Well Chuffed

I'm well chuffed, I am.

My sister scored me an entire apartment worth of matching furniture on ebay for $100. BARGAIN! Now all I need is a house to put it all in!!!!

I love family.

Photos of Canberra

On Australia Day (26th Jan), I happened to pass through our nation's capital, Canberra, on the way out to the country for a friend's wedding. I took my camera - of course.

Parliament House, looking down Anzac Parade

The War Memorial - the Roll of Honour (those that have died at war for Australia)

Once again looking down Anzac Parade, from the steps of the War Memorial

Black and White Photos from the War Memorial, Canberra

Drought affected Australia - the country side is so dry its heartbreaking.

New Car!

A new job = A new car!

Finally, I Can Tell You My Good News

I've had to keep it a secret for a week or so, because I had to wait until it was finalised but I have some very very good news.

I have been appointed as "Legal Counsel" for the Australian/New Zealand arm of a global company (cant tell you which one for obvious reasons!).

I certainly didnt plan on coming back and taking on such a huge role so soon, but the opportunity has arisen and its a role which is very much what I have always been looking for.

It is going to be very tough, and I dont know what it will mean in terms of blogging, and whether or not I am going to be able to continue blogging as much as I do now, if at all. I dont start for another 3 weeks, but I just thought I would share the great news, and warn you that KateOnTheGo may be winding down. Maybe I can set up another blog, for my photography, so that I dont lose touch with everyone.

So, maybe coming back to Australia wasnt planned, but was meant to be. Who knows. Time will tell. I'm just excited that I have been given this opportunity at such a young age, and at such a great time in my life where I can truly dedicate the time to doing well.

I've been DYING to tell you all but I had to wait. But the wait is over, and the countdown is on til "Start Date"!

The Results!

Didnt do so well in the TV categories, but I went okay at the Movies!

MOVIES

BEST MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
Babel WINNER!
Bobby
The Departed
Little Children
The Queen

BEST MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls WINNER!
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You for Smoking

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland WINNER!

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
Penélope Cruz, Volver
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby
Helen Mirren, The Queen WINNER!
Kate Winslet, Little Children

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan WINNER!
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Aaron Eckhart, Thank You for Smoking
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kinky Boots
Will Ferrell, Stranger Than Fiction

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Annette Bening, Running With Scissors
Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine [GO AUSSIE!]
Beyoncé Knowles, Dreamgirls
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada WINNER!
Renée Zellweger, Miss Potter

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE
Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls WINNER!
Jack Nicholson, The Departed
Brad Pitt, Babel
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal [GO AUSSIE - CB IS THE BEST ACTRESS ON THE PLANET]
Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls [Jen will most likely get it, but I am biased Aussie] WINNER!
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel
Martin Scorsese, The Departed WINNER!!!!!!!

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Cars WINNER!
Happy Feet [GO AUSSIES!]
Monster House

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Apocalypto
Letters From Iwo Jima WINNER!
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver

BEST SCREENPLAY
Babel
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
The Queen WINNER!!!

ORIGINAL SCORE [ER... no freakin idea!]
Babel [just a guess!]
The Da Vinci Code
The Fountain
Nomad
The Painted Veil WINNER!!

ORIGINAL SONG
''A Father's Way,'' The Pursuit of Happyness
''Listen,'' Dreamgirls''
Never Gonna Break My Faith,'' Bobby'
'The Song of the Heart,'' Happy Feet'' [GO AUSSIES!] WINNER!
Try Not to Remember,'' Home of the Brave

TV

BEST DRAMA TV SERIES
24
Big Love
Grey's Anatomy WINNER!
Heroes
Lost

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy WINNER!
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Laurie, House WINNER!
Bill Paxton, Big Love
Kiefer Sutherland, 24

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Evangeline Lilly, Lost
Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer WINNER!

