22 Adventures

The End

2010-04-08T21:12:00.000+10:00

Well here we are... a whole year and 213 blogs later, and I can't really believe it to be honest. I had these grand plans to have this beautiful reflective piece for my final blog on 22adventures, something that looked over everything and talked about how far I had come and what happens next. But the truth is, I don't really know if I can write that at the moment, because I am sitting on the floor at a Big Band rehearsal, feeling very tired and sick. My nose is running and my head is stuffy and I am just not sure what will come out as I continue to type. However, the fact is, today is the 8th of April 2010, which means tomorrow I turn 23 and the adventures of me as a 22 year old come to an end. So whether I feel like it or not, I need to write something to tie it all together.

I find it really hard to believe that exactly a year ago I had an interview in Castlemaine, and getting a job, moving out of home, moving to the country was just a little idea that I wasn't really considering because I didn't want to jinks the job. Yet here I am writing this blog, a year later and everything, and nothing at all has changed (if that makes any sense).

There are lots of things that are still the same. I am still Emma, I still love Disney, blogging, eating and Dave, but now I live in Castlemaine and visit Melbourne. Now I have a 'real' full time job, not a part time fun thing. Now I can cook and clean and do general adult things, because I have to and no one else will do it for me (unless they are feeling particularly generous). Now I have lots of new friends, people who I hadn't even met a year ago today.

I feel like I have grown a lot since I moved to Castlemaine, and I am not really sure how much of this is just me getting older and how much of this has been because of the fact that I had too. There have been some really low times, like homesickness, being lonely and getting used to being away from all my friends and family, but there has also been a lot of fun stuff to, and some really really great stuff... my new friends, the things I have seen and the places I have been...oh that rhymed, nice. I have no idea how to actually sum up this last year other than the fact that I am different and I like it. I know that I haven't done this by myself and that I my life really has been in God's hands through it all. But I guess when it comes down to it... I am really glad I went to the interview, I am really glad I was offered the job and I had enough courage (and support) to move and give it a crack. I am also really glad that I have been able to share this with all of you (even if its just Mum, Dad and Dave at times). Thanks a bunch for reading... my blog would be no fun if no one read it, so thanks for dropping by!

So what happens next... well I am glad that you asked. For now, I stay in Castlemaine, and because I can't give up I will continue to blog. But as I am no longer 22 my blogs will have a new home: www.emjlewis.blogspot.com, so please keep dropping by and checking it out. But after that I am not really sure and that's ok. I still have plenty of adventures left in me and I am kind of excited about what is still to come... I guess I will just have to keep to posted, because I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-07T20:35:00.006+10:00

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

The Tale of Eggface

2010-04-05T20:07:00.001+10:00

So this year I got one of the coolest eggs ever...it was a do it yourself egg face! And while it didn't quite go according to plan the tale went a little like this...

Once there was a girl named Emma, who was given a very special Easter egg...

The egg required her to decorate her it with its very own eggy face. So she got all the pieces out... and began to make a plan!

She started with the legs to make some stability. It appeared she used too much glue so her eggface had a little accident. Next was the hair. As she stopped to admire her work so far she thought to herself "so far, so good."

However, having not held onto it quite enough to let it set the hair began to slide...and came to rest in another, appropriate, but not quite what she had in mind place...

Having corrected the hair and becoming more and more aware that the glue was not all that sticky, she quickly attempted to do the lot and then take a picture before anymore unwanted shifts.

Once the portrait was complete she let go, and eggface had an accident.

Eggface was beyond the point of no return, and unfortunately soon after his fall, he deteriorated and passed away.

The End.

So there you have it, the tale of Eggface, the best Easter egg ever... now if you will excuse me I have an egg to eat.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Easter

2010-04-04T11:31:00.002+10:00

So I guess its that time again...Easter time that is... We made it through Friday and today we can celebrate because He is Risen. And because I don't have any awesome words of wisdom to share with you about what Easter means, once again I am going to steal my words (lucky he did die, for my sins!) from songs again...here are two songs, that I love that I think sum up why I love easter...maybe even more than I love Christmas!

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again.
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

Oh and I was also very thankful for my extra hour of sleep last night, thank you and so long daylight savings...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

April Fool

2010-04-01T10:41:00.000+11:00

April Fools Days is something that I have long enjoyed but never really participated in. The truth is, I am just not clever enough to pull off an April Fool, well a good April Fool. Anyway, I am not sure if this even counts as an April Fool, but yesterday I enjoyed some silliness from my friends at Google. I don't know if anyone else saw this or not, but Google Maps went a little ocker. When putting some directions into the Google Maps app in my iPhone (after some encouragement from Davo) I was very shocked to find that Google Maps had started to talk like me. I am a little disappointed that it was only for a limited time, because I definitely there is a strong market for a GPS with some spunk! I would buy one anyway. But enough chat... it will make more sense if I just show you, here is some pictures of the instructions from Castlemaine to Melbourne...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T18:15:00.000+11:00

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

The end is nigh

2010-03-30T13:58:00.004+11:00

I am starting to get a little panicked... I have almost been doing this blog for a year, which means its also my birthday again, which means that on top of all my regular birthday stress (yes, I have birthday stress) I have to work out what to do next with my blogging.

I have really enjoyed being back in the blogging chair, and I am almost 100% sure I want to keep going, but the beauty of this 22adventures blog is that it had a time limit. It was a year long adventure, but that was it. It was never going to die a slow and painfully boring death like my last blog. The thing is I don’t really want to just sign up for another year, coz I am sick of having so many blogs linked with my name and I want it to be new and exciting, but I don’t really want to change the old ones if that makes sense, and I want to be able to just have the one place!

The other thing is, a new blog poses a lot of questions… what will I call it? what will be the point of it? Will people follow it on? Will it be more or less popular? What will my catch phrase be? These are all very tricky questions, ones which I am fast running out of time to answer!

So I think over the next week and a bit I will have to start seriously thinking about these things…perhaps even brain storming a little. But I think the blogging will continue…someway, somehow!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

The Cumberland

2010-03-29T13:56:00.008+11:00

So here is a cool little fact for you, well I guess its probably more of a rumour, as I am yet to have it completely confirmed...but tonight I had dinner at my local Pub in Castlemaine, but not just any pub... a pub owned by Billy Brownless, which I think is pretty cool. Rumour has it that he owns the Cumberland Hotel in Castlemaine...and who am I to argue with the word of the locals. Plus I like footy and Billy so I think its pretty cool.

Oh and if anyone can confirm or deny this rumour...I would appreciate it!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

The Waiter

2010-03-26T13:55:00.005+11:00

Tonight I made a discovery! A waiter can make or break a meal! Seriously its true… think about it. Tonight I had the pleasure of helping Brad celebrate his birthday by having dinner in the city. The meal was great, the company was great and the waiter was great. In fact the waiter was so good I think he made my night! But before I go much further, I think we need to go back to the basics…

There are 3 types of waiters/waitresses in the world:
1. Bad ones
2. Good ones and
3. Great ones

That’s it, there aren’t any in between ones or ones that fit into any other category, its just these 3. Everyone knows what a bad waiter is… they are the ones that forget what you order and don’t seem to care. The don’t go out of their way to assist, they leave you unattended at all the wrong times and they are just bad. Sometimes they are nice, sometimes they are not…but regardless, they are bad!

The good ones are generally the ones that go unnoticed. They are not fantastic, but they are not bad, they get the job done and at the end of the night you leave with out giving them too much more thought.

And then there is the great ones, the ones that are super helpful, without being in your face, they say all the right things, don’t forget anything and at the end of the night you want to leave them a tip. Sometimes its helps if they have a cool accent or are particularly good looking, but I think that one of the best things about the great ones is they take in the ‘vibe’ of the dinner and behave accordingly.

Tonight we had a great waiter! It did help that he was French and had a very sweet story about moving here to be with his girl friend, but even without that stuff, he was happy to have a laugh with us, to have a good time, but still do what he needed to do. I don’t really know how to describe it…he had a go at kitty for taking to long, which was very funny and super accurate, he made us sing happy birthday and found a biscuit he could put a candle in because we weren’t having dessert, he cracked some jokes, made us all smile and he even took a photo of out table all together! He was just great and at the end of the night, all of us wanted to show him how much we appreciated him and his service. Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say kudos to that guy…thanks for making it a fun evening…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

This Road

2010-03-25T10:35:00.019+11:00

Growing up is something that I never really wanted to do, but every now and then something happens, and the way I respond shows me that perhaps it already happened. It seems to have already occurred, without my consent or knowledge. I guess its almost like the lights been switched and now, I am more often an adult then I am a kid, if that makes any sense. I am still not very happy about it, but it appears that there is not much I can do… all of a sudden I am a real fair dinkum grown up… who would have thought.

At the moment my life is a little complicated, and without going into to too much detail, because its not really my story to share, things haven’t quite turned out they way I always imagined they would, in fact its very different to what I would have wanted or expected. But the crazy thing about it is, surprisingly I find my self ok. Perhaps the reality of it hasn’t quite hit me yet, or I am not really sure how to react, but how I feel is also very different to what I would have expected. Sure I am sad, confused, angry, frustrated all the emotions associated with when the poopie hits the fan, but still I am ok. At times I think maybe that means I am not ok, maybe that’s a sign that I have used up all my tears and appropriate emotional responses when I wasted them on over reactions, or things that weren’t really worth crying about. Or perhaps it just means I have grown up and I have that peace of God that goes beyond all understanding.

I love music, this much you probably already know, but what you may not know is that when I am struggling with stuff, I am often reminded that God still loves me and cares for me more than I will ever know through different songs. Because it turns out he is a clever guy and knows that this is what gets me and my attention. The songs aren’t always by Christian artists, but often they are, which makes sense really, but I guess it doesn’t really matter. Anyway, I guess its kinda like a soundtrack for my life, sure there are some happy ones, some adventure ones, perhaps even some theme songs, but dotted through out my life, are lots of times when a song has got me through so to speak, that inspirational song that gets the hero (in this case me) going and on the right path. For example, when I got the job up here, the song ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus was playing…appropriate much! Then when it dawned on me what the job actually meant and what I was going to have to do, I needed a new song and that was ‘My Life is in Your Hands’ by Brooklyn Tab. And that song lasted a while really, every time I got homesick or I was feeling a little down I would play it and it would remind me that my life was in His hands and it would be ok. Anyway, recently I have been listening to a song by one of my favourite artists, Ginny Owens, and it’s a song that I have actually had on the soundtrack before, when my Dad moved to China. But its back, and I need these words now, more than ever. The lyrics say:

“A million miles away from anything familiar, a thousand places that I'd rather be.So I choke back the tears and try to find the bright side,
though I find it hard to see though all my suffering.

In my heart I know your plan is so much bigger,
but this small part is all that I can see.
And I believe you haven't left me here to wander,
still I can't help but ponder where you're leading me.

And I ask why this road? Why this way and this load?
Tell me how far must I go, ‘til I see, ‘til I know why this road.

A million miles away from anything familiar,
what was it like to be so far from home?
Though you came in love, the world misunderstood you.
There must have been some days when you felt so alone.

But you endured, because there was joy before you, joy that came because you sacrificed.
Since you gave yourself just to spend forever with me,
surely I can trust you'll lead me through my darkest times,

When I ask why this road? Why this way and this load?
Tell me how far must I go ‘til I see, ‘til I know why this road.

From here I can't see why you'd choose this path for me,
but I don't have to understand to believe
That you know why this road, why this way and this load.
You know how far I must go ‘til I see, ‘til I know why this road”

Perhaps it’s the truth in these words that lets me feel this peace, this okness with what’s going on, because I may not know why or understand, but I have a God that does and his word promises “that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28). So even though its crap now, God will make it work…someway, some how… I just have to trust.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T23:53:00.002+11:00

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Traffic

2010-03-22T13:57:00.008+11:00

Most of you will already know this, but I am a whinger. So much so that one of the reasons I stopped blogging last time, was because my mum always told me that if I didn’t have anything nice to say I shouldn’t say anything at all. So this time I have tried very, sometimes very very hard not to make this blog a platform for my whinging. But today I can not hold back any longer, this weekend I have been in driving hell. On Sunday morning I got stuck behind someone on a one lane highway, who insisted going 90km/hr in a 100 zone all the way to Healesville. I was willing to forgive this as it was a Sunday and its not called Sunday driving for no reason. But then this morning as I drove back to Castlemaine I got stuck behind two people traveling side by side on the Calder going 90km/hr, only this time the actual speed limit was 110km/hr. This morning though it wasn’t just me, it was me and about 10other cars, all just waiting for one of them to move and they never caught on. Apparently when you drive that slow, you also don’t use your review mirrors. Anyway, I have had enough and something needs to be said so listen up:

If you are driving on a multi-lane road and you do not wish to travel at the speed limit, that is ok, but do it in the left lanes! Oh and if there are lines and lines of cars behind you and you slow friends sitting side by side across the lines, be a good chap and either slow down and move over or speed up and move over, just get out of the way so that they rest of us can get on with it.

There it is, its said, so please don’t do it again.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Mum

2010-03-21T13:43:00.006+11:00

March and April and for that matter the beginning of May are a busy birthday time for me, so normally I try to avoid do special birthday blogs, but today is a special birthday. Today is my Mum’s birthday. So I just wanted to post a quick little special blog to say…

Happy Birthday Mum, I think that you are amazing! Thanks for putting up with me, helping me, comforting me, feeding me, looking after me, laughing with me and crying with me, and the rest! I don’t know what I would do with out you. I will love you forever and always.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Explaining Yesterday

2010-03-18T13:43:00.005+11:00

You may have noticed that yesterday’s blog had no words… except for my little tagline that is, and I am thinking that I probably owe you a little explanation, because it is kind of rude to just do something like that without warning.

So here it is: yesterday was Wordless Wednesday, something new that I am trying. Its not something I have come up with, in fact its an idea that I stole from a other peoples blogs, but I don’t think they will mind, and I think that its kind of cool. In fact my cousin Bec, does something similar too, except she uses some words and calls it Snapshot Sunday, but basically the idea is that the blog on Wordless Wednesday tells you a story about my day or just something random without using words, after all, the do say that a picture is worth a thousand words. So take yesterday for example, my pictures are of Kat’s 24th Birthday Dinner where Miriam was missing in action for a significant proportion. There is her empty chair, everyone looking sad, (except Ben, and I am not sure why) and then everyone happy when we easily replaced her with a picture drawn on the Abercrombie bag.

