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Why do I go to the gym? This is my inspiration. All I need is the Certificate IV in Fitness, and my new career path will be all sorted.

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution.”

- William A. Foster

Headed up the F3 this morning to visit Brother Mark on the Central Coast. The drive up was fun - it always feels like you’re heading off on a holiday, particularly when it’s sunny, the traffic is flowing, and you’re listening to vibey driving music. (End of Fashion again for me - I’m loving them at the moment. A funky bass line, solid drumming, and guitars do it for me every time. I’m a rock chick - what can I say?)

Mum’s 80th is in August, so we’re organising a surprise party to celebrate. Spent a few hours creating the invitation, heading to OfficeWorks to get envelopes and mailing labels, detouring to get a curry pie and custard tart for lunch, then scanning photos that Mark and Dad have managed to smuggle out without Mum knowing. Found a fabulous pic of her holding a koala - no date, but Mum must have been in her early twenties. Gee, she was a stunning young woman. She still is a cutie pie at nearly 80. Love my Mum.

It was nice hanging out with Brother Mark, even if I do inevitably end up making some classic blunder that amuses him no end, and makes me feel like my IQ has dropped 20 points. This time it was taking a wrong turn on the way to OfficeWorks and ending up in a cul-de-sac. Mark found this hilarious while I just felt stupid and self-conscious as I usually do in his presence. We are very different in approach and temperament which can be frustrating for both of us, but we generally get on OK. It was also nice to see Keryn and have a bit of a chat. They are expecting their first bub soon which is very exciting - the first of the next generation in our family. For some reason I think they live further away when it’s only 30 mins; I really could visit more often.

Drove back home around 3.30pm to meet Tom for our second movie outing this week - Street Kings starring a pudgy, tired looking Keanu Reeves as the pudgy, tired looking bad cop uncovering corruption in the police department, but not really managing to redeem himself, and at the same time discovering that he has been played by both sides, and that the “good guys” have redefined “corruption” and the “truth”. It was an odd film - a weak and confusing plot with numerous loose ends (Did anyone figure out the Cookie Jar? It was implied, but not clearly stated.), superfluous characters, an unlikeable main character (He’s bad. He misses his dead wife. He’s still bad. Ho hum.), and lacking in emotional depth so that even when the “nice cop” dies you don’t really care. Which is a pity because it was Chris Evans, and his character really should have lived just so there was something decent to watch for the last half hour. Could have been so much better. But I had a choc-top and Tom shared his popcorn, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Ended the day with Commie Dinner and a walk home. It’s only Day 5 of holidays, but I could easily adjust to doing days like this more often. Fingers crossed for working part-time.

Two weeks. Two whole weeks away from work. So, so happy about that! No deadlines, no meetings, no action lists, no schedule. Just time. Time to potter around at home doing some Autumn cleaning, washing windows, shifting furniture and books (so many books!) and getting ready for the new flatmate. It’s strangely soothing and oddly therapeutic. Clearing out drawers and clearing my head.

Time to see some movies. Saw Iron Man on Saturday with Tom. (We almost saw Prom Night when they started the wrong reel, but that was a problem quickly resolved.) What a fantastic two hours of escapism. Sure, it was a little predictable, but was saved by great special effects, a pumping soundtrack, some funny lines, and a very buff Robert Downey Jnr. Don’t need popcorn with that kind of eye candy! Did a complete 180 the next day, and watched The Painted Veil with Mum. Epic, lush and doomed, but wonderful all the same. Endings like this one had are unsatisfactory for those wanting a romantic fairytale finish, but it was inevitable in terms of character development and the redemptive themes. And probably more realistic than romance which is anything but.

Time to read. Time to spend with God. Time to see friends. Time to hang out in the local neighbourhood. Time to just be. On the last holiday when I stayed at Yamba, each day would end with a walk along the sea wall. It was nice meandering along, saying g’day to the fishermen, seeing dolphins playing in the shoals, and watching the sun set. It would be good to do the same around here. Walking through the mall won’t have quite the same ambience, but I’ll work something out.

Down to the wire, but the assignment is done. Handed it in just before 5, and then figured since I’d paid for an hour’s parking that I might as well wander around and explore the campus for a while. Classes are at night, so I’ve only ever seen the carpark and the lecture rooms. Haven’t even been to the library - and that’s saying something, girly swot that I am. So I strolled down one of the main boulevards, enjoying the changing colour of autmun leaves, and sculptures tucked away here and there. It really is a lovely campus.

