My new leaf...

This week I had a client meeting at 9am on Monday morning so I had to get up at 6:30am (like I'm supposed to) to ensure that I was at work on time (8:45am) ready for the meeting. See, usually my alarm goes off at 6:30am, I hit the snooze button once...then again...and again...until it's about 7am. It's a real battle for me to get up in the mornings. It takes me the full half hour to talk myself into it. "Ok Janelle, you're about to get up...in three...one, two, three...nah, just five more minutes." When I have eventually gotten out of bed and spent way too long in the shower I usually leave my house around quarter past 8. This is no where near enough time to get to work by 8:45am so I usually rock up somewhere between 9 and quarter past 9. I wasn't always doing that. I used to be on time every day, sometimes even early but in the last few months I've begun to run out of steam and started to become later and later every day.

Anyway, this Monday morning I made it to work by 8:30am and felt quite good about my achievement. (I rewarded myself for my fantastic effort with a Macca's hash brown.) I didn't have to walk from the train station at a pace where I felt like my legs might fall off or try and sneak into my cubicle undetected. I walked into the office, had a leisurely chat with a few people, checked some emails, prepared for my meeting and it was nice to not feel so rushed for once. So, I am now turning over a new leaf. Trying to get to work on time. I'll admit, this is no easy task for me, I am late everywhere I go, it's genetic. But so far, it's been going well.

Take today for example. I don't run to catch the train. If it's gonna go, it can go. I would rather be late than have to run. But, in accordance with my new leaf, I made an exception and gave it my best shot. Still half asleep and wearing heels, I ran my little heart out. I made it too. Just in time. The doors were closing and making that beep beep beep noise as I jumped on the train. Excellent timing! As a result, I was only five minutes late for work instead of 25. Yep, I'm just taking it a day at a time.

The Controversial Zone II

Yesterday morning as I was on my way into work , there happened to be two young men coming towards me. I had almost reached the office building when one of the men, too busy blatantly staring at me and grinning, tripped over the front step. As I passed by them the other young man said to me with a smile, "Excuse my friend, he has trouble walking around pretty girls." I smiled back and continued into the building. By the time I got to the lifts I couldn't help but giggle as I replayed the incident over in my head. Good times, good times.

The other day I was telling my dearest and favourite brother, Pauly about another incident that occurred a couple of weeks ago. I was driving down Mount Alexander Road when I noticed two teenage boys approaching a pedestrian crossing. I stopped to let them walk across, they hesistated so I gave them a little wave to let them know I wasn't gonna run them over. As they crossed one of them smiled and continually waved at me with his friend pulling at his sleeve until he had reached the other side. I just shook my head and laughed. When I told this story to Paul, he asked me when I was going to stop enjoying attention from the opposite sex. Come on, that is one of THE most ridiculous questions I've ever heard. The answer is NEVER. I made some comment about it being flattering and Paul said it shouldn't be flattering because they don't know me at all, they are just reacting to my appearance. Well, duh! That's the point. He also said something about how it's the same when someone trys to pick you up in a bar; they don't know you, they're just going by your looks. I don't think that's unreasonable though. Let's face it, your appearance is what always initially attracts a person. I'm not saying beauty is everything, I mean, you're gonna need more than a pretty face to sustain someone's attention. And everyone has their different idea of what beauty is anyway. But you can't get to know someone if you don't talk to them and you're not going to approach someone who you don't find attractive. End of story.

On a side note, the saying you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover...true. But I haven't voluntarily read a book in my life that I didn't pick up because the front cover caught my eye. Yeah, I've probably missed out on reading some good books but if you're going to write a great book, why not put the effort in to slap a nice cover on the front? Do you want people to read your book or not? To say, "My book is a best-seller, I shouldn't need a nice cover to get people to read it" is just pure laziness.

Those summer nights...

I have waited all year in great anticipation for this season. It's summer!
Reasons why I love the summer time:

• Sunshine (everything looks brighter)
• Christmas spirit (tis the season to be jolly)
• Trips to the beach (bikinis, shirtless men)
• Time off work (enough said)
• Mini skirts and singlet tops (casually sexy)
• BBQs (bringing people together...with some snags)
• Warm nights (put away those flannels, more shirtless men)
• Romance (summer flings, valentine's day)
• Cruising in the car (sunnies on, music up, windows down) Traditional tunes: Ride Wit Me by Nelly and Miss California by Dante Thomas

Going hard at it...

I'm used to being busy and having a lack of sleep on the weekends but I have encountered a new experience recently, the weeknight schedule book-out. This has been my life since Sunday:

MONDAY - I headed off to my ballroom dancing lesson at 6:30pm. Then after it finshed up at 7:30pm we did what we always do and took a stroll over to Safeway Petrol. Every week we perform the same ritual. Warren says hello to Sam, the servo attendent, I catch up on some celebrity goss, Warren asks me if i'm "gonna buy that?" and everyone makes their purchases. Then we stand outside for a couple of minutes chatting and eventually head back to our cars. This week after the servo, Warren and I had a little make out...er I mean...catch up session (Disclaimer: that was a joke) and I went home about 8:30pm to have dinner.

TUESDAY - I scheduled in having dinner with one of my friends from working at Safeway. Natalie and I promised each other that after I left The Fresh Food People we wouldn't lose touch. Our last social catch up was about 8 months ago so it was definitely time for another. We went out to Lazy Moe's at 7:30pm where I had a chicken burger and ended the evening at Macca's for a caramel sundae.

WEDNESDAY - I had a date down on Keilor Rd for coffee. Arrived at 7:30pm amidst the hail storm. Departed at 11:40pm giving the front and rear demisters a good work out. ;) (Disclaimer: also possibly a joke).

THURSDAY - Snuck out of work ten minutes early to catch earlier train from Flagstaff station to get back to my car to get to Mark & Sonia Lindsay's place by 6pm. I babysat their two cutie children till about about 10pm. They're pretty good kids. I listened to them talk to me kiddy style for the first half an hour. The conversation included discussion about poisonous bugs, this boy at school who said he had been down a black hole, the episodes of Star Wars that I've seen and the definition of a "warlord". Then I watched Neighbours with them, read a story for half an hour after that and put them to bed. This time they didn't even get out of bed once. Little angels.

