A Weekend of Wine and Rotten Tomatoes......

Hi!

Well. Here we are, another Sunday afternoon is starting to fade... Thankfully we're over the hump and the days should start getting longer again (yay!). Weather has been lovely, tho a little cool (after all, it is officially winter now), but, for the most part, the days have been bright and sunny - perfect! The birds are out there somewhere running their errands, there've even been a few Sulphur Crested Cockatoos shouting around the place..... they always freak the hell out of me when they go screeching overhead - they're as big and pretty as they are loud and startling. But, as always, got the hip n' groovy jazz tunes, got the nice cool glass of stand-by white (yes, I know it's winter and red is better suited, but the stand-by white just seems to go well with checking in.....), the laundry is done and flapping in the breeze..... Yes, it's like Groundhog Day around here! But never fear, Adventures are soon to come.......! 

So work. Yep. Is good. Getting to the end of my 'big book that no one wanted' project. Going to kind of miss it, but couldn't work on it forever I suppose (would lose my marbles if I had to), but having the time and breathing space to learn and get better at the publishing software we use for everything and stuff has been way good. Friday we went to a little work lunch at the Marriott, which is actually really pretty good and a screamin' lunch deal (and spitting distance to work). And we even got to catch up with the gal who's job I'm sort of occupying while she decides if she's happier being a new Mom (she is, immensely) or if she wants to come back to work (highly doubtful).... Hmmmm.... So yes, that was quite good and a lovely way to start the weekend. Well, seeing as the weekend was so quiet, it was pretty much the most exciting thing to happen all weekend, which is fine, for now!

Which is a perfect segue to this weekend...! Where nothing really happened.

Fluffed around yesterday, did some more organizing of the Great Hollywood Sell-Out Screenplay..... Actually, in my head it's really pretty good, bit of an epic, has everything - action, drama, romance, Buffalo Bill......... The trick will be to actually write it that way.... which is where all the organizing and outlining comes in...... I hope it helps anyways come time to actually write...... 

Once I'd had enough of that I thought I'd turn to the real Hollywood for any sort of inspiration...... Ended up watching a couple of suuuuuper crappy movies, which was shocking considering the folks in them - Meeting Evil which had Sam Jackson and Luke Wilson - two awesome guys usually but wooooooweeeee, not this time. I only wish I'd checked with Rotten Tomatoes before I rented it! El stinko! And the second bomb of the night (uhh, err, sorry NSA, meant to say 'terrible film'....) was Serious Moonlight, which, by the time it arrived, I'd forgotten what it was about and thought it was about a record label/company (and not about David Bowie....). Maaaaaaan. Again, kicking mahself for not checking with Rotten Tomatoes first, then I'd've known what a stinker I was in for. Peeeee-yooooooo! And the big bummer is, I really like Timothy Hutton and Justin Long, can't stand Meg Ryan, but I figured the others would cancel her out. Nope. So there you go. Lesson learned - check Rotten Tomatoes first!

And today was laundry and more fluffing around. Actually, today's fluffing

around was semi-dangerous - I had out the Ikea catalog and the measuring tape - a very dangerous combination in my hands. I even nearly made a banzai trip out there to pick up at least two of the things I have my eye on....... But no. I talked myself off that proverbial bridge, reminding myself that I'm about to entertain a friend/cousin-of-sorts for a week and then am off on mah own adventure for four weeks not long after. Spending a few hundred dollars at Ikealand may not be the wisest thing at this time. So, thankfully, common sense and no bottomless bucket of money stopped me from doing my bank account any unnecessary harm. For now. My ideas are still good ideas and will revisit them upon my return (and after shoring up the bank account)........   

And now here I am, safely checking in! And that's really about it. Quiet, yes, but watch this space for Adventures coming soon. Probably won't be checking in next weekend as that's when Emily arrives. Will check in the week after. And the week after. And then I'll be back in the Motherland! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee! See you guys soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BYE!
J!

Ordinary Weekend........

Hi!

