Emma

Something new

2009-08-24T11:31:00.001+10:00

So it has been a long time since I blogged anything on here but there is a good reason....

after a break from blogging, I am trying something new, just for a year...its called 22 adventures...check it out at

www.22adventures.blogspot.com

The Final Report

2008-01-10T19:15:00.000+11:00

Well Happy New Year… Merry Christmas and all that…it seems that once again I have abandoned my blog, but here I am trying to redeem myself by providing perhaps the last list update ever…the final count…I was just going to add the ones I have now achieved, but I thought that I might just go through the lot and we can all reminisce together…the the ones that are done deals are all in bold and there are links to the ones that I have blogged about, info on the new ones and perhaps I can give even give some lame excuses as to why I couldn’t do everything!

1. Exercise regularly…

Well to put it bluntly no…there were times that I tried, but nothing lasted, no excuses, just laziness

2. Keep up to date with things I have due at uni
Done…nothing was handed in late, and everything passed Woo Hoo

3. Keep up to date with things I have due at ChurchThis one was not so good…the poor pursuit mag died and I missed my grade 6 transition day coz I was in china…opps, sorry grade six kids.

4. Be on time (well at least more often then I am late)

Well I think that I did quite well at this there was only one lecture that I was never on time to, but most other things I was defiantly more on time than I was late, so I think it can be crossed off.

5. Control the amount of chocolate that I eat

I am pretty sure I failed this…I am a chocaholic…can anyone help?

6. Learn Guitar

Well I started…I didn’t get far, but I started and that’s good enough for me.

7. Sing with a Big Band

8. Wash my car (by myself)

9. Sleep in the backyard

I don’t really have a reason for not doing this other than I forgot.

10. Stop pushing the snooze button, and just get up, surely its not that hard

As if it was ever going to happen…this one remains undone

11. Stay with Mick and Helen in Bright

Not this year…Dave did, but not me…Curse you overseas holidays and fun things filling my holiday time!

12. Meet the rest of Dave’s rellies from the big NZ

ahh…not this year…China and Queensland were enough for me, maybe 08?

13. Not let Dave get sick

Well he had his tonsils out in January, but that wasn’t my fault and other than that he remained relatively healthy

14. Have my car valet parked

Still waiting for some one to valet my car

15. Clean out my wardrobe and actually throw stuff out

I did it and the Salvos now have it…woo hoo, oh and now my room has also been cleaned out and thanks to Dave as well coz it looks amazing.

16. Don’t owe anyone money

Sorry Mum, Dad and Dave…it is coming

17. Visit my great grandma at least 4 times

Done, done, done and done…

1. Just a visit.

2. Her 100th birthday party.

3. Her 100th birthday day.
4. Unfortunately in hospital

18. Say no to a job I don’t have time to do, even if I want to do the job

Well this year as much as it hurt I had to let my cell girls go so that they could have someone that could give all the time they needed not just dribs and drabs

19. Allow Dave not to be my slave

20. Have Indian food
21. Be more gracious and tolerant

Well I don’t know about this one, I think I am, but I guess its up to you guys…if you don’t think I am…speak now or forever hold your peace (just on the side…is that peace correct or is it speak now and forever hold your piece of information or is it both and should it be piace)!

22. Try real sushi, you know raw fish and all

23. Order something other than pasta, stir-fry or pizza from a restaurant

Well seeing as I have had had Indian and Japanese this one gets crossed over but I have also had lots of other different dishes, including burgers, steaks and prawns

24. Shell a prawn

Once again done in China…but this one was at a friend of Dad’s house where it was sprung on me, in order to make a good first impression I chose to struggle away at shelling my own prawns rather than getting Dad to do them for me and looking like a bit of a fool

25. Go on holidays with my mum

Well we didn’t travel together, but we were both overseas at the same time and because Dad worked during the Day we got to hang out together a lot so it was a holiday together.

26. Get a CD stacker

It can’t be done, I tried but it can’t be done. Instead I got karen…my GPS

27. Go to a state or country I have never been to

28. Be less judgemental

I am a girl…this one could take time.

29. Save some money

Well considering I still owe money, its pretty hard to save while in debt, so unfortunately this one remains undone

30. Lose a bit of weight

Lets just say with the lack of exercise and the addiction to chocolate I am in big trouble

31. Wear something other than jeans for a whole week

I don’t think I did this, I can’t really remember though…I am pretty sure I didn’t I just can’t seem to get by without my jeans.

32. Drive to one of Dave’s gigs in the city

With the help of Karen I made it all the way to the Rising sun hotel in South Melbourne to hear Dave play.

33. Pull off a parallel park

34. Blog at least once a week

Well it may not have been a new blog every week but for the whole year there were 122 in total for the whole year which makes and average of 2.35 a week.

35. Learn how to rip gaffa tape with my bare hands

36. Go to a concert of someone famous

37. See a musical

38. Go on a boat

Well on my trip to Queensland earlier in the year I went on a few boats, one to the Great Barrier Reef and one to Hamilton Island and Chance bay
39. Go to Luna Park

I only went for a little while, but I went, turns out its not as good as I remembered and there is a real chance you could die on the rides, they are looking very average.

40. Go Fishing

I don’t have a fishing rod…need I say more

41. Watch a V8 Car race in real life as in not on TV

I went to two and they was awesome… Sandown and a win for team Vodafone and then Philip Island for the grand final… I am a rev head and I love it!
42. See the penguins at Philip island

Not done… and it’s a shame, I do love the penguins

43. Meet Craig Lowndes

Well I didn’t meet Craig or Jamie, but I did meet Jason Bright, Mark Winterbottom, and John Bowe and that’s enough for one year.

44. Watch the Sunrise

If watching out the back of the car on the way to the V8s counts…its done

45. Die my hair a weird colour not all of it, but at least some

Not done…I am gutless

46. Drink a bottle of water everyday

This went great guns and then I missed one day and it was all over red rover… what a shame

47. Cook a 3 course meal for my family

Not yet…one day

48. Organise my photos properly

Well they are all in folders and ready to go…but not organised and the ones I wanted to put in albums are all still on the computer

49. Play dark zone

Well it wasn’t called Dark Zone but it’s the same thing and it was actually more fun than I thought it would be.

50. Have a fully non cola/red slurpee

51. Play a board game with Dave (and others to, but just getting Dave to play a board game is the tough bit)

52. Not crash a car

Done… 1 year lots of driving… 0 crashes… Woo Hoo

53. Ride an exercise bike (more than once)

Done I think only twice but its done

54. Ride a real bike (more than once)

Also done…again only twice but its done

55. Do karaoke

I am a karaoke convert…I love it seriously and my only taste of it was Chinese karaoke imagine how much I would love Australian karaoke.
56. Try sarsaparilla

Done and its disgusting!

57. Read 5 books from dad’s library

Done…
Echo Park by Michael Connelly
Angles Flight by Michael Connelly
City of Bones by Michael Connelly
Killing Floor by Lee Child
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

58. Learn to drive a manual

Well it’s a bit like the gitaur I have started but I am not quite there… I can do the gears and clutch just not together!

59. Try a radio controlled car

Thanks to Jess who gave Dusty one for his birthday, this is also done.

60. Go in one of those trampolines with the big nets all the way round

I still want to, but I have to find a friend with one.

61. Enter a radio competition

Not done I chickened out.

62. Try licorish ice cream/gelati

Also done and its disguisting
63. Go to the tip

I didn’t go in but I did drive through so I have been
64. Ride a skateboard

Any one got a skateboard?

65. Write a kids book

Done…its about a fly who just wants a friend and its great even if I say so myself…perhaps I can put it on my blog…or perhaps you will just have to wait till its released to the stores

66. Have a rainbow paddle pop

Done and it was just as good as I remembered

67. Get some tadpoles

I wish

68. Have a dancing lesson

It was a professional Dancing lesson, but I did get taught a dance…for RAWards

69. Score 10 points in a season of basketball

I wish I could score 2points in a season let alone 10

70. Use my Jurlique voucher

Thank you Jurligue voucher for my lovely facial and massage even if it was in the middle of a shopping center!
71. learn 10 songs on guitar

They are basic and pretty crap…but they are songs and I play them on guitar!

72. Go to the museum

Well it wasn’t Melbourne Museum, but it was a museum…it was the Palace museum in China better known as the Forbidden City!
73. Go to the snow

Thanks Lish, Adam and Kitty for a lovely snow trip to Lake mountain…but I think that I am too old to toboggan!
74. Be a parking attendant

I missed my chance at ACC…maybe this year

75. Beat Brad Dupuy at BUZZ (on PS2)

Done and now I have Buzz of my own so I guess I might be able to do it again!

76. Try a strange food that I haven’t even heard of yet

Dragon Fruit and its great… a pink fruit with a white flesh with black seeds…tastes like a cantaloupe and kiwi fruit baby

77. Try to understand what “negative gearing” means for tax purposes

Negative gearing is when your business costs more than what it earns but you get money back in tax.

78. Build something from IKEA (something relatively elaborate)

Well it wasn’t that elaborate but I did build a few things including boxes, files and a lamp.

79. Try some Durian fruit (the one with the odour…)

Not yet…

80. Work out how to check my water and oil and top up my washer bottle

Can do…

81. Work out how to change a tyre

Not yet…but it is probably hindered by the fact that the bolts on my tires are done by machine and not even Dave can move them.

82. Bake some meringues (that actually taste good)

I would like to say I had at least tried but that would be a lie

83. Go to 24 hour K-mart between the hours of 1-3am

Thanks to Pheebs and Kirsten I went to K-mart at 1:00am to print some photos and it was actually really busy…how weird and it was early in the year it wasn’t even like there was a big event coming up
84. Get some boots that fit my mighty calves

85. Drive in a convertible with the roof down

I had a few opportunities but none actually happened

86. Write a letter to a friend I haven’t seen in years

Thanks the to the brilliance of Facebook I was able to chat with people that I haven’t seen or spoke to since primary school.

87. Bake a cake and take it to work

Just like the meringues…I would like to say I tried but that would be lying

88. Wear high-heels, well even just girlier shoes more often

I think I have done this so I am going to cross it off but you better check with Dave

89. Try beef-jerkie

I had some and I let it go to waste…Jake brought me some to try but it went passed its used by date and I wasn’t that game!

90. Go without TV for a week

I didn't plan ahead well enough

91. Drive Dustin’s car

92. Read/listen to my bible everyday

This went great guns just like the water and then I missed one day, coincidently the same day as the water and it was all over red rover… what a shame

93. Watch a sunset on the beach

Dave and I tried and just caught the end of it after racing into St Kilda to see it

94. Stand out in the rain

95. See some fireworks

96. Jump off a pier
Its dangerous you know

97. Not Shave my legs (just emjoi...you thought i was going bush, lol)
Well seeing as my emjoi died I couldn’t keep it up…but I did try

98. Go on a horse and cart ride
Dave?????

99. Visit all the "Emma" streets listed in the melways (part 1, part 2, part 3)

and here are the latest additions...

All except two, one in Leopold and one in Tarneit but they weren’t in Melbourne so I don’t think that they count…but it was fun fun fun

100. Win an award

So there you go that’s what I did in 2007…a total of 62! So heres the question though…there are 38 left…do I just keep going and finish the list even though 2007 is over or do I start a new list for 08? Let me know…vote on my poll!

The Rest...

2007-12-05T16:42:00.000+11:00

So I have kind my blog unattended for a few days, well actually the whole rest of my trip, but heres the highlights of the rest of the trip…

DAY 7
After my slightly scary experience at the silk market on my first day in Beijing, today Dad organised for Zhang Wei (his driver) to take me to a different market called “ya show” one where they can’t pull or push you and if they do they get reported to the market authority. Once we arrived I thought that Zhang Wei would just stay with the car or go do something else, but to my surprise he came with me. It was really good to practice my Chinese with him. I feel like my Chinese is getting better so hopefully it will continue to get better.

In the Afternoon I decided to go exploring and try and find a little market just past a department store called Lan Dao that mum had told me about. On the way to the market I got a little bit lost so I had to ring mum all the way in Australia to get directions, but eventually I found it, and it was also pleased to find that the market had a great DVD shop.

DAY 8
Today Dad and I started the day with a walk to a fancy new department store where we went to my new favourite bakery “Paris Baguette” and had some breakfast, I had a cup of “hong cha” or English breakfast tea with my breakfast but when I asked for some milk for my tea they looked at me like I was an idiot and then gave me these little tiny milks for my tea.

After our walk Dad went to dinner with some of his work friends. One of Dad’s mates cooked us an amazing dinner which started with an entrée of king prawns and then a lovely main of baked salmon, it tasted so great, seriously I was a little bit worried about it all but it was fantastic. However I had never shelled a prawn before (hence why it was no.24 on my list) but because I was at some else’s home and I didn’t want to embarrass my Dad I had to just do it, so with one careful I on Dad I managed to shell my first, second and third prawns.

DAY 9
Today I went to church with Dad, on the way I had to defend myself in the car because now I could understand what Dad was saying about me to Zhang Wei (one week in Beijing has definitely done me well). I actually enjoyed going to Dad’s church a lot more than I thought I would, I knew it was a little more traditional then I was used to but I actually really enjoyed it was nice to have something familiar after a week in such an unfamiliar place.

After church Dad and I went on one of his famous Sunday walks, we walked all the way to a lake called Hou hai and then to Tian A Men square and then home again, stopping at a Dumpling restaurant for tea, in total we walked 27km…which just in case you were wondering is a really long way.

DAY 10
Today I was on my own, well dad was just a work, but it was up to me to entertain myself for the day, so I decided to go back to the little market past lan dao that mum had told me about and have lunch at the Paris baguette and read. It was very relaxing and lovely. So after a shop I walked home and went to the gym and then went out for Dinner with Dad.

For dinner Dad took me to an Indian restaurant, as he had made it his priority to knock as many thing off my list as he could and that was number 20. I was a little worried about having Indian because I don’t really like spicy foods, but it was on the list and we were there so…we had Indian. While we were ordering our meals Dad spoke to the lady in Chinese and said that he liked spicy things and she suggested as dish, all which I understood, so as our meals kept coming out I kept asking him which one was the spicy one and he kept assuring me that it was still coming and kept putting more food on to my plate, which I ate and kept asking why it was soooo hot and why I felt like my mouth was going to explode, the whole time Dad just tole me how weak I was but then after we had finished he admitted that the whole time I had been eating this really hot dish and yes it did have some kick! So there you go now I have had Indian in its finest form.

DAY 11
Today was my first “tourist” day, at 9am Zhang Wei picked me up and drove me to the Forbidden City. I love the Forbidden City and even though I had been there twice before I still found it just as interesting as the first time I went. I find Chinese History so interesting, I think it is because there is so much of it and it is so different from Australia’s of even England’s for that matter. It’s full of corruption and scandal, but also culture, tradition and wealth, it’s seriously great. I know that it’s probably weird to like a history that much but I do and I know that I am not even close to knowing half of it. It was also good to go today with my own little audio tour and without Dave and Dustin telling me they were bored and cold and wanted to go back to the hotel.

After I had finished exploring I had to catch a taxi back to the apartment so that I would be at my Chinese lesson, so I left the forbidden city and started looking for a taxi, but because the forbidden city backs on the Tian ‘A men city getting a taxi outside is actually quite difficult so with the help of an English speaking students and 2 policemen I finally found a taxi and jumped in. I told the taxi driver where I wanted to go and he agreed and started driving, but then after about 5 minutes he pulled over and told me that he didn’t know and kicked me out of the taxi. So I was in the middle of Beijing, not really sure where I was standing on the side of the road a little panicked and now running late and needing a new taxi. Eventually I found a new taxi and checked and double checked that he new where to go before he left and he did and so he took me home.

DAY 12
Today started with another Chinese lesson and then I was once again left to my own devices, so once again I headed down to the market past lan dao, this time to swap over some DVDs and then to have lunch and finish my book at the Paris baguette. Not too exciting, but relaxing!

DAY 13
Day 13 also started with a Chinese lesson however after my lesson today when Zhang Wei took my teacher home he also took me with him and we drove to the airport because Mum was flying in and we needed to pick her up. The trip out the airport was when I realised that my language had gotten much better as I spent the whole trip in and most of the time at the airport speaking in Chinese with Zhang wei. Although he spoke slower than he normally would with me it was still a bit of confidence booster. In the afternoon, I took mum to a local Chinese restaurant then that night we went out for tea with dad and some of his work friends to a Japanese restaurant where I was able to cross off another thing from my list (no. 22) as I tried real sushi for the first time. It is nice to have mum around as it gives me a friend to hang out with while Dad is at work.

DAY 14
Today mum and I had a big shopping Day, we started at a Russian market which was very different to lots of the other markets. The atmosphere is a little tenser and the things that they sell are a little different, the shop assistants also try to speak to you in either Russian or Chinese which is weird. We didn’t stay there long because it is also different in that all the little stalls are covered and to look at what they have you have to actually go in you can’t just look from the isle like you do in the other markets. Then we headed to ya show and did a bit more shopping before we went to our Lunch date with two of the wives of Dad’s work mates, Elaine and Phoebe. We had lunch at a place called Lotus Peak a buddist vegertarian restaurant. The food was really yummy but it was all made of to fu but none of it tasted like it, we had tofu sausages and a dish called shark slice and cones made out of seaweed. Very different but very yummy. After lunch Elaine’s driver took us home and mum and I had a little rest while we waited for Dad to come home. When Dad came home we went out for tea at the place.

DAY 15
Today Dad, Mum and I went to the great wall. Zhang wei drove us out to a place called Jin Shan Ling from which we started out 10km hike to a town called Si Ma Tai along an unrestored part of the wall. The walk was intense as it was constantly up or down but rarely flat and as it had not been restored lots of the stones were lose and you had to go quite slowly. Because it was also in winter it was cold and there were also patches of ice on the path. So between sections of strenuous climbing and almost dying of exhaustion I did get to have a look at the amazing scenery and it seriously was amazing. It was also very cool to be on a part of the wall that had not yet been restored so it was all original and naturally falling apart. Once we finally made it to Si Ma Tai (4 hours later) we found Zhang Wei and drove to our dinner destination, my favourite restaurant in the whole world… Da Dong. Da Dong is a peaking duck restaurant which seriously is the best in the world, if you are ever in Beijing I highly recommend it.

DAY 16
Today being a Sunday we started the day at church and then went on one of Dad’s massive Sunday walks. Today we again walked to lake Ho Hai on the way we stopped for lunch at McDonalds then we walked to a shopping place called Wong fu Jin. After a not very nice shopping experience and feeling a little tired we got Zhang wei to pick us up and talk us to Dad’s favourite dumpling restaurant for tea at which I had another interesting dish that actually tasted pretty good…hairy gourd and shredded jellyfish. After dinner, on the way home we stoped and got a foot massage which I was a little worried about because I have very very very ticklish feet, but it was actually quite relaxing and much cheaper than it is in Australia.

DAY 17

Today Mum and I had another big shopping day, this time we started at the Pearl market, which turned out to be a great market to shop at with heaps of bargains, from there we went to China’s Ikea because Dad needed a new bookshelf. At Ikea we had Swedish meatballs for lunch because Ikea in china is exactly the same as it is I guess everywhere else in the world, well at least the same as it is in Australia, but everything is written in Chinese and Swedish rather than in English and Swedish.

