It's been a pretty eventful week. We met the favorite cousin and her husband in the City last Sunday, even though they weren't feeling so great and we had a really nice catch up dinner with them. Monday MOTH worked from home as he had pulled something in his shoulder/back and couldn't face the train commute. I went back to the doctor that day for a skin cancer check and because I still had a headache. My head hurt so bad on Friday at MOTH's birthday dinner, that I was actually sick in the bathroom...not cool! I had taken two rounds of codeine pain killers and not even they could kill the headache. The doctor on Monday said that this was normal and wouldn't even prescribe me real migraine medicine. He is obviously a dud and I won't be going back to him! I swear doctor's here act like I'm some hysterical woman when I go in to see them, but I don't think constant nausea, stomach cramps and other issues, vomiting and headaches are normal.
The last week of work flew by and I was trying to soak it all up. I didn't have any nasty customers or any really difficult situations so that was a nice way to end things on. I just tried to spend as much time as possible with my team mates and luckily we had a few minutes available time between most calls to be able to chat.
Thursday after work I packed for our trip to Wollongong. The plan was I'd have my last day of work and be off at 2 and then I'd drive down to Neutral Bay, pick MOTH up around 4-4:30 and we'd head down from there. I had booked us in to two different hotels (both were booked out for one of the weekend nights) and had looked up activities nearby (blow hole, stand up paddleboarding) as well as a bunch of places that were breakfast and dinner potentials. I'm sure I've mentioned this previously, but in the 7 years I've lived here, I've still never made it south of Sydney and I was really excited to be heading out of town (a birthday gift to us from my parents).
MOTH got home around 9pm Thursday night and he was complaining because his thumb was infected and really sore. He had asked me to grab him epsom salt so he could soak it and he did but it didn't provide any relief. I was getting frustrated as it was now nearly 10:30 and he still hadn't packed or done the dishes. He decided to cut his finger to try and relieve the pressure but it didn't and nothing came out but blood. After he stopped bleeding, I told him I'd do the dishes and he started packing. We finally made it in to bed and for the next hour and a half neither of us slept-MOTH because he was in so much pain that even the sheet brushing against his thumb was excruciating and me because MOTH kept tossing and turning. He got out of bed and started wandering back and forth through the house. I suggested he try and soak his finger again. He said the pain was getting too much to handle so I called this nurse on call hotline and the recommended we go to the ER. After waiting for about 3 hours (there were hardly any other patients there so don't know what took that long, but anyway) they finally drew some blood to make sure the infection hadn't spread, looked at the finger, gave him a shot of antibiotics and sent us home with a prescription for more antibiotics and some codeine. I emailed my manager at 6:15am when we finally got home and advised that I would be late for my last day of work and actually needed to take it as a sick day, but I knew my team was doing something for me and I didn't want to miss it.
At a few minutes to 9, I woke up as I heard MOTH go out to our car and come back in. I called out to him to see what was up. When he called back to me, I could tell he was in tears and that really freaked me out. He said the codeine was only helping for about an hour and his whole hand felt like he was resting it on a hot plate and the pain was now radiating up towards his elbow. I didn't want to wait in the ER again so I tried calling some local medical centers to see if they could get him in, they couldn't. I called his Mom at work and she said go back to the ER and she'd meet us there. I called my manager and told her I had to miss my last day completely and I started crying and asked her to apologize to my team if they had gone to any effort for me and that I was really sorry I couldn't be there. She said they'd understand and to just focus on MOTH.
We got to the ER, about a 3 minute drive from our house, and the parking lot was packed and the entrance was swamped with people in suits. I saw someone holding a sign for one of the local politicians and said to MOTH, "Oh great, so actual patients have to hike a mile to the hospital because some local politicians is here to make an announcement about something." We did end up having to hike about a half mile away and at the bottom of a hill, luckily MOTH was able to walk it. We found out it was actual the prime minister who was visiting the hospital and announcing that there were plans to build a new cancer center there. Had I seen her, I would've recommended to her that she also add a new parking structure to her budget, haha!
This time we were called back within 20 minutes of waiting, which was good because I don't know that MOTH could've waited another 3 hours to see someone this time around. The doctor decided they needed to cut his finger deeper to get to the infection and that they would also put in and keep in an iv port on the back of his hand and over the next few days we'd need to come in everyday to get an iv drip so Wollongong was out. We were both really disappointed but focused on getting him better. They gave him a local shot to numb the thumb and a morphine pill, even still his Mom and I heard MOTH screaming from across the hall; poor guy. Shortly after that, he was feeling much better and said his hand was only slightly throbbing. We came home and MOTH slept until the next morning, only waking for an hour to eat dinner and check in with his parents.
