Self Reflection

I have always been a pessimist. Have been slowly trying to change my mindset over the past week to a more optimistic outlook.

It's been a struggle, but I'm getting there.

The coming week is going to be the best week ever. :)

Stuck In the Moment

A friend of ours visited recently and commented that my fridge has been looking rather bare of late. Have I not been cooking?

The sad truth is that I've gotten into this rut. The come-home-from-work-park-self-in-front-of-computer-then-lie-in-bed-wasting-time-on-the-internet-and-phone rut. So much so, it was an effort to get out of my room and into the living room to watch tv.

I kid you not.

So to even contemplate cooking in this state of mind is pretty much unthinkable.

Perhaps my love of cooking will be revived when I buy a Kitchenaid mixer...

I've been eating a ridiculous amount of Coco Pops lately.

They're not even my favourite cereal!

Happily, that box is now empty (yes, the shame! A whole box in less than a week) and I can vow to never bring another box of that... that... stuff into this home.

Now... let me just go make a peanut butter and honey sandwich...

Favourite moments in dentistry:

1. The feeling of PDLs ripping coupled with the knowledge that the tooth is coming out.

2. Patients telling you that it was almost as if you did the filling without even touching them.

3. A beautifully perfectly contoured and contacted posterior composite.

4. Finding canals in less than 3 minutes.

5. Polishing stained anterior fillings, making them look like new again.

As I tucked into my second Cheeseburger Happy Meal of the week (yes, it's only Tuesday!), I was mulling over the concept of being positive.

I have always considered myself to be someone who tends to sit on the negative side of the fence. If you think about it, it's the lazy and easy side to be.

It's easy to blame everything and whinge about how miserable your life is and wallow in self pity. Easy to just lie in bed for hours and refuse to get up and say 'What's the point?' Easy to not try to make the best of whatever life has served up and just well... give up.

It's a uphill climb. But I'm trying.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (41/50)

Went to Nagambie for a day trip. Headed to Mitchelton winery for some lunch.

Verdict? Fairly ordinary food. It wasn't bad, but not something I will remember. And the bread roll was very, very, very bland. And the butter that they served for the bread was cold and unspreadable.

Am I being too demanding? :S

Anyway, after that forgettable lunch we headed off for some kayaking at the Nagambie Lake!

This was the first time I had ever gone kayaking and I was paired with my very unfortunate housemate who said that really, we were probably going better when I didn't paddle at all. However, towards the end I finally vaguely got the hang of it.

The weather was perfect. Sure, it was a tad on the cold side, but overall I had a good time.

It struck me once again how lucky I am right now to be able to do all these things. I guess in a way I'm cramming in all the things I want to do in the country before I head back to the city.  

With You

I need you boo, (oh)
I gotta see you boo (hey)
And there're hearts all over the world tonight,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight [x2]

[Verse 1]
Hey! Little mama,
Ooh, you're a stunner
Hot..little figure,
Yes, you're a winner
And I'm so glad to be yours,
You're a class all your own
And..
Oh, little cutie
When..you talk to me
I swear..the whole world stops
You're my sweetheart
And I'm so glad that you are mine
You are one of a kind and..

[Bridge:]
You mean to me
What I mean to you and..
Together baby,
There is nothing we won't do
'cause if I got you,
I don't need money,
I don't need cars,
Girl, you're my all.
And..

[Chorus:]
Oh!
I'm into you,
And girl,
No one else would do,
'cause with every kiss and every hug,
You make me fall in love,
And now I know I can't be the only one,
I bet there heart's all over the world tonight,
With the love of their life who feels..
What I feel when I'm

With you [x5]
Girl..
With you [x5]

[Verse 2]
Oh girl!
I don't want nobody else,
Without you, there's no one left then,
You're like Jordans on Saturday,
I gotta have you and I cannot wait now,
Hey! Little shawty,
Say you care for me,
You know I care for you,
You know...that I'll be true,
You know that I won't lie,
You know that I would try,
To be your everything..yeah..

[Bridge:]
'cause if I got you,
I don't need money,
I don't need cars,
Girl, you're my all.
And..

[Chorus]

With you [x5]
Oh..
With you [x5]
Yeah Heh..

[Bridge 2]
And I..
Will never try to deny,
that you're my whole life,
'cause if you ever let me go,
I would die..
So I won't front,
I don't need another woman,
I just need your all and nothing,
'cause if I got that,
Then I'll be straight
Baby, you're the best part of my day

I need you boo,
I gotta see you boo
And there're hearts all over the world tonight,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight [x2]
Woo Oh.. Yeah
They need it boo,
They gotta see their boo,
Said the hearts all over the world tonight,
Hearts all over the world tonight [x2]

[Chorus]

With you [x5]
Girl..
With you [x5]
Oh.. 


This song has been out for ages but I have suddenly developed a real liking for it! Don't know what's gotten into me. 

When We Say (Juicebox) - AJ Rafael - Official Music Video - Wong Fu Prod...

Brasserie

A friend from Sydney came down to Melbourne to visit and we ended up going for a long lunch in The Brasserie at Crown.

