Just so you know.

We're just about in the final stages of Departing Darwin.

Which we are both very happy about, let me tell you.

It's my last shift at work, and most likely my last reliable internet access
for a while, so I thought I should tell people that I won't be online for a
while.

All we've got left to do in the flat is pack up the last of our belongings,
let the cleaners do their thing, and then have the final inspection.

Hopefully, the marks on the wall from the hair dye incidents aren't too bad.

Although, I'm pretty sure they're not going to like them. Oh well.

One of the close friends I made in Darwin is over for the weekend with her
husband. It's her 30th birthday today, and we're going for drinks after
work with them. Then tomorrow night, after we've finished packing the car,
we're having drinks in the bar, hopefully with all the people we've come to
know up here.

I'm not sure that there'll be much of a turnout, but, we'll see I guess.

Anyway, if I get time before we leave, I'll post photos and things from our
last few days.

I should be able to post via hotmail, so hopefully it won't be too much of a
hassle.

_________________________________________________________________
1000s of Sexy Singles online now at Lavalife http://lavalife.com.au

I can't come? Oh! I'm FINE with it! FINE!!

Well, I showed them this morning.

I had my last night audit ending this morning.

The plan, as it stood yesterday, was that I'd come home, go straight to sleep, and then, we were supposed to be going barramundi fishing with a "mate" of the SigOts.

Then, last night, we discover that 1) not going barra fishing and 2) I'm not invited, because it's a "boys day".

And fuck me gently with a chainsaw, I was pissed off.

And it's not like I could say to the SigOt, "well, you should not got because I can't go", because that would just make me out to be a huge nasty petty bitch.

So I came home this morning and got myself quietly tipsy.

Well, quiet except for the part where I was singing along to Guns n' Roses playing on my headphones.

And that just served their dumb arses right really.

Yes, I realise just how stupid that was.

What can I say? Sometimes I have the maturity level of a two year old, but with access to alcohool.

I'm feeling rather dopey about the whole thing.

For a start, I've got no idea why I was so upset about missing out on going fishing.

Yeah, I wanted to go, but my reaction was way out of proportion.

And I feel like I'm really letting my Mum's influence take over by reacting by sitting down and drinking too much.

I know better ways to deal with shit than that.

Obviously the morning after night audit is not me at my most rational.

Tomorrow, we're doing the last of our running around playing tourist. I think.

Unless it's been turned into a boys day and I'm not invited.

And now, even thought they were due back at 5pm, I can't get a response from the SigOt on his phone.

What, me? Worry?

If that mudfucker has let anything happen to the SigOt, I will tear the man limb from limb.

It might take a while, but I'll get there in the end.

And if the SigOt's just not answering, I shall tear him into small body parts instead.

I'm coping well really.

I think I'll just shut up now.

Grasshoppers are crazy rude and inappropriate.

I gave him a list of things to do today. Because I've been running around organising my arse off, and I figured, hey babe, it's your turn.

And so, he did the lot. He's very good sometimes.

This cleaning company that we've hired to clean the unit? I think we're going to end up giving them all sexual favours.

Because, they clean EVERYTHING.

The OVEN, the FRIDGE, the washing machine, the windows, you name it, they clean it.
Although, I'm not sure I can let people clean my fridge for me. The oven, HA! I'm over it, but the fridge?

I'm just not comfortable having someone else clean out my fridge grot.

Anyway, I have a connection with that fungus. I raised it from just a spore.

I've nurtured it, I've spoken to it.

I should take the responsibility and put it down.

There's a homeless woman that lives around here, known pretty much as Bird Lady. She's got two pigeons that she carries around with her in little plastic bird cages.

Well, I've got some books and stuff that we thought maybe she'd have a use for. So the other day, I stopped to talk to her, and ask her if she'd like the books, or anything else we can't keep.

She's very nice. She doesn't want anything, as she pointed out that she lives in the long grass, which is the local term for people that choose to live in parks rather than houses.

And people do CHOOSE to live in the long grass. I guess up here, the only risk weather wise is that you'll get rained on. But all the parks have shelter of some sort of them.

Anyway, we had a little chat about living in Darwin, and the humidity, which is coming on with build up. She asked where we were from, and asked how we were coping with it. I said I hated it, and she agreed, it's disgusting.

The only thing I regret about the conversation is that a) I didn't ask her name, and b) I didn't ask her if she'd like to have a coffee.

But, we haven't left yet, so if I see her, I'll try speak to her again.

And in other news, I am now a maths tutor. Or, maybe homework pimp.

Hometown Girl at work had a maths assignment due today, and was worried about it. So she asked me if I could have a go at it so she could see if she was doing OK. It was fun.

