Lots of posts from me - what's that about?

Today was a bit of a milestone, and an anticlimax all in one - if that's possible. The really good news? I now have my teaching number, which means I can officially teach primary school children in NSW and get paid for it! The eighteen months of study has paid off and now I'm let loose on the real teaching world. I may get a full time job offer for 2008, but it's about a 1:5 chance so I'm not holding my breath. Meantime, there should be plenty of casual work available for Term 4 (starting mid October) so that should keep me out of mischief meantime. However first I intend to have some time off doing nothing but Davie things.

The anticlimactic part? I was offered paid work for tomorrow and Friday, but my teaching number came through too late to accept it. Bugger. Mind you, the school is still keen to have me for next term on a casual basis, and I'm going to their end of term meal/booze up on Friday so it's all good. Today did involve me heading out to Blacktown (about an hour on the train); waiting for 1.5 hours to get served by their customer service rep only to be told I needed another document from Uni; another hour on the train this time to my old work at Qantas where I finally officially resigned (they'd kindly let me have leave without pay to study); to Uni to get said document faxed off; and finally home.

*Stop the press*
My school have just called to offer me the two days paid work - woohoo! I'm really teaching to earn my keep! Yeehah! Wonder which class I'll get tomorrow!

So what do you call it when your anti-climax gets reversed? I'm not sure I should be saying I've just now had a climax...

What a difference a week makes! And what little difference 3 years make! Read on...

I left you a week ago having not really done much stuff this time Monday night. However miracle of miracles I managed to knuckle down and so when a mate came over for dinner Tuesday night I was all but finished my full report. I even amazed myself as that's not even due in until this Friday! From the full report it was relatively straightforward to précis that down to a Powerpoint presentation and so by Wednesday mid-arvo I was done, dusted, finished and able to walk away from the whole thing for the evening. Very cool. Thursday was the post-Internship conference and I presented everything at around noon. Woohoo! Thursday night I printed everything else off and by Friday afternoon I had completely finished my Masters course (assuming the final report makes the grade). Almost unbelievable. The last eighteen months have really flown!

Yesterday was another interesting day, but for completely different reasons. Some of you reading this may remember I got into running when I last moved back to Oz in 2002-2004; completing 2 x 10K runs, 2 x City to Surf 14K runs and 2 x half marathons. I was pretty into it and only stopped when I got shin splints and then when I met Craig and started the uni course the running went by the wayside. Well my mate Muz persuaded me to do the 9K Bridge run and I took it as a way to kick-start my running career again. I had hoped to get in some decent training, but due to teaching, the uni stuff and some badly timed hayfever and/or headcold symptoms it just didn't happen. So my preparation for yesterday's race was a 3K run last Wednesday; a 5K run last Friday and then the actual race! Miraculously I did the whole thing without stopping and thanks to Muz's pace-making we came in at just under 52mins for just under 10K (according to Muz's iPod). I was really amazed how my much body remembered and readjusted as I'm not even sore today at all. Weird. Hats off to Muz too, as it was the furthest he'd ever run and a personal goal for him ticked off. Way to go mate!

Today ended up as a great impromptu day too. Caught up with Bobby and another mate Brett for coffee and ended up at the Coogee Bay Hotel for lunch and beers. Noice. Since then the day's been very chilled and has involved lots of cups of tea and searching the interwebnet for stuff. And here I am. Soon-ish to bed. I'm off this week if my teaching number doesn't get sent to my by the Department of Education. If it does I'm up for some casual work - if not it'll be mid October as it's end of term this week. Fingers crossed, but either way I'm going to make sure I enjoy the first time off I've had in two years ;o)

I sometimes find it amazing how I can find so many useless things to do when I've got some uni work to do. Right now I'm working on my action research project for my Masters. Allegedly. Today I had a leisurely start to the day, stopping for breakfast in the city. I didn't actually put fingers to keyboard until around 11.30am, and was over at the Metro centre having lunch only some two hours later! Bumping into a colleague only wasted a bit more time, and then it's amazing what else you can find on the interwebnet to keep you amused...

I even watched Australian Idol.

And then I came across a blog post from someone that just made me a little pensive. When someone else bares their soul a little it can often trigger stuff for me if pertinent, and this particular post certainly was. I'm not going to say much more than that for now, as my project research is still looking at me somewhat blankly. However let's just say I'm grateful for what I know and what I'm learning... and there's plenty still to come.

