more lines! But this time there was no rush, because Slipknot were on and we had no interest in seeing them. After dinner it was time for The Streets, who were the only disappointing band of the day. They were on a small stage, the crowd was insane, and then to top it all off they slaughtered their own songs. Oh well, they can't all be winners.

By this stage our legs were aching so we decided to sit the rest of the night out in the grandstands. A bad move, in hindsight, as we seemed to get surrounded by people off their face. From up there we watched Powderfinger and the Beastie Boys (they were good but they took this weird musical interlude halfway through which cleared the crowd). We went down to watch Regurgitator, then were hoping to catch the Chemical Brothers but the hall they were in was chockers, so we started walking home, attempting to hail taxis in the meantime. We eventually succeeded.

So I think that's enough music festivals for me for a while, I'm all musicked out (I know musicked isn't a word but I'm the one writing here :D).

The rest of the weekend was spent watching LOTS of tv shows Ivan had taped for me during the week and we also watched the move Saw which I thought was gruesomely good (I'm not sure why I love stories about crazy killers so much but I do).

Procrastination is an art

So you can guess by the title that I'm just taking a short break from work. It isn't that I have nothing to do, it's just that the task I'm currently doing is a little tough, so in between letters I thought I'd kill some time by blogging about nothing.

It is so weird, sitting here as my sunburn peels and aches, when outside it is really cold, cloudy, windy and rain falls at times unpredictably. How odd, that the weather can take such a dramatic turn in one week!

Since returning from Sydney things have gone back into the normal, quiet routine. I think it took Ivan to drum it into me, but I really need to knuckle down on this saving for a house thing, so this month of spending like crazy on Sydney and now this weekend the Big Day Out, will be my last splurge for a very long time. I'm glad to be moving back to Adelaide for monetary reasons as well as personal, because paying two lots of rent and bills has made my credit card debt go crazy, and I really need to sort that out. It's weird, it's like I knew all of this but needed Ivan to get mad at me for me to realise the importance of it.

I've found out I will be starting my new position in Adelaide on the 28th of February, and I can't wait. Now I really need to pull my finger out, and start this packing. I only moved just over a year ago but so many things have accumulated in that time, it's mad. I think this time I'll get some removalists instead of doing it all ourselves though, which will help, and work pays for it so why not utilise it.

So, as I said earlier, tomorrow is the Big Day Out. I have only ever been to one before, back in 1997, so I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully the rain eases up though, as it's never much fun for these outdoor festivals to be stuck under the little shelter they have with 30000 other people. So I have the day off work tomorrow, and will be driving back to Adelaide tonight, and the rest of the weekend might be quiet I think, but that will be good too.

It's so obvious I have nothing to write about, hey? ;)

Wave Aid Weekend and other things

This'll be a long post so those not interested can stop reading now.

I'll start with Wave Aid Weekend.

On Friday Bron came over around 10:30am and then Ivan dropped us off at the airport. We barely had time to sit down before we had to board our flight, which went smoothly. We got to Sydney at around 2pm and caught the train to Leticia's work. We dropped off our bags at her work and went for a MASSIVE walk of the city. We did a few laps of the same blocks because we got a bit disorientated and then ended up walking down to Circular Quay and checking out the harbour bridge and opera house. We then went back to meet Teesh at her work and catched a cab back to her place in Waverton where we were staying, lounging around and chatting for a couple of hours. For dinner we walked to this restaurant called 2060, drank too much wine, then went for a walk up to Ball's Head lookout, which gave a stunning view of the harbour at nighttime. We eventually sauntered home exhausted at around midnight.

Bron's brother works night shift during vintage season but got the Friday night off, so drove to Sydney from the Hunter Valley to see her. He arrived at about 1am, so on the Saturday he took us to see Bron's grandmother who'd 94 and in a nursing home, and it was good for Bron to see her. That woman was hilarious. She's fully alert mentally but has 4 broken vertebrae and is in a lot of pain and I guess the frustration of not being able to walk but being fully aware of your situation made her a cranky old woman. She proceeded to tell us all how fat we were, how angry she was for being put in the nursing home 18 months ago, how horrible Phil looked for not shaving that day, and so on and so forth, but I thought it was hilarious.

