Torquay 06

15 of us decided to go on a road trip to Toquay over the easter weekend...



Driver 1: Juz in his Rav4...



Driver 2: Jia Lit (who took over from Siew) in the gold/brown/purple/orange/pink echo...



Driver 3: me in my "little red sports car"...



I don't know about the rest but Sarah, myself, Nina, Siew and Jo sang/yelled/rapped/bopped to Britney, Christina, Avril and "Derrick's RnB mix 2004" when we weren't outta the car exploring, or on a toilet break and stretching like we are here!!



After arriving at our beach house consisting of 6 beds for the 15 of us, we ate dinner then realised we didn't have any dessert so Jason and Juz went in search for McDonalds sundaes but instead, returned with plastic spoons and 3 tubs of ice-cream...



Jason was very content with his own cone...



and Leslie was satisfied with all the lids!!



We then played "dew dew dew"...





then split into teams for charades...







in which the losing team for each round had to drink!!



After the energy levels died, a few of us decided to head into town to see if anything was happening - nothing was - and we ended up at a very cold cold beach!!





The next day we headed into lorne for lunch...




then to the beach along the great ocean road.









After this, we went to some famous waterfall (I've kinda forgotten the name already!!)



and after deciding which way to go, we headed towards the lookout...





before checking out the river.



On the way back to Torquay a DOUBLE rainbow appeared!





Upon arriving back in Melbourne we stopped off for dinner on Lygon Street and took another few crazy snaps, jumping for joy and celebrating an AWESOME weekend!



- more pics to come -

Direction...

Organised to meet Brian after work for dinner. He led the way – only thing is, he didn’t know the way…so after walking for what seemed like forever, and covering half the city, I came to a complete stop and suggested he ask for directions...

The way I see it: If you’re lost, you’re lost. If you don’t know the way, you don’t know the way. Theres nothing wrong. Just ask for directions – but noooo, its such a guy thing to just keep going...and going...and going!

Anyway, FINALLY arrived (ok so it wasn’t actually THAT bad – warm night, no rain, helpful people!), ordered, ate, and conversation turned "D&M". It was kinda funny though coz I’ve always thought that if conversation turns that way, then it turns that way, and if it doesn’t, then it doesn’t – you just go with the flow! But we were sitting there deciding whether we wanted to "go there!" That was a first!

Anyway, so we "went there", to the "D&M" side, and it was pretty amazing. In hindsight, I think it was God-ordained! Not only because of the fact that I felt like I was being read, and more than that, being read by almost the last person I ever thought I would be read by; or the encouragement; or the sharing; or putting-things-into-perspective; or the bluntness and laughs of saying things straight out; or the reminders of events passed over the years – but also because of the gentle stirring and reassurance that it would all be ok and I was headed in the right direction...

Wheres Hoffy?

I'm dying at work so Matt says: "Liz, this'll keep you awake for at least a couple of min..."



- thanks! -

Roses are red...

Soooo pretty!! I've gotta get me one of these!

Apples and Wine

Women...
are like apples on a tree. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

Now men...
are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and its up to women to stomp the $h!t out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

- thanks Nepean! -

FYI: work email accounts

This exchange of emails between Alex and I got me thinking...and a little worried about the fact that even though you may have deleted something, *they* can always retrieve it...yikes!!

...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alex Kam
>
> that's bad...
>
> do you know that if there's any kind of legal action taken on your
> company, all your work email will be archived as evidence? that's what
> my company does, we help out legal firms process all sorts of files,
> alot of them email archives...so try not to air dirty laundry on your
> work email account! ;)
>

Elizabeth Ng wrote:
> OMG!!
>
> are you serious?!!
>
> ok so what if I like delete it now..then it will be gone right?
>
> hmm..maybe I should delete all my emails from the last year-not that
> I really need any of them - except work ones...oh no!! hehe
>
> ok this is not a laughing matter!! find any good emails in the stuff
> you've been going through?!
>

-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Kam

well windows is evil, my boss says you can't actually completely
delete files from your computer...apparently there's a way to retrieve
everything...

but all this legal stuff only happens in america...not that it doesn't
here, but it's rare... =)

there was this scandal involving a boss and her worker...they were
exchanging raunchy emails...and then they got busted...nah just
kidding...haha...even if i did come across something, i think i'd get
into trouble legally cause i've signed a confidentiality agreement...

...

Don't say I didn't warn you!!

4 weeks...and counting!!

Whoever heard of waiting 4 weeks for a massage?! Thats ridiculous! But theres nothing I can do...except wait...

I called geisha to book my massage, only to be told that they were fully booked until after easter. I didn't believe them and said I'd call back later - which I did...bad mistake...calling back ONE day later cost me the wait of an extra TWO weeks!! How frustrating!!

Anyway, on a brighter note, I bumped into Jo the other day and we passed by one of those dodgy looking massage places that has been set up ouside the melbourne central train station. After standing back and observing the people at work, and telling ourselves numerous times that it didn't matter that every Tom, Dick and Harry would be able to see us, we decided to give them a go - and it was actually pretty ok!

