2011 - what will you bring?

Ohhhh new years. That night of nights, huh? Or not. I personally am never one for a big new years. Going into the city to watch the fireworks, making a big deal of it all...it's a pain. There's so much pressure to make the night amazing that it inevitably often isn't. No, my best new years are the ones we've kept low-key, with family or friends, at home or at someone else's home - fuss free, relaxed, no pressure.




So i was very pleased indeed when our friend Annie invited us to spend new years with her at her mother's penthouse apartment this year. Good friends? Tick. Views of the city? Tick. Plenty of champers? Tick tick tick. Awesome music? Tick. Can't ask for more on new years, riiiiiiight?!





But the day started well before that. As per tradition, we headed over to our friend Lewis's house that afternoon for the annual new years back-alley cricket game. And let me tell you, it was hot that day. Real. Hot. The kind of hot where the ice does nothing for your beers and the shade does nothing for your heat rash. Know what i mean?




My batting was superb as always (rules state that girls can use a real cricket bat, but lads have to use a hockey stick. Suckers.), but my fielding, admittedly, could use some work. Running away from the ball when it comes flying in your direction is apparently not acceptable. Backyard cricket or not. I say, my face comes first.









Lewis had the heat covered though, with that traditional Aussie summer staple - the plastic paddle pool. Which i refused to enter. No siree bob. 4 sweaty male bodies in that tiny thing? One word sums it up, and that word is Ew.

Back to our place for some pre-champagne champagne, and before i knew it we were at Annie's, where the good times rolled on till midnight. It wouldn't be new years without our good friend Turnsie and as usual, he was plastered before the 9 o'clock fireworks. He will of course try to tell you this is a lie, but don't believe him. His drunken dance moves, smugly recorded by Jo, prove otherwise. Oh yeah. He was hustling to Beyonce's Diva like a groupie on steroids.

Turns and I proudly display our bounty.




Why yes! That IS me pouring a packet of Smarties into Turnsie's champagne.

Obviously everyone was feeling the love by the time the midnight fireworks hit. Everyone except Jo, who in fact suffered SEVERE food poisoning over the entire new years holiday period, poor bloke. He was in agony - in fact he didn't drink a single drop of alcohol the whole night. Which not only sucks, but also proves that he really was sick. Cause that just doesn't ever happen. On the plus side, since he wasn't off his face like the rest of us, he managed to get some pretty good shots of the fireworks. (And we had a designated driver.)

Annie, me, Turns and Lauren

The evening was topped off by a visit from the crazy, middle-aged Eastern European neighbour (otherwise known as 'Russian Mafia Dude'), whose disturbingly open sexual prowess was just a little too free and easy for me. Yeah. I didn't bother to hide my sniggers.

The rest of our holidays was spent on my parents couch. Jo needed a few days of recovery time, so we parked ourselves at the parentals and spent 3 days watching movies and playing with the dogs. It was kinda nice to do absolutely nothing actually. And i forgot how great Inglorious Bastards was.

In other news, today i had my hair and make-up trials for the wedding. I'm super duper happy with how it all turned out, especially when i imagine the whole look with an actual wedding dress on. And hello, fake eyelashes are the best. I'm converted. Here's the look:

Not bad right? Alas, from tomorrow, it's back to work full-time. No more rest for the wicked either - January is already looking chockers, and before you know it it'll be genuinely time for the wedding.

And so i can finally say Happy New Year! I hope it brings much joy and happiness to you all, and that it's filled with as many adventures as I think ours will be. Bring on 2011!!!

I'm baaaaaaack (suckers)

I know, it's been ages. Its not you, its me. I've just been too busy to spend time with you. I'm sorry. I did miss you. No really, i did. Can you ever forgive me?




But moving on. So the Internet was re-connected last Friday, awesome, but I've been too busy to post anything because we've had an international guest to entertain! Jo's brother Matthew has been staying with us for the last week, and we've been busy busy doing all manner of fun things (without you). More on that as the regular posts keep-a-comin'.




While i was 'offline' (*snigger*), we had a little par-tay to celebrate the June birthday boys - Jo, DT and Ash. Even though we'd literally just finished moving in and getting tidy, we thought aw hell, lets just have a party and dirty it all up again.

New living room in party mode - note: wine, coke and chip bowls are not normally present for regular television viewing.

It was quite the crazy night, and even thought some of us spent the whole next day in bed (not naming names Jo) while some of us spent the whole next day cleaning, i think a good time was had by all, and that's the main thing.

Me, Jo and DT looking like some sort of small-town serial killer

The birthday boys (why yes, Jo is wearing a wig that makes him look like a Backstreet Boy)

Me, Ash, and Jo (perfecting aforementioned small-town serial killer look)

We've also been into town to check out some of the Vivid Sydney lights. For the last 2 or 3 years, Sydney has held this cool event where they use various light installations and projections to light up a ton of buildings across the city, like the Opera House (see below), the Cathedral, the State Library and NSW Parliament....some of the older buildings look really great, and i just like the pretty lights. Its on for the next month or two, if you have time to check it out. Macquarie St is particularly good.

And then, of course, there's the World Cup. I'm one of those bandwagon people that get right behind soccer when the World Cup is on, and then forget all about it when its not. But I've been enjoying all the games and the general excitement over the whole thing, even if Australia did get completely annihilated by Germany (4-0 if you missed it. Yeah. That's a 4.) Badly as they played, i am willing to forgive and forget if they win against Ghana and Serbia and make it through to the next round. HOW they can possibly pull themselves back together after that shocker i don't know. And i don't care. Just make it happen Verbeek.

Great game last night by the Kiwi's against Slovakia though, i was so happy to see them score in the dying seconds of the game! That last 2 minutes was intense! 1-1, but a draw is better than a loss, and no one expected them to score at all. However, can someone please explain to me what the deal is with those stupid hooters everyone keeps blowing at the games? It sounds like a swarm of bees descending on the stadiums. I mean is anyone taking a breath at all? Those things are SO annoying. Who is the person responsible for these horrible 'instruments'? I want a face that i can throw an egg at.

We visited the FIFA fan fest down at Darling Harbour a couple of nights ago. Apparently it's one of only 7 FIFA approved places to watch the games in the world or something, other than sites in South Africa of course. I liked the soccer ball lights the best!

Fan fest at Darling Harbour



Jo and Matthew checking out 3D TVs. Those goggles are sweet as.

Lastly, another riveting edition of Nell's Book Club. The last book i read was called The Girls, by Lori Lansens, and it was excellent. Its about sisters Rose and Ruby Darlen, who aren't like everyone else, because they're joined at the head. They are 29 year old, and are about to become the oldest surviving craniopagus twins in history. There has never been a possibility of them being separated. Despite being twins, and despite being joined at the head, the girls have very different personalities, and they are narrating their story for you, the reader, to know what their life has been like. Its fiction, and yet completely believable. You really grow to love these two - honestly, i couldn't stop reading. And the writing is really beautiful - authentic and heartfelt and almost like poetry in some parts. Give it a go peeps.

More of Matthew's visit coming up soon!