Phil went back to the Hunter Valley later that afternoon and us girls went to the SCG for the Wave Aid concert. All of the bands were great, with the only disappointment being silverchair, who weren't horrible but not great. They sounded good, and Dan looked very buff, but their set wasn't that great and they ended with a whimper rather than a bang. The ones that surprised me were John Butler Trio and the Finn Brothers. I didn't know what to expect from them and they surprised me by being excellent live. And Midnight Oil were the perfect way to end the night, the crowd went wild and everyone was loving it. In between the bands the highlights were catching up with Dusta and also the entertainment provided by the guys on the cameras and the ones putting text up onto the big screen. With their sense of humour they somehow convinced a lot of people in the crowd (both male and female) to flash for the cameras. Quite funny.

On Sunday I was a little annoyed because we got up early to go to The Rocks but then found that Teesh had decided to take us to the markets instead. Bron and I didn't really go with a lot of spending money, so we may as well have slept in, but no matter. After the markets we went to this Chinese restaurant and had Yum Cha, which is something that I've not seen in Adelaide before. Basically all you do is sit at a table and lots of people come around with trolleys with all sorts of Chinese food and you take whatever and however much you want. It was overwhelming for me at first but my goodness it was great because Teesh picked all the yummy food for us. I even managed to convince her to try chicken feet, much to Bron's disgust, haha! We caught the train to the airport and were on our way home before we knew it. I then drove home and got back at around 8pm, and now I'm back at work today.

The only downside to Wave Aid Weekend is the sunburn. We had assigned seats so we were in the sun for about 4 hours, and despite applying sunscreen twice and trying to keep in the shade as much as possible without missing the bands, I am in HEAPS of pain. I can't wait to get home and throw on a sleeveless shirt, as this rubbing is killing me. I even cried from pain in the shower this morning. But hey, all worth it I suppose!

So, moving on from Wave Aid Weekend now!

Dad had his conciliation meeting at the Industrial Relations Commission today and I spoke to him earlier and he's very happy. The company came to the meeting with a printed letter agreeing to give Dad 12 weeks pay, all he had to do was sign. The Commissioner said he had never seen a company so blatantly admit they were wrong and offer something straight off the bat. The Commissioner also told the company they were very wrong in filming my Dad on those days off as he had been a loyal employee for 15 years, and said something to the effect of "Well geez, if someone asked me what I did 3 days ago I wouldn't remember every small detail either!" which Dad was really happy to hear. Dad's lawyer asked for 24 weeks pay, the company raised their offer to 15, Dad lowered his to 20, and then they couldn't come to an agreement. The Commissioner suggested 17.5 weeks pay, at which time the meeting adjourned and the settlement will be next Monday, but now it's just up to Dad's lawyer to work her magic. Because Dad was under a Federal agreement, if they don't come to an agreement now it would have to go to Federal Court, which can take years and cost Dad thousands of dollars, and he doesn't want to do that so he'll be happy to make a settlement. He still has 2 other Workcover cases to go against the company anyway, so I think he'll be happy to get this behind him. Hopefully now the settlement goes well!

Anyway, suppose I should get back to work now...

Jetsetting

This will be my last entry until after the weekend, which I probably didn't need to announce because I've been slack with the blog lately anyway and if I don't post for a few days it doesn't seem unusual anymore but anyway...

Yesterday was Australia Day (for those readers from overseas who mightn't have known, or any from Australia who were also unaware) which means a public holiday and therefore much rejoicing from me. I was supposed to have a BBQ with Bron and some of her hockey friends and listen to the JJJ Hottest 100 but instead, she was halfway to Adelaide for work (how rude) and it was about 40 degrees so bad bbq weather anyway. Because it was so stinking hot I did absolutely nothing. I woke up at 6am for who knows what reason and then my mind started racing and I just couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up, played some CS:Source online, washed my car before it got too hot, watched the cricket, listened to the Hottest 100, read some Harry Potter and occasionally ate something. What an exciting day!!!

So this week is a little out of whack because of a public holiday smack bang in the middle of it but I'm not complaining. Infact, I'm rejoicing because tomorrow Bron and I fly to Sydney for our Wave Aid Weekend! Can't wait! So I'm finishing work at around 4:30pm today, going home and doing the last dregs of packing, then I'm off to Adelaide for the night so I can get the flight out tomorrow.

