Mm, mm! Off to Queensland this Friday - can't wait. And to make you all jealous, I have included some pictures of where we are all staying, just below. Take a look and turn GREEN WITH ENVY!!

I have been a bad blogger of late. But today's entry should make it all up - it's been a busy past few weeks.
Week before last I went to see Summah at her new home in the country side. She seems really happy - she was happy to see me, but was wandering around Julianne's house like she owned the place. So it's good that it has worked out that way. Hopefully I will be going up there this Wednesday to visit again, she got spayed last week and although I'm told she's doing well it still would be good to see her for myself. She's getting along really well with the kids - more people to play with is always good, and the other dog - Rory is getting along ok with her as well. I think it will get better between the dogs over time.
Mark arrived in Melbourne a little over a week ago. I had some time off when he got here. Another reason for the lack of blog. That's been pretty good - it's nice to have him around again, but will make it harder when he leaves again in about 3 1/2 weeks. But we've had some good times hanging out. Went to dinner a few times and on Wednesday went to the zoo, which was fun. But simply having him here has been a bonus - missed him so much when he's in the UK.
The same day that Mark got here was my housewarming party. Was a really good night - hopefully I will be able to have my going away at my house. We were supposed to have my friends, Jahe's mates and Verys. But only mine turned up - which ended up ok as we all know how to have a good time regardless of who is or isn't there! So the party along with picking Mark up from the airport at 5.30am left me pretty buggered for a few days after. We had some wicked pills which gave me shakey eyes for the whole evening. So much so that at one point I could hardly walk as I couldn't see straight. Had an extra one for a friend who didn't show - so now there is one for later - YAY!
On the Sunday after the party we went go-carting for Ian's bucks do thingy. Was a good day, although I proved to all what a nana I can be when it comes to go carts. If the guys who gave us the saftey advice hadn't've mentioned the fact that the carts could flip I may have gone a little faster. Still out of the two races I was consistent - last both times!! Funny thing about that day was the man who organised us when we got there was my old grade 6 teacher! Couldn't believe he recognised me!!
I was back at work again all too soon on the Thursday afternoon. Still no time to blog as I had to catch up on work that went wanting while I was on holidays.
Then last weekend was again hectic. I volunteered for trailwalker this year instead of doing support crew. I trained up to the hills on the friday night, and then did a 6am - 2pm shift on Saturday. Helping out with all sorts of things from directing traffic to making cups of tea.
After that we raced home to get ready for Ricci's hens night. We had to dress 'glam' - not something that is contained in my cupboard so I'd bought a dress for the occassion. Felt a little strange looking so girly in that with the enormously high stilletto heels, but managed to fit in with all the other girly girls. Hugely sore legs and feet the next day, and ankles hurt today. I'm buggered if I know how those women who wear heels all the time do it! Still it is nice to get dressed up every now and then isn't it?
Sunday I went to visit Kolivas with Mark. Was good to catch up with him again, and I think Mark enjoyed himself too. We stayed for a BBQ lunch/dinner - a few prawns on the barbie that Mark enjoyed immensly - I'm not a big seafood fan, but the one I had was yummy. Soo much work to peel them and pull their legs off etc, just for a small morsel of white flesh.
And today back at work again - almost time to go home. Not looking forward to home though as I have to speak with Jahe about his desire to get me to pay more rent to cover the spare room. As far as I'm aware I only pay for mine, that was the deal when I moved in and if he wants to change it I'm gonna have to move out. Still it may not come to that, I've sent a few emails and there are some people coming around this week to have a look at the place. Hopefully they'll like it and there won't be a problem with paying rent. Still I need to talk to Jahe before it gets to that point. I hate confrontations....
I got my decree absolute granted the same day as my housewarming party - so a celebration has already been partially had. I got the actual papers on the Tuesday after the party. Haven't had the girls absolute vodka night yet, but plan to do that the week after the wedding. Probably not the best timing to do it before... Have to be polite with friends and their needs too.
On the Tuesday that my divorce papers came through I booked my ticket to Bangkok and Kathmandu! I leave Australia on the 19th of June - midnight, and spend 3 1/2 months in S.E Asia, onto Nepal around the 1st of October, and then through India to Deli, although that part, as yet, hasn't been booked. But I plan to fly from Deli to Amsterdam and after a week in the cafes there it's onto London to earn some cash and travel some more. Over the next few weeks it's travel injections, travel insurance, save, save save, and try to organise the visits to Laos and Cambodia projects and if possible some work with OGB for when I arrive in December. It'll come around so quickly, I really need to get my arse into gear.
This Friday I am off to Qld for the wedding. Should be fun, and will be great to get away even for just a short while. Then I think the Friday night after the wedding (a week later) I'll hassel everyone to come around to mine for some celebratory divorce drinkin'! Better than having it on a school night I think, other wise we'll all be calling in sick with hang overs the next day.
So that's what I've been up to and why I haven't blogged. But it's been fun, life is good! Hopefully will be abetter blogger this week and in future, but don't go holding your breath!!

