Many things have occured!

Ok, work stuff: I knew that being a huge organisation, there’d be plenty of room to move around and up in St Johns, but 3 weeks in??? Not even a month as the Relief Officer and I get pulled into an office and offered something new. Since the start of this month I’ve been the new Schools Project Co-Ordinator. I send info to schools about the free program we are offering, line up trainers when schools express interest, and register the courses when all has been confirmed. And since we can only cover metro schools, I also support all our sub-centres accross WA in going to their local schools and offering our program by co-ordinating certificates and resources. I currently have 5 trainers to roster for and at last count I had over 1000 students lined up. Not bad, but slightly diminuative when compared to the target of 20,000 students trained in first aid across Primary and High schools over WA. This is St Johns’ “flagship” project for the year. I need broader shoulders *faint*

Work is challenging, interesting, mind-boggling, and still fun. I’ve stayed back a few nights and worked through a couple lunches, and its because I just wanted to keep going on what I was tackling at the time. Dad put it best the other night when he said “Nice to be paid to do something you like, innit?”

Other stuff: On Tuesdays I wear a netball bib and run around a court doing my best to get near a ball. I can’t possibly claim to have any skills other than for making friends with my opponent so they’ll be nice to me and tell me where on the court I’m allowed (therefore preventing me from being called off-side). At the end of 40 mins I’m dead on my feet but its still fun and apparently supposed to make me live longer- assuming tall people stop trying to crush me. Rob and I have been playing an hour of squash on Wednesdays too. There I claim to have skills- not many, but at least some. And on Fridays (for the last 2 anyways) I’ve been swimming an hour of laps. Nothing too fantastic, but its nice and cool and shockingly there’s less chance of being pummelled by an opponent.

Wedding stuff: Are occuring also, slowly but surely. We’ve got the main thing done- all our venues are booked (ceremony, photos and reception). We’re tackling other things along the way, but we’re working on a timeline we put together so everything will be accounted for at some point.

And there you have it, my current life in stuff.

*nay*

Ok peeps (you know who you are). Daniel gave me a link detailing the names of the teams and the times they are playing. My only question is this:

WHAT THE HECK IS THE NAME OF YOUR TEAM?!

I have scoured Daniel’s and Tanya’s journals, and although highly entertaining and mildly educational, I am unable to come across the team moniker.

Please be so kind as to enlighten.
Sincerely,

*nay*

Me (walking in the door): Hi, I called earlier about my Virago..?
Ric: Oh hi, Renée isn’t it? Now what have you done? You haven’t crashed it lately have you?

Its just the little fuel leak I posted about a while ago, and he’s gonna service her while he’s at it.*

In other news, Hedland hit 49degs yesterday. I’m sending luvverly cool thoughts out to you all!

*nay*

*Good lord that sounds dirrty

(from meme thing last post)
2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

• For 08, I plan to do well in my new job, take up more hobbies with the spare time I will finally have, and ride my bicycle more.

So far so good, I am doing well in my new job! I love it! Did I tell you people I finally resigned from Insight after securing a new position at St John Ambulance HQ in Belmont..? Well I did. Anywho, as the new Relief officer, the idea is that I am a permanent temp- whenever someone else goes on holidays, I do their job. So the next time they’re away, I already (in theory) know how to do their job, and they don’t have to keep re-training regular temps.

So I’ve started out in the First Aid Service and Training call centre, to get a good base knowledge of everything to do with First Aid Training. You want to do a First Aid course? Call me! I started on Wed, so today, being my third day on the job, I got to take a few calls myself while my trainer listened in. It was great!! Working at Insight gave me a great knowledge base- I know how to talk on the phone, how to sound like I know what I’m talking about (even though I don’t actually know a lot yet!) and what questions to ask before putting the caller on hold and yelling for help. Also in my Team Leader and Trainer positions at Insight I got to know the inner workings of Exel Spreadsheets very well- and that came in so very handy today. My trainer thinks I’m cool

And my connections with Hedland depot are useful too.. So far there’s only been one follow-up call to Daddy, but I can see so many more occurring.. Its much quicker than waiting for internal communication to catch up and get us the info we need!!