From there we went and drove past the new Olympic stadium the “bird’s nest” it’s a pretty amazing and I am sure it will be the perfect spot for an Olympic ceremony, which is lucky I guess. Then we headed home and dropped mum off and then Zhang Wei and I went off to Karaoke…which is number 55 just in case you were wondering!

Karaoke was something else that I was really looking forward to doing, but also really worried about but it was sooooooooo much fun, seriously one of the highlights of my trip. Of course what made it a little more interesting was that Zhang Wei sang in Chinese and I sang in English. But it was so much fun and I think that I will need to explore some Karaoke some where in Oz.

DAY 18
Day 18 was my last full Day in Beijing, so after one last Chinese lesson and a little wait for Dad’s bookshelf to arrive, mum and I hit the shops again, going back to Ya show for one last shop. When we had brought more than we could carry, Zhang Wei took us to another department store so that I could buy a webcam, then we went home and got ready to go out for our final dinner. For dinner we met Dad’s work mates at a restaurant called the China Lounge for a good quality Chinese meal before I headed home. I am actually a little sad about leaving china and all that it has to offer. I really like speaking in a second language and the culture of china and I think I will be sad to leave it behind. But I can always come back…one day.

DAY 19
This morning I went and had breakfast at the Kerry Centre, a hotel near Dad’s apartment, with mum, dad and Zhang Wei. After eating myself silly I went home and packed, which was actually surprising hard to do, 1. because I had way too much stuff and 2. because I didn’t really want to go, I like it in China, I know that there are lots of great things to go home to, but China is very different and I had quite had enough yet, but off to the airport we went and after a few tears, Zhang Wei and Mum watched we go through the doors and head back to the land down under. My flight home was relatively uneventful despite the massive amounts of hand luggage I had…my backpack, a shopping bag, my laptop and my giant eeyore! Now I am home safe and sound and enjoying the change of weather from cold cold Beijing to sunny Melbourne, but I am already starting to plan my trip back to china, I don’t know when I will go, but I will…you’ll see.

So before I finally go, I just want to say thanks to Dad for everything, my trip to china was fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for a better time. Thanks a bunch, love ya lots.

2007-11-14T23:41:00.000+11:00

DAY 5

Today was my first full day in Beijing. I started the morning with a Chinese lesson to refresh my memory, during which I found out just rusty my Chinese is, but hopefully it will get better the longer I stay. I had forgotten how complicated the language is. I know that I know lots of words, but at the moment they are still stuck in my head where I can't find them. My Chinese teacher is very lovely and patient and I really enjoyed just having her there to talk to and to practice with.

In the afternoon i decided that is was about time that I ventured out of Dad's apartment and went for a little explore, so that's what I did. I walked to a place called "the place" and then checked out the silk market as well. At the place, Jake had told me there was a giant TV screen, so after walking through the whole complex I couldn't find it, i turned around and saw what I thought was the TV, which was huge, but then later I found out that the whole roof of the complex is a giant TV, so I felt pretty stupid for not seeing it and Dad and Zhang Wei (Dad's Driver) thought it was very funny.

For dinner Dad and I went to a great Dumpling house where I ate this very strange fruit, in fact I don't even know what it is called which means I can cross number 76 of my list. If anyone know what its called I would really like to know, the fruit is white with lots if little black seeds and tastes like a bit like a cross between kiwi fruit and cantaloupe. Dad seems to think you can get it in Queensland, but I am lost...actually I just looked it up on Google and its called Dragon Fruit, so there you go.

Psalm 119:37 "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word"

DAY 6

Today I woke up and it was raining in Beijing, which is very strange but kinda cool because it doesn't happen very often. Apparently it even snowed in the mountains which doesn't really surprise me because today it was also freezing cold.

My day started with another Chinese lesson, which thankfully went better than yesterday, I think that my Chinese is slowly coming back which is good, because I have decided that I would really like to be much better at Chinese than I am currently. I think that it would be really great to have a second language that actually worked, rather than one the stops and stalls all the time. So when Zhang Wei and I went out this afternoon to get a guitars, i was able to practice my Chinese more with him, which was heaps of fun.

Then this evening I went across to the gym, which is also known as the Alexander club, and went for a swim. Little did I know that this particular gym is quite fancy so when I go tomorrow I will be a little more prepared so that I can soak up all its luxury. I guess today sounds pretty boring, but I actually had a great day, I really like being in china and being able to try new things and practice my Chinese, its also been really relaxing, which has been a nice way to wind down after such a busy semester!

Psalm 19:3 "There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard."

Ocean Park, The Peak and Beijing

2007-11-13T01:12:00.000+11:00

DAY 3

Well today we headed out to another theme park, this one not as well known as Disneyland, but still fantastic. Today’s theme park was called “Ocean Park” and was a theme park based around the ocean and all it has to offer, a little bit like Seaworld, but with more rides that weren’t quite in the in the same squeaky clean condition. The park was built on the side of one the mountains on Hong Kong Island, which meant that the whole park was on split levels with large out door escalators separating each level and to get there dad and I had to navigate our way through 3 different train lines (including the Disneyland line complete with Mickey mouse train) and a bus, which we managed to do quite well, even if I do say so myself.

At Ocean Park dad and I (as white tourists) were defiantly much more of a minority than we were at Disneyland, but it made it all the more exciting. We decided that we didn’t really need to do any of the animal stuff and that we would just stick to the rides. We went on everything from the flying swing (pretty much just a glorified park swing) to the Abyss (one of those giant drop/tower of terror type rides). And apart from being afraid that the rides might break underneath us, sending us plummeting into the South China Sea, all the rides were great, a little scary but not too bad, that was until the Abyss. I convinced myself that it would be fine, but as Dad and I climbed in the tower, I suddenly realised that I did not at all trust this Hong Kong workman ship and that I was going to die, so as I sat at the top repeating to no one “oh my goodness, oh my goodness” I was the most scared I had been, probably ever and as we started to free fall down over 20 storeys I screamed louder than I ever have and then broke into this hysterical laughter as I realised that I would be ok. Dad and the guy on the other side of me found it quite amusing though.

During the afternoon at the park we also went and saw some giant Panda’s which were very exciting! They are very cute, just liked the stuffed toys, but bigger, and slower. Just before we left the park we decided that we would go on one more ride, the raging river, which left me soaking wet and walking like I had wet my pants, probably not my best idea.

That night after a quick stop at a very fancy shopping centre for some starbucks and some books, Dad and I rode the peak train to the peak of the mountain on Hong Kong Island to see the city skyline, which was amazing. At the top we went outside to the terrace where there was a little jazz band, where the horn player wasn’t playing your regular kind of horn, but one of those ones that your see in the Swiss alps, and she was pretty good, but not quite as good as the view, that was amazing. Seriously Hong Kong is an amazing place, so much stuff in such a little area, it’s incredible and everything is so steep I am not really sure how it all stands so straight. Just before we headed back to the hotel Dad and I got a gelati from geno’s gelati just because we could.

On the trip back to the hotel, via all the trains, we got attacked by a giant piece of hair on the train floor which was soooooo gross, but very funny and by the time we got back to the hotel I was exhausted but very thankful for the amazing day that I had had.

Gensis 1:21 "So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good."

DAY 4

This morning Dad and I had to get up super early to get a 6:20am taxi out to the airport to catch a flight to Beijing. Once we got to the airport I must admit I looked pretty silly walking through the airport with my suitcase, laptop bag, backpack and giant Eeyore toy. Once we were all checked in we went and had breakfast and then went and sat in the Dragon Air lounge until our flight. The flight wasn’t too bad, but I was sitting next to a very grumpy and unfriendly British man, because the flight was full so Dad and I couldn’t sit together. However, some how (must be because I am so tall) I was sitting in the seat with the emergency exit so I had lots of leg room, which was nice.

Once we got to Beijing, we lined up for what felt like hours to get through immigration, and then met Zhang Wei, Dad’s driver, who took us back to Dad’s Appartment, where he got ready and went off to work, and I settled into my new home for the next two weeks. After a bit of TV I went for a little walt to the local supermarket were I made the most exciting food discovery ever…you can still get Pop Tarts in China, so naturally that’s what I had for lunch!

Other than that today has been a very quiet one, just kind of getting used to my new, quite foreign surrounds, but I am looking forward to my time here, hopefully I will improve my Chinese a little and get some confidence and go for a little explore.

So there you go, thats the journey so far. Now that I am in Beijing, I think that the blogs will probably be shorter but hopefully more regular so that I don't make you sit down and read for ages...thanks for listening so far...Oh and before I go, I should also just say Happy Birthday to Kirsten, sorry I am not there to party with you, but hope you had a great day!

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Flying Solo

2007-11-12T11:04:00.000+11:00

So for the next 3 weeks I am in China spending some time with my Dad, so my blogs will kinda be a travel blog for just a little while, because surely something funny is bound to happen if I talk for long enough, it will also let you know that I am still alive and I am hopefully having fun.

At the moment I am sitting in Hong Kong international airport in the dragon air lounge, using their free Internet so I thought I would take the opportunity to post my first two days....

DAY 1
Well this morning, bright and early, at 6am I left home and headed towards the airport and while I have travelled overseas before I was very nervous, excited and scared about what today might bring because I have never done anything like this on my own. Every other time I have travelled I have been with some one who knew exactly what they were doing, but not today because once I walked through the doors at Melbourne airport I was on my own until I met Dad in Hong Kong.

Everything went according to plan though which was nice, except for the fact that as we were booking in Dave happened to mention that I go to the toilet a lot so I should sit in the isle, which was fine, but not only did I have an isle seat but I was the seat right in front of the toilet, so I spent most of the flight trapped in my seat by the queue for the loo. I also had the security guard play a little trick on me as I walked through the doors at Melbourne airport, as he had me convinced that he needed to use my laptop to check his emails, so I felt like a bit of a twit while I waited to board my flight. Apart from the toilet line and the flight being 9hours, it went off with out a hitch, I sat next to the coach for an Australian TaiJing team (some kind of martial arts thing) but he was sick, and he had that sick person smell, and he kept passing wind, which did get a little disgusting, but what can you do? At least he was friendly!

Once I navigated my self through Hong Kong customs I waited to meet Dad, which after a little bit of confusion I did, then Dad and I headed out to our hotel, none other than the Disneyland Hollywood Hotel, which means I have now crossed no.27 off my list because I had never been outside Hong Kong's airport, so it’s a place I had never been. We had a lovely dinner, and explored some of the hotel grounds which were all very exciting because everything is just soooooo Disney. On our way back up to our room we meet goofy in the foyer which was very exciting! So there you go…that’s Day 1! I don’t think all my blogs will be this big, but we will see, it’s probably better reading if they aren’t! Tomorrow Dad and I are off to Disney land WOO HOO!

Mark 5:36 "Don't be afraid, just believe"

DAY 2

Wow Disneyland, what can I say it’s amazing, it’s perfectly Disney, everything about it, every last detail has something Disney on it, and I tell you what I love it! We started the day at a restaurant in the hotel were I enjoyed some pancakes, hash browns, and Mickey Mouse waffles. Once I was very full, Dad and I headed out to Disneyland.

The day was full of the good old Disney magic, we went on everything from space mountain (which was made so much better with Dad’s screaming before the ride had began) to the story of winnie the pooh. Being in Hong Kong I was convinced that all the characters in the streets of Disneyland would be Asian, but I was a little disappointed when all the characters around the park were the ones that required head pieces, like Mickey and Buzz, and the first few in the parade that didn’t have giant heads were just hired white people, but my wishes were finally answered when I saw Alice from Wonderland (yes the from was on purpose, because she wasn’t in wonderland she was in Disneyland), because it was an Asian women, and I must say it did look kind of funny.

Dad and I had a great time, and of course I did some very silly things too… I couldn't drive the little autopia Honda cars which are designed for 10year olds, I head butted the space mountain cart after getting my arms stuck in the safety bar when getting my sunglasses out of the little pocket at the end of the ride, almost falling out of my Mad Hatters tea cup as we span it ridiculously fast and running through “main street USA” to get a giant stuffed Eeyore.

After watching the fireworks show Dad and I walked back to the hotel and kicked off our shoes to rest our very tired feet. I must admit though I was very sad to leave the park behind, because who knows when I will be back again…and nothing beats the magic of Disney.

Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"

Exams, Exams, Exams

2007-11-05T18:09:00.000+11:00

Today I had my 2nd and final exam for this semester, and I am very grateful they are over...but I realised over this exam period that there are lots of things about exams that fascinate me...here is just a few...

Why do I get soooooo stressed about 2hours, how can so much so much anxiety get crammed in to that small amount of time? Why can I never see that stressing wasn't worth it? Is just because I think I have to be stressed or I am not ready? Do I really honestly believe that all the hardest questions I can possibly think of will be on the exam? Is is just me that is sooooo irrational about exams?

Where do the exam supervisors come from? Do they get paid? What do think about during the exams? Are the worried about what they could have done with all that time? Do they actually care if people cheat? and do they think its weird that they have to follow students to the toilet? Is their worst nightmare a group of students going out to lunch before and having bad chicken meaning a mass toilet trip that they might not be able to control? Do they really like being stuck in a stuffy room handing out tissues?

What is the rule about food, can you or can't you take it in? I always get so confused because some people have food, but I am always to scared to take it in myself, but I tell you what a snack halfway would hit the spot. How do the people with food consume it so quietly? Is there the perfect food to have during an exam? As a nutrition student could having food be considered cheating?

Have you ever noticed all the little exam quirks people have? Why to people line up their pens? How can people only bring in one pen? Why are there people like me who bring hundreds of pens and two of every other kind of stationary? Why does everyone put their water in the same corner of the table? Why do some people take there shoes off?

I don't know...but its just want I thought about during and between my exams, all that matters now is that they are over, and so begins my lovely and long uni break!

Proverbs 24:3-4 "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."

Death to the Silent Letters

2007-10-29T15:32:00.000+11:00

Silent letters really bug me....I don't know why, they just do!

Maybe its becuase they are sooooo useless...they are silent so you wouldn't even notice if they weren't there anymore. All they really do is make the english even more rediculously complicated than it already is!

Don't believe me? Well read the following words, it might even help if you do it out loud...
Gnome Nome
Knife Nife
Ballet Balle
Knob Nob

Ok so they might look a little look a little werid now, but you could get used to them right? They certinally don't sound different...they are just spelt the way you think that they should be!

Seriously, I think that there needs to be boycot of all silent letters.

But the catch is, if I do that then everyone thinks that I am just a really bad speller, which is only partly true, because I am bad but not that bad...and I would have to explain it ALL the time, and quite frankly they just aren't worth it. So perhaps before I do, I need to rally some troops...are you with me...is it death to the silent letter?

Galatians 4:11 "I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you"

Dinky Di

2007-10-26T16:20:00.000+10:00

It's amazing how much power Mr Hyde has had over this blog...since stupid work is once again blocking blogspot, myspace, facebook etc. my blogs have significantly decreased. But here I am procrastinating from my study to write a blog...

As many of you may know, just recently, well its probably a little while ago now, an "Australian Citizenship Test" was introduced into the process of becoming an Australian citizen, just to ensure that new citizen's had some idea about Australian culture and history. Now the actual test isn't too bad, but it appears to be missing that lots of true blue slang and i guess you could call them "australianisms".

Many of you will also know that my boyfriend Dave is studying education at uni and while he doesn't often enjoy his classes, he was telling me about on very funny class he had that looked at this test and gave a few alternative tests as well. Once of these alternative tests was an absolute cracker, so I thought I would put some highlights (not all of it is appropriate for my G rated blog) of it on here and you can call all have a go and see how occa you really are...

1. Are these terms related: Chuck a sickie; chuck a spaz; chuck a U-ey?

2. Explain the following passage:

"In the arvo last Chrissy the relos rocked up for a barbie, some brevvies and a few snags. After a bit of a bex and a lie down we opened the pressies, scoffed all the chockies, bickies and lollies. Then we drained a few tinnies and Mum did her block after Dad and Steve had a barney and a bit of a biffo"

3. Macca, Chooka and Wanger are driving to Surfers in their Torana. If they are travelling at 100km/hr while listening to Barnsey, Farnsey and Acca Dacca, how many slabs will each person on average consume between flashing a brown eye and having a slash?

4. Complete the following Sentences:

a) If the van's a rockin' don't bother ______

b) You're going home in the back of a _______

c) Fair crack of the ______

5. I've had a gutful and I can't be fagged. Discuss

6. Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a wedgie?

7. Do you have a friend or relative who has a car in their front yard 'up on blocks'? Is his name Bruce and does he have a wife called Cheryl?

8. Demonstrate the correct procedure for eating a tim tam.

9. Do you have an Auntie Irene who smokes 30 cigarettes a day and sounds like a bloke?

10. When you go to a bring-your-own-meat barbie can you eat other peoples meat or are you only allowed to eat your own?

11. What purple root vegetable beginning with the letter B is required by law to included in a hamburger with the lot?

12. Do you own or have you ever owned a lawn mower, a pair of thongs, an esky or ugg boots?

13. Is it possible to 'prang a car' while doing 'circle work'?

14. Who is the most Australian?

Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson

John 'True Blue' Williamson

Kylie Minogue

Warnie

15. Is there someone you are only mates with because they own a trailer or have a pool?

So there you go...did you pass?

I guess all that remains to be said is...fair dinkum, I love my country!

Philippians 3:20 "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ"

Humble

2007-09-24T14:31:00.000+10:00

So once again I have left you all hanging for weeks, wondering what has happened to me, whether I am alive of dead or if I will ever write again, but its okay you can all relax because I am here now and ready to go...

So if you read Dave's blog, you may have already heard some of this information before, but this time it is coming from the horse's (so to speak) mouth. Last weekend I was able to cross another number off my list...number 41, it was almost two but...well its a long story. Last weekend was the weekend of the Just Car Insurance Sandown 500, where the V8s came to town for the first of their endrou events before Bathurst in a couple of weeks time. This was my first taste of live V8 action after falling in love with the sport almost a year ago...and I tell you what it was everything that I wanted it to be and more. I seriously loved it, I am convinced that deep inside me somewhere there is a tomboy just waiting for days like that where it can cheer and yell about cars and burnouts and jet trucks! But what made it even better of course was that team vodafone (my team...just in case I hadn't told 100 times yet) won!

I don't know exactly why I love motor sport as much, all I know is that I do...but one of the things I do love about it, is that while the drivers may be amazing on the road, and celebrities around the track, in reality, not that many people know who they are or what they do, so, for most of them it hasn't gone to their heads and they love to meet and greet the fans... I guess they are obtainable, not like the movie stars or even TV presenters, the drivers love the attention and bask in it, and are happy to sign things and have photos and all that kind of stuff (either that or they are all really good at putting it on, which I chose not to believe). They almost seem normal...

Ok maybe I need to explain a little better... Saturday morning, once we had arrived to the track we headed to the team vodafone tent to see what was happening, only to find out that we had just missed the cut off point in the line to get things signed by Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes (hence just missing out on no. 43), after my 13 year old girl melt down when Craig ran past (a much better version of that story on Dave's blog), I took photos of my favourite drivers while they held kids and signed all kinds of things all with a smile and a laugh. Thinking this was as close I as I would get to the drivers I was quite satisfied with day, but little did I know that as Dave and I drove out to sandown again Sunday Morning, who should we pull up next to in our car, but Garth Tander (driver for Toll HSV) and then on Thursday as I drove to uni, who should I pull up next to but the car of Jason Bright (team Fujitsu) and it just reminded me that these were not just V8 drivers but normal people, who do normal things.