I did manage to get back in to work on Monday to say good bye to everyone and to clean out my drawer and hand in my swipe key. I was pretty sad to be leaving, not the job but the people there (and the pay!). I got lots of hugs and my team wrote the nicest messages on my good bye card. They also got me a bunch of stylish office supplies I can use at my new job which was really thoughtful of them.
It'll be weird going from a team of 16 people, in an office of about 100 people, to an office of 3-4 other people max, BUT I'm looking forward to it. I'm nervous and excited and can't wait to see what the role is all about. I haven't gotten official confirmation, but I'm tentatively due to start this Thursday. I'm using these few days off to play Nurse D, sleep in, and run errands like getting my work pants hemmed so I look respectable at the new job and sending my passport off to be renewed. Hopefully nothing more "exciting" happens between now and then. Wish me luck for Thursday!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
I Like Food, Food Tastes Good!
Here are some of the recipes I've been loving on over the past 12 months but have been to lazy to take pictures of and do full write ups on. I'm chubby and I love these recipes; that's all the endorsement these recipes should need to for you to know they are good and you should make them.
Healthy
Thai Cilantro Stir Fry: Just yum, good week night recipe. Super easy to make if you just buy a bag of coleslaw and use that as the veggies in it.
Caramelized Honey Dijon Chicken: Another tasty and easy week night recipe
Ground Turkey and Peppers: This is a low carb recipe. I usually add some soy sauce to it for more flavor.
Persian Meatballs with Orange Sauce and Spinach: Sounds weird to have meatballs with orange sauce, but it works, even my Dad likes it, which I was surprised by. I substitute the ground meat for ground turkey or chicken.
Black Bean Soup: I made this for dinner tonight, but reduced the broth a little this time to just make it more like straight black beans. I don't know where to find Serrano chiles here so I just threw in a can of diced green chiles.
Not Overly Bad Nor Overly Good for You
Sweet and Spicy Honey Grilled Shrimp: I omitted the sweet chili garlic paste, but that was the only thing I changed. I would eat these every day if I could, if I could remember to prep them 24 hours in advance. They really do need to marinade that long to be great. We bbq'd them and had they with asparagus. Seriously, let me say it again, I could eat these every day for a few weeks and not get sick of them.
Not So Healthy
Chicken Flautas: You can't get Rotel here but it's just a can of tomatoes and a can of green chiles. I also don't add the jalapeno and I don't use chicken thighs that have the bone in or skin still on them. I don't tend to follow recipes exactly but for the amount of thighs they are telling you to use, I don't think there is any way you can get 24 flautas out of them. If you did, they'd be the most miserly filled flautas in the world. We probably make about 12 each batch. You gotta make sure you top them with guac and sour cream. We were eating these about once a week but our diet doesn't really allow for it these days (I type as I'm in the midst of currently baking 4-5 dozen of those chocolate chip oreo cookies I posted about earlier!).
Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms (and Chicken, we add the chicken): this is our go to weekend recipe when we want to indulge but don't want to go out to dinner. I bam it up a little by adding a grilled chicken breast to it (I cook that in the pan first and then follow her recipe as she says to)
Baking
Chocolate Bliss Cheesecake: The name says it all!
Glazed Lemon Cookies: These are pretty easy to make. They are a drier, more shortbread like cookie than I normally make but one of the girls at work said it reminder her of something her dad used to make her and she's requested them a few times. They are like a sweet burst of sunshine in your mouth.
Honey Bun Cake: MOTH's family isn't as in to chocolate as I am so I'm always on the lookout for recipes that are none chocolate that I still think sound yum; this recipe is one of those. It's sweet and delicious warm. Probably best during fall or winter though as it's a bit on the heavy side for a summer night, I think.
Happy Eating!
Healthy
Thai Cilantro Stir Fry: Just yum, good week night recipe. Super easy to make if you just buy a bag of coleslaw and use that as the veggies in it.
Caramelized Honey Dijon Chicken: Another tasty and easy week night recipe
Ground Turkey and Peppers: This is a low carb recipe. I usually add some soy sauce to it for more flavor.
Persian Meatballs with Orange Sauce and Spinach: Sounds weird to have meatballs with orange sauce, but it works, even my Dad likes it, which I was surprised by. I substitute the ground meat for ground turkey or chicken.
Black Bean Soup: I made this for dinner tonight, but reduced the broth a little this time to just make it more like straight black beans. I don't know where to find Serrano chiles here so I just threw in a can of diced green chiles.
