Smee - Composer and Performer

Folks, my career has begun. :D Well, actually no. But something's happened, and it is a bit exciting.

My sister-in-law's sister is doing a degree in ... visual arts? media design? (something like that) and has co-produced a short film that I've been asked to do the music for! So there you have it! My name's gonna appear in the credits, and all through the film is going to be *my music* in the background! :D

So Sunday arvo we read through the script, and whipped out the music in a couple of hours. I've just watched the footage now, and it should be fun. So tomorrow night (yep, another late night) I'm tootling off down to Deakin to their studio and recording everything. :D How fun is that?! Oh yeah, and it's gonna be screened at the Astor next month!! :D So I guess we'll see how it goes...

Guilty as charged

I will be the first one to tell you that when I am tired, I put off going to bed *because* I am so tired, and therefore know how tired I'm going to be when I get up early in the morning... Of course the mentality is that the longer you try to stay awake, the more you are "avoiding" the inevitable. In reality, that's not what happens at all - you just make yourself more tired than you already were and exacerbate the situation...

So here I am. Squinting at the screen. Listening to a CD. With all the lights on. Trying to stay awake. When I should be in bed. Asleep. Where I should have been two hours ago. And could have been. But of course I put it off.

*sigh*

Why on earth does the verse about a double-minded man come to mind...? Looking in the mirror, forgetting what you look like, unstable in all your ways... I get the feeling that my ridiculous attempt at "avoidance" of tiredness, despite my knowledge of my personality and previous circumstances is way up there for being double-minded...

But of course who is wise and does the things they should when they're tired?

Excuses, excuses... maybe I should just go to bed!

Let's pop open the champers!!

Wouldn't you know... I received my first spam comment on my blog. :D Nearly brings a tear to one's eye... :D

...the return of the Boob!!

Folks, I got tickets to see Michael Buble!! :D Very impressed... Last week (Wed), Nomes and I trundled off to the Arts Centre to see The Boob perform... "I thought it was sold out?" I hear you ask? Well, so did I, until...

...Thursday two weeks ago...

Of course, when the guy on the other end of the phone (at one of those ticket-y places which I will *not* give a free blurb to right now) said that there were two seats available, I squealed. Yes. I squealed. :D Needless to say he kind of chuckled nervously and then proceeded to rush me through the whole ticketing process. Not that I minded, really. Of course, then I didn't really have any news to tell anyone who sits near me, 'cos they heard the whole thing, which of course, was quite amusing to all.

So the night - fun. Very fun. Congratulations Mr Buble for a very entertaining evening. And as for your Michael Jackson impersonation...? Well, that was more than *a little* freaky...

I sat an exam!!

Well, sort of. :D The only kind of exams that I tend to sit nowadays, and here 'tis!! Sent to me by my friend Christiaan (there you go, you got a mention!).

What Breed of Dog Are You?
Smee, you're a Pug !
No bones about it, you're an intelligent, playful Pug. Witty and charming, you're a lot of dog wrapped in a small package. People just love you — a wonderful approachability and sense of humor put you at the top of everyone's list. And because you're smart and quick-witted, you attract a crowd wherever you go. (Have you ever considered running for office or starting a company? You've got the charisma for either.) But that doesn't mean you can't be a little naughty or mischievous when opportunity knocks — you've definitely got a nose for fun! A happy, optimistic breed, you're admired and respected by all. Woof!

Quite amusing, hey?! For those of you who know me quite well, you can pretty much see that that's me through and through... Well, maybe it goes a little over the top (just a little :D), but the general gist is me.

So give it a go!! Trish, would love to see this one on your blog...!

What breed of dog are you?

The Boob

It's alright folks - this is a G-rated blog, especially for the kiddies - I am not discussing anatomy here. I am, however, referring to none other than Mr Michael Buble. After confirming with Nomes that she was indeed free on the evening of September 21st to cruise into town to throw her nickers at the crooning Boob, I called the ticket crowd (NB no free plug here) in hopes of securing two measly tickets. The conversation was (approximately) as follows:

Girl: blah blah blah
S: I would like to purchase some tickets for Michael Buble
Girl: Which date were you looking for?
S: Wed September 21st
... ... ... pause ... ... ...
Girl: And how would you like to be paying for that?
S: Mastercard
... ... ... pause ... ... ...
Girl: The 21st is actually sold out. Would you like to choose another date?
S: How about Tuesday 20th?
... ... ... pause ... ... ...
Girl: That's actually sold out as well.
... ... ... pause ... ... ...
Girl: They're all sold out. Odd. His concerts have not been listed as sold out, but there are no more tickets available.
S: Exactly what does that mean, then?
Girl: They may release more tickets closer to the concert date. Otherwise, the concerts will be listed as sold out and that's it.
S: So how do I go about finding out if the concerts are listed as sold out, or if extra tickets have been released?
Girl: You'll have to call and find out.

And there you have it. I kind of graciously ended the call, hung up and proceeded to vent my frustrations to some workmates that the ticket crowd were basically saying that I should call back about every 2 days to see if any new tickets had been released?! I mean, what person in their right mind only books an international performer for 3 nights in a limited seating venue, and also books them for midweek concerts?! Crrezzy...

Anyway, maybe I'm being a little melodramatic about it all, but I was quite keen to be seeing the Boob. I've even been listening to his CDs to get ready, so I don't look a little foolish just standing there and grinning like an idiot.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

That's right, Nanna Smee has been a little rebellious. :D This week I would say that the earliest I have been to bed yet is 11.30pm... Sadly, this morning it all caught up with me. And then I had a coffee. So now I'm wide awake. *sigh* It's a vicious cycle. :D

Work is going well. Although, one of my buddies who I sit next to decided to resign this week, so she's off in 3 weeks. To tell the truth, I kind of asked her during my first or second week why she was still here... This was her first job, she's been here for 7 1/2 years, and I could tell she'd just got to the point where she felt like she couldn't learn anything more, the hours were starting to wear, and she needed something fresh - a new challenge. Funnily enough, she had found the new job and was in the process of negotiating a contract!! :D Very funny stuff. Must admit I'll be sad to see her go (especially since it means more work for me!), but I am *so* happy for her. Sounds like her new job is going to be a *smash*, with normal business hours (which I like to tease her about and say she's only working part-time), and all the excitement of something new.

To continue on that thought, this morning I had a hand-over meeting for one of her clients. *sigh* It's gonna be huge! So now I not only work for all of my ... 4 solicitors and articled clerk, but now I'm also responsible for the billing for a major client. Like, MAJOR. If I said who it was, *everyone* would have heard of them... We're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars per bill, and on average we send out about bills for about 20 different matters each month... Comprehending my exasperation?! So the meeting was all about the client wanting to change their bill structure, and exactly what my role would entail, which nobody really knows, since the client wants to change everything, and I'll be taking a week off for my wisdom teeth, so I'll have to come back and try to do everything in a day. :D I do love a challenge, but this could be a little interesting...

Anyway, other than the odd stressful moment, I do feel appreciated and as though I have something valuable to offer.

Nanna Suz signing off to go and write some music out before *not* going to bed at an appropriate time. :D

Oh, have also made the *wonderful* decision to go see Michael Buble (or "The Bub" (phonetic: boob) as I like to call him) when he's out... I think it's the 21st or 22nd September? :D Very exciting. Listening to one of his CDs right now - and would you believe, Nomes is going to go with me, too! So I won't be looking all silly standing there on my own - I'll be standing next to Nomes! Lovely.

