weblog > archives > February 2006
Long days and sleepy nights
February 27, 2006 11:09 PM
Saturday was a pig of a day.
Don't get me wrong now, it was great to be involved in Steph & Andre's wedding, and I was almost happy with my photos, but I only got maybe 5 hours of sleep & I was doing wedding stuff for about 12 hours!
I limped back to my car after the bride, groom, and wedding party departed to the reception, then crawled along to Phil & Kristin's place, cause Amy was up from Wagga! Despite my being wrecked, it is always rejuvinating to see my big sis (or Phil & Kristin, or Mum or Dad for that matter), and to have a free Indian meal thrown in was just icing on the cake!
The family get together was energising enough to see me drive home safely & then hit the bed for a good 8 hours!
Sunday was another great day. I was off to Church to have a staff lunch, which was awesome fun. I am truly blessed to work with so many fine people. We also had a meal together at evening church & that went great. If the staff are a blessing at church, then the parishioners are doubly so & the kids treble!
That night I was in bed by 10:45 & didn't get up till just after 8am!!! A fine night sleeping to a big storm!
So here I am, another good day of college. Fun lectures, an afternoon jog with my next-door-neighbour cum personal trainer, a steak dinner, then "Prayer and Biff" with the boys at 9:30.
I've worked my way through the tiredness & now it's back to good times!!!
Steph (on the left) certainly has style! Anna too, is very cool...
Showing the 'bling', it's the new wedding rings!
She says its called the "Allison Show"
February 20, 2006 10:48 PM
"All Allison, all the time" she tells me.
Well, I've had "some" Allison, and only some of the time, but it has been good.
[Flashback]
It's circa 1995 (actually, it was exactly 1995, but I just love that word "circa") and a young Allison & Tim go out for a brief while then kind of loose contact. She ends up moving to the US of A & marrying a nice guy called Jason, while he ends ups..... um..... well, let's just say that he is still here in Sydney
[Flashforward]
She's back, she's in Australia for a couple of weeks, while she & Jason catch up with friends & family. Meanwhile, time is utilised in ensuring that we get to catch up too! Cocktails at "Orbit", Lunch at "The Australian Hotel" and tonight was dinner at "The Great Northern". Old friends & cold beers are a dynomite combination!
Kirsty drops in for a beer and a chat, Jason & I head to the BBQ to perform our masculine duty, and the James Squire Amber Ale heads south, past the lips & down toward a satisfied belly...
It was only a couple of drinks tonight, but that is all it takes. The last decade washes away and the bedrock of a good friendship remains.
Come Sunday she heads back to the frosty climes in upstate New York. "All Allison, all the time". Sounds fun, but it looks like the series is getting cancelled.
Allison working hard at smiling naturally.
It's been great to get to know Jason too.
Ten years on...
Horizons
February 19, 2006 10:49 AM
For all my talk of being willing to eat almost anything, chickens feet, haggis, a willingness to try dog, and an eagerness to try cat (or at least cook one), it took me a little over thirty years to eat an oyster. Well, that is not 100% true, I'd eaten two previously, but it was very much a matter of swallowing one at the same time as a bloody mary shooter & hoping that it didn't slime a taste down my throat.
Yesterday, up at the Hunter Valley I got to broaden my horizons. I wouldn't say I am in love with those little bad boys. They continue to look like little tumours to me and they feel like congealed oil, but they really don't taste too bad. A large part of the enjoyment was just stretching my experience. Trying something new. I also at a Sardine, which again, wasn't too bad. It makes you feel like you have progressed in some (admittedly insignificant) way.
I moved in the afternoon from enjoying on horizon to another. We sat out on the balcony, enjoyiing a glass of white wine watching the mother of all storms come rolling in. Rain, horizontal as it was whipped along by the wind, the thunder and lightnight provided an orchestral accompaniment and light show.
Above us God's mastery of creation was demonstrated with brutal force, while on the horizon, light, blue sky and peace still reigned. It really was a beautiful sight!
So there you go. Judgement and Grace played out in nature.
The rain comes down.
Tipsy the cat keeps a close eye as the tempest rages.
Rog and Buzzy enjoy the rain.
Making and Breaking
February 15, 2006 11:28 PM
It's all about habits.
I'm all for them. In fact, I am pretty sure they are the kind of things that I thrive off! Keys and wallet go in bowl. Phone on mantle every night, both socks then both shoes. The incidental ones are little things that I could almost become obsessive over!
Why are good habits so hard to start? I'm like an addict trying to give up the junk. My 6:30 wakeup call lasted for a sum total of 2 days. Two glorious days! Early up, get some reading done, go for a walk, have a shower, arrive at class pumped and ready for the day. You could have heaved an iron bar at my head and I would have caught, swallowed & spat back bullets!
But it didn't last.
Even now, 11:30pm, typing away... That 8 hours sleep is slipping and the 7am alarm looks like it will be making friends with it's snooze function tomorrow morning.
