2008 Christmas Adventures

Like always, our 2008 Christmas was a veritable smorgasboard of family gatherings. In Sydney, Wollongong, Campbelltown and Canberra we stuffed ourselves with Christmas food and had a great time catching up with family and friends.

In the spirit of the season I have summed up our visit to the tune of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'....feel free to sing-a-long........

On the first day of Christmas my Family gave to me a random Christmas party.

On the second day of Christmas my Family gave to me, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party.

On the third day of Christmas my Family gave to me, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the fourth day of Christmas my Family gave to me, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the fifth day of Christmas my Family gave to me, a giant Christmas Ham, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the sixth day of Christmas my Family gave to me, six cupcake holders, a giant Christmas Ham, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the seventh day of Christmas my Family gave to me, seven DVDs, six cupcake holders, a giant Christmas Ham, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the eighth day of Christmas my Family gave to me, eight “dad jokes”, seven DVDs, six cupcake holders, a giant Christmas Ham, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the ninth day of Christmas my Family gave to me, nine games of Smart Arse, eight “dad jokes”, seven DVDs, six cupcake holders, a giant Christmas Ham, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the tenth day of Christmas my Family gave to me, ten days of eating, nine games of Smart Arse, eight “dad jokes”, seven DVDs, six cupcake holders, a giant Christmas Ham, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the eleventh day of Christmas my Family gave to me, eleven tiger prawns, ten days of eating, nine games of Smart Arse, eight “dad jokes”, seven DVDs, six cupcake holders, a giant Christmas Ham, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party

On the twelfth day of Christmas my Family gave to me, twelve boxes of chocolate, eleven tiger prawns, ten days of eating, nine games of Smart Arse, eight “dad jokes”, seven DVDs, six cupcake holders, a giant Christmas Ham, four bath products, three hundred dollars, two shots of coffee and a random Christmas party!

Merry Christmas from Hol n Al

A belated post of our 2008 Cheesy Christmas Letter

At first glance, it would appear that 2008 has been a fairly uneventful year for Holnal. We didn’t move to a remote place or go on overseas adventures. We led, what we would call, a fairly normal existence in 2008. However, on second glance it is clear – we can never call our lives ‘normal’.

In 2008 we completed and graduated from study:
Both Allan and Holly graduated from long periods of study in 2008. Holly finished up her Bachelor of Arts (English) in 2007 and graduated from the University of New England in April. Dad and Allan were on-hand to witness this auspicious occasion and revel in the strange temperatures of Armidale in autumn. Allan completed all of his ATPL (Airline Transport Pilots License) exams in 2008, after several years of self-paced study. This was the final piece of the puzzle in his aviation qualification, making him eligible to apply for positions with airlines.

Both of us can safely say that we won’t be undertaking any further study in the immediate future!

In 2008 we changed jobs:
At the end of 2007 Holly was saved from ‘the chop’ in the Rio takeover of Alcan by the offer of a fly-in-fly-out contract to Gove. The role was the same one she had previously undertaken in Gove, so there were no problems stepping back into the fray! After almost 6 months of spending one week in Brisbane, one week in Gove, the novelty was beginning to wear off. In July, Holly left Rio Tinto Alcan for the bright lights of the Gold industry taking up a position as Internal Communications Manager for LGL (Lihir Gold Limited). This was a tough decision as it meant leaving Gove (again!) but was made easier by the fact that LGL was offering a permanent position, something Rio was not prepared to do. Now after almost 6 months in the job Holly has been to the Papua New Guinean operations 4 times and been underground at the Ballarat operation.

Allan also changed jobs – in a way – progressing from flying the Navajo and Chieftains to the King Air. Although with the same company, the King Air is a turbo prop, pressurised cabin, aircraft, one more notch up the ladder towards a 747! He has about 75 hours in the new plane already and continues to fly the Navajo’s when required. Now that the study is out of the way and his experience is growing it was time to take the leap of faith (literally) and put in applications at the major airlines. Applications for Qantas, Virgin Blue and Jetstar have been submitted but no response as yet. With the ‘financial crisis’ looming its not looking good but we know that God can work a miracle in any situation.

In 2008 we moved house:
For those of you that visited our little flat in Milton, you will recollect with fondness the roaring of B-Doubles past our door, the trains and the noise from Suncorp Stadium. Despite these memories we decided to move to somewhere larger and closer to the airport at the end of our lease in March. The rental market being what it is we got knocked back for several places before finally finding a nice (aka small), tidy (aka nothing’s falling apart) and well-positioned (aka train line is practically over the back fence) house in the suburb of Nundah. Its only 10 minutes from the airport and close to the shops and public transport – what more could we need! Unfortunately about 3 weeks after we moved in, our industrious landlord decided to remove the four very large trees in our substantial backyard turning it into a suburban wasteland. Since then we have spent our weekends ‘planting things’ in an effort to make the house look less dodgy.

Hotel De Rooy is in full swing with a number of visitors this year including Al’s brother, Al’s aunt and uncle from Bundaberg, Holly’s Dad and his partner and most recently Holly sister Astrid, her husband Chris and the ‘baby bump’.

In September, our new house was the subject of a robbery. The story of the events has now been dubbed ‘The Dumbest Criminal in the World’, due to the fact that the two young offenders were not only caught by Allan in broad daylight walking down our street with all our stuff, but also the fact that one of them left a whopping big hand print on our dining room table after climbing in the window. The print was so good, that the police forensics team didn’t have to dust any other surfaces. Thankfully we got all our possessions back and nothing was damaged.

In 2008 we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary:
Yes, its been four years. This year we celebrated with a fantastic meal at Bretts Wharf (thank you to Jacqueline our waitress!). We talked about the last 12 months of marriage and what we thought the next year held for us. Like some people make new year’s resolutions, we made some resolutions about our marriage and what the future held for us.

So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - May all your 2009 dreams come true!

I was blind but now I see

Here is the blog about my laser eye surgery experience. It comes in three parts: The Day Before, The Day Of and The Day After. Enjoy!

The Day Before
When my alarm went off this morning I was awake immediately. There was no ‘snoozing’ the alarm, or rolling over and snuggling next to Allan, denying the reality that I had to get out of bed and go to work. No, today I was up (and atom) faster than you could say “Laser Eye Surgery”.

Today was the beginning of the rest of my life.

This afternoon I would head to the Australian Eye Institute in North Sydney to undergo an assessment before having my vision corrected by Laser Eye Surgery on Friday. I have experienced severe myopia (short-sightedness) and astigmatism (I have no idea what this is?) for 21 years of my life. After indulging in some ‘groovy’ 80’s style glasses as a youngster I moved onto contact lenses before my eyes were physically ready just for the convenience of being glasses-free. Well, not just for the convenience, but also to avoid the stigma that came with wearing glasses as a child. Branded either a nerd or four-eyes, I was teased like any other child that suffers from bad eyesight. But enough of the sob story, today all that changes.

