Relaxing & Painting with Bond, James Bond

Hi!

Well. Sorry am late. It was such a quiet weekend that I couldn’t drag myself away from my James Bond book…….. Really. Honest. After how exciting last weekend was, well, this weekend didn’t rate on the scale. But it was an otherwise fine and dandy week. Slow to start, and then next thing we were having after-work drinks in the pub Friday evening!

So work. Yep. Is good. Sent my big project to the printing house today. So that’s one off my desk! It’s funny, whenever these projects finally get wrapped up, all the little projects that were waiting in the wings, well, they kinda grow while they were waiting. But the good thing is that I can devote more attention to them and thus watch them grow and flourish! Hooray for work! Here’s to fingers, toes, arms, legs, everything crossed that my little contract gets renewed when my boss comes back from his vacation in the middle of November. I’m due to expire at the end of December….. eeeeek! Here’s hoping! So yes, work, is good. Not as crazy busy as it was, which is good. Means I can focus more. But I do rather like being busy. Sure makes the time shoot past!

And then it was the weekend. Ahhhhh. Am still sunburned from last weekend. Yeah. Lesson learned. Do they make a factor 50 sunscreen???? But yes, the weekend started off on the right foot Friday evening with drinks after work, but we were very good and left just as the sun was setting. Then Saturday was up with the sun (well, maybe slightly just after. I mean, it is rising at 4.59am and getting earlier as we go) to go get mah hair cut. It’s funny having such short hair cos you really notice when it starts to do its own thing. And I don’t have much hair at this point so I don’t quite know how after she cut it, it could get any shorter! But there it is and it looks cool. Very short. Halle Berry short. I love it. But am going to grow it out a bit just for something different.

See what I mean about the weekend being pretty dull? Am talking at length about getting my hair cut (no pun intended).

And then I ran around the Logan Hyperdome. Don’t ask me what a Hyperdome is exactly. They do that in the UK too – call malls and supermarkets Hyperdomes ('course, 'Supermarket' must be the same thing.... hmmm). But not all malls here are called Hyperdomes. And this one wasn’t any bigger than, say the Chermside Mall – and that mall is massive, and it's just a 'mall'. So anyway, after getting the hair cut I wandered around the mall- sorry, Hyperdome (cos have never been there and wanted to see what a Hyperdome was all about) and did manage to spend a little bit of money. Not too bad. I did need a new purse after all, one that actually holds my book, water, mp3 player (with headphones), etc. Then it was back into town for a trip to the library (gotta stock up on mah James Bond books!) and by then it was more than enough running around and time for home where the wine lives.

And then Sunday. I was good and got a fair bit of painting done. It really is a chore that keeps on going, but am only working away at it a bit at a time and it is all the trims of the windows, bathroom, doors and then I have to do a bit of highlighting (cos I just can’t do this by half), then the edges of the walls where the rollers didn’t get, and then I want to go through and do all the doors with the same white as the apt. I know it’s a massive effort for such a dumpy little place and no return from the landlord, but I really don’t mind. It makes the place look so much better, brighter and fresher. I don’t care how much it cost and how long it’s taking! Plus, I love painting, so there.

So there it is. See? Told you. Wasn’t really worth writing about. But here I am. It was a good and quiet weekend overall. Besides, I should really start getting into lockdown mode so I can save for An Adventure. Tho I do need a fridge….. maybe a microwave…… an iron…… Hmmm. So yes. C’mon down, the weather’s been absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!

BYE!
J!

Burning with the Sun

Hi!

Well. I know it was a busy week because it went by so fast, but darned if I can remember anything interesting that happened….. Nope. Just the usual work week. No exciting mid-week parties (though we are getting into the season soon), no exciting mid-week trips, no exciting mid-week anything besides work. Hmm.

So work. Yeah. Is good. I like my job, it’s interesting. In fact, the beginning of the week saw the Qld Fire & Rescue Service get international accreditation, from representatives of the United Nations no less (!) that will now enable the QFRS to go anywhere in the world if there’s a disaster of some kind and not only can they help, but they can organize and boss people around when they get there. Pretty neat. Qld is the only state in the country to have the honor. Not sure why, say, the New South Wales or especially Victorian Fire Depts. didn’t go for it as well or first, but Qld beat them to the punch and now QFRS is in the lead! So basically all of the folks that I work with that wear an officer’s uniform were participating in the exercises. They had to work with the Federal Police and the State Police in setting up and coordinating mock terrorist attacks around the city, various scenarios with casualties at all hours, etc. It sounded like it was really intense and reallyreally interesting. So even if I’m not directly a part of that stuff, just working with the guys who were and hearing the stories is so interesting and kinda cool. So yeah, I really dig my job. Even if, after how many months, we’re still kinda trying to figure out what it is I really do. I think we have it pretty nailed down, but there’s always new stuff I put my hand up for to help them with. Oh – and I got to go do 2 days of Adobe Flash training! Coooooool I love learning new stuff. A gal I work with (not the one with the nose still waaay outta joint, thankfully. No, the reallyreally nice one) and I are going to be updating some discs with interactive stuff and, well, fix other web stuff. So we’re quite excited to get started on those projects. But, before any projects or anything gets started, I’m having 2 days off! Hooray! Taking tomorrow and Tues off. All that time banked up in the timesheet again and if you don’t use those days, you lose them at the start of the new month. And because I’m no fool and love a good PAID day off, am takin’ ‘em! Hooray!!!

