Vacation in 5... 4... 3...

Hi!

Well. Sunday evening. The few birds that are still awake are out there are twittering away like they’ll forget by tomorrow what they were going to say. I wonder if the other birds, the ones trying to get to sleep, just sit there and think “man I wish Fred would shut up already about that stupid big bug he ate today…”. Hmmm. But, I have my chilled glass of wine, some interesting jazz tunes on the radio, life is good!

So work. Yeah. Sigh. One more week to go, for better or for worse. I must say, I was ready for a vacation (permanent or not) at least a year ago. Careful what you wish for! I will say tho, I’m going to miss the folks I work with (most of them anyways), they are a good group of people, some of the better I’ve worked with, so will be sad to not have them in my everyday….. Oh well. Hopefully the next gig will have nice people too!!!?

And then the weekend. Ahhhhhh. Productive. Saturday was up and out of the house early to go out to the ‘hood of Springwood to get mah already pretty short hair cut before The Trip, cos I don’t want to show up looking like my head is a big toe. It’s very short, tho I like to call it “streamlined”. Then I had a good long wander through Target where I managed to pick up a couple outfits that are semi-hip and groovy and scrunchable – perfect for traveling!

And then today, also quite productive in a housecleaning kinda way. Got all the laundry done, all the scrubbing and mopping of stuff, then it was time to meet Hasse and his friend Mai for a very nice lunch at a very small Vietnamese restaurant in West End. Was nice to catch up, very relaxing to just sit in the breeze and gasbag about future vacations (she’s off to India in Oct!) and, just, stuff. Short lunch tho, had to get back to bring in happy clean laundry, make the bed and write mah blog!

Otherwise, that’s pretty much that. The weekend was pretty good and relaxing considering it’s my last free one until I leave. I’ve been trying to get stuff done daily instead of the last minute panic rush. I’m nearly all ready to go, just need to transfer some monies and call the airline to make sure we’re still going! Looking at our travel schedule, we’re not going to have time to breathe let alone stop to write mah little blog every Sunday. If I can even so much as write a brief blurb, I’ll sure try. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the same time, same place on the 4^th of October!!!! Eeeeeeeeeek! Seems so far away but I just know it will go so fast! Hope you’re all well up there – see you sooooon!!!!!! And if you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by and say hi!

BYE!

J!

Short and Sweet Week! Sweeeeet!

Hi!

Well. Here it is again, Sunday evening, just like every week. Only this week was nice because it was so short, and during mid-week too. I took Tuesday off because I had stuff to do, and then we automatically got the Wednesday off as "People's Day" - the day everyone in the city gets off to go to the Ekka. And seeing as I'd gone the week before - hooray! Extra day off! Ahhhhhh, love short, paid-for weeks! Ha! Am gonna enjoy them while I can!

So work. Yep. Talk about enjoying the paid time off while I can..... yeah, its nice to have paid days off to get stuff done. In my short time working fuh the gov'ment, the whole legit paid day off just never got old, as you well know by now. But, the resume is out and about, just waiting for that phone to ring with the offer of Best Job Ever..... Oh wait, some English guy won that up at the Great Barrier Reef...... Ok, Second Best Job in the World, just waiting for them to call me and tell me I can start whenever! Cooool. I wish. But yes, so far in the time I have left, work seems fine. Which is good because I can focus on wrapping up my job properly and planning The Trip..... My god it's 2 weeks to the day........... Eeeeek!

And then the, uh, mid-week weekend! Tuesday was nice, had stuff to do which was really just the usual errands and supervising the real estate guy in his "inspection" [invasion] of my teeny little apartment. I think he was in here all of 5 minutes with his little clipboard before he said, "Well, I think I've seen all I need to". I didn't have the heart to tell him mine is most likely the best looking one in the block, but he was new, so let him figure that out. Now hopefully they won't come bothering me again! It's a lot of work making this place presentable in addition to hiding evidence of the illegal roommate. Sheesh. But, trip going well and job forthcoming, I'm so moving out of here upon my return. My downstairs neighbors, well, I'll just say I've had to call the agency twice about his totally awesome surround-sound system that he'll listen to allllllll night. Oh yeah. The agency says there're fees for "breaking a lease" but to me that's a cheap price to pay for peace, quiet and freedom. (P.S. - photo on the left there, that's one of a few possums that live in my ceiling and sometimes sneak into my kitchen in the middle of the night if I've accidentally left that window just slightly open.Yeah.).