There are a few things that I am going to do once I am glasses free…..I am going to buy a decent pair of sunglasses, I’ve never had a really good pair that weren’t prescription. I’m headed to Wet’n’Wild to go on all the waterslides. I have always avoided waterslides because either I have to go on without glasses and can’t see where the hell I am going, or I go with contact lenses and hope to God I don’t loose one in the pool at the end. More water sports – I’m going to go snorkelling, I might actually be able to see the fish properly now! AND finally, I’m going back to ballet. I haven’t been for the last few months as I get too frustrated trying to dance in my glasses.

My assessment with Dr Bittener went well. No surprises there. They told me that my eyesight, particularly in my left eye, was considered high myopia (well, duh) and that I may expect to have a longer healing process and the possibility of regression (eye sight getting bad again) in that eye. I am believing in faith that this won’t happen and I will have quick recovery and no regression will occur.

The Day Of
And so it’s Friday morning. I barely slept last night – I kept dreaming about the surgery and getting butterflies in my stomach. I’m going to have breakfast with Mo-pants this morning before heading over the North Sydney. I am booked in at 11:30am and all up I could be there for around two hours. The procedure only takes about 7-10 minutes per eye. The laser correction may only be 30 seconds of that time. It’s hard to think that it takes only 20 minutes to fix what for 21 years of my life I have been struggling with. Like so many others who have had the surgery, I am beginning to think “Why didn’t I do this earlier!”

Thanks to Sydney traffic (and a yummy breakfast at Cinque in Newtown) I was running about 10 minutes late for my appointment. After handing over the $2500, they gave me valium to calm me down. For most people it’s because they’re nervous, for me it was because I was hyperactive with excitement. About 5 minutes later I was taken into the surgical suite. I put on a hair net and shoe covers and was told to wait. After what seemed an eternity, the Doctor’s assistant came out and placed anaesthetic eye drops in my eyes….yay no needles.


From there I was escorted into the operating suite. I lay down on the bed and Dr Bittener began the procedure on my right eye. He explained each step before he did it. First he put a patch over my left eye and then clear tape over my right eye. After cutting an incision in the tape he placed a clamp over my eye that forced my eyelids open. From there he tested my eye to ensure that the anaesthetic had worked. Then came the worst part - he placed a surgical instrument down on my eye to make the incision in the corneal flap. This was the most painful part of the whole procedure and it was more uncomfortable than painful. From there he lifted the corneal flap back to expose the cornea. I could actually see him do this which was really bizarre. Then it was time for the actual laser correction. It lasted all of about a minute and Dr Bittner gave me updates the whole way through, like ‘we’re 1/3 of the way now etc.

Once finished he re-laid the corneal flap in placed and put water in my eye to help seal it back into place. He then waited for two minutes before going to the left eye. The left eye was much more painful than the right and as such I have a small amount of haemorrhaging on my eye ball. Once the left eye was complete he asked me to sit up and read the clock on the wall. I told him it was 12:40pm and then started to cry because it was the first time I’d been able to read a clock that far away for as long as I could remember.


Another assistant then took me into a dark room where I relaxed for 5-10 minutes. He then explained all the do’s and don’t following my procedure including when I had to use my eyes drops and the fact that I wasn’t allowed to wear eye make-up for five days.
And that was it….in one hour my sight was restored.

Mum then took me to the hotel where I proceeded to shut all the blinds turn off all the lights and hide in the dark for the next 2-3 hours. I was actually in more pain ½ hour after the procedure than directly after it. It took a good 2-3 hours before my eyes stopped watering profusely and no longer felt like someone had thrown sand in my eyes.

At about 5pm I managed to watch some news on TV with sunglasses on and a sarong over my head. I was laughing like a little kid in the ad breaks as I could read all the text on the TV screen! Later that night Mum took me downstairs to the hotel restaurant for dinner. I look so pretentious with my dark glasses on at night, but a quick explanation to the waitress set things right.


The Day After
7:30am the day after and I was back at the surgery for my post-op check up. Dr Binetter was extremely pleased with my right eye – it had progressed better than expected. My left eye was doing well, not as fast a recovery time but that is due to the fact that it had a higher prescription in the first place. All in all I was a model patient.

Mum and I then went back to the hotel for a lazy morning with coffee and the Saturday Herald (ah, I love the SMH). Before we left North Sydney for the southern suburbs I made Mum drive back down to McMahon’s point where I had taken a photo the day before. I wanted an ‘after’ shot.

By the end of the ‘Day After’ I was getting a little tired and light was still sensitive, but I was so excited still. I was getting ready for bed at Ast & Chris’ and after getting into bed I go back up and went into the bathroom preparing to take my contact lenses out. Once I got into the bathroom I realised ‘Hang on! I don’t have contacts in, I can just see!’ It still hadn’t sunk in that I didn’t have to wear glasses any more.

And…almost one week later it still hasn’t. Every night I have to remind myself as I turn off the TV and go to sleep that I don’t have to get up and take my contact lenses out. I can just see now.

I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind but now I see.

And my eyes were opened

Only two days to go until I can see again....well I can see now, but not well. At the moment, without glasses I can barely see 20cm in front of my face, let alone anything at a distance.

For 21 years of my life I have worn glasses. Some of them (looking back) were not the most attractive style in the world but let me tell you they were cool in the 80's (about as cool as hypercolour t-shirts, scrunchy socks and crimped hair!) I remember a pair that looked a bit like Harry Potter's glasses, boy was I ahead of my time. Either that or I belonged in a fantasy novel?

As of Friday afternoon, I will no longer require this fashion accessory (Praise God!) until I am old and decrepit and get 'age deterioration' in my eyesight. God willing that will be a few years yet!

So next time you see me, I will be looking at you with new eyes. I wonder if they can change the colour too while they're poking around?

A labour of necessity

Its funny you know. I have been working really long days, really long hours in the office, weekends etc and I stopped myself today and thought why?

I am currently working on the development of a new intranet for my company and the last few weeks have been filled with a flurry of work with the consultants and content owners at each site getting ready for launch (which I might add after all my work, has been delayed by 4 days till Monday). Through all of this I have been working ALOT. I won't tell you how much as you will all be ashamed of me.

I thought today...'why I am so dedicated to this?'. It is not because I love my job, I don't. It is not because this project will be of some greater good to society, it won't. It is not because I am serving God, I'm not (well not directly...see Colossians 3:23). It is because I feel some necessity within me to appear dedicated to my job.

I am not alone in this. Hundreds of people chain themselves to the office everyday for hours longer than they should, and for what. They don't get recognition from their boss, they don't get paid any more and they are missing valuable time with their friends and family.

So why do we do this to ourselves. I think somewhere along the way society has begun to place work on a pedestal far above where it should be and made it the ultimate goal in life. Therefore, if I am working long hours and going 'hard' at it in the office I am respected.

Can I tell you now this is crap. So, I am calling for you ( and me included) to stop putting work first in our lives. Start putting God, our family and friends first. These are the most important things in life.

That's enough ranting from me for one day......now its time for a glass of champagne and a relax!

27 days but who's counting?

I am! It's 27 days till I can throw away my glasses, throw out all my old contact lense solutions and be able ot find my towel when I get out of the surf!