Geordie's whining. I think he's hungry. I've been putting it off, though, 'cos it's about 4 degs outside!! What is that?! Today's top was 10 degs! When I was standing on the train platform this morning I thought my fingers were going to snap off!! :D Would've made playing the guitar a little interesting...

And now my elbow is getting nudged (yes, by Geordie) :D, so I'd better go.

Nanna Smee

That's right, I am now officially a Nanna.

How you know when you are a Nanna:
1. It's Sunday night, and you're running 'round like a mad thing to make sure you have your lunch packed, and everything ready for the next day, so that you can turn your light out at 9pm.
2. It's Monday night, you've had a long day at work, you pike out early from a dinner for your brother's birthday, and once again, you're running 'round like a mad thing to make sure that you can turn your light out at 9.30pm.
3. You're out with some friends for dinner and you can't be bothered talking to anyone because you're thinking so much about what time you should be going to bed and what you need to do before then.
4. You wake up the morning after going out with friends for dinner and regret turning your light out at 10.30 - way past Nanna bedtime!
5. Your best endeavours to get to bed early the next night are foiled quite drastically and you are still up at 10.45pm. :( You are tired beyond the point of being able to hold a decent conversation... all because you've turned into a Nanna and should be in bed at 8pm.

If you've wanted to know how my new hours are going (8.30am - 6pm), there you have it. It's a bit of a dog. Catching the train, however, has been okay, since it's quite acceptable to doze while standing, and fall all over the person standing next to you. Not that they notice, anyway, because everyone's leaning on everyone 'cos the train's so packed. :D

Have also discovered http://www.sudoku.com. Something that keeps my brain ticking - a healthy alternative to coffee. I'll see how long it lasts before I resort to the liquid stimulation again.

Apnea

And here it goes again... do you know I went to bed at 9.15pm tonight? And I was still awake at 11.30pm so I decided to come on here and update... So now I'm going to give it another go. A little shut-eye before midnight would be most welcome! Snoozie...

Gig

And in case you really care, I have a gig this Friday - yep, the day after tomorrow. There'll be 5 other chicks sitting up the front on our little stools singing our lungs out and wooing the crowds. It'll be fun - we're doing two 20min sets (i.e all up 40 mins for you non-maths students), so we've put a lot of time into arranging, working on harmonies, music, etc. So hopefully it'll go off with a bang! Loads of the folks from church and some mates are going too, which'll be great. To tell the truth, I think all the ppl we've invited alone will fill the place, let alone the ppl for the other two acts! :D Wish me all the best... :D

Update on the Gob

Saturday past I went and had my x-rays for my wisdom teeth done, and Monday night was my consultation with the Dentist. So now, I am booked in to have my wisdom teeth out on Monday 29 August. Have managed to arrange with work to have the whole week off, which is great, so I'll be doing a lot of reading, playing guitar and watching Pride & Prejudice! Go Mr Darcy... So as far as I can tell at the moment, this will be my final Dentist bill for the foreseeable future - thank goodness!! It was starting to get a little ridiculous, and considering I can't really see the fruits of my dosh, it's sometimes a bit disconcerting when you don't really know whether you're getting jibbed?? Know what I mean? I mean, how much does it *really* cost to make up that white pasty stuff that they then shove into your face? And the drills?! I wish the anaesthesia worked on your ears, too - I reckon hearing the drills can be worse than feeling them sometimes!

Return of The Ball and Chain

Yes, that's right folks, tomorrow I am signing a contract. My first ever! Very exciting... and overwhelming. The contract will be effective Monday (1 August) through 31 March next year. I will be considered a full-time employee of my firm (Freehills), be eligible for all of the staff benefits (which I might add, are many, and quite interesting...), be quite nicely reimbursed for overtime, and, all in all, manage to save a lot of dosh.

And now for the cons. My standard hours are 8.30am to 6pm. *sigh* For those of you who know me quite well, you know I struggled to get to my old firm by 10am... and more often then not, I was there shortly thereafter, but nothing was ever said since I did a heap of overtime. And now the trend continues. I struggle to get to work by 9... I have been driving in of late to try and save time, but still, 9am has been elusive, and 9.05 and I have become close friends. Granted, 5 mins isn't that much later than 9am, but when everyone else in your team is a fully-fledged "real" employee and starts at 8.30, I kind of get the impression that it is slightly frowned upon...

So tonight I had a look at the train timetable in an attempt to make sure I get to work on time and save money in the process. It's a very scary thought... catching a 7.58 train. *shudder* Can you imagine?! And to think I used to catch a 7.40am train. That's what happens when it's your first job - then you kind of get over it. :D

So here I am, savouring my last two days as a "temp". My new "bosses" (even though I've been working for them for 6 - yes, 6! - weeks now, they're my *real* bosses now) are spotting me for lunch on Friday. Actually, they don't even know I'm signing the contract yet. :D They'll find out tomorrow after the fact - so you should feel priviledged!!

Spoke to my old boss today, too... and when I got off the phone I was nearly crying. She's lovely, and I do miss working for her, and loved working for her, but still... I dunno. It's hard to explain. I miss it all, and yet I don't. She was a bit upset that I'm working at the "rival"... :D I managed to console her, though, that I wasn't working in the dreaded department.

Calendar

I wish tomorrow was my birthday. I just had this sudden urge to have a celebration. That is all about me. :D In short, the only option available is a birthday, and sadly, mine was 3 months (nearly 4!) ago... My brother's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks - his 29th! Wow. I remember when he turned 12 and I was so jealous because he was older than me and seemed like he had so much fun. Now he's just old. And married. :D

It's Nomes' birthday this weekend... Not a big one, just 23, but still... I still haven't got V a pressie for her b'day yet, and that was in May! She's difficult to buy for - no *particular* interests or quirks that stand out and kind of lead you towards ideas... Except chocolate. But that kind of wears when its your only option. Hmm...

Oh, speaking of chocolate, bought one of the normal-sized Boost bars tonight. Not a fan. Too much chocolate, and not enough...something else... Just felt like there was something missing. Lacking a balance of something somewhere that left my palate wanting... or rather - not wanting! Fooded out after that...

Maybe I should just invite some ppl over for a BBQ or something? And mention that it's my un-birthday? :D Any excuse for a gathering...

And yes, I do realise that tonight I am particularly more scatterbrained than normal...

Oh my!

Rock-climbing was a *blast*!!! We had so much fun!! We also discovered that there are a bunch of spiders in our youth group posing as kids...

There were 20 of us, we rocked up, basically took over the venue, and had an absolute ball. It was great seeing the kids do something they'd never done before, conquer fears, and boy were they excited! Nearly all of them made it to the roof at one time or another.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos (since I, too, was scaling the walls...), but there is plenty of video footage to be had! Not that I can put that on my blog, though. But there you have it! :D A *great* success... so much so, that one of the kids is interested in getting into it on a professional level... He was scary - climbing where there was nothing on the wall?! Very scary to watch...

There is talk of another outing... But maybe after we've done a mess night and covered them in loads of gross stuff! :D

Tomorrow...

...is rock-climbing!!! :D

*Newsflash*

I am going rock-climbing.
That's right!
Me, rock-climbing!
:D
The last time I went rock-climbing, I was ... in my early teens??
So there you have it.
This Saturday.
:D
I'm a little excited.