So, packing... What a dilemma! The main problem lies with around a 10 degree difference in temperature between Adelaide and Sydney tomorrow. The reason this is a problem is because when Bron and I get to Sydney, we're going straight to her brother's girlfriend's workplace to drop off our bags and then hitting the city to do some sightseeing. This means there'll be no opportunity to get changed or even to wear a different pair of shoes, we've gotta dress for comfort really. Then on Saturday the concert runs until 10:30pm so we'll need something warm for the evening, and again, comfort is important. I'm also having difficulty finding a shirt to wear to the concert because my arms are just too damn fat for a tank top and I don't have any decent t-shirts to wear. Sucks being a girl... well, a lot of the time, especially when it comes to picking what to pack!! If only I wasn't so overweight... And again things lead back to my weight which I hate. I've lost 2.5Kgs over the last 3 weeks but it's not nearly enough, I wish it would come off quicker, but I'm gonna keep persisting.

ANYWAY, sorta took a crappy tangent there but generally I am ECSTATIC to be heading off tomorrow and can't wait :)

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

So yesterday, I went to the doctor, and, as always happens, even though you've made an appointment you're left waiting. So, while waiting I picked up a magazine which had no doubt been there forever and started flicking through this Marie Claire. In it was an article that got me so pissed off, I wish I had written down notes about it so I could explain it all to you in better detail but here goes. I tried Googling it but that was pointless.

Ok, the title picture was a poster of The Matrix, and the article was about a 19 year old mentally unstable guy who shot both of his parents after "being obsessed about The Matrix". Yep, I'm sure that's why he killed them. Anyway, it might have been this false title page that convinced me to read on, and boy am I glad I did, because somewhere in there was a real story about this guy.

The guy was living with foster parents, where he had been since age 10. Both of his birth parents were prostitutes and drug addicts and he was removed from their custody by the state when he was very young. The article didn't say where he lived between the ages of about 2 and 10 though, but anyway, he had a crappy childhood, that part is clear. The kid wet his bed even at age 10 which apparently his foster mother used to beat him for because she thought that made him an idiot. So, the kid has deep seated problems which are ignored by his new parents. He only has a few friends, who describe him as always being a loner and always witnessing his parents berating him for not doing well enough in school. Oh, and then there's school. The guy had very thick glasses and was constantly bullied. He suffered from depression from not having friends, not having a girlfriend and feeling like he was in a prison when at home.

So I guess I don't quite see the logic of how The Matrix is blamed as the cause for him shooting his parents, when clearly there was more going on here. The article went on to talk about the "heavy metal" music he listened to and the "violent video games" he played. These were things apparently brought about by his lawyer, who thought his obsession about these material things might have effected his psyche. This was ruled out by several psychiatrists, but the writer of the article still felt the need to take this angle from the title page all the way through. It finally went on to say that psychiatrists did find though that he had mild schizophrenia, something they say should have been identified at age 10.

Hello?!? Am I the only one getting this? Geez, Marilyn Manson really was the voice of reason in Bowling for Columbine. All this kid needed was someone to actually listen. Clearly nobody ever did that.

Obviously murdering his parents was extreme but this isn't just black and white. Guess it's similar to the Columbine killings in a way because those guys just felt shat on by everyone and didn't get the help it was evident they needed early on. When will people learn, I wonder. It certainly won't happen unless people open their eyes and see what's happening right in front of them instead of trying to gloss over things and trying to find causes and blame in material possessions.

Poo bum dicky fart

I've just finished writing a blog for today and then Blogger decided to hiccup and lose it so I can't be bothered writing it all out again (I should really start saving drafts for these times). Here's a quick rundown:

No news on a start date for the job yet.
Weekend was great, pool party was fun.
Dad's case in a week, hope it goes well.
Ivan beat me in table tennis but it's the most exercise he's had for a while so bless him and curse him at the same time.
Touch football at 5pm, and it's 35 degrees. Clever.

Wow, I should make all my blogs this thorough hey? :)

It's official

I got the official phone call today - I got one of the Water Licensing Officer positions in Adelaide. This isn't that higher paying job, I won't know about that for a few more weeks, but I'm MEGA happy to be going back to Adelaide. Will miss some people up here but still, it'll be good to get back. Tomorrow I find out when they want me to start. Hope it's after Wave Aid!