Yes, that's right, I am having laser eye surgery. A new, clear visioned me will emerge from the surgery in North Sydney on Friday 12 December, being able to see the world without the aid of glasses....YIPPPEEEEE!

For those of you that don't wear glasses you won't understand how truly liberating this feeling will be. But for those of you attached to your specs, you will understand.... The joy of not having to grab your glasses just to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, the joy of not having your glasses fog up when you open the oven door, the joy of being able to swin in the ocean or the pool and be able to see, both under the water and above it! To quote Eliza Doolittle, 'wouldn't it be lovely'.

Take one last look.....these are the last contact lenses I will ever wear.

27 days to go and I am counting!

No one mourns the Wicked

Except for me. The musical theatre show Wicked that is. I can't believe how amazing it was and I am in mourning for the fact that its over (well the show I saw anyways, they perform 8 shows a week at the moment!). This is, without a doubt, one of the most brilliant productions I have ever had the privilege to witness - and I have seen a few. From the moment it began Ben and I were enthralled. For those that don't know what show I am talking about - here is a quick rundown on the show from their website:

Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet
in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

From the moment the curtains opened, to the moment they closed at the end of each half I could barely take my eyes off the stage. The actors that play Elphaba and Glinda, although relative unknowns in the world of Musical Theatre, are an inspired choice. Anthony Callea and Rob Mills (aka Australian Idol rejects) were not. Thankfully we didn't have to suffer through Rob Mills' performance - it must have been his day off. Possibly Paris Hilton was in town again (ouch!).

Apart from the unbelievable talent of its two lead characters, what makes Wicked stand out from other recent productions, is that it has an actual story. It's well written and well scripted storyline is supported by an eclectic mix of music by the great Stephen Schwartz. It is not an excuse to throw some aging pop/rock band's music together (aka We Will Rock You or Mamma Mia) nor did some money-hungry producer decide "Gee this movie was great - why not cash with a musical" (aka Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Billy Elliot).

Wicked takes you back to true musical theatre genius with added bonus of advancements in technology. The costumes were spectacular (I was kinda jealous in a weird way) and the choreography was interesting - no jazz hands or spirit fingers to be seen.

If you aren't online booking tickets at this very moment...DO IT, DO IT NOW! You won't regret it.

What happens in Vegas

So much as happened in the last two weeks that it would be impossible for me to tell you everything. And more importanly I am a firm believer in the old adage what happens on the road, stays on the road. So without revealing too much I will tell you some of what I have been up to over the last two weeks.

The last fortnight has involved me travelling to each of our mine sites (not Africa unfortunately) to train employees in the management of our 'soon to be launched' intranet system. So far the stops have been Brisbane>PNG>Bundaberg>Ballarat>Melbourne. There's been a lot of time spent in planes and cars - in hotels and in restaurants. So much so, that it reminded me of my days with Wakkakiri, travelling around Australia.

Lucky for me, most of the people I have to travel with were amiable. There's nothing worse than not being able to get along with the people you are spending 16 hours a day with. I must admit, however lovely they were, I was glad to have some time to myself over the last day or two.

It appears, from this trip, that I have an ability to attract hideously coloured hire cars. In Bundaberg we were the recipients of a 'Kermit' green Holden SV6 and in Melbourne (Ballarat) we were given the 'spew green' version of the same car. I have a feeling that no-one else wanted to be seen in these cars and that's why Avis ended up with them.

My restaurant recommendation from this trip would not be the pub in Mt Perry but two big surprises in Ballarat. One is Bibo - a funky little cafe on the main street and the other is Ballarat Steakhouse - probably the best steak I've had ever! Also had a great wine that night, am trying to get the name of it off a friend.

Meanwhile, whilst I have been enjoying the sights of regional and rural Australia, Al has been by his lonesome at home. Pretty soon it will be the other way around as he has put in his applications to the Airlines (well, Qantas, Virgin Blue and Jetstar so far).

More on these latest adventures tomorrow, meanwhile I'm off to watch a Bourne movie and enjoy a nice glass (or several) of Sav Blanc!

Welcome to paradise

Papua New Guinea's Lihir Island may be one of the most beautiful and unique places I have been so far in my life. Flying in over the island (and the surrounding islands) gives the impression that you are landing in some other world, a bit like that scene in Jurassic Park when they first arrive at Isla Sorna. This is my second visit and I am still amazed when the plane banks suddenly and lands onto the runway that starts at the edge of a cliff!

The friendly locals wave as we drive from the airport in the bus and the sun is producing a spectacular sunset as it goes down over the island's landscape. If I let my imagination wander I can almost believe that I have arrived on a tropical island for a holiday.

Breaking me out of my dream is the Accommodation Camp looming in the distance and the thought of staying in an air-conditioned box and eating mess food for 3 days. Its then that I remember I am not on the Island for a holiday but to conduct training in our new intranet system. Damn it! My beacon of hope is the Lihir Island Sports and Social Club - the perveyor of good food and good beer.

This trip was more comfortable than the last, not withstanding the change in accommodation style, I felt more at home. People recognised me; I recognised other people, particular PNG nationals.

The training that we were conducting was very well received. It took me back to my days at Sydney Ports when I undertook weeks of training in SalesLogix and at Gove when I trained people in technical writing and Alcan Source.

I think there is a ‘teaching gene’ in me that is dying to get out. I believe comes from Mum’s side of the family, although there are a lot of teachers in the Johnson Clan. I was at home in a classroom showing our employees this new system. I felt comfortable demonstrating and showing other people how to operate things and was comfortable at the front of a classroom.

For some of you this is not a shocking concept and you’re probably thinking – well of course you’re comfortable being in front of people, you sing, you dance, you act, what’s the difference. There’s a big difference. In teaching, I am imparting knowledge. There is a connection between the teacher and the student that is not the same as the performer and their audience.

This part of my job may be my saving grace. Everything else at work is not going particularly well at the moment (If you want to know more I’ll tell you in another forum – don’t want to write it on the blog). But this may save me.

We’ll see…..

My magnificent man in his flying machine

Despite all the early morning and late nights, being head pilot for a charter company occasionally has its perks. This time the perk was flying OMM (the chieftain) down to Melbourne for maintenance. Captain Al and Co-pilot Holly departed Brisbane on Friday morning headed for the sunny skies of Canberra. Brisbane was pissy and raining so it was good to get out-of-there. Whilst I have flown innumerable times in cloud, I still find it terribly unsettling to sit up in the co-pilot's seat and not be able to see where we are going. I was relieved when we got to Bathurst and the cloud dissipated.

We landed in Canberra and headed off to say hi to Squeezy and Papa (if you're thinking - what the hell is with those names? - we'll have to save the explanation for another time). Before dinner we took them back to the airport to see the plane that Al was flying. Luckily we could drive right up to the fence so Papa didn't have to get out the car. Managed to catch up with Al's sister and her fiance, Michael, as well and hear all about how their wedding and honeymoon plans were going. Not long now!

Saturday morning saw us flying over the snowy mountains on our way to Melbourne (La Trobe regional airport to be exact - not like we were landing at Tullamarine!). Spectacular views as there was still some snow about. Mt Hotham also had some snow as we passed by.