Found myself across the road from Mac Centre, so headed in there, wandered around Freedom and the Loft for a while just window-shopping, then bought a chai tea latte and headed back. It was starting to rain a little, but I didn’t mind; I quite like walking in the rain. Took a different boulevard this time, and found the library at the end of a lovely grove of trees set in a courtyard. Outside the library seems to be the happening place on campus - lots of students milling around. Didn’t go in, but peeked through some windows as I walked past, loving the look of bound volumes sitting neatly on shelves.

Made it back to the car, and drove home listening and car dancing to End of Fashion. Feeling relaxed and happy for what seems like the first time in a long while. It’s not, but it sure feels like it! Even so, I’m grateful for the next two weeks off work - it will be good to get some distance and perspective, and just chill.

Went to the dentist this morning for a checkup and clean. Walked out an hour and $214.00 later! That may explain the boating magazines in the waiting room, but do they have to rub it in? Thank goodness for health insurance and healthy teeth. The back molar crumbling-from-the-inside-could-implode-anytime-and-yes-you-will-require-root-canal-work is still intact. Hang in there sunshine!

Woke up this morning living happily on my own. How quickly things change! I have been thinking of getting another flatmate since Brother Peter left last October, but hadn’t done much about it, except use the second room as a holding area for junk. It’s 11 hours later, and I now have a flatmate - thanks Jane! Met Sally tonight; she seems very nice, and will start moving in on Tuesday. By next Friday, I will be living in community again. That feels really nice; really good. It’s time. Living alone is OK, but not long term - at least not for me. Being an introvert, I find living on my own can easily morph into Hermitville, and it can also feed the Black Dog when he comes to visit. Not a good mix. So, thanks God for answering unspoken prayers, and also for friends and community.

“First we thought the PC was a calculator. Then we found out how to turn numbers into letters with ASCII - and we thought it was a typewriter. Then we discovered graphics, and we thought it was a television. With the World Wide Web, we’ve realized it’s a brochure.

- Douglas Adams

After all the hard work redeveloping the intranet, I am resigned to the fact that the new owners don’t seem to care about its proper care and feeding. They just want to publish the CEO’s weekly email newsletter and video clips. The rest of the content still hasn’t been migrated. So all we have is yet another intranet (no.10) with no useful content that staff won’t use. It is doomed to fail. And there is nothing I can do because (a) it’s outside my direct area of responsibility and (b) the new owners seem to be oblivious to the warning signs and not listening to reason. Angry and disappointed.

Thursday seems like a long time ago. The last three days have been a good mix of social, solo and study.

Starting Thursday night with dinner at Jev and Chris’s, and introductions to their loveable husky Meshach and Take Two Scrabble. Good conversation and a fun night. Have already blogged about Friday morning. Caught up with Ali and Susie in the evening to see Spiderwick at The Wet Dog cinema. It wasn’t half-bad for a kid’s flick. Had dessert at the RSL to round off the Anzac Day experience. Saturday starts, as usual, at the gym. Was hoping to match last week’s effort, which I did - no jelly legs this time! - and upped the arm weights too. Happy with that. Howie and Jenny came over for dinner. Howie proved himself to be the Puzzle Master, solving every puzzle in the house in record time. I believe he even took a photo of one of his efforts. Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, I realised just before serving the roast lamb that I didn’t actually have a carving knife. Poor little lamb was butchered a second time. Oh dear. Played Who, What, Where which was good fun, even with my complete lack of drawing skill. How does one even begin to draw Bambi playing volleyball on the Titanic? Let alone Rocky changing a baby’s nappy at a car wash?

Went for a walk this afternoon - the warm air too delicious not to enjoy. Said ‘hello’ to some passing walkers. Was reading somewhere the other day about “community walks” where a small group of people commits to regularly walking around their local area as a community building exercise. (No pun intended.) Being visible, making connections, smiling and saying hello, and chatting over back fences. I like that idea. It feels good.

Still a bit of work to be done on the assignment, but all up it has been a good weekend. Feeling more relaxed than I was Thursday afternoon. Thankfully Ms Cranky Pants has left the building, and not before time. Standing in for your boss and another person on leave does that to you. Just one full day of work, one day off, back for a half-day handover with the boss, and then I can enjoy 2 weeks off. Time to chill and let go of some stuff - materially and emotionally. Towards the end of last week I was barely hanging in there. Roll on part-time is all I can say. That’s definitely on the Wednesday morning agenda.

We often have to try different approaches to the same problem, to reformulate the question, to refine the experimental conditions. Persistence and patience in pursuing the goal is important.

- Professor Adrienne Clark