YL - meeting people & gym

Like Evelyn, I've rejoined the gym. Managed to fanagle some deal which suits so yay. John at Noel Martin rocks. Went to Pump today. Dave was his usual energetic self! I'm not up to doing 2 classes back to back like the old days. Ugh. Achey.

Orbit Lounge, lvl 47, Australia Square = rotates + awesome view. Glad I went to the "welcoming interns to Westmead" drinks thing. Re-met some people from orientation. Rubbed shoulders & tried to find out means to further my future career. Met some fun people. Turns out, Westmead doctors know how to party. So drinks over, went to Jacksons on George for dancing lol. New experiences I must say. Stayed out till 5am. Hmm.

Evelyn: one step forward, two steps back

So belatedly healthy new year - joined the gym last night. However my supposed gym buddy encouraged us to celebrate the fact by not using the gym and instead eating hot chocolate brownies with vanilla ice-cream.

Ben - and the living is easy.

Not been up to much. Reading, cooking, cycling, beach. Recomend a book called Stiff by Mary Roach about human cadavers and their various uses and 1688: a Global History by John E Wills about most of the world in the year 1688.

David - Oh Yeah - This is Going Well...

I. So. Love. My. Life.

Have been in the Portsmouth Hilton since 7 Jan - and don't think I will leave until 16 Feb. Then I will be in the Trafalgar Hilton (woot) from 16 Feb to 7 March. At least they normally give me a suite overlooking Trafalgar Square (can you say travel wanker?). Of course that is this weeks plan.

Went head to head with the CIO for an hour today. I think she blinked before I did. One of those weird moments of realising that technically I have power... just so long as no one calls my bluff. Like being the Devil in that Piers Anthony book (that's a Guy shout out).

Otherwise - still waiting for Godot.

Becstarr : Negotiating dates

Contracts, meetings and phone calls as I negotiate which job I will be in in a few weeks' time. It's a bit stressy, but necessary. I'm going to be happy when it's sorted!

Anna : You're just too hip baby ... uh huh huh

As I walked home last night the "cool" people seemed to be out in force. A Voltron black lion t-shirt, several shamelessly hip tattoos and me, filthy and smelly from boxing in a 35 degree room ... luckily I had my Bec-approved asymmetrical 'do!

Other news, our sink has become electrified and the blackouts are now daily so something's awry in the state of Yorga.

Evelyn - there's got to be another hall?

New venue for ceroc, only room for about a third of the people on the dance floor at any one time. Got my ankles painfully stepped on on four different occasions.

David - Losing My Composure

So. Still in New Hampshire. IT still saying that we will be ready 'tomorrow'. Kind of like the Annie song - you know - "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I'll love you tomorrow - its only a day away."

On the plus side my 'frustration level' (business speak for 'pissed off') has reached the point that I used the phrase "f*cking ludicrous that we continue to believe this bollocks" with a very senior manager today. A first in 'inappropriate, non-diplomatic speak' for me.

It may get my point across...

Shannon: Snow-ronic

Well the lovely dump of snow we were hoping for has finally arrived. But its so sad to see all this snow on the ground saying "play with me" when all the unis and schools are closed BUT UBC, so it's off to work for me :(

Becstarr : Holidays and a haircut

Had an SDO on Friday and went for a haircut with Anna at Furr. Like most haircuts, it took some getting used to (to be honest, I was coveting the Annazon Funk Factor, with her asymmetric Irish cut!), but it's settling in well now. :)

Picnicked in the park with Karinne for Australia Day, rested on Monday, and went out to spend the evening with Jj and Mum on Tuesday. Jess is into her final week with us now, so it's all farewell drinks and last family gatherings!

Anna : You have so much to teach me grasshopper!

What happened to the clever little ant who spent two days cooking and preparing food to put in the freezer and pull out over the next fortnight? Midnight power failure.

Evelyn - you mean exercise hurts

One month late, I've started my must exercise more routine. Believed Stumptuous when she said squats are important. Paying for it today.

Also, ceroc dancing after drinking too much the night before - lots of dizzy!

