| Very Big News |
[11 Mar 2008|12:31pm] |
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(Apologies to those who see this twice, it's for the benefit of overseas family)
I called my parents today.
( And what did I say? )
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| I'm in yr sooots, jumpin yr tower |
[12 Jan 2008|05:05pm] |
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The subject line is something I said to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) dragontail as we suited up in our blue and yellow flight suits, strapped on our harnesses (which added five kilos to my weight, honestly...) and prepared to jump 192 meters (630 feet) off of a rather tall building.
( Intrigued? )
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| Wheeee! |
[11 Jan 2008|05:54am] |
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It's nearly 6am and I'm excited; it must be travel time!
SF and I are just about to head off to the airport for our weekend jaunt to New Zealand. We're spending three days in Auckland and I'm really excited. My Mom, Dad and Nana have all been and they keep telling me how lovely it is and I cannot wait to see for myself. SF's never been, so it's a new experience all 'round.
I should go brush my teeth so we can leave. I shall return with photos and stories!
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| C'est L'Hallowe'en! |
[27 Oct 2007|04:16pm] |
As it is well known, I love Halloween more than any other holiday. And, despite living in a Halloween-less land, I am determined to have my birthday party the way I've had it for the past twenty years - COSTUME PARTY!!
( Photos galore!! )
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| Back in Oz |
[18 Oct 2007|07:10am] |
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So, I have returned. Sitting at the computer, at my new computer desk (thanks alvon!), there's an LJ in the background waffling over her breakfast choices and an dragontail beside me drowning his Weeties in milk. Life am good.
Last night LJ came over earlier than her usual day because she "missed her Daddy so much", so SF and I hurridly cleaned up the mess we'd made rearranging shelves and the comic room and had an evening full of fun. We gave LJ her presents from Canada and she had a ball going through them all, from tshirts to action figures to books. There were also gifts from my Mom and my sister, Pookie, which LJ loved. It was so wonderful to have her in the house and with us. I'd missed her so much.
I started making dinner while LJ and SF were deeply involved in the fridge-magnet puzzles Pookie had sent. After they were finished, LJ dragged a chair over so she could sit in the kitchen with me while I cooked. We sang mangled versions of High School Musical songs and danced a bit before her dinner was ready, SF having been summarily banished from the kitchen.
"Did you miss Jussie?" he asked her.
"Oh, yes," she replied.
"Was it Jussie you missed and wanted to see, not Daddy?"
A wicked smile. "Yes..."
I felt about ten feet tall. I still feel great, even though, as per usual LJ, she was up at five thirty and came in to give us cuddles at six. It was great to be getting hugs and kisses in SF and mine's bed, after having been cuddled by SF all night. I feel so happy and so very home.
(X-posted to stareyednight)
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| Champions of geekitude |
[25 Apr 2007|12:13pm] |
Want to know how cool we are? SF and I have elected to spend the day off Anzac Day has given us by redocumenting the comic room. It has changed a lot since I arrived and with my departure coming up in only 3 weeks, we decided it was a good time to mark the changes.
( No time for losers, cause we are the champions... )
Part two coming soon... (once SF finishes typing it up)
(photos x-posted to dragontail)
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[12 Mar 2007|10:05pm] |
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Hurray! I got the job! I just heard back from the job at the mobile phone company and I'm super stoked. Apparently T was supposed to call me a few days ago, like Saturday, but forgot until just ten minutes ago. I'm working tomorrow at 11am and I'm so excited and so very glad I have a job. I was getting a little worried about going another week without earning any money, but very very hopefully the payday for the new job is next week so that this week will reap benifits sooner rather than in two weeks if this week is pay week. (Did that even make sense?)
It's nice and close to home, only twenty or so minutes by bus and in a medium-sized shopping centre I'm pretty familiar with. YAY.
In summery: I have a job! Yay me!
(x-posted to stareyednight)
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| My inevitable return |
[09 Mar 2007|07:30pm] |
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The Wiggles "Point Your Fingers and Do the Twist" |
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For whom it may concern...
SF and I have a new postal address. If you want to send us lovely things, please drop me an email.
Also, it looks like I will be returning to the Land of the Maple Leaf in May (towards the end of the month) for a little while. I need to touch Canadian soil once every twelve months or I shrivel into the four hundred year old vampire I really am. Or, you know, I need to make some money and switch to a different visa to go back to Australia. (Honestly, if I'm not there I'm terrified of what the house will look like. The boy can't cook.)
My plan so far is to go back to Canada, work for a few months, live with my parents (*shudders*), go back to Oz on a 12 month visitor's visa and apply for the Auslan (Australian Sign Language) Certificate course I want at TAFE and possible switch to a student visa. Very complicated, but it works for me so far. I like it here and I really want to stay if I can.