And then the weekend. For once I was good and came straight home after work. No after work drinks. No nothin’. Gosh, in fact, I was pretty much asleep in front of the TV by 8pm. Sad. No, did nothing exciting because first thing Saturday morning a group of us went down to the Gold Coast to celebrate Christine’s birthday by playing at Dreamworld (theme park, kinda like……. hmmm….. Knott’s Berry Farm……) and then out to dinner, and the beach today! Ahhhh, it was most excellent! She’d rented a 3 bedroom apartment for the night right smack in the middle of Surfer’s Paradise, so walking distance to all the restaurants and bars, etc. Dreamworld was, yeah, kinda like Knott’s Berry Farm in that they have a few good “scary” rides, a Nickelodeon theme, quite kid-oriented, and get this – it opens at 10am and closes at (wait for it….) 5pm! Man. If Aussies could do all of Disneyland in a day and still be standing, I’d be impressed. Cos this lot was absolutely beat by 4pm. But I have to admit I was too. But it was such a good day and lots of fun. Then it was to the apartment for a rest, a shower and some drinks, and then out to dinner at the Hard Rock Café (Christine’s special birthday pick). Then we were going to continue to party on (Wayne) but after just trying to walk from the apartment to the restaurant, we realized all the drunken hoodlums were out in force (they always are in Surfer’s Paradise. Every Sunday evening on the news is full of stories about hoodlums causing trouble in Surfer’s; which is weird because all the tourists go there). So we decided we’d just take the party to the apartment where we had lots of nibbles and booze and good music. It was fun but ended pretty early. In fact, the birthday girl was in bed by 11pm! Then this morning we got ourselves organized and just 3 of us headed to the beach (the others had to go home). Ahhhhhhhhhhh, I love the beach. My skin doesn’t so much, but I do. Yeah. I have quite funny sunscreen patterns on my arms. Oh well. It’ll fade in no time. Once the pain from the burn goes away! So yes, a very good weekend was had by all!!!!!!! Now I can cross one thing off my Australia Adventure List – Dreamworld!

And that’s that! Am just sooooo happy to have the next 2 days off. Not only am I beat, but ooooooh, the sunburn! Sunburn and office wear don’t seem to go so well together………. Not really sure what to do for mah 2 days of freedom……. laundry, sleep, not spend money, soak myself in aloe vera!

So hope you’re all well up there! C’mon down – the water’s fine!

BYE!

J!

Chicken Pies & the Civil War

Hi!

Well. Sorry for the delay. Lots of errands, a trip to the pub, and then next thing I knew the day (and evening) was waaaay gone! All apologies….. But otherwise the week was good. Busy at work, busy weekend. Busybusybusy. But good busy!

So work. Yep. Is pretty good. The week was crazy busy as boss was winding down before taking off for 5 weeks’ vacation. But the storm has now passed, we have a really nice and funny guy acting in the boss’ job until he gets back, things will be good. For being as tired as I was all day today, I got lots done. And then, as we speak, am waiting for that second load of laundry to finish, took out the trash, etc. Ahhhh, getting stuff done after work – has been a fantastic day for a Monday!

So yeah. Last Tuesday I met Natasha at the pub for 2-for-Tuesday dinner. Mmmmmm. Chicken pie. Was goooooood. And then Friday I went to Cindy’s house and had a couple glasses of wine and pizza(!) with her and her husband Miles (who’s been trying to convert me to Apple Macs and IPods… hmmm) and then we watched “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” – I love that movie. It’s fantastic. I see something different every time I watch it. Bill Murray is most excellent. I highly recommend it.