So there you go… Wordless Wednesday... Oh and today is Kitty's actual birthday...so HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAT! Hope you have had a ripper day.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T22:10:00.001+11:00

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Half marathon

2010-03-16T15:51:00.000+11:00

So the training has started, luckily the half marathon is still a good 6 months away because after this mornings gym session I think I am going to need all the time that I can get!

This morning I met Jana at the gym, yes that gym that I signed up for with all the best intentions and then never really returned! Anyway we began the journey, the only thing is Jana is quiet a bit fitter than me, which isn't really that hard to imagine, given the fact that all I have done since the last half marathon is a SYG and and few random basketball games and not much else. This means that this morning as we trained together I felt like needed to prove myself just a little, you know, back my tale of my last half marathon up so that it didn't seem as unrealistic as it sounded. So needless to say I went pretty hard, and despite the fact that I only walked/ran for 3.5km... I already have blisters and very sore quads and I am a little worried that this is a bad sign! Sure perhaps I went a bit hard for my first time back in the saddle, but if I am this injured after 1/7th of the race than chances are I might struggle. But I have 6 months and I am not giving up yet! I have another hot date with Jana and the gym on Friday morning... So I better find better socks so I don't get anymore blisters!

Oh and just in case you needed proof... here are the mighty half marathoner's after our last race... don't we look spiffy!

People That Blog

2010-03-12T17:41:00.000+11:00

So I have spent some time clicking the 'next blog' button at the top of the screen, hoping to find some more interesting blogs to read and add to my list of interesting blogs I already read... but here is what I have discovered. Bloggers seem to have their own sterotype. Seriously! Now I know stereotypes are dangerous, but I am telling the truth, most of the blogs I have looked at are either (in order of freqency):

1. From Indonesia, Tailand or Malaysia - so I can't read them.
2. Being pregnenat, or the journey of having a new kid in the family. I like these ones, but I think they are much better if you actually know the kid... Otherwise its pretty easy to lose interest.

3. Christian Moms... yes I spelt that right, lots of American ladies blog about their families, which is kinda nice, but not what I am after. It also turns out that many of these women are in fact pastors wives... just as an observation.
or 4. Arts and crafts blogs - now I not talking the cute kind or arty blogs, I am talking sharing knitting pattern type blogs... also not quite what I am after.

All of these blogs are great, well I am sure they are I didn't really stop and read very many, but I guess they are just not what I am interested in right now. I am sure if I has kids of my own, or even a hobby I would actually enjoy what they wrote, but they just didn't catch my eye today, because thats not where I am at. I did however come across some one where people acutally share real stuff about their own lives (as apposed to the lives of others around them). These ones really caught my eye and I really enjoyed them. I read a few stories about the struggles of a family as their 2 year old died from cancer, I read about a family that had up and left everything to try something new and I read some stories about just stuff people do day to day. Maybe I am just super nosey and I liked these ones coz they were raw and real, I am not sure.

I know that in the past I have blogged before about wanting my blog to be something more than a primary school journal and I hope that it is. I hope that when other people push the 'next blog' button, if it ever lands on mine that they will stop and have a read and that they would enjoy it.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Being a girl

2010-03-10T15:59:00.001+11:00

I am not a very good girl… no not like that, I am not naughty or anything a little off, what I should say is I am not very good at being a girl. Sure I do some girly things, like watch way too many chick flicks, or wait hopelessly to be swept off my feet. But when it comes down to the maintenance required to be a girl, I am just not very good at it, I never have been. How do I know this…well here are a few reasons that I came up with:

I find is difficult to justify the cost of haircuts, especially if the are required more than twice a year.

I do not have a regular beautician.
I hate clothes shopping, and have no interest in keeping up with the latest and greatest fashions.
I am terrible at makeup, just terrible (although I can apply it without a mirror…which is probably not so much a reflection of skill, as the basic nature of my makeup).
and I am capable of 3 hair styles…ponytail, half up-half down and down…that is all

However every now and then, I participate in these girlie things, take last weekend for example:

Friday night I had a visit from the lovely Renee, and while we were shopping in Bendigo, I brought a nice new girlie top. I also had a small tea party when we returned to my house in Castlemaine. Then Saturday morning, I drove straight from Castlemaine to my hairdresser in Melbourne where I got a fresh cut and colour, and even had my eyebrows waxed into a more girlie shape (as apposed to the John Howard eyebrows I normally wear). Saturday afternoon I went and brought some new makeup, so I didn’t have to continue to use the dregs from the bottom of the containers like I had been doing pretty much all year.

Anyway, a week in and I love my ‘new look’ its really not that new, or different from before, but I feel like a girl and I kinda like it. And even though it goes against everything I do, I actually booked myself in for another appointment as I was leaving the hairdresser, so that it wouldn’t get out of control again. I think its whats called taking pride in my appearance… I guess we will see how long it lasts.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Up to Date

2010-03-04T23:06:00.000+11:00

Well I never ever thought I would actually be able to write this blog, seriously never. I am finally up to date, no more back dating and posting old news, just current things from here on. Its super exciting, because I don't think my blog has been up to date since I started, in fact I am pretty sure that I have always been a whole month behind. But I have finally caught up...which is just as well because there is really only a month left of 22 adventures, and then I have to decide what I want to do next. Do I want to keep blogging? Do I need another rest? Do I go back to my old site, do it up and start again? Do people want me to keep blogging? What will I blog about? These are some very serious questions, some that I will need to think long and hard about. But for now, let us just rejoice in the fact that this blog...after 11months, is finally up to date.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Summer is over and the cold is here

2010-03-01T18:08:00.014+11:00

Can you believe that it is already March? Isn't that just absurd? Seriously, how did this happen? Where has summer gone? Yesterday was the last day of summer and today it is crazy cold...and think that its a little rude the way the wind has just barged in like this. Did it forget about the casual warm down, or the fact that we still have daylight savings so it doesn't feel like summer is over yet? I feel like I have made the most of summer, I haven't even really been to the beach that much, it can't be over yet? I haven't had enough BBQs or sat outside enough, I am not ready for the seasons to change, I need some more sunshine....

I think perhaps God needs to have a stern talking to the weather and put it in the naughty corner for a week or two and give us some nice warm autumn days. They don't have to be hot, but I am not quite ready for the cold yet. Coz I just think its a bit rough to have such a cold day the first day out.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Vindaloo against violence

2010-02-24T18:07:00.032+11:00

Tonight all across Melbourne, and hopefully Australia, Australians have united in having Indian for dinner. Tonight we have been encouraged to have a Vindaloo against Violence, so that is what Dave, Jana, Sam and I have done. I am not really sure if it is going to work, but I guess I have done my bit so we just wait and see. I had only really heard about the event through church, although after we had already eaten our dinner I also heard a little bit about it on the radio, so I am not sure how well publicized it was, but it did seem as if the Indian restaurant was a little busier than usual for a Wednesday night, although I probably wouldn't know, because I only ever have Indian when I go out with others...and I think I have recorded each outing to Indian in my various blogs, because it is so rare. In fact I only recall having Indian 4 times including today, once at Lyndel and Brad's because they thought it was about time Dusty and I tried it, once with Dad in China, and twice in Bendigo, for a christmas break up and tonight.

Its not that I don't like Indian food, its just that I never crave it like I do Italian or Chinese...  I am not sure why, I just never do. Anyway, it was delicious and I really should have it more often, because I do actually like it.

Oh and I have been following through on my promise to try new movies, tonight I have seen Shutter Island, which is a bit of a thriller and definitely not something I would have picked if I was going by myself, but I really liked it, it was clever and a little scary, but I didn't even jump, scream or cry...go me!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Complete

2010-02-22T12:43:00.015+11:00

Good news... I have good news... I finally have the complete set of McLeod's Daughters, all in the right type... it's amazing, its wonderful and it looks soooooo good.

How did this happen? Well one I found at big W (season 5), but the rest...all through the magic of ebay! I am not really sure why I didn't try this sooner, I mean it was perfect, I even got some ones that are brand new. I think what held me back was that I had perviously been burned by ebay, when trying to complete my colection of Disney DVDs, without waiting for the ones that were stuck in the Disney vault, and I ordered what were described as brand new, never been opened DVDs of Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King, but it turns out what the seller failed to mention was that these copies weren't the nice original Disney ones, they were copies, right movie, but just not the same. But thinking I was getting the real thing I spend way too much money on them...and now because I still wanted to watch them and something was better than nothing I have two pirate copies of the movies and I am still waiting on the real ones that are stuck in the vault.

However, I learned from my little disappointment and gave up on ebay for a while, but when it dawned on me that perhaps ebay would be full of McLeod's discs, I decided that it was worth one more try, although this time I would ask questions and make sure I was getting exactly what I wanted. So Thats what I did, I got season 4 & 6, opened but never watched from a nice young mum, I got season 7 from a girl in country Vic who had just watched it once and I got a brand new, unopened copy of season 8 from an ebay based DVD store. So right now I am one happy camper. And the best bit? It didn't cost me a fortune, in fact, it was probably cheaper than if I had got them all from the store. So now my collection is complete and they are proudly displayed on my mantle...check it out...

Oh and yes, if you want to you can come and watch McLeod's with me...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

New Car

2010-02-20T18:06:00.045+11:00

Well today, with the much appreciated help of Mum, Dad and Davo, and after much stress and money budgeting and test driving and stressing and budgeting and stressing today I put a deposit down on a new car... Today I ordered my new Kia Rio. Sure its not the most glamorous of cars...I mean its not a Ford...but I am super excited about it and I can't wait until it comes....but I really will have to wait because it is going to take forever.

Being slightly paranoid, I decided that because I was getting a small car I wanted it to be as safe as possible, this meant getting the curtain airbags installed, which meant that my new car was now a factory order. So it turns out that it takes a really long time to get a factory ordered car in and so I won't actually get my car until mid to late May, which feels like forever away! The other thing that has to happen, is I need my good old Saabie to hold up until then...Saabie is staying strong and holding in there, but I think that we might be cutting it fine. I think that due to my climate control issues, I will have to start packing extra clothes and stuff to keep me warm as the Castlemaine winter starts to set in as heating is no longer an option.

Nevertheless the new car is ordered...its coming and it is going to be awesome... Here are some facts about my new car that I am excited about (and yes I know some of them are lame):

1. Its small and cute2. Its blue...ford blue...3. It only uses 6.9L/100km...cheap cheap cheap4. It has a CD player - this is a massive step up from my tape deck
5. It has a drivers arm rest
6. It has air con that works
7. It has windows that work8. It has a 5year unlimited km warrenty
9. Did I mention that its small and cute and blue?10. It has a plug for my iPod
11. It has bluetooth for my phone
12. It has curtain airbags13. Its a rare gem, coz it turns out there just isn't that many Kias in Melbourne...yet
14. The ignition is in the regular spot... as apposed to the center console ignition I currently have15. It has a drink holder made for 1.25L bottles...just in case I am really thirsty16. I will no longer have crazy big blind spots
17. It won't put my oil warning light on every time I turn the corner
18. There is no 'void' between the driver and passenger like in Dave's car
19. It will enable me to park on Dave's lawn again...coz it's got a little button nose, and little bottom
20. Its mine

So now I just wait and wait and wait... but while I wait, I will enjoy my last drives with Saabie and think about important things like...What I will name my new car???

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Boys at Cell

2010-02-16T18:05:00.016+11:00

This year my cell group at Bendigo has grown...we finished last year 4 members strong...then we went back to 3.... at our first cell for the year we were up to 6 (although only 4 were actually there)...and this week we were joined by the boys group as they are studying the same things as us so the group has pretty much doubled.

I really enjoyed the girls group last year, but I have also missed the male opinion, so it was nice to have some guys there tonight. I guess its not something that I have ever really thought about too much though, whether or not I want boys in my cell group...I suppose it doesn't really matter...its really about how the group works together and being able to share and grow together... I think it will be good to have them there...

Well I guess this was a pretty pointless blog...sorry...it did seem important when I started writing...but now that its done...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

My Valentine

2010-02-14T13:47:00.034+11:00

I am so super spoilt sometimes its not funny! And because I am a princess and a little obsessed with romantic comedies, I LOVE VALENTINES DAY. I know for most people its just another day, but I love it! I love the gooeyness, the cards, the flowers, the little messages in the paper and of course I love the fact that its a great excuse for a Date. So this weekend, this valentines weekend I have been in Sydney with Dave and it has been sooooooo super lovely. I have seen Wicked (yes, again), I have seen Sydney Harbour for the first time, along with the bridge and the opera house, and I have also been to see Top Gear the stage show, complete with fireworks and I haven't really had to spend a cent...I am just super super spoilt. However, I did think that this weekend there might have been one valentines surprise. In fact I was pretty much convinced!

Leading up to this trip away, I had a number of people tell me that they thought that maybe Dave was going to propose... In fact, before I left Mum even gave me her blessing if he did... and when I thought about it, it did seem very like Dave... I mean Dave is a a bit of a romantic and so Valentines Day seem appropriate, He was taking me to Sydney, we were staying at a fancy hotel, he took me to see both Wicked and Top Gear, we went to my favourite Chinese restaurant, had lots of delicious food but... the weekend is over and my left ring finger remains naked... so I guess it wasn't quite my time.

Now for those of you that are panicking about the fact that I shouldn't be sharing this on the internet and that Davo might get offended...don't stress, because Dave was also aware of 'the signs' so to speak, and on Friday night before we headed off he told me that it wasn't going to happen this week, so that I wouldn't be disappointed or waiting all weekend, which is kinda nice I guess, but it has left me wondering what he has planned for me...and us.... But I guess now we just wait and see...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Thanks Jess

2010-02-11T12:54:00.028+11:00

Tonight I had the pleasure of having Dusty, Jess and Brad up to visit. Last time they came up I got a little embaressed, because all around my house I have photos, but to my shock Jess brought to my attention the fact that there were no photos of her. Now some of you may say big deal...but it is, because I even had a picture of Jacob's ex girlfriend still up and they were only together for a short time, Jess has been part of our family for like 4 or 5 years or something crazy, so as you can imagine, I felt really bad, and of course Jess and Dusty didn't want me to forget.

