Tuesday, July 29, 2003

The night I got home from the snows, I wrote a list of memories down so I never forget the whole experience. I realised then that I wasn't going to be able to effectively recount the whole trip in enough detail. So here starts the summary of SNOWIES 2k3!!...

PARTICIPANTS: Me, Mel, Minh, Hana, Olivia, Lily, Lowell, Dave, Bjorn, Joe, Phil
TIME OF DEPARTURE: 25-Jul-2003 2030
MODE OF TRANSPORT: Budget 12-seater van
TOTAL COST: Upwards of $500 (incl. transport, food, accomodation, lift passes, ski gear)

I hurried out of work Thursday afternoon to get to Minh's house before 1900. We waited for Hana and Liv before heading over to my house so I could do some last minute packing. The boys, Mel and Lily came around 2030 and the journey began.

There were 3 driving shifts: Dave took us to Queanbeyan, Lowell took another 200-something k's and Joe took us to our final destination. The van ride was good. It was a van full of excited skiing beginners (+Mel), telling jokes and singing songs to compensate for the lack of good radio. The tape deck wasn't working so we couldn't hook up a CD player *doh*

Our final destination was Mitre 10 Garden Centre in Jindabyne. We arrived in Jindabyne in the wee hours of the morning so we needed a place to park and attempt to get some shut-eye. Didn't happen for most of us so we were up looking for breakfast around 06-something.

After breakfast, we headed to REBEL to get out ski gear and get out lift passes. We bought some snow chains from our favourite 24-hour convenience store, BP, and headed up the mountain.

When we got to Perisher, it started to snow. I was pretty excited because I hadn't ever skiied in falling snow before so I thought it'd be a good experience... yeah right! The snow particles were so small and so close to icy that going against the wind would mean getting hit in the face by the pelting snow. We went skiing at Blue Cow, which was meant to have the best runs. I didn't have the best experience that day. So much falling down and painful snow! Bjorn and I managed to fall off a lift and we were forced to drag ourselves back onto the beginner's run from an intermediate run! By lunch time, I was tired, sunburnt (yes sunburnt) and my hair was icy as heeeeell! I had lost all motivation by that time so we went home soon after - well, we tried to go home anyway.

On our way out of the crowded and traffic-filled carpark, we discovered that - duh! - the van was rear wheel drive and having snow chains on the front wheels wasn't doing anything for us. So the boys figured moving the chains to the rear wheels would fix our problem.......... in a perfect world.

Unfortunate for us, Budget gave us unidentical rear wheels so one of the snow chains didn't fit on one of the wheels. The boys resolved to switch the bigger wheel with the spare wheel on the van. 2 and a half freezing hours later, we all got back into the car - frozen toes and all - and headed home. It was a nightmare and the thought of another day of skiing was very much "not enticing". We were lucky the ranger came to help us - he was our angel!

After we picked up the house keys, we headed home and the girls started cooking while the boys lined up for a very well deserved hot shower - timed and all! Dinner followed 11*5minutes later and we pretty much dropped straight after due to our lack of night before sleep and the tiring first day at Blue Cow.

*exhale* That was Day One. Stay tuned for Day Two...

TANGENT
What do you do when you realise one of your friends has a serious dislike toward you? Given history, it's kind of understandable... but don't you think you move on? I thought moving on would be SWEET. I just don't think it's a two-way thing anymore. Just makes things harder - you've got to step lightly around them and you know what? Why should you have to do that around a friend? I thought friendship was supposed to survive the low points. I'm pretty confused. Any advice?

Bye!

Sunday, July 27, 2003

Hi! Got back from the snows.

This is what happened...

We went, we skiied, we went home.

YEAH RIGHT

... more when I have the time :)

Sunday, July 13, 2003

I'm so mad! I had to update my blogBack code and when I went to publish, it re-published ALL my archives!! So all my blogs take the form of this trashy layout. Gives me even more motivation to hurry my ass up to finish my new layout. ARGH!

Okay...

We went to KKK's house last night to celebrate Kim/Uncle Chito's birthdays. I have to take Kim out after her trials. Any ideas of where to take her??? Anyways, it was just good to have both sides of the family altogether in one place. Good family fun =D

Last night was also theVENUE @ (minc) in the city. It was a good party... so many people came that when Nix, Mush and I went out to get some more $$$ from ANZ, we got stuck in the Guestlist/Re-entry line for over 15-something minutes! Apparently, the club was "too full". Funny how when we got let in, we all ended up downstairs. I drove Mush home for the first time through her scary neighbourhood =\. Lucky Jem, Nix and Mel were there to keep me company!

Jonathan snuck his head under my blanket this morning saying "Ate Nelisa, wake up now!" Probably the first time since they got here when I wanted him to go away hehe. I finally got up coz I needed to go to church - plus I had to pee.

After church, I got dropped off at home shortly before Mel came to pick me up to go to Bicentennial Park for Jos' birthday BBQ. We got Minh and met the boys at the park where:
* We ate heck yum food - good sausages, good salad, awesome cake,
* We played with the Vortex. It was sooo obvious us girls were power deprived because we couldn't throw the Vortex further than 10 metres!, aaaand
* I sprained my thumb after FINALLY attempting to catch a very fast Vortex coming at my face. It's so disgusting! I've got this humoungus bump on my right hand. It's so bad considering I'm right-handed and work consists of typing all day (I'm currently typing with my whole left hand and my index finger on my right hand). I'm so immobile!