I have always liked this restaurant - mainly because every time I have been there, I had always been in a good place in my life. As a result, I guess I associate that restaurant with good and happy times.

I love good and happy times.

No. 44 - Eat At 50 New Eateries (40/50)

Went to Bright for my dose of autumn last weekend. Yes, I was there just 2 weeks before that but the leaves were still green. This time I had better luck.

Stopped by Gapsted for lunch at the Gapsted Winery. Food was good and the weather was perfect. Even Milton benefited - I sneaked that lamb shank you see at the top left of the photo home for him.

After that it was onwards to Bright. Went to the playground and relived our childhood. It was just a really nice and pleasant day.

I feel the urge to return to this place every autumn if possible.

It's The Weekend!

Finally, after a full week of work the weekend is beckoning and it feels great!

Going down to Melbourne tomorrow to meet up with friends and then on Sunday it's onwards to Bright - because this is the best weekend to see autumn leaves.

Was there 2 weeks ago but the leaves had not quite turned. Am determined to see it happen this time!

Photos will follow.

I Love Macca's Too!!

Poor Milton. He's constantly sitting around hoping for a bit of food from us. What does he get? If he's lucky, something that we accidentally drop on the floor. Or else - nothing. 

Mommy, can I please have some of that cheeseburger?

The Family Meal

One of the staples in our Benalla household is McDonald's. We have it maybe once a week - sometimes twice.

So when they rolled out the dinner Family Meal deal, we had to get it. Patiently waited for a 4th person to arrive in Benalla (we are a household of 3) and went to get it.

It was good. Yes, I was very pleased to get it.

After a week of suffering in the cold, our heating is finally fixed. I can smile again.

On another note, after much umm-ing and ahh-ing I have decided that I will be heading to Melbourne next year.

Feels like the right thing to do.

So me and my housemate have decided to get up at 7am every weekday and do a small section of bible reading.

That book has 100 sections.

If we stick to it, we'll finish it on the 1st of October. And we'll give ourselves a massive reward. Thing is, we reward ourselves all the time and we don't even know what reward to set for ourselves. To be decided on on a later date.

Somehow, I see myself falling off the bandwagon. But that's the negative person in me talking.

We can do this!!

So my heating broke down. Again.

It's been 6 days and 4 phone calls and the real estate agent still has not gotten back to me with a good explanation as to why it's still not fixed. Or at least some form of arrangement for it to be fixed in the near future.

I try to be nice, but it's come to the point where I feel like if I'm not a *&(@)#*@) things are not going to get done.

Cold As You

You have a way of coming easily to me
And when you take, you take the very best of me
So I start a fight cause I need to feel something
And you do what you want cause I'm not what you wanted

[Chorus:]

Oh what a shame, what a rainy ending given to a perfect day
Just walk away, no use defending words that you will never say
And now that I'm sitting here thinking it through
I've never been anywhere cold as you

You put up walls and paint them all a shade of gray
And I stood there loving you and wished them all away
And you come away with a great little story
Of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you

[Repeat Chorus]

You never did give a damn thing honey but I cried, cried for you
And I know you wouldn't have told nobody if I died, died for you
(Died for you)

Oh what a shame, what a rainy ending given to a perfect day
Every smile you fake is so condescending
Counting all the scars you made
And now that I'm sitting here thinking it through
I've never been anywhere cold as you 

Yes, I am still obsessed with Taylor Swift. Just can't get sick of her songs somehow.

Went to donate blood yesterday.

Almost every day I give several local anaesthetic injections without even blinking an eyelid. But when I saw the size of the bore of the needle they were going to insert into my vein it was a whole different story.

It was massive! At least dentistry uses very fine needles.

Looked away, gritted my teeth and thought of how my pint of blood was supposed to save someone's life so I should suck it up.

Mid-year bills have arrived - for mundane things like various insurances and dental association memberships and car registrations and bla blaaaa blaaaaaa. There goes half a month of hard work just like that.

To illustrate how mundane my life can be sometimes, the highlight of my day was when I walked into the surgery and realized that instead of pale green bibs, my surgery now has bibs in a beautiful shade of turquoise.

MLIA.

There's A Zephyr

I've done a great deal of driving over the past week.

Benalla to Melbourne. Melbourne to Sydney. Sydney to Beechworth. Beechworth to Bright, to Milawa to Benalla. Benalla to Melbourne. And finally Melbourne to Benalla - what is now my home.

As I was driving, I saw what seemed like heads of seeds floating across the freeway, drifting wherever the wind sent them. Thousands of them scattered our path as we made our way to our destination.

It was a rather melancholic scene. In a way I feel like those seeds, drifting - with no real direction - just waiting for the right gust of wind to send me to the exact right spot where I can put out my roots. And hopefully flourish.

It's almost the middle of the year now and I've been thinking about what to do next year. Sure, it is still a little early, but it's good to be prepared. My trip to Sydney has not cast it in a favourable light. In many ways I prefer Melbourne - it's a lot more organized, the real estate isn't as insanely priced (although still very pricey) and it is less hectic.

Actually, I rather like Benalla and wouldn't mind staying another year. Problem is, if I choose to do that - I'll have to do it alone.

There is a zephyr, and I don't know where it's taking me.