I guess its the humility in that, that I am attracted to...I don't know, but bring on Bathurst!

Ephesians 4:2 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

The Mystery of Milk

2007-08-31T15:15:00.000+10:00

How does milk know when to go off?

At the moment I am living without parents, Mum has gone to China to visit dad, Jake has gone to china with school so its just Dusty and I left. So being the loving caring person mum is, the fridge was well stocked just before she left including about 6litres of milk. Now Dust and I don't really drink that much milk and the other day I just happened to be looking at and realised that it all went off either that day or the next day, so I madly tried to use as much of it as I could but I just couldn't use it all.

Anyway this got my wondering...as my studies have told me a "used-by" date is used to mark the date after which the product is unsafe to consume and milk has one of these. But...how does the milk know when to go off...is it at midnight the night before the used-by date, is it just casually through out the day that parts start to go bad...can you consume it and still be safe? Has some one just guessed that it might be bad after then? Is it worth risking it? Is there a small...microscopic even...time bomb in the milk that goes off when its time?

I don't know...hence the confusion...if you do please let me know!

Leviticus 20:24 "But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations."

God of the Traffic

2007-08-30T14:55:00.000+10:00

So I have decided that I need to make my blogs a little more succinct, short and sweet, but still pack that classic punch! So I will try my best, but seeing as I suffer quite badly from verbal diarrhoea I don't know how well I will go!

Anyway, yesterday I had my last day of placement, which was a little sad because I have been loving my placement very much, anyway...short and succinct I remember...this particular morning I had to drive myself because I had to race over to another a seminar I had to go to last night, so as usual I was running late, but then I got stuck at an intersection where I had to turn right and there was lots of traffic coming both ways...so can you kind of picture it? Maybe??...probably not...

Anyway, there were two cars in front of me also trying to make the same turn, but not having much luck...so I had a little chat with the big man, and just asked if he could please let there be a gap in the traffic big enough for all three of us to get through, and do you know what...not very long after that there was a gap and not just 3 of us got through but the car behind me as well...so I said thank you and told him that maybe 4 cars was just showing off, but it reminded me that God loves me enough to give me a gap in the traffic! It seems like something so little and silly, but it meant a lot to me, and it reminded me that I am loved and that He his watching over me and protecting me!

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you"

The words of my mouth

2007-08-27T17:45:00.000+10:00

Recently I have learnt about the value of encouragement....the thing is I haven't really tired any new skills or done anything that was sooooooo amazing I am surprised you haven't heard of it, but I have done some "different" things and it been in these things that I have been encouraged and it has really made a difference.

Not Saturday just gone, but the Saturday before I was given the opportunity to do something that I have wanted to do for a long long long time...(and cross no. 7 off my list, which was a bonus) I got to sing with a big band...not just any big band though...the box hill salvos big band! Now I have sung lots before, but not this style and its something that I have always wanted to do. Naturally because it was all very new, i was a bit stressed out about it. But I got lots of encouragement before, during and after and it made all the difference.

On Friday at uni, we had what is called a teaching clinic where we get to practice our dietetic skills on actresses and actors, during which half the class participates and are filmed and the other half observe. Well it was my turn to participate and I had the job of closing the session with the "patient", so I just had to recap and let them know what would be happening next time we saw them. Being the very person that I am I was more stressed about what I would look like on camera, than what I would say because I talk all the time so it wasn't that strange. But afterward I got some really nice encouragement from people in my class, the actress and from our teacher about my manner with the client. Not something that I really did on purpose, but it meant so much to me that people took the time to affirm the qualities that they saw in me.

Why do I tell you these stories I hear you ask??? Not because I want to tell you how could I am because I can tell you in detail lots of reasons why I wasn't, and because there is a better and defiantly more important point to my blog...here it is...

There is sooooo much power in encouragement. It is something that is soooooo easy to do, it requires so little effort or thought, but it means so much to the person that receives it. In the bible it talks about the tongue being a destructive weapon that can corrupt the whole body (James 3:5-6) and so often it is... I know I am constantly paying people out and have a go at something, in fact its part of culture and way of life to have a go at things and people. But words can do so much good too and I don't think that there is enough good words going around!

I think that if I encouraged people as much as I paid things out, I would probably explode of encouragement. But it would be nice to even just have a balance, or maybe even just a little more encouragement going out than all the other rubbish I say! I want to be an encourager that looks for the good in people and tells them when I see it!

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

My Dietetic Duty

2007-08-23T16:37:00.000+10:00

For many years the heart foundation has done some great work the area of public health awareness, and without them lots more people would be in a lot more trouble then they currently are. But at the moment I have real issues with their policies on "occasional" food ticks...I have been trying to let it die or even just leave it be, but I can't...it makes me soooooo mad!

The thing is, as most of you would know, this year there were 9 meals approved by the heart foundation available for purchase from McDonald's...last week we had a lecture done by the heart foundation about how great the tick was in terms of public nutrition interventions which is all true except for the fact that they have now started putting ticks on "occasional" foods, so foods that you should only eat "occasionally" claiming that it shows consumers the healthier choice in a particular food area, because people will eat these foods anyway, so lets give them a healthier option...well I don't buy it. What kind of attitude is that? Don't change your diet because we've changed your food????

For so many years the heart foundation tick has been great at showing consumers which foods are good for your heart and most of the food that the tick was used on were everyday foods, foods that are good for you to eat on a regular basis. The lecture was taking about the fact that the tick is the only nutritional symbol that didn't cause consumer confusion, but I don't think that that is true anymore!

Putting the tick on foods like McDonald's implies that the meals are good for you...not just that they are better than say Hungry Jacks, but the truth is they are still high in every macronutrient anyway and they are not good for you at all (to McDonald's credit they have worked very hard to get their meal options in the heart foundations requirements, so it is better than lots of other things, but?)...But if you read the fine print the Heart foundation only suggests that you eat those particular meals no more than once a week, but who would know that...no one. But it gets better, you have to eat the meals exactly as they are suggested, you can't even swap the high sugar orange juice for a no sugar diet coke or even water...its just silly, as if water isn't the better choice!

The heart foundation claims that we the general public, thats us, should eat according to the Australian Dietary guidelines...but does anyone outside the health profession have a copy...probably not. We asked this lecturer how the population is supposed to no what the guidelines are, or even just want is considered a "occasional" tick item and an "everyday" tick item...and she told us that its the dietitian's job! But seeing as most dietitian's only see those that are unwell or have a specific nutritional need, not everybody in the population...no one will ever know.

So I figured as a dietitian (well almost) and this is apparently my duty...I would just blog about it...so here you go...

The heart foundation tick is put
on everyday and occasional meals/food items and therefore the items should be consumed accordingly not just because they have the tick!

Talk about confusing...just writing this blog was confusing!

The day my sunglasses died…

2007-08-20T18:32:00.000+10:00

Today I was walking back to my car from the train station in the glare of the sun when I remembered that I had my sunnies in my bag, so I went to grab them out and made a horrible discovery…they were broken, not just a little, but snapped right down the middle between eyes.

Now you are probably all thinking, never mind you will have to get another pair, but I tell you what its not that simple…I am the kind of person that takes forever to find sunnies, because they always have to be just right and that means they need to be cheap, but have eye protection and the need to fit my little head (I know it probably doesn’t look little but you would be surprised, it is actually quite small!) and look hot…naturally! So it is actually quite hard to find sunnies that I like. So this was a devastating discovery…my sunnies and I have been through a lot, granted it was almost time for some new ones but I still loved them and I wasn’t ready to start the search again. We have been everywhere together, and I even think that it was the sunnies that made me look cool in most of my photos over the last year…they get all the credit, but now they are gone. So this is a little tribute to them and all they did…

Smoking

2007-08-07T16:19:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I had my first day as a student dietitian in a hospital, just for lectures so I didn't have to do anything, except for listen of course, but it was all very new and exciting, I felt very out of place but enjoyed imagining what it would be like to work there, catch the train in and work in the very busy and important looking building that makes St Vincents what it is. I was a little bit disappointed though, as it appears that ALL the good looking doctors work for Seattle Grace, and there are none left for the hospitals in Melbourne!

Anyway, we were in the inwards part of the hospital, so all day we saw people with various diseases and injuries going in and out of the hospital, some just to enjoy the fresh air for a little while, but some to go home with friends and family. While I was there I rediscovered just how much I love to watch people, they are so fascinating, each with a very different story and all doing such weird and wonderful things, but there was one thing that I saw a few times that I just didn't understand, smoking!

Seriously everyone knows smoking is bad for you, and yes its addictive, but if you were in hospital with some sort of severe illness don't you think that the last thing on your mind would be having a ciggy? I just don't understand why patients are even allowed to go out for smokos, it just destroys everything that the doctor is trying to do. The number of people I saw outside the front of the hospital with an IV drip attached to one arm and a cigarette to the other was ridiculous, what made it worse was the number of people I saw two or three times!

I guess what I don't understand is that even though it stuffs up everything in your body, people keep doing it, even when there body is starting crumble and even dying. But it made me think that even though I don't smoke, I still sin, and that is killing me on the inside every time, but I can't stop, maybe that the same thing in my life...I don't know just a thought, but seriously if you smoke...stop, its really not good for you!

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

no. 37...The Phantom of the Opera

2007-08-02T21:26:00.000+10:00

Last night I was able to knock another thing of my list...because last night I went on a hot date with the man of my dreams, and he took me to see the Phantom of the Opera, not before picking me up dressed to impress and cooking me a beautiful dinner!

It was a lovely evening and the musical was fantastic! There was a little drama as when we took our seats we were politely informed that "for tonight's performance the part of the phantom would be played by Simon Price" not Anthony Warlow as advertised on everything! But I did find out today that he is actually very sick, so I understand and I forgive him...but I must say the other guy was very good and I probably wouldn't have noticed the difference anyway! Seriously though, the performers last night were amazing...I had never actually seen the full play before even though it is on DVD, and I think that made it even better because I had a very vague idea of what might happen, but not the complete picture so it made it so much more exciting, so if you are in Melbourne at the moment do your self a favor and go and see it! Its heaps good!

Just on the side....Last night when I was taking some pictures of my lovely night out I noticed a banner advertising the musical that stated "The World's Greatest Love story"!

Now if you know the story of the phantom of the opera...would you really say that it is the greatest love story...yes there is love, but this love is full of pain, its a love that drives a man insane, causes him to do things that he probably wouldn't have done other wise. I guess it got me thinking...The Phantom's love was selfish and demanding and it was on his terms...that doesn't sound like a very good love story to me...it sounds like a good story, one of tragedy and despair but not of love...I think there is a better love story in the world, one of Amazing Grace and of Boundless Salvation...a love that only gives...a love that gave its life...The love of God...now that sounds like a love story...maybe even the World's greatest!

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Winter Update

2007-08-01T11:33:00.000+10:00

Wow, it’s been a long time…I feel like every blog I write starts with that, but it’s normally true! What has happened since last time…LOTS! Where will I start???

I am back at uni and I tell you what it’s a bit of a shock to the system, this semester is full on, I am actually learning how to be a dietician (I even have a badge that says so!), despite the fact that I have been studying nutrition for two and half years already, but its good, I am now actually seeing what I get to do and the impact that I can make, which is both very exciting and scary at the same time. I think what scares me most is that it’s up to me and I actually have to make decisions about people, that effect their lives, but I guess I will get used to that eventually! So with that keeping busy, I can imagine that my life is about to get very hectic!

Anyway, I thought that you all needed an update on what is happening on my list because believe it or not I actually have done some more… ready…ok, lets go…

19. Allow Dave not to be my slave… Well seeing as though we are no longer together, this one was kind of like the blessing in the storm…although it was a very little blessing in a very big storm, it still comes off the list by default!

33. Pull of a Parallel Park…I did and I have photos and witnesses (just Dave, but its still a witness), seriously it was the tightest park ever, but I was amazing…not that I could ever do it again, but, all the list says is once!
Sorry the pictures a bit dark...

36. Go to a concert of someone famous…no its not the circus, or a salvo thing, its actually someone famous, well two actually…a couple of weeks ago I went and saw Missy Higgins, with my good mate Pez and her sister, and it was fantastic, I even got some good pictures! And…it gets better…Missy’s opening act was a girl called Kate Miller-Heidke…who may not be famous now, but will be so I am counting her as well!

Missy Singing her heart out...

Kate Miller-Heidke and I...
73. Go to the snow…did it… lake mountain…fun fun fun, but it turns out that I am either too old or too heavy to enjoy tobogganing!
Kitty and I being silly...
75. Beat Brad at Buzz on PS2…much to brad’s disgust I beat him on Sunday at buzz’s music quiz…that’s right brad…I beat you!

99. Well I crossed of lots more “emma” streets…heres where Flic, Claire and I drove to…
Emma St, Collingwood Emma Ave, Reservoir Emma Ct, Thomastown Emma St, Fawkner Emma Ct, Coburg Nth Emma Ct, Taylors Lakes Emma Ct, Woori Yallock All in one day too, might I add...thanks to Karen (the GPS) and Claire that is!

I think that’s all the ones that I have done so far…there are a few more in the pipelines, but there you go! Now I better get back to work before I stuff up number 2…keep up to date with uni stuff!

Holidays

2007-07-15T14:28:00.000+10:00

Well its been a while since my last blog, I have been on holidays from uni and a lot has happened some good and some bad, so here is a bit of a recap of the good stuff...

I have seen 6 movies:
Blades of Glory...funniest movie ever...if you haven't seen it yet you really should!
Harry Potter
Knocked Up
Transformers
and Shreik the Third...twice.

I went on a massive road trip up to the northern suburbs with Flic and Claire to visit 6 Emma Streets up there so that I could cross them off my list

I tried to beat Brad at Buzz, but didn't get very far

I stayed at Annie's house, Alisha's house and Kirsten's house and stayed up way too late,

We had a great girls day at Rach's place and I went to the snow with kitty, lish and adam which means I can cross no.73 of my list.

But tomorrow uni starts again and I think it is going to be pretty full on, which will be good, but its also a little scary!

Hopefully now that things will be back to normal, my blogs will be a little more regular....well I will try anyway! I might even chuck some photos up soon!

Happy Birthday Blog

2007-06-17T22:39:00.000+10:00

So it turn out that once again my poor little blog has been left alone for too long!

Why you might ask, well its that lovely time of year again...its mid-semester time! So I am sorry about that, but today is a very special day in the life of my blog, today it turns one! and it would have been very wrong of me not to acknowldge it!

So there you go, you have made it through a year of my life, 105 posts, probably that many rediculous stories and dramas well all the ones I wrote about anyway!

I hope you all feel better for being around for one whole year! I know I do....

Anyway off to bed, coz some if lucky enough to have an exam bright and early in the morning!

please note: i didn't make the cake for my blog...seriously i didn't, i just recycled the picture, i promise, i know computers don't eat cake, and that although I would be more than happy to consume one for it, it would not be worth it and as a dietician in training it would also be very unprofessional and a very poor example for all you potential clients...

Fully Charged

2007-06-08T10:13:00.000+10:00

Why don't thinks come fully charged...the other day I brought myself a new emjoi...well not the other day it was like two weeks ago now and it is still sitting there unused because I have to charge it for only 16 hours, not more, not less! Do you know how hard it is to find a time when you are going to be back 16hours later?

I was really excited about my new emjoi, its cordless and white and yellow and very cool and I was already to use it have lovely nice legs, but no...i have to charge it, so there it sits, uncharged in the corner...

Seriously, its soooo annoying, i don't understand why they can't just come with one charge ready to go...it would make everyone sooooooooo much happier! Its like including batteries, it never happens but when it does, isn't it just the best! Its like most of the keyboards we sell at work, they don't come with power supplies, its just useless and annoying and all the customers get mad at me when I tell them! They tell me "you wouldn't buy a kettle with out a power cord, so why don't keyboards come with one?????" and I say I know its silly, but they just don't! But what i really feel like saying is I know its sooooo dumb and annoying they have let everyone down by doing it....whats the point in supplying a keyboard if you can make it work!

so the moral of the story is if you ever manufacture something...send it out charged and ready to go...its just annoying if you don't!

Altona

2007-06-04T10:00:00.000+10:00

Ok, so lets just get these basic facts right, I don’t really like driving and when I do I am not very good at it. Anyway, on Saturday night my driving ability was really stretched…I was going to a 21st and I was the driver for 2 of my uni mates, which was all well and good, but the party was in Altona meadows.

Now being brought up in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, my knowledge of the western suburbs is somewhat limited and distorted. So much so that when I thought of travelling out there I wasn’t sure if I would be safe, if I would have my car stolen or really what would happen… but I was very pleasantly surprised, it was nice and quiet, nothing really that different from my own street, every thing was pretty normal and I was almost shocked! Don’t you think it is funny though, that its so easy to judge and area and a lifestyle before you have even been there or seen it? I know I had, but I was so wrong…mind you, the people at the party kept asking us if we had been mugged yet, or if we remember to lock our doors, because they were obviously aware of what people thought of their home!

Anyway, that wasn’t really the point of the blog, all I really wanted to say that I was sooooooo impressed with my driving skills, because I don’t think I had actually driven myself on most of the roads we used and I had to. And after a little bit of panic I even went through both tunnels! I am amazing I know! Anyway…I pretty much just wanted to say that I am the best and with Karen (my GPS) I can drive anywhere…she has empowered me and the spaceship saab to see more of the world!

Oh and I should also say HAPPY BIRTHDAY Elise…as it was her 21st!

To The Circus!

2007-06-02T14:22:00.000+10:00

Last night as a celebration of Ness’ 18th, I went with the George family to the circus, but not just any circus…Cirque du soleil and I tell you what it was magic, really it was. There probably aren’t many ways to describe it besides magic, but its just amazing the talent and the thought and music and art that goes into this performance its just mind bogaling!

When I was young, I used to wonder what it would be like to be in the cirus, and whther I could ever run away and join, but I decided that it wasn’t a good idea, but after watching the show last night…I might reconsider, although I don’t know what I would be in the circus, because I am not very strong, or flexible and I don’t look good in tights, so I guess that either leaves a clown or an animal, and neither of those are really appealing!

I did wonder though, how do you just join the circus? Surely you can’t just hang around at the end and just hope they’ll let you stay, are you born into the circus or do you go to some kind of circus school? Is there a Cirque du soleil circus school? Have I missed my chance? I don’t know.

But attending such a famous circus also makes me wonder if I can cross no. 36 “Go to a concert of someone famous” off my list, because the Cirque du soleil are talented and famous, and I didn’t participate in the show, but I don’t know if it was a concert…hence my new poll, so let me know what you think, as to whether it can come off the list!

oh and did you know Circue du soleil is Canadian?

Anyway even if I can’t the circus was great!

Gaffa Tree

2007-06-01T15:02:00.000+10:00

Have you ever seen a gaffa tree? No? Well then I guess you have never made a gaffa tree then…no? didn’t think so…well I have! And that’s what I did all day at work today (Dave helped a little too), in prep for the big sale tomorrow…wanna see one? Ok here you go….

What do they do? Well the bring joy to the price makers as the prices can then be quickly and swiftly added to instruments and books and what not! I am the gaffa tree maker, its one of my key jobs at billy hyde! Its what keeps me employed here! It is important to know that the gaffa tree is not like the Christmas tree...but you could get a way with singing....