Set Jo and I thinking...and calculating costs and profits...and scheming about how to steal these workers and convince them to work for us instead! Hmmm...the plot thickens!!

"God spilled the paint"

A lot of emails get sent around work, and heres one I thought I'd share...

My mum blew up the house!!

Don't ask me how, because I don't know, but my mum has yet again managed to short circuit the entire top level of our house!!

So its absolutely freezing and I'm surviving on whatever warmth ducted heating brings...but I NEED my little tangy heater - its my lifesaver! Its not even a want - more a NEED at this point in time! Warms me up in an instant! Brrrr....!! haha

Kinda makes me think about how people use to survive in the "olden days" - not only before the heater was invented, but also before electricity came into play - don't know how they did it...or even how people do it nowadays...can't imagine having to go out and chop wood at this time of the night!

Anyway, gotta be thankful the electrician is coming first thing tomorrow morning - guess our household is kinda priority since my mum makes this "blowing up" of hers a common thing every winter - OMG, and its not even winter yet!! Looks like winter came early this year!

I want to know you more

In the secret
in the quiet place
in the stillness You are there
in the secret
in the quiet hour i wait
only for You
'cuz i want to know you more

i want to know you
i want to hear your voice
i want to know you more
i want to touch you
i want to see your face
i want to know you more

i am reaching for the highest goal
that i might receive the prize
pressing onward
pushing every hindrance aside
out of my way
'cuz i want to know you more

i want to know you
i want to hear your voice
i want to know you more
i want to touch you
i want to see your face
i want to know you more

Another Good-bye...

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can’t believe the hopes he’s granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we’ll keep you close as always
It won’t even seem you’ve gone
’cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

And friends are friends forever
If the lord’s the lord of them
And a friend will not say never
’cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go
In the father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long to live as friends.

With the faith and love Gods given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you’ll live in
Is the strength that now you show

But we’ll keep you close as always
It won’t even seem you’ve gone
’cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

...

Gentrys gone...

"Drink" for thought...

Seriously, what is with the:

"Made on equipment that also processes products containing peanut, treenuts, egg, sesame, fish and crustacea."

...weird...

Footy Tipping - Round 1

I joined footy tipping at work this year – even though I have absolutely NO idea how the whole thing works...

.....







Hi Elizabeth,

Welcome to the tipping results for Round 1 of the AFL 2006 season brought to you by Snap Printing Footy Tipping.

YOUR TIPPING:
Respectable tipping, you scored 4 points.

RESULTS:

Winning Team Score Losing Team Score
West Coast Eagles 11.18 (84) def. St Kilda 9.12 (66)
Western Bulldogs 25.17 (167) def. Richmond 7.10 (52)
Geelong 17.13 (115) def. Brisbane Lions 5.8 (38)
Essendon 17.6 (108) def. Sydney Swans 12.9 (81)
Kangaroos 19.14 (128) def. Port Adelaide 13.9 (87)
Hawthorn 17.7 (109) def. Fremantle 13.9 (87)
Carlton 13.15 (93) def. Melbourne 10.12 (72)
Adelaide 17.9 (111) def. Collingwood 12.5 (77)

.....

Got my results for Round 1 this morning – Respectable - I scored 4 points...yeah - I passed...at least I didn’t get a big fat 0!!

If anyone wants to help me out feel free!!

Protiviti - here she comes...

I couldn't contain it any longer...and although I hadn't planned to say it until much later in what was to be one of our "final" catch-ups for an indefinite period, it just spilled out..."you can’t leave!" The words surprised even me...

...

You know how you want the very best for someone, even if it means saying good-bye for a while...
You know the feeling of holding back tears...
You know the feeling of wanting time to stand still...
You know the feeling of wanting to re-live the last few weeks, months, even years...
You know the feeling of wanting to say so much yet not being able to say anything at all...
You know the desire of wanting to follow, yet knowing its just not an option...

...

Karen/"dude"!!
Go for it – make the most out of it. You'll be fine…step outside the comfort zone and do what you need to do. It's a fantastic opportunity and you wouldn't be going if you didn’t think it was the right thing to do. Gonna miss you heaps but I'll figure out how to use skype and you'll get updates on absolutely everything – and I mean EVERYTHING!! Take care...and hopefully time will fly!! I'm hanging out for the next cheap fare and public holiday!!

Sydney 2006

I can’t believe its already been a week since I got back from Sydney!! I wanna go back!!

My 4 days away were superb!!

Colour was a time of refreshment and refocussing...





and the following day of shopping and eating was a time of rejuvenation and rejoicing – not only with the really great deals we got whilst shopping...but also with the green tea, sticky rice, taro, coconut, black sesame, lychee and rose petal ice-cream we indulged in...



together with krispy kreme doughnuts...



cheese and bacon pies...




salt and pepper squid...



literally running around the city taking random photos...



and our fake but still totally believable act of being English backpackers!! All this adventure saw the break and time away go by WAY too quickly, but it was totally awesome in every sense of the word!

Theres something really special about sitting down with a group of your closest girlfriends and just chatting, laughing, sharing & caring – over good food!! And something crazy about buying matching cardigans!