Melbourne turned on the good weather for us as we caught up with Ben and Ben, otherwise known as 'my Ben' and 'Al's Ben'. Had dinner with my Ben and then strolled over the VCA to watch one of the 2nd Year drama performances that Ben had helped with. A typical Tennessee Williams play - southern women fainting and being abused by druken southern men. A good performance though. On Sunday we saw 'Al's Ben' and talked about flying - as you do with other pilots. Also talked about weddings and honeymoons with his impending wedding to his Canadian sweetheart.

Back in Brisbane on Sunday night it felt like we had been away for ages - so much had happened in the last 72 hours. Oh well, just another adventure in the lives of Captain Al and Co-pilot Holly.

It's official....Top Gear Australia is poo

Well, I can't believe that I tuned in again on Monday night despite the fact that it is crystal clear - Top Gear Australia is poo!

Seemingly the TGA team were out to agree with me as they attempted to decide the age old Holden v Ford rivalry by racing a 6.2L V8 Holden Clubsport against a 4L V6 Ford....is that really an accurate competition? I don't know much about cars but even I know that those are two very different specifications which doesn't make for an even race.

And as for the 'we can haul ore out of a pit more efficiently than a haul truck' segment who do they think they are kidding? Speaking as someone who works for a gold company, what a load of poo that was. I believe that gold companies have already worked out that it is more efficient to haul ore with a 200 tonne truck and NOT a Nissan Navara. If it were more efficient with the Ute we'd all the able to 'get a job in the mines' because they would need thousands of people to drive the bloody things. The TGA team were never going to be able to reach that goal, and more disappointing was the fact that it wasn't even fun watching them try!

I'll be waiting until 24 Nov when SBS returns to their senses and brings back my beloved Jeremy, Richard and James instead of these second-rate mimics.

Its a matter of choice

Its a windy day today and as I was walking down the street with my coffee I began to wonder - if the wind were to come along and blow my skirt up would I save my modesty or my coffee? Its a tough choice for a self-confessed coffee addict/connoisseur such as myself. In the end, thankfully, I did not have to make that choice, making it back to my office unscathed. However, it started me thinking (which is unusual for me to do before a coffee hit) about the choices that we all have to make in life.

Everyday we are faced with choices, some big, some small. Some are significant in the impact they will have on our lives and others would appear insignificant. Given my 'health kick' at the moment everyday I am faced with the choice to go to the gym or to eat that extra bit of chocolate. Whilst these may seem like insignificant decisions they will ultimately have an impact on my end goal - ie losing weight and getting fit.

So with that in mind, are there other seemingly insignificant choices in our day that ultimately have a much larger impact than first thought? I would say yes. Today I am choosing to: think positively about my job (even though I dislike it); not gossip with my colleagues; and make time to call my friend who is having a stressful time. These might seem like small things but the impact of these choices is great. By thinking positively about my job I am more motivated in my work and more productive. By not gossiping about my colleagues, I position myself in the office as someone who can be trusted and as someone with integrity. By calling my friend (just to say hi) I am showing support and compassion for them when they need it most.

Every so often there is also a significant choice that comes up in our lives. One that will impact our future and decide the path that our life will take. For me, there have been two major choices and a myriad of mid-range choices in this category. The most important choice I ever made in my life was to accept Jesus. This, above everything else, has had the most profound impact on my life. Without God, I know that I would not be where I am today. Which leads me to my second choice - to marry Captain Al. This was such an easy choice that it didn't feel like I was choosing anything at all, it felt like it was destined (which it was!). Together we have made many other decisions which have guided us to where we are today, literally. We made the choice to stay in Sydney after we were married, move to Gove, then move to Brisbane and soon we will probably have to make the choice to leave Brisbane.

Life is full of choices....

• Get wisdom—it's worth more than money; choose insight over income every time. (Proverbs 16:16)
• Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose. (Proverbs 18:21)

....think about the choices you will make today and how they will affect you.

Stake it!

You wouldn't think it, but its happened. I have become a gym junkie! I joined Fitness First a few weeks ago and now I can't get enough. I love to 'feel the burn'!

Now, of all the addictions you could have this is a pretty healthy one. And don't get worried I'm not going to go turning into a body builder at any stage - believe me. The blessing of my new job is that I can fit in going to the gym and dancing and still get home at a reasonable hour to see my hubby.

So watch out, the incredible shrinking woman is here. My personal trainer and I have set a goal for the end of the year and I am powering on towards it. As I type my arms are killing me from lifting weights yesterday and my calves are killing from ballet at lunch today...its all go!

I LOVE IT

And now for the next mountain

It seems to me, just when you have overcome something in life or achieved a great goal, there is another mountainous challenge just ahead. At first it appears insurmountable, but as you start to climb you get a different perspective. Whilst we have recently reached a huge milestone in Al's career it means that looming in front of us is the next big challenge.

Al has just completed his ATPL (Airline Transport Pilots Licence - for those not 'down' with the lingo) exams, which is a great accomplishment. I could not be more proud of him. He has worked and studied and been a house-husband and moved states among so many other things AND managed to pass 7 exams including things like Air Law (yuk!) and Aerodynamics and aircraft systems (double-yuk!). In with all of this study he also achieved 1000 hrs single engine and 500 hrs twin engine time.

With all of that out of way the only thing left to do is to start applying for jobs in the airlines. The thing is....where do you start. Al and I have had numerous conversations about what airlines he should target, what are the chances of achieving any of these things in the next 6 months and most importantly where we are prepared to go. Which leads me to a wonderful thing called the "Wife's power of veto".

As a wife I have the 'power of veto' over destinations (or airlines) in which we may come to live in our lives. Fortunately, I didn't veto Gove as we had a most fabulous time, but there are a few places....and few airlines...which have made my veto list. Here they are in no particular order...

1. Defence forces (sorry, I'm not being one of the Defence force wives who stays home with the kids - that the husband conceived but never sees cause he's always deployed overseas.)
2. Aero-flop (known officially as Aeroflot but given the recent crash I think my alternative is more appropriate)
3. Virgin Nigeria (Sorry Sir Richard but not even you can convince me to move to Nigeria)
4. Sierra Leone (both Star Air and Air Universal have been banned from UK air space)
5. Cameroon (Cameroon Airlines banned from both UK and French air space)
6. Basically any airline in Africa (if you read the list of banned airlines...most of them are from the African region)

Now not to seem completely negative (and so it doesn't sound like Al is completely henpecked), here is my wish list for Al's dream jobs. These are not just made up by me, some are from discussions with Al.

1. Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong's a great place for ex-pats, plus think of the shopping!)
2. Singapore Airlines (So central to all of Asia, plus think of the shopping!)
3. Qantas (okay, so 'Qantas never crashes' but it has had some incidents recently. Despite which, I still think it would be cool to work for our national airline)
4. Royal Brunei (Despite being a dry, Muslim state, it is one of the mostly wealthy sultanates in the world with a fleet of new aircraft on order)
5. Air Canada (let's face it, I just love the thought of living in Canada)
6. Cushy Corporate Jet job (flying some celebrity or wealthy business man around could be fun - just don't give him your kidney!)