Transition

Found out today that one of my bosses is leaving to go to another firm! Pity really, he was (is) such a nice bloke. Not that I really saw that much of him, tho... :D So there you have it - I'm on the other end of the stick now - someone leaving me, instead of me leaving them! It's funny how you become attached to people in such a short time...

History-making record

I would like to announce that my hair is now officially the longest it has ever been in my life. :D And now I'm about to go straighten it so that it looks even longer. :D

The Season for Espionage

Did you know there is something more secretive than secretive itself? I didn't. That is, until now! Now, a lot of what I do at work (if not everything!) has always been way up there on the confidential scale, but I have been seriously thrown into the world of what I like to call "undercover" work. :D To the point where I can't talk about what I'm doing to people at work, even?? :D Kind of adds to the whole allure... Almost makes me feel like going up to someone, and saying, in a very sing-song voice: "...I know something you don't know...!!" :D Hahaha! But yes, it makes for a very fascinating and even moderately dramatic workplace. Everything is hush-hush, I have two desks, and kind of keep looking over my shoulder. :D

And they want me to stay. Still. :D They obviously don't know me well enough yet. I'll keep the guise up for a while longer yet... :D Then my lunacy will overtake them and they'll let me go.

Other than working late on my very secretive work (oh, should I have told you *that* much?!), life has been a little busy. Been doing some writing which is good, and have a big gig coming up in about 2 1/2 weeks which I'm doing with some mates, so we're starting to gear up towards that.

Meetings for beach mission are about to kick on, so that's also gearing up. Looks like it's gonna be a particularly busy 6 months... :D Well, what with my undercover work and all. :D

The ball and chain

And I have been offered *another* full-time job... Every place (except one, but there was *NO WAY* I would have considered working there!) I've been a temp at so far has offered me a full-time position... It's kind of hard saying no, when you like the ppl you work with, they like you, the work is kind of interesting, and you know you're making their working lives a whole lot easier by being there... And it would be so easy and convenient to be able to say yes... But no, I said no. Again. :D
And as an aside, I doubt that I *will* be going to Europe in Sept this year, since the money that I have been working quite hard for to save has been (and is continuing to be) spent on my mouth. Well, inside my mouth at least. So I'm looking at the plans at the moment... Have been thinking about combining my April/May Canada trip? *sigh* It all depends so much on the seasons!

Ooooooklahoma!

And as an aside, saw a guy on the train this morning who looked *exactly* like Hugh Jackman! I was so impressed that I sent a text to a friend to tell her. Her words: "You should try to pick him up or something!" :D And all 'cos he looks like Hugh Jackman... I was more tempted to ask him to belt out a line from Oklahoma!

Closure

The end of the financial year. Why does it have to be so painful?!

I think it's all just a ruse to give accountants something *important* to think about... :D

The shame of it all...

It's been a *week* since I blogged, and I *still* haven't told you how my new job is going? Well, it's going okay. Not quite as busy as my last job, and to tell the truth, a lot less interaction with my solicitors, which is unfortunate - because everyone knows that it's the people that make the job...

I mean, don't get me wrong, the job is great. I have work to do, and it's not *frantic* (which it apparently has the potential to be - like, 23-hour days frantic...), and it relies a lot on me to keep myself busy. Which I am managing to do. But there's not really any variety. Hmmm... Thankfully, it's not a permanent role. I think I miss having a large client base and interacting with my bosses more... Maybe I should tell you - I work for two senior associates, a solicitor and an article clerk. Oddly enough, they've all been taking holidays. The solicitor has been away all this week, and she'll be back on Tuesday. One of the SAs will be away from today (inclusive), returning to the office on Tuesday, and the other SA will be away for two weeks from Monday. Nice. So that has been my introduction!

A nice note to add though, is that I have been able to run into Mon a couple of times, which is lovely. We also have some friends down from Brisbane this week who brought along their little bubba (who I hadn't seen!), so it was lovely for all of us to catch up over lunch. And he's adorable!! Little Alexander - March 7 he was born - 3 days before my little Katelyn! It was obviously a very exciting time for me... :D

Must go. Woke up at 4am Tuesday morning and am still trying to recover.

Oh, and dad flew out to the Philippines today, so it's just the gals at home. :D Lovely. Brought home pizza for mum for dinner. She's a self-professed addict. :D

Have another dentist appointment tomorrow night. Lovely. Looking forward to it. Actually, I think I would be more excited about poking myself in the eye with a fork...

Oh no!

...I've just realised that I have worked at my new job for three days and I still haven't told y'all how it's going? Well, I'm not going to bother right now, since I have a gig tomorrow night and I still haven't quite finished getting ready (still putting some music together), so now is not the time. And plus I have to get up at ridiculous o'clock to go to work tomorrow. So reporting on work will have to wait for the weekend... when I find a spare minute... :D However, I will mention that I had lunch with my darling friend Mon today. Ah, Mon. She got married last Nov. Posted a pic of her below looking stunning with her hubbie Eric. She's a complete darling and we've always had difficulty trying to have lunch together since I've been working just out of the CBD, or on the other side of the CBD, but now we're in the same *building*!! So we went to one of our favourite little haunts - bisq, in Flinders Lane. Lovely. I was all saladed out by the end of it, though! Anyway, must go - take care.

Eric and Mon's wedding day - Nov 2004. What a stunner! 

Questioning the meaning of life...

Here's a question for all of you intelligent folk out there...

Why is Listerine marketed in a 250ml bottle, yet the instructions read as follows: '...Rinse and gargle 20ml undiluted...' Now, I have always been pretty good at maths, but I figure that even if I hadn't, I would've realised that there is no way that 20 will divide into 250 equally?!

I would appreciate if someone could explain how this could mathematically be possible? I should write to Pfizer... I wonder if they realise that they are causing many people in the world to become distressed. Y'know, I would hazard to say they are also responsible for global warming? And the hole in the ozone layer... And the ever-increasing urban heat island effect. And for the whales beaching themselves worldwide.

I wonder if I can get sued? :D

I wonder if I can get hired as part of their marketing personnel? :D

Update...

Since now it is Monday and I haven't blogged since...Thursday...I kind of figured that now would be a good time to update. Friday night I went to the dentist.

Let me begin by telling you that the last time I went to the dentist was in 1999, and that was only because I had broken one of my front teeth. The capping was due to about half of one of my front teeth being shattered when I was in...year 9?...by a kid who was running down the corridor and decided to quite messily collide my mouth with his elbow as I walked out of the classroom. Needless to say, I got carted off the dentist *immediately* and he got carted off to the Principal's office. :D Heheh... Pesky child. Anyway... Since the tooth had been exposed down to a point of extreme pain, the dentist had a bit of a time trying to make it look like all the tooth was mine and to make sure I could eat fairly normally. Then, in...year 11 - physics class (remember it quite vividly), I managed to get it stuck in a...redskin? Something like that. One of those awfully, stick lollies... Off to the dentist again...

Then, in 1999, on Christmas Eve, I completely broke it off again on a pizza crust (which, to this day, I am not a great fan of...), but do you think I could get into the dentist?! no!!! I had to wait until NEW YEAR'S EVE!!! A week!!! I was horrified. For a whole week I was missing half a tooth... You can imagine all of the 1999 family Christmas photos - here's me grimacing in ever shot trying my utmost not to reveal my teeth. Kind of looks like I was constipated. Or not smiling at all. :D

Anyway. So that was my last trip to the dentist. An 8am appointment on New Year's Eve in 1999, then I jumped in a car and immediately drove down to Apollo Bay to meet some friends... Lovely.