FRIDAY - Well, that's tonight, and as usual I'm hanging out with Stephanie for CEF (Casual Events Friday). I'm going over to her place to share some goss. I haven't seen her since last Friday night. It feels like forever. But Steph is on exams till Tuesday so she's been busy acting studious. Lol. Can't wait till she's finished. There is some much-awaited post-exam partying to be done. Yes, indeed.

I'm definitely looking forward to having a nice, relaxing weekend. Saturday should be mostly sunny with a top of 23, followed by a low of 13 and a top of 28 on Sunday. Some great Spring weather ahead, Pete. Back to you.

Janelle's Pick-up Rules

Walking back from Macca's today I was thinking about all the "dumb" things that guys have said or done to me that they should've got shafted for but... me being me...didn't. You know, the kind of stuff where they think they're being really smooth but they're actually being really sleazy. Like saying, "Hey, you know what, I've never had sex in my car." or "These windows are tinted so...no one can see in or anything" (followed up with eyebrow raising). Anyway, coming back up to the office in the lift I developed a concept based on Paul's MSN Rules. Paul has a points system for people chatting to him on MSN. In summary, you start out with a certain number of points and if you do something annoying to Paul (which, I might add, isn't that difficult) he deducts points. If you lose all your points, then he will block you. So I thought it to be a good system to put in place for the pick-up scene. All guys will now start out with 1000 points and I will deduct points for the following (in no particular order):

• Asking me what my name is more than 3 times - 250 points
• Asking me what my name is after we've kissed - 500 points
• Not loaning me 50 cents when I'm short on buying my next drink - 800 points
• Spilling a drink on me and pretending to clean it off just to touch me - 600 points
• Picking me up (literally) and causing me to lose my shoe - 725 points
• Licking my nose - 999 points
• Attempting to steal my ID, ATM card, mobile phone, money and/or lip gloss - 500 points per item
• Making references to having sex with me on first meeting and/or asking me home - 50 billion points

It's still a work in progress but that'll do for now until I think of more. If you have any you think I should add, feel free to leave a comment.

For the sake of posting a photo...

This is me, Stephanie and Erin at the uni ball in August.

Busy Little Bee...

What a weekend! I have been a busy little bee...and just when I was looking forward to relaxing after "Assignment Weekend". Here is how it all went down. Friday afternoon kind of dragged and judging by the amount of emails flying around the office I doubt anyone was really doing anything productive. Finally, quarter past 5 came around, I packed up and headed into the boardroom for a few drinks. I like hanging around after work for a chat and to unwind. It's a good opportunity to chat to everyone and they're a great bunch of people. At about 6:30pm (sorry Warren, 1830 hours) I caught the train home and quickly changed my clothes before Steph arrived for CEF (Casual Events Friday). We went round to Blockbuster to hire a DVD and discovered that I had indeed incurred a late fine after holding onto a new release for an extra four days. Upon batting our eyelids at the young, male video store attendant, he agreed to drop the fine from $10 to $6. So, we ended up hiring "Take the Lead" which was quite good and afterwards I was inspired to show Steph some of my dance moves I've picked at Ballroom Dancing. She thought it to be quite funny.

Saturday morning I was forced to set my alarm for 10am to get up. I ignored it for some time and eventually got out of bed to get beautiful. I was heading out to lunch and supposed to rendezvous at 12:30. Unfortunately, I was 20 minutes late which threw off the entire game plan, to see a movie at 20 past 1. However, even though we were nearly 20 minutes late for the movie, the previews hadn't even started yet. What luck! The movie was "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." And I've decided that I have a weird sense of humour. Often laughing at moments where everyone else is quiet. And the kind of laughing where you get going by the initial joke and then stop, think about the joke and start up again. Good times, good times. During the arvo, there was a sudden alteration to my evening plans meaning that instead of Steph picking me up at 6pm for our trip to a party in Ringwood, she was picking me up at 5:30pm. I lost track of time, as it were, and rushed home at about 5. I think I'd been home for a total of 30 seconds when she arrived. I made a quick change of outfit, threw some stuff together in a bag for overnight stay and away we went on our voyage. I was on navigation and I must say, the drive was rather pleasant. We arrived in Ringwood at about 6:30 and from there we bounced from house to house meeting new people and eventually ended up at the correct party. It was an interesting evening. I discovered that the subtle blonde highlights I've recently had put in my hair, have possibly effected my level of intelligence in certain situations and Steph got hit in the head with a piece of celery. Top night. We managed to get home safely and I stayed the night at Steph's with a quality sleep. We woke at about 10am, well actually Steph woke at 10am and whispered "Are you awake?". I thought she was talking to me in my dream at first but after the "Pssst. Nellllllie, are you awake?" I realised it was all too real. And I groaned. She laughed. It turned out that what she had to tell me was worth waking up for. There's nothing like a good giggle first thing in the morning.

So, now we're up to Sunday, Steph and I got up for our leisurely breakfast and then launched straight into getting ready for the day. She had to go to work and I had quite a few things to do myself. After she dropped me home I headed down to Porky's for lunch with the gang. Vegetarian pizza with ham, no olives. Mmmmm. From there it was back home to organise my order of service for that night's R7 and over to my auntie's for her birthday afternoon tea. That was a rather brief visit I might add cos I had to go down to the church to start music practice. The practice went pretty well and so did the service. I had a great bunch of musos to work with. Plus, I honestly felt that God was working right in there too. So, that was that. Another weekend over. Often when it goes so fast and I don't get time to relax I feel like I've missed out in some way but really looking back over all the stuff I managed to cram in there. I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Five Love Languages: Janelle Revealed!!!

My primary love languages are probably
Physical Touch and Quality Time.

Complete set of results

Physical Touch:		10
Quality Time:		10
Words of Affirmation:		5
Acts of Service:		4
Receiving Gifts:		1

Take the Quiz!

Janelle Wins 1-0 !!!!!

