Monday, February 19, 2007

Heading In The Right Direction...

It makes such a difference when things go right. After weeks of feeling unenthused about our wedding in July (to the point of our seriously considering an Elvis wedding in Vegas), things seem to be heading in the right direction.

After umm-ing and aah-ing about my family's Parish Church, which is lovely but not 'us', for weeks - I finally had a brain wave. The first Church built in Brisbane (satisfies our love of all things old), which was also its first Cathedral, is both stunning and intimate. It's been done up over the last few years in fitting with it's original (and now improved) self, and it's a small place of tranquility amid a bustling city. We're so happy with our choice... and that we could book it for the date and time we wanted makes life all the better!

We've also settled on a fabulous idea for our reception. After (again) weeks of fretting over numbers and costs, we masterminded a brilliant plan! We can invite "everyone" to our wedding and a champagne and cake 'toast' afterwards; and then have a fantastic (but reasonablyish priced) reception with just immediate family and close friends that night! I have an extremely large extended family, with whom I'm not entirely close, so the thought of paying $100 per head on people who I see once every five bazillion years just added to the stress. This way, we get to celebrate once with all our friends and extended family... and then have a fab party later that night with our most loved ones :)

But more on that later...

Monday, February 05, 2007

Now, bring me that horizon...

They say there ain't nothing like a Dame. I say, there ain't nothing like a car.

For those of you who drive, you'll understand the frustration of being without wheels. As much as I appreciate the kindness of friends and family, in their giving me lifts and loaning their vehicles, there's a certain sense of entrapment, when you can't simply grab your keys and drive off into the sunset.

Going to the shops is a veritable exercise in discipline and organisation. Getting to work, amid thousands of commuters on buses and trains, requires full-time stress-management. And don't even get me started on being stuck at home of a weekend, when all you want is to find somewhere airconditioned, in which to lay low for a while.

Fortunately, my adventures in Terrible Transportation are to come to an end! The beautiful Toyota Corolla you see here is, in fact, mine! It's to be detailed and tinted and all that jazz... but come Wednesday (two sleeps! two sleeps!), I'll be picking her up after work! :D

I always love that part, in Pirates of the Caribbean, when Jack Sparrow (drunk) and Elizabeth (pretending to be) start to talk about the concept of a ship. One of the most poignant moments in the film, he says "That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs. But what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is freedom."

I completely understand what he means.

Now, bring me that horizon...

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Five Things You Didn't Know About Me...

Ooh, well! Better late than never! I've been tagged by the Fabulous Fi (a.k.a. Shoegal) to tell you five things you didn't know about me. Given that I've been rather neglectful of this poor blog of late, there are probably a LOT of things you don't know! (new job, blogging, new car (!!!), wedding stuff, God only knows where I fit my sleeping!)

;)

And so...


1. I am a *complete* Diet Coke addict. I can't get enough of the stuff. I drink at least 2 litres per day (usually more), and without it, I'm a quivering mess on the floor! I justify my addiction by the fact that I rarely drink, don't smoke, eat gluten free aaaand... I can't live without it! It's my life-blood! :) (and Vanilla is my fave)


2. I'm a coeliac. That means no wheat.. even trace amounts (which are sometimes hard to avoid) give me terrible pains in my tum. Fortunately, it gets easier to deal with, over time. And finding gluten-free goodies in mainstream Brisbane restaraunts is great! (and this morning, I went to a new-ish gluten free restaraunt, and it was fab!)


3. One of my all-time favourite films, to this day, is The Chipmunk Adventure. Remember it? The one where the Chipmunks and Chipettes race around the world in hot-air balloons, accidentally smuggling diamonds as they go? You don't? Well, watch it! One of the few childhood films that remains just as good, to this day, I even have the Chipmunks theme as my current ring-tone! :D


4. I'm a Psychologist. Yep! I'm one of those*. At the moment, I work with people who've suffered an injury, and who are struggling with pain / stress management. But I also counsel people for things like Depression, Anxiety and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. I really love the work, but must admit that I miss blogging full-time big-time! (*but, sadly, I don't get a couch in my office!)


5. I am completely nuts about Harry Potter. Some of you may know this, generally (from my Potter-inspired post on Catwalk Queen), but I doubt you'll know the extent of it! I love the books. I love the films. I love Jo Rowling. I even love Mugglenet, for its unadulterated love of all things Potter! Apart from the Wizard Robes (which I'll need to make), I have a Hogwarts uniform (circa. Film 3), including the pointed Hogwarts hat (circa Film 1 & 2) and banners for my room. I'm a Gryffindor, of course, and in the end, I *am* Hermione :) Only... more fashion-obsessed ;)

When they announced that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was due out on July 21st, this week, I squealed aloud at work (my NEW work!), did a bit of a dance, and contemplated cancelling my wedding (which is the following weekend) so that it wouldn't interfere with my re-read! (and if it didn't come out on a Saturday, I'd be taking the day off from work!)

(and, did I mention... that outfit she's wearing above? I have it. I wore it, as a 'subtle' nod, to the premiere of Azkaban ;)