I am enjoying myself at the moment. There are things to worry about, but there are certainly things to applaud!
Friendship that doesn’t know distance to start. Caroline is from Sweden, was my best friend in Scotland and is in Australia for another three weeks. For two days this week, however, she was up in the Hunter Valley with me, staying at my parents place.
Eggs Benedict. That’s another reason to be happy. C’s first time having my favourite breakfast, and my second time in two weeks! The eggs come from our own hens, the accompanying orange juice from our orchard. I’m petitioning for mum and dad to buy a couple of pigs so we can finish the combo! (if only you could take a slice or two off them at a time…)
The miracle of birth. Should we ever stop rejoicing at such an amazing gift. There is that part of me that marvels at the thought that I’m getting so old so quickly. Friends with families… But it is just a thin whisper next to the orchestra of joy that plays in my mind as I watch Cate and Dan near the birth of Eliot, their first. It is one thing to have such great friends, and another to know that soon they will have a mini version of them.
Cool nights, hanging out. That is also great. Lord of the Rings version of Trivial pursuit. I got spanked. My knowledge of LOTR is not what it once was. Afterwards Dan, Kirt and I headed out to take pictures of Sydney by night. St Thomas’, St. Leonard’s park, Harbour Bridge and a Maccas break at the “UFO” at midnight before heading home.
What excites me equally is that apart from a little anxiety at how much work I have to do, I’m also amazingly excited about going back to college in a couple of days. I can’t wait to move back in on Saturday. I’m looking forward to catching up with all my mates, and I am raring to get stuck into my new subjects too!
They are good days indeed!

Enjoying pool (and an odd Dram of Whisky for those inclined) in the Hunter Valley.

Two times Dan.

St. Thomas’ by night.
Click on any of the photos to go to my Flickr page & see more pics…

Cute

Potentially Dangerous

It was a meeting of minds. The first time that Me Mal, Phil & Kristin, the Heaps, and Mum & Dad have been in the same room. A meeting of the blogging extended family! (though Mum & Dad are going to have to pick up the pace a little, lest you get left behind!)
It was great to see everyone & always awesome to see all the kids! Mal is a top bloke & had all kinds of little suggestions re: photography, which I think are going to be a great deal of help to me. I really need to spend more time around good photographers, so I can glean a bit of an idea of what I am doing!
Tonight was Church, then a Krispy Kreme run with Shannyn and Dave. An hour each way in travel makes for lots of good chats! What to do with these 24 fat-filled fellas hiding out in my brothers kitchen though? Those doughnuts are too good!
OK, on to a photo or two. I’ll save you all a thousand words.

Don’t be fooled by the smiles. They are all cold-blooded killers!

Jocelyn. Reason No.1 why we were there.

Bethany (in mid-flight) is the second birthday girl of the day.

Out with Stu again tonight.
I got to visit with him and his wife Susan last Sunday too. It is always awesome when you know two totally awesome people and they found each other and make an even awesomeer (it can be a word, but just for this post) couple!
Tonight was good times! It involved good beer at the “Belgian beer cafe” followed by a fruitless walk to a restaurant that is no longer open, followed in turn by a walk to a restaurant that is open and has awesome pizza! Once again, we went back for some more beer!
This whole night was accented with awesome chats. Always good to have a friend that keeps you accountable and also challenges you in your faith…. and also has the ability to talk about… just…. stuff.
Stu, you rock my world! I told you I would post straight away!

Stu looking smooth.

Warm sun in the shed on a cool winters day.

Whisky, Chocolate and Beer. Oh yeah!

Stained Glass.

Nice Curves?

Stone Churches.

Killer Licks

Great Bands

The brave new world continues.
Up at 8am. I know, that is shocking, but it was all worth it. Eggs Benedict (see title) is a joyous thing, and when it is made with your parents free range eggs (the parents own the eggs, but chickens made them…. 😉 then it is all the better.
I didn’t sleep so well last night. I only had myself to blame. I always liked to tell myself that I was immune to such things, but I realised that the half a litre of diet-coke that I consumed at about 11 probably had something to do with my anability to achieve some kind of sweet repose. That said, the night was sweet nonetheless. Rain, that half distant memory, the old, almost forgotten friend, came knocking and decided to spend the even chattering away outside. I slept with the door open. Listening, smelling, drinking it in. It’s not just the rain, but the countryside too!
So, I was up at 8am. I enjoyed a fabulous breakfast. How does one top such a lovely morning. Well, Rog had arranged to go on a tour of the local coal mine. I took mum’s place, cause she is a bit claustrophobic (and because she loves her son & is exceptionally generous), so by 12:30 I was eating a free lunch, by 1pm I was being instructed on the use of my head lantern & the emergency breathing apparatus, and by 1:30 I was 3km down a tunnel and a couple of hundred meters underground!
Dark? As pitch!
Cold? Not really.
Dirty? You betcha! I didn’t get “Zoolander” dirty, but if I were actually to have done some work down there, I am sure I would have been.
Fascinating? Definately! To see a machine that is 260 meters wide, that sheers off 1m wide sheets of coal at a time, well that is just cool.
Other news? There isn’t a great deal of that. It is too wet to really take any outdoor pictures & I have spent enough time here at home before, that there is not really a great deal I want to shoot here. I have neither the time, not the inclination to go wine tasting by myself.
It is fun being here. It is nice to be reminded of how much your parents love you (did I mention my fave “Chunky Chilli” for dinner, along with the promise of Mushroom soup next week?) and to have some “down time” too.
Back to Sydney tomorrow afternoon. Off to a concert with, what I hope will be some youth group kids. My mate Dave said he might get me backstage, so I can be his bands photographer!
And the weekend? Who knows what possibilities lie there!

Holidays are good.
Today I woke up at 11:53. Par for the course for some people *cough,cough,Michaela* but a LOOONG sleep for me!
I’m not acheiving too much in the holidays, but that is just fine. So far I visited my grandparents, spent some time at church, went to my nieces birthday party & drove up to the Hunter Valley. Today I intend to drink a little wine, play a little pool, eat a little lunch, read a litte book (Balzac, or a biography on Master Robert Bruce… I haven’t decided), study a little Greek, before I have a little sleep!
Yes, holidays are good.

First birthdays totally get the most presents!

Oh YEAH!!!!!

Dan Connor, one of the guys in my dorm, decided to “exorcise the demon” that was the stress everyone is feeling before tomorrows exams start. Of course, others might attempt to do that by writing an encouraging letter or two, or giving people chocolates.
Not Dan….
Tonight at 10pm, Dan, and perennial prankster Jeff Keighly, organised an outdoor “Service”. As we gathered in anticipation, we instead met “Pope Danny C” and “Cardinal Keighly”, who read for us some poetry, before leading everyone in a rousing rendition of “What a friend we have in Jesus”

Working their musical magic.
Of course, this was impressive enough, but things had to be taken up that single notch further. This was achieved by gaffa taping 100 sparklers to a thin pole, which were then ceremoniously lit & hoisted in an “Ashera Pole” style.
Amusing? Yes.
Orthodox? Not quite.
Effective? Definately!

Dan lifts up his voice as our exam fears are ‘burnt away’…
It’s nice to be reminded that exams are just exams. Who ever really enjoys the process coming into them? Well as much as I don’t like the stress of failing, I have to say that I really appreciate the consolidation of this information in my head. The hope is that it will become life-knowledge, rather than just the means by which I past the tests over the next week. I could fail every exam & still consider it a worthy and worthwhile time!