Sit yourself down cos this is gonna take awhile. Well, chances are you're already sitting so here we go. The rules for assignment weekend were set:

• Must reach 2000 words by Friday or no going out Friday night (great motivation)
• Must reach 4000 words by Saturday or no going out Saturday night (even better motivation)
• Must finish assignment by Sunday night or fail co-op year (ultimate motivation)

I set my alarm for 8:30am on Friday, got up, went and got all my materials required for assignment writing and sat down at the computer. I started with the introduction which took awhile to get going but once I hit the body of the report things were flowing along nicely. I didn't move from the computer all day, except once to pee, and thanks to my mum I didn't starve, she brought breakfast and lunch to my desk. At quarter to 5pm I wrapped up at a word count of 2011, went and had a shower, got dressed up and headed out to Stephanie's place. Her parents were kind enough to drive us out to a party in Warrandyte, at which we had a few drinks and I got home at about 1am. Saturday morning I was up again at 9am and back onto the assignment. I allowed myself to get a little distracted on MSN this time but still managed to get my word count up to 4071 before I finished up at 6ish to have dinner and get ready to go out again. This time it was down to Metro in the city for Steph's brother's birthday. I had one vodka and OJ, two cowboy shots and a Smirnoff black, followed by a whopper with cheese at Hungry Jack's. Knowing there was still a chunk of assignment left to do and Sunday was crunch time I headed home at 2am to get some sleep. For some reason, even though I had planned a sleep in I woke up bright and early at 9 feeling rather alert so I dragged myself back to the computer for one last round of typing. I got the actual assignment done by early afternoon at a word count of 5163 however it took me hours to muck around with the formatting and bibliography. In usual RMIT style, I was locked out of the database where I got some of my references from so couldn't get back in to find out the publisher details etc. Took me half an hour to work out how to renew my password and retrieve the information I required. I slumped into bed at 10:30pm and spent the entire night dreaming of typing on the computer. System overload. I was 40 minutes late for work on Monday and when I stuck my memory stick into my work PC so I could print it all up, it wouldn't register. Typical, something had to go wrong. I got onto the IT guy after trying to hunt down old Pauly Pops with no luck, and all was fixed. I dropped the assignment in the box on level 15 at RMIT at lunchtime with a kiss for success and walked away feeling proud of my achievements and rather free. I suggested a nudey run down Collins Street to Steph but for some reason she didn't go for it. Anyway, thank you blog readers for your support and for bearing witness to this extraordinary achievement.

Janelle vs. The Assignment

Well, it's been a week since my last post and I probably shouldn't even be posting now either. My one and only uni assignment for the year is due on Monday and I haven't even really started it yet. It's 5000 words (being the minimum requirement) on the different types of business structures and their tax implications. The idea is that you're supposed to work on it bit by bit throughout the year and not try and squeeze it all into the three days before it's due. However, what kind of nerd would actually do that? After working for a full week I've got far better things to do with my time than immerse myself in some more accounting.

So, now the deadline looms and I've already gone through several phases of feeling for this piece of ASSessment. Up until Monday of this week I was calm, cool, collected and rather casual about it. Then it actually hit home that I had less than a week to pull this off. Arrrggghhh! So, I panicked a little, started kicking myself for not starting it earlier before I realised that a week was plenty of time if I just worked on it at work. So Monday morning I headed into the office, used the morning to clear my desk of all urgent matters and then after lunch got stuck into some reading. After an hour my boss came around and asked me to get onto a particular job immediately. Damn! So, my assignment went by the wayside and I panicked again as I realised that I wasn't going to be getting anywhere on it at work. I started thinking about worse case scenarios, emails requesting extensions, days off work, me actually finishing it and then dying on my way to the assignment box to hand it in, having spent the last weekend of my life studying. I actually became rather annoyed at everything and everyone, mostly my boss. Then I took some advice from my old mate simmo and went and spoke to my boss about it. Pretty much the first thing he said was, "Take Friday off." So now I have an extra day up my sleeve to kick some assignment butt and I'm feeling like it might actually be achievable. I also have party prospects for Friday and Saturday night so we'll see if I can fit those in too. I'll let you know how the battle ends.

Something else I have been pondering...to miniskirt or not to miniskirt? Yes, that is the ultimate question. Stephanie thinks no, it's definitely asking for trouble, and usually I would trust my best friend's instincts (we all know she's right) but I can't help it, I love my mini. Play it safe or take a walk on the wildside? What to do, what to do...

Mediocre Wednesday...

This post isn't about anything in particular. I just thought I should advise all of my beautiful blog readers out there that my spirits have now been lifted and I sense that I'm on my way up to another high point. It seems that my recent post regarding my acquatic low point inspired many people to continually ask me if I'm "ok". I would like to thank those people, you know who you are, simply for giving a crap.
In other news, life has been rather dull of late. Well, not dull in the sense that I have had nothing to do but dull in the sense that nothing out of the ordinary has happened. I had casual events friday (CEF) with Steph where we went to Highpoint for a shop. There's nothing better than a relaxing browse through clothing stores with my best bud after a hard week at work, chatting about everything from exceptionally horrible fashion styles to serious emotional issues. We ended our little spree with a hot chocolate at the pancake parlour, highly enjoyable evening.
Saturday night, Steph and I headed out to Billboards in the city. Finding ourselves a generous friend to take on the role as designated driver we had a drinky kind of night before wrapping up relatively early (bout 2ish)to kick on at my place. And when I say "kick on" I mean, drink the left over Bailey's from Steph's 21st and roll around on the floor giggling. Sunday I was up and off to lunch with the church gang at Cafe Lomah and then with a sudden burst of energy went to visit my nine year old twin cousins and my auntie where I was forced to join Stardolls and stupidly used my real birthdate for my profile. How embarrassing. I am probably the only 20 year old member of "Paperdoll Heaven".
Work is kind of average at the moment. I have a lot on which makes the time go quickly but my boss is in a "let's tie up all our loose ends" kind of mood so I've had to review all the jobs I have on the go, work out why they have come to a hault and then do something to get them underway again which usually involves hassling a client as to why they haven't gotten back to me. This is on top of all the other stuff that I'm working on at the moment so I'm feeling a little swamped. It seems I have quite a bit of responsibility for an undergrad. I'm thinking of requesting that they hire me a personal assistant.

