So, there's this guy... :)

I'm in quite the cheery mood tonight. Unusual as I'm normally dreading the end of my holidays. While there is a certain element of "Oh crap I still haven't finished marking" and an undertone of "I have a five hour drive home from Mum and Dad's tomorrow," there is also an element of "I'm going on a date on Saturday night"... It's still very novel as I haven't done the dating thing before - I tend to end up going out with people I have known for ages so there's never been this cool sense of possibility. I have no idea if this is going to work, I don't know him all that well yet as we've only spoken a few times and been on one date... but it doesn't matter because for now, he makes me feel pretty, and interesting, and smart. All those things I don't usually feel about myself.

Mal and Elspeth's wedding was very cool. It was a long day, and us girls spent most of it being pampered - hair, makeup, champagne and nibblies. Awesome! The ceremony was brief but oh so lovely and Elspeth looked absolutely stunning. Her dress was exquisite and Mal brushed up so nicely and danced like an absolute champ (Elspeth being a ballroom dancer this was very important). So they are now off on their honeymoon - five weeks in Greece, Italy and Spain!

Jodi, Renee and I went to the Dixie Chicks "Accidents and Accusations" concert on Monday night. It was absolutely outstanding - they are incredible performers and the playlist was unreal! They played every song I was hoping to hear plus a few others. "Cowboy Take me Away" was beautiful, and their main set finished up with "Sin Wagon" which just made me laugh so hard :)

Holidays ahoy!

I'm chuffed to be on holidays - had my customary "Kick off the Hols with a Twelve Hour Sleep-a-thon" on Friday, Elspeth's Hen's party yesterday, and a bum around at home and at sister's home today (hence the updated blog... I know, it has been ages).

The hen's day was actually quite cool - I don't really like horse races but we had a nice day out at Royal Randwick, all dressed up, then dinner at the Victoria Rooms in Darlinghurst. Tres swanky. I got a little sunburnt, hence my unwillingness to head out to the Manly Jazz Fesitval with Lex, Hamish and Olivia today.

I guess my biggest news is that I have cause to update my travel page due to my receipt of a very generous scholarship from the Premier's Department! I will be heading to China later in the year for four weeks of travel and study :) So excited!

Mower girl

I can add something to my list of "Things I can do on my own" - mowing my lawn! Dave gave me his old push mower and it has been sitting there forlornly while my lawn got out of hand. Yesterday I galvanised myself into action and mowed the damn thing. It was actually kind of fun, and while I have sore arms and a very sore knee (should have warmed up first, tee hee) it is yet another thing I haven't done before and have now proved to myself that I can manage. Yay me. I did need to get Dad to change the light globe in the hall, but that's because I don't have a step ladder yet and his 6 foot 2 inch height has a distinct edge over my towering 5 foot 7 frame.

Hm. Step ladder. Must do a Bunnings run :)

Reset Button

Something I'm trying to do at the moment is hit "reset" on my expectations. I would have expected certain things out of my life by this stage, but last year things just fell apart. That's noone's fault, and I don't regret anything that happened. But I really need to focus on the here and now and not have expectations beyond what I can control myself. Maybe that's why I have been so absurdly pleased with myself when I have done something small for myself - it gives me a little more confidence and strength... more belief in myself. I know I still need people around me: I don't know what I'd do without my family and friends. But it's good to know that I can stand on my own two feet when I need to.

Catch up stuff...

Lex is now a Mum and I am yet again a pseudo Aunt :)

Olivia Errington Boyd came into the world on June 2 - one month ago today, in fact. Lex and Hamish are doing an amazing job and she is a real cutie. Check out her website for photographic proof :)

I'm on holidays and out at Mum and Dad's place. Had a pretty good trip up today. The cat travelled really well and has wound Mum and Dad around her paw in no time flat. There was a lot of time for introspection during the drive... sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes not so good.

I have had a very strange end to the term - spent three weeks doing Nathan's job - admin and LOTE head teacher. There was a bit of political hoohah surrounding me getting the job which was mildly annoying. However it was a great challenge and I think I did a reasonably good job... no major stuff ups... I think ;) Doing that job gave me a bit of a shot in the arm - I feel much better about my job than I did in my last post.

There's a few things I have done recently of which I am oddly proud. One is getting my car registered, even down to taking off the old sticker and putting the new one. It's something I have never done before and never really expected to have to do for myself. I also checked under the hood when smoke began issuing forth a few weeks ago (admittedly after some telephonic consultation with my favourite mechanic - Dad) and everything is purring smoothly again. So even though I'm alone I'm not helpless (cue girlpower salutes/affirmations...).

End of tether.

The last couple of weeks I have really had to ask, "Why exactly am I doing this?" I'm tired of being treated like dirt by unpleasant teenagers. It's not like I am unable to get and hold down a job of a different nature. No, I, stupid schmuck that I am, chose to do this. And, when I actually get to teach, I'm not bad at it. But so much time is spent on discipline and classroom management ...

*sigh* I know that this school is not the worst I could be in, not by a long shot. I don't particularly want to stop teaching. But how much more of this do I have to put up with?

Homeward bound...

Feeling a whole lot better today - just in time to head home!! Will be out of email contact though - gotta get net connection at home sorted out...