But it's not all bad news. While not in the AM, the reading is happening. The sun's rays look like they could pop over the horizon. I can do it, I can break the mold. Rebirth!
Well, let's see how we go with day three...
Matters of towel importance
February 10, 2006 9:15 AM
In the dorm we had last year, when you opened your door it would unlock the locking mechanism on the inside. This is not the case at the new dorm.
... as I found out as I stood in my towel after a shower this morning.
God in his providence had one of the student reps, and his master key, walking by at the time.
Embarrassment avoided.
Little Paper Friends
February 8, 2006 1:16 AM
Again, I find myself making an appearance at an ungodly hour. OK, so it is only 1am, but I am up early tomorrow!
Truly the new year has arrived! I'm into college, my room is set up, my books have their place on the wall & I am feeling good about things.
Only 4 new single residential guys. 20 of us in total, and we all seem to get on pretty well. This afternoon it was down to Maroubra beach to play tip football, chat, then eat entirely too much meat. This of course, was followed up with a slightly convoluted drive home (when Dan knows you are following him, he is more than happy to let himself get lost & then see if anyone can work their way home at all!) followed by a viewing on "Anchor Man" with all the boys. First viewing in Kansas City, USA = fairly funny. Second viewing with a mate of mine in Sydney= a little better, thirsd viewing with 19 other guys who have been quoting it for half the day= freaking hilarious!!!
Other bits & pieces are going OK too. I am really looking forward to the beginning of youth group on Friday night. We have Tania, the new student minister starting and she is prooving to be a lot of fun, and it will be awesome to catch up with all the kids! I'm loving the iTunes store at the moment, listening to Gorillaz "Dirty Harry", St Petersburg Kirov Orchestra's "Nutcracker Suit" and Berliner Philharmoniker's "Brandenburg Concerto No.1". I have to say I am loving a bit of classical music at the moment. I find it really good stuff to read or study to, which is strange, cause I usually can't listen to music and work at the same time.
Michaela and probably Tubeo will probably be happy with some of my reading at the moment, as a cruise through "Blue like Jazz". It isn't in my top 5, or even my top 10 for that matter, but it is a fairly interesting read & a nice piece of relaxation before study starts in earnest.
Hmmm, what other news?
I managed to score the duty at college (We all have duties that we do for 2 hours a week to keep the costs of college down) of "College Photographer" so I that I don't consider work! That always rocks!
So that's it, the new year has begun. New dorm, new discipline and new perspective! It's going to be good days!
Oh, and lest I forget, Allison, my good friend and ex-pat living in New York is in Australia for a couple of weeks, so tomorrow night equals cocktails at the Orbit bar 47 stories above Sydney! It IS exciting times!
Back to the books baby! How I have missed my little paper lovlies!
Fashion certainly has it's place in the new Wallace dorm, and this year fashion means wet/dry bags acting as hats! Dan-the-man carries it off!
Would you have this look if you were living in the room next to me for the year? Maybe we will take another shot come December?
I got tagged!
February 1, 2006 11:48 PM
It is fairly rare that I take part in these "things I love" memes, but I got referred it at Lanna's blog, so I feel duty bound! I just love the fact that someone I have never met might read my site & actually put a link to me on her page! Small world & all that Jazz. Here we go.
And it continues...
The 4 things meme was given to me by Ken who got it from Shua and will now be continued through me. Yay.
Four jobs I've had:
1. Fast food dude at McDonald's, Pizza Hut & one of only two Fuddruckers restaurants that ever graced Australia's shored.
2: Programmes director in Outdoor education.
3: Customer Service Rep for EBSCO the Serials agent.
4: Student Youth Minister for Dural Anglican Church
Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. O Brother Where Art Thou?
2: Band of Brothers Series.
3: "The Office" -- The original British version
4: Pulp Fiction
Four places that I've lived:
1. Sydney Australia
2. Wellington in New Zealand
3: Edinburgh, Scotland
4. Mangrove Mountain, Australia
Four TV shows that I love:
Sorry dudes, I don't really watch enough TV. I could maybe go.
1: Super 14's Rugby
2: Australia V anyone Rugby
3: Australia V anyone in Cricket & that is about it...
Four places I've vacationed:
1. Throughout New Zealand
2: THroughout the USA
3: Throughout Scotland
4: Throughout Europe
Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Amy's "Porcetta" (sp? a herb encrusted pork neck)
2: Mum's Pork Loin on garlic Mash
3: Pesto Chicken
4: Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon!
Four sites I visit daily:
1. Flickr
2. Homestarrunner.com (living in hope of the latest post)
3. smh.com.au
4.goldfinchfamily.com
Four places I would rather be right now:
On the whole I am pretty dang happy where I am, but I guess I could go for.
1: Anywhere in the Scottish Highlands
2: Rome
3: New York City
4: The Andes
Four bloggers I am tagging so that they will hate me:
I'll be twice as buzzed if any of these dudes respond!
1. Meg
2. Kristin or Phil
3.Michaela
4. Schnitzel