Not Overly Bad Nor Overly Good for You
Sweet and Spicy Honey Grilled Shrimp: I omitted the sweet chili garlic paste, but that was the only thing I changed. I would eat these every day if I could, if I could remember to prep them 24 hours in advance. They really do need to marinade that long to be great. We bbq'd them and had they with asparagus. Seriously, let me say it again, I could eat these every day for a few weeks and not get sick of them.
Not So Healthy
Chicken Flautas: You can't get Rotel here but it's just a can of tomatoes and a can of green chiles. I also don't add the jalapeno and I don't use chicken thighs that have the bone in or skin still on them. I don't tend to follow recipes exactly but for the amount of thighs they are telling you to use, I don't think there is any way you can get 24 flautas out of them. If you did, they'd be the most miserly filled flautas in the world. We probably make about 12 each batch. You gotta make sure you top them with guac and sour cream. We were eating these about once a week but our diet doesn't really allow for it these days (I type as I'm in the midst of currently baking 4-5 dozen of those chocolate chip oreo cookies I posted about earlier!).
Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms (and Chicken, we add the chicken): this is our go to weekend recipe when we want to indulge but don't want to go out to dinner. I bam it up a little by adding a grilled chicken breast to it (I cook that in the pan first and then follow her recipe as she says to)
Baking
Chocolate Bliss Cheesecake: The name says it all!
Glazed Lemon Cookies: These are pretty easy to make. They are a drier, more shortbread like cookie than I normally make but one of the girls at work said it reminder her of something her dad used to make her and she's requested them a few times. They are like a sweet burst of sunshine in your mouth.
Honey Bun Cake: MOTH's family isn't as in to chocolate as I am so I'm always on the lookout for recipes that are none chocolate that I still think sound yum; this recipe is one of those. It's sweet and delicious warm. Probably best during fall or winter though as it's a bit on the heavy side for a summer night, I think.
Happy Eating!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Open Up the Tired Eyes
View from our table at our favorite restaurant
I've taken a sick day today because I woke up with a headache and my ears have really been bothering me lately. I'm going to the doctor's later today to have them check my ears and discuss an ongoing issue I've been having: for the past 3-4 years a few days a month I get really nauseous or have other unpleasant stomach issues and up until now the few doctors I have seen have said it was probably a gluten allergy. When I cut gluten out, my life wasn't magically transformed. And believe me, I know it would've been since my Mom cut gluten at the same time I did and her stomach issues have all disappeared. After telling some friends about my symptoms, two suggested it might be this other problem that is fairly common in women. I'm hoping when I speak to the doctor today and suggest that this might be the cause of my problems, they will refer me on to the right person and I can finally get to the bottom of this. I wish I was the type of person who could just "chuck a sickie" but I have so many days off where I'm actually sick that there are never very many days left over to use because I just want to lay in bed and watch Revenge all day. (P.S. Are you guys watching Revenge? I know it's cheesy and girly, but I'm totally sucked in!)
I'm hoping that I'll be able to schedule in an appointment next week for a skin cancer check, too, since they also offer that service at the medical center I'm going to this afternoon. I've never had one done and with my Mom's history of having skin cancers removed, my love of bronzing, and the intense Aussie sun, they'll probably find more than a few things to cut off of me. I just hope they don't find anything serious. MOTH has a few sketchy looking freckles and moles that I've been on him for forever to have looked at so hopefully my appointment will motivate him to get it done soon.
Speaking of my MOTH...the big man turns the big 2-9 on Saturday. Tomorrow we are going out to dinner with his parents and his brother to our favorite restaurant on the water (see the picture at the top of the page). Have I mentioned this place before? To be honest, I'm too lazy to read back through my last few blog posts to see if I have so if I have, sorry for the repeat! It's called Fisherman's Warf in Woy Woy. The decor is really cute and beachy and laid back and the huge windows overlooking the water open out so I always spend at least 75% of our meals with my head hung over the rail looking in to the water below. We've seen tons of fish, starfish, and a few stingrays while we've sat there eating. Last time a momma duck came by with her 12 ducklings and we saw two sea eagles fly by. They also serve fish, chicken, veggie, and shrimp tacos. I am obsessed with the shrimp ones. The only thing they get wrong on them are they chop parsley to serve on top, not cilantro, other than that the whole place leaves me feeling like I'm in California having dinner.
Saturday night for his actual birthday, we are going out for teppenyaki with some friends and then probably hitting the bar for St. Patty's day festivities...I don't like beer, but I've never had green beer, and while I know it's just food coloring added to normal beer, I want to try one anyway!
