Farewell

The week-long World Youth Day celebrations were so fantastic.

I'm so happy to have the chance to have experienced it - it really was
one of the most unique cultural crowd celebration that I've ever taken
part in. We camped out under the stars at Randwick on Saturday night,
along with around 300,000 others. It was cold but happy and the people
we met were just lovely. It was so inspirational to meet other young
people from all around the world. On Sunday morning, I couldn't
believe that I ran into a good friend of mine, amongst the 400,000
people gathered for the final Mass. The Pope was just lovely and his
words were very thoughtful.

I think it's really cool to have been part of such a huge Mass. It was
so beautifully done. And even as it changed languages (including
Vietnamese, Italian, Sudanese, Latin and English) and music styles
(including Gregorian, four-part vocal, contemporary, Gospel and
Polynesian) thoughout, the thought struck me that anywhere in the
world, the Catholic Mass remains the same. It's universal, but with
local flavour. That's so cool.

What a great experience. So very joyful. It's sad that it's over.

Dear reader, I have to say that my blogging has been rather limited
lately. Actually, it's been that way for the last two years. I simply
feel a lot more settled and at peace these days (despite the ongoing
drama in the background of my life!) and don't feel the need to have a
ranting-board right now.
Please know that I do still read all the blogs on my blogroll, even if
I don't always comment.

This is not a final goodbye from me - I am a bit more interactive on
Facebook these days and I'd love to add you as a friend.
Please email me at jezzygirl[at]gmail.com to get my name.

Jezzy
x

World Youth Day and Hubby's Birthday

1. World Youth Day is really an amazing event. It's wonderful to see
so much joy in this city.

For the first time that I can remember, there is real and widespread
discussion about religion in this country, ranging from some very
narrow-minded whinging, to some very considered discussion. It's
important that this occurs in such a secular country because faith
shouldn't be something that we're bullied into keeping private simply
because some atheists are so vocal about hatred of any religion and,
especially so willing to bash Christianity. Believe me, when your Dad
is atheist (I would hate to be that bitter and cynical about
everything) and your Mum can be a bit of an over-the-top
fundamentalist traditionalist (I would hate to not be able to relax!)
you spend a lot of time thinking about what you believe and why.

Almost a quarter of this country is Catholic and the majority of
Australians are Christian. The majority of Australians do have a
religion. The majority of people in this country do have faith and do
believe in God. But it's so hidden, something we might think about in
our heads - and leave it at that.

At the moment, seeing people from all around the world converge in
this city, in an event of this magnitude, I'm proud of being a
Catholic. I'm proud of the link, and the participation, with our
Christian brothers and sister and our Jewish and Muslim cousins -
because we're here to celebrate our faith in the same God. I'm proud
to see people come together in the name of love and the messages of
Christ, and it all makes the whingers seem so petty - as if they just
don't get it.
Well, they don't get it.
But that's okay too.

It's true that having a faith is not necessary to make someone a "good
person". It's true that people have done nasty things in the past in
the name of religion. But all that doesn't discount the role of
religion and faith - something that permeates through every society,
every culture, every age. Those who have felt it, know it's there
because they have felt it. They know that they are loved. We are never
alone - and there is great comfort in knowing that.

Somehow that knowledge takes that bitterness and puts into perspective
all the pettiness.
We're part of something much bigger and greater than all of that.

2. Hubby turns 30 today.
Today also marks 10 years since we first got together. Hubby is my
sweetness and light and I have so much admiration for him. I have seen
him become this strong, loving, kind and gentle man and I'm so proud
of everything he has done and the person he has become. He's such a
wonderful angel and I'm so very lucky to have him.

Thanks for the b'day messages everyone.

I had such a great birthday weekend, going to the Opera House to see
the magnificent "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" on Sat night
(what a fantastic play!), and then driving down to Berrima (gorgeous,
old-style town near W'gong) on Sunday. We finally ordered a new
nameplate for our house and had lunch at the state's oldest
continually-licensed pub. Dinner was back at my parent's house and Mum
made her yummiest almond, orange and semolina cake yet.

Hubby turns 30 in two weeks and I have no idea what to organise. It
falls at the start of World Youth Day celebrations and we'll be
hosting two pilgrims at our house for the week. Perhaps I'll organise
something for the weekend beforehand. (I can't believe he's turning
30! He's still the same sweet, young 20 year old to me. Hasn't aged
one bit.)