BEST MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
The Office
Ugly Betty WINNER!
Weeds

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock WINNER!
Zach Braff, Scrubs
Steve Carrell, The Office
Jason Lee, My Name Is Earl
Tony Shalhoub, Monk

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty WINNER!
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR TV MOVIE
Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trails
Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I WINNER!
Justin Kirk, Weeds
Masi Oka, Heroes
Jeremy Piven, Entourage

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR TV MOVIE
Emily Blunt, Gideon's Daughter WINNER!
Toni Collette, Tsunami, the Aftermath
Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy
Sarah Paulson, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds

BEST MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Bleak House
Broken Trail
Elizabeth I WINNER!
Mrs. Harris
Prime Suspect: The Final Act [sentimental favourite!]

BEST ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Andre Braugher, Thief
Robert Duvall, Broken Trails
Michael Ealy, Sleeper Cell: American Terror
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tsunami, the Aftermath
Ben Kingsley, Mrs. Harris
Bill Nighy, Gideon's Daughter WINNER!
Matthew Perry, The Ron Clark Story

BEST ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Gillian Anderson, Bleak House
Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris
Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I WINNER!
Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect: The Final Act
Sophie Okonedo, Tsunami, the Aftermath

"Can I Have a Mop & Bucket To Aisle Four PLEASE???"

Annie has written her finest blog entry to date at www.shehassomethingtosay.blogspot.com.

Its a fantastic ode to why Charlotte will be staying with Aunty KateOnTheGo next week while mummy goes to the grocery store.

ehehehe delightful.

Sad News

One of EC's blogging mates passed away after a long battle with cancer. I have decided to pay my respects by linking to his website, onto a page which outlines his story. I dont know him, and unfortunately, i never got to read his blog entries, but i will take the time to now read his site, for as long as it remains.

http://www.cancergiggles.blog-city.com/live_with_cancer_1.htm

Even through death, let us find some joy.

The Greatest Joy

I think that the greatest thing on earth is watching a baby turn into a little adult.

Charlotte is doing some amazing things these days. She is going through a period where things are starting to make sense. She is copying sounds, becoming attached to certain books, and the most special of all - walking!

Yes, Charlotte is walking. She is walking between people, say, five or six steps or more each time. We usually have to hold her upright and make sure she is stable, but if her mum or dad is a few steps away, she will walk across to them on her own. As she walks, she squeals in delight and laughs. Sometimes, if she is squealing or giggling too much, she loses balance. Its hilarious. When she is successful, she has the proudest look on her face every time she reaches her destination!

What a delight!

And I would have missed all of this had I been in Whistler.

Gold, Gold, Gold

Yes, folks, to prove just how much time I have on my hands these days, I am proud to present my Golden Globe Predictions. Please note that these are based on absolutely no information about most nominees, I have not seen most of the films/tv shows listed, and I tend to go with names I like best rather than careful, well thought out critiques on performances.

So here we go. Remember, you heard it here first! [predicted winners in red]

MOVIES

BEST MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
Babel
Bobby
The Departed
Little Children
The Queen

BEST MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
The Devil Wears Prada
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
Thank You for Smoking

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE DRAMA
Penélope Cruz, Volver
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Kate Winslet, Little Children

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Aaron Eckhart, Thank You for Smoking
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kinky Boots
Will Ferrell, Stranger Than Fiction

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Annette Bening, Running With Scissors
Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine [GO AUSSIE!]
Beyoncé Knowles, Dreamgirls
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Renée Zellweger, Miss Potter

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE
Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Jack Nicholson, The Departed
Brad Pitt, Babel
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal [GO AUSSIE - CB IS THE BEST ACTRESS ON THE PLANET]
Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls [Jen will most likely get it, but I am biased Aussie]
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel

BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel
Martin Scorsese, The Departed

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Cars
Happy Feet [GO AUSSIES!]
Monster House

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Apocalypto
Letters From Iwo Jima
The Lives of Others
Pan's Labyrinth
Volver

BEST SCREENPLAY
Babel
Little Children
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
The Queen