Aussie Day: Sunburnt shoulders

Meant to head down to Point Perpendicular near Nowra for some climbing. Got stuck in traffic just past Wollongong, so did a u-turn and went to the beach instead.

Accidently got sunburnt at Windang beach.

Bumped into Surly at Bowral on Monday, who was doing the first coffee run of the day at 1pm or so.

David - Yeap. Thats' some weather right there...

Still in New Hampshire. Snowing all day so we have an additional 2 feet of snow on the ground. Today is my 22nd consecutive day in the office working. Political warfare all over the shop.

So you can imagine that I am one Very. Happy. Vegemite.

On the plus side - new episode of The Wire tonight. More than a little disturbing that this episode and last Sundays' Patriots game (grid iron) have been the highlight of my week. I so very need to get out of here.

Dan - long long weekend, and birthday antics

Took friday off to round out a 4 day long weekend. Went out on Saturday night to see Billy Bragg (We went out! Me and Jen! All by ourselves!). The kids were looked after by Bec, my ma, and Jen's ma. Sunday morning was tennis (and at one point we all panicked as we realized Atty and Lori had gone missing - they'd let themselves out of the gate, and walked down to tennis by themselves. Those two specialize in mischief). Sunday afternoon was Atty's birthday, with all the uncles and aunties and cousins over to celebrate. Much food was eaten, and the kids had lots of fun in the pool. Today is a Quiet Day for us all, in preparation for the full week ahead. It's mid-afternoon, and only Dante and I are awake. The rest of the week will have us all at childcare, school, and work.

Back on my game

So I went to soccer today for the first time in a year and half. Was vastly relieved to find my foot was fine for both running and kicking the ball. Ballet has kept my muscles nicely in shape but my poor lungs didn't know what happened! All that cardio = hack, hack, hack. And as usual there was the full compliment of members from the Eastern European Misogynists Club, so hardly anyone passed me the ball. Still, it was a great achievement for me.

YL - Lock your car doors!

Waiting at a red light to turn at Cleveland & Abercrombie St at 1.15am today, random man comes up to my brother's passenger front door - opens it and attempts to grab whatever was in the seat. Had my large woolen shawl over my handbag. I was shocked, grabbed my things back, looked him right in the face and swore "you fucker" vehemently at him. Fortunately for me, he ran away. No weapons, no threatening words.

I've made a police report. Fingerprints to be taken later/Tue. If they catch they guy, I can probably ID him. *swears*

So Lock Your Car Doors When Driving and keep valuables safe. Try not to drive with windows down, handbags in easy reach on passenger seats.

This could have been ugly. Children might have been hurt/traumatised. I heard of this kind of thing happening before but first time it's happened to me. So just be careful out there guys.

Guy - Aus. Day-ish

You know the kind of day where you watch one episode of Rome. Then, being hard to top, you watch another, then another, then it's midnight?

It's kind of Australian, isn't it?

David - Bloody Ripper Mate

Turns out that an easy way to confuse the locals up here is to print 20 colour copies of the Australian flag, write a bunch of slang on them and whack em up around the office in honour of Australia Day. Sure its not sitting in the back of Rose St with your feet in the paddling pool, but at least it is SOMETHING non-US of A! Of course you then have to explain what a prawn is, just why you wouldn't want to be a galah and who the bloody hell decided that eating Vegemite was a good thing.

Oh - and it turns out that a 25 minute walk in -10 degrees celsius weather feels a darn sight longer. Especially when that wind kicks up. Of course after the first ten minutes you can't feel your face anyways.

PS: shout out to Joe in thanks for the Stop Petto Being Bored Foundation. Speaking of which - finally got Dawn of War: Dark Crusade working in my Bootcamp partition. Minor amounts of dancing around my hotel room involved in celebration.

Happy Haggis Day

Yesterday was Burns Day - Robbie Burns. And to celebrate my work had a Burns night featuring such highlights as the Selkirk Grace, Piping in the Haggis, The Address to the Haggis, eating of the Haggis, a recitation of a Man's a man for aw that, The Toast to the Lassies, The reply to the toast to the Lassies and much alcohol.