You know, the last two times I've been to the toilet at work today,
the person in the cubicle next to me sounded like they'd turned on a
hose to full blast! It was LOUD!
How do people cope when they piss like they're about to explode? I
wonder if it was the same person both times. Maybe they have an
extra-wide urethra with extra-big bladder? (New Extra-Large Bladder!!
Now with 50% more volume! For all those times when you need to sound
like a horse taking a piss. Out Now!)

Shameless Birthday Plug

Yesterday, I turned 29.

There's lots I could say about being 29.
But I won't.

Scariness.

Random thoughts:

1. Mike Goldman is so much better than Kyle Sandilands.

2. One of hubby's friends slept with a stripper last weekend. I am
really, really, really disappointed in him! He's someone I rated as a
pretty good person and doing that was so out of character and gross.
And she wasn't even an intelligent stripper - full of life experience,
wrong decisions and pathos. She was just a bimbette with fake nails
and bleached hair.

3. Australia Post at Macquarie shopping centre has the worst customer
service in the known universe.

4. We get really annoyed that our election campaigns go on and on for
six weeks. We complain about the waste of money and the relentless
advertising and campaigning - yet what the hell is going on in the
US?! It's completely, utterly insane.

5. A work colleague announced to me this morning that he had a dream
about me last night. He started to tell me about it, then said "why am
I even telling you this?" and walked away. Note to everyone - do not
say things like that to colleagues! Everyone dreams about people at
work, but it is never appropriate to tell them!

6. Therese Rein is cool. People should stop criticising her dress
sense and perceived frumpiness. Prime Minister's wife, she may be.
Carla Bruni, she is not. She's better than that.

7. I still find the China earthquake tragedy really, really sad.
Whatever you think of the government there, it's an amazing country
with great people.

8. Second season of Skins < First season of Skins. Unfortunately.

9. I had four hours of dress rehearsal yesterday for Sunday's symphony
choir concert. Most people get pop songs stuck in their head. I have
the voice of the bass who stands next to me, singing in German. Just
this one line by Brahms. Gaah!

10. Why are babies so cute, yet young children so annoying? Is it just
the pathetic parenting these days with people so keen for their kids
to like them that they can't control them at all? I do want to have
kids, and soon, but it's scary and cringeworthy to do so knowing that
they will be surrounded by so many "special" little horrors.

Walking!

So yesterday our company started the Gl0bal C0rporate Challenge.

For those who don't know, it's like a virtual Amazing Race thing where
office workers all wear pedometers and work in teams of 7, logging in
steps everyday. The aim is to make the average office worker (who
tends to do around 6000 steps per day) more active by aiming for 10000
steps.

I was pleased, clocking at over 11000 yesterday. This is much more
than I'd managed to achieve on my own. My previous attempts at using a
pedometer put me at around 8000 per day.

I think the competitive thing appeals to me!

Anyway, it's 2pm today and I'm already at 10837. My aim is to get
closer to 15000 because that seems achievable and would burn around
2500kJ per day and hopefully help me lose a bit of weight. I'm aching
to gain back my 24 year old body!

Two things annoying me at the moment:

1. Gen Y's inability to commit to anything.

Case in point.
Last Tuesday night, we had a last minute invitation to dinner from one
of Hubby's friends.
I was asked to invite one of my younger cousins along (since he has a
crush on her!)
My cousin in 23.
This is how it panned out.

5pm. Jezzy calls Cousin.

Jezzy: Hi sweetie! What are you up to tonight?
Cousin: Nuthin much. What's up with you two?
Jezzy: [Hubby's friend] has invited us around for dinner. He says he
wants you to meet his younger sister while she's visiting from London.
Wanna come? We can pick you up at seven. What say you?
Cousin: Where you are going? I don't really want a big night because
of work tomorrow.
Jezzy: Sames. It won't be a biggie.
Cousin: Okay. That sounds good. I'll let you know later what I'm up
to. Okay, bye.
Jezzy: ???

6pm. Cousin calls Jezzy.

Cousin: So what time are you leaving?
Jezzy: We just got home. We'll leave at 7pm, proll. So will be at your
house just past then.
Cousin: Okay, I should be good. Will let you know.
Jezzy: ????

6.30pm. Cousin calls Jezzy.

Cousin: Hey Jez, I don't think I'll make it tonight. I'm really tired.
Say soz for me.
Jezzy: Yeah, don't worry about it.
Cousin: Yeah, maybe I'll see you tomorrow night. I'll let you know
what I'm up to.
Jezzy: ?????

I seriously don't get it.
All I want is a yes or no. Why is this so hard?!

Is it because they've never known what it's like to arrange their
social life without a mobile phone?