Sunday, we are headed down to this fake Crate and Barrel place: Wheel and Barrow to do a mini wedding registry. We weren't going to register anywhere since a) lots of our guests are doing serious travelling to come to our wedding so we weren't expecting gifts anyway and b)we didn't know where to register at for the people who may want to get us something since the wedding is in California, but we'd have to bring it back here to Aus with us. This place looks good since it is just like Crate and Barrel and they let you register in store and then people can look at your registry online and buy stuff and they accept American credit cards. We are then hopefully meeting up with one of MOTH's cousins and her husband for dinner in the City that night. She loves all things wedding and has actually become a wedding officiant and we'd like to ask her if she'd do a reading at our wedding; I hope she'll say yes!
Speaking of wedding related stuff, we ordered our invites over the weekend and approved the proof yesterday. Wedding Paper Divas was having a 30% off sale so we jumped on it. We had had a certain design in mind for the last 6 months but when I went on to personalize it the other day, I came across this other design that caught my eye and when I showed it to MOTH he loved it and had such a gut reaction to it that we knew it was the one. We're using the flowers on the invite as our main wedding flower. They are called craspedia or billy buttons/balls and they are an Aussie native.
We also put a deposit down on a house we are renting a few hours outside of Puerto Vallarta for a week for our honeymoon. I can't wait to get there!
That's about all from here. I thought for sure I'd posted the recipe for Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies before, but going through all my recipe posts, I haven't. I know throwing Oreos in to chocolate chip cookies sounds like overkill, but believe me, it's not, no one has ever complained and I get requests to make them all the time. Make sure you use dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, though, so they aren't sickeningly sweet. I'll be making them tonight for my workmates since one of the girls has put in a request for them. I will also try and take some photos of the coconut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting I've just started making over the last few weeks since they are amazing (and I'm not even usually a coconut dessert loving girl) and my workmates have requested them 2 times since I originally made them a month ago along with the recipe I threw together for them some time next week (I'm trying to bake everyone's favorites before I leave).
If I have time this afternoon, I'm hoping I might finally get around to a blog post with links to all the recipes I've been loving lately, too.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Like Hell We Are Anxiously Waiting
Just got news that I'm going to be interviewed for that position I put in for! It'll either happen this Friday afternoon or early morning on Tuesday/Wednesday.
It's weird, I feel like if I get the job it'll change the trajectory of my life completely. I had given up on this job when I didn't get it in July and had resolved myself to the job I'm in and resolved myself to having a job rather than a career. Just recently, as I mentioned in the last post, we decided we would get a dog, too, and I was looking forward to that as a trial baby/fitness buddy/companion for me for all the time I'm here and MOTH is still at work.
Now, I'm overwhelmed with the possibility that I may still have a shot at a career (are you older readers laughing that at 2 weeks shy of 28 I had resolved myself to being stuck in a job?) that may have upward mobility within this company or at the very least within an industry I really want to be a part of. I know it will change our lifestyle and not like you'd think...the new career would come with a pay check that is 20-30% lower than the one I get now and I'd be working more hours. Plus, if we are both in Sydney and MOTH Dude still doesn't want to move to Sydney (which he has valid reasons for-it's expensive and we are trying to save for a wedding and then travel to South Africa) we both will be having crazy long days. Like most working women, I know that I will feel the burden more as it will be me who is still expected to make dinner and do laundry after having a 12 hour day.
You've heard me mention it before and I think, again, I have what are called WPPs or White Peoples Problems. I mean I really am in a no lose situation, I get the new job and start that career or I don't, and thus, make more money in my same job and I get a puppy (perfect consolation prize in my world).
The new career prospect has also started a bit of dialogue between MOTH and I regarding his expectations of me work wise when we have kids. This is big, scary, grown up stuff that we don't like to delve in to too deeply very often, but it was good to ask him what his thoughts were in regards to having kids-would I go back? how long after having a baby could I go back? and on what basis- full time or part time?
He comes from a very traditional family and his Mom stayed home to raise him and his brother before becoming a teacher's aide at the grade school they attended. I explained to MOTH, as this new role would be entry level, I would want to stick with it for a while and then try and move up the chain. To do this and keep me competitive in the job market would mean I would want to go back to work after 6 months maternity leave. He said he didn't expect me to stay at home like his Mom did and although he wasn't comfortable with putting these hypothetical, future children in daycare right away, he hoped he'd be in a position where he could work from home at that point at least a few days a week.
Why then am I so anxious? I can rationally tell you guys it is a no lose situation, but I'm still a bundle of nerves about it. I think it's just me though as I've always been distrustful of change, even when it's for the best. My Mom always has good advice and she always used to tell me nervousness and excitement are the same feeling just thought of in different ways so if you change your perspective, you're really excited. I think I will listen to my Mom on this one and try and feel excited instead.