So this time, when I knew they were coming, because I hadn't had anymore photos printed, I told Jess to bring a photo with her so that she could go on the wall. So today Dusty, Jess and Brad drove up from Melbourne during the day and made it to my place and made themselves at home before I got home from work. So being a good sister-in-dating I sent Jess and sms just to remind her that she should bring a photo with her... and this is the response I got in response...

"Oh u don't have to worry about that, I have it covered! Have a lovely day at work and we will c u later on!!!"

Being a little cheeky at times, Jess' text made me a little worried, I started to wonder what exactly she meant by the fact that she had it covered and what I would find when I got home. I thought that perhaps she would take down all the photos and replace them with ones of her, or maybe even just replace some of the photos, with the same photo of her and Dust, but what happened was definitley unexpected. This is what I found when I got home:

Yep lots of little photos everywhere, and one massive photo of jess right above the fire place. Classic, so thanks Jess, I think I have enough photos of you now, and yes you can stay on the mantle. Although Dave did tell me that he feels like you are watching him while he sits on the couch doing nothing now, I think it makes him feel guilty about being a slacker.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Climate Control

2010-02-08T15:38:00.015+11:00

Its just getting worse...seriously,

Today, its really really hot in Castlemaine, so I get in the car, which has been in the sun all day and think its ok, seeing as I can't make the air con work any better, or put the temperature onto supper cold, I will put the windows down to get some air through... As the window goes down, it makes a strange noise and then begins to go down on a very very strange angle. In fact, because I was a little too panicked at the time I have drawn this picture of what was happening for you in paint...which I have a particular talent in:

As you can see, it is not normal, and it can't be good... So because there was also a storm moving in, I pulled over to try and fix the window before it started to rain. In the end, I had to lift the window up and put it back in the right spot...so now it is shut...and it won't get opened unless absolutely necessary. Although it does mean that the climate control in my car is now significantly reduced...I know now have either air con on, or air con off. I think its time to seriously look at a new car...sorry Saabie

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

# 60 - Test Driving

2010-02-06T15:36:00.010+11:00

So after the efforts of my car yesterday, I have decided its time to start looking for a new one, so today I spent my day test driving cars, which means I can now cross # 60 - Test drive a car off the list.

This was the first time I have ever test driven a car, and I tell you what its a little nerve racking! I mean, I am not the most confident drive at the best of times, but now I am in a brand new car, that doesn't belong to me with a guy I don't know in the passenger seat who wants to ask me all these questions while I am driving, its full on. Thankfully I had Davo in the back to answer the questions so that I could concentrate.

I did have the opportunity though to go without the sales guy at one of the show rooms, so before Dave and I headed out, we took this picture as proof that I had been test driving cars...Its not super flattering...sorry.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Falling Apart

2010-02-05T15:38:00.009+11:00

So only just a week ago I wrote a little blog about my car, and how I feared it was the beginning of the end, well... after tonights efforts, I am sure the end is near...

Tonight I got stuck at the same servo, at the same time with my car...and this time the same RACV man as last week, told me little Saabie did need a new battery. The thing is though, this would have been fine, if that's all that happened, but it appears that this was just the beginning. As I drove home, I decided it was getting warm in the car, so I attempted to adjust the temperature, only to have the dial fall off in my hand, with the inside bits of the dial all broken... only another small thing I know...but still. I am beginning to get scared about touching things incase they fall off.

At least for now I still have widows and aircon, although I must admit the air con isn't super strong...but at least it is there.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Kilmore

2010-02-04T15:39:00.018+11:00

Saabie and I have been on another little adventure tonight...this time we made out way across central Victoria...to Kilmore. Why would we make this trek... to visit my friend Pez.

The trip itself was actually quite nice, because unlike the trip to Melbourne, it was only on the boring freeway (which I love coz it takes much less time, but is very very very boring to drive) half of the way. Instead of just freeway, I actually got to see things, like bush land and farms and even some small towns. I really love just going on these little adventures, it makes me appreciate the things that God has made for me rather than just bypass it all.

Anyway, it was heaps nice to catch up with Perri in her little cottage in Kilmore, her little house is much like my little one in Castlemaine, except she has a lot more rooms, all small, but more than one. One of my favourite rooms though at her place is the toilet...where my knees can almost touch the door in front of me when I am on the toilet...crazy.

Now we are both semi city girls living in the country, for work...leaving our boyfriends behind and carrying on. Its nice to be able to share my experience with someone else and know that I can share what I have been through and that it might actually help someone. Of course its always nice to hang out with good friends, even without a reason.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Almost

2010-01-31T11:46:00.012+11:00

So for the last week and a bit I have been getting super excited because Dave will be playing... and dancing with the cast of Jersey Boys at the Australian Open Men's Final. Which means that he should be broadcast live across Australia... and maybe even the world... onto that little box sitting in your living room, know as the TV.

But you may have notied that the tennis final has come and gone, and yes the Jersey Boys were there but, from the otherside of the TV, Dave was a little hard to spot...well I can tell you that he was there at the tennis, but he didn't quite make it on to the TV. Everytime he gets close he gets cut out, disappointing...very disappointing.

Well Davo, I love you even if you didn't quite make it on to the telly... maybe next time.
I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Shattered

2010-01-30T11:45:00.023+11:00

As I am pretty sure I have mentioned at least once or twice before, I LOVE McLeod's Daughters. So far I have worked my way through the first 3 seasons, so I still have plenty to catch up on, however I have hit a snage. Now, some of this is my own fault as I am a little anal retentive, but it is a snag all the same. McLeod's is avaliable in two different box sets...

These ugly brown ones:

and these much nicer white ones:

As you can imagine I have been getting the prettier ones, as the look much nicer on my bookshelf. However it turns out that these nice white ones are quite hard to get as they are the old kind. The new ugly brown ones are the space savers...and they are not the same. I have 3 seasons that are white and I want them all to match, I just don't think that I can handle having some white and some brown...so I have been hunting...and when I say that I mean literally hunting, going from DVD store to DVD store, Kmart to Kmart all in the hope of finding any of the seasons I don't have...seasons 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Just recently when I was in Wonthaggi, I found what I thought was a copy of season 6, however, there were no discs in the cases. Being in Big W, I thought that perhaps the discs where just at the counter, so I took the set over to ask for them, only to be told that if the discs weren't there, they had been stolen...so sadly I handed back the empty cases and left very disappointed.

Today I was in Borders and I had an actual copy, discs and all of season 4 in my hot little hands... it was a little damaged so I thought perhaps I would try my luck to see if there was another copy, and maybe even any other seasons. Anyway, while waiting for assistance, I noticed that the price was listed at $129. This was a little higher that the $33, I had become accustomed to paying. So before the man ran off to check if there were any more we queried the price. Sadly the price had been recorded correctly, while it does seem very much insane, Borders sells McLeod's for $129...crazy, so not willing to part with that much money for an Australian TV Drama series, and still hoping I would find the rest as a better price I once again handed it back and left the store deflated.

Twice I have been soooooooo close, yet still I only have 3 seasons....I am beginning to lose hope that I will ever have the complete set of white ones...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

A New Type of Movie

2010-01-30T11:43:00.026+11:00

Tonight I have once again been to the movies, this time I went with Mum, Dad, Dust, Jake and Dave and we saw 'Law Abiding Citizen' and if you want a good film review check out Philpy's rant, coz he does a much better job of that stuff than I do. What I really wanted to say about the movie was that I that tonight's experience has made me realise something, something very important...

Generally speaking, I am a childrens and romantic comedy type of girl, in fact I rarely see anything out side those two genres, unless its like some massive blockbuster that I feel like I have to see just so I can keep up with conversation. However, I think that after tonight I really need to put more effort in to deliberatly seeing other types of movies, because it turns out, I actually really enjoy them. Sure they don't always make me feel super gooey on the inside, but more often than not, they actually make me think, which isn't such a bad thing! It's werid coz I am always a little surprised by this, it always shocks me that the movie was actually good, but the thing is, it probably shouldn't, because if the movie was that bad...it probably would never have even made it to the cinema.

So.... as of now, I am going to make a conscious effort to see some other types of movies...I probably still won't check out the latest horror, but I will definatly try to see something other than the new chick flick out.

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Sad Saabie

2010-01-29T11:41:00.022+11:00

This past year has been a year of change, which if you have read even just a few of my blogs you will probably know, however it appears that there is another change on the way. Once again it is something I am not quite ready for, something I don’t really want to have to deal with, but once again it is something I may not actually have that much say in. I am sad to say that I think that the end of my car's life is not too far away.

My car, my saabie, and I have been together almost as long as Dave and I. We first meet in 2005, just after my 18th birthday and just before I got my license. At first I wasn’t sure if we were going to get along, Saabie had a big nose and smelt a little like vomit, which I have to admit didn’t turn me on. However, with the ignition in the centre and the fact that he was given to me (thanks Mum and Dad) we persevered and now we are the best of buddies, well most of the time.

Sure we have had our downs, like the time I smashed his face into the back of someone else’s car, or the time I thought he was out to kill me, given the crazy number of electric shocks I constantly received, or even the time when the remote central locking decided its time was up and I sat in the carpark at uni with both the car and me crying, of course Saabie was much louder, given that his cry was in the form of his car alarm. But there have also been a lot of ups, like Saabies trek to Adelaide with Davo, or up and down from the beach for the last 4 years, or the trips to Ikea because Saabie has the biggest boot in the family.

We have been through a lot together really, Saabie survived my years as a P-plater and now carries me to and from Castlemaine week after week... But I am beginning to fear that Saabie’s life is coming to an end. Recently, its been taking a lot more for Saabie to get up and going each day, and this afternoon, when I stopped at the petrol station he wouldn’t get going again. Now because I am not completely car illiterate I thought that it was probably just a dead battery, which was no biggie, so I rang the RACV and they came and checked him out. Despite the fact that it was a jump start I needed to get going again, the RACV man tells me that my battery is fine, and every thing is charging fine and that he is not sure what it is. Now this along with some other little problems, like the fact that my cruise control is no more are beginning to make me think that over 500kms a week is too much and that perhaps this is the beginning of the end. I am not really ready to safe goodbye, and I can’t really afford a new one. So I guess for now we just ride it out, but perhaps someday soon I will need to say goodbye.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Dexter's New Home

2010-01-27T13:19:00.030+11:00

Well its been a little while since I posted a blog about my little dog and there have been a couple of reasons for this:

1. Nothing really that interesting has happened to him...he did go for his first swim at the beach but other than that, not much.

2. I figured that after the influx of posts when I first got him, it was only fair that I gave everyone a break and...

3. He hasn't been living with me.

This last reason is something that I am a little sad about, because I love him to bits (despite our initial struggles) and I miss him stacks, none the less he is a very active dog and I have a very small house in which he has to get locked in all day because my landlord keeps letting him out and the poor little thing is just a puppy with no road sense.

Anyway, over summer, and a little bit before that, Dex has been living with Mum, Dad, the boys and his new best friend, Harley and the two have been getting very attached to each other. And while this has been good for them, because they have become good company for each other, eventually, when I get a bigger house, I would really like Dex to come back and live with me, but the more attached he gets to Harley the harder this will be to do. So this week I have made a decision (well not just me, in-conjunction with the others involved, except Dex and Harley, because they are dogs and they can't talk), one that I think is best for both Dex and me. Until I workout how to have Dexter up in Castlemaine, in order to prevent two very depressed little dogs, Dex is moving in with Dave.

So last night, Dex spent his first night in his new place, and he looks pretty happy there... The other good thing about this arrangement is that Dave (or so he says) will bring dex up to visit sometimes, which is exciting because I really miss him. I just hope that he is a good boy and doesn't destroy to much...

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Australia Day - # 41

2010-01-26T13:19:00.014+11:00

Just like my last blog, today’s is filled with a number of super Australian things I have done today, which I guess is appropriate given that it is in fact Australia Day. So Happy Australia Day to you all!

Here is my super Australian Australia Day…

10:30am – woke up in Inverloch after a beautiful sleep in to find a fantastic summer day!

11:00am – 1:00pm – Dave, Kat and I were joined by Brad and Mim and together we watched some tennis and cricket on the telly

1:00pm – Had a sausage sizzle for lunch

2:30-5:00pm Soaked up the sun and surf at the beach

8:00-9:30pm Enjoyed a Australia Day spectacular at the Blackburn Sound Shell, were I caught up with Mum, dad and Jake and then completed my day quite nicely with fireworks, allowing me to cross #41 – see some fireworks, off the list.

So there you go, what better way is there to spend Australia day than with friends, family, sausages, beach, Australian tunes and fireworks…it just doesn’t get better than that.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Tennis

2010-01-24T13:20:00.005+11:00

There are some super Australian things to do over summer, for example, going to the beach, eating out side, having a BBQ, and if you are a Victorian going to, or at least watching some of the Australian Open tennis. It doesn’t seem to matter whether or not you actually like tennis, you just do it. Take me for instance, the only tennis I ever watch is the Australian Open, and most years I even go to the tennis for the day, much like I did today. I don’t really have any idea what’s going on or who anyone actually is, although I can pull out some names and rankings if I have to, and this year I even have the Australian Open app on my iPhone to help me pull it off just that little bit more convincingly. Normally, I get sucked in by the end, declaring someone my favourite player and another my enemy, I cheer and get excited, make all the right crowd noises and generally have a great time. But the truth is even though I like to go to the tennis and I do get a bit caught up in it all while I am there, the reason I agree to go in the first place is not the tennis at all. The tennis has a great atmosphere, some great shopping at times (not this year though due to the fact that Garnier is no longer a major sponsor…so no freebies from the infamous Garnier tent) but it’s also a great way to get a tan and not get in trouble for sitting in the sun. Although, also being a bit of a paranoid hypochondriac I always slip, slop, slap, unlike like Dave…who now has a nice red and white chestie outline.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Classic Disney

2010-01-23T13:21:00.026+11:00

This morning I gave 3D a second chance, this time I allowed it to mess with a classic, giving it an all or nothing ultimatium...and this time the 3D movies proved themselves as worthy in my books. This morning, Kitty, Ben and I went and saw 2 Disney classics in 3D - Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2, and they were fantastic.