So then Friday I go to the dentist for my appointment... I had my initial consultation about 6 weeks ago, at which time my dentist cluck-clucked me not being a frequent attendee... To tell the truth, one of my teeth has been giving me the telltale signs of being slightly painful whenever I eat anything sweet, and I have consciously been avoiding having my wisdom teeth attended to. But there you have it. Fear controlling my life...

My dentist pored over me on Friday night, filled up two holes, shaved off my front tooth, built it up again, and then asked me to cough up a week's pay. Very sad. And to know that I'm going back in two weeks... It is a sad, sad thing.

What made it a little more dramatic was the fact that on Friday night I was going out to a gig - needless to say, after having three locals and having my jaw prised open for an hour and a half kind of rendered me a little...incapacitated? I had a glass of water at home before I went out, and was asked by my father if I would like to dry myself off after my bath before leaving the house? The cheek of it all! Ha! Get the pun? The cheek! *sigh* To explain my joke would take away from what little humour it contained... :D

I rock up at the gig, and have *much* difficulty trying to have the girl understand anything that I am saying. :D I was laughing at myself! I sounded like I'd had a few too many at the local and was trying to gatecrash something... And then she had the gall to ask me if I wanted something to eat or drink?! I laughed in her face. :D Then apologised, and told her it wouldn't be worth the effort - I would just end up with it all over me!! Needless to say, my friend that I was meeting there had no pity for me. She kept offering me glasses of water... :D

Thankfully, Saturday morning brought all normality back to my face, except for an aching jaw from being held open for so long.

So there you have it - what I think could possibly be my longest blog, and it's all about my trials of going to the dentist... *sigh*

I'm getting my wisdom teeth out next month - that should be fun! And imagine what fun I will have blogging my experiences!!

A great accomplishment in the life of Smee!

I am happy to say that I have finally reached the point that interviews don't bother me. If I say so myself, my interview this morning went over with a bang! I was calm, cool, enthusiastic, engaging, outgoing, intelligent, and even witty!! Ha! :D I should date me... :D To make a long story short, I was faced with two women both aged approx early-mid 30s, who pummeled me with a whole stack of questions about my personality, skills, and a few "scenario" work practice doozies thrown in... They wrote a lot - I'm not sure whether that's good or bad - but I did quite well in answering each question and showing that I have more than enough experience to do the job competently. In short, I got a call from the dude at the agency handling my case and he told me that they were impressed and wanted me for the job! So there you have it. My current job finishes up tomorrow (I baked a cake for my own going away - very sad, I know!), I have Monday off, and am cruising off to a new job on Tuesday.

And enough of that - I think the cake's cooled enough for me to put it in a container, so now I'm going to bed!

PS. The cake is carrot, and I decided to make a special effort with some slightly lemon-tangy cream cheese icing! Woo! My dad had a taste and said he'd rather have more icing, less cake... :D

Here for but a fleeting moment...

...my spot of news for today is that my interview tomorrow has been arranged for 8am.

What is that?!

8am is a ridiculous hour - I'm normally just leaving the house then!! Anyway, 8am it is, and it should give me enough space to get to work on time so that I'm not cramming stuff in in the afternoon.

Another spot of news - right this very minute I am road-testing the Strawberry sugar-free Strepsils lozenges. Very impressed. Am keen on going sugar-free when it comes to throat lozenges etc, and was becoming a bit disillusioned with the lemon/lime/honey flavour (whatever it was..?). So strawberry it is. Kind of tastes like the strawberry chupa chup! Please note, the "strawberry", not the "strawberry and creme"...

Hit the road Jack...

On the road again! Oh, so many songs to which my life is danced! As you may have guessed, I have received word that my current work assignment is to finish up at the end of this week, with a new role starting next week. *sigh* Thus is the life of someone living as a pawn in the great corporate world.

I have to admit that I was becoming quite attached to my job. And no, I'm not just saying that *in case* any of them should happen to browse in here (hello Leath!), but the ppl are lovely, the work is interesting, and they've managed to keep me busy - unlike some roles I've had in the past. But that's the end of that.

And my new role promises to be quite interesting, although I'll know more about that later in the week. The other bonus is that I have a friend who works at the firm already, and we've always found it so difficult to catch up because she's in the heart of the CBD, and I was out on St Kilda Rd, and it was such a saga! But now.... we can lunch! Woo! Especially exciting since we haven't seen each other for a while.

Counting down the days until "goodbye" darling job...

Photos

Okay, so if you thought I had gone a little photo-mad lately, you are forgiven. :D Matt and V (my brother and sister-in-law) gave me a voucher for a glam photo place for Christmas just gone, and so I went there about 3 weeks ago for a big photoshoot. Loads of fun, took mum, V and Nomes along for the ride. And below are the results of the shoot. The originals are obviously much nicer than these ones, but hey, it's not like I ever said I was a professional photographer or anything!! So yeah, I picked them up today. :D Very exciting. The folks haven't seen them yet since they've gone away on hols again.

And here's the other one. No flash on this one, so its actually a little darker than the original. 

This one probably best shows the true tone of the photo - unfortunately I need to experiment a little to avoid the flash appearing more in the photo than me!! 

The Age

Yes, that's right, my photo was in the paper!! Page 8 of today's Age, there's a pic of me. :D Was very funny. I had just stood up to go back to the office 'cos my hands were frozen, and the woman asked to take a photo of me! Haha!

Here's the link if you care to read the article.

Lunchtime in Flagstaff Gardens on the first day of winter. The grey sky and cold air mask a drought that is expected to continue through winter.

The Oral B Episode

Tomorrow is the 1st of June, the beginning of Winter!! Which means, as it does to all of you I'm sure, that I get a new toothbrush!! Woo!!

A while ago I decided that it was a good idea to actually do what my dentist recommended if I wanted to have my own teeth for as long as possible. One thing suggested was to regularly change my toothbrush - approx every 3 - 4 months. So that's what I do - at the beginning of every season (since I figured that's an easy way to remember it), I get a new toothbrush. :D Very exciting stuff, I know. The colour for this Winter is aqua! Well, something like it...

My new toothbrush! 

Surely it can only improve??

This morning I woke up with a start - my CD player was on, which meant my alarm had gone off, and I looked at my clock and it said 6.35am. I had slept in.

Or not. On second glance it was actually 5.35am, which was frustrating (that I'd woken with a start), but also a huge relief (that I *hadn't* slept in). Cruised out of the house at about 7.20am (don't ask me why it took me nearly two hours to get ready, because I have no idea what happened... especially since I didn't wash my hair!!!), and proceeded to the train station. Now, I would normally get a train at about 8.20, but I was aiming for a *special* express train (you know the ones that only stop about twice before they hit the loop?), but alas, it was about 10 mins late. So, with a crazy day of work ahead of me, so far I have woken up at 5.35am and then had my train late by 10 mins. Whilst journeying into the city on our train, we stop at a particular train station for ... get this ... 25 mins!!! Apparently someone had passed out on our train (poor soul!), but then Connex, the great wealth of wisdom and aid to society that they are, decided to make our train run direct to Flinders St. Now, considering I get off at Flagstaff which is as easy to get to as it is to saw off your arm, I was obviously not impressed with this travel option. So... I went to Flinders St, ran to Elizabeth St to get a tram to La Trobe St, then had to kind of *storm* 2 1/2 blocks to work... By this time, it was 9.05am. Now, had everything originally gone to plan, I should have been at work at about... 8.23am. Normally I would get to work at 8.45, so I hope you understand my lack of appreciation for Connex when I get 4 trains earlier than I would, and I manage to get to work *later* than I normally would?! Go figure, some people from work were on the train behind me and got to work before me...