I'll update you guys when I know more.
It's weird, I feel like if I get the job it'll change the trajectory of my life completely. I had given up on this job when I didn't get it in July and had resolved myself to the job I'm in and resolved myself to having a job rather than a career. Just recently, as I mentioned in the last post, we decided we would get a dog, too, and I was looking forward to that as a trial baby/fitness buddy/companion for me for all the time I'm here and MOTH is still at work.
Now, I'm overwhelmed with the possibility that I may still have a shot at a career (are you older readers laughing that at 2 weeks shy of 28 I had resolved myself to being stuck in a job?) that may have upward mobility within this company or at the very least within an industry I really want to be a part of. I know it will change our lifestyle and not like you'd think...the new career would come with a pay check that is 20-30% lower than the one I get now and I'd be working more hours. Plus, if we are both in Sydney and MOTH Dude still doesn't want to move to Sydney (which he has valid reasons for-it's expensive and we are trying to save for a wedding and then travel to South Africa) we both will be having crazy long days. Like most working women, I know that I will feel the burden more as it will be me who is still expected to make dinner and do laundry after having a 12 hour day.
You've heard me mention it before and I think, again, I have what are called WPPs or White Peoples Problems. I mean I really am in a no lose situation, I get the new job and start that career or I don't, and thus, make more money in my same job and I get a puppy (perfect consolation prize in my world).
The new career prospect has also started a bit of dialogue between MOTH and I regarding his expectations of me work wise when we have kids. This is big, scary, grown up stuff that we don't like to delve in to too deeply very often, but it was good to ask him what his thoughts were in regards to having kids-would I go back? how long after having a baby could I go back? and on what basis- full time or part time?
He comes from a very traditional family and his Mom stayed home to raise him and his brother before becoming a teacher's aide at the grade school they attended. I explained to MOTH, as this new role would be entry level, I would want to stick with it for a while and then try and move up the chain. To do this and keep me competitive in the job market would mean I would want to go back to work after 6 months maternity leave. He said he didn't expect me to stay at home like his Mom did and although he wasn't comfortable with putting these hypothetical, future children in daycare right away, he hoped he'd be in a position where he could work from home at that point at least a few days a week.
Why then am I so anxious? I can rationally tell you guys it is a no lose situation, but I'm still a bundle of nerves about it. I think it's just me though as I've always been distrustful of change, even when it's for the best. My Mom always has good advice and she always used to tell me nervousness and excitement are the same feeling just thought of in different ways so if you change your perspective, you're really excited. I think I will listen to my Mom on this one and try and feel excited instead.
I'll update you guys when I know more.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Career Opportunities (The Clash)
So I'm back again and only with a day gap between posts-that hasn't happened in at least a year!
I'm hoping for your help; I need some career advice. Remember when I went for that dream job and I didn't get it? Well, the most amazing thing happened yesterday. The lady that I interviewed with back then sent me an email to let me know that that position had just become available again and that she encouraged me to have a look at the job posting again. Not that that means it is a sure thing, but when does it ever happen that you put in for a job, don't get it, and then they contact you 6 months later suggesting that you try again for the job?? I'm really excited!
The help that I need from anyone reading this is: I have to resubmit a cover letter and my resume. What can I do to my cover letter to make it different from last time? Do I just give a general overview of the last one to remind her why I am the best candidate for the job? Do I change it completely and say different things? (For background-the job is helping US students get settled in Australia in a uni program and fielding any questions they might have about life here, helping them get in to internships, showing them around the City, etc. So on my last cover letter I spoke about the fact that I can relate to these students as I originally came out on a study abroad program myself, I faced and continue to face the same feelings of homesickness and of being foreign in a new country, that I have a teaching background, that I enjoy meeting and working with new people, and that I want to help make these students time here the best that it can be so they love Aus as much as I do).
I also did a mock up of a weekly newsletter that they send out to all of the students after my first interview- should I resubmit that?
Thanks in advance to anyone who has advice!
I'm hoping for your help; I need some career advice. Remember when I went for that dream job and I didn't get it? Well, the most amazing thing happened yesterday. The lady that I interviewed with back then sent me an email to let me know that that position had just become available again and that she encouraged me to have a look at the job posting again. Not that that means it is a sure thing, but when does it ever happen that you put in for a job, don't get it, and then they contact you 6 months later suggesting that you try again for the job?? I'm really excited!
