Temporarily un-frozen blog to give election update

Nice to see a mix of politics with science-fiction stories.

Election Night At Our Place

*Donk*

As big a Star Wars fan I am, I only stumbled across this gem recently.

Revolution

I have unfortunately joined up to the Facebook revolution and have neglected this humble blog.

It is really quite childish in some respects, with the giving of random 'gifts' on the computer (throwing a sheep, using the force, headbutting people, giving flowers etc)

The thing that drew me in, which isn't a unique thing, was that you can find high school friends, ex-work colleagues, acquaintances from uni and random people you have met or known in the past.

And unfortunately it is addictive!!

An aside, have a very busy weekend coming up, with 2 weddings tomorrow (Brad and Rachel and then Doug and Trish), and a 21st birthday party on Sunday arvo/night.

I really am not getting enough rest these days and starting to feel like an old hag.

Too-da-loo

Average Asian

Courtesy of Youtube.

Give us Asians a break!

MeMe

I've apparently been tagged to complete this meme.

Rules for this 8 interesting things post:

* Each player must post these rules to begin the meme.
* Each player starts with eight random facts or habits about themselves.
* People who get tagged must blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


One problem I do have is that I don't know eight people who have blogs. Some of the ones in the links have since been deaded and no longer used. Oh well, see how I go...


1) I LOVE the Original Star Wars Trilogy, and only that. I do not like the new movies. Harrison Ford all the way!


2) I don't watch much TV, but have been occasionally watching Ugly Betty, Sea Patrol and That 70s Show. Yes, I'm a dag but that's only because SBS won't show the old episodes of Inspector Rex anymore, with Detective Alexander Brantner.


3) My most recent gift from my husband was a toy light-saber he got at the Ekka.


4) Alter-ego is Darth Nolla.


5) Am Left-handed, however.....


6) Use my right hand for using chopsticks, playing softball, cricket and computer mouse


7) I like the Idea of North, a four-pronged acapella singing group from Sydney. Am going to their DVD release concert at the Powerhouse later this month.


8) I have unfortunately joined the Facebook revolution.


Now, the only people who still use their blogs are:


Joshi
Kate
Nathan & Mareesa (e.g. a post each)
Scott (bc your wife started all this!)
Jeff

The following I shall tag on Facebook:

Richard
Selena

How you can pick a Tourist

You are carrying a map of the city and constantly stopping at corners or in the middle of the street/path/crossing to refer to it.

You have a large camera bag slung over your shoulder

Asking for the cheapest train tickets and day tripper prices at the train station

You take photos of buildings

You ride on a irridecent bright orange double-decker bus with the words 'City Sights and Tours' emblazoned on the sides

Getting boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts at the airport to take home.

And finally the most obvious giveaway:

You go to the local Chinatown BBQ House, order 4.5 kg of chinese pork/liver sausages and 2 large, WHOLE and UNCUT Roast Ducks.

Projects

It will be a week tonight since moving into our house.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, the list of projects has been slowly increasing....

Bathroom
Deck and pergola
Carport
Sunken Rumpus
Veggie patch

and *ahem* a Games Room for playing air hockey/foozeball/cards/chess/Munchkin/Mahjong :)

Methinks I need a 2nd-year architectural student to do some sketches for me.

Road Trip 2007

Packing up house aside, some pics from our road trip through the Newell, Golden and Pacific Hwys:

Family Wedding at Moree (Amelia and Grant)

On the way up the mountain to the Siding Spring Observatory (near Coonabarabran).

These planet boards are strategically placed (starting from the observatory) at exactly the same distance the real planets are to the sun. The sun's position being the observatory. However, no-one told them that Pluto had been disqualified so the board still stands.

We couldn't get into this observatory which was reserved only for the 'elite'. However, we were able to access a smaller one at Skywatch to view Jupiter and its moons, plus a few other stars, in 2 degree chill.

Saw some Siamangs from East Asia (this is the mum) playing lawn bowls at Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo (Their distinctly-harsh monkey noises can be heard 4 kms away.)

Sleeping Hippo

Warning to all parents (Hunter Valley Gardens)

Country Peak Hour (en route to Branxton)

Adult-only fun

2,300ish kilometres later, we're back and packing up, in readiness for our move into our very own 3 bedroom renovated worker's cottage in Mansfield.

Darth Nolla's recruit

For those in the know, I just simply had to put this in.

I wonder where it is that you can buy a Darth Vadar voice distorter??

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22068611-2,00.html

Off on another adventure

We will be out of action for about a week, as we head off on a road-trip through central NSW shortly.

Many a winter's weather and sleet/snow on roads are awaiting.......

If we can get internet access, will post some photos for the duration of the trip.

