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| The view from my desk |
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Rainbows: a moment in time - 6th July 2012
Is the answer no too often? - 5th July 2012
The late Steve Jobs was many things including visionary, innovator and risk taker. He also had a knack for making observations that while simple in essence, have a profound impact on me. His quote above from a commencement ceremony at Stanford University struck a chord with me when I read it again this morning. How many of us can really say we are brave enough to make changes in our life that while tough, could lead to the happiness we are we all seeking? I am making myself a new promise. I will now be brave when the answer is no too often. Steve Jobs, thank you for the lesson in perspective.
So close but yet so far - 4th July 2012
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| The battle |
.
Tropical time - 3rd July 2012
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| Cocktails and dreams |
I've spent a long time wishing one of our friends would have a destination wedding. Wish finally granted...tropical Thailand here we come! As of today the flights and our outdoor jacuzzi suite are booked. Cocktails and dreams – now that is something to look forward to!
Return of the bubble dog - 2nd July 2012
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| Poor Cuba's xray |
The 'Bubble' dog has returned. Our darling fluff ball Cuba has earned this nickname after a string of expensive and obscure illnesses since birth – think chicken allergy, shoulder strain and almost losing an eye. One friend suggested we put her in a bubble to keep her safe.
Well, the next instalment in the Cuba chronicles has arrived. She has a shocking case of tonsillitis and today needed her tonsils removed. Yes, you read that correctly – our dog had its tonsils removed.
She is down a few teeth and two tonsils. We are down a big wad of cash. Today I am both grateful and smiling. I’m smiling because the adorable fluff ball is ok and grateful that we succumb to the embarrassment a few years and purchased pet insurance. Wise move!
You've gotta have dreams - 1st July 2012
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| Time Square...oh how I love NYC |
.
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Down she goes - 30th June 2012
It's official, the decision has been made - I am having surgery to fix my feet and ankles. The drastic call comes after I took yet anther tumble in heels. My ankles are notoriously flexible (read roll over...a lot) and tonight I provided the entertainment as a group of us walked to diner. One minute I was strolling along chatting, the next my ankle bone decides to kiss the pavement, sending me in a slow motion tumble, which thnkfly was so graceful, one frined through I was just bending down to pick something up. The probems was I stayed down on my knees for a bit too long. Itt was clealrly a stsck!
I am so so gratful that I didn;t break and ankle, or rip my stockings/Tw big wins tonight. I've decided to have the surgery as I think my luck is close to running out.
My dear friend Karen posted this quote above on my Facebook wall post stack. Classic. Thansk Kaz!
A staycation - 29th June 2012
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| Jamie's Italian for dinner |
If you
can't go on a vacation, a staycation is the next best thing. Today James and I
treated ourselves to a little vacation from our life today. We put the dogs
with a dog-sitter, did some serious shopping, checked into a hotel and went to
dinner. Staycations are totally underrated! I wish we could do this every
month.
Today I am grateful for having a free night in a
hotel we had to use before August. What a perfect way to spend a day.
Home sweet home - 28th June 2012
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| Oh how I've missed you... welcome home |
As
Dorothy once said: "There is no place like home." This is especially
true when the place you come home to is like the scene that greeted me tonight.
The lights were on, the house was warm and the kitchen was filled with the
aroma of a yummy home cooked meal. But best of all – James was standing in the
kitchen with a glass of wine.
The scene is a far cry from that of the past few
weeks while James has been away. Profits will now plummet at the local take
aways, but I am delighted to have my husband home. I couldn’t wipe the smile
off my face as I walked in tonight.
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Hail Nelson - 27th June 2012
After the
excitement (and smugness) of yesterday's post, I have hit the last mile holiday
slump. Why is it that the last few weeks before a break are the slowest and
hardest? Today the relaxing brilliance of that island seems a lifetime away.
It's fair to say I needed a little perspective to
get me through. And I found it in the wise words of one of my idols – the great
Nelson Mandela. "It always seems impossible until it's done." So
true. I am hanging onto this perspective and the knowledge this holiday will be
here…soon.
The countdown is on - 26th June 2012
What women really mean - 25th June 2012
Ohhh... this quote is so true. Men make me laugh
for all the wrong reasons. There is just such an incredible difference in the
way men's and women's brains work. Today I had an encounter that was
defined by the above. When the rules of politeness and social etiquette demand
you don’t speak the thoughts in your head aloud, sometimes "What?" is
all you can say. Today I am grateful for being a women, despite the pain of
walking in high heels, the pressure to be constantly groomed and manicured and
the glass ceiling. It so much better than then alternative! Poor men, they
struggle.
Loving Alonso - 24th June 2012
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| What a perfect excuse to post this fine pic |
I admit
it. I am coming out of the sporting bad boy closet. I am an officially out and
proud Fernando Alonso fan. This is a rather big call given I am President of
the Lewis Hamilton Fantasy Boyfriend Club. However, I’ve decided I can preside
over both fan clubs.