O gaffa tree, O gaffa tree, how lovely are your branches...

100 blogs of fun!

2007-05-30T17:18:00.000+10:00

Wow can you believe it??? This is my 100th blog! I know 100! I am so surprised I had than much stuff worth writing and it’s almost a year since I the blog became into being!

And it's exciting too because this 100th brings the tale of a fantastic day! Today was my last day of uni for semester 1 of my 3rd year, and I tell you what it seems to have flown by, it feels like only yesterday that I met the girls that are the main feature of this blog, but I have known them for 3 years and they still hang out with me, so I must have picked some winners!

Anyway, Wednesdays are normally our long days but with no assignments or tutes we decided that we would use the day to eat at Einstein’s (the on student association restaurant) which we had been talking about doing pretty much since day one! But as our first lecture at 9am was done by 9:30 we had a lot of time to kill before our 3pm lecture. So we decided that we would go to the Emma court in Mt Waverley because it was nice and close and then come back for lunch! So Elise, Claire, Flic and I found Emma Court in Mt. Waverley with the help of Karen (my GPS), which I think was the highlight of Claire's day! Then we went back for lunch, which was quite enjoyable.

But we still had 2 hours so we decided that Karen could get us to another Emma Street in that time so we headed off again, this time out to Ferntree Gully! So that was two streets crossed of my list, but that’s not where the fun stoped we also decided that on the way home we should stop at cold rock and knock no. 62... Try licorish ice cream off the list! Which I can now tell you first hand, tastes very much like licorish and is not recommended to anyone!

But I tell you what today was a really good day, the adventure were very funny, and nothing beats a good meal and ice cream! I am very lucky to have friends like these guys at uni...i probably wouldn't have made it to the end of 1st semester let a lone 1st semester 3rd year without them! They are very fun girls and I love them to bits and I am very much looking forward to carving up the dance floor (or something that vaguely resembles that) on Saturday night! Thanks for keeping me sain girls!

The World is such a funny place!

25 years

2007-05-29T17:38:00.000+10:00

Today is my mum and dad's 25th wedding anniversary, so I guess I want to say congratulations and thanks for sticking it out...I know as a family we have been through a lot, and you have had to put up with me for 20 years so surely thats worth something!

Anyway, i think that its pretty cool that while many of my friends families have become broken and we live in a world where thats very common, I have parents that are still together even though one of them has to live on the otherside of the world!

You guys are really commited to each other and to me, jake and dusty, and its nice that after all these years even though Dad is no longer a rebelious green haired hippie that mum wasn't allowed to date and that Mum isn't a boney maroney anymore with her oh so cool butterfly style glasses, and you are both very different in many ways from what you were when you got together, that you still love each other! I hope that one day I will have a 25th wedding anniversary, but not just that, that I will still be in love with my husband just as much as you guys are!

Congrats guys!

Love em

Pantless Bird

2007-05-28T12:28:00.000+10:00

So I thought you all needed to see a picture of the bird with no pants as its kind of hard to imagine...

the two birds together...

and the one with no pants...

rest in peace birds!

Two Little Love Birds

2007-05-25T11:21:00.000+10:00

First I just want to apoligise for my lack of bloging this week...for that you can blame Mr Deakin!

Anyway, I have a story for you....

Once upon a time there was a little love bird, well not just one, two little love birds because they always come in pairs you know.

No, this isn't another blog about me and Dave, this is a blog about 2 little love birds, like actual love birds.

These two little birds lived not too far away in a house in blackburn, and their names were poco and toto, now normally love birds live a very simple life, filled with love and chatter and more love, but poco and toto's lives were also filled with pain, see while poco was completely satisfied with the relationship, toto wanted more. He was constantly trying to impress his "bird" but nothing he did seemed to work, we learnt to sing a beautiful song, but nothing, he learnt how to swing on the swing, but still nothing, he learnt how to do tricks on the swing, but still nothing. Anyway, in a last attempt at happiness with his sweet heart poco, toto ripped out his pants. Yes that right, toto has become an exhibitionist, and now goes around with no pants on.

Its a true story and it disturbs me very much, well actually only the bit about him ripping out his pants is true, the rest I can't confirm because they are birds, but lets just go with it....Dave tells me the reason that he has no pants is because he really suffered from Aids, the bird variety, which is actually really sad, I don’t know how he got it, but apparently that’s what he had!

Anyway, sadly this tale has sad end! Yesterday these two little love birds died. Not just one of them, but both of them, together, so I guess in the end he did get the girl in an almost Romeo and Juliet type fashion.

I am a little sad at the passing of these two little birds because over the last 2 years I have yelled at them….a lot…they were very noisy, but its still no excuse, so they died thinking that I didn’t like them, but its not true I did like them and I will miss them, especially the one with no pants.

The world is such a funny place!

Mother's Day (no. 84)

2007-05-13T22:34:00.000+10:00

So today is Mother’s Day (HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY MUM!) and to celebrate Mum, Jake and I went into the city for the day (Dustin was at the footy, I know what a disgrace!)

It was a really lovely day, scones for breakfast at kids church this morning, then the afternoon in the city where we went shopping in Melbourne central, checked out the new QV, which I must say is a little disappointing, and even walked to the Queen Vic Markets and checked that out too…as well as indulging ourselves not only in krispy kreme donuts but also in chocolate fondue for two (Jake didn’t get to share) at a lovely little place called Max Brenner (Chocolate with the bald man!) Which just on the side is just an unbelievable place, if you like chocolate go there, its amazing! Anyway the whole day was really nice, the sun was shinning, we were in the city, which is one of the best places in the world and I was shopping, what more could you want??? Don’t worry… I will tell you!

While we were shopping, mum pointed out a pair of boots, and in my mind I thought here we go again, another humiliating winter with no boots, but my dream of owning my own pair of boots had not died, like I thought it had, so somehow mum managed to get me to “just try them on” so I though ok, why not? What’s another pair of boots that don’t fit? So I did… and guess what????? No you will never believe it but…. THEY FITTED! But my rational thought said, just think about this don’t just get them because they fit, lets see what else is out there, and to my surprise we found another pair of boots that fit! A much nicer pair too, so tonight I sit here typing in wearing my new boots, that fit…they aren’t even tight at all! It’s amazing!

I think that to day with donuts, chocolate, boots and mum has been one of the best shopping days my life…

I have boots and that's no. 84 done!

If you are not sure why boots is so important here is a little refresher...or here

Sucker

2007-05-12T14:20:00.000+10:00

Can someone please tell me...Do I have a big sign on my forhead saying sucker??? Or pick me I can't say no??? Seriously I can't go anywhere where one of those stupid in store creditcard things or charity raffels asks me to be involved!

Take today for example...I went to get mu lunch from the shopping centre and while i was walking, clearly on a mission, one of these people that have there own tables set up (this one was for animal welfare or something along those lines, free the bears!) and I almost got the whole way past when the guy asked me how was i doing? And I could have been just like countless other people and just pretened I didn't hear him, or that he wasn't talking to me, but i knew that he was I could feel it, and as much as I wanted to I just couldn't out right ignore him, but then i was in...I was trapped and he was telling me about this stiff he was promoting and all I could think was, oh my goodness here I am again!

It doesn't matter... all it takes is a smile or a question and they have got me! Maybe its coz I have been in there situation trying to colect for the good old salvos, but I don't think I ever push my self into other peoples conversations. I know its there job, but why me....why always me

The world is such a funny place!

Happy Birthday Dad

2007-05-12T09:12:00.000+10:00

Just a quick message for the other side of the world, for somewhere deep in Beijing...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! Sorry that we can't share it with you today, but I hope that its a lovely day and that you cherish our gift of silence, lol! You'll have to go for a walk into the city and blow your diet on a big piece of cake...if anyone asks tell them that your dietitian says its ok, if you can say it in chinese lol! I love you stacks, thanks for everything that you do for me! You a the best, seriously!

Happy Birthday!

Love em

No. 95

2007-05-11T10:27:00.000+10:00

A couple of Saturday nights ago i went and watched Melbourne Storm play, something that I had never done before and was a little apprehensive about actually, because while i enjoy watching most sports that I know the rules to, rugby is not something that I have had a great deal of experience with. But I tell you what there was something that they do at the rugby that won me over straight away, seriously no questions asked! After every try scored they had fireworks! I know... how cool is that? Do they do that all the time??? or was it just some special night??? I don't know but it was great, thanks Nessa for the tickets. What topped it off to was that the storm won!

But here is the thing, do you think that I only get sucked into these sports because the first time I watch it the team I randomly chose wins? Over the last little while I have even found myself listening to the NRL section of Sports tonight, which I would have normally used as a chance to go to the loo and clean my teeth before bed. I get sucked in so easily, I sit there watching just in case they say something about Melbourne storm even though I have no idea who the players are or where there from or even what any of the other teams are called, i probably wouldn't even know if they were talking about storm or not, but still I sit there pretending that i know whats going on because of one fateful night when there was fireworks and Storm won.

I guess its the same way my love for V8 racing started, I watch bathurst doing the girlfriend thing and chose Craig Lowndes (Dave's favorite) and fell in love and now I watch every race and am a member of Craig's fan club. Maybe I get sucked in too easily, i don't know. Does this happen to anyone else or just me?

Anyway the point of this blog was to say that I saw fireworks so I could cross it off my list. But to be completely honest I was a little disappointed that Storm would be my fireworks experience because my view was kind of blocked by peoples heads and the roof of the stand. But....On Tuesday night it was Vanessa's (Dave's sister) 18th birthday (happy birthday ness) so to celebrate her birthday we went into crown for tea. It turned out that the 8th of may is also the birthday of crown casino and on Tuesday night it turned 10...so they celebrated too. However, crown does things a little bit more extravagantly than most people so they discided to put on a fireworks spectacular and at the resturant that Dave had chosen we had the best seats in the house and I tell you what it was one of the best fireworks displays I have seen in a while. It was almost like the fireworks man had lost control, but it was great!

So there you go number 95 is done, i have seen the fireworks, twice in fact and both because of ness!

The world is such as funny place!

Dad, Ikea and the Spaceship Saab,

2007-05-09T08:56:00.000+10:00

Well over the last week and a bit, I have been lucky enough to have my Dad home from china, but this morning bright and early (5am to be exact) we had to take him to the airport and say goodbye again. And as much as it sucks that he has to go back, its been nice having him around. I know that sounds werid, but its true, when he is back our family is complete again and even though we fight and yell at each other its like it used to be and i like that!

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you about a lovely day that I had last week and because it was with Dad I thought there was no better day but today!

Last Tuesday morning Dad and I went out for breakfast at bridge road in richmond which was lovely. Seriously there is nothing better than going out for breakfast. Its nice to stop before they day has even started and just enjoy yourself! Anyway as if that wasn't enough I also got to go to Ikea which, in my personal opinion, is the best shop in the whole world! Seriously i love Ikea, one day i will have a whole ikea house! While we were at ikea we had to get some things for home, including 2 bookselves and 2 "tall boys" or chests of drawers, so that we did, not really thinking about how we would get them home.

So once we had made our purchases we went and got the car and being a fairly small car we did have a few concerns as to how the bookshelves were going to fit into the car as well as Dad and I! But once again, my little spaceship saab amazed me with the amount of things I can fit in the boot, seriously its a machine, i love it! With the back seats down, and my seat (the passenger seat don't stress) pushed all the way forward and the seat back on a very odd angle everything fited and we headed home. Mind you I did get a few werid looks bent over my airbag at a 45degree angle! But it was fun and well worth it! Thanks Dad!

The world is such a funny place.

The Update of Updates

2007-04-30T12:25:00.000+10:00

The update you’ve all been waiting for…

So here is after almost 2 months of silence the update of the magical list is finally here…its almost as exciting as the next instalment of Harry Potter…actually its better.

So as much as I would love to tell you everything had gone perfectly according to plan, it hasn’t and some of my tasks have failed. I know and its only April. Manly the everyday ones…

1. Exercise regularly…As to this date I still have not started exercising regularly because Monday night basketball probably just doesn’t cut it.

2 and 3. Keep up to date with things I have due at uni and church…I have kept fairly up to date with things due at church, but poor uni has fallen by the wayside for another semester, while nothing has been handed in late, everything has been done at the last minute, including the one that I was up until 2:45am last week trying to finish!

4. Be on time…I have been much more punctual, well I think I have anyway, but maybe you should ask Dave (who, I should add, had finally fixed up his blog), or flic (who has abandoned her blog to play with her favourite child…myspace)…

5. Chocolate…well…what can I say…opps, Easter was good?

6. Learn Guitar…I now know 4 chords on the guitar…A, D, E and Em

8. Wash my car by myself…the verdict is still not in on whether this counts…

13. Not let Dave get sick…well this one is stuffed coz he had his tonsils out in Feb, I didn’t even get a chance, maybe now that they are gone!

15. Clean out my cupboard and actually through stuff out…A few weeks ago, I was sick so I didn’t go to work on a Saturday and I used the day to go through my cupboard…its amazing, and this is the pile for stuff to go…if you see anything you like…wink wink…its still on my floor because it hasn’t made it out yet, but it is going!

18. Say No to a job I don’t have time to do, even if I want the job…well I am not a cell leader this year, and even though I miss it, I know that I am better off, and that the girls I would have had now have someone that can give them all the time that they deserve.

26. Get a CD stacker for my car…well it turns out my beautiful car just isn’t meant to have a Stacker, mum and davo looked into getting my one for my birthday, but its all just a little too hard, so they went one step better…even though it doesn’t have music, I now have a GPS system for my car…very cool indeed!

38. Go on a boat… well I have been on stacks and by stacks I mean 2, one to the great barrier reef and the other to Whitehaven beach (which we didn’t end up making it too, it’s a long story)

46. Drink a bottle of water everyday… I haven’t done and I have no excuse

49. Play Dark Zone…Well it wasn’t called Dark Zone but it was the same kinda thing, it was just in the country, Castlemaine to be exact, but there were lasers and

57. Read 5 books from Dad’s Library… well I have read 4 and I am onto my 5th , turns out they are not half bad

77. Try to understand what “negative gearing” means for tax purposes…this is what I think it is, its when your business costs you more than it is earning you, so that you still get money back in Tax, even though the money hasn’t been earned back
83. Go to 24 hour K-mart between the hours of 1-3 am…Its done, and even though Dave wouldn’t take me, Kirsten and Pheebs came with me and we got some photos done. I tell you what though, it doesn’t matter when you go there its always busy.

92. Read/listen to my bible everyday…its like the water, no excuse

97. Not shave my legs, just emjoi...well this one was going great guns, that was of course untill my poor old emjoi packed up, so for now its back to the shaver, until i get a new emjoi!

100. Win an award...well I did, but its heaps nerdy, i got into some special club for the top 15% of uni students it called the golden key or something...I don't know what it is really but its an award none the less, but I would still like to win a less dorky one!

So there you go thats where the list is at...hopefully I will be able to keep to more up to date with the list from now on! Sorry its taken so long

The world is such a funny place!

RSVP

2007-04-28T12:26:00.000+10:00

I have another one of those puzzling questions for you today....What exactly does RSVP stand for? Its something that we do quite often to all kinds of dinners, parties and events, but what are we actually doing when we RSVP? I know that we are letting someone know whether we are coming of not, but does RSVP actually stand for something? or does it actually have nothing to do with telling someone whether you can come or not and just happens to the phrase we use? I don't know but I would like to so if you know, rsvp and tell me!

Lest We Forget

2007-04-26T09:40:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was ANZAC day, and like always I spent yesterday like every other day of my life, busily doing things just so they were done and I could move on to the next task, so much so yesterday that I almost missed ANZAC day completely...i knew it was ANZAC day, but I was so caught up in my own world it wasn't until i was watching Big Brother during tea that I actually realised the weight of the day.

How in big brother you might ask? Well big brother made the housemates participate in a dawn service after they were woken by the sounding of the last post. I almost felt guilty that I not yet stopped and paid my respects to those that had fallen so that I could be free. I am so lucky to be living in a country where I am free from opression, and I am even able to fly through a day like yesterday.

But it also reminds that there is always a price for freedom, a price of life, of a limb, of sainity, of love. I guess its true spiritually too though, because our spritual freedom was also brought with a life, that of Jesus.

So thanks for giving me this freedom...lest we forget!

Time for a High tea

2007-04-21T12:20:00.000+10:00

Well another day and another very special 21st brithday...

Today is Miriam Pho's 21st Birthday, fondly known as Po, Mim, or the token asain... Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATE...hope you have a great day and that you feel like the queen herself this arvo, with your scones and jam...you are probably the first asian I know that has had a high tea!

I must admit though, I am a little bit dissapointed that you didn't have a black eye for your special day, it would have made it that little bit better...if you don't know what I am talking about click here!

The world is such a funny place!

Opps...I'm with optus

2007-04-18T17:49:00.000+10:00

Don't you just love it when you decided to do something at the last minute because it will be better in the long run, and it just makes everything worse?

Tonight on my way home from uni I decided that I would stop and get some phone credit so that I had it now and didn't have to wait for tomorrow, I also got petrol, so I was able to kill two birds with one stone! But, the thing is when I ordered my credit I said telstra, not thinking much of it I drove home (because I didn't want to use my phone at the servo) and then tried to recharge my phone...but it wasn't working!

So I tried again and again and then after rejecting me 3 times, even the automated answering lady gave up and hung up. So getting a little annoyed I rang her back and it was only then that I finally realised that the I was punching in a 12 digit number instead of the 10 digits it was asking for, so I started looking at the different numbers and could find anything with 10 digits and then I realised that I have an Optus pre-paid phone not a telstra one!

Anyway, it was all a little frustrating and very silly...but in the end Jake used my telstra one and brought an optus one home for me...Thanks Jake.... and at least I put the right petrol in.

The World is such a funny place!

Sydney...its a beautiful city...apparently

2007-04-17T17:19:00.000+10:00

Well I just got back from flying trip to Sydney, well Paramatta actually, being the guest artist at the salvos up there, but before you get all excited...the songsters were the guest artist not me personally, and the big band came too and they stole the show anyway (in a good way), because they were just so fantastic! Seriously if you want to hear an amazing big band, check out Box Hill Salvos Big Band...but its probably the 5th or 6th time I have been to Sydney and I still have not seen the city, I have never been to the harbour bridge or seen the opera house or anything and its getting to the stage where it is just ridiculous because everyone keeps telling me how beautiful it is and I still haven't been...I have been around the world pretty much, but haven't even seen Sydney Australia! It's weird ey? How sometimes you can see so much of everything else but no even go out into your own backyard and check it out...

But it wasn't all a waste, I got to met some pretty cool people, including on that was the spitting image of Mr. Incredible from the Disney movie, and I got to sing, which I love doing and spend some time with my mates, and see God minister through music it was a great trip, I just wish it was a little longer, because by the time we got used to everything we had to go home again! Oh and I was also able to get Missy Higgins new single...which is awesome, seriously check it out!

Anyway thats all from me today...

The world is such a funny place!

Wow...What a Long Weekend

2007-04-10T13:35:00.000+10:00

Well Easter has come and gone for another year…once again I have stuffed myself silly with Cadburys chocolate and completely stuffed my diet, but my goodness me was it worth it and I am also another year older since I last blogged! I know pretty crazy ey?

I am finding as I get older that Easter seems to be more and more meaningful but completely different from everything else Easter has ever meant before. I know that’s kind of weird but its true.