There’s so much to remember too, but as usual the stuff just gets absorbed by my head and then sticks there for good- taking up valuable space I might add!! The mind-boggling bit is this- I’m only learning one position just now. Eventually, I’m expected to step into at least 10 different people’s roles and sub while they’re away. *faint* Its a challenge, and enjoying it will make it easier I think. Oh and everyone is quite mad, totally bonkers, so thats fun too.

So, stuff in ’08. I’m sure other things are occuring too, but the big startling ones thus far include:
September: Keith turns 21. Crikey.
October (tentative): Rob and I get married.
November: My parents’ 30th wedding anniversary.

Feel free to come up with more earth-shattering news Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, and to all a good night!

*nay*

1. What did you do in 2007 that you’d never done before?

• Took paid holidays
• Held a baby crocodile
• Went to NSW
• Resigned all by my self
• Got a new job all by my self

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

• My resolution was to buy a Commodore by the end of Jan 07, and I picked her up on the 31st Jan 07. I spent a long time as a student. I push deadlines.
• For 08, I plan to do well in my new job, take up more hobbies with the spare time I will finally have, and ride my bicycle more.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

• Not especially close, but Trish had her second baby, and I think that was only in the last 12 months..

4. Did anyone close to you die?

• No, and sadistically, it’s been a nice change..

5. What countries did you visit?

• Australia, but I saw more of it.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

• More “me-time”

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

• 4th Dec 07: Last day at Insight

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

• We got engaged, that was pretty big
• Got my motorcyle licence, also pretty big

9. What was your biggest failure?

• Evidently, keeping motorcycles shiny side up.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

• Just injury, because I was dumb. See “biggest failure” above..

11. What was the best thing you bought?

• Car
• Motorbike
• iPod

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

• Rob asked me to marry him, that caused some celebratory eating and drinking

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

• My brother’s behaviour is generally pretty appalling and depressing

14. Where did most of your money go?

• Purchasing vehicles and keeping up mortgage payments

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

• I graduated. About bloody time too.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?

• Not sure I can pin just one down.. Urgh, that horrible Jelly Bear green stupid thing that tried to pick up where the stupid “Frog” left off.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Happier I think.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter, which just means I’m less stressed and no longer under-weight
iii. richer or poorer? Richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

• Caught up with people, gone out more often, exercised

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

• Less staying at Insight would have been intelligent

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

• We went to Parkes NSW

21. What LJ users did you meet for the first time?

• Technically I met Igraine before finding out she was on LJ

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?

• Not as such, he’s still hanging around from 2002

23. How many one-night stands?

• None

24. What was your favourite TV program?

• Grey’s Anatomy. My Sundays were all planned around it.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

• Not especially

26. What was the best book you read?

• Night Watch- Terry Pratchett. I’ve read it so often I can recite it, but I still just want to finish the last page and then start right back at the beginning.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

• Well it wasn’t great. Actually it was rather upsetting. Felix from The Cat Empire cut his hair.

28. What did you want and get?

• An engagement ring

29. What did you want and not get?

• A leather riding jacket, but I’m saving toward that

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

• Didn’t frequent the movies so much this year

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

• I hit 23, and we went to the Tav next door to play pool and drink Guinness

32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

• I’m not sure anything would have really..

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?

• T-shirt and Jeans can be worn anywhere. Actually it hasn’t changed much since high school..

34. What kept you sane?

• Er.. I didn’t get any less sane, but I couldn’t say why not..

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

• None of them, they were all really dumb this year.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

• I got bloody sun-burnt standing in bloody line to bloody vote because it takes so bloody long for the line to move when old people get ushered in to jump the bloody queue. I’m totally taking advantage of that as soon as my hair goes grey.

37. Who did you miss?

• Lotsa people

38. Who was the best new person you met?

• I met a few new people who were pretty interesting

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.

• Shiny side up people, shiny side up.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

• Its too late to apologise.. Its too laaaaate. Ok thats not true, but its been stuck in my head since Parkes. Thanks Sez and Ben.