In other news, I just finished my job of six months and am in the process of looking for another. I have a lead on a part time job at a mobile phone dealer, so I hope that pans through, and I've also dropped off a bunch of resumes at a bunch of stores. Here's hoping.
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| First post of the Year |
[10 Jan 2007|09:23pm] |
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The Daily Show |
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And what a year it's been...
First off, Happy New Year to everyone! I have a feeling 2007 is going to be a great one. I've got a few resolutions this year and they all seem to apply to this journal, or you all who are reading this.
- To post once a week, at least. Mom and Dad have suggested this one and I'll really try. I'm sorry to admit that I get wrapped up in my life over here and forget that I haven't spoken to some of you in months. I think about everyone so much that it doesn't feel like we're so far away until I stop and really count the months.
- To reply to all comments. If you've been nice enough to reply to my post, the least I can do is acknowledge and thank you for the support you've all unwaverangly given me. I'm truly blessed in my friends.
- To catch up on my emails. Frances, Linda/Mike, Angel, and Auntie Kathy, expect things from me soon.
Also, to write more, but that's less this journal. I'm still brewing on two Doctor Who fics and some original fiction. God knows when I'll finish it, but I'm plugging away every little while. I just feel so much less inspired than I used to. I want to write, but I'm just stuck. Myabe I should drop back into CSI for a ficlet, get my groove back. *grins* How J Got Her Groove Back. Riiight.
Going back a few weeks, Christmas was great, despite Canada Post wanting to make me commit (justifiable) homicide. The short of it, for those who don't know, is that thanks to some (explitive deleted) in the Delta PO, my Christmas from Canada will be in February. But, because my parents are the best of the best, and SF is teh awesome, I had a great christmas with love from everyone. Honestly, it was a great day.
New Year's ws pretty low key. We had a few invites, but elected to stay home and put a sizable dent into Season 2 of Entourage on DVD. Awesome show. I'd like to slap Turtle into next year if I met him, but I've met his type so many times before, it didn't take away from my love of the show.
Work's going pretty good. I managed the team last week while my Team Leader was on some well deserved vacation and it went pretty well. I got some great appeciation from the bosses and Papa Bear. (Our team is called the Bear Team. Everyone's got a nickname; I'm Singing Bear.) This week's been tough, but alright. This mall is the biggest of the area (like Metrotown) and seems to give itself airs. I've been getting pissed off, especially today, because of how much I'm getting ignored. I get dozens and dozens of no's a day, but it's the rudeness that gets me mad. I hate being treated like I just don't exist, or getting looks like I'm below them. I was almost in tears at work today because the people were getting to me, I wasn't getting any leads and my replacement was an hour late. That cut out my trip to Immigration so that I could get started on staying here and a trip to the bank I needed. Why do we have to work? /whine
But, I'm making pretty good money all together and I'm still liking it. Life's been good, thank you very much, and I'm still happy. Huge love to everyone. Missing you all.
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| *incoherant joy* |
[16 Dec 2006|05:23pm] |
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My sister had her baby! She had a baby boy! I don't know anything else, except she had a baby and I'm an auntie!!!
Mom's calling me back when they have stuff like a name, but she wanted me to be the first to know. So amazing!
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[12 Dec 2006|10:33pm] |
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I've never been a video game girl. I can button mash my way through Street Fighter and Tekken 3 against the boys, but I never owned a Nintendo or Sega or Playstation in my young life. I've been sort of scared of the games because I worried I'd screw up and fall of a ledge or hit the wrong button and there was never a time for me to practice alone because I never had a unit at home. I was sort of embarassed to make a mistake in front of my friends. But, I moved in with a guy with a PS2 in the comic room and video games are part of the geekdom I'm assimilating. I started watching as he played, knitting sometimes while he battled monkies or with Captain Jack, but I never really wanted to try.
Then, he brought home Kingdom Hearts II. I'd heard so much of it, and even given the beginning of the first one a try, so I was interested when he popped the disk in. After ten minutes I was a hooked as he is and a week later he brought home the guide book. From then on I became the official navigator, pointing out where the treasures were hidden and reading ahead for the boss battles. It was incredible and for me like watching a movie unfold. It took about two months but last week, at 2am, we finished the last battle. Totally awesome. And I feel confident saying we because even thought I never picked up the controller I feel like it was a team effort.
As luck would have it, a little while ago we stumbled upon another game that seemed pretty much tailor-made for us. With our love of superheroes and comic books, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is the perfect game. Fighting and great story and fucking awesome cinematics. You get to create your own four member team of a selection of heroes and run through massive, gorgeous levels beating up stuff and collecting upgrades and such. SF and I each picked two of our favourite characters and created the perfect team. The Nightwatch consisted of Spider-Man (SF's all time favourite) for agility and web-throwing and the Thing for brute force for SF and Storm for lightning and flying and Elektra for slashing and ninja skillz for me. SO awesome. We could clear a room like nobody's business.
