Happy 25th Birthday to the very Rockin' Fidelma. She's a cool gal with great taste in music, links, and expensive magazines. I think year 25 is going to be awesome for her - nothing like a month of travelling to kick-start a year ;)

I had a hilarious online chat with my 13 year old cousin Jamie today. I am a glutton for punishment and decided to start a family blog, partly for shits and giggles, but mostly to appease the Aunts who complain they never know what's going on in my life. So far, an Aunt, and Uncle, and two cousins (13 year olds) have posted to the family blog. My Aunt and 13 year old's account of a Backstreet Boys concert they went to the other night (with 8 year old brother Sean) brought tears to my eyes. (I was laughing. A lot.) The idea of my Aunt (who only likes Bruce Springsteen) sitting through opening act Shaggy was mind-expanding.

Anyhoo, I told my cousin Jamie that I had named my office birthday fish, Baby & Johnny. To which she replied, "Aw, you remembered!" To which I replied, "What? YOU remember?" Dirty Dancing was quite popular when Jamie was a baby. She and I had the soundtracks (yes, even as a 1-2 year old, she loved the music) and we always sang the cheesy songs. Anyway, her family had a pool and when she was a baby, she used to say, "Lowwi (how a 1 year old says my name), can we play Baby and Johnny?" Basically, she was Baby and I was Johnny and I used to twirl her around the pool, throw her up in the air, toss her around, do "The Lift" etc. It was pretty funny. I was just amazed that she remembered doing that. Okay, okay, it might be a sad family story, but it's still a story. I never said I was the best influence on my cousins, but she seems to be turning out just fine ;)

My Barbarella pics turned out pretty funny. I was going to scan some, but thought better of it. You can read about the Barbarella affair though in my stupid No Sex & the City article.

Okay, back to work on the doco website...

Still no word on the VISA. I hope no news really is good news.

Just got my first Telstra bill. Not pleased. Very glad it'll be my last...

My parents just re-did their bathroom in the U.S. Ripped off the old wallpaper, painted it, and put up....butterfly borders. Now, the thing is, I'M the one with the butterfly fetish, not them. So I find this all bizarre. They've totally butterflyitzed the bathroom with accessories too. How should I interpet this? Is this complimentary? It's heart-warming to know my parents will be thinking of me whenever they're in the can. *Plop. Plop* "That one's for you, Lori!

And they sent me pictures in the mail of all the butterfly stuff/borders. They went all out. I think my dad is trying to bribe me. He said I could have all the cool butterfly stuff IF I MOVE back to the U.S. That was low! I'll have to post the pics here. They're hilarious.

Well, back to work for me. Cheers!

GRRRRRRR!
One.net and One.Tel finally died on me so I've been on the hunt for a new ISP and phone servece provider. I finally settled with Optus after wrestling with Optus and DingoBlue. Eenie meenie minie moe. I was very close to getting DingoBlue, but oh well.

I spent a great deal of time on the phone trying to sign up, as I have no internet access at home and no access to the info/numbers. So I stayed at work late to make the call. Had a nice chat with a lovely customer service lady (not being sarcastic!) and then I waited on hold again for the web stuff....for ages, only for them to tell me that I actually need to be at my computer so they can "walk me through it." Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Doh. I should have known.

Oh well.

So off I go!

No, I haven't been celebrating my birthday all this time ;)

Had a good weekend. Not quite as productive as I would have liked, but what else is new. By productive, I mean writing-wise of course.

Friday night I had some drinks with the lovely Fidelma and some of her and Shay's friends, a couple of whom I had met before. It was a fun time at Bar Broadway where Fidelma changed my world by introducing me to Heinz Tomato Sauce flavoured Smith Chips. My life will never be the same.

Saturday I did some writing around ye olde Broadway and on my way home, I walked passed the Lansdowne to find Mr. Skot and Mr. Graeme sitting in the window. I was whisked inside and treated to Toohey's Old for the next few hours. I got to listen to ESN's latest 3 song demo, which is sounding pretty damn cool, and I met a nice chick from Philadelphia who went to school in Boston. We got all nostalgic about Fenway Park, the Sunset Grille (which is like the Rose of Chippendale, or how the Rose used to be) and the T and Commonwealth Ave. and Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market etc. It was a good time. What was funny is that it took me forever to realise she had a Yank accent. Doh.

Today I spent the day reading and writing at Broadway and Darling Harbour. Gorgeous weather this weekend. Today I even got too hot with my layers and peeled down to my tank top on the way to Darling Harbour. Of couse, I had to keep moving as the sun was going down as once you're in the shade, you can't do the tank top anymore.

I didn't mean to perv but I kept watching these three 16-17 year old kids, two girls and a guy. One of the girls and the guy were together and kept making out, while the other girl, the poor third wheel, tried to look "busy" by brushing her hair a lot and putting on lip gloss. Poor thing. Talk about awkward.

I may have done my fair share of making out at Darling Harbour, but hey, I never dragged a third person along. I have some sort of respect for others ;)