Hurrah for Connex. Hurrah.

And now it is 9pm and I am going to bed to try not to do it all over again...

Sleeping...

...is what I wish I was doing now. I got up at 6am this morning, started work at 8.50am, then finished work at 7.15pm. *sigh* So now, I am going to bed. And yes, I know that this is a very poor excuse for a blog, but I'm not even going to bother, not today! :D Goodnight, sweet dreams everyone.

The elixir of of the corporate life...

Every day at about 11am I have the obligatory emotional struggle of whether or not to buy a coffee. Obviously making one is not an option - instant isn't worth the effort. But is the 10 mins of glorious coffee-indulgence worth the wide-eyed awareness at 3am that, in turn, causes me to have, yes, you guessed it, the daily struggle... It's a vicious circle, really.

And now I know why!! Thanks to Trish, we have this lovely little quiz to tell us all what kind of coffee we are. I have always wondered. I wonder if it is this question alone that has kept me awake at night, and not the coffee?


You're a Cappicinno!

Of course, there are no surprises there. :) Oh, and it would be nice if they knew how to spell cappuccino, too.

You can try it yourself - What kind of coffee are you?

Specific "general" knowledge

After work I went to a trivia evening that the social committee had organised at my work. It was a lot of fun! I've only been to one other trivia evening before, and to tell the truth, being the kind of person who is not great (okay, struggles *a lot*) at playing games like trivial pursuit, I've never really been that keen. But I've found that through a team effort, such as a trivia night, it is most enjoyable, and I can usually contribute on a fair amount of the questions. However, tonight I discovered that my european history, geography, american presidents, modern literature and sports knowledge is severely lacking. which, other than the music section, makes me wonder what it is that I really know?? Hmmm... How does one increase "general" knowledge? Obviously i have not inherited my father's knack for remembering lots of silly little things about nothing (except for numbers).

Oh, and last night, just as a matter of interest, I popped into a chat room for a bit. Oh my. Was it an "experience"!! Trying to handle about 5 conversations at once, and 4 of those 5 are guys who message you and want to take you out on a date within five lines can be a bit intersting... Oddly enough, there was an interesting chap who I ended up chatting to for a bit. But don't worry, I'm not one to hand out all my personal details to someone I've just met. A photo is as close as they will get, unless of course they google starantula. I wonder if I appear? Just googled, out of interest. Lots of foreign language sites for "star antula", and apparently there is a band called starantula? Oh, and if you do "star_antula", you can see a comment I posted on the Third Day site! :) I'm famous...

Going solo...

And now the parents have gone to the Gold Coast for the week and I have the house all to myself!! Well, except for Geordie, but he's more interested in sleeping on mum & dad's bed than following me around. Hogan's Heroes playing in the background since there's *nothing* on TV, it's just started to rain so I can't be going outside, and I have firmly decided to have an early night, so I shall be tottering off soon. Although... I must admit that I have a hankering to cook something... Toyed with the idea of brownies, but then I'll only eat them, and we have a morning tea at work on Thursday and I thought I'd make them for then. I also considered an orange cake, but as for the brownies, I'd end up eating it. So there you have it. No decision has been made, and when I turn my light out, I'll probably still be lying there trying to think of what I should do.

Wilderness...

I love this time between Sunday church services - the folks aren't home, I have the house to myself and it's kind of like a wilderness - nothing for miles and miles and you can make of it whatever you fancy! So there you have it. I've popped on very briefly (yes, I am determined to make it brief!) to do a mini-blog and then I'm going to go re-string my guitar! Have a rockin' CD on in the background, the sun is shining, and all in all I am quite content. So there you have it. A standard Sunday arvo. :P

PS. oh! am going rock-climbing in a couple of weeks - very exciting!!! am sure to have some fabulous photos from that.
PPS. to all my lovely blog readers, hope you are having a marvellous weekend, too. :P

And my last post for today - a fabulous one of Loz and Jess. Jess has string all over her and a fork in her hair so that she looks like a bowl of spaghetti. Unfortunately, the photo doesn't do the outfit justice! 

Nomes giving 'tude... 

A snowball mountain... 

*very* close close-up of self 

And I think that's enough blogging for one day... :P

Katelyn all decked out for the wedding! 

Katelyn - how adorable!! 

Self & Nards 

Self & darling Katelyn 

Surprising lack of prejudice...

As I was cruising home on the train from another day at work, I was shocked to hear the following words from a fellow passenger: "Did you see that? She zipped up and grabbed her bag as though she thought you were going to do something. (insert something else here that I missed) I can't believe people are so rude!" Upon hearing that, although it took a bit for it to register, because I wasn't listening, so it was probably about 10 seconds later that I realised she was talking about me!! Here's what had happened.

I had jumped on a train that was absolutely packed - standing room only. I ended up standing in the middle of one of the sections of chairs, holding onto the handle on the back of one of them - know what I mean? When people got up to get off at one of the main stops I was able to sit in a set on the end, and then when the two people next to me got off I was able to scoot over to the window. Just before we got to the next stop I realised that it was late and the folks didn't know if I was working late, or what was happening, so I unzipped my bag, whipped out my phone and sent a quick SMS to let them know I was on my way home and would see them in a bit. Now the girl and a guy who I can only assume as her boyfriend, got on the train at the next stop just as I was finishing writing and sending my message. They sat down, I finished with my phone, and as I was putting it in my bag realised that I didn't know who was sitting next to me, so glanced at the guy as I was putting my phone back in my bag and zipping it up. Post-comment I realised that this action had been construed as me looking at the guy, noticing that he was of aboriginal descent, and that I was obviously fearful that all my belongings were going to be wrenched from my arms as he and his girlfriend dashed off the train at the next stop.

My only thought in reply to the girl's comment: "I have always thought it to be rude for someone to sit next to me on the train, and after they get off I am unable to even remember what colour hair they had. Shame on me if I didn't happen to glance at them. People go unnoticed every day."

And I then realised that actions can be perceived in any way that the perceiver deems to be true - but the accuracy can only be determined by hearing the other person's thoughts, understanding their intent.

Suz's moral for the day: Be mindful that in word or deed it is easy to cause offence to a brother.

Because *everything* is about me...

So here is a little bit of info about me to fill you in on what's going on, what has been, and what will be in the life of Suz.

BASICS
Your gender: Female
Single? Yep.
Want to be? For now, I guess. But not for forever.
Your birthday: 4th April 1980.
Your age: 25
Your height: 5’4”. I used to think I was 5’6” then my mum decided to bring me back to reality. I wish she hadn’t!
The color of your eyes: Green, at least I think so. I have had people say that they can be blue, and that they can be grey. And I also had someone say recently that they were teale?! Don’t ask, I don’t know. I can’t see them!
The color of your hair: Kind of a medium brown naturally, but I usually dye it a shade or two darker, but I’ve got some foils happening at the moment. Not sure if you can see that in the piccie.
Left/right/ambidextrous? Pretty much right-handed, although ambidextrous-ness is quite rife in my family. My dad and brother are both ambidextrous, as is my nan (father’s mother). I used to use my knife and fork back to front though, like my nan. Still can, but tend to be right-handed.
Have any pets? Geordie, my beautiful 4 ½ yo border collie. I think there’s a pic further down my blog.
What’s your job: At the moment I’m temping as a legal secretary, but I kind of thrive in a personal assistant role with stacks of pressure.
Piercings? Just the norm, one in each ear.
Tattoos? Nope. Have never even considered it, I don’t think. Just not high on my to-do list…
Obsessions? Having my desk clean at the end of the day, wrapping presents neatly, and that’s about all I can think of? I’m sure I have others…
Addictions? Sleeping in, “Alias” (even though I deny it, but when it comes back on, I’m sure I’ll get sucked in all over again…), oh, and black forest chocolate (which is why I *rarely* buy it).
Do you speak another language? I am capable of a smattering of Italian, and an even smaller smattering of French. With work though, there is potential?
Have a favorite quote? “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” – Mr Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet, Pride & Prejudice.
Do you have a webpage? A blog is about as close as I get to a webpage, and if you’re here, reading this, then “Welcome to my blog!”

