Booking Views with Glass Shades

Hi!

Well. Would you look at that, another week come and gone just in the blink of an eye. Well, actually, it took a lot longer than just one blink, there were a few yawns in there, but just like that, here we are at Sunday evening again!

So yeah. Work. Yep. Is basically pretty good. The office worker with their nose out of joint, still has their nose out of joint. Which really, if you look at it from afar, makes for quite interesting conversations within our very small office. My tack this week will be to suffocate them with kindness. Otherwise, work is work. Can I just say how much I’m missing my old gig? I had my little corner, one thing to do, I was good at it. Yeah. Oh well, this is better money for the time being. Well, until December. Thing is, the thought of looking for a new gig makes my stomach curl and roll around. That’s actually less fun than looking for a new apartment. Yuck. So will tough this little patch out and see what the future brings!

Otherwise, the week was good. I actually caved and took Friday off. I needed a break. So I rented a car and took myself and my broken glass lampshade to Ikea for a replacement and to collect a few more things. Can never just go to Ikea and come home empty handed! Got a clock, some other little bits, and new curtains. See, the curtains I have now, people can see through them and watch me watching tv. It’s a bit disconcerting. So I got these new ones and layered them on top. Am no Martha Stewart (thank god, I never want to see the inside of jail, be it white collar or not!), but I think it looks quite nice. And my little glass lamp is now whole. Slowly but surely am getting my little Ikea Nest in order!

So after Ikea I took myself up to Mt. Cootha and took in the Botanic Gardens (I actually thought I was driving on footpaths, but the guy at the gate assured me I wasn’t) and admired the view from the top, complete with a glass of wine. Ahhhhhhh. And eavesdropped on the French kids next to me plotting their trip to the Gold Coast. Hooray for those years of French in high school not totally going to waste! And then it was time to drop off my haul and return the car. How nice it is to have wheels to take you to far-flung places. Sigh. I need to do that more often. And then I’ll add up the rental cost versus owning. But with the price of gas……. Owning may not be the best option at the moment…….

And then the weekend. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Saturday was chores. And reading. I have to say, I love my dull weekends as much as the exciting ones, but these dull ones cost a lot less. And today was a few little errands with Natasha. Discovered a lovely little café under a lovely little bookshop down the road from me (reminds me of Bookcourt, the bookshop I used to work in in a past life in Brooklyn). Nice. Good coffee too.

And that’s about that! Kinda boring, yes, I agree, but what do you expect. Am not independently wealthy (yet) so I must go to work and relax a bit on the weekends. Until I win the lottery, no matter where I am in the world, rent will always have to be paid. But never fear, adventures are always spinning around in my little head! The latest one I think I want to go on is a little trip to Fiji. My god it’s just there, a short plane ride away, everyone goes there for a little break. So I wanna go too. Eventually. After I see Uluru, ride Platinum Class on the Indian Pacific, hike around Western Australia, learn to surf properly……………… But c’mon down anyways! Maybe we can knock stuff off The List of Adventures!

BYE!
J!

Solstice with the Mostest

Hi!

Well. That was a week that am happy went quickly. Ended nicely with a great weekend. But whew, what a stinker of a week. But, never mind – new one starts tomorrow and it can only get better! It has to – the weather is meant to be perfect!

So work. Yeah. Ain’t nothing like “different personalities” to liven up a small office. Bless ‘em for keeping things from getting too boring. Not a lot to do with me, thankfully, just one person with a nose out of joint. All I’ll say is this person has some serious control issues that need addressing by professionals with access to medication. That’s all I’m sayin’. Otherwise, things are swimming right along. I got extended for another 6 months (which is a feat in itself as they only ever extended little folks like me who are on contracts for 3 months at a stretch), so that keeps me in tortillas for another 6 whole months! Hooray! And then I could be looking down the barrel of unemployment yet again, but we’ll cross that post-xmas bridge when I get to it. Meanwhile, will happily keep doing what I do (still a bit hazy on that) and picking up new things as I go along!

And then the weekend. Started Friday afternoon around 3.30pm with a few after-work drinks with some work folks, which then turned into a trivia night to support a local elementary school, which then turned into post-trivia drinks at the Paddo (pub) until very late. Needless to say Saturday was pretty much written off. Tho I did manage to organize myself enough to go look at a potential apartment to rent. It’s closer to work, two-bedroom, basically nicer than what I’m in now. Little more expensive, but anything nicer will be. So I can only apply for it and see what shakes down, as I won’t be the only one applying. But the day wasn't completely written off - I did manage to finish a book and catch up on rest!

And today were chores. I’d love nothing more than to start packing to move, but will resist. Technically I don’t need to be out of here until August 6^th, but there’s nothing like being prepared for the unexpected (nice apartment)! But I won’t be such a geek. A) I don’t have that much stuff B) I did this pack early thing at my last place and I was forever in and out of boxes looking for crap I needed. So yeah. Will be cool. Can’t wait to move tho.

