9 years old

I've had this blog for over 9 years now! I should plan a big 10th anniversary blog party.  What should I do?

It's 2014 - look alive, people!

Or should I say, look alive me!

After a loooooong hiatus, a loss of password (and therefore access to the blog), I decided to post once again!! Hooray!

I started a new blog but it's just not as fun as this one. So I'm saying 'g'day!'  No promises that I will forever be blogging here, but it's nice to stop in once in awhile.

What is something you miss from back in the day?

A Small Adventure

Today I arrived at school 2 hours after I left home.

This was because I stopped to fill up for petrol.

Now you might think that filling up for petrol doesn't take that long, and you'd be right.  But what it meant was that I was driving on the freeway a few minutes later than I normally would have been and the ute in the lane next to me blew a tyre.....and I got debris stuck in my car somewhere!  So I had to stop on the side of the freeway and Traffic Control pulled up behind me.  Both he and the guy in the ute checked under my car but couldn't see anything.  I looked too.  Nothing.  But I was pretty scared being on the side of the road when the speed limit is 110km/h.  Trucks move fast.

So I started off again, but the debris was still there.  Had to pull into a BP and called my husband and my dad, who both came out to check it out.  We went for a drive, and the debris must have gone because the noise in my car was gone.  Phew!  So they went home and I went to school.

And that was my adventure!

Dinner and hairstyles

Yesterday it was my birthday and I'm 25!!

We had a big eating binge at Sizzler.  Nearly had to roll home.

But I'm hungry now.  Almost time for tea. Tonight I am making cumin lamb cutlets with lemony broccoli and green beans (courtesy of Michelle Bridges).

For my birthday I got lots of nice presents, and one of them was some money to spend on getting my hair done.  I'm thinking of getting a style cut and dying it brown (or at least darker) with some blonde foils.

So.....2 questions for the faithful readers out there:

1)  What are you making/eating for dinner tonight?  (and can I have the recipe please)
2)  What would you recommend I do to my hair?

:-)

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I don't have to owe the swear jar if I talk about work on my blog, do I?  ;-)  (Otherwise I might need to get a second job to pay for it!)

Anyway, today I have been reading a novel about a Christian single girl who gets married.  (Not the Ashley Stockingdale series, another one!)  And it was very timely in that the main character had to make decisions about where she wanted her career to go, and how she ended up using her talents and doing the things she loved to make a living for herself and eventually her family, even though at first she thought she couldn't do it.

The author wrote a little about herself at the end of the book and the fact that she'd been through similar situations - that she had lots of dreams but didn't know what to do.  After prayer and thought, she found a way to use her talents to serve God by writing, even though her dreams didn't make a lot of sense to anyone else.

I think I'd like to use my talents and passions to serve God and make a living, not just slog it out year after year at a job I don't love just to pay the bills.  I'm not an advocate of just quitting because 'I don't feel like it today' - but surely there's a difference between an off day and a strong, continuing desire to be doing something else.

If you could choose to do any type of work and it was guaranteed that you could make a reasonable living out of it, what would you do?

I would:
- write, perform or direct plays! And maybe even films!
- write, perform and record music.
I might teach a little bit, but I don't think it's my passion in life.

Tell me yours!! :-)

The Swear Jar

Most people create a swear jar because they swear too much.  My friends and I decided we talk about school too much, and it annoys our spouses from time to time. (Three of us are teachers, three aren't).

So the concept of the swear jar has evolved - every time we talk about school, we are required to put $1 in the swear jar to save towards going to the movies together.  Campbell reckons we'll be getting gold class tickets in February!

Last night I had a bad dream about making students cry and school being horrible.  My two other teacher friends were there in the dream too, but not making students cry. I told everyone I owe the swear jar about $10!!  (if I could afford it).

Don't say the 's' word.......'school'.  (Uh-oh, make that $11!)

2011 - new year, new you!!

Well, not really a 'new you', but maybe a chance to revive the blog for at least the fourth or fifth time?

For the last couple of years I've been doing an annual post, but there are some really precious memories on here and I would really like to keep blogging and keeping a record of stuff that happens.  Random stuff, as per the title. 