When I was little Easter only meant eating a lot of chocolate and hot cross buns. I knew about the story but it didn’t really mean anything to me personally, but now every Easter I am reminded just how much God gave for me… but not just for me for everyone, even people like Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Ladin, people that hate Christians and I guess that just blows my mind. Seriously think about, would you really give your life for your best friend…I guess I would like to think that I would, but I don’t know, but imagine giving it for someone who hated you. It’s amazing! It’s a pretty amazing gift, coz really all we have done is stuffed up, and so Jesus has died for us, even though he did nothing wrong and was perfect, so that we can have eternal life and go to heaven. And there is no catch either, all we have to do is believe that Jesus died for us and the gift is ours. It seriously blows my mind. So if you haven’t already this Easter take a minute and just thank God for his sacrifice, coz its pretty cool, and without it we are all stuffed!

It also turns out that since I last blogged I have left another chapter of my life behind, I am now 20years old. I know, I know, soooooo old, but it’s true. But yesterday was my birthday and while I wasn’t really looking forward to it, because it was such a silly number and mum and dad were away I actually had an awesome day. It all started being woken up by Dave with one of the best presents ever! And then continued when he took me out to breakfast, which was just lovely! Then we went to the footy, which was awesome because the Hawks finally won a game and came up with the goods for my birthday buddy Brandon and I, much to dusty’s disgust! But I had a great time cheering on the hawks with Brad and Alicia and hanging out with the somewhat disheartened Melbourne supporters that came too! The guy sitting behind also made the game very amusing as all passionate Melbourne fans do!

After singing the song through a couple of times, I went home and Kirsten picked me up and took me out to tea, where I had the best penne carbonara that I have had in a long time. Then we went back to her place and Sue had made me a cake and Pheebs and Kirsten, and Ryan and Dave too, made a big fuss, and it was the best.

So thankyou everyone that messaged me, or spoke to me, or saw me yesterday, for making my birthday such an awesome day. Even though I don’t like being 20, I am glad that I had a 20th birthday!

Here are a few photos… but there are more on my myspace...check it out.

Brad and Pheebs

Amanda and I

The Hawks' hawk and I

Kirsten, Pheebs and I

The world is such a funny place.

Mature Age

2007-03-29T16:17:00.000+10:00

Okay so most you will know what a “mature age” student is, and for those of you that don’t know, a mature age student is someone that goes to uni not straight out of school, they may have waited 3 years, or 5 years, or 10 years or 20 years, or whatever, but they are normally just beyond that typical student age.

Typically they ask a lot of questions and don’t quite just go with the flow like everyone else. They normally do really well in the classes too, which makes people like me mad.

Anyway, in one of my classes (diet and disease) this year I have a lady that brings a whole new meaning to the words “mature age student”! I think she must be at least in her 70ies if not older. So a little while ago in my class I tried to sneak a photo of her, so sorry its not very clear. But I thought I would just post this blog to say… Good on ya old lady in the front row! You know what though, this week she was even cracking joke with the lecturer...werid!

The world is such a funny place

RAWcamp

2007-03-27T23:27:00.000+10:00

I love camps seriously, and it’s weird because between camps I always manage to convince myself that they are bad and that the next one will be rubbish. Its weird, and I don’t know why I do it, but not last weekend but the weekend before (labour day weekend) I was on a Camp and I kinda had this “uh oh” feeling about it and I had convinced myself that is wasn’t going to be good. But I tell you what it was awesome!

I really like camps it turns out (which doesn’t actually surprise me).

I like being a bum and not getting dressed up, I like being silly and staying up late and I LOVE camp food! I love having nothing else to do but hang out with my friends and play stupid games! And I love learning stuff from new people! Sometimes I wish I could just live like I am at camp forever. But I guess that’s what makes camps so good, its such a relatively short time, but it soooo different from reality and its refreshing!

Anyway here are some photos from camp….enjoy
Kirsten and Philps...

Davo and IKirsten and Pheebs Amanda and I

And maybe before I go on my next camp I should re-read this blog

The world is such a funny place.

Birthdays

2007-03-26T13:29:00.000+10:00

Wow so its birthday time again, and The first person I need to wish a happy birthday to (even though its late....sorry!) is a person that I love more than I could ever write down, or show. Someone who looks after me, always does whats best for me, even when I don't like it and someone who loves me. Someone who is very wise, but also fun and funny...I feel like I am playing a quiz show....anyway. Its some one that I couldn't live without...

My Mum!

It was her birthday last Wednesday and I was so busy making cakes and buying presents that I forgot to tell the world about it through this blog! So Mum... Happy Birthday for last Wednesday, I hope that you had a great day, and that you aren't too offended that I didn't post this earlier. I love you lots and I couldn't get far with out you!

The second person is some one I have know for a fairly long time, even had a little crush on him when I was younger. But someone who is a gem, and is great to be around....you guessed it...Brad!

Happy 21st Birthday Mate, Hope that they made a big fuss over you at the office today (ha ha ha that sounds so old!) cause you deserve it! Thanks for being my mate!

The world is such a funny place!

Happy Birthday

2007-03-19T15:52:00.000+11:00

Just a quick post to say Happy 21st Kat!

Hope you had a great day yesterday, and also on Saturday Night!

You are an absolute gem and I love ya lots!

Happy Birthday!

Old Friends

2007-03-12T11:23:00.000+11:00

Have you ever noticed that there are some people that know you inside out regardless of when you saw them or when you hung out with them last? Seriously, have you?

Well a few weeks ago, back when it was summer, for those of you that aren’t lucky enough to live in Australia, the weather was really really hot, and beautifully sunny! And because I was on holidays, I went to the beach! But I didn’t go by myself, I went with two girls I have known as long as I can remember, Kirsten and Phoebe. And even though we haven’t really had all that much to do with each other over the last 3 years, it was such a good time, it was unreal.

Seriously, it was so comfortable and familiar, despite the fact that we hadn’t spent that much time together in I don’t know how long! But I guess that’s the beauty of old friends, because no matter how much of your life changes from the outside, who you are on the inside is pretty much the same. I found this quote the other day and it says…

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with
them. Ralph Waldo Emerson

...and that’s what it was like, of course I am stupid all the time, but I am really stupid with them and its great.

The other great thing is it’s a bit like a bad TV soap, you how you don’t have to watch it for weeks, maybe even months at a time, but it take about 5 minutes and the story is clear… Well that’s what I reckon an old friend is like.

Anyway we went to the beach and had breakfast in downtown Inverloch (Which I don’t think that pheebs was very sure about), ate ice cream and pretty much did what ever we want. And I tell you what, that’s the life!

Sorry this blog has taken soooooo long to get up, but its here now!

The World is Such a Funny Place.

100

2007-03-03T21:56:00.000+11:00

Okay so this isn't my 100th blog, its close I think this is blog 80 or something, but thats not the 100 I am talking about. Today I attended a 100th Brithday Party, my Great Grandma's 100th Brirthday party. Thats pretty cool ey? She doesn't actually turn 100 until Monday, but today was her party. She has got letters from the Queen, the Governer, the Premier, the Prime Minister and a few others but I can't remember them all and Kirsty Marshell was there too. I was a really fun day, I thought it might be a bit boring, but it turns out 100th birthday parties are actually pretty cool. I also got to sing and do a duet with my Pa (also known as "special K") which was awesome, its something that I have never done before but I am so glad that I have now!

Anyway I wrote a blog about her a little while ago and the stuff that she would have gone through in 100 years and it is pretty amazing, so have a read. And if you remember have a look in the Herald Sun on Monday coz I think that there should be some pictures of her in there. Happy Birthday Grandma! 100 years and still well and truely kickin!

The world is such a funny place.

Gone too soon...

2007-03-01T22:55:00.000+11:00

As a fairly young person, still in my teenage years it is quite easy for me to look at my life and hope for what tomorrow will bring, what things I will try and what things I will accomplish, and its fair to say that most people my age, like me, think that the are invincible! We have our whole lives ahead of us and we normally assume that we will live to get married, have a good job, finish uni and get old (probably not in the that order though!). But sometimes that doesn't always happen and last Saturday morning, Rebecca Kate Philp (more fondly known as Bec) passed away at just 17 years of age, after hitting her head during an epileptic seizure.

Bec was a young girl in my youth group at Box Hill Salvos, a girl which I had a fair bit to do with. I was her cell leader when she first came to Box Hill when she was in year 8 and then again when she was in year 10. She also dated my brother and practically lived at my house for a year, we did a lot of things together, not all the time, but over a long time, and her passing has left a hole in my life.

Bec was absolutely stunning, but she could eat whatever she wanted, probably the best combination I could ever imagine, her only flaw was her love for pickled onions (However this particular trait did win my Dad over, so maybe it was all worth it!). She loved life and lived it to the full, always testing the boundaries but always coming back to where it was safe again, She also loved the people in her life so much more then they ever expected she would, and she always wanted to know more about life, about love, about God.

Yesterday, at church, we had her funeral, a celebration of the beautiful girl that she was, and still is, just up in heaven now instead. The Church was packed full of people that Bec had made am impact on, I don't think that she would have believed it when she looked down to see. She was sooooo amazing and touched so many lives. I tell you what though, I never want to say goodbye to another of my cell girls again. It just doesn't seem right and it doesn't seem fair, things were finally working out for her and her future looked sooooo bright. And while because of what I believe I know that she is in heaven and that she is probably having a lot more fun, finally driving and shopping and eating chocolate as much as she wants to, I still don't understand why God would take her now. But I guess that's where faith comes in, I have to believe that there was a purpose and a plan for her going now, even though I can't see what it is. I know that God is looking at the bigger picture and that this fits, I just have to chose to trust and not get mad that I can't see the answers as well.

Anyway, I guess what I want to say is that I will miss you bec, more than you will ever know, I am soooo blessed to have had you in my life at all and I thank God that he shared me with you even if it was only for a little while. And I want you to know that I will try and take care of your family and Dave, so you don't need to worry.

I also just want to say too that... Janette and Jeff, Aaron, Glenn and Ashley, and Dave too, I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through right now, but I want you to know that I love you, and that I loved your daughter/sister/girlfriend, and that I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for letting me share her with you. She was an amazing girl and I will miss her stacks.

Rest in Peace Bec, we love you.

Oh My Darling Valentine

2007-02-21T20:12:00.000+11:00

Although it is a week late, I thought I should post about Valentines Day, because even though it didn’t turn out the way I had hoped or expected it too, I was still spoilt!

So, you know how every Valentines Day the Herald Sun puts out a little thing they like to call “The Book of Love”, and while many people think it is soppy and ridiculous, I am one of those Girls that has spent most of my teenage Valentines Days looking through the paper, trying to find ones that could be for me… you know ones to “Emma” from completely random people that just happen to have the name of some one I know and refer to the fact that I like to eat (it turns out it comes with the name!).

Anyway, for many years this was a very depressing exercise, but not this year… This year there was one for me, from good ol’ Davo! And I tell you what I was soooooooo excited, but I am not going to tell you what it said you will have to find someone who hasn’t thrown there paper out yet and read it for yourself!

But that’s not were my day ended, After a long day at work for both Dave and I, I was going to take him out for steak before he had his tonsils removed on Thursday (this part of the plan didn’t go very well, but I don’t really want to talk about it!) anyway when I got to his place there was a beautiful box of flowers waiting for me! And then just to top it off (although I didn’t actually find out until Saturday that I got this), Dave made me a member of the official Craig Lownes fan club. Now I know that most of you are either like “what’s that” or “who cares”, but the answer is I do, I care and I love it! It’s the best!

So thanks Dave for helping make last Wednesday better than I thought it was going to be. I love you.

The world is such a funny place!

Oscar

2007-02-14T16:32:00.000+11:00

Oscar is my dog, and he has been in my life for 12 years, since I was 7, and I can't really remember a time when he wasn't around, but this morning that all changed, because this morning we had to have him put down.

He has been sick for quite a while now, but over the last week he has gotten much worse, and the vet said he only really had about 2 months left to live regardless of what we did, but we did have the option of giving him some meds which would have made him last a little longer, but it also brought with it a lost of other complications that wouldn't have made his last days undignified or uncomfortable. So last night, my mum, my brothers, my dad and I had to make the hard decision as to what to do. We decided that so he left the world not in pain and happy we needed to put him down, and that's what happened this morning.

I tell you what though its the hardest decision I have ever made, and I am still not sure whether I did the right thing, but I know that he is in heaven now and that I will see him again.

Anyway, I just wanted to put this blog up, to share with you all what he means to me and what I will miss...so here is a little bit about him...

Oscar was a funny old dog, and most of his life was spent on a dog bed in fear of what would happen to him if he moved. He was scared of thunder, but with anything else, even though he was small, he would try and protect you. He was very indecisive and was never quite sure whether he wanted to be inside or out. He also had very bad breath and there was nothing we could do about it. But he was also very loyal and friendly and even though we picked on him a little I will miss him more than I ever imagined I would, because it just won't be the same with out him. I loved him stacks and I know I will see him soon, but I just wish he didn't have to go sooooooo fast.

The world is such a funny place!

Queensland

2007-02-07T16:27:00.000+11:00

Okay, so it may have taken a while, but here it is...

Queensland was great, although I do think that it is a little unfair that one state gets so much cool stuff. Since I last posted I have been to the great barrier reef which was just unreal! Seriously, when God made fish he did an amazing job, seriously all the colours and weird shapes and sizes, its just incredible. But not only did I get to see the fish through a snorkel, i also got to go scuba diving, which was mad fun, and the platoon thing the ship docked at also had a water slide. I think that my day at the reef was the best day hands down. The following day I went to Hamilton island and a place called Chance Bay, both of which are stunning, we really are lucky in Australia to have such a beautiful country.

The Next week we were at the Gold Coast and Brad joined, Kat, Dave Mim and I at our apartment in Surfers Paradise. The whole week in surfers was incredible, Theme Parks are the best things ever. Seriously...they were all so much fun, I am not sure which one was my favourite, its kinda close between Wet 'n' Wild and Movie World, but I think they can both be my favourites! I was kinda surprised though to learn that I was one of those people that screams ridiculously loud on rides, I couldn't help myself it just came out.

Anyway, I don't really want to bore you all with endless stories that I find hilarious, because chances are I have already told you already, or that they won't be so funny on here, but I will leave you with this...

"We have a single... anyone traveling single???"

Oh and here are some pictures...
Kat and I Surviving VicHislops Shark Place...
Dave, Miriam, Kat and I at the Great Barrier Reef...
Kat, Miriam and I on our way to Chance Bay...
Brad and I on our Night on the town in Surfers...

The world is such a funny place!

Home Again

2007-01-31T11:05:00.000+11:00

Well I am back and soon I will put up a post with some pictures and maybe one or two funny stories...but for now I have just one question for you...

The other night the tennis was view live across Australia, this ment that in Queensland it started at 6:30pm, but while we were watching I noticed that allow it was dark in Queensland it was still light in melbourne, now before you all say Daylight savings, its not, it was the exact same moment, but the time was different...as in it was 8:30 in melbourne and 7:30 in queensland, but it was the same "time" and it was light in melbourne and dark at the Gold Coast....how does that work I am very confused...

The world is such a funny place

Sunshine State...Sure, whatever!

2007-01-20T16:36:00.000+11:00

Okay so I am coming to you live from what they call the sunshine state...but I tell you what it has been far from sunny. Today like all the other days Kat, Dave and I have been here it is raining, but not enough to really stop us from doing anything, so we are still having heaps of fun.

So far we haven't done that much, we have been to this werid shark show, with a massive frozen shark and walked to cold rock in the pouring rain and then went swiming in the lagoon, which was mad fun. Tomorrow we are heading out to the great barrier reef on a big boat that has a waterslide and on Monday we are heading out to Hamilton Island and Whitehaven beach which I am quite excited about, but I a hopeing and praying that the weather is better for those two days.

Also while I have been up here I have done some more things from my list, I have....

Eaten a rainbow padlepop (no. 66)....

and Stood in the rain (no. 94)....
I tried to put some more pictures up of our trip but it just wasn't working for me, so I guess you will all have to wait until I get home.

Next week we are off to Surfers Paradise, and tonight Miriam is joining our little holiday party...anyway Dave and Kat are waiting for me at the pool well actually in the lagoon...so I better go. Oh but before I do, Congrats to Fiona on getting enaged! I am so happy for you!

The world is such a funny place!

Jetsetting Baby!

2007-01-17T19:54:00.000+11:00

Okay, so very early tomorrow morning (6:00am) I am heading off to Queensland for a lovely trip away with Dave, Kat, Miriam and Brad. (It has a long story behind it, and while this site won't give you the most up to date info, its the best I can offer...look at coconutboobies.com).

Anyway, now that we are all on the same page I can continue...While we are up in the sunny state we will be going to all the parks and to the beach and just really have a very fun and relaxing time. But I am not sure how easy blogging will be, but because of number 34, I will have to do at least one. So hang in there I will be back...and hopefully there will be some photos as well.

The world is such a funny place.

No. 8

2007-01-17T19:38:00.000+11:00

Okay so due to the water restrictions I have kind of taken a short cut with one of the things on my list, its number 8, wash my car (by myself). How could I possibly take a short cut? Well my car is washed and I was by myself when it happened, but I didn't really have to do anything, only pay a little bit of money and the machine did it all for me...But here is the thing...I don't know if that counts what do you reckon?

The world is such a funny place!

No.35

2007-01-14T23:00:00.000+11:00

This story comes to you a couple of days late, so firstly sorry about that. But it is a tale of triumph and well worth the wait.

Last Friday, something amazing happened. Though everything was against me, I was too weak and I had tried many times before and failed miserably. I have finally ripped a piece of gaffer (formally known as gaffa, but according to the pack at work its Gaffer...who would have known).

Thanks to the help of my mate Ryan who informed me its all about the Angle...and thats the truth it is ALL ABOUT THE ANGLE.

The world is such a funny place.

I HATE Ants

2007-01-11T22:57:00.000+11:00

Well the title pretty much says it, I hate ants, with a passion!

This summer for no particular reason ants have taken over our house, it doesn't matter how clean it is there is always ants. It doesn't matter how tight the food containers are… there are still flippin ants and I have just about had enough!

I would really like to know what their role in the world is because if it isn't something good, I really think I need to start a mission of wiping them out completely! Don’t you the think the world would be a better place? No ants, imagine that… what are they here for????

Seriously they are sooooooo rude, just because they are hungry doesn’t mean they can just barge into every room of the house and help themselves to all the cupboards, I wouldn’t let a close friend do that let alone something I believe needs to be squashed! But that’s not where they stop, no having free range of the whole entire world isn’t enough then they have to crawl on me. Well don’t even think about it ant, because I have massive can of Pea Beu and you are going down!

If anyone can tell me how to get rid of as many ants as possible as fast as possible I would really like to know!
Oh and by the way the picture isn't from my house, but my house will soon look like this if action against this rediculous movement of ants indoors is not stopped!

The world is such a funny place, but it would be better without ants!

Knocking them off 2 at a time...No.51 and No.91

2007-01-09T21:36:00.000+11:00

There is nothing better than I week at the beach, nothing better seriously. All I can tell you was that God was having a great day when he made the beach. Anyway thats where I have been for the last couple days and oh I love it, but thats not what I wanted to blog about, while I was there I was able to knock 2 more things off my list...

