Christmas - not shabby darts

Having a top time at R's place even though the weather hasn't really been good beachy weather. Enjoyed Christmas without any family fights, even when the hefty snapper for dinner took longer on the Weber than was hoped for. 


Prior to our beachside idyll, the rest of our trip to SA went well. After dining out in Deni we returned to roadhouse sweet roadhouse to enjoy the highpoint of foxtel sports - the English darts championship. Watching darts has given me a new phrase of distain - from now on if something is not up to scratch it's 'shabby darts' which the commentator was fond of saying if a competitor's shot was, well, shabby. If you can say it with a Yorks or Lancastrian accent, even better. 


And we got to see a ute on a stick as we were leaving the next morning. 

And enjoy some strange sights on the road... 

Creative petrol pump covers in Moulamein: his... 

and hers.  

And some fun at the old folks home.

This is just a tribUTE

Here we are in the ute capital of the world - Deni (Deniliquin). 

Not only do they have the ute muster here but also plenty of be'ute' art work. Check out the mosaicing (sp?) skills! 


Had a lovely dinner at Crossing Cafe and currently enjoying a very balmy night. Much warmer here than it has been in Canberra!

turtle!!

Ok so this is probably the fuzziest photo I've posted. I have to show you though because this afternoon I saw a turtle swimming in the lake! Its shell was covered in moss and it was paddling around quite happily. Sometimes the lake water looks so dirty - it's good to know that wildlife can survive in it. 

From this shot I could pretend it's the Lake G monster...

that kidney bean dream

What does it mean? 

Lake Ginninderra graffiti

Went for a walk this morning before work. It was calm and still - very relaxing. Work is going well but I'm looking forward to not working for a couple of weeks. Does everyone realise that it's Christmas on Sunday??

Weekend!!!

Another blue sky day in Canberra

Civic art work

Well I made it through a whole week of work - and of course one of the wonderful things about working full time is how exciting your average weekend becomes - just because it is the weekend. 


Today I made a few more gift purchases, and am feeling very happy about the pile of presents I now have under the blow-up christmas tree - the extent of our christmas decorations. 

Tomorrow we have guests coming for lunch. We're hoping for good weather so we can eat outside - even though we've ordered a dining table and chairs, only the chairs have arrived...

back in the saddle

Today is my first pay day for a looooooong time. (Only one day's pay, but I'm still feeling pleased). Being back in the office is kind of strange, but there are good things about it too. My computer and social skills are both benefitting. But I am looking forward to Christmas and seeing in the new year. 


And on Tuesday I had another interview - this one for a permanent position for an office close to home. I have no idea how I went - for the first time I wasn't nervous at all but I'm not sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Only time will tell. 


This week our other exciting news was that we bought a car. Second hand but still looking good and it should suit our purposes at the moment. We take possession on Monday if all goes to plan. 

Doe, a deer

A busy weekend car hunting and furniture hunting. We also managed to fit in a walk at Kama Reserve today even though the weather was patchy. The last half of the walk we were racing to beat the advancing storm cracking above us. Luckily, we didn't get struck by lightning.

Climb through friendly gates 

Molongolo River

Blue devil (native)

A deer ran across our path!

Giant dandelion (weed)

dunno, lovely

the office

I can hardly believe it but today it was back to the coal face. 


It all felt alarmingly familiar. Although my pod is a little like a national park. You have to take your rubbish home with you - or at least to the end of the corridor, where you have to decide what kind of rubbish it is and which out of three bins it needs to go in. No prizes for guessing which department I might be working for. 


and everyone seems quite friendly, and I'm working in the city, and I can drive and park for the whole day for $8 (only $3 more than catching the bus - no contest - sorry earth).


Anyway, here is a picture from the Parliamentary Zone. 

Old Parliament House Gardens

hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go

I know, I know, I've been slack - but I have been busy. I now have not one but two jobs confirmed - the first is a temping job until mid February, and the second will start in Feb and continue for about 12 months.  The second job I've been offered without an interview! In this government town (where it takes the usual application to take about three months to go through the process) I am amazed and feeling pretty happy with the way things have turned out.  I have to be security vetted for the second job - to a level where I can access 'confidential' and 'secret' files. However, 'top secret' files will still be off limits. Damn! 

 On Sunday we intended to go for a walk at Gininderra Falls - which is now definitely closed to the public. So we went for a bit of a drive instead to Uriara Crossing and then up to the Brindabella Hills. A lovely day out. 

scream

 Belco stencil art

I did some Xmas shopping in Belco and in the city. Had my potential job confirmed but still nothing in writing, although I'm pretty confident it is going to happen. I can't start until I have my Federal police clearance but I'm hoping it won't take the two weeks that they say is usual turn around time.  

busy

Well it's all been happening in the last couple of days. I had someone checking on my referees for one position yesterday, and went to an interview for another today. The interviewers today were keen so once the temping agency lets me know what the deal will be I'll know for sure if it's going ahead and will post details. 


Yesterday I went for a lovely walk to The Pinnacle Reserve with a friend. It was threatening to rain but we took a chance and were lucky to dodge the heavy rain that set in later in the day. Gorgeous views and all just a ten minute walk from Macquarie.

And I made some little banana cakes. 

And another great sunset tonight.