I am a complete dork.

But then, like that's news.

Also, I took photos of two grasshoppers doing the nasty on my balcony last night. I felt like the paparazzi taking photos through trees.

I will show you later. All I can say now, is bugs are rude.

Sheep Sandwich anyone?

I've got what I think is an entry black hole happening.

I write an entry in my head, get anywhere near a computer at an appropriate time to be writing such drivel, and it falls into the black hole, never to be seen or heard from again.

Why is it that no matter how tired I am AT work, I can be drooling face down on the desk all night, as soon as it hits 7am, I'm wide awake and ready to run amok.

Why?

All I want to do is sleep. I have to do it again tomorrow night. And the night after, why not let me sleep?

Why do I have to be all wired awake and stuff?

I went out for breakfast, read a trashy magazine that the cafe supplies (no wonder they're so popular), had a nice relaxing hot chocolate, felt dozy, came home.

And I am AWAKE.

In chocolate related news, I'm not a huge chocolate eater.

Once in a while, I feel like some chocolate. Not that often, and usually only if it is wrapped around a biscuit, or some sort of fruit.

Last night, I decided I needed some energy, of the instant sugary kind, to keep me awake.

So, I investigated the office fridge, and found tim tams, and a little tub of chocolate mousse.

So, being a thinking kind of woman, I used the tim tam to eat the chocolate mousse.

And you know what? As awesome and superchocolaty as I THOUGHT it would taste, it really didn't.

I was just overkill, and it made me feel sick.

Which was really rather disappointing.

In other news, there is apparently some sort of restaurant chain in the UK called Jumbuck's.

Now, when told this, I thought they'd sell sheep. Or lamb. Or mutton. Because, that's what a jumbuck IS.

Apparently it's a pie shop.

But they sell jaffles.

Jaffles being squeezed together toasted sandwiches, usally with liquid fillings.

I'm confused.

And I'm finally tired.

My god. I've just realised that reading this puts ME to sleep.

No flat for you!!!

This freaking car alarm has been going off downstairs for the past five minutes, and I desperately wish that the fucker that owns the damn car would do something about it!

Oh. Now that I've said that, they have.

See? Ask and you shall receive.

We've had a lease signed on the unit. Which means that the ad we put in today's paper was pointless, and personally, I am sick of telling people that "sorry, it's not for rent anymore".

People are calling my mobile telephone on mobile telephones, and people are not happy at paying the exorbitant calling rates pointlessly.

Oh well.

We got ourselves up early today. Well, early for us. We were up at 11am.

And we took ourselves out to the Parap Markets for sustenance.

Kens Crepes with banana and maple syrup. Definitive proof that there is a higher being.

I bought myself a new singlet, for wearing with my denim ra-ra style skirt.

It's rainbow tiedye and it's beautiful.

The SigOt was apparently having horror visions of me wearing it with my matching sarong and head scarf. No darling, that's too much overkill even for me.

Yesterday, I played mailing bandit.

Not that I played bandit on the postman and raided the mail for blank cash cheques, handily signed by a multimillionaire.

I sent things in the mail like a bandit.

I sent a "Joy of Darwin" postcard to Ms. Geeked Out, a care package to Ms Blue Meany, which I shall not discuss because it would ruin the surprise.

Australia Post PROMISES she will receive it in 8 to 10 days, so, we'll see how much they lied this time.

Ms BlueMeany, do NOT hold your breath waiting for it, because I'm not sure blue is a great colour for your face, although it would look fetching with maybe a green or purple spoon on your nose.

I also sent a necklace to my lovely web designing friend, with matching earrings, that she'd picked out. I do like sending presents. She had said she wanted to buy it, and I was very worried that I'd do something dumb like lose it when we were traveling.

In other news, I'm not sure if I bought the worlds shortest rainbow tie dyed mini dress, or the worlds longest rainbow tie dyed singlet.

I've decided I'm going to call it a singlet and continue to wear it with a skirt or pants, because I'm not sure Darwin, or the rest of Australia, wants to know me that intimately.

Next week should be just flat out crazy.

I'm working 3 night audit shifts, a night shift showing my replacement around on Wednesday and then doing a fill in for hometown girl on Saturday night.

Thursday and Friday, we're hoping to borrow a friends 4WD to go to Litchfield, and then Saturday night is a girlfriends 30th, and Sunday we pack up and move out of the unit into the hotel, and have going away drinks.

Monday, at 7am (ugh) we give the keys to the cleaners and they will scrub the crap out of our studio apartment, Tuesday we have the final inspection and Wednesday it will be GOODBYE DARWIN!!

Yay!

Uh, maybe it's Thursday we're going to do a final "touristy" tour of the place, and then on Friday/Saturday we're going to Litchfield?