Yesterday, SF and I swept through the last Act and a half of the game. We finished it at eleven last night, still pumped and jazzed about it. Really an awesome game with nothing I could quibble over. Easy to get the hang of, very customisable with costumes and upgrading and clever quips and a good canon true storyline. I really really want to go and play some more. We might have to go back in and play again... Yay!
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| It doesn't feel like Christmas when it's 40 degrees... |
[09 Dec 2006|11:35pm] |
God, it's freaking hot.
It was 39.8 degrees today (103 degrees F for all my Yankee girls) and apparently 42 yesterday (107 degrees F). I've never been anywhere it was that hot before. Las Vegas would only have been in the ninties when I was there and I have no idea what Florida was like when the ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) decoteaugirls were visiting carolinecrane, but I know it wasn't that hot. I'm coping. It could be, and still will get, worse, so I'm doing my best. Drinking lots of water appears to be key. As is shade and air conditioning. Travelling by car or bus is torture.
I worked today, all day, and thank christ for it. A beautiful air conditioned mall where I made heaps of money. And, I didn't get beat up this time! Yay for me! (This is the mall I was travelling to when I was attacked) I took the train almost everyday and it was a bit scary, but I'm glad I was able to get past my stigma. I'll never get over the unease, but I'm not scared anymore.
On a funner note, SF, LJ and I had a "special day" on Friday. It was freaking hot (see above temp), but we made the best of it. because of the insane heat, we forwent the beach during the day and instead did some errands and groceries in the morning and after a lovely chat with my folks we headed out to Nana and Pa's. Sean's parents have a caravan right by the beach and it has a swimming pool in the complex that we are free to use. So we did. Ahh, bliss, I tell you. Yes, Mom, pictures will be forthcoming. I just need to resize and upload them.
Finally got to try out my new bikini and scarily, it's a bit big. I appear to have dropped a hell of a lot of weight. I'm down to 125 from the 140 I was the past five or so years and I feel incredible. I need to get some new shorts and summer things, but I've honestly never felt this good about how I look. I know it's not a really dramatic loss or anything, but it's enough to make me feel so much less like the 'heavy' sister. (It does help that my sister has gained about twenty pounds, but she's about to give birth any day now, so we can cut her a bit of slack. A bit.) I'm guessing that eating more at home and chasing after a 2 and a half year old is a big factor. I'm a bit more active here; the mandatory walk to the bus is a bit further and I do spend a lot of time wandering around trying to find the mall I'm working in.
So, to recap: HOT, both the weather and me (*snorts*), work is good and life is great. I missed the snow in Vancouver (*pouts*), but got lots of pictures of it. In exchange I will be popping up some of us in our sunny glory.
Love for everyone and I'm missing you all like mad, especially now. Going to bed in my stuffy "copic" room, but may shift to the living room if it's too much.
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| Ow. |
[17 Oct 2006|12:53pm] |
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I tried to post this yesterday, but my computer siezed up for the whole night and I lost it, just before I could hit post. So, here I go again, replacing the todays with 'yesterday'.
( Yesterday I got attacked on the train )
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| An update of a job. |
[12 Oct 2006|08:27am] |
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Money is in my bank account. My job paid me, rewarding a week's worth of work and training. Hurrah!
This job has been good fun and I expect it will continue to be so for a good long while. The girls I'm working with are lovely and fun. I'm really getting into playing with the balloons we hand out and having fun grooving to the music the nearby shops play. Also, I'm getting very good at hand pumping balloons, tying them onto the little cups and putting a stick on. I see purple and orange balloons in my dreams... No, not really.
A lot more fun in this job is the rejection. People are mostly a lot nicer in their rejection, especially when they hear we're not selling stuff. Also, we always try to say hello to everyone, even if we don't pitch them, and "have a nice day" to even those who say no. I like it a lot. A bad day is when I only sign up seven or ten people for the contest, not none. A few days ago I had twenty-one entries, eleven of which are considered a "paid lead", or one that is elegible for the product. Everyone can enter, but if the kids aren't in school, than they don't get a follow up call.
Some people are still rude or ingore you like you're not there, but it's WAY fewer than with Viper. We're a lot more laid back and won't hassle people once they've said "No". A few people each day will say 'no thanks' after I ask them our standard question ("Do you have any kids in school?"), which proves go me how much people don't listen to what you say. I really want to say to them "Don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you any", meaning kids, but I don't.