And that’s about it! Sad in a way, but there it is. All’s well down here though, in fact getting better as we’ve just had our shortest day! Hooray for the solstice! The weather has cleared up (had a fair bit of rain all last week) and become bright and blue and sunny, with a bit of chill in the am but perfect during the day. Ahhhhhhh winter! So c’mon down!!!!!

BYE!
J!

Busily Skating Past!

Hi!

Well. Yet another busy week skates by. But good busy. I like good busy. And the weekend, my god it went just as fast, if not faster. That's kinda bad. But hey, another one is scheduled for 5 days from now and if the weeks keep shooting past like they have been, well, that weekend, it'll come in the blink of an eye!

So work. Yep. Is good. Busy. Made even busier as they discover more for me to do. I even had the fleeting thought today of: "Gosh it'd be nice of there were two of me to do this job." But if I think about it, I can do it all. No problem. I like having lots of stuff to do. You remember how bored I was with nothing to do? Yeah. Tho I hope no one cottons on to the fact that half the time I feel like I'm stumbling around in a pitch black room with all the lights off trying to find the light switch! And man, sometimes it feels like it's a big room!

But the week was good too in that Lauren (gal I work with) and I did a banzai Ikea run on Thursday after work (Thurs & Fri are "late night shopping" - when stores alllll over town are open until 9pm - oooooooh). I now have lamps! I can see in every room! And got a little stool (am short after all, and it's a tall world) and a couple little rugs for when those toes hit the floor in the mornings. I know what you're thinking, that I should better save my money for Adventures. And you're right. But lamps are needed to better see these Adventure books by! But really, what can I say - I came here with nothing more than a suitcase fulla clothes, not lamps and rugs! Don't worry, the Adventures are never ever far from my mind......

And then the weekend. Saturday was errands. Picked up my newly-framed Art! Wow! It's sooooo cool! Ok, so I know I didn't need art, let alone art in a frame, but you know what? I'm kind of kicking myself for that thinking; thinking that if I ever bought any kind of art, that because am not "settled" in one particular place, it's a waste of time and money, not to mention the hassle of packing, shipping, insuring and worrying about said art to follow me around the world. But I wish all this time I had bought art. So no better time than the present!

And today was more errands, and a bit of work too. Sad, but it had to be done. I have a meeting tomorrow with My Boss and I want to dazzle him with facts and lists and Stuff that I'm working on, so I enlisted the help of Bruce, a guy I work with/for to give me some hints and tips while he was doing a shift in the fire station down the road. Got some good ideas and that's what it was all about. See, he knows stuff I can be working on, I don't. So I had to write it all down cos there's lots. Won't my Boss be impressed! I know I am!

Otherwise, things are fine. That didn't take long after vacation to settle back into the routine. But that's ok - always happy to have a nice happy job routine in the first place!

So that's about that. The weather is lovely and cool. In a few days the days will start getting longer as we hit the "solstice"! More sun - hooray! Don't get me wrong, it's nothing like winters in NYC, but I know I move a lot faster in the mornings with some sunshine! So come on down - there's another 6 more months of fantastic weather!

BYE! J!

Busy Relaxing....!

Hi!

Well. First off, apologies for the late check-in. 1)I kind of lost track of time, 2)I went to a BBQ with Natasha to her friend Veronica's house around 2.30pm yesterday and, well, yeah, it turned into a very late night. Thankfully it's a holiday today (hooray for The Queen having her birthday honored today!) Otherwise, it was a very short, busy and very speedy week. Yeaaaa for 3 day weekends!

So yeah. Work. Is good. Didn't go back to work until Thursday, that's when Mommy flew home, or was meant to until the Qantas engineers decided to have a hissy fit and strike. So her flight was delayed for 15 or so hours. But I had to get back to work and Mommy just read, napped and sat around the little apartment entertaining the cat. And then next thing I know she was in a cab speeding away to the airport! It was a fantastic visit. Busy. But when you only have like a week & 1/2, it's not much time to cover as much as you can. Oh well, on another visit! But otherwise, work is fine. Was only there for 2 days. But busy because I was away. I don't mind busy. Makes the time shoot by! So yeah. The week/visit was really very good.

Mon, Tues & Wed we hung around Brissy. Went to see the new Raiders of the Lost Ark movie on Mon., it was gooooood! Kinda cheesy in some parts but then they all were. Ahhh, I really liked it! Then Tues I had planned to surprise Mommy with a hot air balloon ride, but the weather got disgustingly fogged out so it was called off (at 4am...). Shame. Next to Sydney, that was one of the things I was looking forward to most. But, you can't do anything about fog! Ahhhh well, another time! And we really just sat around, ran errands, napped, read. The previous week was pretty gogogogo, so it was really nice to have time to just sit.