Home of Quality Cinema

How could I have forgotten the Home of Quality Cinema that is Dendy.

Someone at work has a double pass for tomorrow night's advance screening of some French movie I've forgotten the name of already.

MovienamesIcan'tpronounce aside, I do remember myself saying that I was going to commit myself to see more cultured, art-house, non-mainstream movies at Dendy.

The last one I saw was Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress in 2004.

Must find an opportunity to break this drought.

The Doc is in.......

*Note- does not have any personal references*

Just in a therapist type of mood. Maybe because the Simpsons episode that was on TV whilst eating dinner was one where Bart goes to see a psychologist, after he scares his classmates with this story about some eerie person that attacks people and eats their brains. (also the Sound of Music episode)

I saw an advertisement on SBS I think recently, about a new TV doco called 'Divorce Stories'.

As the title indicates, it is a doco comprising of a number of couples that have had relationship problems, stopped loving their respective partner, and have taken the road to divorce because of it.

Some excerpts of the doco showed couples saying "They just don't love each other anymore", "He/She has decided to take this certain road, and I just don't want to follow", "It's just too hard to live with them cause they don't change their ways", and 'We still want to be and remain friends, but just don't want to be married anymore."

I've seen too many clients in the 6 years doing my profession who have chosen to divorce or have a trial/mutual/amicable separation. Some that you have worked closely with for a number of years and then suddenly say they are heading down this path still shocks me.

To think that the view in society nowadays is to see something you want, you have to do what it takes (even going into debt in some cases) to get what you want, and once you've had your fun it just gets thrown away, and you start searching for something else. It really is very sad to see some relationships head down this path too.

a little bit of cheer

Got a couple of surprises recently:

A piece of yellow metal chain

A "Complete Book of Fishing Baits and Rigs"

A yabby pump

A small glass bowl with some water and rocks in it

A little, colourful red Betta named "Gus"

I'm getting a hunch.....maybe they want me to go catch some fish, and use Gus as bait?

Poor little Gus.....

So over it

Some things don't uplift me as they do others.

Some things I'm quite over to tell u the truth.

The thought has come across my mind on whether a change is necessary, even when it appears to be the easiest way out.

Ever since hearing Don Carson speak at a recent Fri night session, I've been drawn to the despair of not receiving the solid biblical teachings I had been used to many years ago. To see and witness others revelling in the topical issues but yet fail to know the word of God for what it really says and how it is applied, saddens me greatly.

Meeting with some friends over the weekend at a BBQ, the topic of the Old Testament came up in conversation. This was mainly stemmed from a recent message with a 1 Kings passage that was talking about Elijah and the Mt Carmel incident, and then how he had fled to get away from Jezebel and was despairing in the desert.

The talk was basically on spiritual depression, and how life can get us down and is not always rosy as we want it to be. The topic itself was OK, but I honestly could not see the link to the 1 Kings passage at all. Ignorant I may have been, so could someone point me in the right direction on this?

Back to the BBQ conversation, a few of us were reminiscing about the studies we did in FiGS with the kids from the OT. Some of us were talking about the book of Judges and how the FiGS kids really enjoyed these, as they were nothing like what they had heard of before.

The Qs raised, was how rarely the OT is taught in Sunday School nowadays, and how some of us there at the BBQ knew heaps about the OT, when others who come to bible studies and go to church don't know much about OT history at all.

I'm not saying any of this as a means of bragging, but oh how I and others who may agree with me, long for some renewal in today's churches.

I really am so over topicals and songs with bridges in them that go on and on and on....

30 years on

It's a Friday night after a very hard week at work.

What's a more fitting way to waltz into the weekend by having a yummy pasta dinner cooked by yours truly, and then celebrating 30 years to the day, of the world release of Star Wars Ep 4.

In my allegiance to this 'little' science-fiction project, I'm watching the DVD as I type.

*brb**brbrb* *whistle**blblb* as R2D2 would say!!!

CPA Ceremony

A week or two ago, we were able to experience a freebie offered to J, probably for the last time: a piece of paper and a cocktail function.

With piece of paper

I guess in reality, this little piece of paper probably did cost an arm and a leg in terms of course fees charged bi-annually.

With advertising, paid for by........ !

Also hint to W that we should indeed be going places- Melbourne, HK and Singapore to name a few!

Tinkering

A good photographer has the ability to identify and capture items from a different prespective.

There was a recent discussion about how you can pick a good photographer:

* Straight, standing upfront shots are avoided where necessary
* Use of natural front/background lighting (or use of another photographer's flash in your photo, depending on your timing)
* Angles
* Element of Risk (such as lying flat on your belly on a road, as a car is heading towards you, or climbing a tree that is bearing down a cliff-face to get a panoramic shot of the surrounding islands)

W has been tinkering with a few shots.