The help that I need from anyone reading this is: I have to resubmit a cover letter and my resume. What can I do to my cover letter to make it different from last time? Do I just give a general overview of the last one to remind her why I am the best candidate for the job? Do I change it completely and say different things? (For background-the job is helping US students get settled in Australia in a uni program and fielding any questions they might have about life here, helping them get in to internships, showing them around the City, etc. So on my last cover letter I spoke about the fact that I can relate to these students as I originally came out on a study abroad program myself, I faced and continue to face the same feelings of homesickness and of being foreign in a new country, that I have a teaching background, that I enjoy meeting and working with new people, and that I want to help make these students time here the best that it can be so they love Aus as much as I do).
I also did a mock up of a weekly newsletter that they send out to all of the students after my first interview- should I resubmit that?
Thanks in advance to anyone who has advice!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Guess Who's Back, Back Again? Shady's Back, Tell a Friend
I guess I actually have the best excuse in the world as to why I haven't posted in 6 months- I was out living life! So many things have changed since I last wrote but a lot of it was just normal life stuff that it really didn't need its own post. I'll give you the overview of all that has changed since I've last been on, although sadly, I'm sure not very many people check in here anymore!
1. I got a new car. So glad to be done with my last p.o.s. and now I'm driving a newish Hyundai Tucson and it's comfy and fun to drive and makes my 2 hours of commuting in the car so, so, so much better!
2. We moved! I don't remember what the final straw was that finally broke the camel's back and lit a fire under our bum to move from Budgewoi and the little shack there- it was probably either the black mold we were finding everywhere or the fact that it was raining so much that our driveway was constantly a mud pit that did it, though. So we moved about 30 minutes closer to Sydney. Although it has added about 15 minutes each way to my commute, MOTH Dude's work day has shrunk by nearly 2 hours since he doesn't have to drive 20 minutes to his parents' house, drop off his car, get driven to the station in the morning and do the whole thing in reverse on his trip home at night. Now he walks to the station or takes a short bus trip. This has been a god send! Plus, we love our new little house. It's got wood floors, 3 (tiny) bedrooms, a wood burning stove, air con, and in the backyard there is a fig tree, two mandarin trees, two orange trees, and we put in a garden of tomatoes, jack-o-lantern pumpkins, basil, jalapenos, bell peppers, spaghetti squash, and corn that are all going nuts!
We're allowed a dog at this place, too, and we are starting to look at pound puppies to rescue. I always had pets growing up, though MOTH didn't, and I feel like it doesn't feel like "home" properly until we get one.
3. I didn't get a few more dream jobs I put in for. Didn't even get interviews! I'm still at the same place and still not loving it. The work is fine, I've gotten a way thicker skin and don't even get angry or upset when people are screaming down the phone line at me, what I can't deal with is the office politics. I put in an application to get in to an Emerging Leaders Program and got rejected. I asked for feedback and it was very general overview type of stuff, no specifics as to what was wrong with my application to keep me from at least getting interviewed. I'm using the feedback constructively though and am working to prove I deserve to be in the program this next year. I also hear I get a very good pay raise in July and because we are able to take leave at half pay, I already have enough leave accrued to take off 6 weeks for the wedding in September/October. Because I'll continue to accrue days off between now and then, I plan on taking a day off per month on those months where there aren't other public holidays for mental health days-this should improve my mood significantly!
4. MOTH Dude and I are both in weddings (other than ours) this year! MOTH is best man for his old uni friend the Red Head and I'm doing bridesmaid duties for my friend I've spoken about before, LC! We're very excited for both couples getting married. After us in September, pretty much all of our friends will be married, at least all of our Aussie friends, and we will officially be old! Haha!
5. I read a quote in September that said something along the lines of "The time you've known a person shouldn't be the only reason you consider them a friend" and then the blurb went on to say you should only keep friendships that enrich you. I really took this to heart and evaluated a dying friendship that I had been holding on to and decided it was time to let it go. I didn't contact the person and have some big dramatic scene. I just chose to stop reaching out and tellingly, that person hasn't contacted me since September, either, so I feel more justified letting go. That's not to say that the whole thing wasn't or hasn't been painful but I gave myself a bit of time to mourn the loss and then I got on with it. Now rather than focus on the loss, I focusing on all the amazing people I DO have in my life and whom I CAN count on. We recently put together our address list for the wedding and it's pretty overwhelming and amazing to see, in numbers, just how many people we have that love us.