Updating my blog...

switch on simmo!! says:
i'll tell you who i do fancy though?
Janelle says:
who?
switch on simmo!! says:
i'll give you a clue
switch on simmo!! says:
she likes the beach
Janelle says:
hmmmm
Janelle says:
i don't know
switch on simmo!! says:
you could try having a random guess
Janelle says:
sweep
Janelle says:
?
switch on simmo!! says:
GGRRRR
switch on simmo!! says:
i was gonna have fun with that!
Janelle says:
lol
Janelle says:
too good
switch on simmo!! says:
you rock
switch on simmo!! says:
update your blog
Janelle says:
alright

Have you ever been low?

It could just be a bit of Monday-itis and I'm still really tired from the weekend but I generated this theory this morning that I've been in a low point for the last week or so and just haven't realised it. Sneaky little low point. It managed to creep up on me cos instead of being your average low point where just something monumentally negative happens there isn't a particular reason why I should have a low level of happiness and wellbeing. There's no massive event that I can pinpoint and say "I feel crap cos of this". I just have a general negative vibe going on. And this morning when I realised that I don't feel like my usual self, I realised that I have felt this way for awhile. I usually feel like I'm on top of everything, that nothing can get me down but lately little things have just been piling up and it's turned into this general low point.

Here's my little theory. Everyone has compartments to their life. You know, family, friends, work, uni, whatever. If one compartment springs a leak, something isn't quite right (seems I'm turning this into a boat analogy here, try and stay with me) and that's not too bad because you can just stand there and temporarily plug it up. But if another compartment springs a leak, well, you can't be in two places at once to plug them both up so one's gonna let water in. Then another leak happens and before you know it, the ships starting to sink. That's what I feel like. Little things just keep going wrong, of which by themselves are not that hard to handle. But collectively, they're starting to sink my ship.

Weekend plans...

Well, I've been trying to think of something to post for awhile now but nothing really interesting has come up. Although, looking at the weekend ahead I'm sure I'll have something exciting to post by Monday. Tonight I'm going out shopping in the hope of finding a dress to wear to Stephanie's 21st which is on Saturday night. Yeah, I know, I've left things to the last minute once again but what are you gonna do? Friday night I'm going to a birthday dinner for Tash (friend of Carris', also friend of mine, yay!) and then Saturday there's going to be a few things left to do before Steph's big part-ay. I have to put the finishing touches on my speech and acquire a few more props, load up on some "janellcohol" from the liquor department at Safeway and then not only get myself ready for the party but pack the car with everything but the kitchen sink. And it doesn't end there. Sunday, I've gotta go straight from Steph's down to the church at 3pm (probably with a hang over) for a music practice and then the R7 Big Event is on and it's gonna be awesome. That brings me to about 9:30-10pm on Sunday night upon which I will return home, fall into bed and wake up monday morning to begin another week of work and hopefully have something intriguing and thought-provoking to post for my readers.

Miss Self-sufficient...

Young man serving at counter + My irresistable smile = Delicious, freshly made croissant at a discounted price.

Independence week continues...A minor hiccup on Wednesday where I left my car headlights on and had to go all the way back to switch them off so my battery didn't die but other than that things have ran rather smoothly. I even hemmed my own pants last night before bed. I've been out every night this week and it's been interesting to not have to answer 20 questions upon my return. Instead, my housemate (that's Daddums) just says "Where did you go?" and I say "Keilor Road" and he says "Where?" and I say "Keilor Road" and he says "Oh".

The house is quieter too. I mean, I thought the house was quiet after Pauly moved out but now it's super quiet. No clanging around in the kitchen. Well, better get back to work and/or talking on MSN.

Oh, and a shout out to Boron. Du bist völlig heiß. Küsse für dich.

Miss Independent...

First of all, I have another fun fact. A one minute kiss burns 26 calories. I'm still trying to figure out why that is. I mean, could you burn that many calories from exercising your jaw? Or is it that you're being deprived oxygen, which I think would raise your heart rate? I don't know. Anyway, all you fatties out there, time to get pashing.

More to the point of this post, I'm on my own for the rest of this week. My mum has gone to visit a friend in Sydney. Of course my dad will be around but let's face it, he's not much help to anyone without a hard drive. Therefore, Princess Janelle is fending for herself, having to drive herself to the train station every morning. It's gonna be a tough week. But don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Miss Independent, Miss Self-sufficient...

Last day in August...

It's a beautiful day today isn't it? It's the first day for months that I have walked out of the office at lunch and not been hit with a cold rush. I stepped out today and as usual tensed every muscle in my body expecting to feel the cold chill until I realised that it was warm. It was warm!!! Tomorrow we are officially out of Winter and into Spring. The season of birds singing in the tree tops, sunshine bursting through the clouds and...mating rituals. Yes, that's right. And I launch into this spectacular time of the year still on my high point. I am yet to descend from cloud nine. Everything is still great. Work is great: plenty to do, time passes quickly and I'm picking up a tonne of new skills including a telephone voice I never knew I had, primarily used on government employees, kind of sounds like Sandra Sully. Hehehe. My social life is great: able to fit in lots of time to hang out with friends at the weekends. Attend a ball, a cocktail party, a 21st, you know how it is. And finally my love life is great: Just the right amount of guy contact with the least amount of committment. Don't know how long that'll last but we'll see how we go. I'm enjoying just getting to know guys, finding out some interesting things about them. And then there's still more to uncover, ooo, really wanna crack a dirty joke there. I will resist. Don't pretend like you didn't think of it too. So, yeah, all in all things are coming along nicely.

Challenger, ready?