DEEP THOUGHTS about life and you in it
Do you live in the moment? Maybe not. I like planning things. Spontaneous is good sometimes, and it’s fun, but most people are prone to kind of go with the flow, I guess.
Do you consider yourself tolerant of others? Mostly. And if not, I grit my teeth and try to avoid them.
Do you have any secrets? Of course!! *cackle*
Do you hate yourself? Nope. There are definitely things I don’t like about myself, but “hate” is a very strong word.
Do you like your handwriting? Mostly. My scrawly one, yes, but my “neat” one looks as though a 15-year-old wrote it. Not that that’s all bad. I guess I’ll just have to use it more as I get older!
Do you have any bad habits? Indeed. One of those is probably taking some things a little too seriously. Another is eating too much junk food. It’s one of those “think before you act” things that I wish I took more notice of. And I’m sure there are more…
What is the compliment you get most from people? My singing. At work it would be my hair. I had a friend say to me this week: “Suz, you’re such a chameleon! Every time I see you, you look different!” Maybe I should have asked a question there… :P
If a movie was made about your life, what would it be called? It’s a long way to the top. :P
What’s your biggest fear? Ah, one that *thankfully* will never be realized, and I’m *not* going to put it here.
Can you sing? Yeah. Never used to think so, and I wouldn’t say I’m great, but I enjoy it.
Are you a daredevil? When I am. :P
Is there anything you fear or hate about yourself? Haven’t we covered this before? The fear we *definitely* have. Things I hate about myself? That sometimes I take jokes too far, that I don’t act my age, that I’m too serious for my age (try and figure those two out!!), that I talk about myself too much, that I don’t care enough about other people, that I really have no idea what is going on. Now, as with most fears, they are unfounded, and not necessarily a true representation of the situation. So who knows what I’m really thinking/feeling, least of all me?! :P
Are you passive or aggressive? I dunno. Maybe I should do one of those Myers-Briggs test thingos? Just at a stab in the dark, I’d say aggressive?
Have you got a journal? Only this one, and I haven’t been that diligent… Every now and again when something milestone-ish happens, I have somewhere that I write all the hardcore stuff. But nothing’s been written in there for years…
What is your greatest strength and weakness? Umm … To be able to look at a situation or person from a number of angles/perspectives; and I am too sensitive to what people say to/about me.
How do you vent? Verbally. Quite heated, but controlled. Very logically.
Do you think you are emotionally strong? Mostly.
Is there anything you regret doing/not doing in life? Dumping my boyfriend in grade 6. Not that I regret ending the “relationship” (such as it was), but the reasons were so petty, and he was so nice and didn’t deserve me being such a cow to him. Poor thing. If I saw him now, I’d still apologise. He’d probably laugh at me! :P
Do you think life has been good so far? Mostly. It has improved, but I know that there are many things to come that will far exceed my expectations…
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from life? Life’s a journey, not a supermarket.
What do you like the most about your body? My eyes, my hair, and… my ears. I thank God they’re not huge. :P
And least? Well, there are bits that will *never* see the light of day (which I won’t mention :P), and then there are bits that I don’t like, like my feet. And not just my feet, but anybody’s. I think they’re the ugliest party of anyone’s body. They’re just not a nice thing to look at at all.
Do you think you are good looking? Meh, pretty normal. Not that you’d think that with the number of pics on my blog. :P
Are you confident? Pretty much.
What is the fictional character you’re most like? :P ha! I used to be like Lydia Bennet from Pride & Prejudice. Thankfully, I haven’t eloped yet, even though I have been to Brighton (but not *the* Brighton from the book). But now? There’s a thought…
Do people know how you feel? Not normally. I’m usually pretty guarded about my feelings, but more so if I’m unhappy. If people find out, its either because I’ve told them, I’ve let the guard down a little or they know me really well.
Are you perceived wrongly? Probably. Because I rarely tell people what I’m really thinking or feeling.

DO YOU…
Smoke? Nope.
Do drugs? Nope.
Read the newspaper? Occasionally. More often than not, I read it on the net.
Pray? Indeed.
Go to church? Sure, don’t you?
Talk to strangers who IM you? I don’t think I’ve had a stranger IM me… although, I did dabble in chat a few years ago and kind of got scared if I found out someone was in the same state. :P
Sleep with stuffed animals? No, but do have some that sit on my bed after I made it. It’s funny. I had none, then suddenly all these ppl started giving me stuffed toys as gifts?! Who knows… maybe I looked like I needed a hug?! :P
Take walks in the rain? *love* walking in the rain. :P but not with straight hair – not an option!
Talk to people even though you hate them? I wouldn’t say that there’s anybody I hate. There are ppl who do stuff that I’m not a fan of, but I try to get past that when I’m with them.
Drive? Yep.
Like to drive fast? *sigh* yes. :P no speeding ticket yet, though, thankfully. I’m one of those ppl who thinks “okay, I’m only 5ks over, I’ll be fine”.

WOULD OR HAVE YOU EVER…
Hurt yourself? Not intentionally, I don’t think? Thinking back… Nope. Nothing there.
Been out of the country? Nope. But soon, soon!!
Been in love? Yes.
Gone skinny dipping? NO! too conservative… :P
Had a medical emergency? No.
Had a surgery? No.
Ran away from home? Contemplated it (seriously, many times), but no.
Played strip poker? Poker, yes. Strip? No.
Gotten beaten up? Nope, unless my brother counts? We had some doozies!! Throttling, mainly…
Beaten someone up? I swung the only punch.. he didn’t annoy me again. :P
Been picked on? Stacks. I reckon everybody has. But let’s not go there. Nope, it wasn’t fun.
Thought about suicide? Well, actually, yes, to tell the truth. Many years ago. Thought about it, but didn’t get any further than that.
Pulled an all-nighter? Of course – I’ve been to uni!! And have done the odd staying up at camps, etc, too. I got a bus from anglesea to Apollo bay after an all-nighter followed by 3 hours sleep the next night, and the bus driver had to yell and shake me to wake me up. :P
If yes, what is your record? Well, I guess that would make it about… 38 hours? Something like that…
Gone one day without food? An entire day? I don’t think so…
Talked on the phone all night? Not *all* night, but late into the night, sure.
Slept all day? Yeah, remember one day I wasn’t well and seriously slept until about 2pm, got up for an hour or so, then went back to bed at about 4pm and slept right through again.
Made out with a stranger? No!!
Had sex with a stranger? No!! Gee…!
Thought you’re going crazy? No… thought I was odd, yes, frequently. :P
Kissed the same sex? No!!
Done anything sexual with the same sex? No!!
Been betrayed? Probably, although nothing comes to mind.
Had a dream that came true? Dunno – I’ve got this one “dream” that I’m sure is actually a memory, but my folks don’t remember the ppl, but I remember *everything* about it, and so, well, we kind of concluded it was a dream?
Broken the law? Everyone has. Parking fines, stealing, jay-walking, etc, not that I have a criminal record, mind you.
Met a famous person? No, don’t think so.
Have you ever killed an animal by accident? Well I’ve run over a couple of things – a baby possum. Don’t want to think about that.
On purpose? No.
Told a secret you swore you wouldn’t tell? Probably, since when I was younger I kind of forgot the whole “don’t tell *anyone* thing”.
Stolen anything? A milky bar. I was dared, did it, and regretted it pretty much the moment I thought of doing it, let alone after doing it!
Been on radio/tv? Ah, no. I’ve been in the paper, though!
Been in a mosh-pit? Of course! There’s nowhere else to be at a concert! Can’t remember the last concert I went to and I didn’t mosh!
Had a nervous breakdown? Nope. Not at all. “Somewhere, a duck is watching.”
Considered religious vocation? Indeed.
Been criticized about your sexual performance? *sigh*
Bungee jumped? Nope.
Had a dream that kept coming back? Yeah … used to have the one of being chased and jumping and falling off the edge of a cliff. Would wake up terrified…