This time I wore my regular glasses and to my surprise they fit under the 3D glasses with no dramas at all. However 3Ds haven't been given the all clear just yet, because there were a number of 'variables' that had changed. For example:

1. The movie was at 9:50am, not 9:40pm, so I was much more awake

2. I had swaped my contacts for my glasses and....

3. Lets face it, Toy Story isn't really fast pace and there are not really any full on action scenes so its hard to compare the movies.

All I know is it was very enjoyable this time, and perhaps I was quick to ride off 3D...perhaps it needs some more, as Dave would say, independent research.

Oh and on a completely different note, I was very fascinated by the fact that in the cinema there were more young adults of similar age to myself, than kids...including a group of boys...who did not on first impression appear to be Toy Story kind of guys...I guess from this I can take two things 1. Kids these days don't appreciate classic Disney and 2. Everyone loves Disney...even if they don't look like they will.

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Skype

2010-01-17T13:23:00.009+11:00

I know I only said this like a week ago but skype is seriously very impressive, today while out in Hoppers Crossing (yes...it is a long way from any of my homes!) having lunch with my high school buddies, we chatted to Kempy who is currently living in the states and it was almost like she was there with us. We could see her, talk to her, play games with her and have fun and it was very very cool, it really is magic that you can do that... how exactly it works still boggles my mind, but so does the telephone and wireless anything, so I guess that's not hard. I think I need to get more into skype though cos we talke with Kempy for like 2hours and it was still free...and that is just nuts.

Skype...you amaze me.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Triple Date

2010-01-16T13:23:00.018+11:00

Tonight I went on a triple date, a step up, or sideways, or something from the double date I got so excited about back in October, tonight's triple date was with Dusty and Jake and their girlfriends Jess and Cassie. Its not something that I have done before, but it was nice. In true dork style, we went out for dinner and then bowling, and I didn't even lose.

Anyway, it was nice to hang out with my brothers and their women, perhaps its something we should do more often...I guess it is a sign that we are all growing up, and soon, although not too soon I hope, I will be hanging out with my brothers and my sister-in-laws...crazy...who would have thought that these three kids...(please see photo to your left) would be out...in public... without their gameboys and with their significant others, bowling...crazy, imagine that...growing up.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Kitchen Table

2010-01-13T11:08:00.007+11:00

I have heard numerous people talk about the joys of the simple things in life and tonight I got experience that joy. It's just something simple, but something that I had taken for granted for so long, something that I didn't realise I liked so much until I didn't have one for a while and then got it back... confused yet? Well tonight I was able to enjoy the simple pleasure of eating at a kitchen table! I know it sounds ridiculous, but tonight when Flic came over for tea, we sat at a little card table in the middle of what I guess is technically the kitchen and it was lovely. Simple but what a joy. I miss having a table to eat at that is there all the time and doesn't have to be folded away so that you can get to everything. One day, I will have a house big enough for a kitchen table... one day

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Just not quick enough

2010-01-12T11:09:00.011+11:00

Maybe no one else experiences this, but my eyes can't keep up with 3D movies...I am just not that quick...tonight I went to see Avatar in 3D with Jana and Sam and after careful consideration I decided that I needed to wear my glasses to the movies because otherwise I would have that that whole two pairs at once thing going on and I decided that probably wouldn't work. It turns out though perhaps I made the wrong choice...because I was a little tired, my eyes were dry and as a result my contacts took just a little bit too long to focus so I found it difficult to watch the faster 3D bits in the movie.

This is a bit of a shame, because I was super excited about 3D and now....not so much, in fact I think for now I will just stick to my glasses and normal 2D.

But just out of curiosity...does anyone else experience issues with 3D or is it just me?

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

The Cool Change - # 96

2010-01-11T11:13:00.018+11:00

I have resisted blogging about the temperature for two reasons:

1. everyone knows its friggin hot and they don't want to be reminded

2. no one cares - they are too hot!

...that was until now! Now that the cool change has hit its a whole new story, the cool change has brought with it relief but also some inspiration. Over the last couple of days my house has become really really messy, I would like to put the full blame on the heat, but that would be a lie, however some of the blame does fall there. The inspiration that came with the cool change was a fresh desire to clean my house, and clean it I did, I swept and vacuumed, in fact I did such amazing cleaning I even vacuumed upstairs which means I can now cross #96 - Vacuum the upstairs of my house, off the list. I couldn't take a photo because it just didn't work, so you will just have to trust me on this...but it is clean and oh my is it nice to have the refreshing cool change and the refreshing feeling of a cool house.

Oh and in case you just didn't understand why this was so difficult...this is a picture of the 'upstairs' of my house...yes that little bit up the top of the ladder...and that's without the mattress I sleep on...

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Flying through the list - # 58, # 62

2010-01-10T11:11:00.034+11:00

Well I am flying through the list so far... Today, only 10 days in, I can cross to more things off my list...The first one was under sad circumstances though... let me explain...

This morning I was able to cross off #58 Attend Bendigo Corps, however it was to say farewell to Quentin and Susanne, who have been the officers there for the last 3years and are now heading to South Australia to an appointment there. Over the past year I have been really grateful for Quentin and Susanne and the love and support they have given me. When I moved away from home, mum reminded me that I was a salvo so I was going to have a family close enough and it is really true. After a little bit of initial phone hockey, Susanne invited me to join a cell group at the corps and it has been one of the best things I have done up here. It has given me some free meals, something to do every second week, but most of all some new friends that I will never forget, and even though I haven't been there on Sunday's it has given me a salvo family to belong to up here. It has also allowed me to get to know both Quentin and Susanne and their lovely kids...which you may have noticed I have blogged about before. And while I know the army world is small, and the magic of facebook is awesome, I will miss having them around and having a good laugh, but I know that they will be doing incredible things in SA and I have to let them go. So thanks guys so much for everything that you have done and for helping settle in up here in the country, you will definitely be missed.

The other thing I was able to cross off my list is a little less emotional...this afternoon I purchased a new set top box for my TV (#62). Luckily for me Davo was up in Castlemaine for a visit so he set it all up for me and it is ready to go, with a lovely clear picture and lots more channels...although it does appear at this stage I am missing channel 9 in all shapes and forms but I am sure it will show up when its ready.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Dance like Dave's not watching

2010-01-09T11:16:00.053+11:00

Confidence is not something that I have a lot of. You may be a little surprised by this, but it is true, I find it really difficult to really be myself, I am always worrying about what people with think or say and while I have become more confident in who I am over the last couple of years, it is something that I still need to work on.

One thing I really love to do though is dance. I am not a very good dancer and this is mostly due to a 'co-ordination deficiency' which is a very seriously genetic disorder, that unfortunately has been passed down the Lewis family line, so as you can imagine, I don't do it very often, but when I do...oh when I do... I really let my hair down, so to speak. I really like that quote that says 'Dance like no one is watching' however I think that in my case it's more like 'Dance like Dave's not watching' because even though we have been going out for so long, I don't like to make a fool of myself in front of him...at least not with my dancing anyway, not because he will love me less, but because I think that I could possibly be a little embarrassing, I know he will say he doesn't care and he just wanted me to be me...but I know its true deep down inside.

Anyway, tonight I attended Stobie's farewell shin dig and once the crowd had died down and I was there with a few close buddies of mine I decided that it was time for them to see me dancing...not just a little bit of dancing, but 'dancing like Dave's not watching' dancing. They hadn't seen my full on dancing before because I normally leave that to parties where everyone else is drunk so that they won't remember the quality of my dancing (ironic, given my last blog), but I was feeling particularly comfortable, so I decided that tonight was the night (it probably helped that Dave wasn't there either). Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say that I love it. It really is very freeing and thankfully it all went down ok, no one thought I was super weird or anything...not even when I pulled out my favourite, and original, interpretive dance move...plastic bag in the wind.

Perhaps I will need to start finding more situations to get my dance on, and to dance like Dave's not watching...even if he is...who knows, maybe one day he will even dance with me. That would be nice (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

Oh and that's a picture of me getting my groove on...while singing...pretty...I know.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Alcohol

2010-01-08T11:17:00.031+11:00

Tonight I saw something that made me a little sad. Tonight while waiting for the train to Melbourne I saw two guys that were just drunk off their nut. And while people get drunk all the time, I think what took me by surprise with these guys was that I wasn't out late, or in the city, or even anywhere near a pub, but instead I was just sitting at the station at 7pm, in the daylight.

The thing is, even though I don't drink, I don't really have a problem with alcohol, I am fine with a casual drink, a drink while your out, in fact I really don't care what people do with grog, but I get upset when I see it interfere with people's lives. Now I guess I was probably in the wrong because when I watched these two mates at the station, I was a bit judgmental, they were loud, disruptive and being a bit offensive and I have to admit it didn't make me think to highly of them. It did, however, make me wonder what they could have been doing... whether this was normal or perhaps whether it was just a once off. It just made me wonder why as well i guess, what is the point of being that drunk, why were that they that drunk? What was happening in their lives that had lead to this...

This year, amongst lots of other patients I have seen a number of people that are detoxing from an alcohol addiction and every time I speak to these patients I am surprised at the fact that they are just regular people who have just had a rough trot, or something happen, or are in a lot of pain, but they don't fit the picture of what I expect an 'alcoholic' to look like and I guess I just wonder why its alcohol that people turn too and why its so crippling and while I don't really have any answers, i guess I just wanted to vent a little, you know put it out there and just wonder out loud a little.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Back to work

2010-01-04T13:52:00.014+11:00

Here is something that is probably exceedingly obvious...it really really suck to be going back to work while everyone else is still on holidays! Its not that I don't like my job, I actually really like it, but the thing is, Mum, Dad, Jake, Dustin, Dave and most of my friends are still on holidays....everyone except me and I am not happy about it.

Oh and just to top it off, today I started on a new ward and it was nuts...busy busy busy and I didn't really know my way around, but I am sure I will get my head around it soon enough.

Anyway, the point of this blog is just to whinge...I wish I was still on holidays :(, I already told you I am not made for full time and I miss my 3 month uni break...

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Technology is Magic

2010-01-03T13:53:00.011+11:00

Just in case you hadn't already read the title of this blog, technology is magic. Today I was lucky enough to share in the dedication of my new friend Samuel Jude Kean. But what made his dedication even more special than others I have witnessed in the past was the magic of skype. With the help of skype and some computer extraordinaires, Matt's parents in Newfoundland in Canadia were able to be part of the service taking place on the other side of the world. I am not really sure what else I can say about it, other than it was something really special and it just made me realise how lucky I am to live in a world where things like skype exist.

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

The Princess and the Frog - # 80

2010-01-01T13:56:00.021+11:00

Well, One day in and I can already knock something on off the list! Today Disney's Princess and the Frog was released at cinemas, and being the Disney fan I am I was there straight away and I dragged Davo and Kitty with me!

I have been waiting for this movie to be released for a long time, so I am glad that its finally here. The thing is this Disney film is no ordinary Disney film, in fact it is very special, why? I hear you ask, well let me tell you...

There are two things that make this Disney movie different, the first is this is the first Disney movie to have a black American as the princess, sure they have had white girls, an American Indian even an Asian, but until now, no black Americans, so it was just nice to see. The second thing that makes this movie a little different is the fact that it goes back to the old style of Disney, just like the days Aladdin and the Little Mermaid. Its not digital, or by Pixar, but traditionally animated...and its good. Oh and it has a great sound track just like it should too!

So there you go number 80 is crossed off the list.

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

The List...Take 2

2010-01-01T10:56:00.001+11:00

Happy New Year!

A couple of years ago, all the way back in 2007 I had a list. It was a list that brought challenges, adventures, excitement, laughter and some silliness to my year and after not having one for two years I think its time the list made a come back. Like 2007's list, 2010's list has all kids of things on it, some things to keep me entertained, somethings to keep me accountable, somethings to make me a better person and somethings just because I can. I think the thing I like about the list is the fact that is gives me some hard evidence of the things I achieve no matter how petty or small they might be. It means that this time next year I will be able to look back and have, hopefully, 100 things I have done this year, as well as the things that aren't on the list.

So, just like last time, if there is anything you would like to do with me, or could help me with, just let me know, that would be great. Hopefully as the year goes by I will be able to tick them off this not so little list and put up photo or at least a blog about it... Anyway, here is the new list...