6. More wedding stuff-I just returned from a super short and super expensive trip to California. I was over from December 30th until the 12th of January. In that time, we celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all on one night, celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday, and got TONS of wedding stuff done. My sister, Nae, was also in town and we hadn't seen each other in nearly two years so it was awesome to get that time with her. Even though neither one of us is a girly girl, she really stepped up in to her maid of honor/horror role and was there with me through all the boring planning stuff. We didn't even fight, we might have had a snippy moment or two, but there was no fights so maybe she missed me as much as I missed her or maybe we're just more diplomatic as we've gotten older and have learned to bite our tongues unless it really matters.
She and my Mom came dress shopping with me and we found the One! (I won't post a picture of it in case MOTH Dude stops by here, but you can google it, it's Casablanca 1827 and I'm getting cap sleeves put on it and putting a belt around the middle of it.) I love it and it was right in my budget. We also found the bridesmaid dresses and a dress for Mom and they are going to look great! I kept MOTH Dude's Mom in the loop during planning as she only has the two boys and mother of the groom doesn't get a lot of fun jobs and when I sent her a dress she said it made her teary eyed and I was going to look beautiful. That was really special for me to hear.
7. Nae is dating a South African!! They seem really well suited to each other- they like cooking and organic gardening and getting outdoors on adventures. He seems like he treats her really well and has an amazing family who has taken her in already. I think we are all nervous that we will lose her to South Africa, as well. It is still early days, but I think he might be a keeper! We are hoping he'll be able to get off of work to come to the wedding and that maybe even his parents will want to come out and party with us. I'm not sure if he deserves a blog name or not yet, but I thought of a good one-I'm calling him PBJ since he has three names between his first and middle names and the initials are nearly the same and I'm sure, like Aussies, South Africans aren't huge fans of the PB&J sandwich combo.
MOTH Dude and I plan on taking a mini moon to Mexico for a week after the wedding and then we're saving up to head to South Africa to hang with Nae and safari in 2013!
Then we'll be really, really old and have to start thinking about terrifying stuff like having kids and what not...so glad to have another year and a half to prepare myself mentally for that challenge!
Anyway, I think that's everything. I'll try and be more frequent in my posting. We do have exciting things coming up so hopefully I'll have fun things to write about. Plus, I still have about 15 recipes I'd love to share with you guys, but I've been slacking on my own food photo taking so I may just have a post with links to the recipes I've found and loved and how to tweak them to make them even better.
Happy Australia Day for Thursday! xx
1. I got a new car. So glad to be done with my last p.o.s. and now I'm driving a newish Hyundai Tucson and it's comfy and fun to drive and makes my 2 hours of commuting in the car so, so, so much better!
2. We moved! I don't remember what the final straw was that finally broke the camel's back and lit a fire under our bum to move from Budgewoi and the little shack there- it was probably either the black mold we were finding everywhere or the fact that it was raining so much that our driveway was constantly a mud pit that did it, though. So we moved about 30 minutes closer to Sydney. Although it has added about 15 minutes each way to my commute, MOTH Dude's work day has shrunk by nearly 2 hours since he doesn't have to drive 20 minutes to his parents' house, drop off his car, get driven to the station in the morning and do the whole thing in reverse on his trip home at night. Now he walks to the station or takes a short bus trip. This has been a god send! Plus, we love our new little house. It's got wood floors, 3 (tiny) bedrooms, a wood burning stove, air con, and in the backyard there is a fig tree, two mandarin trees, two orange trees, and we put in a garden of tomatoes, jack-o-lantern pumpkins, basil, jalapenos, bell peppers, spaghetti squash, and corn that are all going nuts!
We're allowed a dog at this place, too, and we are starting to look at pound puppies to rescue. I always had pets growing up, though MOTH didn't, and I feel like it doesn't feel like "home" properly until we get one.
3. I didn't get a few more dream jobs I put in for. Didn't even get interviews! I'm still at the same place and still not loving it. The work is fine, I've gotten a way thicker skin and don't even get angry or upset when people are screaming down the phone line at me, what I can't deal with is the office politics. I put in an application to get in to an Emerging Leaders Program and got rejected. I asked for feedback and it was very general overview type of stuff, no specifics as to what was wrong with my application to keep me from at least getting interviewed. I'm using the feedback constructively though and am working to prove I deserve to be in the program this next year. I also hear I get a very good pay raise in July and because we are able to take leave at half pay, I already have enough leave accrued to take off 6 weeks for the wedding in September/October. Because I'll continue to accrue days off between now and then, I plan on taking a day off per month on those months where there aren't other public holidays for mental health days-this should improve my mood significantly!
4. MOTH Dude and I are both in weddings (other than ours) this year! MOTH is best man for his old uni friend the Red Head and I'm doing bridesmaid duties for my friend I've spoken about before, LC! We're very excited for both couples getting married. After us in September, pretty much all of our friends will be married, at least all of our Aussie friends, and we will officially be old! Haha!