Well. Here we are, another Sunday afternoon. The weather has been absolutely, perfectly, winter gorgeous. Crisp, clear nights with bright sunny, blue sky days - ahhhhhhhhhhh! The birds are happy, the crows are even happy, got the laundry done, got the hip happenin' jazz tunes, even got the nice, cool glass of stand-by white wine (Stoneleigh, this time) - life is good!

So work. Yep, is good. Thankfully not much happening, not too busy, which is good, really. We're getting to the end of the financial year (Australia's end is June 30th), so we're sort of sitting back waiting to see the size of the bucket of dough the defense department gives our customer, Mr. Classic/Super Hornet Technical Publications..... That'll determine how busy we will or won't be into the next financial year......... Here's hoping the bucket is big enough to include some dough to extend mah little contract come March.............? Otherwise, all is well. Happy to have good, gainful employment with nice folks, as always!

And then there's been the weekend. Started off quite well Friday with meeting

a couple gals for a few birthday champagnes. Ahhhhhh, thankfully everyone is a grown-up (more or less) and everyone drank to that lesser-known Greek god, Moderation, and arrived home at a humane hour upright and fairly sober. In fact, it was just early enough that on my way home I stopped into a brand-new place that's just opened kind of near my apartment (on the way home anyways) called Lefty's Old Time Music Hall. Basically, it's 1900's old west meets French 1920s burlesque (err, minus the burlesque dancing girls), with many stuffed deer and moose, even a little black bear, a very angry monkey and two peacocks, hanging on the walls, complete with background music by Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, etc......... It's style and atmosphere is hard to explain, so read a review here....... It must have just opened for the evening as I was only the fourth person in there holding a drink (a table of three gals beat me to it). It was interesting and too soon to tell if it goes the "cool" way or the silly, pretentious trying-to-be-hip way..... Their menu apparently includes po' boys, sloppy joe's and onion rings. Hmmmm. They have a popcorn machine at the end of the bar for anyone interested (free). Ehhh, it could be fun, we can only hope and wait and see! Then I tootled home where as soon as I changed my clothes and sat on the couch with a glass of wine, I was asleep. Woke up around midnight, wine untouched, and after that lovely three hour nap, I was fulla beans but still dead tired. Crap. I hate when I do that. Guess by the end of the week I'm a lot more tired than I think I am.

Saturday, after waking up close to ten, organized mahself to the do the laundry and general fluffing around. Later, watched "Ordinary People", Robert Redford's first directing gig with Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and a young and way awesome Timothy Hutton (who even won an Oscar for his performance, he was that good). It was a little heavy but way good. And you hardly noticed that it was made in 1980 (gasp), it held up that well. Highly recommend it!

And today has been more fluffing around and very quiet. Took the car out for a little spin and promptly got caught in a traffic jam (on a Sunday afternoon

people?!). Meh. I had nowhere specific to be, just wanted to see if I could find this mall I sometimes go to via bus (I did, just after the furry traffic jam). Once I get back from my jaunt home, will have to organize a trip outta town for mahself for a few days, like up to Noosa or back down to Yamba....... I would go over Xmas but everyone and their mother and dog goes out of town (mainly to beaches) at Xmas, therefore all the accommodation is booked out months and months in advance. No, best to go out of season, away from the kids' school breaks, during the week, like Mon-Fri kinda time. Head home when they're all heading in. Because once you get out of the main towns, there ain't a whole lot out there and the little bit that is only has, say, one or two hotels (small) and a few campgrounds. And while I don't mind camping, I possess no gear and nowhere within my tiny digs to store said gear if I had it, ergo, it's a hotel for me, for now. So yes, will have to organize a little local escape when I get back.......... Plus, the photos sure need updating.......

And that's pretty much that! Quiet, yes, but all is well. Trying to save for the trip home and by not venturing too far from the little apartment on the weekends helps me save dough, more or less. So I hope you're all well and happy up there! And if you need a break, c'mon down - the weather's fine!

BYE!
J!

