Back to reality

The past month has been a rather mad one, filled with many (ridiculous) hours at work and lack of sleep.

As most of you would know I've started a new job at Merediths. It's been bout a month and a half now and I have to say...I really love it. There's no feeling of dread of having to go to work each day and no counting down the hours til the end of the shift and I get to go home. The rest of the team are brilliant-not just as people but at their work too. It just makes it so much more enjoyable when others that you work with know their job well too. We work together like a very well oiled machine.

I've had a few nites (Xmas break and New Yrs Eve) where I'd be the social bunny and have a few drinks with them and it's been great getting to know them on a slightly more casual level. (I am otherwise very 'unsociable'. I refuse to have a staffy coz I've got to drive home and would much rather hit the sack then stay up any later).

It has however, been extremely hard work. The hours more than anything else. I did 2 weeks of full time work and clocked up about 60+hrs each week. But it's been worth it, esp with being able to pick up things a little faster than if I were to only work 2 days-which was the original plan.

Apart from work, I've been house sitting out in Sandringham and am back home now. It was nice to be closer to work and save on the travelling but it wasn't a particularly nice house so you won't see me back there in a hurry...

I managed to get Xmas off last yr and I had a good Xmas too. Mom got a few invites and so we had lunch at the Fussner's and then dinner at the Lee's. All in all, great food and awesome company. I was also able to spend Xmas eve at the beach to start the tanning process and the weather permitted it!!! Boxing day was pretty low key considering I was back at work the following day.

My New Yrs Eve plans went out the window real quickly when I found out I had to work. Oh the things we sacrifice when working in the Hospo Industry...It didn't actually turn out too badly though. We ended up finishing work bout 11.45pm. We then popped some Champerz and had our own lil' countdown. We then just chilled out at work for the next few hours over numerous bottles of opened wine, which obviously wouldn't keep over the 2 weeks that we would be closed. Hunger started to set in and we made our way down the road to some Chinese shop which opened til 5am and had supper. So it was a nice way to usher in the New Year with some very decent people.

We are now officially on holiday-we are closed til Jan 15. And I'm totally digging it! It's been great to have some time off. I've spent 1 day at the beach already and have a few more planned before I head away. I've also been able to catch some movies and will be catching a jazz gig this Friday. I'm really looking forward to that, seeing as I've been working and haven't been able to go to any. Should be good.

So what's install for this coming year for Jean? A lot!

For starters, I'm going away for a much deserved 5 week holiday to Kl, Vietnam and Singapore. Then back to uni for 1 final yr (and this time it really is the last year!). In the midst of the madness of uni, we'll be starting plans for competition and maybe trying to fit in a few more small competitions on the side. I'm also hoping to make a weekend trip to Melb for my 5yr reunion at PLC.

I guess most of all, I really want this year to be a year where things start to come together and make sense. For me to build a better relationship with God. To be able to call Him "Father" and really mean it. To be able to REALLY lean on Him. To be able to REALLY trust Him. To be able to just TRUST that what will be is what is...

2007 was a particularly trying year and I can't say that it was my favourite year. But, I'll try and learn from what the year was to make this year a better one...

Here's to 2008! Happy New Year, all...