Friday

Just to point out the obvious, you know. As I'm good at that. Thankfully it's the end of the week. Just a half day at work followed by a 3 hour International meeting. Then interviews for International tomorrow then a puppet show in the evening in Ballarat, cleaning on Sunday, Nancy arrives Monday!! It's gonna be busy. Crazy busy. But good. Hopefully.

Have been updating my Pax Blog, the one I am posting up old e-mails. Its pretty hard to figure out what to put and when and what to leave out. I mean there are some parts of e-mails which should remain unsaid and only known between sender and recipient. But I find it interesting to see what was going through my mind. Hilarious even.

I'm bored. I think I should do some work! What there is of it.

Tuesday Child . . . was it full of Grace?

Just for something different I thought I would write when I had nothing to complain about. Well I am sure if I really think about it I could complain. But generally speaking I'm feeling upbeat which certainly is a turn up for the books. I think that its got a lot to do with Fluid Retention. Okay so that's something maybe you didn't need to know about, but I went and got some pills to help it because I was finding my hands were swelling up something shocking and I was getting tummy cramps and yeah . . . anyways, I think it's working. I even feel up to going and doing the stairs again. Though admittedly I did not do all 12 floors today, just 8 of them. Phew!

Nancy arrive in less than a week, its all very exciting! There is lots going on and lots to show her and lots to get her to taste. It'll be really cool. The first week and a bit is pretty busy, in face the times not at work are busy! Fingers crossed this trip (she was last here in August) will have much better weather and if days of late are anything to go by, then it should be.

Guides. What can I say about Guides? It tired me out last night. Really, it did. Made me feel old. But I suddenly realised I have but 8 nights left. That's it. just 8 nights because there are two weeks of school holidays and a Monday without Guides because of the Melbourne Cup. Wholly crap that's scary. And sad. Because I like the kids, they're great and we've just got an influx of new girls and it's brought a new life into the group.

Well, I'm out of water and thirsty, so I should go and top up I suppose. Not that I am sure where the nearest water cooler is. The refurb on this floor has sent everything in a million different directions. I could endless complain about that, but I won't. Rather I'll just focus on the fact the floor will be a hell of a lot better at the end of it all!

Wedding Plans

How hard is it to keep people happy?!! Okay, that sounds a lot worse than it actually is. We've been engaged for about a month or so now, maybe more. We've talked about a two week time frame and the city in which we are to wed -or the legal equivalent in London. Beyond that, we know it will be an outdoor evening reception, simple, a little formal, but relaxed.

There will be a legal ceremony, no doubt at a registry office somewhere. There will be food. We even talked about clothing. I do not wish to have a white dress, but I'm not against the idea of a dress. Or a fitted suit. Unsure. I guess that will depend on my body shape as the date draws near!

However, it seems people want more details. More, More, MORE!! Like, what exact date? A definite location. What sort of wedding gifts do we want? What will we need? Oh my gosh!!! People, calm down! I thank you for your enthusiasm I really do, but until I get to London and can figure a few things out, there aren't going to be confirmed details!!

Oh, and we want happy flowers. Oh and not traditional fruit cake with think icing. No thanks!

There isn't even talk of a honeymoon, goodness me! How will we survive! We plan to have invitations, we plan to design our own and have them printed while in the USA over Christmas, New Year and into Feb. That way we can send the same invite to everyone, make it personal and hopefully keep people happy!

I sound so ungrateful. I am not, honest, in fact I'm actually rather flattered that people care so much. Its a new experience, believe me! I just . . . I don't know, I can't give people the answers they want right now and there is no sign of being able to to that any time soon.

Culture, yup that's what its about!

The weekend has made me think about a few things. One of my issues comes down to culture. For the longest time I felt like I was being a snob. Like I felt so much better than everyone else and I hated that feeling. The Australian Culture has a core of mateship. Yes, I love that. But coating that core is the layer which creates the unspoken law that to go out and have a good time, you need to go to a pub and get pissed. That I do not like. Its all about pubs and clubs. About how much you can drink and who you can snog.

I hate it. I want so much more than that, but the quest to find it has become futile. The few friends I did have who were not into that, have vanished off into their own lives. I almost feel like a stranded island. I understand so much more now why I found it hard to make friends in high school. Like good friends. Genuine friends. Friends with whom you say more than a passing hello to. You know their life. They know yours, and yet its not invasive. For the longest time I thought I had that, I thought I was as happy as I could be. But soon I saw different.

People ask me why I am leaving Australia? Why leave behind an awesome country? Deep down I don't feel that it is all that awesome. And perhaps it comes down to culture. The Australian Culture is not my culture. Its not what I want. Its not who I am. I don't want to settle for boganism. I want to pronounce words correctly, not be excited by the fact that Kmart and Safeway are in multiple states. I don't want a life that's about drinking on a Friday night, about being plastered or paralytic.

I am only partly Australian. Some things I am proud of, others I am not.

Spring

At last it is here! Not that it much matters really. As I sit here at my desk, the most I can still see are walls and desks and doors. I suppose it means I can let my imagination run a little wild and now picture sunlight outside. Which makes a nice change.

The refurb has started at work. I feel like there are people everywhere. Boxes in places that they shouldn't be, items that should be somewhere, but aren't. Trolleys and walls and dust and thuds and noise. I am sure once it is all done and completed it'll look nice. In the interum, it means we get to see the change over as it occurs. Or something like that. All I know is that its going to be bloody insane while this all goes on. Goodness me.

Its moments like this I am glad of the little SOAR reunion on Friday. Yep five nights in Sydney to catch up with Lauren, Carolyn and Kacey. It's gonna be good fun! It's been seven years since SOAR and lots has been going on and changed and yeah, it'll be good. I actually need to figure out how I will get out to the hotel, and I also need to call Kacey. I need to make a list!

OMG!!! OCD! OCD!! Quick, where is the CPS group?!

Blah

Is how I feel right now. Starting day 5 of being completely out of action with something that started as a sinus infection which I now think has become a chest infection. It's horrible. When I breathe I sound like a old person with emphasaemia. It's just horrid. I feel like crap. Pretty much, that's it. Crap. Arghh!! I'm supposed to be going to Sydney on Friday. I have to get better!!

It's now official. There are less than 100 days left until we leave Australia. Its rather exciting. We're getting our plans together for three months in the US, mainly the big road trip from LA to Richmond, KY. It's all rather exciting. I then need to start getting things together to start applying for jobs in London. I estimate the Pax OA position comes up in March assuming the person in the current role doesn't stay on. I'd like to apply for that. But I also want to apply for Scotland Yard or The Met in an admin role. Ideally Pax would work. It would give me 12 months of income without to much out going costs which certainly is a very good thing! Alas in saying that, I don't just assume I would get it. Because I know it's a big world out there.

But yes, things are happening.

Today being the 1st of September I should be starting Spring into Summer at the gym. Somehow I can't see that taking off at great speed for me right now!! Not the way I feel. . .