Oops...

Well what else can I say really. I guess it is fairly obvious that updating my blog has not been high on my To-Do list lately. All I can say is, oops, and I guess sorry, I'm not going to say I'll try to do better though, because seriously, I am not convinced I can.

So I guess I should give a bit of an update on what has been going on in my life...

Well I have been working a fair bit lately, mostly full-time, but sometimes even more than that! I am hoping that this state of affairs has finally come to an end. I have also been doing a fair bit of training at work since I became a Technical Officer, I now do Frozen Sections at the private hospitals we work with. I also do "T.O. cut-up" one day a week, which involves using a dictaphone, that was a rather scary thing to learn to use!

I have also been doing my uni work. I managed to get two credits in my first term, which I was very happy with. This term has been so busy that all I am hoping for is two passes, anything above that will be a bonus. Next term I am only going to do one unit, and I am no longer planning on doing a whole BA. All I really need is 6 credits at second or third year, that should be enough to get into the post-grad course I want to do.

Other than those two things which take up most of my time (plus sleeping which I contemplated giving up), I read the 7th and final Harry Potter book the day it came out, I went and bought it at 9am, had breakfast with two of my cousins, who also bought the book, went home and read for the rest of the day. It was a great book! I am very happy with what happened. I would like to go back and read them all again at some point, hopefully I will find the time. I also saw the fifth Harry Potter movie, which was pretty good as well (not as good as the book though).

So I think that is about it for now, except I just want to add, Richard Armitage is lovely...(I might have to give you more on him some other time, I will just say now, I mean the English one, not the former US deputy secretary of state...trust me, the actor is much better...)

Random Thought for the Day...

Why is it that I seem to wear so many clothes in such a short space of time? I am pretty sure I only get dressed once a day, but the laundry basket is always full! I think the clothes climb in there on their own.

Bits and Bobs

Well since it has been a little while since I last posted here is a bit of an update on that little thing I like to call...My Life.

Well one of the biggest things to happen is that I have been offered, and I have accepted a new job. Basically I am moving up a level at work, so a bit more money, and a few more hours both of which should be good. I will also be learning some new skills, which should keep me interested for a bit longer.

The other major happening in my life is that I have decided to go back to university and do another degree. This is ironic, for two reasons actually. The first, because when I graduated last time I declared that I would never, never, ever go back to uni...here I am about to embark on probably another three years! The second irony relates to the fact that I am going to be doing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in History, in an attempt to hopefully one day work in a museum. So here I am accepting a job at work, and taking on a new career direction simultaneously.

Nothing much else to report at this point really. It has been very hot here recently, some people seem to like it. Me, I am a winter person and am not coping particularly well with the temperature to be honest. I hope it starts to cool down soon, but as February is usually our hottest month I have to survive until March before that is likely to happen.

Before I go, an update on our house, the insurance company has sent people around to get quotes, but nothing more has happened. I always thought it could take a while with the amount of damage in the area, I hope it happens soon though.

The Holiday - Review

Well here goes, my first movie review. Jodie and I went to see this movie on Sunday after church. We went to the new cinema in town, it is pretty good, although not anything better than Hoyts. My favourite cinema in Canberra is Hoyts, Woden, and I don't think that has changed. The one thing I am interested in about Dendy (the new one we went to) is that it has a premium lounge, which would be fun to go to sometimes. But this is supposed to be a movie review not a cinema review so...


The Holiday
Director: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black
Genre: Romance/Comedy

This was clearly aimed for a Christmas release as the story is set over the Christmas/New Year Period. Two women, Amanda is from the USA and Iris (Winslet) from England both run against major trouble in their love lives just before christmas. Determined to put some distance between themselves and their problems they agree to a house swap over the holidays. Neither of them are prepared for their change of situation, especially when complicated by new men that also have issues that make things, well, complicated.

I must admit I love the Rom-com genre, it is fun, easy to watch, you don't have to think too much and the characters are usually very likeable. This movie was no exception, the actors were great, I wanted them all to end up happy, which of course they did, because seriously how disappointed would you be if they didn't? I felt most for Iris, Kate Winslets charactor I think. I loved her storyline too, especially her interactions with Arthur Abbott (Eli Wallach), her elderly neighbour in LA, it was very sweet, and he was wonderful. I particularly liked the bit when he was telling Iris that she was clearly a "leading lady" but she acted like she was the "best friend" when they were talking about old hollywood movies, I really identify with that, never expecting the big stuff to happen to you. Cameron Diaz and Jude Law had good chemistry, the two "couples" were quite different from each other, with Winslet and Black much sweeter and well I have to say the best word I can think of is chaste. Much more sexual tension between Diaz and Law's characters. If for nothing else this movie is worth seeing for the characters, which I think is as it should be. The locations are nice, but they take a back seat as the plot is really driven by the people, which is fitting. Lastly, I loved the dancing, around the house when you are alone, everyone should do that, I know I do. I would recommend this movie if you like: Love Actually, and Bridget Jones Diary

My Rating: ***

Is it that far into the year already?!

Well halfway through January and I haven't posted here at all, whoops. Hayley told me yesterday that I needed to update my blog, so I thought I had better do it.

New Years was going to be a quiet evening with some friends playing board games, sadly though it turned out to be rather more exciting. We had been told to expect a storm, but most of the time when the forecast is for storms we get not one drop. Hayley was at my place, as I was making dessert for us to take (chocolate parfait), and then we set off to Hayley's parents place where her sister, Kate and her boyfriend Matt were house and dog/sitting for her parents who were in the UK. We arrived just in time as it turned out. The storm hit probably 10 minutes after we got there, and what a storm! We had rain and hail as well as wind, the hail was the worst though. It was coming in literally at bullet speed, I still don't know how it didn't break the windows!

The storm was fun for a while, but the outcome for Tuggeranong was rather devastating. An hours worth of hail shredded what was left of people's gardens that the drought hadn't got to. It had also, as it turned out for a lot of people, including my house, blocked the gutters and forced water into the roof. We apparently had water pouring through the ceiling. The only thing that stopped it from collapsing was that my brother David had been doing some home renovations and there was a hole in the ceiling where he had removed a light fitting and hadn't yet filled it back in. Most of the water came through this hole instead of getting caught in the ceiling. Other people in our suburb were not so lucky according to the paper, several houses had ceilings collapse, the papers have been saying that the damage bill is in the millions of dollars.

Since then the New Year has been relatively quiet, if rather hot. It reached 40.5 degrees celcius one day last week, and almost every day has been in the 30's. Luckily Canberra has not had any major fires, we have just had to endure smoke-filled air coming from the terrible fires in Victoria. I just hope it stays that way for us, perhaps with less smoke as they get the Vic fires under control.

I didn't get the job in Brisbane, so I am staying in Canberra for the time being. I intend to apply for some public service jobs, and perhaps some other pathology jobs as they come up. I am also thinking of doing an Arts degree by distance education, majoring in history with an idea to get into museum work.

Other intentions for the year is to learn to sew, specifically thinking vintage clothing. Also to try some other crafts that I haven't yet tried, beading for example, and if I get a chance some weaving. As well as reading as much as I possibly can, no more wasting my free time, at least that is the plan.

Photo is from the Canberra Times taken literally just down the street from home. The girl is standing in hail.