I'm confused, I just don't know anymore.

I had Sebby the Super Seca serviced, and the cost was substantial.

So far this year I've spent over $3000 on a car worth $5500.

I'm thinking it might be time to trade in. But, that said, the mechanic said he's a great car, with many many more kilometers in him.

He's a trooper, so I think we'll just stick to it for a while.

At least until we reach Adelaide anyway.

Regarding website plans: Officially, the launch of Aloggla's Online Presence has been delayed until we reach home. At that point in time, I plan to put my retired parents to work helping me to take clear photos.

Well, my Dad anyway, I don't have enough time available to teach Mum about digital cameras. Or any cameras for that matter.

Mum takes great clear photos, just that usually she manages to leave out the actual subject.

We'll put her on coffee duty, so she doesn't feel left out.

I'm hoping to get a limited site up before then though. I need to speak to Lyns first.

Anyway, that's all that's going on here. Not really too exciting.

I can't wait to GO!! Driving, camping, driving, drinking, camping, walking tracks through national parks!

Lets go now!!

NOW I TELL YOU!!

Things are moving Foward.

We've been flat out busy the last couple of days.

Yesterday, we cleaned and did a final sorting of the unit. We took the bags of clothes to a vacuum and sucked all that bloody space taking up air out of them. Cleaned. Cleaned. Cleaned.

Today, we took all the boxes out to the freight place to send. 9 boxes in total, most of them weighing 20kg. Delivered to the door, it's costing $197.

How awesome is that?

Then, we organised a new stereo for the car, and we went to the bank to sort out the muck up they've made with my accounts.

Stopped for lunch.

Came home, organised the ad for the paper about the unit. We found and booked a cleaner to clean the unit for the final inspection, which I NEVER plan to do again in my life.

$250 including the carpets, the walls, floors, windows, cupboards and, best of all, THE OVEN.

I don't have to clean the oven. I am so happy about that I could dance a jig or die or something.

I hate cleaning the oven. I hate the chemical. I hate all the greasy gunk. I hate the smell. I hate scrubbing gunk out of small spaces.

And I don't have to do it. It's like all my birthdays have come at Christmas.

We're out of this unit next Sunday. Which is the same night we're having goodbye drinks at the pub.

We're staying in the hotel so that they can do the final clean.

And then, we're leaving!!

Yay!! (Have to go do another happy jig around the now very empty studio apartment.)

I spoke to a girl that used to be my closes friend last night, and she's having her first baby.

We used to think that maybe she couldn't get pregnant, because she's never used any sort of contraception, but has always had a pretty damn decent sex life.

apparently, we were wrong.

By we, I mean her and I.

That got the SigOt and I talking last night. About babies. And us. And us having babies.

We think we might move it up our schedule. Substantially.

So, we've decided that once we get to Adelaide, it's all healthy living, and exercise, and "exercise", and no smoking of substances and no alcohol.

And then, once we're all fit and healthy, and have private medical cover, and hopefully some money, we're going to start trying to have kids.

Which I am really excited about.

I think I'll give up writing for tonight, and just dance jigs around the unit.

Look! Aren't They Lovely!!

Just thought I'd put up the pictures of the Louise Numina paintings that I got for my birthday.

She's an aboriginal artist from Central Australia, and her work is spectacular!



This one is (I'm relatively sure) a bush medicine leaves painting.

The colours are awesome.

This one is a Mountain Thorny (Lizard?) painting.

In the year that we've been up here, the paintings that she's produced have just gotten better and better.

It seems that in Aboriginal art, alot of people paint the same stories, and while I've seen similar paintings, it's the colours that she uses, and the style of her designs that I love.

This is the one that I was busting to have. It's not the one I originally looked at, that one had a black background, but, I'm not fussed, I still think it's fantastic.



This painting is a Bush Melon Dreaming painting.

Isn't it gorgeous?

The SigOt and I have been having a debate about which way the painting is supposed to hang. I'm arguing that it should be the same way as it is in the photo, as that's how it was in the shop!! But he feels that it should go longways.

I've decided that it's my painting, and I'll hang it whichever way makes me happy.

In other news, the SigOt was going to do some stuff for me today/ last night. Like, take out the garbage (I'm not allowed to carry heavy things on the stairs), marinate the chicken for my dinner, and was the doona covers and cushion covers.

None have been done, and there seems to be some sort of burnt stuff on the floor.

So, I guess I'll just do it myself.

I think we can can the 4WD idea. They all want arms and legs as payment, and really, I'm just not for it.

I think I will definately need my limbs at some point.