And then it was back to work for two days, and then it was suddenly the 3 day weekend! Friday went out to after work drinks with a couple folks from work. That was nice. Always nice, especially when the pub is a two second walk from work and the couple of work folks are way cool! And Saturday was chore day. Big time. But got it all done (hooray for teeny apartment!). Sunday was Veronica's BBQ, and today is chill-out day (it's rainy and a bit chilly). Might fire up the DVD player and watch movies......

So there it is! A fantastic end to a most excellent visit with Mommy, and a good break away from work! I'd have to say the trip was a success, so c'mon down!!!!!

BYE!
J!

Hooray for Adventures! (At Last!)

Hi!

Well. That’s been an exciting, fun and bloody busy week! Sorry for not checking in last night. Was beat after Sydney. It has been all go since Mom arrived last Sunday. Hooray for visiting Mom’s! Hooray for vacation time!

So yeah. Monday we just wandered some more around the city. Looked at stuff, ate some lunch until Mom pooped out. Good ol’ jetlag. We rested a bit, then headed with Cindy over to Janette’s for a “typical Aussie bbq”. It was really nice. So I borrowed Janette’s car, and Tuesday Mom and I headed up to Australia Zoo. Since I was there last with Sheldon and Scarlett, well over a year ago, not a couple months after Steve checked out, the “Crocodile + Show” has gotten so absolutely cheeseball, we decided it was really for kids. Gotta say, I don’t think Steve would be too pleased. It was a really lame way to spend an hour (tho man it felt like a heck longer). I can’t say more than that really. It was lame. But ahhhhhhhh, the weather was absolutely perfect, there were no crowds to speak of, it was a most excellent day. Such a nice spot he’s set up there. Aussies should be proud.

And Wednesday….. hang on, let me think back…….. Ah! Wednesday, after staying the night in a really cool, really empty hotel right in the Glasshouse Mountains with views to die for, we headed through Maleny and up to the Eumundi Markets, apparently one of the most famous markets in Australia. Man, it was huuuuuge! Sooooo many stalls! There was no way to see it all in one go. Plus, it’s only open until 1.30pm on Wednesdays. But, it was really good and interesting and I bought my first art. A painting by a local guy of eucalyptus trees. Hmmm. I’ll have to take a good picture of it, hard to explain….. Then we continued on over to Noosa for a bit of lunch and a wander. Then it was on home down the Coast Highway…. I have to say, it’s nothing like 101 in California but nicer than the main, busy highway.

Thursday….? Thurs. Jan took us over on the car ferry to Stradbroke Island. It’s beautiful over there. Absolutely stunning. Even in the torrential rain, which it did pretty much all day. Didn’t matter tho, we had a great time. Had a picnic that Jan had prepared, complete with champagne. It was excellent. Even saw a (soaking wet) wild kangaroo running across someone's front lawn!

And Friday, Saturday and Sunday we went to Sydney! How coooool! I’ve never been (well, Mom neither). I liked it. It reminded me of a funny blend of San Francisco, San Diego and in some parts, of Lower Manhattan (The Village). It’s a nice city. Big, sprawling, but not too busy or intimidating or crazy. And then there’s the Harbour. Wow. They have a million and one things jammed into that Harbour, not to mention the Opera House and bridge. And it’s full of lovely little coves all tucked away and around cliffs. It was really nice. The beach suburbs are amazing. Nothing but old money and big mansions and BMW’s and Mercedes’ parked on the sides of the roads. To look at Sydney and gauge the country just on the city, Australia is a pretty prosperous country. They’re all happy, healthy and lively and get to live in a clean, lovely and sparkly city. But I wouldn’t want to live there. I’m done with big cities. But can’t wait to go back and visit time and time again!

Saturday we toured the Blue Mountains. What can I say – it was beautiful and not at all touristy (until we got to the main launching point for the easy walks and tram-ride and gift shop). But there are walking trails all over the place, unspoiled views and dirt roads. It was excellent, but far too much to take in in one day. That’s the kind of place that needs years to explore. And the weather was with us the whole trip. Bright blue skies, not too cool and certainly not too hot, nice breezes…… couldn’t have asked for better!

And so here we are at Monday. It’s been raining all day so we’ve decided to stay put, recharge the batteries, get some laundry done and just basically chill out. Ahhhhhh. So nice not to be at work! Not sure what we’ll do the rest of the week……. Mom leaves on Thursday morning….. so that leaves us Tues and Wed…… Well, this rain is supposed to go out to sea (to New Zealand probably!) and leave us with decent weather, so tomorrow and Wed should be good to get out and run last minute errands and souvenir hunting! And then it’s back to it Thursday……!

So there it is. See? Adventures can be had after all! C’mon down! I have maps of Sydney!

BYE!
J!