Last day at thebeach!

No more work for me until Sydney! I did my last shift at thebeach today. It was nothing special. I'll have some drinks there on Tuesday night with people from work. I have some ciders as a mini present. So glad to be done. I'll be back [not to work but to visit]. Afterwards I went to visit James and George and Etta with mum, Jan and Fra. Etta is so cute!!! I go so mushy. She had a play in her Jolly Jumper and had a sit on my lap. I love holding her. Sometimes she cries a bit or gets bored and I'm sad when that happens. I'm shy around babies and don't know what to do with them really. I'm getting better as I've been exposed a lot to Etta, which I love, and it'll only get better. I've had experience with my bestie Andi's baby Ivy. I hadn't seen her for a while until one night last week and we had a cuddle. It was the best ever! Ivy is a beautiful girl. Just over 2 years old since August. What a cutie. I miss that one. Right now I'm going to have some food as I missed lunch due to working. I need a feed!

Stream of consciousness?

I hate it when I don't write for a day or so and forget what I've written about. It's not like talking to a partner, Yorick for instance, who I would almost always remember sharing things with. It's different somehow. So Sunday was the staff party! We never got around to doing the staff meeting part of the gathering, which was meant to happen before we started partying, but I don't think anyone minded. I had nice chats to Grace 2 and new Sarah and Josh. I had a few drinks too, at least 5, maybe 6, and I was glad I partied because I am always too responsible. I got home at around 330am and I'm very proud of myself for that. Getting up in the morning for class was a struggle and for the whole day I was really tired but it was worth it. I hung out with Andi after the lecture [also being before the tute] and after the tute. We had chats and went to Mures for a late lunch. We are planning to have a park picnic date possibly on Boxing Day so I can see Ivy. I miss that little girl. I handed in my first assignment. I had to keep printing parts out because I noticed small errors but I hope it's okay. The lecture was pretty dry but it's all still fun and where I want to be. I had my regular Tuesday volunteering at the Maritime today. I listed some donated maps and finished off checking some artefact boxes along side the computer listings. I also helped a little with the new exhibition going up to do with the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Tomorrow I am doing the last of my Christmas shopping. I have work on Thursday and Friday so I won't be making much money from now on in but I also won't need to spend as much so I'll limit my personal purchases to a minimum and just write a list of the things I want to get myself and be content with what I have. That will be hard but it'll have to be done if I want to get sorted for next year in Sydney. I can do it. I've just watched new episodes of One Tree Hill season 8 and The Vampire Diaries season 2 that I got off my sister's portable hard drive so I'm quite tired. I haven't had enough sleep over the last week but I'm getting back to it. It's way better than being bored. I should try and make a start on my essay once Christmas has passed. In sad news, Jan and Fra have been delayed in the UK due to all the snow. Barely any flights are getting out so I think they have rescheduled until the 12th of January till around the 5th of February so I'll get to see them for a bit. It would have been wonderful to have them for Christmas. They were meant to arrive on Thursday and be here for Christmas but alas, no luck. At least they're coming. I was worried when they weren't coming it meant that they weren't coming at all, but it's just that the dates are changed. Sarah said she could tell dad was sad. He hides things so well, I couldn't tell. I love that we're slowly getting closer, talking more. We're both quiet but it's not an awkward thing. I hope I get to see Etta often. I want to get back from Sydney every 2 months or so. I'll have a "flights fund" and if I can put $25 away each week I'll be able to manage it. That's not too hard. I don't want to miss Etta growing up and I definitely don't want her to forget me. I see her about every 2 weeks now, roughly. I'm very tired now so I'm going to play my last Facebook game [Country Story] then get a drink of cordial, go to bed and watch some Gilmore Girls, eat my last doughnut then brush my teeth and sleep. I am so bad with brushing my teeth.

My new white dress

It's the staff Christmas party tonight. I think it should be pretty fun. It won't be a huge night for me as I have Uni tomorrow at 10am and I have been lacking in sleep for the past week. I wonder what my present will be! I hope I like it. I'm wearing one of my new Myer dresses tonight and I feel pretty. Princess-soft-colours pretty. The dress is white and twirling makes it fly up nicely. I'm wearing a peach/pink coloured top, one of those ones that isn't a full-length top, and I feel pretty. Got to do something with my eyes. My eyeliner isn't sharp enough but I can fix that, and when I close my eyes, the top lashes go blonde towards me eyes. It's so weird and quite annoying when trying to put a line at the top of my eye. I might try using mascara. Sarah did my eyes nice when I went to her birthday party in November. I'll try to recreate that look.