Aside from being sick as hell this week (yeah, thanks SF), it wasn't a bad week. Slow, but alright. Next week is a gold site, meaning that it's awesome. Ros, my Team Leader, says she expects I'll switch over to commission, or bonus structure, at that site because of the awesome money I would make that way. Right now I'm still on hourly, and it served me well at this slow site. I still would have made about what I made in hourly, but it allowed me to feel a little more relaxed yesterday when I was coughing and sneezing and today when I went home after two hours because I threw up in the bathroom at the Centre.
I've been working my ass off and I'm really happy with it. The one complaint I would make is that I'm working six days a week, Monday to Saturday. But, some of those days are just four hour shifts, so I don't miss out on my whole Saturday. They've been really great about working around my play schedule and I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them went to a performance. That reminds me, I should transfer next week's roster from the back of my hand to my white board.
There. Done.
Tomorrow I'm working back at Movie Maniacs as help for the sidewalk sale. Nine til nine. *moans* Aoud nine til five on Saturday. I agreed to do this three weeks ago, before I had a full time job, and although it's going to mean excellent bank, I'm miffed I'm losing my Saturday and working twelve hours tomorrow. Ah well, a promise is a promise.
Oh, and Mom? My birthday present has arrived. Seven days after it was sent. You rock. SF confiscated it immediately and shoved it under his desk. I begged and pleaded with him to open it and let me have anything that wasn't wrapped as a present or card, but I was cruelly rebuffed. Seventeen more days until it is mine!
So, off I go now to lay down and try to forget how crappy I felt today. Part of it might have been the 35 degree sun that I'm not used to yet. I will, though.
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| Second verse, same as the first |
[04 Oct 2006|07:09am] |
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So, guess who's got a new job? Hurrah!
The terribly funny thing? It's the same as my last one, but ten times better. Shall I elaborate? Yes, I shall.
I went in for an interview for a job in a call centre after sending my resume in to a bunch of places looking for work. I got this interview and went in, knowing a little about the company. I had seen their booth when I was working for Viper (my last job) and it looked fun and cool and I figured I could totally call the people they sign up. The girl I got info from in the mall was so enthusiastic and sweet, so I was really looking forward to seeing their offices and what the business was like.
I went in and the met the guy I spoke to on the phone, Jason, and almost right away he asked if I was sure I didn't want to do the promotions side of the business, because he thought I was so perfect for it. I explained that I love promotions and face to face, but the hours I was working for Viper were killing me, as was the no pay thing. He explained everything to me and, basically, it rocks so hard. You start on a per hour pay for the first four weeks, but you can switch over to commission at any time, or after four weeks. It's just signing people up for a contest and then asking if they're interested in a free consultation. Easy peasy. It's a kids math tutoring program, so it's not going to be tough like the last one, with selling people stuff. Also, if I want to, I can work in the call centre as well, a few days on promo, a few days in the call centre, or if I don;t like promo I can switch to the CC.
So, it's 7:20am, I'm in jeans and a t shirt and I'm getting ready to leave with SF. None of this going into the office first crap, which is great. Also, I can wear sneaker and normal people clothes, which gets an "A" in my world. I have an hour in the field (paid!), and then back to the office for proper training, and then shifts on Thursday and Saturday, both 1-5pm. My team leader, Ros, was so excited that I had previous promo experience, that she just put me straight on the roster. Jason came in to give some details and she was already giving me a script and going over the product. Yay!
Let's see how this one goes, shall we?
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[14 Sep 2006|12:18pm] |
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Christina Aguliara "Ain't No Other Man" |
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So, my cool new job? I quit yesterday. After three full days. I am teh roxxors.
The job wasn't so bad, and the people were awesome, enthusiastic people around my age. The biggest problem was the hours. I got up at 5:30am, left before 6:30 and after two busses arrived at work for 7:30. Then, a bit more training, a quick meeting and then off to a mall to stand for eight or so hours. Back to office around six and then two busses back home for around 7:30pm.
Oh HELL no.
Add to the fact that people are basically saying "No" to you all day, and some can be very rude, and that I didn't make any sales in my first two days. I was working my ass off, trying so hard, but I could hardly get people to stop and hear half my pitch, let alone agree to sign up. My knees still hurt and my ankles are a little twingy, but I'm at home, wearing jeans and a Superman t-shirt and relaxed.
The good thing about yesterday, though, was even though I knew I was going to resign at the end of the day, I still tried really hard and managed to make three sales, though one voided and I won't get the credit for it, and was first off the mark and I think get a $50 bonus. Not a bad way to end a very short promotion sale career.
So, I'm back to slacking, but I plan to apply for some part-time retail work so that I can still earn some money, but be able to have some time for the play and the people I'm actually here for.
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[08 Sep 2006|08:47am] |
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Guess who got a job? Me! A real job, not just casual, every few weeks work to help someone out.
( Yay for me! )
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