2. Splitting the restaurant bill unfairly.

Now I usually don't mind splitting the bill in half when I go out with
a friend, but I have one friend who is a repeat offender for blatantly
profiting off others. She eats heaps and then says "so we'll split
it?" and I can't say no or I'll look like a tight arse.

Case in point:

What Jezzy ordered: Homemade spinach and fetta ravioli with napolitana
sauce - small size. Small serve of french beans. Mineral water.
What friend ordered: Garlic bread. 300g steak with chips, serve of
vegetables. Gelato. Lemon squash.

Jezzy's bill: $18.
Friend's bill: $38.

Amount each person paid: $30

I know she's a lawyer and therefore probably has switched off the
trigger that says "Alert, alert, you are ripping someone off!!" but
still, isn't this unfair? I just ate some really expensive pasta and
she got a discount off her meal.
If it happened once, fine. But this is all the time - she always does this.
What to do?

We are now officially the "rich bastards" who must be punished!

Oh my goodness - I am so incensed!

So Treasurer Wayne Swan seems to think that everyone falls under two
definitions - they're either classified as "working families" or
"wealthy millionaires".

Under Labor's warped definitions, we seem to be "wealthy
millionaires." Ha!! I wish!
So we now we miss out because we earn more than the magic 150K mark?
And…by that same token, we must also not be one of the "working
families" who Labor is so keen to support.
What nonsense.

I understand the reasons for wanting to means test such things, and I
agree that there's people dripping in diamonds out there who really
don't need it but I am really angry that this is based on gross income
which can bear absolutely no relation to disposable income.

Seriously, everyone has different circumstances and slogging high
income earners in such a blanket way is just a typical Labor stunt.

Kevin and Wayne, women like me have worked really hard to get where we
are. There's years of study and hard work involved. Cash bonuses like
the 5K Baby Bonus aren't a welfare payment, they're just what they are
- a bonus payment for having a baby!

It's worth a good month's salary to me! This is important - if I have
kids, I want to be able to take a least a year off work and this kind
of scheme really helps.

It's been so long that I forgot what life was like under a lefty government...

That's right - I'm supposed to move to a rental place Bankstown, get
work as a low-paid receptionist and become a single mother to five
kids. Then I'll get classified as a "working family doing it tough"
and I'll get all sorts of payments coming my way!!

Hate and Love

Hate:

1. The Australia Post at Macquarie Shopping Centre. For many reasons
but mainly for the tall girl who works there. She is a complete form
nazi. They are so frustrating me at the moment that they make top of
the list. (All to do with my application for a new passport. Try
making an appointment there - just try - it's actually impossible
without going into the shop and waiting in the queue - which can be
for an hour if you have to go during your lunch break - and that's
just to make the appointment! Or you can call and get transferred for
half an hour and still not speak to anyone).
Grrr.

2. Brigitte from Big Brother for being a vacuous, pointless, Paris
Hilton-wannabe, waste of existence. I hate girls like that - stupid,
self-centred and spoilt with no feelings for anyone else.
And it would actually be funny to watch if it wasn't for the fact that
she's a clone of my husband's business partner's girlfriend! I don't
think it's possible to know how destructive such people can be until
you see the impact they have on friends and close ones.
She drives the business partner up the wall, he turns into a moody
bastard and take it out on my husband who gets all wound up about it
and then I stress.
And it shits me that this pointless, piece of brain-dead drivel has an
impact on me!

3. The current state and federal government who are reminding my why I
never vote Labor.
The state govt because of no improvements at all to roads and
transport in Sydney's Northern Beaches/North Shore for years and years
and years merely as punishment for being a Liberal heartland.
The federal govt for blaming high income earners for everything.

Hate the way that high income earners are punished for actually
working hard to get to be a high income earner!
And hate the way they think the more you earn, the more money you
spend so the best way to stop interest rate rises, all the problems in
the world etc. is to stop high income earners having money to spend.
Hate this socialist government. Seriously - I had more spending power
when I had half as much money coming in, because on 50K, I had a tiny
mortgage and no other expenses.

Higher end earners have always be penalised by Labor govts for working
hard and being paid accordingly. We already pay 45% tax on wages,
having put ourselves through years of university and additional study
to get to where we are. By the time our wages have gone towards tax,
huge mortgage of living in a nice part of Sydney and also providing
housing for renters, food and petrol and bills, bills, bills, plus
saving up to have a baby in the future, there isn't much left.
Would they rather I quit my job and claimed welfare? I think I'd be better off.

Love:

1. Choir performances. We had another performance last Sunday - yay -
love it. Love the music - so wonderful.

2. Sweet About Me by Gabrielle Cilmi. It's just stuck in my head. Great song.

3. Hubby. He's all so lovely and sweetness.

It's funny how it's easier to rant about what I hate!