I'll keep you up to date as the journey progresses and I know, like me, you'll be so excited the day you on a plane and you hear "This is your First Officer Allan speaking".

The dumbest criminals in the world

If you are looking for a good book to read I have just finished Michael Robottom's Bombproof. The story revolves around a young guy, just out of prison, who finds himself through a series of misfortunes involved in a terrorist bombing in London and various other criminal offences. Now the central character in this novel, Sami Macbeth, is unlucky. I am about to tell you about two young criminals who are just plain stupid!

The story of dumb and dumber
On Monday morning Al was preparing for a flight when it got cancelled. So, feeling lucky to have the day off, he organised some things around the office and then went home early. Driving along our street he noticed two teenagers walking along the road with what appeared to be a surfboard very similar to his own. Thinking that this was a little too coincidental, Al pulled into our driveway and checked under the house for his board which, not surprisingly, was not there.

Back in the car and racing down the road, Al hooked the car into a driveway in front of the two guys carrying the board and now, Al noticed, a few other familiar looking items. These items turned out to be his electric guitar, our entire DVD collection, both cameras, our laptop and all of the decent alcohol in our house. Fortunately for my cooking they left me the sherry, brandy, red wine vinegar and the schnapps.

Not exactly being a wallflower, Al managed to detain one of the guys while dialing the police on his mobile with the other hand. The police, to their credit, responded quickly, but unfortunately the second guy legged it when Al dialled 000. Maybe he wasn't that dumb after all?

Back at our place, with all of our possessions returned (and fortunately not damaged as far as we can tell), we began to piece together what happened. Apparently the guys were cutting across our backyard as a shortcut and noticed that the door to the underneath of our house was open (never letting that happen again!), waltzed in and took a shine to Al's surfboard. Dumb, right! Deciding that nicking someones surfboard wasn't sufficient, they spied the dining room window on the second floor was slightly ajar (again, never doing that again!) and had a brilliant idea to scale the wall of our house and see what else they could find inside.

Now here is where things get to the 'dumber' part. After hauling ass through our window one of them leaves a big white dusty hand print on the middle of our dining room table. The print was so good, according to the Police forensics guy, that they didn't need any other prints in evidence. Wandering around our house, they helped themselves to our stuff including, you'll never believe it, a half-used tub of Al's hair wax. Yes, you read right, a half-used tub, not even the full one that was on the same shelf. We also thought one of my candles was missing until we found it underneath the coffee table.

I have no idea what else they looked through, but we know that they went through Al's shoes (probably trying to find ones that fit) and went through stuff in our bathroom. On Police advice we have disposed of our toothbrushes and got new ones....I will be scrubbing a few things from top to bottom this weekend also!

So after cramming as much stuff as they thought was worthwhile into two bags they found in my room, they let themselves out the back door and began their stroll down the street thinking no-one would notice they were carrying all this stuff for no apparent reason. Its at this point (about 50m from our house) that they come across Al, who's just a little bit p'd off, and their great 'plan' goes down the toilet.

I can tell you that these two 'kids' were lucky that I wasn't in the car with Al or they would have got a 'dressing down' from me as well. What amazed me most about this event was the fact that these guys, not only thought it was a good idea to walk in under our house...not actually knowing if anyone was home...but that they then thought it was a good idea to scale the wall and take stuff that is ours. Now, because of their stupidity, they will have a criminal record and even though their court appearance won't result in much more than a fine (if that) it will forever mar their future as they apply for work and attempt to make their way in the world.

I believe that in this situation Al and I, although the 'victims' of the crime, actually came out better than the criminals. I'll being praying that this is a a turning point for them in their lives and that this event won't be the 'story of their life' to come.

In my experience...

According to recent Australian Bureau of Statistics data the divorce rate in Australia has declined over the past 12 months. Last year there was a 6% drop, however 48,000 marriages still called it quits in 2007. A sobering thought considering Captain Al and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary last week.

Every wedding anniversary we go out for dinner. Our first anniversary it was at Manly, our second was in Gove, our third was at My Thai in BrisVegas and our fourth was a spectacular meal at Bretts Wharf (thank you to Jacqueline our waitress!). But it is not what we do for our wedding anniversary, nor the stupid gifts that we buy each other (4 yrs is book so I bought Al a 'Mr Men'!) but it what we talk about on that one night a year that makes all the difference.

It started with our first wedding anniversary and it has continued every year since. Like you do your taxes at the end of the financial year, and make resolutions on December 31, so Al and I make an assessment of our last year of marriage on our anniversary.

Have we fought about stupid things? Have we spent enough time together? Have we spent enough time praying together? Are we being financially responsible (or digging ourselves a financial grave)? How do we feel about where we are in life? And what does the next 12 months hold for us? etc etc

There are some other, much more intimate conversations that also take place, but those aren't for public consumption...sorry.

So get ready for it, here are some of the things that I have learnt over the past 4 years:

1. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
   Sounds cliche but in my experience its true. Get out the cookbooks ladies and learn how to make a decent meal! Bake a cake, or find out from his Mum what his favourite meal is and learn how to make it.


2. Time apart is as valuable as time together
   Have time apart to do things that you want to do. You don't need to spend every minute in each others pockets to enjoy your marriage.


3. Learn to love sport
   If your man loves sport, then learn to love it too. I would still rather watch a musical than Friday Night Football double-header but still I will sit down on Friday nights and watch the game(s) with Al. It means a lot to him that I make the effort. P.S Too much sport on TV can be excruciating....get out to a live game every now and then, it will make all the difference.


4. Have a housework 'understanding'
   If you're happy to do all the housework, great! but don't whinge when he doesn't do anything around the house. Make sure you talk to each other about who does what and that its clear and understood. There is nothing worse than arguing over housework. Al and I have a specific understanding about parts of the housework. He takes out the garbage exclusively, if I do all the ironing. I have garbag-aphobia and he hates picking up an iron.

There probably a few more (including some MA+15 rated ones), but that's sufficient for now. I'm sure there is much more to learn as the years go by and I certainly don't profess to know everything. But, we are learning as we go and we in it together.

So, to the best husband in the world, thank you for a fantastic first four years!

Sport Bloody Sport

Every four years, we beam with Aussie pride as our Olympians go into 'battle' on the olympic arena. And every year I vow that I won't watch because, well lets face it - its sport - how exciting can it be? And every year, including this one, I am glued to the Olympic coverage like all proud Aussie cheering the TV as our athletes strive for Gold.

This year, I am a little disappointed in the coverage from Ch7 and have taken to watching the SBS (aka sport bloody sport or soccer bloddy soccer) coverage instead. At least they show a full match or race and not just the 'highlights'. Reading the papers (as I do everyday) it seems that I am not the only one who is slightly less enamoured with Ch7's coverage of these games. Let's not even mentioned their horrible attempt to 'hollywood-ise' the coverage on Yum-Cha - I mean talk about a waste of TV space. Why not show me last night's athletics coverage again or the whole soccer/waterpolo match instead of bits and pieces.