In other news, I spoke to my Dad about seeing Mama's (paternal grandmother) remaining siblings as we make our way down the west coast. He's going to write to them to let them know we're coming, so that we don't just arrive unannounced.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Aunty Nance, because she's the sister Mama was closest too.

Actually, I'm just really looking forward to going.

16 more days to go!!

You know, for some reason, writing into this box feels much different to the little box on a blue page over there at diaryland. Maybe it's just one of those things you have to get used to.

I've decided to just move the whole thing, regardless of whether andrew comes good with the gold move or not.

At the moment, "move the whole thing" means move my buddy list to the new dland name: ahloglalala.

I have things to do people, I don't have time for this tedious moving diary business.

I miss my template too. I'm not sure how to make it work with blogger though. Well, I'm pretty sure it will work with blogger, I just can't quite get a grip on which tags should be whacked where.

Today, the SigOt and I packed. And packed. And sorted. And packed.

For a studio apartment, we sure packed some stuff in there.

We've managed to sell the TV, the video and the microwave. So, that's one less thing to worry about.

Which is nice.

I packed up my beading box, and it took forever. For-EVER.

More sorting, more bloody sorting, more finding little bag things. It just went on and on.

I'm taking a small box of jewellery and beading supplies with me, and sending the rest home.

That's my plan.

We're a bit worried about the sending of boxes at the moment. The SigOt's Dad doesn't think that the buslines will take teachest boxes. All I can say to that is that they'd bloody better!

Sebby the Wonder Seca does not have room for 4 tea chest boxes, a bead box and a telescope.

I can't believe we're leaving in 17 days! I'm so excited!

We're starting (out loud) to panic about petrol prices. It's a damn big drive we're looking at, and petrol isn't something we can do without. Some places along the planned trip have petrol prices at $1.80 a litre. Fully loaded with pod on top, Sebby uses about 36 litres for 270km.

Lets say we drive (conservatively) 7500km. That's going to cost us around $1800.

That's a big chunk of our budget right there.

ARGH!!

But, I'm okay with it, no, really!

We were looking at hiring a 4WD to see Kakadu, and possibly the Bungle Bungles.

I called Europe Car to ask about their "special travel industry rates" and discovered that they wanted to sting me over $500. Phwh! That's more than they quoted without the "discount" card.

Maybe it's a negative discount? Instead of 25% off, they add 25%?

Evil.

We're (I mean I) thinking about setting up an online travel journal this time around.

Last time, we wrote each night in a book, but I'd like to be able to post pictures and stuff as we go. It would also be nice if our families could look at it too, and see what we're up to.

We got a lovely email from the SigOt's big sister the other day. She said they missed us both, and couldn't wait for us to get home.

I was very excited, as when I first started seeing the SigOt, she wanted to punch my lights out. And to be honest, I was terrified of her. As teenagers, apparently, we hated each other with a passion. And neither of us have any idea why.

Oh well, I'm over it. So's she, and she lets me play with the twins!

They're going to be so big by the time we get home. I haven't seen them since they were about 2 months old, and now they're fully fledged toddlers.

Did I mention that before we leave, my friend from the bar is coming to stay in Darwin?? I'm so excited! Although, she hasn't emailed me back, so I'm not sure what the go there is.

In a couple of months, I will finally be reunited with my cat. I miss my cat. I am sure Sorcha misses me too, although my parents very nicely pointed out that she didn't fret when I left AT ALL.

I'm sure she was just putting on a brave front though.

I'm sure she really does miss me.

I'm SURE of it. Big holiday, big move, new house, family and friends!

OH GOD WILL THESE 17 DAYS PLEASE HURRY UP AND GO!!!

In other news, I will be posting pictures of my new paintings shortly.

That is all.

Sorry, but just wondering, should tall people say tall-ly?

Because I'm short and say shortly.

The world should so work like that.

Oh god, I can feel my boobs dropping!

It's my birthday, and I've been up since 5:30 this morning.

YAY!!

Regarding birthday sex: I have one thing to say: Ponies.

Fuck 'em. Stampeding my good times to dust, the bastards.

So far, I have a belly button shell thing and some ironbark coasters.

Three (YES THREE) paintings by Louise Numina.

I am downloading songs to my phone like a bandit. Because my phone is also an MP3 player, and now I have a memory card big enough to let me put songs on it.

It's all happy here today.

In other news, I am convinced that my boobs have done an entire years worth of dropping overnight.

I figure that by the time I turn 31, I'll be able to just throw them over my shoulder (like that soldier dude) and tie them in a bow.

I'll call it high fashion, and start a trend.

C'mon! You know you all want to.

I'm going to go treat myself to a birthday book.

I might come and taunt you all again later.

Or not. It's my birthday, and I'm going to.... not do much really.