Long post, with topics listed for skipping ease

In response to a nudge, I suppose it is time to update. The funny thing is that I've written several posts over and over in my head that on occasion I think I actually have posted them when I haven't!

Topics for today's post, paragraph to each:
-Work
-Spring
-Dad's birthday
-October is the party month
-Jury Duty
-Adventures with lack of petrol
-The Mozart Night

Currently working full time. Shaw's Grandmother in Malaysia had a stroke, and he called me up on Thursday before last to see if I could full-time it for two weeks while he and Steph flew out. I'm currently starting the second week. The first few days I was all "oh this is easy, maybe I can do this after all", but since then I've just been feeling more and more drained every day. I can still perform my job, but it's sucking at my soul. Only a week to go! Looking forward to gaining my energy back. Don't even feel like talking like a pirate today :(

Spring is here. I believe that everyone has a personal little signal that tells them it is finally spring. Leanne saw a dragonfly in August and said that is what lets her know it is Spring. For me, it is the abundant yellow Cape Daisies that adorn the lawns and roadside verges. We used to have them running up the length of the long farm driveway when I was a child, and they have always lifted my spirits since.

Dad's birthday party organisation is humming along merrily. We booked and paid for the venue, have the list of guests, and I've created the invitation card to send out. Now I just have to photocopy 60 copies or so of the invites, organise the food catering between the siblings, and Mum & Dad need to finish calling the people on the list.

October is set to be booked. The first weekend (technically Sept 30th) a LAN is planned. Weekend after is one friend's b-day party, weekend after that is Crispin's b-day party. Then of course the 21st is Dad's b-day party. Just need something for the last weekend, and it will be booked. Probably someone will have a Halloween party. (Pssst, remember that skull with glowing eyes that flew around on a string? Still staple-gunned to the ceiling, it hasn't moved!)

Checked the mailbox last Friday morning. Got an official looking letter. Going "I don't remember breaking a law lately" I opened it, and found summons to Jury Duty! It is kind of exciting, except if it turned out to be a drastic kind of case and I'm not discarded from selection and then someone's fate is partly my responsibilty.....eh, it's exciting anyway. *wink*

Ran out of petrol the other day, it was rather amusing. I have a habit of not getting around to going to a station, so the tank gets fairly low sometimes. I have never run out before though. I thought I had one more trip in it before I had to fill up. On my merry way to work, just going from the exit ramp out of Graham Farmer Tunnel, and before Vincent St on the Mitchell Fwy, the accelerator stopped giving power. So the car is slowly going down from 80 kmph, stick the clutch in and coast away from the off ramp for quite a way so it's safer when I pull over to the side of the road. On the right hand side of what is 5 lanes at that point. Called Leanne, told her I'd be late for work. Called Dad, asked him for a rescue mission. About 10 minutes later the, and I'm going from memory here, Emergency Highway Response Service ( I think that's it) pulled up behind me. I jumped out the car and explained I was out of petrol and I had people coming. He says, "That's ok, we'll give you a few litres to get you on your way, do you take Super or Unleaded?" Well, how about that. Free petrol. Called Dad to tell him not to worry, then I chugged off to work and was there only 15min late in the end. Needless to say I filled up before heading home that night. The whole thing was made more amusing by the fact that I had attended a function two nights prior, at which two ladies admitted to both running out of petrol twice this year. I had been wondering how they could have let that happen, well I found out!

Have I mentioned how awesome Crispin can be? I can never say this to his face of course, our relationship seems to work best on antaganism, and anytime I try to break the trend it just doesn't work. It doesn't click right or something. So. Crispin, pretend I never said this, but hey everyone else, Crispin can be really awesome sometimes. Anyway, earlier this month he had four tickets to "The Magic of Mozart", a WASO occasion. One for himself, one for Kiri, one for Pam, and one for me *yay*. On top of that, he hired a stretch limo to take us there. Now, I had never been in a stretch limo before, but it was one of my life goals, and it has now been acheived, huge WHOOT WHOOT WHOOT *YAY*. Champagne was drunk, merriment was had, and a strange effect was observed by all that everything looked some much cooler when viewed through a limo's windows. Cruising down Guildford Rd, a route that I take to work and have become bored of, suddenly looked exciting and fresh. This was not merely because I was in a limo, I assure you, it was most certainly the limo's windows with their "cool" effect. The concert was marvellous. The WASO played by themselves, then they had a violin soloist who was so good that he brought me to tears...twice. I have not previously had tears in my eyes at a WASO concert, plus strings are not my instrument of listening choice. He was brilliant. Then WASO played again, and it would have been good, except nothing could compare adequately to the soloist and it was a pity they tried. Afterwards we went for food. Kiri and Pam were both in stilletos, and we walked from the Concert Hall to Vultures in Northbridge. Not something I would have done myself, but they made it alright. We discovered that Vultures has an "After 10pm Grazing Menu" which has a range from light snacks to dinner and has many a tempting item. Finally a taxi home.

HEY CRISPIN, YOU CAN BE REALLY AWESOME SOMETIMES! *hugs* <--- pretend you didn't see that too *wink*



Well, that's the big huge update for now. Hope it satisfies the curious. Thanks to the friend who nudged and added enough to my motivation to get the post happening.