Whatever the standard of reporting there is one thing we can look forward to at every Olympics - a stunning opening ceremony. Or can we? I must admit (although I am slightly biased) that I still think Sydney's was better! At least we didn't fake the fireworks or have a cute-lipsyncing child because the one with the good voice was too ugly! What sort of message does that send to children worldwide.....you'll only get picked if you're good looking? Maybe Ch7 aren't the only one guilty of trying to 'hollywood-ise' the Olympics.

Despite the Olympic-sized shortcomings in 2008, I will still be sitting in front of my TV tonight in my green and gold (yes green and gold.....not faded blue) and cheering Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi

Farewell to 'the Island'

Here's day four and five of my island experience. Both days started at 4am, can you believe it! I was up at 4am! My parents will be laughing uncontrollably at this, seeing as I was the child who wouldn't get out of bed before midday unless forced to.

Anyway, first up on day four was the GM and his 2IC. Talk about focus, we had to 'turn it on' again until Wed afternoon when we all collapsed in a heap back at the duplex for a few hours. Wed night was 'Curry night' at the club. There must have been an Indian influence at some point in PNG history cause they know how to make a mean curry! Afterwards I did think that eating curry the night before travelling for 12 hours back to Australia might not have been the wisest decision :-)

Turns out, I was okay. On a 6am Dash-8 Air Niugini flight we left 'the Island' and its spectacular surroundings for the time being. 12 hours and three planes later I was back in Brisbane. My luggage made it, almost in one piece. In Port Morseby some colleagues from our PM office came to the airport to make sure we got from domestic to international okay. Jo was kind enough to help me with my bags. I kinda forgot to tell him not to pull too hard on the handle as it was broken. Helf-way between the domestic and international terminals I heard a crash!. I looked behind me and Jo had ripped the handle right out of the suitcase and was staring at it with a mixture of horror and embarrassment. I was laughing so hard I could barely get the words out, but I managed to say to Jo "Don't worry, now I don't have to convince my husband to buy me a new suitcase!" He felt a little better after this but still insisted on carrying everything for me for the duration of our transit.

It won't be long before I am back to PNG, its the nature of my job these days....and its a hard life. Next time, I'm going to take my swimmers and make sure I drink at least one coconut!

Three generations - the photos

As promised, below is a link to my photos on Facebook from my Cairns holiday with Mo & Squeeze. There are way more photos than this but I thought I'd give a select few...you get the idea.

Click here and you should be re-directed to my album. If not, let me know and I can send the link by email.

Love
Holnal

'The Island' - Day Three

Today started early….way too early for my liking. But that seems to be the way on the Island. Early to bed, early to rise.

It does help, however, to be awake when you start work in the morning. From the outset it was information overload – suggestions and requirements were flying from every direction. Meanwhile I’m still trying to figure out my boss and what he really wants from me….Oh, the challenges of a new job!

One one hand, I am loving the experience of the Island, the people, the culture, the environment. On the other hand, the challenges of my new job continually creep into my consciousness, destroying the tranquility.

In the afternoon we got to drive around one of the local villages and see first hand the local Lihirian people and some of the aspects of their culture. Everyone we passed waved and said hello, including the GORGEOUS little blonde fuzzy haired children. How I would love to take one of those little guys home! All happy and healthy they looked (from my general observations) like they were enjoying life on the Island.

From an environmental perspective the surroundings were stunning. Almost indescribable. I have never seen such intense rainforest before with the distinct canopy and undergrowth levels. The diversity of the plants and the way in which is grew across the mountainous landscape had me engaged the entire trip.

On another trip to the Island I would love to walk down into the village and talk with some of the Lihirian people, play soccer with the kids and experience their lifestyle more closely. Driving around in our 4wd was great but it made me feel a little bit like a tourist in a zoo.

Overall this trip has really stirred in my spirit and renewed in me a awe and respect for the wonder of God’s creation. The intricacies of this small corner of the earth that God thought to create and took the time to make unique.

I am reminded of the hymn;

Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hands hath made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power through all the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

'The Island' - Day two

An early start with the BLT (not the sandwich, the Business Leadership team) meant a 7am presentation to the group on the intranet redevelopment project. Most of you that know me well would know that I am not really a morning person. I struggled to ‘turn it on’ for the meeting but managed to bluff my way through by blending into the background and letting everyone else talk. How unlike me!

From the morning meeting we headed out to the operation with a short spin around the town to gain our bearings. The locals we out in force at the bank and the supermarket, waiting for opening hours, while we headed toward the steam rising in the distance.

That steam was rising from the ground around the mine and process operations; a result of the fact that we are mining a volcano. I had a bit of a de ja vu moment from my trip to Rotorua many years ago.

Cutting the boring bits short we met more people, toured the mine and the process plant before heading back to the ‘club’ for dinner. After a few SP’s (the local beer) the conversation was freely flowing and so was more beer.

I could get used to Island life.

Pacific adventures on 'The Island'

I awoke to Al asking what time I had to be at the airport. I rolled over to look at my phone and almost had a heart attack when I realised I had slept through my alarm and was already late for my flight to PNG.

After getting ready in record time Al drove me to the airport (bless him!) and I was checked in and waiting to board well before time.

The flight to Moresby with Air Niugini was a pleasant surprise. The aircraft was new, the plane was small (but not too small) the food was good and the guy sitting next to me wanted to chat the whole way. Well maybe the last part wasn’t so great but at least he wasn’t snoring!

Arriving at Moresby was like arriving at most small Asian airports. Walking out into the humidity it reminded me of arriving in Phnom Pehn. The smells and sounds of the tropics…..aaaah. Following the relatively lax immigration, customs and quarrantine we headed over to the domestic lounge, a whole 200m down the road. The domestic terminal was a beacon of disorganisation and the sign on the way in was worthy of a photo, only I forgot my camera. It read:

Domestic Passengers
And
Weapons and Ammunition
This way

Welcome to PNG!

The flight to Lihir Island was in a Dash 8 and slightly less luxurious than the previous Air Niugini flight. You have probably heard me remark before that my Yolngu bretheren from NE Arnhem Land have a ‘smell that is all their own’….well I can now tell you that the New Guineans have their own individual scent as well. A small plane with 25 other New Guineans is one way to accelerate your cultural experience.

Our digs on the Island were better than anything I stayed in in Gove. The OBS boys and I shared a duplex which had three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a split level living area. AC all around and high ceilings to perpetuate the cool air only led to our high level of comfort.

He ain't heavy, he's Al's brother

In the tradition of 'Hotel DeRooy' (formerly located in Gove, now in Brisbane) Al's little bro (Big D) has been staying with us for the past 10 days in the BrisVegas. After a week with rellys in Bundy he came down for just over a week at our place. Well I can tell you after the dinner cooking and kitchen cleaning that he did he's welcome anytime.