ORIGINAL SCORE [ER... no freakin idea!]
Babel [just a guess!]
The Da Vinci Code
The Fountain
Nomad
The Painted Veil

ORIGINAL SONG
''A Father's Way,'' The Pursuit of Happyness
''Listen,'' Dreamgirls''
Never Gonna Break My Faith,'' Bobby'
'The Song of the Heart,'' Happy Feet'' [GO AUSSIES!]
Try Not to Remember,'' Home of the Brave

TV

BEST DRAMA TV SERIES
24
Big Love
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
Lost

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Laurie, House
Bill Paxton, Big Love
Kiefer Sutherland, 24

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Evangeline Lilly, Lost
Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

BEST MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
The Office
Ugly Betty
Weeds

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Zach Braff, Scrubs
Steve Carrell, The Office
Jason Lee, My Name Is Earl
Tony Shalhoub, Monk

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR COMEDY TV SERIES
Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR TV MOVIE
Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trails
Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I
Justin Kirk, Weeds
Masi Oka, Heroes
Jeremy Piven, Entourage

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A SERIES, MINISERIES, OR TV MOVIE
Emily Blunt, Gideon's Daughter
Toni Collette, Tsunami, the Aftermath
Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy
Sarah Paulson, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds

BEST MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Bleak House
Broken Trail
Elizabeth I
Mrs. Harris
Prime Suspect: The Final Act [sentimental favourite!]

BEST ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Andre Braugher, Thief
Robert Duvall, Broken Trails
Michael Ealy, Sleeper Cell: American Terror
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tsunami, the Aftermath
Ben Kingsley, Mrs. Harris
Bill Nighy, Gideon's Daughter
Matthew Perry, The Ron Clark Story

BEST ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR TV MOVIE
Gillian Anderson, Bleak House
Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris
Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I
Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect: The Final Act
Sophie Okonedo, Tsunami, the Aftermath

Just remember, you heard it first HERE on kateonthego.blogspot.com. And I take no responsibility for the fact that all of these predications may be wrong wrong wrong!

Blog Hoare

Not having a job at the moment means lots and lots of time to read peoples blogs. And there are so many interesting people about! Seriously. Blogging just doesnt stop at mad-nutters and boat-owners (reference to sister blog: www.ihaveaboat.blogspot.com).

EVERYONE SEEMS SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING

Reading people's blogs gets me all depressed. KateOnTheGo was established to share all of my wonderful travel stories. Now, the only travelling I am doing is a train ride to job interviews.

Yes, KateOnTheGo is (Not So) OnTheGo anymore.

Words

She's had something to say today: www.shehassomethingtosay.blogspot.com

What Is My Worth?

Today has been a day of discussions about salary. Money money money. How much am I asking for? What would someone in my position usually get paid? What was I getting? What is my limit? What would I be prepared to accept?

Money

Money

Money

When I was ruffing it in Thailand, I didnt give two wotsits about money. A massage cost me $3 an hour. Having my toes painted cost me $2. When travelling in Scotland, all I cared about was beer. Beer and saving enough money for a ticket home. Now I've been thrown back into a world of corporate deals, salary negotiations and more deals.

I'm worth a comfortable bed to sleep in at night. I'm worth a plate of dinner. Maybe if I stretch it far enough, I'm worth a gym membership. I dont ever want to have to define myself by the amount of money I make. But when it comes down to it...

..... what are we REALLY all worth?

Me. On New Years.

Cause Im worth it!

Its a Mad Mad World

*sigh*

I'm sitting in my room listening to my mother talk to my cat. Here is an example of some of the comments she has made.

"Here. Pilchards. There's no gravy on these pilchards to lick off, i'm afraid." [citing her annoyance at Tigger for licking all the gravy off his dinner and then walking away]

"No. I'm not listening. I'm over you." [citing her annoyance at Tigger's constant whinging]

"This isnt a drive thru cafe, you know." [citing her annoyance at Tigger walking in and out of the house at his own leisure].

