multi-tasking at its best ::

:: Atm Federer is playing Gonzales at the Australian Open mens finals. I'm going for Gonzales (because he's cuter and he's the underdog - don't hold that against me), and I'm watching as I type (apologies in advance for the typos).

Well... it's been over three weeks since I blogged last. First of all I'd like to say that God humbled me and Melbourne was actually a lot better than I'd expected. (Too bad I wasn't there now actually - I'd sooo be watching this game live).

The only downfall was that I'd packed for cool weather instead of the stinking hot 40 degree heat that we experienced while we were down there. This, of course, ended up bein a great thing, since I absolutely love hot weather and had an excuse to wear my wrap-around dress and buy a great pair of Cotton-On shorts.

Hmm.... let me see... what on earth did I do while I was there? Explored Rina's apartment (really cool btw - loving your taste in style and location sis!), and explore Melbourne city at night with Eddoes. He took me to dinner at a Greek restaurant where we reminisced about the Rhodes, Tinos and Athens over lamb, souvlaki, and Greek salad.

Next day I farewelled Eddoes (who went back to Sydney for work), and Ray drove me around Melbourne city (with his music at ridiculously high volumes). I bought a wallet at St Kilda's we and updated each other on life and other such things.

Next day was shopping day at Bridge Rd. I saw Rachel and Ralph (old memories) and had dinner at their place where we did the family bonding thing and also caught up with the Marcelinos.

Before I knew it we were back on the road and for a while I was resenting being a P-plater and the 0-tolerance on alcohol... (too many wine and cheese places on the way).

** TENNIS UPDATE: Gonzales is getting his shoulder rubbed up due to injury.. hmm.. :) oh - and the score is Fed: 7 / Gon: 6 *sigh* ok ok ... screw the multi-tasking. I want to watch this one.







This is the bludge gang at Rina's place ::













Ray and I try do the DIY IKEA thing with Rina's new "coffee table" / TV stand...














Rina and I on the tram to Federation Square:














Eddoes and I at Dion Restaurant::














Eating some YUMMM!!!
















And what would a road trip be with a stop-off at a bar for some beer?!

and so it begins...

Well... welcome to 2007! In retrospect, 2006 wasn't so bad. I spent a while in Adoration @ St Pat's with Edwin, offering up a Rosary in thanksgiving for the year and all it's.. uh... blessings. Yeah, ok... I'll call them blessings, regardless of how I really feel about most of them. I guess it can't be too bad when we were able to mention 50 things we were grateful for pretty easily between the two of us.

Looking back it wasn't all too bad. Quite an eventful year actually. Difficult, yes... but also quite fruitful and many great memories to put in the history books. Here are just a few of them:

- Finally moved out of home. That long awaited historical event occured and funnily enough I managed to score a place with a beach-view and a chapel. Hmm...
- Did a year of mission work.
- Worked full-time for the Church. (also discovered that working full-time is totally over-rated... the Church isn't though. That was a beautiful discovery).
- Caitlyn was born. :)
- I graduated from university. Wow... now my parents can finally get off my back about finishing studying. Yay!
- I went to New Zealand.
- Road-tripped around a foreign country with 3 of my best mates... granted, all of them were boys, and their snoring almost drove me to insanity - but who cares?!
- Went bungy-jumping! YESSSS!!!
- Got my wisdom teeth out.
- Did about 50 high school retreats with the CYS team.
- Did about 50 talks/testimonies.

- Ran the City to Surf with Eddoes... ok, ok - not all of it.
- Travelled to and from Philippines all by myself without getting abducted or mugged.
- Did my second GK build! Woohooo!
- Got taken out on the best First Date EVER.
- Fell in love... a couple of times.
- Scored an awesome boyfriend on Boxing Day (ehp! It's official... Joy's in love and the whole world is allowed to know it!)

And so there goes another year... I can't even remember what I'd hoped to achieve at the beginning of 2006 so I have no idea whether or not it's been a success.

What I do know, however, is that God never left me.. even though I abandoned him a couple of times. Proof of that is how loved I'm still feeling, even after a year of feeling completely abused by some other people in my life. There has been one person - completely faithful, day in an day out... and he's the one I'm hoping is I get to spend every year with until the end of time.

Ok ok, I'll stop making myself sick now. (If that paragraph just made you puke, it's ok I'm sure you're not alone.)

Right now I'm already breaking one of my NY rules, and that's the one about going to bed on time. My family are all asleep because we're leaving in about 3 hours to road trip down to Melbourne. I never actually wanted to go on a road trip with my family. Family holidays are never actually holidays. I postponed a holiday with my mates twice because my Mum wanted a bloody family holiday, and on my LAST week of leave she decides to plan a family road trip. On the LAST week of leave - when I'd planned to go interstate and RELAX. S**T.

Ah well - c'est la vie. Freaking life.

I figured I'd make the most of it and at least try to enjoy myself. Enjoy the drive, enjoy the company of my delightful family members, and crank up my music when it's my turn to drive. (yippee!)

Wish me luck people. If you don't hear from my in a month's time it probably means I purposely detoured from the highway and got myself lost in the shrubbery, where the closest thing to holidays awaits me. Ha!