Good morning world! It is another day in Janelle's Reality. I have to say it was hard to get started this morning. No motivation really, to get out of bed. But here I am...at work. Probably shouldn't be blogging huh? I've got plenty of things to be doing. This morning I have a meeting with the academic loser...er...I mean...mentor from uni. He's coming in to check on how my 5000 word assignment on the different business structures and their tax implications is coming along. I anticipate it's going to be a relatively short meeting considering that I haven't started it yet. I can't decide whether to just sit there and admit that I'm yet to type a word on the topic or lie and tell him that I'm right on track with the timeline I included in my proposal (More lies to spin in my web of deceit). Last time he came in here he insulted my boss, my workplace and despite me submitting my information twice to the university he claimed I "failed to comply" and therefore was the last student out of the 120 co-ops to be graced with his presence. The guy's a complete idiot. He got me annoyed pretty much straight away. When he asked me what I planned to do my assignment on, I thought, I'll give you "failure to comply" and gave him what for. I proceeded to tell him that the assignment was an excuse to make students pay uni fees when they don't actually need to go into the uni for the entire year and that seeing the mark for the co-op subjects is pass or fail, as long as the assignment got me a pass I didn't care about it because I believe the real learning is happening here on the job. My boss saw a different side of me that day. In conclusion, you don't piss me off and get away with it and he'll be here soon for Round Two.

Another one bites the dust...

I am quite annoyed. Sometimes I wonder why I bother making friends with guys. One minute they're you're best buddy, the next minute they don't have time for you anymore cos they've found some chick that puts out. Seriously, it's pathetic. I have a friend who I've known since high school, he's been there for me a lot and I'd say we're pretty good friends. We used to talk almost everyday and he means more to me than he probably realises. However, recently he's totally blown me off. I hadn't spoken to him in about two weeks and when I finally caught up with him he said he's been "busy" (ie. "getting busy") with some random tart. I wanted to tell him how annoyed I was that he'd dropped off the face of the earth but I would be risking looking jealous and seeing that we do flirt with each other a bit, it could look that way. Honestly, I don't mind who he sees, he can do what he wants but I hate that I get zero time talking to him now. And eventually when this chick ditches him or vice versa he'll conveniently have time to chat with me again. This isn't the first time this has happened with one of my close guy friends either. There's another one who I haven't heard from for about two years, coincedently contact was discontinued around the same time he got a girlfriend. It's stupid and it sucks!

A bit of blah blah...

It's an exciting lead up to Stephanie's uni ball which I am attending on Friday night. The preparation for the evening spans over the entire week beforehand. Luckily, I bought my dress a good couple of weeks ago which is obviously the most integral part of the overall endeavour so that takes a bit of pressure off. Aside from that, Friday night I went shoe shopping and came out with additionally a matching handbag and diamonte bracelet. As my grandfather would say, I am a sucker for a salesman, or saleswoman in this case. This is totally going off on a tangent here but all it takes is showing a little interest in your customer and instead of walking out with the bare minimim you could end up selling them two things they didn't even plan on buying. So all those bitchy, stuck up, totally unhelpful and uninterested sales girls out there should think about that one. Anyway, so that was Friday night, then Saturday I did a trial balance, I mean, um, a trial run (yeah I know, only amusing myself with that one) on my hair. I'm glad that I did, cos what I set out to do didn't quite work so I've scratched that idea and am going with something else. You do not want to be trying something new an hour before you've gotta leave and find it's a flop and then have to begin something else. I'm actually going as far as chucking a sickie on Friday so that I have the entire day to get ready. This will involve getting up at 9 to make the *cough cough* I'm not feeling well today phone call, then showering and washing hair after a light brekky, painting nails, packing bag for overnight stay, hair styling (depending on what that turns out to be), applying make-up, putting on dress and departing at quarter to 6pm. (It doesn't sound like a lot to do but yeah it'll probably take the whole day) Then I'm off to Steph's house where we will leave shortly after my arrival to proceed to the venue. Usually I would complain about guys having less to do, like just having to throw on a suit, do their hair and that's it but I actually enjoy all the planning and preparation almost as much as the actual evening, it's half the fun. And let's face it, we all like to feel pretty.

Fun fact...

I found out today from my apple juice (under the lid, that is. I didn't think my juice was talking to me) that the average person spends two weeks of their lifetime waiting for traffic lights to change. I wasn't very happy about that thought, it's a pretty big waste of two weeks. Then I remembered not long ago I discovered that the average person spends two weeks of their lifetime kissing. Ok, you got me, I didn't just casually remember that, I have the lid blu-tacked to my computer screen. Anyway, it got me thinking. If I spend as much time as I can kissing whilst waiting at traffic lights then I can decrease on the time wasted waiting for traffic lights and increase time spent kissing. Yeah, I know, you wish you thought of it first.

Irregular activity...

So it seems I've been suspended on a high point. This is very unusual. It's lasted about three weeks now which at first was just great but now it's beginning to worry me because clearly when I come down to a low point I'm gonna come down hard. I have a feeling that something terrible is going to happen. No one is this lucky for this long without a catch. It's just not the way it works. I'm not going to speculate about what certain tragedy lies ahead but I am curious. Whatever it is, it has to be the inverse level of the high point I am experiencing now. Yep, it's gonna be big. I'll let you know when it hits, hopefully I won't be suicidal.

Burning the candle at both ends...

Ever since Saturday night I've been kind of fidgety and can't seem to concentrate on anything for very long before I start drifting off into daydreamy land. Plus, the lack of sleep from that night, that hasn't been made up for, is starting to catch up with me. I'm trying to make myself look busy at work when in fact most of the time I'm just staring at my computer screen or random pieces of paper with a pencil in my hand thinking about something completely different. I just need some time to catch up on all that has happened in the last few days. And a nap wouldn't hurt either.

Saturday night report...

I know you're all dying to know how Saturday night went and I can tell you with much enthusiasm that it was without a doubt one of THE best night's I've ever had. Ok, maybe I'm being a bit overzealous there...or not...it was pretty damn fantastic. You know you're having the time of your life when it's approaching daylight and you wish you could turn back the clock to have just a few more hours. I am definitely on a high point...and soaring.

Remember this feeling...

I would just like to document my "high point" on this Saturday night in August. I am sitting at home, the parentals have gone out and Stephanie will be here in couple of hours so we can head out to...well...we'll call it party. This evenings plans have definite potential of being perfect night out material. But now that I've said that, I've probably just jinxed the whole thing. Hmmm. Anyway, I'm designated driver tonight and that's a bit of a poo but I owe it to my wingwoman Steph, she's a real champion and probably designated driver 80% of the time. And I don't need alcohol to have fun or so I keep telling myself. I should probably cut down on the drinking too. My dad called me a "soak" the other day, whatever that means, but I didn't like his tone. I''ll probably cop bag duty as well. That's if Steph trusts me with all our personal belongings. For some reason she thinks that they're more likely to get stolen with me. But she'll be preoccupied anyway. Hope she doesn't get too plastered. I can't carry her to the car. Tonight is probably gonna be a late one cos she's staying over and that means we only have to deal with one set of parents, not two. Ahhh, it's so exciting not knowing where the night may take you. Let the good times roll...