I owe my
newfound appreciation of Alonso’s sporting prowess to Twitter. I have been
following him since I joined simply because initially I didn’t really get the
point of Twitter (it all seemed rather self indulgent). I wanted something to
keep me interested. F1 always does that. Alonso posts regularly – his insights
are amusing and good pics can be fantastic. I’m hooked.
After today’s brilliant win in Valancia, I have a
feeling this could be shaping up to be a Championship year. Come on Alonso (and
Lewis, if McLaren can fix that car!). Oh...how I love watching Formula 1 on a
Sunday night. #bigsmiles
Breaking the bra rules - 23rd June 2012
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| All we need is nipple tassles |
Apparently
I have been putting my bra on incorrectly for the last 20 plus years. I am also
unhygienic because you are supposed to wash your bra after every wear it, even
if you've only worn it for 20 minutes. Come on...surely other people wear their
bra for more than one day in a row? I don't sweat much...honest. Surely that
makes it a bit more ok, doesn’t it?
These are
just two of the highlights from my first 'Intimo' lingerie party. Thank you to
my dear friend Bernadette for the most hilarious Saturday I have had for a long
time. I had the pleasure of fantastic company, laughed my arse off and
purchased some sexy new underwear. Not a bad day out! Here are a few hilarious insights
about bra etiquette:
- Your boobs should sit halfway between your should and elbow, when you put the top of your arm beside your body and your forearm out at 90 degrees. TICK
- The correct way to put a bra on is to put your arms through the straps first, then reach around and do the hooks up at the back. The "do it up around your waist then pull it up to your chest" approach, along with the "do it up at the front and spin it around technique" are incorrect and lead to stretching of the straps = FAIL
- You should wash you bra after every wear, regardless of the results from the sniff test = FAIL (but I don’t sniff, that was someone else's confession)
They say laughter is good for the soul. My soul is
in great shape after today. Thanks ladies.
Separated at birth - 22nd June 2012
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| My cousin...my twin? |
DNA and
the mysteries of the gene pool fascinate me. I am constantly perplexed at how
children from the same parents can be totally different in looks and
personality, while people with a genetic link on a secondary level, such as
nieces, aunts and cousins can be almost identical.
I've
discussed on this blog the curious case of my niece and I. She looks just as I
did at her age and we share 90% of the same personality traits (thankfully she
inherited part of my sisters gently caring nature, accounting for the 10%
difference). This likeness amazes me.
What I’ve
just discovered is even stranger are the similarities between my cousin Peta and
myself. If we didn’t know better I’d swear we were separated at birth. While we
look different, we share the same sense of humour, the same outlook on life, the
inability to stop dancing when music plays and a whole range of other traits
that weird my husband out. We've only discovered this likeness recently as we
didn't grew up together.
Tonight I spent the evening with the darling Peta.
We had a ball at a dance/theatre show and talked and laughed for hours (as neither
of us draw breath). I had the most fantastic night. It was like hanging out
with a funnier version of myself. As self-absorbed as this sounds, I thoroughly
enjoyed it!
Wrestling a sumo - 21st June 2012
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| Keep pushing despite the odds |
This picture made me belly laugh. I probably
laughed so hard because some days this is exactly what life feels like. You are
pushing with all of your might, but you don’t realise how big the obstacle in
front of you actually is. It’s a good thing life’s obstacles are not
as visible as the sumo. In our minds we can turn them into skinny dudes who are
easy to overpower. Perception is reality.
Learning to fly - 20th June 2012
This is a brilliant quote. I came across it today and immediately felt it was speaking to me. It's a simple reminder to focus on the positive things in your life, rather than those that distract you from achieving your hearts desires. I want to fly.
Feeling blessed - 19th June 2012
Today I am counting my blessings. I am so grateful for the little win a very important person in my world has just had. Sometimes you only need to smile and be thankful for the win. I am doing just that.
How time flies - 18th June 2012
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| The birthday girl wearing her presents |
It feels
like yesterday that I received the text announcing the arrival of Siena Jewell
Smith. But time, as they say in a cruel mistress. Our group's first baby tuned
six last week. I can hardly believe it.
I
remember the day she was born so clearly. I raced straight out and started
shopping for baby clothes. I discovered a whole new level of shopping pleasure
that day. You can never be too fat or short for kids clothes. Everything looks
so cute and you can just buy it without the need to try it on only to realise
it looks better on the hanger.
I've
continued my tradition of buying clothes as birthday presents because I get as
much pleasure out of the process as I hope the kids do from wearing them.
I am pleased to report that Siena was a fan of this
year’s offering – boots and a beanie so she looks cutting edge at school. She
has given me a new nickname in return – "Cool Patrice".