"You piddle in that room and you die, cat." [citing her annoyance at Tigger continually looking for places around the house to wee]

"Yeah, dont whinge to me, mate." [enough said]

Water Therapy

There is something therapeutic about swimming up and down a 25m pool. The arms burn, the lungs heave but the water feels so fresh around you. Sixty laps and I was out of the pool, feeling fit again.

Live: Sydney

I'm in a pickle.

Career opportunities are beginning to pop up now that I've got my CV out to agencies. Big firms, little firms, firms firms firms.

Am I ready to settle back down in Sydney?

I feel like I am. I was ready in November. And Whistler showed me I was ready in December.

But when it all comes down to picking the job, am I committed enough to put in the hard yards again? Lets say a get offered a big job with a big pay check. That would allow me to really get ahead here in Sydney - a house, a car. Its so easy to want something when you dont have it.

Alphabet

I stole this from http://confessionsofangel.blogspot.com/

A - Available/Single? Single since Owen.
B - Best Friend? My sister.
C - Cake or Pie? Ummm.. cake. I think.
D - Drink Of Choice? Water.
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? LAPTOP!
F - Favorite Color? Sunshine yellow.
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Gimme the Gummies!
H - Home or Homesick? Homesick (oh how that has changed!)
I - Indulgence? A Spa Treatment.
J - January Or February? Feb. Jan is booooring.
K - Kids & Their Names? no kids, but an adorable neice Charlotte.
L - Life Is Incomplete Without? Family.
M - Marriage date? When hell freezes over.
N - Number Of Siblings? One. Annie.
O - Oranges Or Apples? Apples.
P - Phobias/Fears? Death.
Q - Favorite Quote? "The Village called. They want their idiot back" (saw it the other day on a t-shirt! heheh)
R - Reason to Smile? Charlotte.
S - Season? Spring
T - Tag 3 or 4 people? Eh?
U - Unknown Fact About Me? See below. There's 20 of them.
V - Vegetable you don’t like? brussel sprouts
W - Worst Habit? Untidiness.
X - X-rays You’ve Had? Mammogram. Ankle. That's it.
Y - Your Favorite Food? Pizza.
Z - Zodiac Sign? Cancerian.

20 Random Facts About Me

1. I cant write neatly unless I use a felt tip pen.

2. I wear orthotics in my running shoes.

3. I love sparkling wine.

4. I have three clocks in my room, all of them set at wrong times.

5. I cannot go to sleep unless I have a pillow over my head (no, i'm serious).

6. I do not watch television.

7. I can eat an entire watermelon in a day.

8. I never put my CDs back in their CD covers.

9. I prefer soda water over sparkling mineral water.

10. I cannot fall asleep if I need to go to the bathroom.

11. I sometimes dont brush my teeth at night (gasp) but never forget in the morning.

12. I hate drinking ice cold water after chewing mint flavoured gum. My mouth burns.

13. I rarely read a novel from start to finish.

14. I still hope that Justin Timberlake will marry Britney Spears.

15. I wear fake tan when I can be bothered putting it on.

16. This year, I didnt make new years resolutions.

17. I have a wastepaper basket in the shape of a chicken egg.

18. I am not sure if I believe in life after death.

19. I would like to have babies with Wentworth Miller.

20. This year I plan to set up a trust fund for Charlotte.

Life Can Sometimes Be A Real Bitch

Yup.

It can.

And I am often (in my own quiet way) the first to admit that I drew a freakin short straw in this life.

But then I read something, just a paragraph of a blog, from another person in this community. A cancer battler. And I think, my gosh, look at me. 26. Educated. Loved. And on my way back to healthy.

I am the moon....

I found this on http://frothonthedaydream.blogspot.com/

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

30 Answers to 30 Questions

(Stolen from my sister's blog - www.shehassomethingtosay.blogspot.com)

1. IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE?
In Wanaka, New Zealand, overlooking the Southern Alps.

2. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING?
My denim skirt (you can dress up, dress down, or just throw it on over a bikini!)

3. THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT?
Er... nup. Dont buy. I just borrow them off my sister.

4. WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, STRONG IN MIND OR STRONG IN BODY?
Strong in mind, because strong minded people tend to understand the importance of being strong in body as well.

5. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE?
The microwave. You name it, I can use the microwave to cook it.

6. WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY?
Animal cruelty.

7. FAVORITE COLOR?
Yellloooow.

8. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK?
The Little Engine That Could..... my life story!

9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?
Spring.

10. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Remove ignorance from everyone - that would then lead to less war, less damage to the climate, more assistance to the poor.

11. TATTOOS OR BODY-PIERCING?
I love a man with a tattoo on his arm. I admit, its true. But on me? I'll stick to my pierced navel.

12. THE ONE PERSON FROM YOUR PAST YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO?
The last man that dumped me. Kidding. I would probably say.... my grandfathers.

13. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DAY?
Every day is a blessing.

14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CARTOON?
Creature Comforts.

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL?
Ummm... I'm loving Indian at the moment.

16. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Fitness For Dummies.

17. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Dont have one. i use my laptop's touch pad.

18. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
Lucky (he he no seriously).

19. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?
Strawberry

20. DO YOU LIKE THUNDERSTORMS?
So long as it brings rain to Australia.

21. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
A little red Proton hatchback. Was fast because it was red.

22. WHAT IS YOUR SIGN?
Stop Sign. Kidding. I'm cancerian.

23. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI?
Yep. Gives you hair on your chest (thats what my mum told me).

24. IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
Depends what drink is in it.

25. FAVOURITE PERFUME OR COLOGNE?
Oh wow... tough question. I am obsessed with good perfume. Issey Miyake, Cool Water for Women, Ralph Lauren Blue, Polo Sport for Women, All About Eve Joop, Ralph Lauren Glamourous... my perfume collection is out of control.

26. FAVORITE MOVIE?
Good Will Hunting.

27. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Rallying

28. THE BEST PLACE YOU HAVE EVER BEEN?
Venice, of course.

29. IF MONEY WERE NOT AN OBJECT, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR LIFE?
Be a lawyer.

30. COKE OR PEPSI?
Water.

31. IS YOUR CALENDAR ALWAYS ON THE CORRECT MONTH?
I dont own a calendar... does Outlook count?

32. DESK: MESSY OR ORGANISED?
A complete and utter mess. A sign of genius, they say.

33. WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO PLAY YOU IN THE MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE?
The girl that played Punky Brewster. Or maybe the one that played Annie. Failing that, I'll have to ask Julianne Moore - I was once told I look a bit like her (??!).

Introducing........

A New Blog!

Annie, my sister, has finally begun her own blog. It remains to be seen how often she will post, but lets give her as much encouragement as possible! We all know what a fantastic writer she is.

http://www.shehassomethingtosay.blogspot.com/

Its Steamy In Here

It is so humid today. We once again received rain, which is a really really good thing, given the country is in such serious drought. Its amazing when it rains. This morning, my parents and I sat out on the porch and watched the rain fall, and listened to the birds. When it rains, they squark in delight, and sit up on the street lights with their wings out, washing themselves in the water. Birds around here havent seen rain in a long time either. Its such a small, yet wonderful, delight.

Charlotte's First Swim!

Charlotte loves the pool. It was her first real swim and she has already begun to kick her legs and float on her own. She didnt cry once!

This is Australia

Surf Carnivals are as Aussie as beer and cricket, meat pies and kangaroos. Today I was in Manly and happened to "stumble" across a huge surf carnival. Basically, its where all of the beach lifesavers from around the country come together to challenge each other in various types of "beach" sports - rowing, board, swimming, beach running. Its a great day out and it symbolises everything that I love about Australia - sun, surf, health and happiness! To add to the excitement, the surf conditions were really rough, making it even more challenging for the lifesavers.

Boats hitting the big waves



















Facing the waves on surfboards.


















A competitor contemplating the surf.