CLOTHES and other fashion junk
Shoe brand? Nothing in particular. Great fan, though. Marvellous invention, spectacular accessory!
Brand of clothing? As above (minus the accessory comment).
Cologne/perfume? Well currently its Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana. And it’s pretty low, so I have been thinking about a new one, but I’m not up with what’s out at the moment.
What are you normally wearing to school/work? Corporate. Black is wonderful, pants are comfortable, skirts are cold, scarves are fabulous, hats are great. :P
How about panties? Yes, I wear knickers. :P great fan of the boy-leg. Occasionally lash out on the G for a special occasion.
Wear hats? *love* hats! Have made sure I’m well-stocked this winter. It’s a little difficult when you have such a head of hair as mine…
Judge other people by their clothing? I try not to, but sometimes I find myself doing it and am sad. :(
Wear make-up? Indeed. Work kind of cries for make-up, and I would feel odd going to work without it. Weekends usually calls for mascara and lip balm at least, light powder foundation an option.
Favourite place to shop? I don’t really have a favourite place… my favourite things to buy are probably CDs and books, and can spend hours in a bookstore, and I like the *idea* of buying furniture. Love looking at freedom and ikea catalogues. :P
Favourite article of clothing? My new mottled blue hat, and that’s about all I can think of right now?
Are you trendy? I dunno. I usually try to avoid “current” fashions, since come the next year you kind of have to buy a complete wardrobe as the old one was phased out. I was recently termed by a youngster as “classic” – i.e., I choose/wear clothes that are great and never look out of fashion. This year though, I will admit, I have succumbed to the fashion slightly.
Would you rather wear a uniform to school? Yes!! Loved my school uniform (well the one at my old school, not my most recent school). Love the whole winter uniform dress thing with blazer, woolen jumper, tie, etc.

BELIEFS
Believe in life on other planets? Well I dunno. It’s not really something that I’ve thought about. *pause* Well actually, I think every time they go on about the Mars explorations I’m a bit of a skeptic, so there you have it. I guess that’s a no.
Miracles? Indeed.
Astrology? Definitely not.
Magic? As above (for astrology)
God? Indeed. There is only one!
Satan? Yes.
Santa? Thanks to my folks finally sitting me down, no… Sorry to anyone who didn’t already know.
Ghosts? Meh, no. Not as such.
Luck? You mean like a rabbit’s foot, etc? Not at all.
Love at first sight? No! How can it be *love* at first sight?! I just don’t get these books (which some friends have been lending me – thanks Nomes, Lerel & Rach) where the girl meets the guy for the first time, the heart rate, blood pressure etc sky-rocket?! What is that?! Get control of yourself, woman!!
Yin and Yang? No.
Witches? Of course. Some more odd/dangerous than others, but still all quite heading off on a bit of a wide path, if you catch my drift.
Easter bunny? Not since he stopped visiting me. No welcome mat out for you, stupid rabbit.
Believe it’s possible to remain faithful forever? Yes. I can see how it can be more difficult for some people than others, but I believe everyone is capable of being faithful forever – it just depends on the decisions they make on the way.
Believe there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Dad and I chased one once to try and find it. You’re lucky to find the end of a rainbow, let alone the pot. We never did find it. The end of the rainbow, that is. Do they ever end? And what about the fully circular ones?! Where does a circle begin and end?!
Do you wish on stars? No. I like the idea (since it seems kind of fanciful and *slightly* romantic), but no.

DEEP THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONS
Do you believe in the traditional view of Heaven and Hell? Traditional? What is traditional? That heaven is lovely, we sit on clouds with wings and harps, and hell is, well, fiery hot? Well one of those descriptions is more accurate than the other. You guess which, and I’ll tell you here and now – it won’t be St Peter greeting everyone at the gate…
Do you think God has a gender? Yes. Although that question has me pondering the origin of the Hebrew names for God (the numerous ones that there are) and seeing what they have to say for themselves…
Do you think that science counteracts religion? “Science”, as in scientific fact, or “Science” as in what they teach in uni as part of your degree is that the evolutional theory is fact? And religion is something else, too… Religion is just a socially acceptable work used to describe every kind of belief or theory, no matter which end of the scale it belongs to, or the entity. If the question said: Do you think that science counteracts Christianity? I would say no, I would just say that the belief system of Christianity and the existence of God is more profound and advanced than any scientific research is at the moment. Although, for a bit of a read, check out Creation magazine. I think that’s what it’s called.
Do you believe in organized religion? As in a church? Yeah, I guess I do, since I am a regular attendee/participant of one.
Where do you think we go when we die? Well I guess that all depends on one thing – Romans 10:9-10.