The did the traditional, 'take the visitor to the Goldy or the Sunny coast' on Saturday and took Big D to the Eumundi markets. Beginning with Coffee and Churro's it was beautiful weather in the Sunny hinterland. We found a few exciting things including 2 commercial gerbra plants for me. Apparently they flower up to 80 times a year! Yippeee gerbras all year round. We also picked up a couple of presents for upcoming bday's and special events in the family.


We then drove to Mooloolaba for a burger and a froghurt on the esplanade. Whilst Al chatted to other pilots we took a quick peek at K-Rudd's plane at the airport before heading home, a little tired.


Next week - PNG! Yes I am off to our operations in PNG...stay tuned for my first pacific experience!

We can be happy underground

I am not sure that I am so 'happy underground' after my experience at Ballarat last week and I have developed an unparalled respect for those that work down there.

My first day at my new job I was off to the mining and processing operations in Ballarat. Talk about baptism of fire....I had it. Thrown in the deep end with the operation, meeting new people and the intranet redevelopment project. Thankfully my boss and two of our consultants were there to answer the really hard questions.

I now have a new venacular for work (there is nothing like a few acronyms to confuse people) that includes; stope, portal, decline, leeching, jumbo, CLT, BLT (sounds like a sandwich), JSA, SWI, STP, PRG and step backs.

The highlight of the week was, of course, my trip underground. Michael, one of the GeoTech team, took my boss and I underground to show us some of the development work and generally how things were going 'down the hole'. If anyone wants to buy me Geology for Dummies, for Christmas it might come in handy. Try as I might I couldn't summon enough information from my Year 5 unit on Gold to get me through the day. There were too many geological terms with 'ite' at the end for my liking!

I can tell you: 1) that it was interesting and 2) I have never been so happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel in my entire life.

I'll stick to the surface on the earth thanks!

Take me to the July sun in Cairns

Well actually I'm leaving the July sun in Cairns now on my way to freeze my butt off in Ballarat but here's a wrap up of my short lived holiday with the 'old' and the 'older' (ie Mo & Squeezey).

I had 4 days between jobs and a small break was in order so I hopped a plane to Cairns to join Mo & Squeeze for a few days of fun in the sun. My biggest achievement on day 1 was getting a sun tan and starting my book! Squeeze and I paddled in the pool (which was freezing) and ate chinese sitting on the balcony of our room.

Day 2 took us up the skyrail to Kuranda. This is a great tourist attraction and a really easy one if you've got small kids or 'olds' that don't get around so well. We were easily able to get Squeeze on and off the skyrail carriages with the help of the friendly staff. Not much to do up at Kuranda and if I see one more badly made didgeridoo I will scream! But nonetheless we had a great time pottering around the markets, eating gormet prawn sandwiches for lunch and giggling at the number of 'WYD' pilgrims hanging around.

Day 3 well I had to call it...and I called badly. We decided to stay and lounge around the pool instead of drive up to Port Douglas and about 11am it started to rain and it still hasn't stopped. We had fun anyway, taking photos underwater with Mo's camera and geneally lounging about until then. Mo-pants and I then went to the shops while Squeeze watched some telly. We lazed about all afternoon before getting dolled up and headed down for a happy-hour cocktail and a game of travel scrabble. Mo whipped both our butts (which I will get revenge for later...) but it was great fun. We bit the bullet and had dinner in the hotel restaurant which turned out to be a great 'birthday' dinner for the 86 year old Squeeze. The staff made a big fuss and brought here out a special dessert with a sparkler in it. People in the restaurant sang happy birthday and 'hip hip hoorayed' her which she loved.

Anyway...on my way to Melb now and better go as they are boarding our flight. Will post photos soon.

Nhulunbuy state of mind

Get out your Billy Joel 'Greatest Hits' CD and sing along with my version of New York State of Mind.....Nhulunbuy state of mind

Some folks like to get away,
Take a holiday from the neighbourhood,
Hop a flight to a Melbourne show or to Goldywood.
But I'm takin' a 717 on the Qantaslink line --
I'm in a Nhulunbuy state of mind.

I've seen all the soapie stars
In their fancy cars and their limousines,
Been high in the hinterland with the wineries;
I know what I'm needin', and I don't wanna waste more time
I'm in a Nhulunbuy state of mind.

It was so easy livin' day by day
Out of touch with handbags and shoes;
But now I need a little give and take,
The Arafura Times, the NT News.

It comes down to reality,
And it's fine with me, 'cause I've let it slide;
I don't care if it's Scout Camp or Little Bondi.
I don't have any reasons; I left them all behind --
I'm in a Nhulunbuy state of mind.

I'm just taking a 717 on the Qantaslink line.
'Cause I'm in a Nhulunbuy state of mind.

Nhulunbuy - I'm going to miss you!

Come fly with me

Crystal blue skies, fluffy white clouds and the sun creeping over the east. It's going to look pretty spectacular right? Well try looking at that, on climb to 9000ft in a plane with your huband at 6am on a Sunday morning. Not everyone's cup of tea, but for me it was perfect.

Al had to fly a member of QLD parliament to a couple of places in inland QLD on Sunday so I tagged along for a bit of flying fun and a chance to see more of QLD.

We started out in Bris at 6am and then flew to Harvey Bay to pick up our passenger. From Harvey Bay to St George; where it was a cilly 10 degrees when we landed at 8:30am. St George is a town of about 3000 people, according to the local earthmoving contractor who drove us into town from the airport. And friendly, as many small country towns are. We had coffee at the local bakery in the morning, strolled along the Balonne river and had lunch at the local pub (well, one of the 4 local pubs). I remember saying to Al during lunch at the pub (over our HUGE burgers) that I was having a great time. He looked at me and said 'I can tell when you're enjoyng yourself because your eyes sparkle with delight!'

Finally, we returned to the airport for a quick kip before the next leg of our journey. Our kip was interrupted by local businessman/retiree Charlie who had arrived at the airport to pick up some friends and decided he was up for a chat with two strangers! Charlie turned out to be a plane enthusiast and actually owned a Cessna 210 so he and Al had plenty to talk about. 45 minutes later Charlies' passengers had arrived and so had ours.

From St George we moved onto Inglewood to drop off our passenger before heading home to Brisbane. Al, being the cheeky bugger that he is, decided to do zoom climbs as we took off from Inglewood, which he knows I hate. His joke came back to bite him on the ass when he was wondering why we weren't picking up speed. It turns out in all his earlier cajoling he had forgotten to put the landing gear up and it was creating too much wind resistence for us to get up to full speed. :-)

When we got close to Bris, Al got permission for us to circle over the city and I went mad with my camera. I took so many photos I am hoping that one of them turned out okay! Will load them up soon so you can see for yourself the continuing adventures of Holnal!

Goldfinger, the girl with the midas touch!

Well not just yet, but as of 16 July when I start working for Lihir Gold. 'But you already have a job', I hear you say. Not anymore! I resigned on Friday. And it is one of the most liberating things I have done in my life.

So its bye bye Rio and hello LGL. Farewell blackberry attached to my hip like a siamese twin and hello normal life. Au revior stress and hello work/life balance. Can you tell I'm happy about this? Well I'm not, I'm ecstatic! Only four weeks to go with Rio and then I am onto new ground with Lihir. Its going to b very exciting as they don't have an internal communications function to speak of at the moment and they want me to start from scratch.