1. Lose weight (goal of 15kgs)

2. Learn guitar, again - be able to play at least 1 radio song

3. Go interstate

4. Be on time - or at the very least not late to everything

5. Do my devotions 5nights each week

6. Sing with Pa

7. Bake meringues

8. Exercise 3times each week

9. Take a dance lesson

10. Go without TV for a week

11. Play a game of netball

12. Visit an Australian county town I haven't been to before

13. Go to Inverloch with Pheebs & Kirsten

14. Try beef jerky

15. Try durian fruit

16. Do something different with my hair

17. Drink a bottle of water everyday

18. Have a piece of fruit everyday

19. Go to the zoo

20. Go to a theme park

21. Write 10 cards just because

22. Have 2 'diet coke free' days each week

23. Write a kids nutrition book

24. See a musical

25. Set up my salary packaging

26. Cook at least 1 home cooked meal each week

27. Go to the beach at least 4 times

28. Go to a river

29. Have 5 singing lessons

30. Go overseas

31. Run a 1/2 marathon

32. Try 2 new recipes a month

33. Keep my car free of rubbish

34. Once again try to not push the snooze button and just get up

35. Meet the rest of Dave's rellies

36. Scan my photos onto my computer

37. Use my IMAX voucher

38. Use my drive in voucher

39. Watch a sunset over the country hills

40. Stand out in the rain

41. See some fireworks

42. Read 6 books

43. Take Dexter to puppy school

44. Buy a new handbag

45. Have a massage

46. Play a board-game

47. Eat fairy bread

48. Paint a picture

49. Go camping

50. See a movie in gold class

51. Visit Pez in Kilmore

52. Catch up with my uni mates for dinner

53. Go to a school concert of Dave's

54. Keep my herb garden alive and use some of them in my cooking

55. Go to the DAA conference

56. Have a dinner party with a 3 course meal

57. Attend a service at Castlemaine corps

58. Attend a service at Bendigo corps

59. Attend a service at Leongatha corps

60. Test drive a car

61. Visit my great grandma

62. Get a set top box for my telly - or a new telly?

63. Make a fire ready pack for my car

64. Get my blog up to date and keep it that way

65. Go to a wedding

66. Have the TV off by 11pm on weeknights

67. Only buy lunch from work twice a week

68. Go to at least 4 exercise classes

69. Go on a road trip

70. Get a hands free kit for my car

71. Paint my toenails

72. Catch up with my high school friends for dinner

73. Don't crash my car or anyone elses

74. Fix up scrap books of bits and pieces

75. Wash my car or get my car washed at least 3 times

76. Win something

77. Finish watching McLeod's Daughters

78. Actively practice turning the telly off and just listening to music

79. Obey the speed limit

80. See Disney's Princess and the frog

81. Keep my desk at work and at home tidy

82. Fix up my super stuff

83. Go on a roller-coaster

84. Make a time capsule

85. Grow a plant from a seed

86. Get tadpoles

87. Investigate MobileMe

88. Learn a magic trick

89. Send a message in a bottle

90. Make a new friend

91. Make something in origami

92. Make up my own word

93. Invent a new game

94. Glue some coins to my floor

95. Bake some cookies

96. Vacuum the upstairs of my house

97. Spend a day with my brothers

98. Make my own jewelery for a special date

99. Learn to play the bongos

100. Go on a date day

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Goodbye 2009

2009-12-31T13:58:00.042+11:00

Here we are at the last day of 2009. What a year it has been, who would have thought that this year would have seen me not only get my first full time job, but also move out of home, get a dog and learn to be independent? Certainly not me! I can't believe how much I have grown this year, its been pretty massive really, and even as I sit here and write this I am still a little overwhelmed about everything that has happened in 2009. But instead of doing a recap of the year, I am just going to tell you about my new years...because tonight I have reached a whole new level of cool, oh and the fact that you already have most of my year documented on this blog.

The day started out very nicely with breakfast in Inverloch with Dad, Dave and Jake and then a morning swim at the beach, which was more like an ice bath that was super refreshing in the heat of the sun! After that we packed up our stuff and headed back to Melbourne. Tonight we (Dave and I) have been having a bbq pool party, well actually it was really just a pool party for me because I didn't swim as there was lightening and you aren't supposed to swim in a storm, but anyway, we saw the new year come in, no thanks to the tv count down, which seemed to have very little idea when 2010 was actually coming, and then once everyone left...well that' when the party started. Once Kitty and I had the house, well the living room to ourselves, we played mario on the wii and boy did we go hard...we played mario until 5:30am because that's what all the cool kids do! The only downside to this is really the fact that if I wanted to de-nerdify a little in 2010, this probably wasn't the best start, but it was fun so what can you do.

Oh and Kitty made another one of her amazing cakes...this time appropriately new years themed.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Inverloch

2009-12-26T13:59:00.014+11:00

So I got a new camera for Christmas and while I have been down at the beach I have been taking some happy snaps! So even though I don't have anything super exciting to say today, I do have some pictures to share:

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Christmas Run Down - No.5

2009-12-25T14:00:00.076+11:00

Well we made it to the final Christmas run down, so without further ado:

On the Eleventh day of Christmas something I did do:

Carols by candlelight

A true Australian Christmas tradition, Christmas wouldn't be the same without it. Sure sometimes its corny, but its just such a nice thing to do on Christmas eve, sitting around with your mates and watching the carols. I was a little disappointed that this years carols didn't feature Dennis Walter singing the Holy City...it just doesn't quite feel like Christmas without it, but I guess I will just have to get over it, because it didn't happen. What did redeem the carols in a big way though was Silvie Paladino singing Your Grace Still Amazes Me... incredible. So while I just watched it from the comfort of Kitty's lounge, I did get to go to the rehearsal the night before...which was super fun... and also with kitty, oh and Annie too.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas something I did do:

Celebrate Jesus' Birthday

Well i guess this is the whole point of Christmas, celebrating Jesus' birth, the celebrations started at 8am when Jake and I went to see what Santa brought and then we headed off to church were I meet Buzz Lightyear...its true. After church we headed out to do the family thing, Lunch at Gran and Pa's and then Dinner with Meg and Wayne. I really love Christmas Day, when else do you get to just spend the day hanging out with your family and eat? Anyway, I am off to enjoy the rest of my night...

Merry Christmas everyone...I will leave you with the song...from the top.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas something I did do:

Celebrate Jesus' Birthday

Carols by Candlelight

Almost missed my solo
Nativity the Musical
Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Gingerbread

2009-12-24T20:16:00.001+11:00

I have decided that I actually like to cook... I still don't do it very often but I enjoy it and this week while I was cooking some Christmas presents I learnt something very important...which leads me to cooking tip number 5...

Tip 5: Silicon baking trays are risky!

This is something that Dave and I learnt the hard way as we watched the cookies we had just break slide into the middle of the tray and crush each other. So I guess the lesson is to stick with the normal trays...they are much sturdier. Luckily we learnt from our mistakes and the gingerbread men turned out pretty good.

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

iPhone

2009-12-23T14:02:00.012+11:00

Normally I am not one to boast, but today I have some super exciting news....I am now the proud owner of an iPhone. I have wanted one for a really long time but because I am a bit...well a huge commitmentphobe I didn't want to go on a contract, and I couldn't afford to buy one out right, and while neither of those two things have changed, I have given in and I am glad I did because I love it. I never wanted to be one of those people that become so super addicted to their iPhones that they don't really function without it, but I can already tell, as much as I don't want to, soon I will be one...and there doesn't seem to be much I can do.

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Christmas Run Down - No. 4

2009-12-20T14:03:00.019+11:00

On the Tenth day of Christmas something I did do:

Almost missed my solo...

Yep thats right, I almost missed my solo with the songsters this morning. You wouldn't have thought it was possible but it happened. This morning I was out, taking advantage of the fact that I didn't need to be at church for the first time in a long time when I got a text from the songster leader..."Are you coming to church to sing?" I was a little taken back by the message as I knew I was doing a solo with the songsters but I thought that I was singing at the 6pm carols service, not the 11am...so I wrote back exactly that...only to get the response... "no the 11, not the 6". So with that I jumped in the car and raced to church. Walked in sang a congregational song, then got up and performed my solo with the songsters, no army uniform, no salvo t-shirt, in fact not even dressed that nice, just in some casual sunday clothes complete with my new favourite shoes. But I sang the song and then I left, ready to return for the carols service tonight...which it turns out I don't have to sing in. Oops.

Nativity the Musical
Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

I guess that's all part of the adventure!

Christmas Run Down - No.3

2009-12-18T23:03:00.000+11:00

Ok so you know the drill, no need for introductions, lets just sing...

On the Seventh day of Christmas something I did do:
Eat lots if food

It's not really surprising, I mean I love food at the best of times and at Christmas it's in your face all the time! However this Christmas has been full on food wise, especially over the last couple of days. In the space of two days I attended three end of year breakups all of which involved food. I had Indian with me cell ladies, breakfast with my dietitian friends and afternoon tea with work, it was full on and delicious. However, as if all the parties weren't enough, they also included bringing food. I know a little while ago I wrote a blog about the pressure I felt when taking food because when you are a dietitian people expect you to be able to cook, which isn't always true, in fact in my case, it couldn't be further from the truth. However I think this Christmas I have excelled. Seriously check this out... For our dietetics breakup our Christmas gift rule was, the gift had to be home made, and because I leave everything until the last minute, mine was edible, coz let's face it... It shouldn't take that long to cook something, but homemade good homemade craft…way too long. So I decided that I would make truffles and check them out... The look awesome even if I say so myself! Now because I don't do things in halves, one amazing success for the day wasn't enough, no I kept going. That afternoon, at my work CRC breakup, I introduced my CRC friends in Castlemaine to the heaven that is toblerone dip. I must admit though I was a little shocked that they had never heard of it before, maybe it's a salvo thing, but it, like the truffles, were a hit!

Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Eighth day of Chirstmas something I did do:
Shopping centre Carols

Yep you read that right, on my one ADO before Christmas I caroled. It probably didn’t help that Dave was in charge of caroling this year so I didn’t get much choice, but it was just like old times! I was caroling with Pheebs at forest hill this morning, something that we haven’t done for a number of years, but after a few rough numbers we were in out element. Nothing feels more Chirstmasy then racing to say the number of the next carol, or smiling to the little old ladies that stand and watch you play, or even wish a little kid a merry Christmas with a bad rendition of jingle bells (no.100). I can’t say I would rush back and do day after day like Dave and Benny did but it was fun while it lasted. Oh and just between you and me, I think Dave was a little annoyed that us girls brought in so much money…what can I say Davo…they love us!

Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Ninth day of Christmas something I did do:
Nativity the musical:

Once again, this is something that I blogged about a little while ago, but that’s okay, because that blog was all about the fact that I was going to be in a musical, and now its done! Tonight was sooooooo much fun, an experience I will never forget. I was so nervous before hand, but once I was out there under the lights and in costume, everything else seemed to fade away and I just did it. It was so good.

Everyone did an amazing job, especially Benny, my joe, he is one very funny man! I really hope this isn’t the last musical I get to do, because, I know I have said this three times already in one paragraph, but it was just so much fun. Oh and just to make it even more special, two of my good mates from Bendigo, Jana and Sam came all the way down to Melbourne, just to see it. I was sp surprised to see them there, but it meant a lot to me that they came! So thanks to everyone that came, and a massive thanks to Renee for giving me this opportunity…it was the best.

Shopping Centre Carols
Eat lots of Food
Conversation Cards
More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate

Sing with my Pa
Bendigo's Christmas Lights
and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

FHEEEEW…well we are almost there…Just 3 days to go!

To be continued…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Christmas Run Down - No. 2

2009-12-15T14:06:00.060+11:00

So it must be time for another Christmas run down... but first, just to clarify for Dave's sake...you will find the lyrics fit better to the tradition tune not because it is actually any different but rather because it is slower... So just in case you missed the first one we will sing it from the beginning...

On the Third day of Christmas something I did do:

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Forth day of Christmas something I did see:

Come Celebrate:

This has become a Christmas tradition...although this year it came with a very very very nasty surprise. For 5 and a half years now...well actually maybe not quite that long...i guess depending on...well actually just keep reading.... for the last few years at very least I had what I thought was a fantastic memory of Blackburn carols...come celebrate. It was a memory of one of the first few times I had met Davo. He was playing in the Box Hill Big Band and they were playing at the carols. After the evening, I plucked up lots and lots of courage and went to see Dave. He was wearing his Salvo T-shirt, Jeans and those crazy blue shoes. Anyway, after a brief chat with Beas and Mim tonight, it turns out this memory is....WRONG. It never happened. The Big Band has never done come celebrate so how could Dave have played in it? Well this little moment of truth has rocked my world. How could I have a wrong memory??? Seriously how does that even happen? Well let me tell you...it appears that I have confused two memories...Dave playing in a different band at carols without the blue shoes or jeans and another event at Blackburn sound shell where Dave was playing in the big band...it does kind of make sense but it does make me wonder how much more I have made up!

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Fifth day of Christmas something I did see:

More Christmas Lights:

These weren't just any lights though, they are crazy christmas lights...like intense crazy. They are in Narracan Street in my old hood of vermont south and well the are just full on...I can't really explain it so just have a look at the photo...

Come Celebrate
Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

On the Sixth day of Christmas something I did use:

Conversation Cards:

To be honest, conversation cards are not things that I have had much time for in the past. My opinion was why can't you just think of your own stuff to talk about, I don't think having the questions prescripted was actually going to make things less awkward, in fact I was convinced it would probably make things more awkward. Anyway, that was until two days ago when Sally from work showed me some that she had got as a Kris Kringle present. After actually looking at them I changed my mind, I decided they were great and actually went and got some to give as a Kris Kringle present of my own, and do you know what??? They were a hit. We used them tonight at my Bendigo Cell group break up and it was a lot of fun...There is a freedom with conversation cards, because you aren't answering a nosy question from a friend, but just a card, you can say it like it is and its good! Never again will I poo poo conversation cards.

More Christmas Lights
Come Celebrate

Sing with my Pa

Bendigo's Christmas Lights

and A Pageant with the Kids from Kids Church

Well there you go, 6 days down, 6 to go....Hope you are enjoying the sing-a-long as much as me!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

More New Friends

2009-12-12T14:07:00.016+11:00

Today has been a massive day, and I have been flat out for most of it. But two things in particular make today super special...Today I made two new friends... let me tell you about them:

1. Samuel Jude Kean - well I guess he didn't really get a choice, I just decided that because he was matt and Fee's baby, he had to be my friend, today was just the first time we met and I tell you what he is sooooo beautiful! There isn't really much more I can say other than Congrats Matt and Fee you have such a beautiful baby boy!

2. Was a little more random. After an amazing evening with my good friend Claire enjoying the sweet sounds and very very attractive good looks of Keith Urban at his Concert at Rod Laver Arena we caught the train back to my car at Box Hill. However at the station while buying our tickets (which in hindsight I don't actually think we needed to do) Claire and I were asked for assistance by a french lady, we, being the lovely girls that we are, of course said yes and helped her also purchase the unnecessary ticket. She then told us that she needed to go to Canterbury station but wasn't sure how to as she had lost the group that she was traveling with and they had just told her to catch the train and that she would be fine. So as Canterbury is on the same line as Box Hill we told her to come with us. Being super late at night we had half an hour before the train, so we got to know our new friend a little better. It turns out that she is French, but she has been living in Wagga Wagga for the past 3 years. She got married in France this year, but her husband is still there, but he is coming over to see her for the first time since the wedding (which was 6months ago) to see her for Christmas. All of a sudden the 2hours between Dave and I didn't seem that far! Anyway, it was pretty random, and I guess she is pretty lucky that she bumped into Claire and I at 11:30pm at Richmond station and not someone else.

