Barbie, Bribie and Burn

Hi!

Well. That was a fast and short week. Hooray! Busy in a way. Quiet at work. For now. Still settling into the new gig, most of the teachers come back tomorrow and their little students appear sometime in the first week of Feb. I'm not sure. I just show up and do whatever anyone tells me from 8-4pm. Just in case anyone's wondering - yes, I am still pretty damn happy to be out of that previous job. That's the good thing about staying in touch with the gals there, I get to hear all the horrible things that the Stooges get up to. And thank my lucky stars.

So yeah, work is fine so far. My boss insists that the air-conditioning be set on "Arctic". And I feel like a giant dork rocking up to work in full trouser/jacket office gear when it's 90-some degrees and humid as all getout, but hey, it's all so I won't freeze during those 8 hours. She's amazing, she can spend the whole day in a tank-top asking us if we feel hot. Hang on, let me just take this hat and scarf off so I can hear you and reply appropriately.........

The scooter is excellent. As yet unnamed. Tho am pretty partial to Jake Jr., all my cars have been named Jake. Don't ask, goes back to high school and even then I can't remember why. Am still taking my time getting used to it. I feel a little more confident every time I take it out and about and I'm getting better at the corners. Yeaaa! But, anyone who's at all worried (awwwww), I'm paying off a $550 helmet. Top of the line Arai. Excellent helmet company who know what they're doing. Which is why it's so bloody expensive. But, I figure, you only get one crack at it - harharhar!!!!

The weekend was very good. Went to an Australia Day bbq on Friday at a guy's house that I used to work with. Was good. Just like any other bbq really. Only this one had an Australian flag. And lamb on the barbie. I didn't bring shrimps as they double the prices for these holidays. It was nice though. Caught up with some folks I used to work with. Met their families. Had a strange discussion with a gal (whom I've met before at various after-work functions) about how she can't figure out why she doesn't like Americans. I had to pick my jaw up so I could respond. And even then all I could say was, "Well, there're assholes everywhere". Weird because we've met each other and talked on a number of occasions. Guess I must've said something to cement her opinion. Let me see if I care.......................... Nah. Assholes everywhere, on every continent. Actually, this weekend was one for Australian patriotism, go figure. I had 3 people in as many days give me grief (in one way or another) for being American. Thursday night the waiter in this restaurant wasn't very pleased that he was wrong when he assumed I was Canadian. I set him straight and he wasn't too jovial after that. And Saturday, this gal, Greek living in London here on a visit, friend of Roger and Mav's, figured I wasn't from around here, asked where I was from, I told her and she looked at me for a second and then turned her head away! I laughed. I don't know. I guess with the big 3-day patriotic weekend, they can get a bit sensitive. I guess anyone would. Hmmmmmmm. But I'd like to see how they'd handle themselves at a big 4th of July bbq in the US!

Saturday was most excellent. Went to Bribie Island (about an hour or so north of Brisbane. Actually, strangely enough, you can drive to it. Hmm.) with Roger, Mav, Rena and that Greek girl. Went for a nice long swim in the sea. Got a scorching sunburn in exchange. And I put two layers of 30+ waterproof suncream on! Eeeek the sun is strong down here. Spent most of the day with Mav in the sea fighting the current and wind and trying to run from jellyfish. I got a little tiny nip from one and Mav had a bigger nip. Ouch they sting. And these weren't even the killers, the blue bottles or box jellyfish, these were just garden variety (I asked the lifeguards). But ooooooooh. It stings. But it goes away after a while, well, a few hours. Today my little bite or whatever you call it, is all gone. Lovely day out though. Absolutely beautiful day, warm water, lovely beach. Went to the surf club for lunch after. Not bad. All the surf clubs are primarily run and operated by volunteers. So you have to support the locals, the lifeguards and their surf clubs. Hey, if they can haul your tired, drowning butt out of the sea, you can eat one of their hamburgers.

And today I went with Natasha to find her some new clothes for her trip back to NZ to visit her friends and family (she's a Kiwi). Another Sunday, another mall. Well, two actually. Went to 2 new ones (for me anyways) - Mt. Gravatt and Stone's Corner (which is more a strip mall in a neighborhood than a mallmall). We were good though, again. She got only a couple of things that she needed and I bought aloe vera gel, vacuum bags and a new pair of shoes (to replace the ones I've worn until they've literally fallen apart). Was a very good day indeed. Tiring, but good. Always game to check out new neighborhoods and well, malls I guess. And I hate shopping. Ahhhhhh, it's all in the name of exploration!

So there. All in all an excellent weekend! Not dreading going to work as much as with the last job. Course, Mondays always suck when it's work. Well, work just sucks. It's not Mondays fault. I'd love Mondays if it meant not getting up to go to work and a deposit just magically going into my bank account. My trust fund or lottery winnings account. Sigh. Yeah. You can't win if you don't play. Yeah yeah yeah.........

So I hope you're all well up there!!!! And hey, with this new job, my own desk and stuff, I think I'll be able to catch up on emails now! Yippie! I just need to settle in a little more (and write when the 2 bosses aren't sitting at their desks behind me) and I'll be in touch again!

BYE!
Jennifer!!!