And then the weekend. It was good. Saturday was kinda weird in that I slept in (cos it was rainy), made a huge breakfast, read my book for a bit and then, breaking all weekend rules, I sat and watched TV - the first disc out of four in the Ken Burns series about the Civil War. Wow! It’s sooooo good! And then I had a too-long nap, and watched one of my dvd rentals “Fearless” (one of my top fave movies ever), and then next thing I knew it was bedtime! But come Sunday, whew, out of the house at 9am to run errands all day with Natasha and spend money like I had it on a couple “summer” clothes. Then had to rush home to meet a friend from work to go to the pub. And then next thing I know it was 5.30am this morning and time for work! Ahhhhh, it went too fast but it was nice. Very productive in a roundabout kinda way!

And that’s that! Oh yeah, a guy from work has a good friend that lives here from Seattle that he’s been wanting me to meet. She apparently throws a mean Halloween party, which is kind of interesting in that they don’t really “do” Halloween here. It’s not as bad as it was in NZ with their “No Trick or Treaters Permitted”, etc, signs, but it’s certainly not as nuts as it is in the States. So am supposed to go with him this week sometime to meet her and help her plan her party. Cool. I haven’t been to a costume party (or, as the locals call it – ‘fancy dress’) since I was a kid. Am actually kinda looking forward to it. Now what to dress up as………

So there you are. Hey, now that the stock market is floating around in the toilet, the exchange rate has been pretty good if you’re coming here with US dollars (or sending it to me as a gift), or really rotten if you’re, say, me trying to pay off a US credit card in Australian dollars…….. So for now it looks like The Adventures won’t be realized quite as quickly as I’d hoped. Thank you George Bush Jr.! Which reminds me, have just received my early voter ballot – go Obama! Ok. That’s as political as I’ll get. Hope you’re all well – c’mon down!

BYE!
J!

Muggy Days of Quiet

Hi!

Well. It was a good week. Short, cos I had Monday off. Excellent. And because I do “normal” hours, well, what I’m used to in my home country, which is like 8 – 8.5 (a standard Queensland Government working day is, get this, 7.15 – good ol Australia), I build up ‘day off time’ in, well, no time. So am looking at having yet another day off, maybe this week….. Ahhhhh. Hooray for working for days off!!!

So work. Yep. Is good. Busy, but not stupid, unmanageable busy. I find all this directorate policy stuff for firefighters fairly interesting. I mean, never having worked in any sort of policy area, and the fact that some of what I do directly affects firefighters, well, it’s all kinda cool. And scary. But mainly cool. Am learning lots and lots, and meeting some interesting policy makers (and spending an incredible amount of time in meetings, which is weird for me, but interesting nonetheless). I just really like it, aside from all the political and personality disorders, but yes, I am a magnet for this stuff it would seem so am getting used to it. But I do have to say one thing – my boss is going on 6 weeks vacation next week. It’s still up in the air who’s going to sit in for him, but it should be….. interesting and different, that’s all I’m sayin’! Man, wish I could have 6 weeks of PAID vacation time. That’s ok, am happy to even have one paid day off. Beats temping by a long shot!

Thursday and Friday were actually more exciting than the weekend, now that I think back on it. It was a gal I work with’s Birthday Friday, but Thursday she invited a big group of us work folk to the Paddo pub for dinner. It was a reallyreally great night. Laughs all around. It was too much fun to be having on a school night, but well worth it. And then Friday she invited me with her closest friends to her real Birthday dinner at this Thai restaurant up the road from me (how considerate of her to plan her events so near to my house!) where the food was a bit eh, and came an hour after we ordered (Thai food at 9pm? Ugh), but her friends were really cool and interesting (most of them from her high school days, which was just a handful of years ago, bless ‘em…. Yes, everyone I know is young; that’s because the folks I know that are my age are all married and really boring). It was a really good couple of nights.

And then the weekend. It was, overall, extremely quiet, which was really nice compared to how exciting the week was, party-wise. Saturday was the usual chores and errands with Natasha. And today was nothing. Took a nice long nap, read my book, watched “Splash” on tv (midday – gasp! I never watch tv during the day, especially on weekends!) but it was actually pretty funny, and not that dated of a movie. And I don’t know that I ever saw it from beginning to end. Really cute. John Candy. Man. Jack Black is probably the closest personality like him that we have these days, but that doesn’t really compare. He was so damn naturally funny. Shame.

And honestly, that’s it. Quiet. Recharging the batteries, taking a break from those Friday evening after work at the pub sessions. I should have done some more painting today but it was 90 in the house, same as my day off on Monday, and granted I got lots and lots of painting done, it was bloody hot. So I was quite happy to sit in this back room here with the fan and pseudo chill out. It was nice. Boring for those playing along at home, but nice for me.

So there you have it. Don’t worry, am $1,400+ away from planning real adventures. And am also in the process of writing my permanent job description with the hopes that I not only get to keep my job, but that I get a raise. Watch this space!

So hope you’re all well up there! If you like muggy heat, c’mon down!

BYE!

J!