Just a little somethin' to keep you interested.....




Soon my pretties I will be on my way!

But tomorrow I get to go and visit Summah, the beautiful, lovable hound!

Ah Tuesday. Lots to do this week, every day there is some appointment that needs to be kept, or someone that I need to go and see. I tell you next week is like gold - nearly a whole week of annual leave! Yay! Still if I hadn't 've forgotten various appointments last week, then this week wouldn't be so full. So really it's my own fault.

Summah has a new home! She's staying with my friend Julianne out in the country side, and I am told she's enjoying herself enormously and doesn't seem to miss me at all. Which is good - I guess, but I miss her. It'll take a bit of getting used to not having her around. And really she's not my dog anymore... A strange thought, but I am allowed to visit whenever I want until I go, and I am sure when I get back too.

Went to the backpacker expo on Sunday which was well worth the trip - I have found myself some cheap but good travel insurance. Plus I collected various information on Thailand and a S.E Asia phrase book - I can now say that I have been vacinated in 5 different languages. Bound to come in handy that one... But seriously I'm glad I went to have a look, plus there was free beer and other stuff (pies, liquor etc) at almost every second stall.

Anyway, there is more to write, went out a bit this weekend - Phils' birthday drinks and Elissas' house warming party. It was all good, lots of fun, but I can't be bothered going into it any further than that at the moment. May write again later if I get the chance.

What a morning! Up early to do an Oxfam presentaion to our face to face recruiters on top of a late one last night for the same thing for our Oxfam shops. Went well, but it was strange being in a door to door slaes office again from the client perspective, especially seeing that I used to do the same sort of work that they are doing now.
Anyway was a goodun, and enjoyed it. Feels like a pretty hectic day because of this morning, but it's just going quick, which is nice.

Tonight I am going out to King Lake! Summah is coming with me and I will be leaving her there with my friend Julianne to see how Summah gets along with the family and their Irish Wolf Hound cross Mastiff. He's a beautiful dog - Rory, sooo big though - and you thought Summah was a big dog. But if all goes well with them then she'll have a lovely home. Julianne lives next door to state forest, has two older kids and has her Mum living with her as well so there would always be someone around to look after the dogs and play etc. Fingers crossed that all goes well.



Next weekend is my house warming party - Yay! Should be a good night and it will be fun to have all my mates & family around to see the new house. Pool table is in the process of being cleared and prepared for the night amongst other necessary preparations. So see you there!

Wicked thoughts... Ha! How can thoughts be wicked? Wouldn't it only be actions? Actions definitely could be wicked, but I think that in order to be wicked you'd have to be harming someone else, and by just thinking something, surely you wouldn't be hurting anyone other than yourself? If you were hurting anyone at all that is... I'm talking in circles aren't I?
Wicked thoughts, has that kind of naughty but nice feel to it doesn't it?
Hmm, I wonder though about the whole 'thinking of committing a sin is just as bad as doing the sin'. That never made any sense at all to me. I always thought when I was told this that, if thinking about doing something is just as bad as actually doing it, then what is stopping you from doing it? You're already in trouble so why not go the whole way?
Wicked thoughts, I plan on still having them, possibly not acting on each and every one of them, but still surely there isn't anything wrong in a little 'wicked' day dreaming?