Oh and here is my favourite photo of Keith from the concert...coz I know that you want to see it...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Rawards

2009-12-11T14:08:00.034+11:00

One of the other good things about December, other than summer and Christmas is Rawards. What is Rawards you might ask? Well its an interesting, when you look at it at the most basic level it is the Box Hill Salvos Youth Break-up Party, but it is so much more than that! Its a dance party, its a great feed, its a chance for you to win something, its a fun time to hang out with your mates and most of all its a great chance to dress up.

Now my friends and I pride ourselves on our Raward costumes and seeing as though it appears I have deprived you of these for my entire blogging history, here is a recap of the costumes thus far....

2005 - TV Logies - Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this one on my computer, but I can tell you it was good. The team went as the cast of Chris lily's 'We can be Heroes'. It was our first united front complete with:

Kat as Pat 'I am going to roll around Australia' Mullens
Brad as Phil 'I saved those kids from the jumping castle' Olivetti

Miriam as Ricky 'Supernerd and musical extraordinaire' Wong

Myself as Ja'mie 'I've got hundreds of sponsor kids' King

and Dave, who gets a special mention as he spent the night as both Daniel 'I donated my ear' and Nathan 'I'm a bit deaf' Sims.

2006 - TV Show theme - hence the 5 of us came as Grey's Anatomy, special mention goes out to Brad who was painted black to be just like Burke. (I feel in light of recent events I must also mention that this was not done with any racial intentions...we just needed a burke to go with our more natural Christina)

2007 - Disney - Is there a better Disney team than the Increadibles? Complete with Mr Incredible himself. This time there is a dishonorable mention to Brad who was conveniently overseas for Rawards this year.

2008 - Op Shop Formal - and while it was not a team effort there were some very special outfits.

and finally 2009 - Heroes and Villians themed - and I think one of our best efforts yet - the Ninja Turtles. Complete with green and weapons. Oh and another dishonorable mention to Brad who once again managed to be overseas for Rawards...perhaps he is avoid us and our awesome costumes.

who knows what we will be in 2010!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Christmas Run Down - No. 1

2009-12-10T22:09:00.006+11:00

Not surprisingly I am already behind on my blogs for December, so in an attempt to keep the world informed, but not bored, I have decided to do some Christmas run downs. This means that when I forget to blog at the time, instead of giving you the primary school holiday diary in back dated blog after back dated blog, I am going to sum it all up in one blog for a few…just to keep things moving. And I just decided right then, that I am only going to talk about 12 Christmas things…kind of like my very own 12 days of Christmas…maybe I will even try and make it fit the song???

Here goes …. (just sing it, it works trust me)

On the first day of Christmas something I did see…
Was a pageant with kids from kids church:

So this Sunday just gone was the kids church pageant, my last official duty as Kids Church leader. I managed to get through the whole morning without tears…well almost, I did cry a little when I said goodbye to Dusty, Jess and Brad, but they were flying out to the US the next day and I wasn’t going to see them for 6 weeks. The morning went almost smoothly, but it was a lot of fun. Nicely done kids.

On the Second day of Christmas something I did see…
(you have to sing real fast…) Bendigo’s Christmas Lights:

After a lovely dinner at Clogs, Dave, Jana, Sam and I went driving all around Bendigo to see the Christmas lights…and I must say I tip my hat to you Bendigo, job well done! As the trip wasn’t supper planned, we were driving blind…perhaps next year we will have to get the lights map from home hardware which tells you were to go, but it didn’t matter because it seemed that Jana had a 6th sense for Christmas lights, so we weren’t disappointed. Although, being little miss Christmas spirit I like to do lights with blaring Christmas tunes, but I was restricted, by Sam, to playing my favourite one and nothing else…I think Dave was a bit happy Sam put his foot down, my Christmas music can be overwhelming.

And a pageant with kids from kids church.

On the Third day of Christmas something I did do:
Sing with my Pa:

This is something that is becoming a Christmas tradition…well at least I hope it is anyway, its only its second year, but that’s better than one right? Anyway, tonight I was in Melbourne, doing a Christmas carol service for the good people at Hayville, with Pa, Heather (Pa’s singing /gigging friend) and Dave. The night is just a simple night with carols, but what I like the most about it is the fact that I get to sing with Pa. Pa has always sung, and I have always sung, but it was only a couple of years ago that I think we performed together, and I love it. There is just something about it, I guess you would say it’s special. Anyway, the point is I love singing with him…and I hope that there are many more years of singing together to come.

Bendigo’s Christmas lights
And a pageant with kids from kids church.

To be continued…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Brave to the max

2009-12-04T14:12:00.004+11:00

Just in case you were wondering…I can be super brave when I want to be! Take today for example, today I attended a Dietitian’s Professional Development day and I went armed with some hard questions for the speakers. Now normally I would have all these questions but then chicken out at the last minute because I didn’t want to make a scene. Sometimes I even get lucky and someone else asks for me, but not today. Today I stood up for myself and other rural practitioners and asked my hard questions. I wasn’t rude, or demanding, I just asked what need to be asked, and while I didn’t really get any answers, I feel like the seed has been planted. Oh and just in case you were wondering, yes I am a bit proud of myself…hence the blog.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Fire Ready

2009-12-01T14:12:00.006+11:00

Sometimes I get a little paranoid about things, and one thing that I am particularly frightened of is bush fire. This isn’t a new fear, but it has certainly been exacerbated by black Saturday. I still remember as a little girl having nightmares that the fires in the Dandenong’s would travel down burwood highway and get me in Vermont South. I used to be able to talk my self out of it, but now I just tend to take stuff with me everywhere, just in case of fire. For example for most of last summer I drove around with all my photo albums in the boot of my car, just to be safe.

The thing is with Castlemaine, Inverloch and Warrandyte (the suburb next to Donvale) all on the list of high fire risk places this year I am on alert, so when I saw an add at the post office for a community fire meeting, I figured that’s where I wanted to be. While the meeting was mostly about how defendable properties are and what you need to do to get ready, I feel like I have taken the first steps to being prepared. I have a fire plan and sometime before January I am going to make a fire ready pack for the boot of my car, just in case I get caught out. I know this might sound a little obsessive to you, but I am really worried. Since moving up to Castlemaine I have a new appreciation for dry land, and a desire for rain like never before. The thing is I can’t really stop a fire if it comes, but I guess I can be prepared and pray that my family, friends and I will be safe. So fire season, I think I am ready.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

let the count down begin

2009-12-01T09:30:00.003+11:00

So today is the 1st of December...so all thats left to say is let the count down begin...bring on the lights, the carols, the decorations, the food...all of it! Seriously is there a better time of year than Christmas...except for maybe my birthday, I can't think of any...actually you know what? Christmas is better than my birthday!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Another Goodbye

2009-11-28T14:07:00.030+11:00

It feels like only a few days ago that I was saying that I didn't like change, well today I made way for another change, today was the kids church breakup party. I knew that this was coming for a long time, but just like my room, it didn't make it any easier.

I know that giving up kids church was the right thing to do for next year, because if I couldn't give it my all then I didn't want to give it anything, because it wouldn't seem enough, although now that I am faced with the reality of my decision it seems a lot harder. I know that I will still see the kids, but I also know it won't be the same. Working with the kids, and being part of their lives has been such a privileged one I certainly haven't taken for granted.

Anyway, its been a lot of fun this year, sure its been tough at times, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world, and today was a fantastic way to celebrate it all. Oh and just to top it off I manages to get Dave to dress up like Santa...who would have thought.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

I could do this

2009-11-27T14:07:00.006+11:00

Sometimes I wonder what God is doing when it comes to the weather, this week it has been all over the shop, seriously…one day its hot, the next day its cold…what is going on? The thing is though, I think I could get used to it being like this. I really like summer, but sometimes when it is just so hot all the time, I don’t cope very well. I also really like summer rain (and yes every time I say or write, or even think the words ‘summer rain’ I too thing of the song…).

So perhaps this higgledy piggleldy weather isn’t so bad after all, maybe I could get used to it…in fact I think I could. I think I would be quite happy to have a summer of hot-cold-hot-cold weather, no that I think about it a little bit more, I think that would be quite nice. It would also help me with my bush fire panic a bit too, coz if its always raining…that’s gotta help.

I take it all back…I love this weather, bring on unpredictability….

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Three's a crowd

2009-11-23T14:02:00.006+11:00

So even though I live in a tiny house I still love to have people come and visit, but tonight I realized that my house isn’t made to have 3 people sleep there. Today Dusty and Jess drove up to Castlemaine for a visit. This was the first time Jess had seen my place and the second time for dusty, so I made sure everything was clean, I left a key out and made sure there was lots of coffee for Dust until I got home.

After a lovely dinner in Bendigo complete with a walk through the gardens with cold rock for dessert, we headed back to my place and watched a Christmas classic, Muppets Christmas Carol, Then we set up the beds, so I had my little spot up in the loft, Jess was on the couch and then Dusty was on a stretcher bed on the floor, but I tell you what there wasn’t much room left after that at all, it was very cozy. However, despite being on top of one another, it was a heaps fun night, complete with childhood reminiscing…it turns out Dusty and I have always been a little odd, well according to Jess anyway… I mean who else used to sing the decore shampoo add in the spa, using the bubbles as shampoo?

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Change

2009-11-20T14:05:00.011+11:00

I always thought that I was ok with change, perhaps not great, but ok. I have learned this weekend though that perhaps I am not so good at it. I like things to be familiar, I like knowing what to expect and I like what’s mine to stay mine.

This weekend I closed another chapter in my life. I guess until this moment I have half moved out of home, which even though I am slowly getting used to it, is still a big deal for me. So even though I spend at least 4 nights a week in Castlemaine, I still had my room in Melbourne there whenever I needed it. However, because I still had my large room, it meant that Jake still had his little tiny room upstairs, and because he is going into year 12 year, mum and dad decided it was only far for us to swap rooms.

So after about 2 months of denial, and 5months of refusal, the deed is done, the rooms are swapped and I don’t like it at all. I think the thing that I don’t like is not the fact that I have to sleep somewhere else, but rather the fact that my old room looks different…it looks like boy.

I think that maybe the other thing is the fact that my room was probably the only thing that has been constant since I moved. When I look back at this year, I feel like everything has changed and my life is almost unrecognizable. I know this is what's supposed to happen, and that it is making me grow as a person, but sometimes I wish I could just go back, I don’t know how far I would go…maybe not that far, but just far enough for things to feel familiar and safe. I now see why Peter Pan never wanted to grow up, being out there as your own person sucks. Its much better to be a little kid and not have to worry, but I know it doesn’t work that way. Sometimes things have to change, even if its not for my own benefit. I suppose that’s where my faith should kick in, trusting that God’s got it all under control and that I don’t need to panic, but its hard and sometimes even though its all sorted, it still hurts.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Twihard

2009-11-19T14:01:00.010+11:00

Sometimes I get sucked into things, I know you find that hard to believe but its true. The Twilight saga is one of these things, and thankfully I am not the only one.

When I moved up to Castlemaine I had to leave my Melbourne cell group behind, but because I didn’t want to miss out completely I found another one in Bendigo and it has been such a wonderful group to belong to. For most of the year it has just been Susanne, Dee and I, and towards the end of the year I finally met Jo as well.

Anyway, when we aren’t doing the study, there is a fairly high chance that Dee, Susanne and I are talking about twilight…we love it…and just for the record, I am team Edward, Dee is team Jacob…and Susanne…well she tends to change her mind, although I think Jake is currently winning. And so…it only seemed natural that we would attend the premier of New Moon together. So on Wednesday night, Susanne and I met at the cinemas nice and early, went and had some dinner and cold rock then headed back to the cinema to line up to that we would have awesome seats for the movie. Because we weren’t just seeing New Moon…no no no, we were seeing Twilight and New Moon, and unlike in Melbourne when you go and see something like this, there is no allocated seats. So Susanne and I lined up (Dee was at work) with all the 13-18year girls, a few older ones like us and I think 2 boys and waited to see the movie. And just in case you were wondering, it was soooooo worth it. I love doing things like that, I don’t really care how dorky you think I am, I still love it!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

It's Ladies Night

2009-11-16T14:00:00.004+11:00

I have recently discovered that I actually really like traditions, I think I like them because they are regular and they normally have some meaning attached to them. Anyway, tonight I had an Agnew family tradition, one which was started before I was born, but continues on just as good as ever.

Tonight was the Agnew annual Christmas ladies night out, where all the women on my Mum's side of the family go out to dinner to catch up. The tradition was actually started by my Granddad, as back in the day he used to take out Nana and his 3 daughters, but now, even though both Granddad and Nana are gone, his tradition still lives on.

I really like the ladies night out because often it's the only time I catch up with my aunties and cousins, something I wish I did more, but just don't. I also like the fact that even though almost everyone in the group is going completely different directions with their lives, and sometimes its hard to see what any of us have in common, the fact that we are family and that we love and care for each other is enough and the night is always great and normally a good laugh.

This year I am dragging Jess with me... after all it's about time she came, she had been a girl associated with the Agnew family for over 4 years now and she can't avoid it forever.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

The Role of My Dreams

2009-11-14T13:58:00.008+11:00

I love the fact the my blog is so far behind that by the time you read this it will probably be too late, but because I refuse to give in to the pressure and just type things as they happen rather than in retrospect as I seem to do there isn’t much I can do.

I think that I have mentioned before how much I love musicals, and how much I wanted to be in one…well the good news is…its all happening! That’s right, I have been offered a spot in a musical…and not just any spot…the spot. On the 18th of December 2009 I will be playing the role of Mairah (aka Mary) in a the nativity story like you have never seen it before. I am seriously so super excited and very nervous all at the same time! I suppose now I will need to start learning lines and songs and everything else…oh and perhaps I should have a little chat with mum about what it feels like to have waters break and give birth and stuff... coz I am a little inexperienced in that department.