The first one was a lot easier than I thought it would be... I was able to get Dave to play a board game. Well maybe it wasn't all my doing, lets just say that with a with a little bit of pestering from Jake, it didn't take long for Dave to give in because he didn't really think that beating him up in front of my parents would be the best option. Anyway, we got him to play a board game, but not just any board game but... Monopoly. It was a massively long game and in the end Dave came Second so good work Davo...and no supprises that the winner was...

The other thing I knocked off my list was something that I never thought I was going to be able to do, i drove Dustin's car! Of course Dustin didn't know that I was doing it, but i did it, and know its off the list, because I will probably never be able to do it again! But much to his disgust here is the proof...(by the way there is also a video but I don't know how to put it on here...sorry!)The world is such a funny place.

No. 50

2007-01-06T17:33:00.000+11:00

Yesterday I was able to knock yet another thing off my list, it was only another small one, but it was a list item none the less.

Yesterday on the way home from Matt and Beth’s beautiful wedding (I will leave that to Beth to blog about) Kat and I decided to quench our thirst and refresh our tired and hot bodies with a slurpee, and with Kat as my witness, I promise you that all though you can not see in my cup there is no cola or red. My slurpee is Orange and Mango and lemonade. And while I was a little reluctant at first it was pretty good. So there you go number 50 is gone. Oh and sorry about my bad hair in the photos.

If you wanna get in on my list then you better do it quick smart because there is only 98 to go.

No. 56

2007-01-04T23:44:00.000+11:00

Well today I managed to knock something off my list, not just a little like my "emma" efforts the other day, but fully, it's gone and it will never be done again.

Today I tried sarsaparilla! And i tell you what... that stuff is gross, not just a little, but a lot and i will never drink it again, but its done and now I know!

Here is the proof...

On another note, tonight i went through the drive-through at a McDonalds that had two drive-through lanes, it was massive...seriously... and it was in Cranbourne, why does Cranbourne need a McDonalds that big??? The other great thing about this Macca's is that it had a massive Grimice statue which I took a photo of...

The world is such a funny place!

Something a little fishy

2007-01-02T17:32:00.000+11:00

So once a year, sometimes more, but at least once a year and usually in the January school holidays I take Jacob on an all expenses paid trip into the city where we do something a little different, for example last year we spent the day at the amusment thing at crown.

Anyway, this year, much to my delight, Jacob took me out for a day in the city and instead of me paying, he did and it was great. He took me to the Melbourne Aquarium, somewhere i haven't been in ages, and it was seriously it was the best. They had a whole finding nemo exhibit (well i don't know if it is actually called that, but it had clown fish and a dori fish) these massive crabs and in the Jelly fish room it had those lights that make all the white bits of your clothes glow which made my yellow and white dress looked pretty mad. At the end of our day in the Aquarium we went on the ride that they had hich was a lot better than I thought it would be, but I think it was mainly because our seatbelts didn't really work and we were thrown all over the shop.

Anyway, it was a top day and I just want to say that Jake, you did an awesome job! Thanks a bunch!

I will leave you with this little quote from Jake about our favorite fish...

Elvis is dead, but he came
back as a fish

This is a photo of the fish, you can't really see in the picture, but he has a bit of an Elvis do. Maybe Elvis is a fish

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

And..she is off and away

2007-01-01T21:24:00.000+11:00

Well 2007 is off and running so HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE, I hope that this year is a great one for you.

Well even though it is only day one I have got stuck into my list and today i feel like that I have got to good start, i have been on the exercise bike (although only once so I can't cross it off my list yet), but it does mean that I have exercised more regulary than I did last year.

Anyway...that's not the only thing I did today I also visited the first of 20 "Emma" streets listed in the melbourne (see no.99). This one was in Croyden and while I loved every minute, Davo is not to convinced that this whole list thing is such a great idea. Here are the photos from our adventure.

The List

2006-12-31T19:15:00.000+11:00

Well Tomorrow brings in a new year, and while I can hardly believe that this year is already done, I have to face the facts and come to terms with the fact that tomorrow will be the first day of 2007. So first of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ok now that that is done, I thought I would use this blog to share with you all 100 things that I would like to do/achieve in the coming year. Some of them I have attepmted in the past and even blogged about (you can check out the links i have made), and some of them I haven't never done or at least haven't done for a long time anyway.

So 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 a photo or at least a blog about it…

Okay so here we go, in 2007 I want to…
1. Exercise regularly (can you believe it? I can’t, but I want to do)
2. Keep up to date with things I have due at uni
3. Keep up to date with things I have due at Church
4. Be on time (well at least more often then I am late)
5. Control the amount of chocolate that I eat
6. Learn Guitar
7. Sing with a Big Band
8. Wash my car (by myself)
9. Sleep in the backyard
10. Stop pushing the snooze button, and just get up, surely its not that hard
11. Stay with Mick and Helen in Bright
12. Meet the rest of Dave’s rellies from the big NZ
13. Not let Dave get sick
14. Have my car valet parked
15. Clean out my wardrobe and actually throw stuff out
16. Don’t owe anyone money
17. Visit my great grandma at least 4 times
18. Say no to a job I don’t have time to do, even if I want to do the job
19. Allow Dave not to be my slave
20. Have Indian food
21. Be more gracious and tolerant
22. Try real sushi, you know raw fish and all
23. Order something other than pasta, stir-fry or pizza from a restaurant
24. Shell a prawn
25. Go on holidays with my mum
26. Get a CD stacker
27. Go to a state or country I have never been to
28. Be less judgemental
29. Save some money
30. Lose a bit of weight
31. Wear something other than jeans for a whole week
32. Drive to one of Dave’s gigs in the city
33. Pull off a parallel park
34. Blog at least once a week
35. Learn how to rip gaffa tape with my bare hands
36. Go to a concert of someone famous
37. See a musical
38. Go on a boat
39. Go to Luna Park
40. Go Fishing
41. Watch a V8 Car race in real life as in not on TV
42. See the penguins at Philip island
43. Meet Craig Lowndes
44. Watch the Sunrise
45. Die my hair a weird colour not all of it, but at least some
46. Drink a bottle of water everyday
47. Cook a 3 course meal for my family
48. Organise my photos properly
49. Play dark zone
50. Have a fully non cola/red slurpee
51. Play a board game with Dave (and others to, but just getting Dave to play a board game is the tough bit)
52. Not crash a car
53. Ride an exercise bike (more than once)
54. Ride a real bike (more than once)
55. Do karaoke
56. Try sarsaparilla
57. Read 5 books from dad’s library
58. Learn to drive a manual
59. Try a radio controlled car
60. Go in one of those trampolines with the big nets all the way round
61. Enter a radio competition
62. Try licorish ice cream/gelati
63. Go to the tip
64. Ride a skateboard
65. Write a kids book
66. Have a rainbow paddle pop
67. Get some tadpoles
68. Have a dancing lesson
69. Score 10 points in a season of basketball
70. Use my Jurlique voucher
71. learn 10 songs on guitar
72. Go to the museum
73. Go to the snow
74. Be a parking attendant
75. Beat Brad Dupuy at BUZZ (on PS2)
76. Try a strange food that I haven’t even heard of yet
77. Try to understand what “negative gearing” means for tax purposes
78. Build something from IKEA (something relatively elaborate)
79. Try some Durian fruit (the one with the odour…)
80. Work out how to check my water and oil and top up my washer bottle
81. Work out how to change a tyre
82. Bake some meringues (that actually taste good)
83. Go to 24 hour K-mart between the hours of 1-3am
84. Get some boots that fit my mighty calves (but also have a look at this link)
85. Drive in a convertible with the roof down
86. Write a letter to a friend I haven’t seen in years
87. Bake a cake and take it to work
88. Wear high-heels, well even just girlier shoes more often
89. Try beef-jerkie
90. Go without TV for a week
91. Drive Dustin’s car
92. Read/listen to my bible everyday
93. Watch a sunset on the beach
94. Stand out in the rain
95. See some fireworks
96. Jump off a pier
97. Not Shave my legs (just emjoi...you thought i was going bush, lol)
98. Go on a horse and cart ride
99. Visit all the "Emma" streets listed in the melways (theres 20 I think)
100. Win an award

Wish me luck

Just a thought I had...

Stay tunned.

Forgiveness? What's that?

2006-12-30T16:33:00.000+11:00

Okay so I just found out that Saddam Hussein has just been hung, its one of things that was always coming, but never actually happens.

It makes me wonder though, whether it was right or wrong. Don’t get me wrong, Saddam was a bad man, and he did lots or really terrible things, but even with this, I still find hard to comprehend that someone had the power to say that he deserved to die. Spend life in prison and pay a price for the things that he has done? For sure, but die, I don’t know that we have the power to decided that.

As a Christian, I believe that we all have free choice, so the choice to kill all those people was Saddam’s, but I also believe that God is in control and the job of choosing who lives and dies is really up to him.

I also believe that he is a just God and whenever Saddam had died, God would punish him accordingly. However, because I am also not perfect, and while I haven’t committed mass murder, I stuff up regularly, I know that I am also open to the justice of God. But I also know that my God is forgiveness. Now you may think “did she say that right?” doesn’t she mean that God shows forgiveness or that God forgives, well yes but it’s more than that. God is forgiveness, because of what he did with his son Jesus, the only truly perfect person, God is forgiveness to me but also to Saddam if he asks.

Now putting me next to Saddam might seem a bit outrageous, but in the bible it says that all sins are equal and not one is worse than the other. Now that makes it a little scary. Seriously that means that my little white lie, is just as bad as mass murder. Maybe its not so outrageous. But if that is the case, how can I tell someone that they deserve to die for something that they have done wrong and that I don’t? It’s not really fair is it? So is it fair to even lock him up? Well I think that keeping a murder away from others is not really to punish them, but more to protect everyone else. Anyway, I just thought I would put my thoughts out there…let me know what you think.

Just a thought I had…

Stay tunned.

Swoosh Swoosh

2006-12-29T15:50:00.000+11:00

I wear jeans a lot and I think that I have worked out why…because today I am wearing cords and I can’t stand the fact that every time I walk anywhere I get a constant “swoosh, swoosh, swoosh” accompanying me.

Maybe people wouldn’t wear jeans so much if other types of pants were also silent

Just a thought I had

Stay tunned

Well, it's Christmas day what do you think this is about???

2006-12-25T13:02:00.000+11:00

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Have a great day and Enjoy the joy that God has given us for this day.

Lots of Love and God Bless

Love Em

Matthew 1:21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins"

Hercules vs Jesus

2006-12-24T14:55:00.000+11:00

Hey everyone,

How’s it all going? Everything wrapped and ready to go?

Well today is Christmas Eve, you know the day before Christmas Day??? And I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a VERY VERY VERY VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS. I know that during all the business of Christmas it’s hard to actually sit down and enjoy what Christmas is all about, or even to think about what Christmas really means.

This is something that I have really struggled with this year. In all the bustle I found it hard to actually comprehend what Christmas means, and to think of the Christmas story as more than a just a story. But it is so much more than that. If you think about what it actually says it’s a pretty unbelievable, let me just remind you…

A Girl has a baby, not so unbelievable but she’s a virgin (ok so that complicates things a little) and she is like 16. No one believes her story about God giving her this child, but she stands by God’s plan and a guy called Joseph, who is also disgraced by this whole situation decides to stand by her (what kind of man would do that these days??). Anyway they travel to their home town and this poor girl is forced to give birth in the back of a stable (I tell you what, if that was me, I would have kicked up a stink, just ask Dave!). Then out of no where come these Sheppards who believe her story even before she has told it. And then some wise men, who have been travelling for months also come to visit and bring them some pretty fancy gifts. And this happens pretty much all at once. It’s pretty unbelievable, but there are two things that make it even more amazing… one this whole turn of events was planed for thousands and thousands years before it actually happened. The other that this baby was not an ordinary baby, well he was in the physical sense but he was also God. God in the form of flesh. That’s pretty crazy.

I was trying to think what this was like and the closest thing that I could come to was the story of Hercules. I know that is just a story, but its very similar in that a child is born to a God and comes to earth, but the difference between Jesus and Hercules is that… Hercules could only do what he did because of his incredible strength that he was born with, and while he was still mortal he had super powers. Where as Jesus was born completely mortal, he was still God, but he had no super powers like Hercules. He changed the world, not with super strength, but in complete humility.

Why could he do this? Because God had a big plan for his life… To save you (but we will get to that at Easter). But maybe if you haven’t already take a minute to think about what the real complications of Christmas are… God’s son on earth. A gift to you from Heaven.

Just a thought I had.

Happy Christmas and God Bless

Stay tuned.

He sees you when you're sleeping!

2006-12-15T17:06:00.000+11:00

So Christmas is just around the corner and everything is hustle and bustle (hence the lack of blogs), but joy is in the air.

This Christmas has been very strange for me, mainly coz even though I have been trying hard to spread the Christmas spirit, it still doesn't feel like Christmas. I have decorated billy hyde, been out carolling once or twice and even played carols in my car, but still i don't feel like there is only one week left until Christmas Day. Anyway, once again I have gotten off track and thats not what i wanted to talk about... This week in the Christmas preparations, i had the opportunity to play some carols at a little friend of mine's kindergarten.

Anyway it turns out that this little friend is scared of Santa, and that got me thinking, i don't really blame him at all! I reckon if I had my time again and I thought about things a little more before i did them, i would have been more like my brother, Dustin, who wouldn't go near Santa, instead of just running up to him and having a chat.

I mean seriously think about it, this big fat, old man, is everywhere you go in every shopping centre...and then on Christmas eve he breaks into your house deposits things and eats your food and then leaves on a very convenient flying get away car! But that's not where this horror ends...Have you ever actually thought about the words to "Santa Claus is coming to town?" say??? read it again....

You better Watch out you better not cry, you better not pout I'm tellin' you why, Santa Claus is coming to town, he's making a list checkin it twice, he's gonna find out who's naughty or nice, Santa Claus is coming to town!

If you ask me that sounds like a threat from a very horrible man! Seriously this dude is watching them, has anyone called the authorities, if he wasn't wearing a big red suit he would be locked up for a long time! Maybe because everyone sings it so up beat it doesn't sound as bad!

No wonder Kids are scared of him, i reckon I am too.

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

What do you say???

2006-12-04T17:08:00.000+11:00

Okay so you know when you were younger, remember back, i know its a long way, but just try. Alright everyone there? most of you would have some one in your life that said..."say please" or possibly even..."what do you say?" before they would give you anything. for example....

Can i have a biscuit??? "say please"
can i go out side??? "what do you say?"
Can i go to the toilet? "say please"

Seriously remember it? It was annoying, but helpful, because guess what? I say please all the time (well maybe not all the time, but most times). So i guess it was worth all those torment. But you know what really gets up my nose? When people don't say it? Even if they don't mean it i would still rather they say it! what has brought on this fit of rage???? Well i work in retail, so i spend my day doing things for other people, give them stuff, but thats ok because thats what i am paid to do. But here is the thing, i am not paid to be nice, or go the extra mile, i am not paid to be polite and offer people discounts or other little bonus just because its the kind thing to do, and you know what i am not even paid to offer people a humble bag. But I do, and all i ask in return is when i say "would you like a bag for that" and smile, they will say "yes please" not just yes. `

Is that too much to ask?

I don't think so, all I want is a little common courtesy

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Parallel Parking Problems

2006-12-02T16:42:00.000+11:00

I have had my licence for 18 months now and in that time I have managed to crash one car badly and another not so badly, but thats not what i wanted to talk about, in that 18 months i have also managed to only ever be in a situation where i had to parallel park twice. Now if you ask me thats 2 times too many. The thing is though, while i was learning to drive, i loved parallel parking i was really good at it and then after i got my licence i just lost it, i don't know how and i don't know when but its gone.

Anyway last night, i was remind of why i never attempt such parks. Kat and I went to get ice cream from a shop on Glenferrie Rd and still feeling confident, well maybe a little over confident and possibly even cocky, about my ability to drive due to my conquering of the trip to the airport on tuesday, I was driving which was quite strange because Kat always drives and i never drive. Anyway that was what was happening. So we drove towards the shop and it was only on my way there that i realised that this trip would involve parallel parking, which i didn't panic about, but decided to take in my stride, anyway as we approached the shop, i realised that might be slightly more challenging than I had thought, due the large crowds of people walking up and down Glenferrie Rd. But still not being deterred, i found myself attempting the impossible, trying to do a reverse parallel park right in front of the shop, which turned out to be closed anyway. Anyway, i fitted in okay, but I didn't quite get in deep enough to get out of the lane, so i spent about 5 minutes driving forward and driving backwards trying to get further in, but little did i know that it was too late to make that kind of change so, Kat and i just sat there laughing while I repeatedly said, i told you i couldn't do it, i can't believe my park is soooooo bad", and then when we stopped laughing and realised it was closed, i took me and my car out of there as soon as possible. Ahhh what a night

Anyway, if anyone wants to teach me to parallel park, let me know coz i am up for it, I would really like to learn....seriously...anyone???

Just a thought I had stay tuned.

Shattered

2006-11-28T23:33:00.000+11:00

Okay so let me just tell you bout my day...

This morning I got up knowing that I had to work all day, which sucked, but it was okay because it meant I had more money for Fiji, so I didn't really mind, but little did I know what today actually had in store.

I spent most of the day getting myself ready to say goodbye to my mate Callum, who moved back home to Scotland today (and is conveniently in the photo with me, taken at the airport earlier this evening). So I was already a little sad, well actually a lot sad about it, because I felt like I had just started getting to know him, and then all of a sudden he is gone, which isn't his fault, but its all just a little to fast for me, So Cal, when you read this, remember that we miss yah! No seriously we do.

So anyway, while I was trying to deal with all that, I got a horrible phone call this afternoon telling me that the conference in Fiji has been cancelled and therefore so has our trip (remember coconut boobies??), so I was just shattered. I just can't believe that we aren't going anymore, we were all so excited, its just not fair, stupid coup.

Anyway, so that's my day and here I am sitting here shattered, with a few tears...Fiji is gone and now so is Cal... What will I do?????

Please share any thoughts you have....

Stay tuned.

Emma Divine

2006-11-27T12:03:00.000+11:00

On Saturday Night, I was lucky enough to go the Myer windows, and as you might have guessed by my previous blogs, When it comes to Christmas, well what can I say, I am like a little kid at Christmas, so I was very excited to be going into the city, the fact that I got to see the windows too, was just the best. But, I was extra surprised to see that the story chosen for this year was on a character that reminded me very much of, well me.

For those of you that don’t know, the book the windows are based on is called “Wombat Divine” but I think that if they changed that to “Emma divine” the story still be true. Anyway the story is about the wombat that has big dreams and hopes for a staring role in the nativity play, but let’s just say he is not exactly suited for most of the roles…

He is too heavy to play Gabriel…
Too big to be Mary,
Too clumsy to be the Inn Keeper
Too short to be one of the kings
And…just to really hit home…
Too short sighted to be a shepherd.

I know, its like my life story, but in the end it turns out okay, for me, I mean the wombat, because he gets to play baby Jesus, so maybe there are still bigger and better things for me. If you haven't already seen them, go and do it, coz it wouldn't be Christmas without them.

Just a thought I had…

Stay tuned.

Doorbuster....My Bum

2006-11-16T12:07:00.000+11:00

How you all doin??? Good??? good to hear.

This morning was supposed to be a very exciting morning because I decided that i was going to go to the Kmart "doorbuster" sale to buy a new DVD player, nothing fancy, just one of those $29.95 ones.