Unfortunately this change also means no more trips to Gove. I thought long and hard about this in making my decision and I think its time for this chapter in my life to close and another to begin. I will miss all my friends in remote north-east Arnhem land but I know that it won't be the last time I visit.

The next four weeks are going to be a little crazy as I close off things and prepare to handover the job to someone else, so you might not hear much from me. But the grass is definately greener on the other side, there is light at the end of the tunnel (and any other analogy I can think of) so stay tuned for more of my crazy adventures.

Houseboat holiday happenings

Now some would say that being on a houseboat for 5 days and 4 nights with 4 children under 7 years old may drive childless people such as Al and I not to have any children.

I beg to differ. Last week Al and I spent time on a houseboat with our friends and their 4 gorgeous children and came away relatively unscathed and quite relaxed.

I thought instead of sharing every detail about the holiday that I would share with you some of the 'child-related' wisdom that I learnt over the week.....

1. Never underestimate the value of colouring in books and other activities during long stints in a confined space!
2. Weetbix is a great breakfast
3. Kids will drink water and eat fruit - no matter what they say
4. A small amount of 'time-out' in front of the TV can be good for parental stress levels
5. "Thomas needs be blue and Percy needs be green" (ie from Thomas the Tank Engine - this was what Nick kept saying to me during colouring in time)
6. "I can't" is not an acceptable answer to a question (Nick is also going through an' I can't' phase)
7. A poo-ey bum is uncomfortable (I mean, you imagine sitting around in that!)
8. Don't start the 'they drop it, you pick it up' game - it will never end
9. Cranium Hullabaloo is a great game for kids (its works in a small space and it uses lots of energy!)
10. Early to bed, early to rise may work for some but it does not make me healthy, wealthy and wise!

Overall it was a great holiday and I've got some great pics. You can see them here.

Well, over and out (for now)

Takin' it back

.....my life that is.

The reason for my rather lengthy hiatus from the blog is that in order to write about your life you have to have one. And for the past few months I have been distinctly lacking the latter in order to do the former.

But I am on holidays next week. Floating around on a houseboat with my friends and their kids. Doesn't sound like a relaxing holiday to you? Well as long as my blackberry is turned off and have no way no accessing emails or getting phone calls then it will be relaxing to me.

Stay tuned for a holiday round up when I get back.

Garbagaphobia

Those of you that have known me for a long time will know about one very strange phobia I have. Maybe you would classify it as a phobia, maybe its just an aversion of sorts. In any case, I thought I had it sorted when I married Al, but it has reared its ugly head again.

I spent 15 minutes Googling this topic to try and find out if it had a scientific name but didn't manage to come up with anything official. For lack of a better work I am going to call it simply; garbagaphobia, AKA fear of garbage.

Since I now spend every second week in Gove there are certain things that I have to do for myself (99.9% of these things I am more than capable of doing) and one of those is taking out the garbage. Now seeing as I eat at the mess every day I don't produce a lot of garbage in my room but when I leave on a Friday I still need to put out the garbage that is there otherwise it sits there over the weekend until my room is cleaned on a Monday.

Now those of you laughing, wait for it.....it gets worse. I will not under any circumstances take out the garbage at home, that is Al's job. In exchange I do all the ironing. During our marriage this has never been an issue (until now obviously) but prior to Al moving in it was a different story, just ask my sister.

Before I lived with my sister for about 18 months - and she took out the garbage the whole time - I lived by myself. Every second weekend Ast would come to visit AND during that visit I would con her into taking out the garbage for me.

I have no idea what started this garbagaphobia, nor can I pinpoint exactly when it became an issue. I certainly remember taking out the garbage when I lived at home and don't remember freaking out about it. Nevertheless, I am freaking out now!

So there you have it, mock me if you will but I, like all of God's creation, have imperfections. Once of which is my aversion to garbage. Let's not get started on the others, that's enough for one night.

If only I could get married again....

Just for the wedding, don't panic! Al and I are still going strong. I love weddings, that's all. One of the bridesmaids and one of the groomsmen from our wedding had their special day on the weekend and it reminded me how special weddings are and how much fun it is for everyone involved. Following my parents divorce I wasn't too keen on the idea of marriage, however I can safely say that over the years my views on this institution have changed somewhat and I wouldn't have it any other way! I still find it amusing when people call me 'Mrs' - I think they are referring to my mother-in-law. But I love it when Al refers to my as his wife (as long as its not followed with 'the ball and chain!')

I was fortunate enough to be asked to sing at this wedding on the weekend and I tell you, its a lot of pressure. This is their wedding day, the most important day of their lives thus far and proabably to come and I am responsible for creating the atmosphere of the whole ceremony. Okay so maybe I'm making too much of my role here, but I want to do my bit to make their day the most special of their lives!

Well, in case you were wondering, everything went magically and a wonderful day was had by all, including the bride and groom who are probably on their honeymoon in Thailand as I write this.

To the new Mr and Mrs Lees - enjoy this special time in your lives and all the adventures ahead.

Mo goes bollywood

And now for some guest blogging from my Mum who is India at the moment......

As we came over to land in Imphal, flew over mountain ranges & hills with large bald patches where logging had stripped all vegetation. Frequently these parts of the hillsides had then collapsed in a landslide. Immigration officials were courteous & friendly & already knew my name.

Taken for lunch in a house belonging to some relative of Tao’s, smiley, friendly ladies who cooked a delicious meal reminding me of food I had eaten in Cambodia more than Indian food (no curry involved here...Praise God!)The water tasted strongly of mud and I drank little of it.

Drove up through the valley (2hrs though only 75km) on atrocious road but through interesting scenery...almost alpine mountains but fallow rice paddies lining every niche of the valley floor. Later, I learned that we left early in the afternoon to avoid passing through the section ruled by bandits & rebels too late in the day.

Senapati reminds me of a largish West African town (Azove) sunken into a valley floor with 2 huge mountain ranges on either side. The ‘main’ street is dirt but lined closely with shops (that were all open by 5.30am!)Reached ‘the best hotel in town’, indeed there could be a lot worse & met on the first floor verandah with other men from Senapati who are interested in starting a drug rehab initiative in this town; one is a local shop-keeper, two had already lost brothers from heroin overdoses and a retired headmaster of a local high school.

They are all university educated men (2 COTR graduates) who speak good English but none really have an understanding of addiction and recovery. Our discussions are wide-ranging from politics to governance to the situation of the extremely poor roads in northern Manipur. As we talk into the evening a crowd of drunken youths assembles below us on the street, shouting & brawling. Our task is laid out right in front of our eyes.

These are the people who are blamed for the degeneration of their highly prized tribal society; those who are causing incredible hardship amongst the women and children. Next to the brawling drunkards is a group of pre-teen boys playing & laughing happily. I tell the men that our task is to figure out how such happy, care-free children become addicted teens and young adults. What goes wrong?

More from 'Mo-pant's' adventures in India to come.....