Because there's nothing like revisiting a retro meme...

Quiz Thingy

10 Favorites
~
Favorite Season:
Summer because there's so many events happening in this city

Favorite Sport:
Dancing really badly

Favorite Time:
Home time

Favorite Colour:
Dark red

Favorite Actor:
Hmmm, not too sure.

Favorite Actress:
Cate Blanchett, although she's getting a little too overexposed. I'm
not too keen on actors playing politics.

Favorite Ice Cream:
New Zealand Natural Cookies and Cream

Favorite Food:
Pasta with fresh pesto

Favorite Drink:
Diet coke

Favorite Place:
My house

~~~

9 Currents
~
Current Feeling:
Nothing. Which is good - at least it's not sad.

Current Underwear Color:
Ahem. Let me check. Dark pink.

Current Windows Open:
Outlook, Word, Access, IE

Current Drink:
Ovaltine

Current Time:
5pm (oooh - hometime!)

Current Mobile(s):
Nokia - a hand-me-down.

Current Show on TV:
I don't know - I'm at work!

Current Thought:
My contact lenses are a bit dry.

Current Clothes:
Dark jeans (it's Friday), dark blue cashmere jumper, black ballet-style shoes

~~~

8 Firsts
~
First Nickname:
Jez

First Kiss:
I was drunk and 17. He was a very nice boy who I then dated for three
months and dumped. He's a bus driver these days.

First Crush:
Hmmm, Carl in year 4. He was really smart and is now a good looking lawyer.

First Best Friend:
Joanne. Who wasn't the sharpest tool in the box. She's now a mother
of, I dunno, three, I think. Unmarried and living with her parents. We
lost contact.

First Vehicle I drove:
1979 Holden Sunbird. Yep - my age.

First one I owned:
Our cute Mazda3 hatch who is really sweet. We love him. Hubby wants to
replace him with a more upmarket car. I think that's so mean. Zoom
Zoom is part of the family!

First Job:
Bakery assistant

First Movie:
ET

First Pet:
Random fish

First Shave:
Legs when I was 12. Using my Dad's razor. As you do when you're 12.

~~~

7 Lasts
~
Last Drink:
Tea

Last Kiss:
My lovely, lovely hubby this morning.

Last Time I drove:
Last weekend to my Aunt's house

Last Time Shaved:
Underarms - regularly!

Last Web Site Visited:
www.smh.com.au

Last Movie Watched:
Be Kind Rewind. It was okay.

Last Pill I Had:
Ibuprofen two days ago for a headache caused by the really cold
weather in the evening. Makes my teeth hurt!

~~~

6 Have You Evers
~
Have You Ever Broken the Law:
Speeding a bit when I was on my P plates. I'm really a good girl - I
have nothing juicy to add here!

Have You Ever Been Drunk:
A lot once I turned 18. Rarely since I turned 22. You get over it.

Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know:
See answer for previous question.

Have You Ever Been in the Middle/Close to Gunfire or Bomb Blast:
Nope.

Have You Ever Skinny Dipped:
Once, maybe, in the pool at home when no one else was around.

Have You Ever Broken Anyone's Heart:
I don't think so. Except for the bus driver mentioned above. But I'm
sure he got over it after 5 minutes.

~~~

5 Things
~
You Can Hear Right Now:
A photocopier. People typing.

Things on Your Bed:
Sheets, quilt, pillows, teddy bear. Just the standard things.

Things You Ate Today:
Breakfast - ham and cheese sandwich, Lunch - turkey, spinach and
beetroot sandwich with miso soup.

Also a Raffelo chocolate, an apple and cinnamon muffin bar, a few
pieces of ginger candy, some mouthfuls of Ovaltine from the tin until
I started to feel sick, a mandarin, an apple, a hot chocolate and
numerous cups of tea (oh my goodness, I really hoover up crap between
meals, not wonder I can't get rid of the muffin top!)

Things You Can't Live Without:
My husband and my parents. And food, shelter, etc.

Things You Do When You Are Bored:
Burn time online, surf Facebook, read blogs, read the SMH.
Revisit a retro meme...

~~~

4 Places
~
You Have Been today:

Home
Work
Macquarie shopping centre
That's it.

~~~

3 Things On Your Desk Right Now
~
Highlighters
Mug
Tin of Ovaltine

~~~

2 Choices
~
Black or White:
Black

Hot or Cold:
Hot

~~~

1 Thing You Want To Do Before You Die
~
Explode with joy.