With a knowing nod and glass raised to the author... "To adventure and misadventure."

Bring it on.

September already eh? Haven't really had much time to myself lately, but that's all been in a good way. Finally online at (new) home, which helps.

So, the teaching practicum finishes tomorrow. The last nine weeks have really flown. So now it's head down to write the mini-thesis which I have to present on Thursday/Friday next at our post-intership conference. Then that's it. I'm on the open job market pretty much ready for term 4, which starts mid-October. This means I'll finally get chance to have a real holiday. Sigh. Can't wait.

Settling into the house properly now. Have even been cooking, plus the telly and CD player were returned from being fixed today. Woohoo! House warming and meal invites going out soon...

In other news... ;o) Going to keep that one under my hat. It just seems appropriate for now, but it's all good. Better than good. Almost incredible. Suffices to say I'm happy though... oh yes.

More soon, probably in between cups of tea instead of doing the thesis - I know what I'm like!!!

Ah. Well my archives are back which is good. Now I just have to sort out the formatting... :o)

One step at a time!

OK. So the number of posts is still not great. However I do have an excuse in that I currently have no internet access from home as since the move the phone line hasn't been properly sorted.

So, what else has been happening? I've moved house, and am now in lovely Alice Street in Newtown (not really that big a move, but it went very smoothly). Big thanks to Ken and Bobby who helped with the move - particularly to Ken who sold me his white goods at a knock down price. Julia moved in that first Sunday and so far it's been great to share a place.
The teaching is going well and it seems weird that I'm over two-thirds of the way through the internship already. Time is flying.

And about that time stuff. I wonder why else time has been flying so? Well I've been spending some quality time with a lovely bloke and really enjoying it. More of that soon, but suffices to say it's made everything else seem very easy ;o)

OK. In an internet cafe so I'll make this brief until we get online at home and then it's on for one and all. More soon... Oh, and thanks to some of the new people that have posted comments, directed here from other blogs!

Ay Caramba!

I promise I'll try and do this more often. Particularly as I've now realised that there are a few new people looking coz of Facebook (ah the perils of the interwebnetthingy).

So I left you in June. Lovely girl. Since then, in brief:
Spent three weeks in the UK primarily for my Dad's 80th birthday. Have to say it was fantastic. Wasn't sure how Dad's health would be, but he was in fine fettle and seems to have recoverd well from the stroke in February. It was great to spend time with him and he really seemed to enjoy himself. I also managed to reconnect with old mates from London/York and genuinely enjoyed myself even with all the running around up and down the country.
Returned to my DET interview which seemed to go well. Fingers crossed re job offers.
Started a nine week placement at school in Marrickville teaching some gifted and talented 11 year olds. So far, so good. They're a challenge, but it's all good teaching experience.
Am in the process of moving out of the house and renting a place to share with Julia, my niece. Moving in two weeks and I have to say I'm very much ready for it now. Prepare for lots of invitations for food and wine. I'm going to get back to being the entertainer that I always used to be. Woohoo.
Had some fun nights/days here since being back. Thanks to everyone that's helped my prop up bars around Sydney. Thanks to Tim for organising the theatre last Friday - it was lots of fun and good to spend a bit more time with Tim and Chris. Tim - you're now linked! There's a lovely picture of the two of us on Tim's blog from Kooky last when we inadvertently went as twins. Peas in a pod.
Feeling like the move will herald a return to form for this happy camper. Way to go me.
OK. Time to plan tomorrow's spreadsheet lesson. More soon. Really. Though there might be small gaps in transmission as I move house as I'm here and there for a bit and not sure when the internet access will be sorted out.

Woah! So almost 9 months goes by... and I wonder what the hell's been happening. You probably do too, if you're still reading.

So. What news? Well - since September there's been a lot happening. In summary:

Craig and I split up in March which is sad. However we're still friends and still living together as landlord/lodger (me lodging - Craig bought the house).
Dax our staffy is as beautiful as ever and will be 5 in August.
I have one assignment left before I have completed the Bachelor part of my two year Masters of Primary school teaching. Just waiting to see where I have my 9 week internship starting mid-July.
I hit the UK for three weeks holiday 20June-11July. I'm in London 23-26June and 2-10July. Prepare to catch up for beers and shenanigans.