What's happening in my world?

Well, this is mostly for you Carris.

MY WORK LIFE:

At the end of June, Georgia, who was my number one person to go to for help and to ask dumb questions of, left to go and work overseas. Now I've taken on a lot of her responsibilities at the office and the work just keeps piling up. As soon as I think I'm on top of things I find out there is more to do. This is quite a change from when I used to sit around surfing the net, writing emails and chatting on MSN all day. But I kind of prefer the work. The day goes quicker and I feel like I actually deserve to be paid.

At the moment, I'm also training up a new guy in pretty much the same position as I was when I started back in February. Having to show him the ropes has actually made me realise how much I've learned in such a short time.

Also, a couple of weeks ago I met with the big boss and he offered me a position at JTP in 2008 after I've graduated from uni, so that's cool. Although kind of scary to know you've locked in the next few years of your life. Ooo and I also got a key to the office. Sounds like no big deal but it was to me.

MY SOCIAL LIFE:

After a long week of work I usually enjoy hanging out with my best friend Stephanie for what I like to call "casual events Friday". A lot of the time I can't be bothered going out after work on a Friday night so unless I go out with work friends Steph and I will get a DVD or go to the movies and pretty much just relax. However, Saturday is a completely different story. Saturday is "get out on the town for drinks, dancing and other mischievous activities night". (I'm thinking of shortening the name) We always have a great time and I love it. I usually spend the following week fielding messages from guys I met out but that's all part of the adventure. I really enjoy meeting new people. And the next weekend it starts all over again. I have to say, I find it quite inconvenient for church to be on Sunday mornings. Too early after a big night out. So most of the time, I rock up to church post-service to go out to lunch with the gang. I have much appreciation for the evening services.

MY LOVE LIFE:

Well, this is a very complicated area. At the moment you couldn't get me into a relationship if you paid me. And I've discovered that these days there are a lot more guys out there looking for a girlfriend rather than a one night stand. (Don't get me wrong, the sleazes are still out there) I was under the impression that guys were the ones who just wanted to have a good time and girls were the ones pining for boyfriends. So, when I decided I didn't want a boyfriend I thought it would be quite easy to still find a guy to hang out with, without the committment. But apparently, the world has turned upside down. 90% of the guys I have met in the last 6 months have clung to me and/or commented on how they are ready to settle down but I can't stand the thought of being restricted and I have lost every romantic bone in my body. After pyscho-analysing myself I've decided that I just haven't found the right guy yet. And that's fine with me, because I'm happy being single. My life hasn't been this exciting since...ever.

Mediocre Tuesday...

So much for on my way up to a "high point". I feel like absolute crap today. I'm tired and I have a headache. I almost chucked a sickie yesterday and almost again today. At the moment, I'm really not enjoying the full time work thing. Don't get me wrong, I really love my job but I'm just getting sick of waiting for the weekend to arrive, having it go so quickly, and then finding myself back at work waiting for the next weekend to come around. And it's even more annoying when most of the people that you know are on uni holidays so are sitting around on their butts complaining how bored they are. If one more person tells me that they are sooo busy sleeping in and watching day time TV all day I may have to take them down. (Slightly hypocritical cos last year that would've been me)

Anyway, luckily for me I do love my job. It's the reason I ended up making it there yesterday and this morning. I'd wake up, start to have a bit of a sook, contemplate calling in sick and then decide I'd rather pass the time doing something constructive (and somewhat enjoyable) than sit around feeling sorry for myself. Cos I know if I took the day off I'd sleep in then mope around all day in my pyjamas. I guess when it comes down to it I do feel better coming home at the end of the day and being able to make a list in my head of all the things I've accomplished throughout the day. But it still doesn't change the fact that getting up early sucks. And I'm tired and when you start the week tired there is no catching up.

My life...

This is my life. Right now I am somewhere on the way up to a high point I think. I hit a low point last week so in theory there is no where else to go but up. As you can see the fluctivity (if that's even a word) of my level of happiness and wellbeing is somewhat frustrating.

The advantages of being a woman...

• You're always given the opportunity to enter and exit the elevator first
• Doors are opened for you
• Drinks are bought for you
• The Blockbuster video guy waves your late DVD fine
• The petrol station guy gives you discount even though your Safeway staff discount card has expired
• If something is broken you can easily find a man to fix it, or at least try to fix it
• If you drop something someone will pick it up for you
• Never having to do any heavy lifting
• Never having to hurt your hand opening a jar or bottle
• If you can't be bothered walking, someone will carry you
• You get to eat the last chocolate biscuit
• You rarely have to drive anywhere
• People will eat the food you've cooked even if it tastes bad
• If you want a McDonald's Oreo McFlurry at 10:30 at night someone will go out and get it for you
• You are automatically already a better dancer than most guys
• You can wear a skirt or pink and spend time on your hair without being called 'gay' or a 'metro'
• You don't feel shame in reading a manual or instructions and therefore don't waste time "working it out for yourself"
• If you're short you can wear high heels to make you taller
• You can cry during movies

Now for some disadvantages:

• You can't pee outdoors (Well, you can but it's a bad idea)

Grrrrr...

Mouth breathers...If I had've had a knife if my handbag I would've stabbed Darth Vader who was sitting behind me on the train this morning. Grrrr.

20 things that I am a sucker for...

1. Take away food
2. Football players
3. A good R'n'B song
4. Flirtatious, witty banter
5. Driving my car
6. Boy bands
7. Celebrity gossip
8. Musicians
9. A cute pair of shoes
10. A good debate
11. Cowboy shots
12. Guys wearing a shirt and tie
13. The beach
14. Accessories
15. My cat
16. Guys who drive manual cars and can reverse park
17. Karaoke
18. Hanging out, partying with Stephanie
19. Sleeping in, not setting the alarm before bed
20. Leisurely breakfasts

The Controversial Zone...