LOVE, and all that
Did you get frightened or uncomfortable seeing that as a section title? Not really. I smiled.
Do you consider love a mistake? No. Just an adventure that may not take you exactly where you anticipated.
What do you find romantic? Some of the traditional things, I guess (except roses!). Starry nights, beaches, late-night chats on the phone, sharing secrets looks and smiles, dancing (not stupid jiggy dancing that all the teeny-boppers do, but proper “in arms” kind of dancing that ppl do at weddings that you look at and sigh…). Things like that.
Turn-on? Eyes, smile, laugh, intelligence, humility, looks you in the eye, cologne. There is this one cologne that seriously turns my head, but I have no idea what it is. Haven’t smelt it for a while, actually – maybe it’s not in fashion anymore? Hope my dad doesn’t start wearing it. :P that would be *too* odd…
Turn-off? Self-importance, loud talkers, standard smells I’m not a fan of (e.g. cigarette smoke, BO and my dad wearing a nice cologne :P), limp handshake, lack of confidence.
First kiss? How traumatic. Year 8, guy named Craig. It was all very unfortunate, for both of us! I had managed to get conned in to being his “girlfriend” (such as it was, we only ever saw each other at lunchtime maybe twice a week, max) because he asked me out, I said no, and then my “friends” told him I said yes. He was all happy and everything and I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d actually said no. I hadn’t even known who he was!! Two weeks later I mustered up the courage. But not before humiliating the both of us at one of those organized “kissing viewings” that kids tended to do?? What is with that?! *really* weird now, looking back. Everyone (well, in the large-ish group of people I knew) who was going out all got together at the same time and kissed so that everyone else (who wasn’t going out with anyone) could watch. Why would you want to? Hmmm… needless to say, I ditched the friends after a short time.
If you had no interest in dating someone who expressed interest in dating you, how would you feel? Terrible. it happened in year 11 and 12. one guy was particularly persistent… happily though, he was one of my good friends and didn’t let the fact that I’d said no on numerous occasions to allow our friendship to get all odd or anything. You feel as though you’re going to crush them, while they think you’re just being an uncaring, heartless bitch.
Do you prefer knowing someone before dating them? Indeed I do. Which is why I am yet to join the horde of the spoken for.
Have you ever wished it was more “socially acceptable” for a girl to ask a guy out? Don't really car, 'cos I wouldn’t do it, even if it was.
Have you ever been romantically attracted to someone physically unattractive? No. not that any guy I have ever been interested was a pin-up model for a magazine or anything, either. The combination of good attributes adds up to an attractive person as a whole. Once you get past the superficial appearance (whether good, bad or indifferent), there are other things that you appreciate.
Do you think the opposite sex finds you good looking? I wouldn’t know. I’ve never asked. I’m sure at least one person does. I have to be someone’s type! Actually, I did hear this guy secretly say to one of his mates once that if he wasn’t engaged to his fiancé he would have asked me out. But there you go. Fortunately, he *was* engaged, because I wasn’t interested, and only 18 at the time!!
What is best about the opposite sex? That they’re opposite. :P women can be psycho and excessively paranoid sometimes, I’ll admit that. The guy in the relationship tends to mellow things out a bit. Well, at least it’ll probably be that way for me.
What is the worst thing about the opposite sex? The worst?! Hmmm… well, I would be trying to pick the worst attribute of my brother as an example, but he’s my brother, so he’s not really a true representative.
Do you read porn? Sure. The motherload’s hidden under my bed. (please ensure you read that with the appropriate amount of sarcastic tone...)
What’s the last present someone gave you? Kez sent me one of the M.I.L.K. books for my birthday. Darling kez. Haven’t seen her for ages. Should call. The book was lovely. :P and the last present of a romantic nature? Well, that has been never (as far as I am aware?).
Are you in love? Maybe. Time will tell. Am I in love alone? Maybe. Time will tell.
Do you consider your significant other hot? My significant other… arm? :P Not applicable …
What would you do if you were walking down the street and saw some hot guy/girl standing on the sidewalk? Glance briefly, look away. Isn’t that normal?

RIGHT THIS MOMENT…
Are you going out? Nope. Just got home from work, and it’s Friday night and I have nothing on, so it’s all pretty cruisy. Might whack on a DVD to entertain myself before heading in early. Had a long week…
What are you wearing right now? Half of what I wore to work. Windcheater, brown pants, black boots. :P
Body-part you’re touching right now: I’m not touching anything? Oh, except the keyboard, feet are crossed under the desk. Sitting in a chair. That’s about all?
What are you worried about right now? Not worried.
What book are you reading? Triumph of the Soul – Michael R Joens. About a third of the way through. Not bad, but I feel like he’s used so much story already – how much more intense could it get?!
Are you bored? Meh. No, not bored.
Are you tired? A little. Weary is probably more the word. Hence my early night tonight.
Are you talking to anyone online? Nope. Have made sure I appear offline, otherwise I’ll never get this finished. :P
Are you talking to anyone on the phone? Nope. Phone hasn’t rung at all!
Are you lonely or content? Right now? Content I guess. Later, when I’m waiting to go to sleep and thinking about stuff I’ll be a little lonely.
Are you listening to music? Not right now. Did have a song off the net playing but its finished and I just didn’t pop back to play it over again. Can hear the ducted heating, the TV in the kitchen, my mum banging cupboards, etc as she puts the dishes away, and well, that’s all.

Oh! And that was the last Q!! :P Well there you have it. A little light on Suz’s life.

Thanks Trish!!

Daylight

Today I saw 30 minutes of daylight. Nice effort. I arrived at work at 8.50am, at which time it was kind of overcast-ish, exited the building for lunch at about 1.30pm, re-entered at about 2pm, then re-exited at 6.40pm. I wonder how my vitamin E levels are going? However, I have to admit that my daylight hours were spent quite contentedly. In the Flagstaff Gardens there are a couple of netball courts and today they had a couple of games going! And it was *mixed* netball! Love mixed netball... They had a little board up with the ladder, the game times etc, and it was quite good! Made me feel a bit nostalgic when I was playing on a work team a couple of years ago.

And now, after a very long day, and the prospect of slapping my alarm at 6am, I will go to bed. *sigh* This is not something I have missed.

Employment plus!

Today was my first day at my new job! Talk about information overload, but that kind of goes with the territory. Hence, I am now sitting here at 7:59pm typing this, and realising that I have about 2 mins to write a short excerpt of my day before I disappear off to bed so that my light is turned out promptly at 8.30pm. I only had 4 1/2 hours sleep last night, and *desperately* needed a nap at lunch today. Dozed in the Flagstaff Gardens for about 20 mins (yes, I set my alarm on my mobile, just in case!) to the lovely surrounds of birds, the wind in the trees, the dull roar of traffic, crunchy leaves underfoot and a herd of male playing football. Lovely! The people I am working with/for are lovely, and that always makes the work easier, so I'm looking forward to getting my feet under me and settling into a routine.

I have to say that the thing I hate the most about learning a new job is trying to negotiate the new telephone system. Now, I wouldn't say I'm technologically challenged - I mean, I'm quite capable of hooking up pretty much any kind of device with all the right wires and get it to make the right sounds and put out the right pictures, but when it comes to having someone on the other end of the horn and trying to put them through to the right person, transferring and retrieving can get a bit cyclonic... But I only lost one call today! And to tell the truth, I think she may have hung up? Take messages I can do... Give me a message pad and I'll say everyone's out of the office, but transferring? Let's make a few dummy calls first and get the hang of the new-fangled gadget... But if it weren't for telephones I wouldn't be able to speak to my buddies who I can't see face-to-face - oh, there are so many!! Hello to everybody, wherever you are... Seymour (country Vic), Sydney (Bella Vista, not Baulkham Hills!), Tokyo (Japan), Geneva (Switzerland) and my buddy soon to be in Laos! - I pray you are all safe, well, and that I see you soon!

And now...

that's about all the photos I've got at the mo. Haven't been in a photo frenzy recently, it's just taken me a while to get them on the blog! Sorry 'bout that. You'll need to click on the "May" archive tab to see all the pics and blogs I've posted - there are just too many! Seeing as it is very late and I am going to be getting up at ridiculous o'clock (to start my new job!!), I'm going to bed now. Toodles!

And the other silly photo of me I didn't publish before!! 

V and Grandma at the Remembrance Day 2004 thingo in Wangaratta 

Foosball - it's hilarious!! 

V (my sister-in-law - remember her?) and Rach. Obviously they were losing the table-tennis and Rach was to blame... 

Scary one of me! 

Rach & Mish (you don't know them, but I like the photo) 

Geordie, just recently. He's nearly 4 1/2 now. 

Cozza and me! That was a self-portrait. Can't remember who was holding the camera, though... 

Cozza 

Cozza 

Post-wedding posing 

Slightly fuzzy bridal party minus flowergirls and pageboys.