Well what a long and pleasurably drawn out weekend that was! I must apologise to Zorb for accosting him in the hallway and subjecting him to a nipple tweaking for my own titillation. Promise it won't happen again - at least not when I am sober....
Aside from Saturday my weekend was pretty quiet. Tried to book my flight on Saturday but was unable to, as the prices for June haven't been publicised yet. What is that about? Hell, it's only about 3 months away. Still it gives me more time to put extra cash on the credit card, and I guess Mark wanted to come in with me when I booked, so this means that now he can, coz I can't book before he gets here!! Arrgh! Wanted to have it done by then... Not to worry.
So I traipsed around town for most of Sat paying bills and other exciting had-to-be-done things. And then it was out to Alison and Sarge’s for Jenny's going away gig.
I was pissed already from meeting Ian and Liz at the North Melb tavern, when I got there, and continued in the same vein, until about 11 when I realised that I really should get home to feed the hound.
I tried making a drunken call to Mark on the way home, but was unable to work the damn complicated public phone box and gave up after my 4th attempt. Messy girl then wandered home in a kind of aimless manner.
Poor Bella was so hungry when I got there. Not a very good owner on Saturday night was I? Still she'd been walked and everything else that she would need/want, aside from the food, but she did get it, just very late.
So I slumped into bed and awoke the next day to major stomach cramps and a head that felt like the temple was going to implode. The headache subsided after a few glasses of water and another hour in bed, but the cramps continued through out the day and into Monday. Damn it all - I don't even have my period!! Thankfully though the cramps weren't that bad this morning and I was able to make it into work, and to my blood test appointment. So all is back to normal again - well almost. Shall see how it all goes.
Summah should be going for a trial stay at Julianne’s this week... Fingers crossed that she gets along with their dog Rory and the rest of the family. If not, it's back to square 1 and I'm not too sure what to do from there onwards; other than not go O.S as planned. I can't just leave her with no home, and I can't have her put down just because I want to go away either. So touch wood, make a wish on the first evening star and anything else that may help - do a spell to find my dog a home?? Something has to come up, it's inconceivable that I won’t go after all this work.

Am sick of these minimal email days. What happened to the times when you came to work to chat via computer to all your mates? What the hell is going on with the world when people use their WHOLE WORK DAY just to WORK?? I tell you it's society breaking down. Social plans are becoming a thing of the past. Automatons is what we are turning into. Happy, compliant, do as we're told robots....

Anyway enough of the rant. You can tell I have been doing something monotonous this morning and afternoon can't you? Can't you??!
I'm thinking of getting into town sometime around lunch time to buy my golden ticket. Hopefully my 'off week pay' will have definitely gone in coz at the mo it's a neg bal and Vic ain't goin' anywhere tonight, or on the weekend if it doesn't go in. Unless some kind of miracle happens. In any case it's not important, buying that ticket is, and having some $ left over to pay onto the old plastic.. Gawd why did I ever break my own rule about spending more than you have?? Why?

So the quitting smoking thing is going pretty well. I had a smoke free day yesterday which wasn't too hard and am attempting to have no ciggies today either. Not feeling narky yet, shall see how the day pans out though before I start to sing my own praises, or get Vania to sing them - Ha ha ha, just kiddin'. Wouldn't be able to understand if it was done in tounges... Ha ha ha no seriously I should stop that, she can't help it if she believes in mythical beings such as God. Well she can, but you get the drift, and sorry shouldn't be picking on God believers, I will sing my praises, when appropriate, on my own.
Haven't been much of a blogger this week, but then again I haven't been up to much aside from sewing patches to my backpack and sorting some things out with the doctor. Went yesterday, but nothing hugely serious so don't panic.
Was going to take Summah up to Juliannes this weekend, but have had to postpone it until late next week which is actually better for me, but anyway, she is still in line for a good home - if she gets along with the dog that is there already. Fingers crossed along with toes and eyes. Touching wood and any other superstisious substances that may help it all to run smoothly... Hmm, hopefully this will be the home for her & I can stop worrying that she won't have anywhere and I will have to stay.
But seeing that I have the weekend free now I can again go with plan 'a' and book my ticket, my 'golden ticket' at least that's what it feels like! Ohhh so exciting!
So all is good in the realms of the great Vickus.

