Update - New job and travel!

Hi All

I have some fantastic news! I have accepted a new position with the RTA in communications/marketing, to commence mid August. This has been in the pipeline for a while now, but I couldn't make it public as it was not finalised. Today I received my contract, and I have given my formal notice to current employer, so it is all official. I also learnt more about the role, and it sounds really really excellent!

Other big news, I am going to Vietnam for a week! Between finishing this job and starting the new one (august 4-12), I have booked in for a trip to Vietnam with a great friend from Uni. I am very excited about it - I have always wanted to go to VN. No set plans whilst there - we fly in and out of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), so we will see that area, hopefully the war museums and the Chu Chi tunnels, as well as heading a few hundred Kms north to see the country side and the coast. Sadly Katie cannot make it - as her Permanent Residency STILL has not been processed, she cannot leave the country easily.

So those are the big things going on in my life at the moment. Hope you are all well - and will try to post whilst in VN!

Annandale and Wii

Caught up with Sonny, his lovely sisters and adorable GF today. We went to Paddington markets, then back to Leigha's place for dinner (after coffee), and a night of playing Wii. Great time, and a pleasure to meet Jackie finally.

MLK - lots of news

Well, a lot has been going on, and more is coming up.

I found out for sure this week that a rotation in Public Affairs at work is off the cards. I saw this coming a few months away, but it is certain now - disapointing.

We have been getting out a bit lately, going to lots of places to eat and visit. Tommorow we are meeting Soki and Carter who are out for Carter's graduation. We will go somewhere for dinner and drinks, should be great. Friday at work we are going for Tapas at lunch to Encasa - meant to be very good there. And friday night we are going with a big group to the seafood buffet at the Sheraton on the park. Sunday to Wollongong to farewell some friends and catch up with others.

There is a lot of other things going on at moment, but machinations are still going on behind the scenes - should be resolved shortly then i will go into it all. All in all, things are good. If I could shake my sore back and this lousy cold weather I would be extremely happy!

great weekend

It has been a really great few days off. Friday ended extremely well, then we went out for dinner in Beverly Hills with mum (we got a scallop and oyster each on the house - see below). Saturday we went to visit Jono, Julie and Josh (see cute pic with kate below) - then to DFO for too much shopping. I got a jacket, 4 shirts and some recipes. In the evening we went to Makoto for dinner and Gelatissimo for dessert. Sunday a bit of local grocery shopping with mum was really nice before she headed home.


Kate and I spent the day cleaning the hell out of our place. My wardrobe, bedroom, files and the like are all WAY more organised and thinned out. Katie did an awesome job on the bathrooms and the balconey... the place looks mcu better. In the afternoon I went into Petersham for trivia - a really great relaxing and fun way to end a weekend. It was tops - we came close to the prize but came undone on the final question.

Tonight some more organising and tidying up. I just saw that Jetstar has return airfares to Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, Hawaii, Vietnam and Thailand for aroudn $1000, and to NZ for like $500! I may have to plan a week away soon!

lots of good news today

including my mum is in town and staying with us tonight and tomorrow, I am still on the milk, and it is almost the weekend, among other things. :D

Got Milk?

Here's something ironic. I am very excited about milk. And not just any milk - a lactose free skim milk - akin to the skim soy latte variety I have always asserted should not even be called milk (i am not too sure why... probably heard it in a movie and took it as my own idea). Anyway, I think this one is from cows milk, but treated to take out the lactose. Anyway, why excited? Well, it has been a long time since i could take any dairy food without getting a nasty case of tap-ass. Well after loads of no milk no cheese no nuthin, I tried this milk last night and this morning and did not have a reaction.

I don't know if it will last, but for now I am going to make the most of it. I can't tell you how excited I am to eat some cereal each morning before heading to work. I had a bowl today and it was great.

My diet changes so regularly (the only constant being minimum fat/oil) as my stomach decides it doesn't like this or that food type. I am really glad to get this one back - although I have really adjusted to black coffee. It is weird. Last time i tried milk i went for skim soy (in secret) but I still had a reaction, not sure why. But this one nothing.

Anyway, I will try not to analyse it too much and make the most of it until symptoms return.

Tonight I bought some cous cous, and maybe tomato and basil cous cous with lamb, roast capsicum and a minted sour sauce (with diced red capsicum around the outside). See pic. The presentation wasn't as clean and nice as I hoped, but it was actually very yum and the the sauce matched really well. I did need a bowl of extra vege on the side to fill up tho.

it is a weird thing to not recognise yourself

Good weekend

Interesting times.

Work has been frustrating lately, I am not getting the opportunity for communications work like I had hoped. I was not well the end of last week, but am feeling better now. And thankfully we had a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.

The weekend was great actually. On Saturday we joined some friends for a walking tour of Dulwich Hill and Petersham to try out the local specialities. We had a variety of Portuguese tarts, as well as visiting continental butchers, smoked meat houses, delicatessens and a Portuguese chicken place for lunch. It was tops. See below. We also visited a huge confectionery wholesaler - metaphors abound, it was awesome.




Saturday afternoon we went to the Peters of Kensington warehouse sale to look at home wares and other versatile solutions to modern living. Actually it wasn't bad, we got two new pans that were on big sales, but still a bit rich i reckon. And finally Katie got lucky at a puma warehouse with a real bargain pair of kicks.

Today we went to visit Christophe at his new place. It was awesome, he cooked us a wonderful 3 course meal and his roommates were really nice.