Countdown to Vacation with Friends, Concerts and Food!

Hi!

Well. Here we are on another beautiful Sunday late afternoon. There's a little breeze but not much, the sun is starting to go down, which means it'll get cold in no time after such a perfect, warm day. That's what's nice about winter here - even tho it's pretty chilly at night, the days warm up and are full of sunny, bright blue skies...... Ahhhhhhhh! The birds are out there happily doing their bird things....... Kona is out guarding the balcony from intruders... Got the hip n' groovy jazz tunes...... Got a nice cool stand-by beer (nom!).... Yep, life is good!

So work. Yep. Is good. I think I said it last week and I'll say it again this week - man I'm busy. But some of that has to be the clean-up-the-desk-before-

vacation panic. Well, that and our office is moving while I'm away, so I'll have to pack up all my stuff Tuesday afternoon before I go and make sure it's all ready to move. I just hope I've caught up on everything by then!!! Eeeek! There'll be a few of us gone over the next month, so there won't be much happening, which is good because that means I shouldn't have towers of work waiting for me when I get back.....I hope! Otherwise, work is good. Still pretty happy to have a job to come back to after vacation. This "novelty" just doesn't get old after being on crappy (but well-paid, I might add) temp contracts all these years. Yay for real work!

And then there was the weekend. Whew! More like week and weekend!

Busybusybusy. Always a last-minute rush to get things done and see everyone before I go - like I'll never see them again or get stuff done when I get back! So what was on this week....... Tues I had to get mah hair cut - want to make at least a little effort to look OK for when I see everybody back home. Then Wed...... I know I had something but can't remember what because no matter what it was (some minor errand that could only be done after

work), it wasn't as big a deal as trying to get home was! There was some big rugby game on at the stadium between me and my house, so traffic by the time I got to my end of town - ay yi yi. Took me an hour and a half to go what usually takes, roughly, 20 minutes. Fuuuuuuuuudge. Oh, I know what game it was, it was the third (last) game in the State of Origin series. Basically, only the two states of New South Wales and Queensland play each other every year (no other states play for whatever bizarre reason) and it's a major deal for folks who follow it, and whoever wins two of the three games wins, obviously. But the stupid stupid thing is, New South Wales won the first two but for some supremely stupid reason they still play the third game. I don't get it but apparently it's just a money-making event/game with maybe some attempted face-saving thrown in for fun... Actually, Queensland really whupped their asses in that one, but it totally doesn't matter, New South Wales still get the golden chalice or golden shield with their names on it, or golden whatever. And for the rest of us who don't give a rat's furry pink backside, it's a traffic-snarling fiesta!!! Still, I'm not really complaining because ultimately I think it's pretty cool to live in a 'hood with such a good venue (52,000+ capacity!). I appreciate it mainly for concerts when I'm interested, but I have been to one or two games over the years......... And the best part is - I can walk home when it's over - wooohooo! See ya suckas stuck in traffic/trapped on public transport!!!!!

And then Thurs was the Lloyd Cole concert at the Powerhouse (one of my favorite, coolest venues)!!!! That was really good and I had one of the most awesomest seats in the house - front row center! Tho I must say, the row right behind me would've been better actually because that was where the rise started, meaning you could not only see over the stage, but over the heads of the folks in front of you. Duly noted for the next gig. But ahhhh, the show was really good. If you like Lloyd, who's been around since the early 80s and has never stopped making music (tho the band has changed and sometimes he does his own thing, like at this gig), it was a great night.

And then Fri I could finally get some stuff done... And then Sat I met a friend for a little wander around the French Festival. I must say, while the food was way awesome (it always is), I was disappointed with the wine tasting tent. Yeah. It was a bummer. Ten bucks got you three tickets and a cool little plastic cup (worth keeping) but the tastings were literally the size of a taste. So really, I paid ten bucks for a wine cup with sips of three different wines. Harumph. Last time I went, they had a champagne tent and for something like $40 you got six real glasses of all these different champagnes - from super expensive stuff to the cheap (but still good) stuff. It was so great I had to go home after I finished my six and lie down! That was a good year. This year was more about the food. And really, it was awesome. I'll still go next year! And finally they spread it over two days instead of one... If only I'd had the time - and spare stomachs!

And today I finally got to catch up with my friend Kim and her husband Carlos and finally meet their new little baby girl Luna! She's just over seven weeks now and a squirmy, chatty little thing with sooooooo much dark, dark hair (that'll be her Colombian dad)! So cute. Very happy for them as she'd been long-awaited via IVF! It actually worked! Good for them. They seem pretty happy and ever so relaxed for new parents with their first baby! It was a really great afternoon. Very, very happy for them.

And that's about that! Still got some stuff to do, like finish packing, tidying

the little house, make sure I have my passport, plane tickets (well, receipts anyways), etc etc etc. So that's on the list for tonight....! Better get going because the hours over the weekend just fly by! So unfair when work just drags. So if I don't check in over the next couple of weeks, I'll check in when I get back, or maybe I'll see you there!!!!!!! YAY!