Have Pedometer, Will Watch French Films........ That's Traveling, Right?

Hi!

Well. Here we are, another decent Sunday afternoon. It's been rainy and cloudy all weekend, but thankfully not too cold... I'm not sure if we're officially in Winter yet or not, but it's actually been pretty nice, even at night. Ahhhhhhh shoulder seasons! But, the crows have been out there yammering all day at anything and everything, everyone else seems to chirp only if they have something to say, not just to hear themselves chirp. Stupid crows. But, got the swingin' hip jazz tunes, got a nice, cool glass of the usual stand-by white, little apartment is clean with the sheets and jeans swinging in the breeze, just daring those clouds to rain on them (I really should probably bring them in soon..... that's what I need is for it to rain and soak all my nice dry sheets and stuff)... All in all, life is good!

So work. Yep. It's good. Same ol' grind really. One week is much like the last, etc, etc, etc.... Which, in it's own way, is really nice. No drama, nothing upsetting or stressful - just happy dullness. Hooray for dull, happy, gainful employment! Oh, I know one teeny bright little spark - the Mother Company has kicked off their yearly "everyone get in shape" two-month campaign, so most of us in our tiny group of six signed up - what do we get? A $2 pedometer and a promise that we'd check in on the website and document our steps/exercise times, etc. Sweet! I walk to work everyday anyways. And it's good because my pedometer's battery died and those stupid tiny little batteries are expensive. So got a new one, although because the Mother Company only spent like $2 bucks on the things, they tend to fall off. Typical. For a company to send folks over to Switzerland to work on a (now failed) bid attempt, they couldn't spring for, literally, better springs in the pedometer clip. Never mind. The trick won't be to clock up the required 12,000 steps on average each day, it'll be to keep the thing from falling of and getting lost. Will enjoy it while I can!

And then there were a couple weekends in there. Apologies for not checking in last weekend (and breaking one of my only New Year's resolutions, which was

to check in regardless of the dullness factor), but nothing of any interest happened. Much like this weekend but I thought I should check in anyways, two dull weekends in a row or not. Actually, dullness aside, they've both been three-day weekends....! Last, last week I had Monday off as my one free day off for the month of May, which was way nice. In fact, I met up with my happily laid-off co-worker/friend Kim and we went for a good walk in the D'Aguilar National Park, which was actually really really good, and it's not even really that far from my house. If I wasn't so kinda nervous about stepping on a rock wrong and twisting my ankle and slipping down into a wooded ravine to die a slow, painful death all alone, I'd go on my own sometime. Otherwise, last, last weekend was good, quiet, chores, the usual.

Which was almost a mirror image of this weekend........ Tho yesterday (Saturday) I spent much of the day trying to organize my notes for this epic screenplay I want to write about Buffalo Bill's Show Indians on tour in Scotland in 1891/2. True story, tho I'll put the 'ol Hollywood spin on it of course, gotta sell out and make millions after all. Part of it is because it's a really neat story and partly because the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the folks who're responsible for the Oscars) have a screenwriting competition/fellowship that comes due in May, and I'd rather like to enter it just for grins and giggles....... Gotta start writing eventually.....!

And today, laundry and chores.... and later a couple movies..... And tomorrow, hopefully some writing........ Man, having three days off is fantastic. I can get so much more done and still fit in time to stare into space. Awesome! Oh, guess I should mention, we have Monday (tomorrow) off for the Queen's Birthday - yay Queen! Yay an extra day off!

Right then. Movies await. A French film (comedy?) called "The Life Coach",
which is fine, I just keep falling asleep (third time's a charm?!), and some movie I'd ordered (DVDs by mail you see) called 50/50 - I must've wanted to see it or I wouldn't've picked it, but can't remember a single thing what it's about (ooooh, a surprise)!

Otherwise, I hope you're all well up there. That reminds me, I must email some folks and let them know am on mah way soon, see if anyone wants to hang out, eat pizza, Mexican food, drink beer, whatever..............!

BYE!
J!