Home Alone (again)

I'm on me lonesome for the next couple of days whilst W is away in Sydney staying at a posh 5-star hotel in Darling Harbour.

He even had the guts to phone me when I got home from a hard day's work, to describe how fantastic his room is (top-most floor, even higher that the room his boss is staying in, two TVs, view of the harbour, washing machine (with laundry powder costing $2.50 a bag), complete kitchen, and his intentions on snatching the various little bottles of stuff from the bathroom.)

*meh* at least I can get some decent sleep for a little while..zzzzzz

Refresher

Just had some Nutrimetics pick-me-up stuff sprayed into my face by a workmate. All I can smell right now is an orange-citrus small wafting around my head.

Whilst I'm waiting for my third eye to appear, I'm thinking that this pick-me-up might come in handy on Saturday night.

I'm pondering on having an all-nighter after FiGS that night to watch the Aussies beat the Sri Lankans in the World Cup Final. A third eye might come in handy should my normal two become weary and require some rest.

We can also play fooze-ball and air hockey should we get really bored!! Any takers? :)

Had the pleasure of catching up with many people over the past week or so- O & V, D & A, R & E, R A-L, K & M, Shem, Andrew, Loz, Burdo, Rich, Steve amongst others.

Great bunch of people. We just don't do it enough. *sigh*

It is your destiny!

Was browsing the web as usual, and stumbled upon the Greatest 100 Movie Lines, as compiled by some American web contributor I've never heard of.

They have only released the bottom 50 so far, with the top 50 released sometime next week.

http://www.premiere.com/best/3713/the-100-greatest-movie-lines.html

"I'll be Back!" (#95) and please remember
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! It's the war room!" (#59) because
"I am Spartacus!" (#64)

Sugary Fun!

Us FiGS girl leaders decided to have a sleepover night last night at L's place as a FiGS girls social.

It was lots of fun. My mum rarely allowed me to have or go over to sleepovers when I was a kid, so this was for me some childhood-catchup thing.

One of our aims this year is to provide opportunities outside of normal bible study time, for the girls to fellowship with each other on a social basis.

There were 16 girls crammed together in the house, stuffing themselves with pretty much anything with sugar in it:
Tim Tams, chocolate, freshly-baked cupcakes, icing sugar, 100s and 1000s at night
Pancakes, waffles and ice-cream for brekky in the morning

A girly sleepover would not be complete with some chick flick screenings- Ever After (the girls' choice pick) and then before midnight, us leaders decided to initiate the younglings to "Princess Bride".

(sorry Joshi, I didn't get to watch the Aus vs England cup match on TV)

Although by 12:30 I was starting to feel very sleepy and feeling my age. Man, these girls can talk, not sleep and still look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next morning!

I guess increasing their daily sugar intake dramatically over a 36 hour period had something to do with it!

Tip-toe through the ladder

I'm getting into these tipping things.

Our work AFL tipping comp started yesterday, and I've been in the World Cup Cricket Dream Team on-line comp as well, with *ahem* a bunch of asian guys. Yes, I am the only girl who joined the league. (someone emailed me the link, so naturally I joined up, and it's free!!)

However that is not to say I join up on anything and everything on web........cricket comps are an exception :)

I must admit that whoever came up with the concept is pretty cool:

Running a comp where you pick your own Dream team, and your team scores points based on how the actual cricket players perform during the World Cup.

After a couple of games, you can then trade in the guys not scoring so well for those who are. (or you think will) Simple.

Now if only finding a house was that easy.......

Things to Do

Most people know I like fishing. Especially if I catch stuff!

Growing up where I believe is the best fishing spot(s), my family would take us to the beach 5-10 mins from home to Pallarenda in Townsville, to wet a line.
Otherwise, Lucinda, just north of Ingham would also get a good feed.

I've had my fair share of pufferfish and catfish catches, only because they were always swimming around your feet in ankle-deep water, or milling around the bottom of the jetty. There is something about the feeling of bringing them to the surface, and then either slapping them around on the ground, or putting a knife to them that is so enjoyable.

I'd like to go fishing again soon *hint* *hint*

We're also planning a week off in early July, where we'll take a driving holiday starting from Moree, NSW, through central NSW before heading back up the east coast towards home.

I only found out recently that Moree is the home of artesian bores! How stupid! (me, not artesian bores) Methinks I'll pack some bathers.

New and Exciting Role

I'm very, very tired this morning.

If I didn't have a presentation to do today and a client meeting I'd be home catching up on some sleep.