Some posts are embarrassing ("Did I really write that? I sound like a weirdo!") or just a bit in-your-face (putting out memos to all women interested in a particular guy.....what the?!).  Things have definitely changed since my uni days, but that doesn't mean they're any less memorable or interesting.  To me, at least. And if you find some humour, entertainment or encouragement in them, then that's double prizes!  "You liked something I wrote - this pleases me."  (A very strange quote from When Harry Met Sally)

So, a few things going down in GrooveTown
-  The floods.  Unexpected, huge and non-stop coverage.  I think we will need to be patient for the next few months while clean up happens and we try and get back on our feet.  Can't help feeling proud of the way everyone is working together to help each other out.  Good on ya QLD.  I was impressed with the way Anna Bligh and the Police worked to give us accurate information continuously, and they seemed to really be making an effort, not just being all political and saying the right words but not doing anything.  Big shout out to the people co-ordinating the QPS Facebook page - couldn't have asked for a more up-to-the-minute, accurate place for info. 

- Screenplays.  Been reading books on how to write screenplays (aka movie scripts) and that's been really interesting. Looking into it.  More on that later!

- Michelle Bridges 12wbt (12 week body transformation).  Thinking about joining it for a bit of motivation and a bit of a challenge.  BUT funding could be a problem - have to see how things go.

I don't really make resolutions for the new year, because I can't keep them.  And this year I don't really have a plan except try to cope with whatever work throws my way.  Keep my head above water for one more year.  Then we'll see - maybe I can get a new career in the arts and bin teaching (or at least full-time teaching) for awhile.

What are your plans, hopes, goals, resolutions or dreams for 2011?

This is my 300th post!!

Hi everyone.  Noofishness is back in business - well sort of.  So I think this is my annual post, although who knows? Maybe I will post again more. 

New news: I got married! :-D  So I hope my husband will read my blog.  And hopefully I won't be like Julie from 'Julie and Julia' where she has a big fight with her husband and he walks out and she writes about it and apologises on her blog.  First, I don't want to fight with my husband, cos he is awesome (hee hee hee). And second, I am somewhat of a believer in 'don't air your dirty laundry in public'.  That's what a washing machine and a clothesline out the back are for, people! Sort it out amongst yourselves.

Now, I would like to have a little rant.  The other day I read an article about anger, and how it is destructive, and more like what Satan does than what Jesus does (although Jesus was angry, it is true - but the article was focused on how our anger can lead to destruction and tearing people down, not benefiting them).  So since then I have been noticing how utterly INFURIATED I get by some people and things in life, but have been trying not to just vent at them, since that can be destructive.

But, I would like to rant about my work.  I work with some of the best people, so no worries there.  And I do get quite a few holidays, which although sometimes I have to work a bit during them, is ok, because overall I do get more time off than the average person - but I still say I deserve it, since I interact with and manage hundreds of people (on an almost daily basis anyway). So I am not ranting about these things, but about the sheer RUDENESS of some students.  Just a total lack of respect for themselves, other people, their property.....I know I shouldn't take it personally, but I get soooo mad sometimes.  Why act like animals or little kids? Why not act your age? How hard can it be?  I can't wait for Easter holidays.

The second thing I would like to rant about is people who purposely drive stupidly.  Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.  I make mistakes when I'm driving, and I try to correct them quickly and be courteous.  I try not to speed and to move over when I am not going fast enough for some people.  But just because you're on the outside lane doesn't mean you're on the autobahn, ok! There is still a speed limit! I'm not ranting about people who are accidentally 5 ks over.  I'm talking about hoons like the guy who came right up behind me, flashed his lights, zoomed past me at who knows how fast when I moved, went up to the last possible inch behind the next guy, swerved to his left and cut off the guy next to him, then swerved back into the outside line, cutting off the guy he'd just tailgated, and slowed waaaaaaaay down, before burning off again up the freeway.  Some days I just want to have a big sign attached to my car: "Ease up, turbo. It's a road, not a racetrack." 

96.5 have been doing a great job of keeping us all aware on the roads in the last month or so by running "Radio Road Rage" where you ring up and tell them who in your family is on the road and which road so you can look out for them.  It reminds me that people on the road have people waiting at home for them, so I try to be a little bit more patient and give a little extra room.  It only takes 5 seconds more anyway.

So I guess that I would like to say, to students and to hoons - SETTLE DOWN!!!  (And with this hugely hypocritical piece of advice, I will end my post ;-)

Happy Easter everyone, and may we remember the true meaning - not just chocolate (which we all love!) but celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus.  He is risen! :-)