A Gorgeous Day On the Harbour

People lolling about in the sunshine.


















A cruise ship towers over Sydney's citizens













A perfect day to jump in the launch!













One of the most thrilling experiences - climbing the harbour bridge (i did it in 2000).

Aussie Icons - The Opera House

Coming Soon

Some new photos are on their way very soon - I did some photography around the Opera House, and the Sydney beaches! I had a very successful day with the camera.

Sitting Pretty

God I didnt realise how annoying boredom is.

I dont wanna read books.

I dont wanna play any more electronic sudoku.

I dont wanna surf the net randomly for my "dream job".

I wanna actually be doing something in my day.

For the last two days I've stayed at the gym for two whole hours simply because I didnt want to go back home to resume doing nothing.

Ugh.

Krispy Kremes? I Never Had No Krispy Kremes

Weight Watchers (aka "Fatty Club") always had a saying "Tomorrow is another day" which means you can completely forget your little indiscretions of yester-year and start all over again today.

So, Krispy Kremes? Eh? Dont remember a thing (actually, i remember eating my fifth donut at about 10.30pm last night).

But, today is a new day.

And I went to the gym for two hours.

Back to my favourite place in the world (alright, maybe not my favourite...but...)

You see, I am a gym-addict in a non-gym-addict's body. I love the gym. I'm thinking of going back tonight. Just for the heck of it. I feel so great after doing it, and I dont have that horrid fatigue that has been hanging around since coming back from Whistler.

Finding Spiritual Direction

I had my Tarot Cards read a couple of days ago. I've never had them done before but I felt like it was quite a good time in my life to have them done. Whether or not you are a believer, some of the cards that came up were incredibly interesting.

The Tarot Spread was the Celtic Cross. I wont outline the entire result, but here's some of the more interesting findings:

Heart of the Matter; Present Environment - Card: The World
Thus, the World card, very aptly, represents a successful conclusion, all aspects accounted for and taken in; the end to a long-term project is in sight, and that it will be accompanied by well-earned praise, celebration and success. This is a wonderful card of wholeness, perfection, satisfaction and happiness.

Root Cause; Unconscious Influence; Deeper Meaning - Card: The Wheel With Jupiter as its ruling planet, the Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. Almost every definition of this card indicates abundance, happiness, elevation, luck. A change that just happens, and brings with it great joy. This card can mean movement, change and evolution.

Future; Approaching Influence; Unresolved Factor; Quality to Embrace - Card: Death Yes, the Death card can signal a death in the right circumstances (a question about a very sick or old relative, for example), but unlike its dramatic presentation in the movies, the Death card is far more likely to signal transformation, passage, change.

There was such an obvious theme of "change" and "transformation".

How exciting!

Bring on 2007!

Happy Nuuuuuu Year!

I've decided that the Year 2007 will be the "Year of Health" for me. Getting healthy, dropping those few little kilos off places I dont want them, getting good exercise done, not drinking too many drinks with bad toxins, limiting my coffee in take.

I start back at the gym tomorrow (we all know how much KateOnTheGo loves going to the gym).

I've only slipped up once this morning (its 11 hours into the New Year). On the way home from staying at a mates house, I stopped off at Krispy Kreme and purchased for my family a dozen original glazed donuts.

They offered me a "sample" donut while I waited for them to pack me my fresh dozen. I had to say yes. It was so generous of them to offer me one, so I didnt want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Then of course I didnt want to take the Krispy Kremes home only to find that they were not of good quality. So I ate one of the way home, just in case.

And then, I didnt want to be unsociable so I had to sit down with Mum and Dad while they enjoyed their Krispy Kreme donut.

Then of course, no one likes when people watch them while they eat, so I had to sit and eat one with them. Its courtesy, right?

So its been 11 hours into my Year of Health, I've had three Krispy Kreme Donuts and I've decided I'm going to lounge around in bed because I feel mildly hungover from last nights celebrations.

Oh, I'm doing really well so far!!!!

hehehe