Welcome to the Controversial Zone where Janelle makes an outrageous statement just to be controversial. The most successful comments have been those which involve rash comments about the opposite sex and as I always say...when you find a winner stick with it. So with all that in mind here it is...Guys never say what they really mean...they think we're the ones who are confusing...well if guys were clearer relationships would be a lot easier because us girls wouldn't have to mess around having conversations with each other trying to identify what it is that they're trying to get across. Mostly I think that they are too scared to actually say what they really want out of fear of not getting it so they play their little head games where they tell you what they think you want to hear. I personally would more appreciate honesty, even if it was "Hi, listen I'm just messaging you everyday and telling you you're pretty because I'm in the mood for some action and I thought I might be able to trick you into believing that I actually care about you just so you'll help me out." I would have a lot more respect for guys if they were clearer about their intentions.

It's better now

Thanks to Auran and also your favourite brother!

Call a doctor...

I think my blog is sick!

The new perfect night out...

I refer to my post "The perfect night out…" "The question now is how will I ever top this night of all nights?" After a few weeks of pondering I can safely say that a few weeks ago I succeeded. At first I wasn’t so sure and thought this more recent adventure was on a par but after some considerable thought and making a mental list, comparing the two I have decided that yes, the perfect night out has been officially topped. A few weeks ago I went out to The Attic in Subury. Yeah, I know…Sunbury. However, that soon became irrelevant as the evening progressed. Again, I don’t want to give too much away at the risk of tainting (word of the week) my reputation. But let’s look at the analysis…The night’s events were pretty similar to the first so "What tipped the scales?" I hear you ask. If you recall from my other post I mentioned that "I wasn't drinking any alcohol because I was driving, my hair went a bit frizzy due to the damp air, I was pretty tired and perhaps a little grumpy and I was freezing my butt off due to limited clothing". Well, this time I was drinking so was pretty damn jovial and consequently pretty warm even out in the winter evening air thanks to my “beer jacket” (or “vodka and various shots jacket” in my case). My hair didn’t frizz up, I wasn’t tired or grumpy. I was out with my friends having a good time and I was invincible. There was drinking, dancing, some more drinking, some more dancing and I even managed to entertain myself whilst my primary wing-woman was otherwise occupied. P.S A dangerous decision on her part, leaving me to fly solo. I’m a mischief magnet. So now, I’m able to believe that any night can be topped. In ways that can’t even be imagined. I’m just excited to see what will happen next!

Life's little frustrations...

Thought it was about time that I blogged something. I was waiting for something interesting to share. Well, something that I'm willing to publish on the internet but that hasn't happened so here goes...
I went to get my lunch today at the place I often go and decided to try something different for once. One of the ladies, who doesn't speak English that well asked me what I would like. I said "I'll have a small chicken and avocado pasta please." She smiled at me and then a few minutes later when she seemed to have disappeared somewhere, she came back with a chicken and avocado sandwich. I couldn't be bothered pointing out that I asked for pasta cos I like chicken and avocado anyway so I asked how much it was and she went over to the till, stood there looking at it confused and then came back and said $7.80. I gave her a $10 and she came back with 10 cents change for me. If I was my dad, by this stage I would've been threatening to throw the sandwich at her but I know what it's like to work in customer service so I politely asked her for the rest of my change. She didn't really understand what I was saying so another girl came over and cleared it up for me. I took the sandwich and left, went back to the office and I realise the chicken on the sandwich is thigh chicken, which I think tastes disgusting so I pick it all out. Can't just have an avocado sandwich so luckily for me I picked up a Continental cup of soup promotional sample at the station the other day so I made that up and lunch was resurrected. But I'm not always this tolerating and polite. Here is an excerpt from an email I wrote to Warren:

Anyway so back to the going out for dinner part. We go to a chinese restaurant, me, my mum and dad, and the guy tries to sit us at a table that (bar a few centimetres) is practically connected to the table next to it where people are dining. It's a little too close for comfort and last time this happened we politely asked to be moved and they got us a new table. it's not that we are fussy, it's just that you can't have a conversation without the people next to you hearing everything and it's uncomfortable. So dad says to the guy that it's too close and we would like a new table. The guy isn't so co-operative. He's like this little weird-looking dude (not asian, i'm not racist) and he gets all in dad's personal space and tells him that there are no other tables and dad says it's not good enough and the guy says well sir what is exactly wrong with this table and it's starting to look like a scene and my dad's trying to explain to the guy the problem while mum is discrediting everything he's saying by telling the guy that dad has hearing problems so i eventually have to step in, seeing as i'm also wearing my business power suit and i say "Look, the point is, we may as well have these people on the next table over to our house for dinner, we are that close to them" and then this old dude who was standing there the whole time as well snatches the clipboard off the tiny weird man and says table five is free. and we get our table. The little man was just being difficult. I wanted to snap him. Dad probably did too.

Why is it that...?

Guys want it all or nothing. They either want to take you for a test drive and then never speak to you again until the next time they're feeling a bit antsy or they want you to be their girlfriend. I definitely don't want to be someone's booty call but I also don't want to committ to a relationship right now. I'm happy to just float around somewhere in the middle and call it a day.

P.S I was forced to amend the language in this post as I recently found out that a certain eight year old cousin of mine has been reading my blog.

Lunch break...

Well, here I am on my lunch break sitting at my computer with a ham, cheese and mustard sandwich. It was a ham, cheese, lettuce and mustard sandwich but I removed the lettuce cos it tasted like dirt. I'm counting the minutes till the end of the day (5:15pm) so I can finally undertake my first four day weekend. This is the longest break I've had since I started work way back in February. I'm very excited cos already my weekend is looking good. I've got a family thing on Good Friday, partying Saturday night, Roundabout 7 on Sunday night and shopping on Monday. All the things you could ask for...except for a hot date...but that can be arranged. Hehehe.