This was supposed to be a Tuesday blog, but seeing that Tuesday turned out to be quite busy, it is now a Wednesday blog.
Anyway, do ya like my little backpacker? This will be me in a few months, weighted down by my pack. I packed it for the first time on Monday night and fortunately can get everything I really want to take in it, with some room to spare. Am a little uncertain if I am going to be able to carry it all around, but figure it shouldn't be too hard, and I'll probably develop muscles where I didn't know I should have them. Ha ha, I'll return looking like a wrestler. Heh heh heh that's funny.
This week has been pretty quiet aside from some hassle with finalising the old house. According to the real estate agent it wasn't cleaned properly and not everything has been removed from the property... Al assures me it was and refuses to pay for a cleaner, so at present we are at odds as to what happens next. I guess I wait for the real estate agent to get back to me as Al has asked him to go back around to inspect again saying that the first inspection was done before he'd finished moving. I suppose we'll find out today as he (the agent) is supposed to be calling me back with a quote on the cleaning, if it does actually need to be done again. If not and it's just a matter of getting rid of the stuff Al left behind and I should be able to get over there early Saturday morning to throw whatever it is out. Plus I book my ticket on Saturday - if the travel agent is open - then it's off to Juliannes with Summah to see how she gets along at their house and if they can take her for me when I go away. Saturday is looking so busy already... Arrgh! At least this weekend is a long one.
Trying to quit smoking this week. I have set Friday as the day that I stop completely, this week has been a matter of cutting down. I was supposed to have my first smoke free day today, but didn't quite make it. Ahh well, I'll keep at it. Should quit before I go - will save more if I'm not paying for tobacco and other smoking paraphernalia all the time.
Am off to the doctor at lunchtime, still getting hideous pain in my belly and I should check if he can do my travel inoculations. Would be so much easier than going all the way to Heidelberg.
Anyway that's me, not a lot going on really, but lots to do. Weird.

Soon, my pretties, I will have my 'Decree Absolute'. This means I will be well and truely, completely and wholely, totally and absolutely DIVORCED! YAY!! So be prepared for a quick call - on a school night - asking you to arrive at mine for an absolute vodka night. A night of drinks and laughs and no men... Well possibly my housemates Jahe and Very, but I can't exactly kick them out as they also pay rent and live there.
So Stay tuned!

Ahh Monday AGAIN! There are definitely more Mondays in my weeks than Saturdays and Sundays... At least it feels like it today.
Weekend was a good one, nice and relaxing.
On Friday night I stayed in and had the house to myself! So I had a couple of beers, a spliff or two and did some cleaning. Such an exciting life! But it was nice having the house to myself. Quite peaceful energy with no-one else around. Got the chance to do some writing and chill in my own space. Was love-er-ly!
Jahe got up the next morning in a foul mood that he felt the need to share with Very and I. Not wholey appreciated, so I went out for a long dog walk along Merri Creek to the beginning of St Georges Rd. A nice walk through parkland, with Very & Summah who enjoyed herself plus it was good for me to get out of the house for an extended period to somewhere calm like that.
So the rest of Saturday was spent doing washing and the like until late afternoon when I left to go to my cousins place in Bacchus Marsh for a BBQ. Was a nice evening, but for some reason I was put on the kids table along with my brother and his wife who - like me - also aren't that fond of little children. So we were left to supervise and look after them while the parents and couples that DID want or do already have kids had a lovely child free meal! What's that about I ask? A plot to keep the kid lovers loving kids by not having to deal with them... Hmm. Crafty!
Sunday was a treat day. I stayed in bed til late and then went and saw a movie with Michelle - Brother Bear was the movie of the day. Not bad, I do have a soft spot for the od cartoon, but it wasn't anywhere as good as what I had anticipated. Not to worry it wasn't a complete dead loss of a day, and again nice to get out and about doing something that didn't involve lots of cash at the pub!
Today was my final appraisal - well not final, but appraisal for the past 6 months. Had a good old chat and have passed probabtion, although I was told that earlier on this month with my pre-appraisal. So no huge surprises there. But was good to sit and have a chat, talk about me going away and (as I think I wrote last week), I have already been able to make a start on organising some programes to look at while I am away. So all is good in my world.