Anyways, I'm sleepy and that bed looks quite appealing to sleep in. Ta-Ta!

Saturday, July 12, 2003

Just staying awake till I have to go with my dad to pick up Veed.

I took Veed, Jem and Jamison to Shark Bar tonight. After we dropped them off, Nix and I went to City Extra to get some eats. Ren, Baz and Macca met us there and we just talked until it was late enough for parentals to start getting peeved that we weren't home yet.

Can't wait till my first stay home Friday night. It won't be next week because that's when the AHFI retreat's on. Won't be the week after coz *drumroll* I'M GOING TO THE SNOWS! I'm so excited! I get paid next week so hopefully, I can shop up some mad ski wear and stuff. Hopefully, my digi-cam comes in before we go to the snows because I'm looking forward to taking hecka photos!

Nix and I talked lots since we had lots of driving time alone (how romantic!). It's interesting to see how many girls need to be pampered and measure a guy's affection through the amount of money he's willing to spend on her. It's even more interesting to see how many guys think it's so necessary to spend all their money on their girlfriend so not to look like a unproviding boyfriend. Gosh. Like I told Nix tonight, knowing that he thinks about me during any day and genuinely cares for me is worth more than anything money can buy. I'd hate to know that money's being spent on me to win my affection and respect. I'd be with them for a reason... and the reason has nothing to do with the size of his wallet. That's what I reckon anyway. Disagree all you want...

Anyways... might grab a bit of sleep before heading back out to the city *groan* Bye!

Sunday, July 06, 2003

Seattle and Sydney have a minus-5-minus-12 time difference. You know what that means...

The kiddies fell asleep early last night, so I got to go out to dinner last night.

By the time I got home and into bed, it was around 1pm i.e. 8am Seattle time. Cheska fell asleep around 5pm (midnight ST) so, of course, it was time to wake up. falling asleep that early last night means she missed dinner. So we were lying in the dark... and I was pretending I didn't know she was awake... then her tummy started talking. I couldn't just LEAVE it grumbling and not do anything about it! So, being the good cousin I am, I got up with her and cut her some apples to shut her tummy up. She wasn't sleepy AT ALL, so I stayed up with her while she played games on barbie.com. It was okay for an hour, but I needed sleep. I went to bed telling her to wake me up if she needed me.

The next time I woke up was when Tita Grace came in to check on her at 4am... and she was still playing! What an addict! LOL.

We're going to Canberra today. I'm half dressed - so I think I should get fully dressed. I'll REWIND the night later. Bye!

*editEXTRAedit*
Just got home from a looooong day. We went to Canberra - Parliament house, War Memorial... - then stopped over at Nikkie and Geno's for dinner.

kiddieQuotesFor2day
U.BILL: Cheska, Jonathan missed you in our car. Didn't you miss your Ate Jon?
JONATHAN: Uhuh!
U.B: Jonathan was even saying "Where's Ate Cheska?"
J: *confused* No, I wasn't!!!!!

(playing go fish)
SUSANA: Cheska, do you have a shark? (pronounced shaaaahk)
FRANCESCA: Oh, I understood that!

HAHA... love those kids!

*reWind*
Last night was celebrations for Minh's DI accomplishment! 2 minutes after asking my parents if I could go out with the girls, I was out the door to meet Mel, Minh and Zayra. We went for dinner at Savana's where Llewol, Dave and Joe joined us after "keeping us in mind". We had an outdoor table which meant I was freezing on the left side of my body and drying up from the heaters on my right side. Dinner was good... good to catch up with everyone. We headed out to Krispy Kreme afterwards coz Minh was a KK virgin. Lowell brought Lily out and we just chilled there until it was home time. Good night. Too bad I had little sleep last night (refer top)...

Gonna go get some now... after PUNK'D! Slaters!

Saturday, July 05, 2003

The American's have landed!! Our relatives from Seattle, WA came in this morning. My Tita Grace, Uncle Bill and my two cousins Francesca and Jonathan are gonna be staying with us for the next few weeks. How exciting! You guys all have to meet them! They're real cute... I love their accents!! Jonathan says the cutest things too! His quote for today:

(after I asked him when he'd be going back to school) "I don't waaanna go back to school... because I have a tummy ache"

I couldn't stop laughing! He had a sook in the car at the beginning of the car ride though because the car seat we got for him was "for babies" and he's 3yo!

Well, I know I do this more often than not... anyways...

HIGHLIGHTS OF LAST WEEK

* Nix's house on Thursday w/ the girls, Baz, Macca and Ren
* Lunched it with Minh-face on Thursday. She had an interview (and scored!) so she lunched it with us afterwards at good ol' Pitty
* Bought my first item off eBay! I have a new digi-cam!! I won't be getting it for a bit though... Hopefully, I get it before the cousins leave so I can get some quality memories out of it!
* Field trip to Transit Bar last night for Charlene's birthday. I was meant to do the drop-offs and pick-ups for Veed, Nix and Jem but they convinced me to stay. I tried to wear the most non-clubby clothes EVER, but Nix managed to hook me up coz she was wearing two =D
* Got locked in the cinema car park and dished out 89 biggies to get out. What a rip-off! It was so annoying because the carpark closed at 2 and we were so there before 2am! I didn't wanna complain though. At least we weren't stuck in the city overnight right?

Tonight? Not sure yet. The American's are knocked out so I might slip out for dinner coz they're celebrating Minh's jobb-ish!

pEaS Out hOmes...!