I am very happy with this. Happy birthday Sienna Jewel.
The lucky tumble - 17th June 2012
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| Seriously Dad...that came out of your pants? |
It's not
nice to laugh at another's misfortune but sometimes that misfortune is so
hilarious you can do nothing but laugh. Imagine this scene - my Dad finds
himself unexpectedly locked out of my house. Instead of calling and asking me
to come back, he decides to jump off our front steps, land on the ground below,
then climb up onto the back deck and enter via a door he remembered leaving
open. Great plan – but shocking execution.
Poor Dad didn’t
expect the ground to be so soft and squishy. He lost his footing and fell over,
hitting his head on the cement and breaking the neighbours window with his elbow
in the process. We arrived home to find him holding a tissue to his bleeding
head. Obviously Dad was fine, which is when the laughs started.
This
story is so classically Dad. Funny shit just happens to him. But this little
adventure got even better. Five hours after the tumble he stood up shaking his
leg. He could feel something "sticking into" his skin. Several shakes
later the piece of glass above fell onto the floor. How in hell did he not feel
that inside his jeans? Oh Dad, you make me laugh.
I shouldn’t
laugh to hard though, I’m more like him than I like to admit. I locked myself
out of the house at 7am this morning while walking the dogs – complete with bed
head. I had to wake the neighbours up and ask if I could run through their
house holding my dogs. We are two peas in a pod.
Loving living local - 16th June 2012
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| Bottega del Vino - Potts Point |
It continually amazes
me how many fantastic things are right under your nose. This morning I went on
a mission to explore my local area and found this little gem – Bottega del Vino in Potts Point. As you step inside
you are transported into a world of beautiful wines, cheeses, breads and little
treats. It is truly amazing and yummy. The smile on my face has lasted all day.
I’ve now made it my mission to visit all of the restaurants, bars and cafes I
can find in Potts Point by Christmas.
Life as a single mum - 15th June 2012
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| My sleeping baby...I love him like this |
Right now
I feel like that woman from the ad on TV who would say in a whiney voice:
"I'm a single mum with a daughter". Well that's exactly how I feel,
except I'm a single mum with a son and a daughter. Oh, and small side note, and
my kids are dogs.
Anyway,
the point of this story is that James is away at the moment and I'm looking
after the puppies on my own. Today I gained an incredible amount of respect for
real single parents. I don't know how they do it!
I've got
a shocking cold and wanted to do nothing but stay in bed all day. But that
wasn't happening. The puppies needed a 'pee' walk to 7am, then they needed
breakfast, then one of them ate their bed leaving me to clean up about a lounge
room full of stuffing and ripped material. Then we were off to the park for
their big walk. It went on and on.
Today I am grateful for several things. The first
is my commitment to listing to my gut instinct. I am not cut out to have real
children. Second is the fact I am only responsible for dogs. There is less
guilt when you give them a bone and go to hide in your bedroom for hours.
Thirdly, I am grateful for the love these dogs bring into my life. After
crawling out of the bedroom I moved to the lounge to sulk in my flu life haze.
Little Rocco came to give me a cuddle and feel asleep on my chest. So sweet. He
made me feel slightly better.
My sweet Revenge - 14th June 2012
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| Nolan...no, please don't die |
I
continue to learn a lot about myself in the process of writing this blog, and
most revelations are not as endearing as I'd hoped. It appears I have less than
zero patience coupled with a desire for instant gratification. There is also the
inclination to ‘treat myself’ regularly, but we will deal with that
later.
Tonight
my impatience got the better of me and I downloaded the remaining episodes of
Revenge - my new guilty pleasure. And what a brilliant few hours it was. I
won't spoil the ending for those of you who are not there yet, but suffice to
say it was brilliant, with a few shocking twists.
I am grateful for the pure pleasure my impatience
brought into my world tonight.
Bitches get stuff done - 13th June 2012
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| Oh yes we do |
Thank you Tina Fey for the giggle and the reminder
that it's not such a bad thing to be a bitch. Bitches do get stuff done.
I spent the day being one in order to make things happen. Mission
accomplished.
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Body warmers - 12th June 2012
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| Fluffy hot water bottles |
You can't beat having your own personal body warmers on a chilly night. For some reason the puppies like to sleep on me while I stretch out on the couch watching TV. I love the T shape they created tonight for maximum warmth.
Being thankful - 11th June 2012
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| Horrid and scary driving conditions |
Tonight I am grateful to be home safe and sound.
The last two hours of my drive home back to Sydney were eventful to say the
least! The puppies and I battled through torrential rain and the car almost
broke down. The saying is true...absence does make the heart grow fonder.