BYE!

J! 

Countdown to Family, Friends, and Mexican Food!

Hi!

Well. Here we are. Way late, am very sorry - talk about time getting away from me! But more on that later. So, winter is really here now - I woke up this morning and the temperature gauge said 41.2! That's pretty chilly for us here in the sub-tropics! And another sure sign that it's winter - bright blue sunny days without a cloud in sight but a definite chill in the air. Ahhhhhh, it makes those disgusting summers worthwhile! And the birds seem happy and chipper - they're out there, chattering away and floating around on the steady breezes without a care in the world. Or, maybe they have cares, am just not privy to them...... I probably wouldn't understand anyways - "Not enough bugs in th' 'hood? Uhhh, try a bait shop, maybe? Have you tried behind the grocery store?" Or something along those lines...... Annnnyways, here we are now tho, have a nice cool glass of the stand-by white, Story Bay Semillon Sauv Blanc (yes, white wine in winter, I know, but some habits are tough to break.....), got the hip n' groovy jazz tunes, Kona is doing his bit for the planet by stopping one chair from floating away (good boy), yes, life is good!

So work. Yep. Is good. Am busy, tho I pretty much am always busy. Maybe that's because I either know how to stay busy or am just the only editor in our little team...... Both, I think. Anyways, work is good. Thankfully, no longer data entry monkeys, which makes us all very happy. I guess after that flurry of activity we're kind of quiet, but I'm busy. Then again, it could be because am going away for a few weeks.... Isn't that how it always seems? Super busy because you're trying to tie everything up before you go away? And the even funnier thing is, there're like three other folks going away pretty much at the same time! Not for as long as me, different stretches, but man, for four out of seven of us to be away, with one part-timer, man, it'll sure be quiet - and boring! But, as usual, am always happy to have such a decent gig and someplace to be everyday - and one that gives me vacation time!

And then there were a few weekends in there....... To be perfectly honest, I wasn't busy painting the town red or going on little Adventures, oh no. This

was far more boring. I spent those few weekends setting up mah new stuff - getting the TV hooked up and working and calibrated and all that. Hooking up the new surround-sound receiver - and that isn't finished yet - still can't figure out how to get the TV sound through it. Hmmm. Still setting up the new computer, transferring files and all that. That always takes ages to do. And am still not even close to being finished with that project - still have to install Office and all the other programs I use! Not to mention seeing if I can connect everybody together and maybe stream movies through the TV (Mom's Netflix account).......? Still setting up the little tablet - that's supposed to be tonight's mission - getting photos, books, music and whatever else I can think of loaded into it before I fly away home in about a week and a half (!). Yeah, these modern electronics, they take a bit of time and effort to set up and get going. Not complaining tho, they're all pretty damn cool. But ay yi yi - did I not think of all this when I decided to replace them all at once?! So I've been busy doing that.

Surely there was a weekend in there where I did something..... Sadly, no, I don't think so. I know, last weekend I dropped a few more things at my favorite donation bin...... Getting rid of stuff feels pretty damn good. Oh, speaking of getting rid of things, am selling mah couch. Listed it on eBay yesterday. I ordered a new sofa bed that should come just after I get back, and since I don't have room for two...... It's been a good couch, have had it a few years now and it's still in fantastic shape. Whoever wins the auction should be pleased they're getting such a great couch for so cheap. That's the one bummer about eBay - folks want stuff, good stuff, for next to nothing. Am sad but that's that. All I know is someone will pay me to take my couch away - that's a pretty good deal. And would you know it - this new couch isn't from Ikealand! Their sofa beds are kinda crap actually, so I bought this at a real furniture store, which is why it's going to take 8-10 weeks to come! The best part about this new couch, I could pick the color, arm, back, cushion and leg styles - cooooool. Now here's hoping A) it arrives how I configured it and B) that the bed part is half-decent?! Will find out I guess! But hey, will finally have a sofa bed - more reason for folks to get their butts down here - so many places to sleep comfortably in the fanceee new hacienda apt!

And then there was this weekend. Yep, a bit more of the same as previous weekends. Only, today was packing! It's all well and good that I can pack like a ninja, the trick is, we're only allowed 15 pounds for a carry on, and with clothes I hit that right on the button. And that's before toiletries and jewelry! Last time I got busted getting out of here for being overweight and had to stuff what I could into my purse to make the scale nazi happy. I think the same thing is a'gonna happen again! Eeeek! It's frustrating to see a half empty suitcase that I can't fill! And am only bringing summer clothes - they weigh nothing! Maybe I'll try culling the clothes a bit more........ Gaaaah! So that was also going to be tonight's mission. And am rapidly running out of hours! Stoopid weekends. Yeah, I know, I have all week and next weekend, but magically, those are rapidly being filled! Work certainly is a time-eating culprit......... So yes, the 'quickly running out of time' panic is ON!

Otherwise, all is well down here! Hope you're all well up there. I look forward to being home and seeing everyone - and pigging out on Mexican food and margaritas! Waaahhhooooooo!

BYE!
J!