In fact that will do for the first update in all this time. More soon - but look out people in Blighty... I'm on the way!

Wow.

Can't believe it's already been over two months since I last posted. Not that there hasn't been much going on - the opposite in fact - but it seems only recently that I was enjoying some time off from uni. Well I'm currently on day 46 without a day off. I've been doing uni work, cafe work, sometimes both, and for the last 4 weeks teaching in a school in the eastern suburbs. The teaching has been great fun, but completely exhausting, and I'm ready for it to be over tomorrow. Sad to finish, glad to get some time off!
Craig spent almost a month in the USA, and it's great to have him back. Julia my niece arrived a week and a half ago and I'm looking forward to spending some more time with her and her friend Bill whilst I'm on uni break. So two weeks of just cafe work and then back to uni for 6 weeks and then holidays until March 07! I will be working at the cafe, so it's not all relaxation, but the pressure will be off for a bit whilst the sun shines.
More soon :o)

Quick posting for July, just coz I haven't been posting regularly for some time now... Not a great deal to report since the last posting. Had a weekend down in Canberra, which on balance I can't really recommend! Partly due to the company (friend of Craig's 40th, but the weekend highlighted how much they've grown apart) and partly due to the place itself. Dull, soulless and rather scarily Stepford Wives. Other than that I've been taking it very easy. Lots of time with the dog, a bit of cafe work and not much else. Uni starts again in 3 weeks so still a bit more time to enjoy. Started doing some of the sorting I promised last posting - and that will continue. Oh, and the soccer's been replaced by Wimbledon watching - tennis was always more my sport!

Another week on and not too much to report. First things first though, happy birthday to my Dad, who is 79 today! All being well I'll be back over in the UK this time next year to help Dad become an octogenarian.
I've done very little over the past week and it's been great. Lots of walking the dog and leisurely admin and house stuff. Going to try and get some tidying done today - it's time to clean out the laundry. Don't you love lazy holiday time? I was up this morning watching the Australia-Italy match. We were robbed! Now go England...

Well this is definitely the longest time between posts since this thing began some 5 or so years ago... Apologies to anyone left that might still be reading. I alluded to stuff happening back in January when I last did post and yes, there have been some changes.
In February I finished up at Qantas as I have taken leave without pay until the end of the year. Sue (my sister) arrived from the UK a couple of days later to celebrate her 50th birthday and we had a week together enjoying Sydney - particularly the trip to the Hunter Valley. Then, on 6 March I went back to Uni some 18 years after graduating the first time...
This time I'm doing a Masters of Primary School Teaching, and that's what has been keeping me so busy! We've just finished semester 1 last Friday, hence finally having some time to focus on admin type stuff again. As well as Uni I've been working as a barista in a local(ish) café 3 days a week so it's been full on. Many thanks to Craig for being so supportive over the last three months - I'm not sure if I'd have survived otherwise! Also Jonathan was also over for part of the time, heading back just before Easter, and since then it's been assignments a go-go. Craig also started a new job too, so we've kept ourselves very much to ourselves whilst we've readjusted. Then, a couple of weeks ago we got the offer to take on a dog for someone that was going to live overseas, and so we welcomed Dax into the family home. He's a 3 year old pure bred Staffy, and very cute with it. As you might guess, things are quite a bit different from when I last posted!! Right, off to do a trial barista shift at a café round the corner - fingers crossed it works out as it would be so much more convenient and I need some extra shifts whilst I've got these next 5 weeks off from Uni. 5 weeks... count 'em!

So it's way past the Happy New Year time for the first post of 2006. But it'll say it anyway.

Lots going on. Some good, some not so good. When I've worked it all out, there'll be a full update. Meantime I'm off home from work to a public holiday tomorrow.

Happy Australia Day!

Twas two days before Xmas and all through the office,
Nothing was stirring.. not even ...er.. can't think of anything to rhyme!