So anyway, if you are free on the 18th, you should definitely come on down to Box Hill salvos and check it out! Its going to be seriously awesome.

Oh and today is two of my amazing friend’s birthdays! So Phoebe and Susanne….HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Inspiration

2009-11-12T23:42:00.003+11:00

So tonight I went and saw the movie Julie and Julia, with Merryl Streep and Amy Adams, which is just a great movie, and I have come away feeling a little inspired.

The movie is about two women living in separate times who both use food to find themselves...but thats not what really inspired me, what inspired me was Julie's blog...here julie and julia project that was so good it captured the imagination of heaps and heaps and heaps of people. I loved that here blog actually connected with people, rather than just told them the useless information of her day.

I guess the thing is I don't really write my blog so that people with think I am super cool, or even so that people would read it, but a little bit inside me really hopes that they do, and that they go away from my blog feeling like it was worthwhile...I am not really sure how to do that...but I think at the moment the blog is a bit boring, because I am sure no one really cares about the dinners I have or the places I go...I have been thinking about this a lot recently and I was reminded of the saying:

'No one cares how much you know, until the know how much you care'

Now I know its just a blog, but sometimes I wonder if I give it enough, you know if I am real enough...I mean I don't really want to come on here and poor my heart out all the time, but I would like to feel like I connect with people. Perhaps I do need to be a little more honest and real, and share a little more...other wise it will just be like reading a grade 5 travel journal...and no one wants that. Perhaps what I need is a little challenge of my own...I guess the julie and julia thing has already been done, but perhaps I need something else.... a goal, a reason, something to reach for? The problem is at the moment I am fresh out of ideas...so if you have any...

Oh and before I go...I do need to say a very happy Birthday to Kirsten and Judy!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

immeasurably more

2009-11-12T22:37:00.000+11:00

This week I have had a bit of a challenge, the thing is I have been a blogger for quite a while now...but I have been a Christian for even longer, and while I have been quite good at up dating my blog regularly...often I am not so good with my 'devotions' or quite time with God...So I thought if i can write a blog with useless information, perhaps I can use a blog to keep me accountable to.

So today I set up, well actually re-opened an old blog to use for my devotions, and the idea is I need to do my devotions before I can up date this blog with the random stories of my day, no matter how entertaining I think they will be. My new blog is called immeasurably more so if you want to check it out...

Oh and I don't really care if no one reads my new blog because immeasurably more is just a way to keep myself accountable to God and learning more about him...so that I can tap into some of the 'immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine' than his word promises in Ephesians 3:20.

It's certainly not meant to be some kind of awesome bible study...but rather just some of my thoughts as I learn, but its there if you wanna have a squiz.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

It's Friggin Hot

2009-11-11T23:09:00.002+11:00

Just so you know its friggin hot at the moment... I don't know how much longer I will be able to hold up, my little house is like a sauna and I can't even open the door or windows coz it turns out I live in a mini swamp full of all kinds of annoying flying insects....so for now I will sit here on the couch in front of the fan in my PJs and think of cold thoughts....like ice packs and snow and cold winter rain....

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Christmas is Coming

2009-11-09T23:08:00.016+11:00

Well its officially Christmas time at my place because the tree is now up.

It was a little strange putting the tree up this year, because this is the first year I have had a tree of my own, in my own house. In some ways its kinda exciting, this will be Dex and I's first Christmas out of home. It is weird not coming home to mum's special tree all colour coordinated, or the pretty fibre optic tree by the door, or even the 'old tree' with all the decorations from my childhood. I supposed though, this is just another step in the journey that is growing up. I am super glad though that I can now start playing my christmas music again and I can start present shopping and that I can start doing my bit to spread Christmas cheer...

So all you grinches out there....watch your back

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Silly Girl

2009-11-08T23:07:00.005+11:00

Sometimes I am a silly silly girl...

Today I lost a pair of earring that I brought yesterday, thats write they didn't even make it the full 24 hours! The most annoying thing about it is I know exactly where they are but its too late. I know I dropped them at the Caltex in Campbell's Creek, but I didn't realise until I was 45minutes closer to Melbourne in Woodend and when you drop things like earring on the road at the servo the chances of getting them back in one piece is pretty slim, so they are gone...never to be seen again...silly silly girl.

I think I will try my luck and see if by same crazy turn of events they are still there, but I am not keeping my hopes up.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Brass Bands

2009-11-07T23:07:00.012+11:00

There is something very peaceful about brass bands, perhaps its their classical music, or even the fact that it makes me think of my childhood and going to Dad’s band concerts, either way I don’t really mind, coz I still like it. This weekend the Box Hill Salvation Army Citadel Band was up in Bendigo, so being a Box Hill Girl, and living almost in Bendigo, I went and checked it out. This was my fist Band Wag experience and I did enjoy it. It brought back lots of memories from when I was a kid, because that was probably the last time I went to Brass band concert.

I think what made the night even better though was that the concert was full of all my favourite things about the box hill band:

Some great marches
A classic chorus
A solo, on alto sax, from Davo
A trombone solo from Benny
A skit
Some lovely male voices
And just to top it off, Craig singing ‘Love changes anything’

Seriously, I don’t think that band concerts get much better than that!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Shocking

2009-11-03T23:06:00.012+11:00

Being a good salvo girl, the Melbourne Cup Holiday is not really anything more than a nice day off, and even though I don't gamble, I am certainly very grateful that the race stops the nation, because I do like the day off. Usually at our place Cup Day is when the Christmas Tree goes up, but because I am away and Jake is in the middle of his exams its not happening today.

However, even though I don't gamble I do like to pick which horse I think will win, normally my choice is based on colour, either the horse colour or the colours the jockey is wearing. Another thing that might get a horse chosen is its name, I do love a good horse name. Often these choices give me dud horses that do so terribly its not even worth mentioning. But today, oh today was different. Today I picked the winner! Seriously I did, I even have the newspaper with my initials next to it from the quick sweep before the race. I don't think that I have ever backed the winner before, but I tell you what it feels pretty good, and if it feels this good when I don't actually win anything, I can see why gambling is addictive, perhaps its a good thing I don't gamble.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Beach Cricket

2009-11-02T23:06:00.015+11:00

This weekend I have been lucky enough to have another fabulous weekend away, this time I have been down at Inverloch, and yes I went with the same crew, and yes there was another AMAZING cake(thanks Kitty), and yes, once again we participated in a great Australian pastime, however unlike the watching the Grand, this particular pastime, was for me a first time.

Today I played my first game of Beach Cricket and it was much better than I thought it would be. I made lots of runs, I caught someone out and I even bowled someone out. Now some of you may be reading this thinking that’s great em, everyone can do that its just beach cricket…but it is so much more than that! This is someone who: 1. Hates cricket… 2. Has poor hand eye co-ordination…. and 3. Doesn’t normally do things she won’t be good at. So for me, this was an incredible and super impressive day!

Anyway, here are some photos from the rest of the weekend.

Oh and just for the record I think I will try beach cricket again!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Renee

2009-11-01T23:07:00.006+11:00

Tonight my beautiful friend Renee got enrolled as a senior soldier, and even though I almost missed it, I was really glad that I was there. I don’t know why but I just get a bit of a kick out of seeing things like this, another soldier in the ranks, fighting the good fight! It brings out the Salvation Army Patriot in me, but it also makes me think about where I am at with my own soldiers covenant, am I still at least trying to do all the things I said I would do? Have I dropped the ball a bit? Am I going great guns?

I think honestly at the moment, a bit of both. Its easy to become complacent and just talk the talk, but I am glad that I have had a little refresher and challenge tonight.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Roger the Ram

2009-10-30T23:00:00.006+11:00

Last night Dexter and I had dinner at Barb’s place in Ballarat and during the evening Barb and I discovered that Dex is afraid of lots of things including a large inflatable ram.

Now I know that frightening animals on purpose isn’t the nicest thing to do, but it is super amusing… I kinda wish we had caught in on camera, but every time we even moved the ram the slightest bit Dex ran for his little life…The funniest thing was when we attempted to move the ram into another room so that Dex could chill out a little, however, in an attempt to get away from the ram dex had run into the en-suite of the bedroom we were putting the ram in…Just as I came around the corner, Dex also poked his head around the corner to see if it was safe and he was confronted with the ram again and of course he ran straight back into the bathroom. But now that I have typed all that I realise its probably one of those you had to be there moments…sorry for the boring blog.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Swine Flu?

2009-10-29T16:31:00.002+11:00

I have a dilemma...I don't know whether or not to get the swine flu vax.... I have been thinking about it for a while and just this week they have set the dates for when the free vax will be available at work...and because I have no idea what to do I thought I would ask for your help...oh and I have made a list of pros and cons....so read the list and vote in the poll...please

Pros:

I won't get swine flu - yep thats pretty much it, but its a pretty big one!

Cons:

The vax has come out super fast so is it safe?

Am I really that at risk of swine flu?

How do I know that there won't be any nasty repercussions in a few years time from the dodgy vax?

Seriously I know my list is not that extensive...but its a start...let me know what you think

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Silly People

2009-10-29T15:47:00.003+11:00

Some people are really dumb, while I was getting my daily news update from ninemsn i came across two very interesting, but very dumb stories.

The first was about two men attempted to break into an apartment in the states that disguised themselves by using permanent markers... They were unsuccessful and the police were called, while the almost got away the police pulled their car over a few blocks down and identified them because of the pen all over their faces...it turns out permanent maker isn't so easy to remove.

The second story was only released today but actually happened 30years ago. This story was about a lady that sadly had an obsessive condition which cause her to eat cutlery instead of food when she sat down for meals. This resulted in her consuming a massive 78pieces of silverware...crazy I know...check out the pictures!

Some times people really make we worry...coz they do some very very silly things!

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Done

2009-10-26T11:09:00.002+11:00

So anniversary is over...its all done and now I am not sure what happens next, other than sleep because I am so so so so so tired. I know I have said this before but its really strange that its all over, it went really quickly and now every thing that I have worked towards for the last couple of months is done with.

It will be nice to have a little break but I am actually kind of sad that its done with, who would have thought that I would miss the video editing, or the emails, or even arguing with Davo about the things he had and hadn't done? It will be strange to have free time again, I suppose it will be nice... maybe I will get a chance to do all those things I didn't do because of anniversary?

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

YP Sunday

2009-10-25T11:09:00.009+11:00

There is something really special about Anniversary weekend and after the fantastic night last night today really topped it off. There is nothing better than watching kids get involved in worship, not because they are being forced to, but because they want to. The whole day today has been just amazing, in fact its was so incredible that there is just too much to say in one blog, so I thought instead I would just give a highlight from each of the services:

9:30 How often do you get to eat ice cream in church? Never right? Wrong…you get ice cream when Son is on the kids story…Who knew that Neapolitan ice cream actually shows you that God wants us to have all the good bits in our lives not just one good bit?

11:00 Primary kids are awesome, they are so small but so talented and so easily distracted! I seriously love that they are so unpredictable and that despite their courageous leader (Kat you seriously did a ripper job), they still manage to do what ever they feel like if given an inch!

6:00 I think that they highlight of the 6 was just getting to hang out with my kids church kids, I really love them stacks and they are such a blessing, I was so super proud of them and they did such an amazing job all weekend. I think that just they fact that I get to be a part of their lives is a highlight enough.

So there you go…if you missed it, well you really did miss out, so do yourself a favour and get there next year, you won’t regret it.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Talkin 'bout your Generation

2009-10-24T11:08:00.018+11:00

So Saturday night is down and its just Sunday to go and so far Anniversary has been a success. Tonight we celebrated the diversity of our church by battling it out one generation against the next ‘Talking about Your Generation’ from channel 10 style.

The night was really fantastic and thanks to the team we had helping out everything ran super smoothly. Oh and I am pretty sure that people had fun too, which is always super nice. It was seriously a fantastic night….and I don’t even care that I am probably a little biased, I was just so happy it worked, the teams did great, Benny did great and the kids were amazing. It felt a little strange that it was all actually happening because while we had been preparing, it felt like it would never actually get here and now its gone. It all seemed to happen kinda quickly actually and it’s a shame that it only happened once. In fact I am actually a little sad its all done, but I am really happy with everything that happened tonight

The thing I liked the most though was actually seeing all the contestants get involved, from people like my pa all the way down to my Kids Church kids. It was nice to have everyone there together and enjoying themselves. It wasn’t just one generation, but the whole church and the whole church had fun together. It gave me hope that as a church we could unify and it showed me just how much all the generations had to offer. I think that so often I miss out simply because I don’t interact with the other gens and I am not just talking about those that are older than me, but also those younger. I don’t think that God wants us to be constantly segregated into age group boxes and stereotypes but rather all in together, as the family and body of Christ. Sure its not going to work all the time, but perhaps I need to try harder at least some of the time. I know that even though I am 22 I have a lot to both learn from and teach those younger and older than me, but I can’t do that if they aren’t in my life. It’s a real shame that tonight was just a once off, but its definitely encouraged me to be a little more proactive about the people I have in my life and not to be so exclusive, especially not because of age.

Thank you everyone that was involved and attended the night, it really meant a lot to me and I really appreciate your support.

Oh and in case you missed out...check out this very embarrassing, but also amusing ad from the night...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

1 more sleep

2009-10-23T11:08:00.004+11:00

Well its almost here, there is just one more sleep to anniversary (just quickly for those of you that don’t know…the anniversary is a children’s celebrations weekend at church) and I am pretty much pooing my pants.

I am not sure what worries me the most… the fact that I might not get everything done, or that something will fall through, or that no one will come, or even that everyone will come and it will just be bad, I really don’t know. The weird thing is though, even though I am anxious about it all, I am also feeling quite at peace, I kind of feel that at this point in time, (given that its 3am and Kat and I have just finished making two thirds of Ben's question cards for tonight) that whatever happens will happen and there is not much I can actually do now anyway.

I must admit thought I am also a little excited, the anniversary this year has been a lot of work and soon it will be over and we will see if it is all worth it. Anniversary has been quite different for me this year, in years gone by I have just been required to attend and watch or be on the stage with the kids but not really coordinate anything, but this year Dave, Jude and I have been doing most of the coordinating which means being the perfectionist I am I kind feel that how it turns out is a reflection on me and what I can do, even if its completely untrue. I have kinda felt like this is my baby and I am really hoping that it will be just as good as it is when I picture it in my head.