Girls – can’t wait ‘til our next trip away…lets make it soon!!

Commonwealth Games 2006

The past few months saw me trying to get tickets for the Commonwealth games…it didn’t even really matter what I saw anymore…I just wanted to go to something…anything...

...

On Thursday I was talking to colleague from work about the commonwealth games and whether or not he was going to see anything. He mentioned that he would really like to see the Rugby 7’s play, before proceeding to tell me all the ins and outs of the game!! However, he ended by saying that he would only go if he received tickets...

Hmmm…that set my mind ticking!! I jumped onto the net and searched for tickets, only to find that the Rugby 7’s were playing that day, night, and the following Friday day and night. As we had to work there was no way he could attend the day games so that left only 2 night sessions. I searched for tickets and to my dismay, found that there were only seats left for that night’s game! Talk about last minute!! I signalled for another colleague to come into my office and I quickly told her of my plan, wanting her to check my other colleague’s diary to make sure he had nothing planned for the night. She reported the good news and I quickly purchased tickets, collected them during my lunch break, and handed them over to him in the afternoon!!

He was SO happy to receive a gift – and even more so when he realised it was Rugby 7’s tickets!!

...

And then on Sunday morning I got a call from my cousins asking me if I wanted to go watch the hockey with them…3rd row seats and the best stand in the house since they had gotten the tickets by ballot earlier on!!



Nina - this ones for you!



The aussie boys hard at work...



Mike, Jon & Ben not hard at work!!



Perfect weather…fantastic company…a LONG walk from the station to the field – but an Australian flag on a stick to wave the whole way there!! Haha

Vroom Vroom...

A client called up this morning wanting $100k to buy a new car...

Then I saw this ad for a really funky key ring - $335 worth of funkiness...



Maybe the guy with the new car will buy the key ring too – might as well have the whole kit & caboodle huh?!!

Hmmm...on the topic of cars, work is a lot quieter now that the Grand Prix is over. I first realised that it was on last week when I went to the bathroom and heard all these "whizzing" sounds. Had no idea what it was so I walked back out to the office to discuss these "noises" with a colleague who informed me that the grand prix was on!!

Told the guys my interesting story over dinner and the events surrounding my "discovery" only to have them sit there and look at me blankly...could have acted a little more interested but NOOOO...

Anyway, on a different note...my little red sports car has kinda half turned into a black sports car!! Been driving Ben's "subs" around town but whilst its totally cool and all, my heart still lies with my first love!!

Copy Cat or do Great Minds Think Alike?!

Ben is the biggest copy cat ever! His room is now a mirror image of mine! Worst!

A few days ago he walked into my room and started measuring my desk...I had no idea what he was doing until today...

My desk in my room...



And now he has one too!! I left the house this afternoon for a while and came back to find that he had gone and bought one, assembled it, and placed it in the opposite corner of mine!!



But thats not it!!

My bedroom door...



And his bedroom door...



And to make matters worse, his wardrobe is the same as mine too! Ben has never been one to keep things in order but all of a sudden, the layout of his 3 doors are looking exactly like mine - Jeans leading on to shirts situated in the crossover between the double and single doors, jackets in the far corner, jumpers folded on top...take a look...pictures speak a thousand words!

My wardrobe...



And his...



And when I ask him about it, all he can say is "Gee, I have a lot of pairs of jeans!"



Arghh!! You don't say! And hes STILL looking for more?! Anyway...thats a different story...!!

But its cool - this "copy cat-ness" won't last! haha I don't think he'll be able to keep up with me! Plus, I think I'm gonna put it down to "great minds think alike!" Makes me feel that "little bit better!!"

RRRRRIIIIIIIIPPPPP....

Its friday and I decide that since the office will be quite empty as a lot of people are taking leave for the long weekend, I'm gonna go casual and wear jeans into work...

Everythings fine and dandy until just after lunch when I go to sit down and hear this MASSIVE RRRRRIIIIIPPPP...

I quickly stand up and look at the chair - nothing - its in perfect condition - no rips or tears in the seat...

then it hits me...oh no...it COULDN'T be...my jeans??

Reach to my back pockets only to discover...a MASSVIE SLIT - its true...my jeans have officially ripped!! OMG!! No way...what do I do?? And not just ripped...but RRRRRIIIIIPPPPPed!! As in the biggest RIP ever!! As in my right butt cheek is revealed for the whole office to see!!





Don't know how...don't know why...

All I know is that my butt was stuck to my chair for the rest of the afternoon!!

I'm sick...

I'm sick...went to see the doc a couple of days ago...not feeling any better - in fact kinda feeling worse...sigh...

So took the day off work today...sitting at home...guess its time to update my blog!!

I'm getting there!!

Ok...

for some strange reason everyones been telling me to update my blog...

Hmmm...

its kinda funny since I've received CONSTANT reminders about it over the past week....

ok...so I'm doing it...and just realised its been 2 months since I last updated!!

Vince - is this "short and sweet" enough for you?!

Nina...photos to come!!