It all started on Thursday night at around 7:30pm, with 9 people gathering together for the first time over a meal in Mt Gravatt. Out of these 9 people, 7 of them have been called upon to be the inaugural organising committee for a new youth evangelistic event called RICE. (Rice Inter-Church Evangelism)

The RICE concept started amongst evangelical Sydney churches 7 years ago, with the aim to provide an event for youth to invite their non-believing friends along to a Christian event that is gospel-based and non-threatening.

This is their website: www.riceevent.org.au

The key here is gospel-based evangelism. The Sydney director stressed that if RICE were to become such an event where the gospel is not being shared in any way, the whole event would be shut down. I sense the passion this guy has, and the vision for an event to occur in Brisbane in the near future.

RICE encourages ownership amongst the churches that are involved, and also aims to help stream youth into the local church youth groups.

From the site (and the name for that matter) you could be forgiven for thinking it is purely an Asian evangelistic event.
With Brisbane's youth demographics, there is the opportunity to make it a cross-cultural evangelistic event, not limited to just Asian and Chinese churches.

Last night was the biggie, with this committee of 7 beginning their discussions on how this could be organised in our city. Both the Thursday night and last night's meetings finished around 12 midnight, hence my weariness this morning.

There are some challenging and exciting times ahead.

Going Hunting

Most people may know that we are on the hunt for a house purchase sometime this year.

It's all been pretty depressing every time we browse www.realestate.com.au, the local newspapers and the shop windows of the estate agents on our "sometime once-a-week" walk around the neighborhood.

The deposit isn't the depressing thing, but rather what is actually affordable and available out there. We don't mind putting in a little 'elbow grease', but those properties marketed as "Renovator's Delight!" or "Not for the Faint-Hearted!" sends shivers down me back.

One option (hehe), we could consider is get an architect student to build our house for us!

See this blog for his options:

http://j-dimension.blogspot.com/

Note: for those not aware, the various references to Darth Nola refer to my altar-ego. I think it goes back to one FiGS bible study where I was a pharisee in a skit, and was so evil that it was worthy enough to be given that link.

Latest Raffle Prize Idea

When staff raffles are held every now and then, typical prizes that are offered every few months include:

* Movie tickets

* Entertainment Books

* Westfield Gift Cards

* Booze Vouchers

* Picnic Hampers

* Meat Trays

Unusual items include:

* Tissue Box covered in $1 Instant Scratchies

* Man/Slave for a Day (although this option hasn't been used yet, as far as I know)

* 1 Hr Massage/Beauty session (not sure of the guy's equivalent- beard trim?)

One particular prize was raffled off without actually paying for anything. That is, they really wanted to get rid of it. Apparently this unused, rather unopened and unwanted prize was gathering dust in our upstairs cupboard at work. The view was, that a bunch of boring, overworked accountants wouldn't have the time to use it at the office.

Whaddya know, now I have to put up with THIS thing in the house:

(The air hockey surface doubles as a Munchkin playing surface)

You can also play this:

And this:

One of W's former housemates has gotten himself engaged over in Canada.

As he tells his story, he had to make some small references to the incidents that occurred during W's attempt in 2004.

http://burdo.livejournal.com/

*Sigh* was it really that long ago?

Not really in a mood to write.....

So maybe you can help me out, by thinking of suitable captions for the following:

What to do on a long weekend

I refer to my preceding post, and the conception of our two recent family additions.



Well, this was where they were conceived.



Despite being banned, the mexican wave made its way around the ground. (Notice the police officers spread around the stands, and a copy of the Briefing for the boring bits of the game)



It was also fitting to farewell one of our greatest fast bowlers ever.



And cheer on our beloved Roy!

There were no funny banners there this year, but the view of a beach ball slowly being inflated, thrown about and then promptly falling over the boundary and being confiscated remained.

Big Announcement!!!!!

After much blood, sweat and tears, we are proud to announce two (yes two!) new additions to our family!!

The answers to your questions:

1) No, we did not steal them


2) No alcohol was involved


3) No, we did not get them on EBay


4) No hospital visit was required


5) No, I am not pregnant























Introducing.............

Just Waiting

Have sent in the paperwork to an accounting body to see whether they like me enough to become a member.

Pondering what actual benefits I'll get:

* increased membership fee
* will actually have to go to seminars to keep my professional hours up to date
* increased mailouts for things such as briefcases, tax guides and conferences in Canada which I can't afford
* three extra letters on my business card

On a positive note, I have Friday off so I can go to the ODI to watch Roy smack his way around the ground yet again. Hopefully the Poms can lift their game as one-sided matches are extremely boring to watch, especially inside the stadium.

In Brief

The Set-up



The location



The Pack-up



The team