I have nothing all that interesting to post about, but I still feel like I should be updating this thing!

No one really cares if my SLI paperwork is in, obviously!  But I still ramble on about it.  If I was to post right now about what I've been doing lately, I could talk about how I just paid my car registration (SUPER COOL!) and I stayed home and took it easy yesterday because I felt like I was getting a cold (FASCINATING!!) 

I am really really ready for school holidays at the end of Sept.  Jeremy will be home then, hopefully we'll have a fun BBQ/board games night, I have my trip to Adelaide with the girls...and although I haven't been stressing out as much about work, I really just want a few days of relaxing and sleeping in.

I'm going to take an idea from my housemate Kayleigh's blog (http://thewayiwanderlust.blogspot.com.au/ for anyone who's interested in hearing about another person's travel experiences through Oz) and post 100 things which make me happy.  I will totally be a copier and even take her idea of posting 10 of these every Monday.  Aren't you excited?!

 Cats!  In particular, mine...but really most cats, except for psycho crazy evil ones.

 Euchre.  Honestly, one of the best evenings I can imagine is four people, a pack of cards, and a few 'friendly' rounds of Euchre.  I have no one to do that with here :(

 The ocean.

 Silly photo booths, especially this one in Melbourne where Crystal and I had the time of our lives.

 CANADA DAY.  My favourite day of the year.  Extra points if I am in Ottawa to celebrate.  Accessories are clearly a necessity.

 High tea.  This was my first experience, which has since been repeated several times (including almost every day on our cruise).  Tea and niceties - how can you go wrong?

 Dress up events, such as the one pictured above - Jeremy's bogan birthday bash last year. 

 Wine tours!!  Wherever, whenever!  Picture is authentically blurry...

 Board games, including QUELF, my most exciting board game discovery so far.  I've had so many laughs with all different groups of people playing this game.  It's just great.  Other favourites include Taboo, Scattergories, Partini, Balderdash, Cranium - but NOT Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit.

Bicycling!!!  I hope to recreate this picture on the weekend on my bike date in Manly-Wynnum with Leanne  Yep, we are driving half an hour to the coast and taking a leisurely bike ride, then possibly getting some fish and chips.  Anyone jealous??

Today I got an e-mail from Jeremy and he actually said "arvo" in it.  Yes, seriously.  He was not being facetious.  I think this is a clear sign that we're being assimilated into Aussie culture, slang and all!

Nothing much to report on this side of the world.  Waiting for word on J's internship for next year, which is kind of mega stressful.  I've just told myself that there's no point stressing about it though - it won't help anything.  So for now...just wait...wait...and wait.  CALMLY AND PATIENTLY!

I went and visited Sean, Loulou and baby Tomas earlier in the week.  They seem to be handling new parenthood pretty well!  They even served me up a yummy dinner of BBQ pork, baked potato and salad...with an extra special dessert which Louise laboured over in the kitchen for hours!! :)  Tomas is quite an attractive fella and Sean seemed smitten.  Very cute!  Hoepfully they'll jump back on the trivia bandwagon in the new couple of weeks - we are drowning without them!!

This time tomorrow evening I will have submitted my SLI verifications for Quality Assurance!  That means I've basically gotten rid of them and someone higher up is looking over them to make suggestions/give advice on how to make my cases stronger.  So basically I just need to wait and do what she says, and then they'll be done, done, done!  I need to submit my preferences for working location next year by the end of Sept, which is a slight problem since I have no idea where I'll be.  For the moment, I think I'll probably request to stay at my current base and hope that I get to stick with the schools I'm presently servicing...We can work anything else out later.  Urgh.  So much uncertainty!

I'm looking forward to the weekend and Jess' 28th birthday party!  For a brief few weeks, we'll be the same age...until the beginning of Oct, when I get to celebrate my lovely 29th b-day....woohoo? 

Better cut this short - off to trivia tonight at the Brewhouse!  

I am now lying in bed after a very fun but exhausting weekend!

Daniel and Corina (cousin and cousin-to-be) have been living in Melbourne since April.  We met up in Brisbane a few months ago, and figured it would be good to see each other again before they head back to Canada in September.  I was thinking of finding a good deal on flights to Melbourne, but they decided that since they missed the Gold Coast and Byron Bay on their previous trip to this area, they wanted to come check it out.  That made my life much easier, since I can just drive to those places!!  I asked my friends Hannah and Alastair along, figuring "the more, the merrier!"  Then I ended up with these fun housemates, Kayleigh and Jason and thought they might want to come to!  So the 7 of us made our way to Byron Bay for a weekend of beach bumming...

Memorable moments (which no one will understand if they weren't there, but I want to have them written for posterity!):

- Cheeky Monkeys is the WORST bar I've ever been to!  Don't go there!
- And this bracelet got us NOTHING!!!!
- You really were just standing there...
- Hey look!  It's an alpaca!!!
- Waka waka waka waka!!
- How long is this path anyway?  BUT I CAN HEAR THE OCEAN!!!
- Let's not listen to the GPS, it's always wrong.  OMG, we're going to die out here.
- It's like just because he lifted ONE dumbbell, ONE time, he can wear a shirt that's like half the size of a regular shirt!
- Excuse me...is there a cover band playing here tonight?
- I don't know why you're being so pedantic.
- This guy ACTUALLY knows NICOLE PAQUETTE!
- The ocean took my shoe!  Crap, there goes the other one.
- Let's each have a bottle ready in case something comes out of the darkness.
- Wow.  That tide.  It's just...amazing.  JUST LOOK AT THE TIDE.  It's so powerful!
- I think I hear people.  No...those are bats.  No, it's definitely people.  Seriously..it's bats.

Ahahahaha.  So many great and hilarious moments.  We waded in the ocean, sat in a hot tub, played Quelf, made our own pizzas, walked around and looked at the shops (I GOT RAINBOW BUBBLES!!!  FOR WORK!!!!), tried unsuccessfully to find a cover band, had fish and chips on the beach, went on night time beach walks, DROVE to the lighthouse, made some delicious breakfasts in our little apartment accommodation.  All in all, a fabulous trip.  It was really good getting to spend time with Dan and Corina - definitely had some good cousin bonding! 

Jeremy has the camera in Canada, but I'll steal a couple of pictures from other people.  It would have been even more awesome if he was there!!  Just over a month till he's back!