5. I read a quote in September that said something along the lines of "The time you've known a person shouldn't be the only reason you consider them a friend" and then the blurb went on to say you should only keep friendships that enrich you. I really took this to heart and evaluated a dying friendship that I had been holding on to and decided it was time to let it go. I didn't contact the person and have some big dramatic scene. I just chose to stop reaching out and tellingly, that person hasn't contacted me since September, either, so I feel more justified letting go. That's not to say that the whole thing wasn't or hasn't been painful but I gave myself a bit of time to mourn the loss and then I got on with it. Now rather than focus on the loss, I focusing on all the amazing people I DO have in my life and whom I CAN count on. We recently put together our address list for the wedding and it's pretty overwhelming and amazing to see, in numbers, just how many people we have that love us.
6. More wedding stuff-I just returned from a super short and super expensive trip to California. I was over from December 30th until the 12th of January. In that time, we celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all on one night, celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday, and got TONS of wedding stuff done. My sister, Nae, was also in town and we hadn't seen each other in nearly two years so it was awesome to get that time with her. Even though neither one of us is a girly girl, she really stepped up in to her maid of honor/horror role and was there with me through all the boring planning stuff. We didn't even fight, we might have had a snippy moment or two, but there was no fights so maybe she missed me as much as I missed her or maybe we're just more diplomatic as we've gotten older and have learned to bite our tongues unless it really matters.
She and my Mom came dress shopping with me and we found the One! (I won't post a picture of it in case MOTH Dude stops by here, but you can google it, it's Casablanca 1827 and I'm getting cap sleeves put on it and putting a belt around the middle of it.) I love it and it was right in my budget. We also found the bridesmaid dresses and a dress for Mom and they are going to look great! I kept MOTH Dude's Mom in the loop during planning as she only has the two boys and mother of the groom doesn't get a lot of fun jobs and when I sent her a dress she said it made her teary eyed and I was going to look beautiful. That was really special for me to hear.
7. Nae is dating a South African!! They seem really well suited to each other- they like cooking and organic gardening and getting outdoors on adventures. He seems like he treats her really well and has an amazing family who has taken her in already. I think we are all nervous that we will lose her to South Africa, as well. It is still early days, but I think he might be a keeper! We are hoping he'll be able to get off of work to come to the wedding and that maybe even his parents will want to come out and party with us. I'm not sure if he deserves a blog name or not yet, but I thought of a good one-I'm calling him PBJ since he has three names between his first and middle names and the initials are nearly the same and I'm sure, like Aussies, South Africans aren't huge fans of the PB&J sandwich combo.
MOTH Dude and I plan on taking a mini moon to Mexico for a week after the wedding and then we're saving up to head to South Africa to hang with Nae and safari in 2013!
Then we'll be really, really old and have to start thinking about terrifying stuff like having kids and what not...so glad to have another year and a half to prepare myself mentally for that challenge!
Anyway, I think that's everything. I'll try and be more frequent in my posting. We do have exciting things coming up so hopefully I'll have fun things to write about. Plus, I still have about 15 recipes I'd love to share with you guys, but I've been slacking on my own food photo taking so I may just have a post with links to the recipes I've found and loved and how to tweak them to make them even better.
Happy Australia Day for Thursday! xx
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Saves the Day
Or Save the Date, in this case!
This is the post card that MOTH Dude and I are going to use for our Save the Dates. We are custom designing them through Zazzle so down in the water section of the card we will have "Save the Date" and then all of the whos and the whats and the whens on the back. MOTH Dude really loved this image when I came across it and we think everyone here will get a kick out of it, too.
I know we are still about 14 months out from the wedding, but we are doing a dorky little slide show for our friends and family here sometime in September letting them know about the wedding and what things might cost them should anyone decided to come out to California to celebrate with us. I know traditionally S.T.D.s don't go out that early (not that S.T.D.s are really traditional to begin with, but you know what I mean) but for such a big trip, we feel it is important to give everyone a full year to be able to think about it/save up. We won't send out the Save the Dates to people back in the States until about 4 months out or whenever you typically send them out.
Anyway, I promise not to completely turn this place in to a wedding blog, but it is one of the happier elements of my life right now-planning for our wedding. Plus, it is freezing cold here right now (like "I can see my breath in my bedroom right now" cold) and it's been raining non-stop for the past few days so not a whole lot of other excitement has been going on lately.
Although, I do have some recipes I should get posted up that are amazing! And tomorrow night we are celebrating our 3rd Annual Christmas in July with all of our friends...yay!
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