And of course the proof is conveniently upon Facebook!

I must warn these are just the cheesey, hold-the-camera-at-arms-length shots infront of stuff. There are others. I’m just still tired!

*nay*

So peeps, if you would like an iPod for the same price as the Apple site offers, but with the convenience of being able to take it home and press all the buttons right away, print out the page of your choice from the Apple site and take it to your friendly local Retravision, where they price-match

Insight also gave me a Westfield voucher for $100 when I left, and Retravision Carousel accepted it. So, while their price for the 80GB Classic is $459, they matched the Apple price of $349, and then with the voucher I only paid $249. Boo yah!!

And now to upload all the prettys and noisys to keep Rob and I amused on our flight to Sydney tomorrow

*nay*

Lukas lived, and Ben and Tiff had a wonderful honeymoon- Mission Accomplished!

The proud parents came up last Tuesday and stayed the night, as their flight to Mauritius left early Wednesday. So Rob drove them to the airport while I wheeled the pram off to feed the ducks- a great distraction There were a few tears that first night at bed-time, but the rest of the week was pretty smooth. I chauffered Lukas around the various family for lots of visits, changed a few nappies, and found myself thoroughly entertained by the cheeky nearly-2yr-old. “Robbie” came for a visit over the weekend- possibly the highlight of Lukas’ week! We took him out to Collie on Sunday to see Rob’s family, to the amusement of all and many comments along the lines of “Gee, you kept that quiet!!” Then Sunday night Rob snuck out after the little man went to bed- its just easier that way, ok?! We spent Monday visiting everybody again, doing the rounds before heading back to Perth on Tuesday after Daycare. Wednesday morning swung round again, and off we went to see the planes- and to pick up Mummy and Daddy.

Ben and Tiff headed off yesterday morning, and I have to say, the place is very quiet without Lukas running around being gorgeous! Next time we see them will be his 2nd Birthday in Jan, can’t wait to see how much he grows in 3weeks, considering how much he learned and changed in only a week.

And now to take more drugs, and shake the flu both Robbie and I managed to catch off the little bugger..

*nay*

Though this will not stop me riding in the mean time, so thats nice.. I think I have a fuel leak. The first two times I hit reserve it was because I’d done 200kms on a tank of juice. Last time I ran out at 180kms, which indicated something was amiss. Today I noticed fuel-smelling splatter marks on one side. I believe a leak may be the cause. Rob did suggest this nearly a week ago, but now I believe my own findings, rather than just believing Rob because he’s a boy and by default probably knows more about my bike than me

Ric’s gonna shake his head at me again!!

*nay*

Well I still haven’t.. But I’m driving the commodore until I source and attach a new clutch cable.. Turned left off Loftus into Caimbridge on my way home yesteday afternoon, changed up a couple gears and felt the *ping*. Now my clutch lever is swinging in the breeze and I’m in 4th.. So I pull to the left, aim for an abandonned driveway that my instructor used to make me aim for, and hope for the best as I step on the gear lever while listening to the revs. Didn’t do too badly, made it smoothly down to first and parked neatly in the driveway. After a quick call to Rob I worked out how to unscrew the cable part, and Rob popped the attachment bit outta the lever to find that it had literally just snapped.

So, phone calls.. Couldn’t raise the guy off the forums who generally does all the emergency towing, but only a couple streets earlier I had seen an instructor and learner from Elite heading back to the office at West Perth so we tried our instructor. Went to voicemail, umming and ahing on what to do next, I figured they were only heading back a short time ago; take the car and see if they’re still there!

Huzzah!! Ty from Elite is my hero. Put the virago on his bike trailer and towed her over to Sam’s since it was closest. We offered to pay but he was very generous and put it down to recommending him if we knew some new students!! After parking her in at Sam’s we all packed into the car to head to boy’s night, when we saw yellow trailer straps in the road.. Turns out they were Ty’s, so we got to return the favour a bit =P

And now I’m off to pull the old cable off..
*nay*