A multitude of hoorahs!

I really should update this more than once a week, otherwise it gets to like today, where I have a lot to say and will probably forget something.

First off I would like to congratulate Michelle and Craig on the birth of their baby boy on January 11th. I saw them on Friday and Mum and baby are doing well :)

In other news I had the interview on Friday and it was ok. It wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't terrible either, so it was passable. Now we just wait and see again. It seems I'm forever waiting! I am hoping to hear about the other job today but am not sure whether they'll stick to their timeframe or not. My lease in Berri expires this weekend so I'm gonna have to let the landlord know my new Exit date soon enough.

After the interview on Friday I had the day off (that's when I went to the hospital to visit Michelle) so my sister and I used some of the time to go look for her wedding dress. She tried on about 4 or 5 and we found one that she looked so beautiful in so she bought it on the spot! It's all so exciting helping her plan her wedding :) So Friday poor Ivan had to listen to me going "I want a baby" and "I wanna have a wedding", hehehe!

Dad has received word of his first hearing, which will be on January 31st, so he has a few doctor's visits between now and then. I hope things go well for him, I hate seeing my parents so depressed and worried all the time.

On a personal note, I'm mega excited because next Friday Bron and I are flying to Sydney for Wave Aid! I haven't been to Sydney for 11 years but I absolutely LOVE it, and the concert has an incredible lineup! We'll be staying at her brother's girlfriend's house so we've saved a bit on Accomodation, and most of it is going on my credit card, god bless them (but the devil sends the bills). It's only for the weekend, but we're gonna try and squeeze sightseeing around the concert and it should be excellent :)

The weekend was a pretty quiet one, and since Friday was a bit busy I was glad. All we really did on Saturday was go out for dinner which was really nice, the rest of the time we stayed in and watched DVDs or played games. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a great movie by the way.

I think that's about it...

Time flies

It's been just over a year since I got a job with the Department, I can't believe how quickly things have gone. My lease is up for renewal, otherwise I have to move out in two weeks, and I don't think I'll find out about the first job I interviewed for until early next week (although my boss here is positive) so I have to see about extending my lease for a couple of weeks or something, until I know what's happening. Am a bit worried about this interview on Friday though!

The weekend came and went so quickly, and we hardly even did anything. All I did was go out briefly on Saturday morning for a little running around but aside from that Ivan and I stayed in and spent some time together. It was just what I needed after all the madness of Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Dad had his first meeting with the lawyers last week and is feeling very positive as a result. The lawyer believes he has enough to warrant 3 separate cases but the first they're starting with is the Unfair Dismissal case. So, the paperwork has been lodged, and now we just sit back and wait for a while until things start moving. It's put his mind at ease a little, although I think he is still a bit depressed, understandably.

Maria and Steve are starting to plan their wedding and it's so exciting! I love looking through all the stuff with her, and seeing her so happy makes it even better.

That's about it! Apart from my complaint for the day - ick, it's friggin' hot!

Back to work

Well after working in the Adelaide office for 4 weeks and then being on holidays for 2 weeks after that, I'm back working in Berri, having started again here on Tuesday. A few of us around the office are finding it hard to get back into the swing of things. So far this week, every day after lunch has been very slow with little production from most of us. The office was open over the holiday season but not everyone had the time off, but most of us did. And it's not like there isn't work for us to do, it's just that none of us can stay focussed.

Being back in Berri isn't too bad. My neighbours are still as annoying as ever, nothing has really changed. Along with starting work on Tuesday I also started up my exercise routine again. It was going so well last year until I started taking those tablets, then I couldn't sleep and I had no energy, so I fell out of the habit. So this year I'm making a commitment to it, and so far so good, but it hasn't even been a week yet.

As for the jobs in Adelaide, I haven't heard anything about the interview I went to a few weeks ago, but I think it went well as they've gone to the effort of calling my referees (they did that on Tuesday). As I was writing this I just got a phone call for an interview for another position I applied for. This one is one level higher and is a one year contract, but I think it'd be a great opportunity. The interview is next Friday, eek!

Anyway, I'd better go arrange a trip to Adelaide next Friday with the boss.

Have a great 2005!

This is my cousin John who died over New Year's a few years ago. I hope you all had a great New Year's celebration, and RIP John, we still think of you, miss you and love you!