Winding down now to 2 whole weeks off. I can't wait! Neither Craig nor I have had any time off since May, so it's long overdue. We're going to eat well, gym, go to the beach, do odd jobs around the house and generally just relax. We've got a relatively quiet Xmas and Boxing Day, and then may head up the coast to Newcastle for a couple of days. Then we'll do the big NYE party - this year called Fantasy. That'll get us into 2006 - and then best of all, we're not back at work until 9Jan. Woohoo!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a minkered New Year! x

A second post for December - surely not? And we're only just half way through the month.

Having said that, there's not a great deal to report again. Still not going out a great deal; still trying to gym; movies; the odd meal out; DVDs etc. Cheap is good. The work Christmas party was OK - the crown green bowling was fun. I was fine in theory but not quite as good in practice sadly...

Not much on for this weekend, save drinks tomorrow night and a meal. So looking forward to having two weeks off - I finish work on 23Dec and don't go back until 9Jan... Joy!

More soon...

Well this will at least make sure I post at least something for December. That makes one a month since July. Go Davie!

Er, yes. Reportage: actually same old stuff which is good. Not so much going out; gym stuff on a semi-regular basis; eating out a bit; catching up with some friends; movies; DVDs and generally doing things that don't cost a great deal of cash!

We did go out with Craig's workmates for Marilyn's birthday. We did head over to Tamarama for Gary's birthday beers and pizza. I did get horribly hungover from drinking too much at my work department do - and it's the bigger full on one on Saturday. We're going crown green bowling which should be fun. I'll let you know how I get on. Until then, presume not much has changed...

Remember remember, the 5th of November - gunpowder, treason and plot.

Except of course it's now the 16th and I can't remember what happened on the 5th. I should of course remind all those UK types that Bonfire Night is a peculiarly local thing and so there's no celebration or fireworks here down under.

Actually the weekend of the 5/6th we went out with Adrian, David and Jason - and had a hoot. Up early Sunday morning and out - haven't done that in a bit and it was good. Originally we'd said we'd do the Pheonix, but no one was there so Manacle saved the day. We fell home sometime in the mid afternoon. Zzzzzzzz........

Last weekend was the Newtown Festival. We didn't so much go to it as it came to us - it's held in the park across the road from the house. We pottered through early in the day and it was just kicking off. Instead of loitering though we hit the beach, which was great - and that put us in a good mood to rejoin the festivities on our return with Bobby. Fun. A few drinks, some live music and then watching the world go by from the front porch - whilst eating a full Sunday roast. Cool. We could have made a fortune had we rented out the loo... On to the Newtown for beers to round off the night. Fun.

Otherwise things continue as normal. Both Craig and me have been busy with work so we've not done too much else. Gym, movies, the odd meal - standard stuff. Movie recommendation is Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - a real old style romp and one of the most intelligently scripted things I've seen in a while.

OK - that's it for now. Time to head home for the night. Not much happening I hope. A lazy night!

Well that'll be October almost over then. I really don't know how I'm managing to NOT to blog so much. It's not like I'm doing anything that's taking over my whole life. Apart from possibly having one :o)

The house is coming along nicely. Work is still busy but bearable. Most free time is spent enjoying the new place watching DVDs or going to the movies. Or the gym. Or for a run. These are the main things outside of work of late. We've had some friends for dinner, and pottered around to see other mates. We've been cooking more, out for drinks here and there and the odd game of pool.

Life goes on at a more leisurely pace. I like it.

OK. Long overdue as seems to be the way these days. In brief: we've moved into the house and have pretty much settled in. Very glad to be there and having fun getting it sorted. Work's been really busy lately and that's put a bit of a kibosh on regular updating of this thing. Not too much to report otherwise - trying to gym and run (though that fell a bit by the wayside during the relocation); keeping ourselves nice and having quieter times.

Once I get back into some sort of proper routine then hopefully this will be updated on a more regular basis. More soon...

Hello! Just in case you were all wondering, I am alive and well. Just a bit busy...

We move into the new house on Friday. The last couple of weeks have had every spare moment taken up with packing; sorting; painting etc. However we're almost there!

We had a good night for Craig's birthday, though nothing too outrageous in the end. Since then we also took our fetish clad tushes to the Rubber Ball - fun if a little cold. Not much going out or much of anything until Sleaze probably - we've got a house to move, unpack and settle into. It's going to be great having that bit more space, the spare room and the incredibly handy location. 3 more days of work and then 4 days off the aid our relocation. Yay!