Now working at Billy Hyde, Doorbuster sale (which is this weekend just in case you were wondering) to me means people camping out, madness at the counter, people pushing, possibly even trampling each other and stock running out very quickly, so naturally with that being my only experience of a "doorbuster" sale, I was quite excited about being involved in Kmart's as a customer and not a sales rep. Like I normally am. So I got up extra early and went and picked up Dave and off we went, we arrived at the shops right on 9 and I quickly made my way to Kmart, but you know what I was very disappointed. There was no madness, no mayhem, no nothing, I wasn't even sure if the sale was even on at the particular Kmart, but the signs around the store told me it was. So I made my way to the DVD section got my DVD player and that was it, I didn't have to push or shove anyone, and I was very disappointed.

Anyway, the day hasn't been all disappointment, after purchasing the DVD player, which took no where near as long as we had planed, Dave and I decided to walk around a little, and much to my suprise we did so listening to the sweet melodies of ChrIstmas Carols. And this got me all excited again...Why... Because I LOVE CHRISTMAS and...

"Christmas is coming,
The goose is getting fat.
Please put a penny in the old man's hat
Please put a penny in the old man's hat"

...and that means it is now acceptable for me to start playing Christmas carols everywhere I go! It also means that Christmas is coming and I love Christmas... So all you people like me, its okay you can play the carols now, go for your life, spread the Christmas Cheer!

Just a thought I had.

Stay tuned.

Is "beta" really Better???

2006-11-08T17:27:00.000+11:00

Hows it all going...

Just in case you were interested I have now completed 3 of my 4 exams and I have my last one tomorrow morning and then I have like all uni students I get something like 3months off to enjoy the sunshine (if it ever comes back, actually I shouldn't say that coz i think its supposed to be 30 on friday)...anyway, thats not the point, i just thought you might like to know...

What I do want to ask is for all you fellow bloggers, should i convert to "beta" blogger and leave this old way behind or should I stay??? Is "beta" actually better or is it all a lie??? (for those of you who don't know what I am talking about there is a new version, so to speak, of blogger that is called "beta") I have been looking around at it, but i am not really sure...and like most people i want to know whats in it for me...why should I change? So if you have converted to "beta" let me know why, or if you have chosen to stay let me know why too...the more input the better.

So post a comment and let me know...is "beta" better??

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Whoop, Whoop

2006-11-04T20:02:00.000+11:00

Okay, so the war is back on with Billy Hyde after a very job threatening email that was sent out to all staff about the “appropriate use of the work computers, internet and phones”. I am sure it wasn’t just sent to scare me, I am sure that I am not the only offender, but lets just say, I was a little intimidated, but by no means defeated, so in response my method has changed hence I am typing this (still at work) in word, and I will transfer it, well actually if you are reading this I have transferred it and its now on my blog… I told you before Billy Hyde, I WON’T BE SILENCED

Anyway, lots of funny things happen to me, but most of them never make it to this blog, sad I know, but it’s true, but the other day something very unusual happened and I kind of feel it do my whole blog site a discredit not to post it…

What could have happened I hear you ask????

Well let me tell you…

As most of you aware (only because I have mentioned it one or two times in the last week) at the moment I am in the middle of my exams, well in terms of timing…not it terms of quantity.

So of my 4 exams I have had one, and I have 3 next week, I know I should be studying not bloging but what can you do? Anyway, this story comes from my first exam, let me set the scene for you…

I am sitting quietly, actually in silence, in my exam, we have had our 15 minute reading time, I have been through that time were you pack your dacks because all of a sudden you can’t remember anything and then regain your composure, I have completed my 30 multi-choice questions and am just starting my extended answer questions when in the distance I hear a ringing, a little like a fire alarm, figuring its some where else and that I should keep working on my exam I put my head back down and continue to write, but then I am very very very rudely interrupted, I know, in an exam, shocking, All of a sudden the speakers in the exam room of about 110 people ( I am not sure exactly, but you could probably ask flick coz she is always near the end, if you really want to know) come alive with a….

WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP, Please Evacuate, WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP, Please Evacuate the way you came in! WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP, Please Evacuate, WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP, Please Evacuate the way you came in! WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP, Please Evacuate, WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP, Please Evacuate the way you came in! WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP

Can you imagine?? With this everyone kind of sits up and starts looking around, and kind of wondering if we are supposed to move or wether we stay. So we are just sitting there and the head supervisor, one of the ones that lets the power go to there head and looks down on both the other supervisors and the students, announces, “I’ll just find out what is happening” and toddles off to the chief supervisor room. After a few minutes he returns, and says…”there is nothing to worry about, there is nothing we can do…just keep writing” Can you believe it???? Just keep writing, are you serious???? But that’s what we did so for the next twenty minutes we all tried out hardest to concentrate and “keep writing” with the occasional giggle, and a “I don’t believe this” or a “this is ridiculous”

But in the end it stopped and I finished my exam, so everyone, well at least I was happy. Although if you ask my dad, he will probably tell you that the siren is all just a part of the instability that is Emma at exam time. But I want to tell you that it was real (again check with flick if you want) and that the instability is not just something that happens to me, it’s genetic.

How can I tell??? Well at the moment, Dustin my brother, along with hundreds, well probably thousands of other people all over the state is doing year 12 exams at the moment, and the other day in a moment of insanity Dustin and I spent about 15 minutes running around the house in hysterics, because I wanted to know what CD he had in his hand and he just didn’t want to tell me, needless to say, he is also very unstable, but I guess I also just wanted to say in a big sister kind of way, even though he will hate it, that I am proud of you Dusty… you have worked soooo hard and I hope you do really well, because you deserve it.

Just a thought I had…

Stay tuned.

Rain On

2006-11-02T15:22:00.000+11:00

Okay so this is just a quick blog to say that I love the rain,

I am sitting in my study at home right in front of the window, trying to study when this massive thunder storm comes along, and while it does make me a little scared and uncomfortable (because lets face it, deep down inside I am a two year old child), it also just makes me realise how powerful God is and I love it. He does some pretty awesome things with nature that we just take for granted and often get mad at, but today I am just enjoying it and saying good work God.

It has been raining a day and I have thoroughly enjoyed the sound of it on the window, but there is nothing better to watch (provided that you are inside of course) than when the heavens open up and the rain pours down, along with the massive sound of thunder and the crack of lightning!

The other brilliant thing about rain is it soooo refreshing, and it does make me feel a little bit better about being stuck inside studying. So I say rain on,

Just a thought I had…

Stay tuned.

I think its full again...

2006-11-01T16:24:00.000+11:00

Okay so this is my 50th blog, and while I know that’s probably not very special for many of you reading, who have been blogging for a long time, or who wished I had never blogged at all, but today’s blog for me.

Just think 50 blogs ago, I wrote something along the lines of… my brain is full, and guess what I find my self sitting here bloging for the same reason, my brain is full, I don’t really care about all 150 ways the body likes to digest my food and once again I am in the middle of exams. That means it has taken me exactly 50 blogs to get through my semester, how weird is that, and no I didn’t do it on purpose it just happened that way. Anyway, while I have procrastinating and doing a terrible attempt of studying I have also with the help with a few of my friends, ( I think that lines in a song somewhere) opened another blog, because guess what….well actually if I tell you here it will kind of defeat the purpose of the other blog, so just check it out for your self at www.coconutboobies.blogspot.com, I know, I know, just try not to think about it, but seriously check out the site.

Anyway, I was also just thinking as I wrote this blog, you know the song “seasons of love” from rent??? Well in that it talks about “how do you measure a year in the life of a friend” and I was just thinking that I guess a year in my life would equal 100blogs, wow, I don’t know what’s sadder… that I would only write 100, or that I was almost happy to count my life by the number of blogs I can do? I think I need to get a life, ha ha ha, chances, I’ll be back don’t stress.

Just the 50th thought I have had…

Stay tuned.

My Car is trying to kill me

2006-10-23T10:14:00.000+10:00

Welcome back faithful readers, I am sorry that I have neglected you and left you all hanging for soooooo long about what is happening in my life, well I must say that it is something quite devastating…

I think that my car is trying to kill me. I am aware that I sound quite irrational and that many of you are probably reading this thinking “oh great, she’s lost the plot again, your car is trying to kill you…sure!” But its true, well it’s either that or I am gain superpowers; I guess that could also be an option…

Anyway, how could a non–living object like my car is trying to kill me? I mean it can’t crash itself, it can’t eat me, it can’t really do anything…Well, that’s where you are wrong. It is trying to kill me, and it’s closer and closer every time…seriously.

Every time I get out of my car at the moment, I get an electric shock, and each time it gets worse, I used to think that it was my volleys but its not, I get it even when I am not wearing them, but its not just a little tickle electric shock, its like a massive…
ZAP!
Yer just like that! But it’s getting to the stage where I am scared to close my door because I know that the shock is waiting for me. I am scared, really scared.

But here is what I really don’t understand, why would my car want to hurt me??? I know I crashed it once, but now its all better, and besides it was a bit like “house” on Wednesday night cause the crash fixed another problem, so now my car goes into drive first time with out fail, so why would it want to hurt me…Dave just washed it, I am now using that unleaded 95 from shell just to treat my car, I use it everyday, why would my car want to hurt me? If you have any idea please tell, I am lost for a reason! The only reason I have a the moment is maybe its not the car…maybe its me, maybe I am getting superpowers, and soon I will be able to control the electricity and use it to fight crime in the cities…maybe you should all just refer to me as electrogirl

I love my car and I don’t think that I could live if our relationship went up the creek, I need him to love me again…

Just a thought I had.

Stay tuned.

Craig Lowndes 888

2006-10-10T11:10:00.000+10:00

There are somethings that I thought I would never do or be, things that are just not "me". Things that I have no desire to do or even watch someone else do. For example I am never going to be a marine sea diver, i just don't want to, I am never going to be a model, I am just not made for it, I am never going to be a painter/builder/bricky in fact I am never going to be a tradie of any kind, its just not me. I am never going to play golf, its the principle of the thing! I am never going to enjoy watching shot 'em up movies, I just don't get them.

But this weekend I have learnt that sometimes you actually like these things that you promise yourself you will never enjoy.

Most of you probably know, actually I take that back, you probably don't know...This weekend was Bathurst weekend. The weekend of the all V8 racing weekends. Why do I know this? Well Dave is a Ford man, through and through and in order to understand him more I have been learning all these useless little facts about Fords and Ford drivers, anyway he was really excited about Bathurst this weekend so I thought I would learn a few more facts...This is what I got...

Craig Lowndes, 888 (said triple 8, not 8 8 8 apparently), partner Jamie Wincup, starting in position 6, drives for Beta electrical in a BA ford falcon. 161 laps, 1000km.

I know I am amazing! And at first i just started realing these little facts when promted to make dave happy, but then we watched the race, something I promised myself I WOULD NEVER DO, just because I am a girl and girls aren't supposed to like car racing! But heres what the werid bit was, I actually enjoyed it, I think that there is definatly a little petrol head in me! I don't whether it was because Craig Lowndes won for the first time in 10years, or whether it was because it was Ford first Bathurst victory in 7years or because it was just a really werid race? I don't know, but I liked it and I got excited when it got close and was really happy when Craig won.

I made me think, if I can enjoy and even like V8 car racing, maybe I can enjoy a lot of things, i just have to give it a go. I am actually hanging out to see another one, but don't tell davo! Maybe I could be a female Craig lowndes or aren't girls allowed to play like in footy?

Just a thought I had.

Stay tuned.

...Go Ford!

Golden Anniversary

2006-09-30T11:19:00.000+10:00

Last night at my house we celebrated my granparents 50th wedding anniversary... Just let it sink in...50years of marriage! Its pretty crazy ey? So I just thought that I would put this little post up, to say congradulations to my Gran and Pa, but also just to show everyone else how proud I am of them.

I guess in today's world its easy to see marriage as a "in the moment" thing, where people get married becacuse they are happy at the time and as soon as things get though they just leave it behind, but I guess its like most things today, people really only like to do things that beifit them and if its too hard then its not worth it. But marriage wasn't made for that, i'll give it a whirl kind of attitude. Marriage is a life thing! Which as I was told by Pa last was something that you have to work at. So congrats, I think that its awesome and I hope that when I get married I will be lucky enough to have a golden anniverary to!

Just a thought I had.

Stay tuned.

Emma's Kitchen

2006-09-30T10:49:00.000+10:00

Sorry its been a while,

This week I have been on holidays from uni which should have ment that I had plently of time to blog... but because I am a little silly in the head, I decided to use my only free week in semester two to do a commercial cooking course!! I was told a little while ago that if I couldn't cook, I might struggle a little with my subjects next year, so because I can't cook when they offered this course I said well okay. The course was run from Box Hill Tafe, the same place that is training the chef's for the TV show "Jamie's Kitchen", so we got to use all his cookware and stuff which was pretty cool, and after watching the first episode of that I figured it couldn't be that hard but I had no idea what I was getting myself into!

What I originally thought would be a breeze turned out to be a long and painful task, but I did learn a lot, got to wear an apron and a cool hat (I'll put a photo up as soon as I can), got to spend time with my friend Claire from uni, and one girl (not me) set her saucepan on fire, so I guess it was all worth it. I just couldn't believe how tired I got each day with just cutting vegies and stuff, oh well.

I was hoping to have a whole heap of funny stories to share, but lots of them are "had to be there" kind of things, so I will just look like a tool if I try and explain them on here, but if you really want stories you can talk to me later, or Claire. However, I must say that if you ever need someone to julienne your carrots or slice and dice your onion, or even make a nice honey soy marinate for your meat...I'm your girl, but it might take a while, lets just say Claire and I like to take our time. Maybe if I practice, I will have my own kitchen, you know like Jamie's? Nah, that sounds like way to much hard work, maybe I will just go back to eating home cooked meals that mum makes and leave the cooking for as long as possible! Its probably better for everyone's health and sanity if I do.

Just a thought I had.

Stay tuned.

The war is over

2006-09-22T10:01:00.000+10:00

Just thought that you would like to know that I have beaten Mr. Hyde and blogspots can once again be view at work.

The war is over and victory is mine...I have won.

I didn't even have to throw a punch or chuck a tanti!!! Amazing I know...Maybe from now on i should be known as "Emma the Conqueror" or "Emma the Great" or you know how they used to name people after the things they defeated? maybe then I would be "Emma of Hyde" ha ha ha that sounds so dumb. Maybe they could make me the superhero in a new video game...maybe I could be the next lara croft (but with significantly reduced...lets call them assets) or maybe not, maybe I should just be quiet, before they do it again.

Just a thought I had.

Stay tuned.

Don't ya just love that...

2006-09-18T23:22:00.000+10:00

So I think this last week has been the longest week of my life I think, why so long??? Well my mum has been in china visiting my dad so I have been in charge of the house, a lot tougher when you inclued my two teenage brothers, and on top of that my darlin davo has ended up in hospital with Glandular fever, a liver virus and now pneumonia as well, so its been really long, anyway thats not what I want to blog about...but if you want to know more you can talk to me about it later.

What I do want to talk is times that you go....Don't you just love that... Tonight I played basketball as I do most monday nights with my beautiful friends. But tonight, it was not just any ordinary game. Tonight was like rivalry round in the Afl, coz it was box hill vs box hill, our team verses another team from the same church. Now these games normally get pretty fiesty coz it a matter of pride. Anyway unfortunatly the other team was very low on numbers so they had some pretty powerfull ring-ins, but our team of 5 including me (which if you have read my blog for a while you will know I am not very good, see slide baby, slide) came through with the goods. Although we are a little worse for wear, we won...and it made me go don't ya just love that.

Just a thought I had.

Stay tuned.

Kat's Back

2006-09-12T13:13:00.000+10:00

Okay so once again I am behind again, but even though this happened on tuesday as in last tuseday....not today, the joy in my heart is still loud and strong...What happened on tuesday you might ask???

Kat came back from overseas and I was sooo excited so on wednesday night for cell we went to the city and got gelati and it was great. Even though she was only away for like 10 days I tell you what I missed her. I think it may have had something to do with not saying goodbye and forget that she had gone because it all happened so fast. All i know for the whole time she was away I kept going to things expecting that she would be there and she wasn't so I got really dissapointed. Anyway it doesn't matter now coz she is back!

Anyway I know it probably means nothing to you but it does to me and this is my blog so deal with it! Welcome Back Kat... you have been missed.

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Happy New Holden

2006-09-08T17:03:00.000+10:00

So my title is a little inappropriate, but it does have a purpose but I will get to that in a few minutes.

Today Peter Brock another Famous Australian died suddenly, I can't believe it, two amazing men in one week. I don't really have much to say about it, only that even before I began to take some intresest in cars (thanks Davo), Peter Brock was the only driver that I knew, (except now i know two, I also know Craig Lowns for ford, no guesses as to why) but it wasn't from racing that I remember Peter, it was from those ads that Holden ran for their New Year's sale, in which Peter and a lady named Debroah said something a little like this...

Debroah: Happy New Holden Brocky
Peter: Happy New Holden Debroah!

and then the sales came on to the screen...hence where the tittle comes from! So there you go my only memory...

Now, I don't want to make his death sound trivial, but when people die mum always says "it happens in threes you know"...I don't know if I can handel the death of another Australian icon, but if it comes in threes who would it be??? Dame Edna??? Hugh Jackman??? John Howard??? Seriously no one is safe...Do you think it really will happen in three? I hope not, I don't think my heart would cope.

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Strong Character

2006-09-06T10:31:00.000+10:00

So once again, I am not quite as quick as everyone else bloging about this, but what can you do?

This morning as I was eating my breakie, I read the paper, in which was a 10 page tribute to Steve Irwin, and while I had heard all about how he died and the impact that has made, I guess it didnÂt really hit me until this morning.

In the paper and on the news last nights there were all kinds of reports for Bindy's (his daughter) take over from her dad and how it has effected everyone, and how there were many "prayers". And it got me thinking...I wonder what Steve believed,Ii thought about his character and the things people had said about him. They way they talked of him as a genuine guy that loved life, someone who was passionate about everything and loved his family more than anything. I saw an interview with a guy that has been working with him for only 4 days, and the guy was a mess, the impact thatStevee had had in those few days wasunbelievablee.

I guess from where I sat, to me, Steve acted like a Godly man, now I have nothing to back up whether he was or wasn't a Godly man, but I guess itchallengedd me, as to what kind of impact do I have? I know that I love God, I know some of what God's character is like yet sometimes I know I am nothing like that. I think that if I was more likeStevee, I kind of reckon that if I was I would be more like God, not thatStevee is God by anystretchh of the imagination, but just in the way I would treat others, love God's creation and live my life.

I would like to know whereStevee was at, but I guess I never will now, well not until I get to heaven, and hopefully I will see him there. Anyway, I guess what I really want to say is I want to make an impact for good, I want to be able to leave a legacy like he has, but most of all I want to be as genuine about life as he was.Isn'tt great the things God can use to teach us a lesson..Whoo would have thought.

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Crack or Colour

2006-09-02T15:54:00.000+10:00

Okay, another mystery of life coming your way...

Today we had rehearsal for the Sunday schools fantastic up and coming show "Music Machine" featuring none other than Dave George, and during which, being a Sunday school teacher I had to stand up and sit down a lot... Now I know I am not the only one that has this issue, but I am a little sad to say I have a crack issue, that is, when I sit down sometimes my bum crack pops out. It doesn't matter what pants I wear, it always seems that my "crack" just wants to say hello world.