And the Wednesday. Well. A young guy'd called Tuesday saying that he wanted to come look at my big car on Thursday. Oh boy! So Wed I bought car soap and spent a good 3 hours washing, vacuuming, polishing that big car. Took ages! Finally had it sparkling, went inside and sat down for a well-deserved beer when the clouds rolled in, lightning struck, thunder rolled and rain pelted my nice, shiny, clean car. Then that storm blew away but hot on the heels of that one was one more. And this one was good. It packed wind, lightning, thunder rain and bonus - hail! All over my nice clean shiny car that was all ready for the guy to come look at to see if he wanted to buy it. I just watched the hail and laughed. What else could I do??? Finally, when that one finished and the news promised there were no more storms coming, I went out with my little chamois and cleaned the car again. Man. But, silver lining, in the end, Thursday evening I was $4,500 dollars richer! First thing Friday I went to the bank and paid off the loan in full and closed the account! Now I don't owe anyone any money! am officially debt free! HOORAY!

And then the weekend. As if the short week wasn't good enough! Saturday was nice, a bit of a relaxing day. Because my neighbor downstairs loves his surround-sound at all hours, I don't sleep so well during the week, naturally, but thankfully they weren't home Friday night. I went to bed around 11.30pm and woke up at 10am. Yeah, I was tired. So I took Saturday to relax and enjoy them not being home. I even had a nap it was so lovely and quiet. Ahhhhhh Saturdays without the noisy neighbors!

And then today. Was up early-ish and out the door by 10am to meet Kim for a good loooong walk around the 'hood and then some! Ahhhh what a gorgeous day it was today! And getting pretty warm too. We walked for a good 5 hours, through Paddington, up to Bardon, down into Rosalie (where we had hamburgers and fries and ice cream for dessert - yum!), then it was over through to Milton and the Park Road cafes (keep walking, nothing affordable to eat here), down to the riverside where we walked along and then up into town, to Central Station where I left her to catch her train home! Whew! Man it feels good to go on marathon walks again. In one way, well, in many ways, but especially one, am kinda happy to have sold the car seeing as lovely weather is upon us (not that it ever went away), because it'll really force me to get out and walk again. Good. I miss the exercise! Hooray!

So there you have it. What an excellent and productive and short week that was! Hoorays all around! Now I just have to really focus on making sure all is sorted for our Trip! Wow, 2 weeks! Oh dear, I know how fast those 14 days can go. Better get ready! See you soon! YAY!

BYE!
J!

Fair Enough Weekend....!

Hi!

Well. Here we are, Sunday evening, happy sounds of the birds as they chirp the sun down, Penguin Cafe on the cd player trying to drown out the sound of the neighbors killing each other in the apartment downstairs, ahhh yes, the sounds of nature and the city combined: such is the coming of spring!

So work. Yep. Suffice to say, well, the less said the better at the moment. Apart from stuff, it would be pretty good. Had Friday off. Much needed. Getting down to a mere handful of weeks now....... Sigh. Am gonna miss this gig.

And then the weekend! Was most excellent, if not slightly quiet. But that has to be because Friday was so much fun. I took the day off and met a friend and his Dad to go to the Ekka! Also known as the Royal Queensland Show (how they get Ekka out of that I have no idea. Must have to be born here to know). I've been twice before, it's their version of a country fair, on a big scale, kinda the size of maybe the Del Mar Fair.... Maybe. Either way I love going, I don't know why. It's just an excellent, fun day out, especially when I'm able to take a legit day off of work to go with folks who've been going religiously for 17+ years! Hooray! But boy, I have to say, I was absolutely beat by the time I got home around 10.30pm (bloody full buses at 10 at night, what kinda city is this). We were there from about 10am until about 8.45pm. Eh, good practice for Disneyland I say! It was such a good day. The weather was absolutely perfect, the crowds weren't too, uh, crowded, the food was salty, greasy and sweet, the beer beautifully bubbly and cold, I had a tummy ache by the time the fireworks were ready for launching, ahhhhh, it was a fantastic day!!!!! If you plan your visit right, for the early part of August, we'll go. It's fun.

And then the rest of the weekend was comparatively, decidedly quiet. Saturday I know I got some stuff done, just can't remember what exactly...... Definitely stuff was done. Laundry stuff...... Relaxing stuff........ Yeah, stuff.

And today. Quite productive. For the first time in like a year and a half I have an apartment inspection (I hate them, such a blatant invasion of privacy, but such is the lowly, little life of a renter) this coming Tuesday. So I took the energy saved up from yesterday and my little list of chores to do, and did the best I could with a dump like this. Patching holes made by the combination of rain and cheap construction (and me poking said saggy ceiling), painted scratched bits of windowsill, painted rain stains on the ceiling, what a good tenant I am. Then the usual chores on top of that. In addition to having a bit of a spring clean, results of which are now happily sitting in one half of my car trunk! Love spring cleaning. Love tossing out crap I no longer need, or really didn't need in the first place, would rather toss to someone else who may be in need of some crap. Hooray for recycling! Somewhat necessary clutter has been streamlined and is now residing under the bed (sorry Kona, your scaredy hidey place is much needed), and evidence of the illegal cat roommate has also been secretly stashed, ahhhhhhh it has been a very productive day.