Oh well I guess we will find out soon enough…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Time Capsule

2009-10-20T11:07:00.003+11:00

Sometimes I wonder if I have a little bit of OCD in me, I seem to stress about a lot of things and check things numerous times, for example:

I like to check my electric blanket 3 or 4 times before I leave the house in winter just to check that I actually turned it off the first time.

I now have a little routine I do before I leave my Castlemaine house that involves checking the oven to make sure its off, the hot plates, checking the fridge is shut and the freezer and then last but not least that the heater is off.

And if you have ever been anywhere with me where I have driven you will know I can get all the way to the shops before I have a little panic that I didn’t lock the car and walk all the way back just to check.

Another thing that comes with this though is that I am terrified of losing my photos and computer data, so naturally I like to back things up, and this was going great guns until my external hard drive filled. But its ok because I am now the proud owner of an apple ‘time capsule’…my time capsule backs up my computer every hour and all I have to do is be in wireless network…I don’t have to remember to plug it in, or turn it on, it just does it. But that’s not it…it comes with steak knives…well not really but it does come with 1TB of space which…for the time being…is huge. So for now all my stuff is safe. Well at least my computer stuff anyway, and as long as continue my checking routines hopefully the rest of my stuff will stay safe too.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

John Farnham

2009-10-19T16:40:00.000+11:00

John Farnham is an Australian Legend and even though he is in his 60s he has still got it! Tonight I was lucky enough to go and see him in concert at the palisis with Mum, Dusty, Jake and Judy…now before you start whinging about ‘the last time’ two things…1. It was the name of the album he was touring and 2. It was the last time he did a massive right around Australian, including regional cities, tour…not the last time he was ever going to do a concert…and if you don’t like it…I don’t really care, just don’t whinge to me.

Anyway, to be honest, I was a little worried that he may have lost some of his stage presence, some of his pizzazz, or heaven forbid some of his voice…but no, he has still got it…seriously there is nothing like it, sitting there just soaking up the voice. It makes me a little said that this might actually be the last time I hear him live, I hope its not, but I just don’t know how much more he will do. The highlight of the night though was definitely when we belted out ‘You’re the voice’ and the crowd went wild…seriously wild. Its quite and interesting experience going to a John Farnham concert because the crowd is always such a mismatch of people, the old young, men and women, all shapes and sizes…it is clear to me that everyone loves Farnsey! Although it does get a little disturbing when the older ladies start throwing things onto the stage because you are just never sure what you are going to get!

I really do love him…and I hope he is around for a lot longer.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

On Stage

2009-10-17T09:51:00.000+11:00

Once again I have been back to the theater tonight, this time to see Jersey Boys again, and it was just as awesome the second time…in fact probably better, oh, except for the fact that I had to sit by myself. However, before the show I got to do something really really exciting...

Before the show Dave asked me to help him carry his stuff down to the pit. So we had to go through the stage door and down to the pit. I really like doing things like that, and because I am a bit of a loser I even wore Dave’s tenor across my back like a real saxophone player just so I would feel the part as well. But this wasn’t the exciting bit because I had done this before last time Davo played. The exciting bit was after Dave had finished setting up he told me he just want to check out one more thing before we left and that I just needed to follow him. Little did I know we were headed towards the stage and up on to bridge that Dave played on. So before I knew it, I was standing on the stage of the Princess theater with the lights shining down on me…it was really really really cool. It rekindled the little flame I have burning that desperately wants to do some kind of theater…it was really cool. At the time I was so super nervous because I didn't think I was supposed to be there…but once we were outside I was sooo excited, it seriously was one of the coolest things I have done in a long time…thanks Dave.

Oh and what topped the evening off was that after the show I was waiting outside the stage door for Dave to come out (a little further back from the psycho middle-aged women who were throwing themselves at the performers as the came out the door, not amongst them like last time) when Dave called and said he needed help with the instruments again and could I come down...so of course I responded with a 'how?' and he told me just smile go through the stage door sign in and come down...so that’s what I did, I walked around the security fence thing, smiled at the security guard and walked straight in...that felt pretty cool, I tell you what. It didn't make the 'women' very happy though.

Oh and one more thing....I also got to go on a double date tonight…I must admit I acted a bit of a fool, but I don’t care, I don’t know why I was so excited I hang out with other couples all the time, but this was different…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Mexican

2009-10-15T11:05:00.016+11:00

I love Mexican food...I have done for a really long time, but for most of the relationship we have shared our love in secret, in the comfort of my own (or Dave's) home. Mexican food for me has always been out of a box, and I was very very satisfied with it, but things have changed.

There is a Mexican restaurant in Castlemaine which since moving I have visited a few times and tonight I went with Flic! But taking my love for Mexican out into the public like that has not been an easy move. It turns out I am a bit of a resturant snob, I am not very good at trying new restaurants, or going to restaurants that have been stereotyped into having poor food hygiene standards you know like Indian restaurants or Turkish restaurants...they always seem to have some public health scandal associated, even when most of them are perfectly fine. I know there are lots of really lovely Indian and Turkish restaurants, but it appears that they have all been tainted..in fact I think there is a saying something like one bad apple spoils the whole barrel, and I think is what it is like for these poor restaurants, and unfortunatly Mexican too has been lumped into this category. The only exception to this rule is Chinese restaurants, I am not really sure why, perhaps its because I have been to China and its just the way it is...I am not sure.

Anyway, since moving up I decided to give the Mexican restaurant a go and it turned out to be the best decision ever...because I love Mexican and now I don't always have to cook it, and it means that when I want to take someone out for tea...I can have Mexican! I am not sure why I waited so long...

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Oops

2009-10-11T11:04:00.002+11:00

So I am in the bad books today…with anniversary just around the corner (which is a very scary thought) today we have an all day rehearsal…but what I didn’t realise when I organized it all, was that today is also Bathurst…I am not really sure how I missed it, but I did and I am pretty sure Dave is not impressed. But unfortunately its done, so instead of a day on the couch, Dave and I will be spending the day with 30 kids…

Oops.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Remembered

2009-10-10T11:04:00.011+11:00

This month I have been super cultured…tonight I am went to the theatre again…my 3rd show in 2 weeks and I have one more to go after this. Tonight I went and saw Chicago and it was amazing. But that’s not really what I wanted to talk about tonight something else super exciting happened…

Tonight one of Dave’s muso friends remembered who I was…big deal you might think, or even say, but it really was. This particular guy I have met numerous times over the 5 years Dave and I have been together, in fact I have even sold this man things on numerous occasions in my days a Billy Hyde, so you would think that even if he didn’t know my name, or know exactly what context I fitted into he would remember my face…but no. He never remembers, in fact last weekend he introduced himself to me twice in the space of two hours, which Ness and I thought was both sad and very amusing all at the same time. I was beginning to think that I was so uninteresting that he just didn’t even register me as a person. But tonight all that changed, when we went out after Chicago, there were a few other musos there, some who I knew (and who knew me) and some newbies and this particular man that will remain nameless (but not because I don't know what it is)…to my surprise, got up and introduced us all to one of his mates and remembered my name and that I was Dave’s girlfriend…it was incredible.

The test will be when I see him next…will he still remember?

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Maryborough Corps

2009-10-09T11:03:00.003+11:00

Tonight I had the privellage of being involved in the worship team at the Maryborough Corps in central vic, a corps that I had heard a lot about but not experienced first hand… it is a corps that is growing rapidly and doing some incredible things in the town. In fact if you want to read a bit more about what’s happening down in Maryborough check our this blog from Captain Collo.

Having heard all these good things, when I got there tonight I was still surprised by a few:

1. Maryborough is massive, in my mind I had imagined Maryborough to be about the same size as Castlemaine…but I was wrong, which meant it wasn’t as easy to find the town hall as I had hoped. In fact, Maryborough is so big it even has a KFC and a Woolies!

2. Another thing that took me surprise was the type of youth group, now I know that that already sounds terrible, but Maryborough is a town with a lot of disadvantage and as a result there are some pretty rough kids, so being brought up in a very middle class salvos I was a little taken back by the fact that kids didn’t sit and listen, but instead talked through lots of the night. Now, I know that this sounds like a bad thing, but its not really, because through this, the youth group is still growing. And even though it didn’t look like what I thought it should, God is moving through the officers there and the kids. It was incredible because it really challenged what I was comfortable with at Box Hill and made me wonder if I would be as tolerant and committed as Captains Andrew and Kelly.

3. And finally, what took me by surprise was the passion and the love that was so clearly evident in Captains Andrew and Kelly. You could see their passion for their corps and community, the really really really loved their kids and they were making a difference in each of their lives. I couldn’t help but wonder if we were all as passionate, as committed and as hardworking as they are, what the salvation army would look like. It would be pretty incredible...I know that is has certainly challeneged me.

So thank your Captains Andrew and Kelly for what you are doing in Maryborough by God's help, and for the challenge and inspiration you have been to me.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Fitting in

2009-10-08T11:01:00.002+11:00

I have been in my new job now for about 5ish months and this afternoon as I went out with some of my mates from work to say farewell to our speech pathologist, lucie, it dawned on me just how comfortable I had become with these new people in my life. Now don’t get me wrong, its not as if I have been sitting at work thinking about not having friends, because I have felt welcome here from the very start but it just dawned on me as we sat out the back at Saffs that these people felt like friends, they weren’t just the people that I work with anymore.

For someone like me, who has spent their life floating between friendship groups, especially through those outside my church buddies, and never really feeling like you fitted in 100%, it was a really nice moment. I felt comfortable and accepted and for once all I had done was be myself.

Back when I first got the job in Castlemaine an amazing man of God by the name of Major Parker gave me a scripture verse to take with me on my journey and verse said…

Mark 6:10-11 “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."

I guess at the time I took it to mean that if the town and work place is inviting and welcoming I should stay, but if it wasn’t, I shouldn’t fret or panic, just pick up my stuff and leave…which now that I have just typed it, I still think it means that, so I am not really sure why I wrote ‘at the time’…anyway…I think what I am trying to say is that I feel like today was just another confirmation that I have made the right decision, that I am doing the right thing, because as tough as it has been at times, I know I am in the right place and I am at peace. I have made the right choice, I have been welcomed with open arms, not just by my friends at work, but also by those in the community and it’s good. I think I have grown a whole heap since being up here, sure some bits still suck, but I know its just a season and that the goods out weigh the bads.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Daylight Savings

2009-10-04T13:05:00.001+11:00

Just in case you did already know daylights savings is the best time of the year! Even though it happens a little bit before summer actually starts it makes me feel like summer is here. The days get longer, its still light when you get home from work which makes you feel like you can get heaps more done. It appears to bring the warmer air with it too. Its just so lovely. Daylight savings brings that summer air change to life... like a breath of new life to shake of winter....wow that was a little corny sorry!

However, there are some strange people in the world that don't like daylight savings. I really don't understand why though...I mean what is not to like. Everything about it is good...seriously everything...silly people

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Jersey Boys

2009-10-03T13:05:00.002+10:00

I need to tell you all that I am so very very very proud of Dave. Today he made his debut as a ‘show musician’.

At the moment Dave is one of the deps for Jersey Boys and today he got to do his first show…and I was so proud, he did such an amazing job.

I think what made me even more excited though was the fact that it wasn’t like the other shows where the musos are just in the pit and you can’t see them. No, this time Dave had to dance and play a solo on stage as part of the show, and he did such a good job.

I must admit I was very very nervous and a little concerned that he would stuff it up, but he didn’t (Not that I know of anyway). I was sitting pretty close to the front with Dave’s sister Ness and both of us were a little bit crazy, but when Davo came out or we heard him play we nudged each other and got a little excited…I also need to admit that I did have another one of those 13year old girl moments where I just freeze up and overflow with emotion almost to the point of tears. I was just so proud and excited all once.

I am hoping that next time I go I can actually enjoy the show a little more because while I loved it, I was very distracted about when Davo would come out and whether or not he was doing ok.

Oh and I also loved the fact that it was all about New Jersey (which I did know from the title don’t panic), because it meant that I heard names of places that I recognised so that was kinda cool.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Sad Day

2009-10-01T10:57:00.003+10:00

Today’s post is another short one…but I needed to let you know that today is a sad day. Today is the day after 3’s free facebook on your mobile finished…which means that coz I live out in the country I have to pay each time I use facebook…

The thing that makes it worse though is that they gave it to me for free for two months and I got hooked. I know I fell for their trick, but I love facebook and I don’t want to pay to use it, I like just checking it quickly from my phone every now and then, but now those days are over. I will now only be checking my facebook at home, when I can be bothered going on the computer. What a sad sad day.

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Hey Hey its back

2009-09-30T10:38:00.004+10:00

Tonight there was a blast from the past on TV…Hey Hey it’s Saturday returned. Its only on for two weeks, but I am still very excited. I had forgotten how much I loved it. It really is a fantastic show, silly, but funny. I don’t really have much else to say other than I am glad it’s back and that I hope it stays…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!

Photos

2009-09-29T10:57:00.002+10:00

For those of you that know me well…well if fact for those of you that have ever been to my house, or my old room in Melbourne, or to any event I have also attended, or even spent sometime looking around on my facebook or my blog, you would know that I love photos… I have photos everywhere and while most of them are self taken and consist of a whole lot of my face and someone else’s face and not much else, I still love them all the same. I think what I like about photos is that they are normally of something fun, happy and/or exciting, so when I look back on them it reminds me of those times and the fun things that I have done. They help me to focus on what’s important and to remind me that my life is filled with people who love and car for me.

So when Ben and Kitty came to visit me for lunch and afternoon tea today I was so excited when they asked me what they should do for the afternoon while I had to work…The took photos of them in Castlemaine for me, because I really don’t have all that many photos of my life up here...because as the photos from my trip to china in 2007 will show you a lot of photos of just yourself are no where near as good as the ones that are filled with the people you spent time with.

So here are a few of my favourite photos from Ben and Kitty’s adventures today…

I guess that's just all part of the adventure!