I can't wait for James to come back home. You see, when he goes away everything
breaks. Last time a tile fell off the bathroom wall and almost hit me on the
head. This time our reliable car decided to have some issues I had no chance of
fixing. The lessons for today – join NRMA immediately (just in case) and appreciate my husband more.
Toasting marshmallows - 10th June 2012
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| Nanny and Payten toasting marshmallows |
I
thoroughly enjoy watching my Mum and my niece together - partly because it
reminds me of my childhood and partly because it reminds me what a truly
fantastic mother I have. Everyone is put on this earth with one special talent.
I still haven't found mind, but I know what my Mum's is. She is the perfect
mother/grandmother. She has an uncanny ability to combine nurturing motherly
instinct with unfailing wisdom.
Today we had a day-time bon fire (I know, its
weird). Payten was so excited about the chance to toast marshmallows, but when
crunch time came the flames were too scary. In steps Nanny Kathy with a big
stick and some encouraging words. Minutes later they are happily toasting away.
Note the sunglasses - Payten looks like Louie the Fly. Apparently she needed Aunty
Trice's glasses because the flames were too hot. Classic!
Big kisses to the birthday baby - 9th June 2012
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| The beautiful birthday boy |
Being and
Aunty is one of my favourite roles. Aunties get to do all the cool stuff and
carry none of the responsibility. We can buy noisy and messy presents, we can
whirl in like a tornado of excitement, stir the kids up and leave before
bedtime. But most importantly, we get to share special moments and eat fairy
bread at their birthdays. I've always loved fairy bread.
Today was my beautiful nephew Zander's 1st birthday
party. He really is the sweetest little soul in the world. I feel so honoured
to have spent the day with him and to watch him taste chocolate cake and
birthday icing (a Nanny Kathy special) for the first time. Big kisses to you
Zander. xxoo.
Petrol...I just want normal petrol - 8th June 2012
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| Which one is normal petrol? |
What happened
to good old fashioned unleaded petrol? Remember the days when you drove up to
the pump, choose the unleaded nozzle over the diesel one and filled up – it
shouldn't be any harder than that, should it? Today I found myself facing a
petrol dilemma for the second time in as many weeks. There I stood staring at
three different options: Vortex 98; Vortex 95 and BioUnleaded 91. WTF. I just
want normal unleaded petrol.
This dilemma has put a couple of things into perspective today. First, I obviously don’t fill up the car enough. I’m sure
this Vortex business hasn’t occurred overnight. I relying on my husband
to fill our car. Opps. Second, I am getting old. I feel like my Mum when mobile
phones first came out. The upside is my Mum got to grips with texting pretty
fast (the fact my brother taught her and she texts like an 18-year-old boy is
also rather cute), so there is hope for me yet. At least I got a good laugh out of my own stupidity I suppose.
By the way, James says the answer
is to switch between Vortex 95 and Vortex 98 each time I fill up. Just bring
back normal petrol I say!
Welcome home - 7th June 2012
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| What...it wasn't me. I promise. |
One of the best things about pets is the amount of laughs they bring to your life. This is the sight that greeted me as I got home tonight. Rocco spent the day shredding his bed. The biggest laugh from the look on their faces as I took this pic. "What...what are you looking at? Oh, that mess. I didn't do it...I swear. It wasn't me."
Saturday, 7 July 2012
What defines us - 6th June 2012
There are some days you wish you could just press
rewind and start again. I had one of those today. I can't change the way thing
unfolded, but I can manage how I pick myself up and move forward. Right now I
am in the middle of my own personal test. It is said that the way a person
rises after falling, shows their true character. Let's hope I rise like a
phoenix. Today I am grateful for finding perspective in a shitty situation that
a few years ago would have had me throwing my toys out of the pram.
Above the storm - 5th June 2012
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| Rising above the storm |
Regular readers of this blog, and anybody lucky enough to have flown with me, know what a nervous flyer I am. Ever since my last post bragging about the smoothness of the last few flights, I've been worried I may have jinxed myself. Today that theory was really put to the test. I'm pleased to report I am blogging from earth, not heaven.
My fight took off in the middle of a massive storm
this afternoon. By massive I mean winds over 100km/h and a runway that
resembled a river. The take off was scary to say the least. But then the
strangest thing happened...we flew through the storm and emerged in clear calm
air in the middle of a beautiful sunset. Today reminded me how quickly things
can change. You just have to hang on through the scary and tough bits. A much
better situation can be just minutes away.
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| Just push the big round button |
On a lighter note, I also had a hilarious encounter
today which requires reporting. In the toilets at the airport was washing my hands
when a woman, clearly not from the big smoke asked me how you dry you hands
"in this place". I pointed to the above hand dryer, suggesting that
was the best option. "Oh," she said. Rather perplexed she continued
with: "How do you get them to work?" I giggled so hard to myself once
I got out. Where in Australia does no have hand dryers?
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