And that's about that. I think the neighbors have finally stormed off to their respective corners of the apartment below, as all seems quiet down there for now (at least my floor has stopped the occasional earthquakes from the slamming doors below, replaced instead by his incessant video game machine guns). Kona is tucked into his little nest in the Poang chair that I never get to sit in. The chill of a winter's evening is starting to creep in signaling time to put the heater on (hooray for "electricity included" - suckers!). Ahhhhhh, Sunday evening. Y'know what makes tonight so extra-excellent? I only have to work tomorrow then I have Tuesday off for the "inspection/invasion", and as Brisbanites we all get the Wednesday off to go to the Ekka (if you're not as lucky as I am to work for the government and earn a day off to go beforehand), then it's only Thursday and Friday to get through - excellent if I do say so myself. Now I'm not one to wish work away, but after last week, it's just nice to have some paid time away......... So hope you're all well up there. Plan your trip down here cos I'll be up there soon to guilt you into coming to the Land Down Under!

BYE!
J!

My God It's August Already.

Hi!

Well. Here it is yet again, Sunday evening. Chores are done. Little apartment is clean, laundry is washed and hiding in the dresser and closet, Kona, like clockwork, beat up the neighbor cat as the sun was setting (no cats were harmed in this sunset entertainment), got a glass of wine, an amazing Edith Piaf cd drowning out the party the neighbors have started up downstairs (earplugs again tonight), life is good!

So work. Yep. Is fine. Nice because I have allllll the time in the world to look and apply for new jobs. Funny tho, I applied for two today in under an hour, yet it took me most of the week to apply for one... Oh, it could just be having to do work while I'm still at work getting in the way I suppose. That's ok, the few things that haven't been divvied out to others are all quick and easy, sometimes it's just making a phone call. Sigh. I miss my old job, but, change is good and we have no choice but to move on!

And then the weekend. Started off pretty cool with the nice folks from work, we all piled into a couple cars and changed our after work drinks venue to the Breakfast Creek Hotel, over in the 'hood of Newstead (is strangely nice, with lots of fancy pants apartment buildings and lots of warehouses, right next to each other, next to the river). That is one huge pub(s). Boy, if Americans think they have the corner on big things, Australians have the market on massive, city-block-sized pubs. In fact, I wouldn't call them quaint little conventional pubs, I'd call them drinking/eating complexes. And did I bring mah camera? No. But will go again as they're meant to have some of the best steaks in town. Hmmm. So we stayed there for quite a while...... Enough for a few beers and 3 bottles of wine. Whew. It was a fantastic evening because before we sat down we all agreed that under no circumstance were we to even mutter one little word about work - and what do you know - we didn't and we just laughed and laughed and talked about stuff the whole time. It was nice. Fun. Am gonna miss working with these guys.......

Then it was Saturday morning. A little slow to get started and up and going. Darn that Merlot for being good enough to drink. Didn't manage to do much but wander around the house thinking of the chores that needed doing. In the end I ended up on the couch starting to watch the afternoon TV movie "Arthur", when the text came through to meet a friend down in Southbank for pizza. Now I'm no girl to turn down pizza, and no hangover was gonna stop me from woodfired pizza and good company! It was a most lovely afternoon/evening, which ended a bit early owing to the fact that we were both perhaps still suffering a little from the previous evening. I was amazed at how busy Southbank is in the evenings on a Saturday. Course, I don't get out in the evenings much, and I haven't spent much time in Southbank since I quit working ages ago at the school down there.... Southbank in the evening is actually quite cool and buzzy busy. When you come down here for that visit, we'll go there for dinner one evening!

And then today. Busy. Chores are all done. I think because the weather is getting nicer and nicer (even tho it's still winter) I'm having the urge to spring clean and throw stuff out. I kinda have a 6 month rule about carting around stuff - if I haven't needed it, looked at it, or even thought about it in 6 months, it goes to a new home via the big metal donation boxes found in parking lots all over town. Yeah! I think that's gonna be next weekend's chore.

And that's that. Overall a very nice and productive weekend under gorgeous weather. I managed to apply for one job on Friday and 2 today, so fingers crossed! I hope you're all well up there. Hang around if you can (curse you Sheldon and Scarlett for being in Sydney when I'm there! Never mind, Sydney's pretty cool and you can come again next year!!!), I'll be there soon, even if it is just blowing through town! It'll be fun and the girls and I are looking forward to it the closer departure day gets! HOORAY!

BYE!
J!