Have you heard my theory about being single? I think that being single is the best. No committments, no hassles, no one to hang around doing nothing with but you've got friends for that. I say, now is the time to maximise your single days. You've got the rest of your life to be in someone else's pocket. For example, if I get married at about 25 that means that I've only got about 4 years left (maybe less) of being single. Compared with the 50 years of marriage that follows (If all goes well). I've had someone say well, if you feel so strongly about it then don't get married but of course I want to get married that's not the point. All I'm saying is there's no need to get into a serious relationship with someone when you've only got a few years to experience things on your own. What's the rush? Especially when you're probably only going to break up anyways. I'm not saying steer away from the opposite sex either. I mean, that would be boring. Go out, have a flirt, have a laugh, get to know some people. Have some fun. It would take someone really special to tie me down now. And when I see him, I'll know.

Geez, this day seems to be going so slowly...

News Flash!!!

A tragedy has occured...I have broken a nail. That's right...you heard me correctly. The thumb nail on my left hand has broken off and is no longer a level length in relation to my other nails. This is shocking news...but I will keep you posted on this horrific event.

45 minutes to kill...

I have 45 minutes of work left to kill so I figured I'd go with the flow and answer the "4" questions.

Four jobs I've had:
1. Safeway (checkout chick)
2. Paul's junk mail run (Yes, he paid me. Mum and Dad made him cos I did a lot of the folding)
3. Jeffrey Thomas & Partners (Yay! Currently where I work)
4. Annoying little sister (I take this one very seriously and have been at it since birth)

Four movies I can watch over & over:
1. Two Can Play That Game (not a well-known movie but one of the best)
2. Grease
3. Grease 2
4. The Three Musketeers ("Champagne anyone?" "Porthos, we're in the middle of a chase!" "You're right, something red.")

Four places I have lived:
1. Gladstone Park
2. Gladstone Park
3. Gladstone Park
4. Gladstone Park

Four TV shows I like to watch:
1. The OC
2. Desperate Housewives
3. The Glass House (I like to keep up with all the serious political issues)
4. Scrubs

Four foods that I like:
1. Chocolate (Who doesn't? Oh that's right, Paul doesn't, cos he's weird)
2. Chicken schnitzel
3. Chicken stir-fry
4. Chicken anything

Four websites that I visit daily:
1. Paul's blog (even though he just goes on and on and on)
2. The ninemsn weather website (I like to know what it would be like if I was allowed outside)
3. Tax Agent Portal (the joys of work)
4. Stuff on my cat (purely for inspirational purposes)

Four things I want to do before I die:
1. Travel across Europe with my best friends Stephanie & Melissa
2. Tie Paul up and tickle him until he wets his pants
3. Become a partner in an accounting firm
4. Find a handsome young man to marry (a sense of humour is a must, non-smoker, taller than me, sweeps me off my feet, knows how to treat a lady but also has a bit of a wild side)

Well, that's it. I've killed half an hour so I'm happy with that.

My friends...The Saccos

"They're not only a good looking bunch of guys. Their music is hot too."

If you click on the link 'Creative Control' over there on the right and go to the gigs page of their website you'll see that my friends... the Sacco boys are having a gig this friday night at the Barley Corn Hotel, 177 Johnston St, Collingwood at 10pm. I've known these guys since I was about four years old, thanks to my best friend, Stephanie, (who also happens to be their sister) and I have to mention my admiration and respect for what they are doing with their band. I've been around my fair share of musical groups "behind the scenes" and by far these guys are the most professional and focused I have come across. They clearly know what they want, where they want to go and what they will and won't do to get there. I really wish them great success and plan to stick close so that when they're famous I can sell my inside story to Who Weekly detailing our Blue Heelers inspired version of jail-tiggy at Elmhurst Park. (May I just say that Paul does a great Tom Croydon)

Rate your life...

If you go to this website and answer the questions you'll receive a rating out of 10 for your life. Give it a go and let me know the outcome. Don't blame me if you get a crap score.

www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=16208

Non-inspiration

Last Tuesday morning I arrived at work feeling unmotivated and discouraged by the monotony of my daily routine. So, I turned to my desk calendar which holds sayings for the day for some inspiration. Unfortunately, I was met with this: "Early to rise, early to bed makes a man healthy, wealthy and dead." Needless to say, I didn't feel much better. I'm thinking of contacting the manufacturer...

Thought for the day

If you find yourself in a situation in which you know you have wronged another, be sure to admit this immediately. People are often quick to point out when others make mistakes, but it is the rare individual who is as quick to point out their own mistakes as well. Demonstrate to others that you are strong enough and honorable enough to say when you have wronged. Integrity will get you extremely far in this lifetime, whereas deception and retreat from difficult people and situations will not.

The perfect night out...

I went out last Saturday night with my best friend Stephanie and we had the best night out ever! I can't exactly divulge what went down out there on the town but I can't stop reliving the entire thing in my mind. The funny thing is though that there were elements to a good night which I thought had to be fulfilled for this level of satisfaction to be achieved. However, none were present on this particular evening. I wasn't drinking any alcohol because I was driving, my hair went a bit frizzy due to the damp air, I was pretty tired and perhaps a little grumpy and I was freezing my butt off due to limited clothing. Regardless of these seemingly deterring factors to the perfect evening I arrived home at 4am-ish wanting to do it all over again. The question now is how will I ever top this night of all nights? Is every night out now going to be a let down? I doubt I will ever be able to match it seeing as it was all due to a chain of seriously lucky events and I couldn't have planned it better myself.

Times are a-changing

Well, what can I say? I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post but times are a-changing. I have started full time work and probably everyone who has ever worked full time (especially the oldies) will laugh condescendingly at what I'm about to say. I feel like my life is flying by and I'm not doing much else with it except work. I basically live for Friday night from Monday morning and the week does go rather quick but before I know it I've had my weekend and it's Monday morning once again. I've been working for four weeks now and it feels like it's been two. If I have to keep this up for the rest of my life, my life will only feel half as long.

In other news, I got my licence...finally. I'd like to thank my mum and dad for risking their lives and teaching me how to drive, my driving instructor Greg (www.zoom.cjb.net) for showing me the finer points (great guy) and Pauly for sitting next to me and being extremely critical, teaching me how to argue and drive at the same time.