So in order to semi fix the problem I have gotten into the habit of just pulling my undies up (don't worry, this will stay clean, this is the worst that it gets) so instead of seeing crack you just get to see what undies I am wearing.

Anyway today while in rehearsal one of the kids with not so good English (ha ha ha a perfect example form myself) said..."Emma....Emma....your underwear" and continued to point at my bottom. Now this raises many questions...

Should he have said anything?
Should he have even been looking at my butt?
Would he have rather have just seen my crack?

Now the last one is what I want to put to you...Is it better for boys and girls alike, to show crack or undies? Seriously, would you rather look at undies (the brief kind...not a G-string...that’s just gross) or at my bottom, or should I just learn to pull up my pants?

When I was looking for a picture for this blog I came across something very funny...so I thought I would share it with you...

Now I know that its a bit small and hard to read... it says..."clean up America, Cover a Crack" and it is a company that makes T-shirts with an extra bit just to cover the crack that likes to come out. I thought it was ingenious, but here is what made me laugh, check out this little girl in the before and after shots...

Its great ey? Maybe that’s what I am missing? An original "Crack no more" shirt? Maybe that’s what I need. Like these ones I could have a special slogan too, instead of "dignified construction worker" or the "polite plumber" I could have "luscious lady" or "dignified daisy" or maybe even "elegant Emma"

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Spring is in the air

2006-09-01T09:47:00.000+10:00

Okay so I just wanted to take the time to go...ISN'T A LOVELY DAY?

Seriously I am sooooo excited, spring is in the air and that means a number of things....

The sun is out, so skin you will see the world again
It's getting warmer....
Assessments at Uni are over...
Bright colours make you feel nice, and not pale
sky's are blue
And people are generally Happy

Now I know that I am not the first person to notice this, (if you want proof check out Beth and Flick's Blogs). But have you ever noticed, how good, good whether makes you feel? Seriously, I had a crap day on Wednesday with my biochem midsemester being just one of the low points, but you know what, it was a beautiful day, so it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it could have been. And yesterday in a break at uni, a couple of my friends and I just sat outside and ate lollies and it was the best. I think the lovely whether brings out the best in people. There is just something about that makes you want to smile...and you know what...I love it...bring on the summer. It almost makes you feel like you are living in some of the pictures that windows offers as a desktop picture, and you know why I reckon they offer them...coz it makes you feel good...I would like to live in that picture!

Just a thought I had.

Stay tuned.

Just Slide Baby, Just Slide

2006-09-01T09:14:00.000+10:00

Okay now I know its been a while since I last posted but I have had a very busy week, but today I just want to write about something that happened to me on

During basketball...That's right I play basketball, not well but I try...I took a stack, No I didn't get pushed or even provoked, I simply tripped on my own feet while trying to catch up to a player on the other team. So imagine this...

its just me and their girl, the rest of the teams are down the other end waiting to this girl till the ball came down and it's my job to stop the ball getting down that far...So I am running my heart out trying to catch up because it turns out that she is faster than me and I tripped on my own feet and went down. Anyway as I am falling, the only advice I have for my self is not, "STOP YOUR FALLING" but "just slide, and it won't hurt, just slide" Seriously can you believe that that's the best advice that I had for my self??? So as I hit the ground, I push my hands into the ground and propelled my self forward by pushing my hands back, then lifted my hands behind my back and pushed my head up...And let me just say I felt like the biggest tool out, but it was too late.

As I started to laugh so did the rest of the players and spectators (except for poor Dave who was embarrassed), no naturally I stood up and took a bow, walked it off and keep playing, but continuing to giggle the whole time.

When I was at school, I was told I looked a little like a penguin because apparently I waddle when I run, but as I took the step into uni I thought I had finally lost the penguin so to speak, but it turns out, that its still in me. Deep down inside, I think I will always just be a little bit like a penguin. Do you think that I will ever live it down? Or will I always be the penguin? I have a feeling its now something that I will never shake!

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

I WILL NOT BE SILENCED

2006-08-26T09:57:00.000+10:00

You may have noticed that it has only been a few minutes since my last post...but in that few minutes I have discovered and enemy in the front lines, some one is trying to silence my blog!

I know who would have thought???? Me???? My blog???? Its never hurt a fly, only brought humour to the world. I am hurt, really hurt.

As I published my last post, I went to admire my work on the work computers and I was confronted with a "network access message: This page cannot be displayed"... This has never happened before, so in my innocence I thought that maybe it was the whole internet was down, so I checked a few other sites...The regulars....Hotmail, Yamaha, killsometime.com...and I was shocked to find that none of these sites had this message. Not even killsometime, a site made just for killing time by playing games! It appears that blogspot has been blocked! Someone at Billy Hyde doesn't want me blogging, but this is what I say to them...

You can't silence me!!!! I will not be told to be quiet!!! You may have blocked the joy of my blog from my work colleagues but you can't keep it from the world! Be warned Billy Hyde I am on to you and I will do what it takes to bring you down! There will be protests...This is not the end! There will be riots...This is not the end! The will be fist fights...This is not the end! There will be lots of slapping...This is not the end! There will be broken noses...This is not the end! and if that doesn't work I will chuck a tanty and you don't want to see that Mr Billy Hyde...Oh no you don't!!!

Watch yourself

and stay tuned, its for your own good.

Mickey Mouse Glasses

2006-08-26T09:18:00.000+10:00

This morning i saw the funniest thing in the whole world, it took me back to the days of my childhood, which in reality wasn't that long ago (some may even argue that I am still going through my childhood), but it took me back there. Back when legins were cool as well as scrunchies and bad hair...how you might ask...

Well it was all in the is one lady that I saw for a breif moment as dave and I turned the car down a street to go to work. She was also sitting at the intersection but there was something about her, she was amazing, and I am pretty sure it all come down to her micky mouse glasses. You know the kind... the normal glasses that have the sunglasses clipped on which can then be folded up to resemble micky mouse ears. Ahh they are classic, so just so you can appreciate it too i thought I would leave you with this...

so there you go, a classic i know. Does anyone know what they are actually called? I think mickey mouse glasses is fine, but I am sure there is a proper name. Anyway Live on the mickey mouse glasses...

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Waiting not so patiently

2006-08-23T13:19:00.000+10:00

I hate waiting…

Its only just dawned on me that most of my stress when I am studying and have deadlines to meet comes from the waiting bit. At the moment I am waiting for Deakin to load a stupid article, seriously I feel like I wait all my life. I wonder how much time I waste by waiting…

At the moment I am trying to do work for uni because it is assessment time and everything is due in the space of two days, but it feels like every time I sit down to DO something, I spend most of my time WAITING for things to open things to load etc etc etc. I know my poor little computer is getting a bad rap at the moment, but I guess that’s where I do most of my waiting, it probably doesn't help that I try and make it do 100 things at once. I know patience is supposed to a fruit of the spirit that I should show in my life, but I reckon that is one of the hardest ones to really show well…

But at Sunday school we have been looking at the fruits of the spirit because of the spectacular musical we will be putting on very soon (big part to be played by our very own Dave), and there is a song that we have been learning about a little snail called herbert and having patience, and the words of the chorus go a little something like this….

Have patience, have patience, don’t be in such a hurry
When you get impatient, you only start to worry.
Remember, remember that God is patient to!
And think of all the times when others have to wait for you.

So as I go and wait for this page to load I will sing that little song…

Stay tunned.

Dave's Daily Diary

2006-08-22T20:45:00.000+10:00

Just thought before I take away the poll "Should Dave Join the Blogging Community" I would let you know the results....

Yes, he is a very funny man....63%
No, stick with the comments, too much a good thing can be bad....19%
Who Cares....6%
Who is Dave....6%
Dave should just back off and leave the blogging community alone....6%

So there you go....Dave the poll has spoken.

Dumb Computers

2006-08-22T15:20:00.000+10:00

Okay here is what I don't get...If computers are sooooo clever, how come they are always needing to be fixed.

Last week while my Dad was over, Mum and Dad did a trading phones episode where mum got dad's old phone because he had a new one. Anyway, during this whole process of swaping info from one phone to the other (which was done through the computer coz dad's old phone was like a palm pilot thing so everything was on the computer) Mum decided that she did want to use Dad's phone coz it was too hard (i don't blame her coz it was also ugly), so then she had to swap everything back on to her phone and palm pilot...but guess what happened? The computer didn't like it and so on Monday morning mum spent 2 hours on the phone to the plam pilot people trying to connect her old palm again because this was no longer working...I know this is very long winded and you probably are getting bored but stay with me I do have a point...Only to be told that they couldn't help because the didn't know and she would have to reboot the whole computer from sratch and to do that she needed to ring dell (the computer company)!

So...for the last 2 days I have been fully backing up all the data on mum's computer so that we didn't lose anything when we rebooted it this afternoon. Anyway this made me think...I told you the point was coming...

Computer are supposed to make life easier right???? The are supposed to be very smart, probably smarter than me, but here is what I don't get...If computers are sooooooooo smart why do they stuff up all the time??? Why can't they save their own stuff? Why can't they remember things that they did like 10seconds ago???

For example...My laptop has recently decided that it will only connect to the internet if it is connected to the power cable....seriously how dumb is that?? I can be sitting in exactly the same spot but if I am not "plugged in" the internet won't work! Dumb.

So I have decieded that computers are dumb and stupid and while I will keep using them everyday, I will continue to get mad at them, I mean seriously whats the point of having a laptop if will only do useful things when it is attached to something???? Maybe it has issues...I don't what the phobia is called but maybe it is scared of not being in a commited relationship (like the one the power cord gives it), or maybe electricty is a drug that my laptop is addicted to...maybe my computer is a junkie???

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Blogging Buddies

2006-08-21T10:52:00.000+10:00

Welcome once again....

You may have notcied that over the last little while my "blogging Buddies" links coloumn has been getting a little bigger, so I thought I would just take the time to endorce my latest additions....

Kris....Kris is my cousin, and a very funny man (plus he keeps saying I am cool in his blogs), check it out.

Lizzy...Lizzy is a friend from uni, she has just moved to the states to study and her blog is like a giant travel diary, it should be interesting.

So check them out and invited them to the blogging community...and maybe if you are feeling really generous...leave a comment.

Just a thought I had...

Stay tunned.

Crazy Chickens

2006-08-19T15:23:00.000+10:00

Okay today for lunch I had KFC, which was a little naughty, considering I am on a diet but what can you do? Anyway as I ate, I read the info writen on the packaging, which told me all about how KFC get their chickens delivered fresh everyday, and once again I thought about this a little bit more than the average person and here is what crossed my mind...

If everyone in the WHOLE world, not just Victoria or even Australia, but the WHOLE WORLD just stopped eatting chickens, do you think that there would be enough chickens to take over the world? Seriously think about how much chicken the world must consume everyday and if all of a sudden they just stopped killing them? So many chickens would be out of a job, imagine the uproar, their union would be going nuts, there would protest and attack us...I can see it all happening, but why stop there...

What if the whole world stopped eating eggs as well, seriously sooooooo many chickens!!! I know that I will be eatting chicken from a long time so that they don't attack me!

Anyway...as I shared this with my friend Ryan from work, he told me about this song that he had heard and I found it quite amusing its called "cows with guns" that link goes to the lyrics, so enjoy.

And eat chicken

Just a thought I had...

Stay tunned.

The Good Ol' Oldies

2006-08-19T10:44:00.000+10:00

The other day I heard the funniest thing in the world (that’s pretty funny). I was driving home, as you do, minding my own business, listening to what has go to be the best drive time radio show in the world, Hamish and Andy, and they were discussing a very funny topic. They were talking about how the other day in parliament, the government declared what were appropriate and inappropriate names to call people while in session and here are the two they okayed...

Pork Chop and...
Drongo

So this was pretty funny in itself, but then they were saying that they were words that only people of 60 years and above would use and got callers to ring up and tell them what other old people had called them here is just a few...

ungrateful swine,
stupid nincompoop and my personal favourite...
great flaming go-sonk-a-pede

Anyway this got me thinking, as most things seem to do. Old people are great, and I don't think I have noticed, or used this anywhere near enough. Many of you probably don't know but I have a great grandma who is 99 years old, and I tell you what... It only just dawned on me how old that actually is...Seriously it’s really old. Think of it this way, here is some of the stuff that has happened since 1907 when she was born (in no particular order)...

The First Ford Car,
Invention of TV,
World War I,
Invention of Colour TV,
World War II,
The Vietnam War,
Two Olympics in Australia,
The First Movies,
Princess Di and Charles,
Mobile Phones,
Dolly the Cloned Sheep,
The Internet,
The Peak of Albert Einstein’s Carrier,
The impressionists,
When Yo-yos were cool for the very first, second, third and forth time,
The Simpson’s,
The first planes,
Submarines,
Nuclear Bombs,
Penicillin,
The Cold war,
Martin Luther King,
Discovery of Bacteria,
Space Travel,
Mickey Mouse,
Bottled Water,
The first climbing of Mt. Everest,
Wireless ANYTHING,
Sept. 11,
Woodstock,
The Beetles,
Stolen generation,
Pauline Hanson,

And that’s just the beginning, amazing ey... I should really go and sit down and have a long chat with her, Coz if I leave too late all these amazing memories will be gone. I can't even being to imagine what it would be like to be THAT old, I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in my 30ies... seriously, just try and imagine being that old...werid.

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

Laugh The Night Away

2006-08-18T12:35:00.001+10:00

Did you know....

The average 6 year old laughs 300 times a day, yet the
average adult only laughs between 15-100 times

That’s pretty crazy ey?

Do you think we lose the ability to laugh? Do we just start taking things more seriously? Maybe too seriously? Is Life just not funny after the age of seven?

When I read this little fact, I was really quite surprised. And it makes me kinda sad. Why? I hear you ask...well I don't think we are supposed to laugh less. I was thinking about why little kids laugh more, and this is what I came up with... They really have nothing to worry about, their parents take care of everything, they rarely want for anything, and they haven't learnt about all the bad stuff in the world yet.

But heres the deal, I think that we can laugh and enjoy life just as much as these little kiddly winks, why? Well, when Jesus came to earth He came to save the world, so that we could have life and life to the full, and he told us not to worry, but to give it all to Him, because he was in control. Doesn't that sound a little familiar? We too have a parent, a heavenly father to look after things for us, so that we don't have to worry and we can live life to the full, because God will take care of the rest.

Now I know this doesn't mean that things will always be amazing and life will be easy, but I defiantly don't think life is supposed to be one big stress, so there is no joy.

Maybe we do take things to seriously and don't give enough control to God, because really if we trusted God to look after our lives don't you think it would be less stressful.

Maybe that’s what I need to do, give it all over and not just little bits, Because I don't know about you but I think I need to laugh and enjoy my life more, coz sometimes I am a lot closer to the 15 times/day then 100, and I would rather be like the 6 year old, spending most of my day enjoying life and laughing the night away.

So inorder to increase your laughter for the day i thought I would put in some funny pictures that I found... Dave this first one is for you...

Sorry there were lots more, but I couldn't get them to load, sorry

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

And It Shall Be Called....Family Day

2006-08-12T10:58:00.000+10:00

Today is a joyous day. Proclaim it from the roof tops,

"TODAY IS A JOYOUS DAY!"

that's right you heard it here first...Today is a Joyous day! (isn't Joyous a wonderful word).

Today my family is all together once again. Very early this morning, I woke up, I know nothing exciting there, but here is comes, I went into Mums room and guess what.... THERE WAS TWO PEOPLE IN THE BED!!!! (not just one, like the normally is).

At first I was horrified and didn't understand, but then I went closer (in hindsight that probably wasn't the wisest thing that I could have done, but I did it anyway) and it was MY DAD!!!! Now for many of you reading this, who are thinking well that's sounds pretty standard, there is a catch, MY DAD LIVES IN CHINA.

So, naturally, I was very excited, I said "hello", and dad said "oh no, unstable", but this did not put me off in the slightest, because I was the bringer of good news. My good news????

DUSTIN (my brother) IS UP!

Why was this good news, trust me normally its the last thing you want to hear...lets just say dusty doesn't do mornings, but today it was good news because today DUSTY BECAME A MAN, ha ha ha ha, well kinda he turned 18.

Thats right, today shall be called family day because DUSTIN IS 18 and DAD IS HOME, nothing could be better, well...I could be with them and not at work, and poor Jake is home alone, but who's complaining, I am sure they would rather I was here and they were not.

So sing and rejoice, because today we eat cake, Have food thrown at us and Dave wants to eat a big chicken with big breasts.

SING! REJOICE! BE JOYOUS! ( I am aware that I just repeated my self) and go tell it on the mountains, because today is FAMILY DAY.

The Magic Storage Elves

2006-08-11T14:30:00.000+10:00

Okay so today I am at work again, except this time they have put me in one of the other shops and it is really quiet and boring, In fact this shop is soooooo quiet that just before we had 2 customers and 2 phone calls (which is really nothing compared to the other store) and the head guy here got all comfuzzeled, and I was in the way and everything was too hard, but really it was nothing. Anyway, thats not what I wanted to blog about...

I have this list that I have made off the questions I have or things I want to say on here, but I want to know this...Why is it now, that I am bored out of my brains sitting here I can't remember a single one??? It just doesn't make sense...

Sometimes I imagine (just run with me here, okay?) That my head is like a massive room of filing cabinets in which little elves/fairies work and when I need to remember something they run around and find what I need...Sometimes they can't find it, thats why it takes longer, but they get it eventually. Sometimes they think of something werid and just throw it into my mind and thats what I have so many questions...But I don't understand how sometimes I can be thinking of something ALL day and then I want to do something with it and its like one of these little elves run towards the file that information is in and stand in front of it so no one can get in. But what I don't understand is why they would do that?? It just doesn't make sense...but its really annoying.

Does anyone know the real reason why this happens??? Cause it really makes me mad. I know there aren't really faries in my head, but it would make more sense if there were, at least I would have an explaination... Seriously, why does it happen right when you don't want it too.

Just a thought I had...

Stay tuned.

The Search for the Greatest Hot Chocolate

2006-08-11T10:18:00.000+10:00

Recently at Uni...well actually all over melbourne...it has been very cold, and this I believe has increased my need for hot chocolate, because lets face it, there is nothing better on a cold day then a nice hot chocolate. Its like hot chocolate was made for those kind of days.

Anyway...The is an abundance of cafe's at uni, all of which sell Hot Chocolate, so Flick and I have made it our mission to find the best one...Now it isn't just taste that we are after, (well I haven't actually gone over these conditions with Flick, but I am sure that she will agree), there are many things that need to go into this hot chocolate...okay so here is what I have got so far....

1. The Hot Chocolate must be hot, (seems silly but you would be supprised)
2. The Hot Chocolate must have froth. (the more the better generally, but you do want some liquid in there too.
3. The Hot Chocolate must not be too expensive
4. The Hot Chocolate must leave you satisfied, not wanting for something else, not feeling sick, which can happen.
5. The Hot Chocolate needs to taste great. (thats probably the most important)

Anyway, we think we may habe found the best one at uni, but we will need to do some clarifing this week, but I want to put it out to you...

Where do you get the best Hot Chocolate in melbourne??? Do you make the best Hot Chocolate in Melbourne???? Seriously I want to know??

I know someone out there knows

Just a thought I had...

Stay Tunned.