Tomorrow I have Uni and my first assignment due for the semester. I need to find out where to get the cover sheets and where on earth to put the assignment once it's all printed out and stuff. I have no idea because I haven't gone to a class in the Art School before. Someone will tell me. In the break I'm meeting Andi. She called me up this afternoon and put on Ivy for a moment. Apparently she's getting better at talking on the phone. I miss that little girl.

The Opossum bay trip was a success. It was sunny, then it spat for a bit, but the sun always came back out. Didn't go for a swim but Sarah and I went for a walk along the beach, then had some lunch, then went back for a walk again but this time to pick up all the rubbish that was left on the beach. Lots of cigarette butts and things like straws and "Up and Go" drink boxes and bottle lids. It was disgusting. People are disgusting. Respect Mother Nature! I got to hold Etta for a bit. I went with James to get her from the place Megan and Joe are renting and held one of her hands as we walked back. Then George gave her to me while she went somewhere and had a lovely hold. She got a bit upset for some unknown reason [from G] but might have needed another nap. She is so cute. I love having her hand wrapped around my finger. It's a beautiful thing.

A great weekend

I went to Ivy's second birthday party today and it was a lot of fun watching the kids playing and eating party food. I hung out with Andi's brother Matt a bit and talked to Anne [Frenchy's mum] and Barbara [Andi and Matt's mum] and helped put the party food out and packed it up. Matt and I had to go and get the birthday cake from their house and on the drive we talked about what we were up to lately and I mentioned about needing work. He works for a courier place where they drive things around and said I could probably get work there. I'm not sure if I want to go all the way to Coles Bay or even further to Cradle Mountain for work anymore. I think once I got there [if I get offered a position] I would love it, but I kind of feel like things are up in the air, what with me deciding about Sydney and going over for a visit, there being another seminar there in September [Graduate Options], and little things I'd want to attend but then again I'd be able to get time off. My aunts are coming down from the UK just before Christmas till mid January so I want to be able to get back and visit them. It would be easier if I worked here to see them more often.

Another great thing about the Coles Bay/Cradle Mountain job would be the getting fit aspect. I wouldn't have a great deal to do up there apart from work and exercise [I think] so that would be good. I would like to work in Hobart though so I can't quite decide. It's been nice having my freedom but I don't need to go away to get more. I have been being social and I'm liking getting to know my strengths again. I wouldn't mind doing courier work. It would be something different and I already know how to drive, which seems to be the only prerequisite, and I need work. I need to get out of the house and do something, make some money. Then I won't feel so crap about not getting any shifts at thebeach. I don't want to get more work there, maybe 3 shifts a week, but I want full-time day-time work to keep me occupied. I want to make money for next year wherever it may take me and to feel satisfied. It will happen, whether with the Federal Group or with a bookstore or with Matt's courier job. Something will turn up in the next week. I hope I find out soon about the Federal Group job so I can start planning my movements.

I'm really excited about Sydney. I think once I'm there I'll feel a bit nervous about being alone and because I'm starting my future by myself but the nervousness will pass extremely fast. I have everything planned [which I am very proud of] so I won't be bored and I will be able to explore the city where I am hopefully going to be spending a lot of time next year. I hope I will be good enough to do a Masters degree, which is something I will find out next weekend. It's coming up close! I will have at least $400 spending money and a little bit will arrive on Wednesday but I'm not expecting much as I will only have worked 2 shifts this week [Monday and Sunday, being tonight]. I wonder what hours I will get for next week as I can only to Monday to Thursday. Monday at 2pm I have the meeting with the curator of the Maritime Museum to look forward to and am hoping for a visit to Etta with Sarah on Tuesday.

I graduated yesterday! I was so much fun and I feel so proud of myself. I never really took the time to celebrate once I finished my last BA unit in Summer School as it was leading into the BSW so it was really nice to celebrate then. It was a great ceremony. I got to wear the gown and hat and took a few photos on my phone which I will put on here. It's fantastic. Now I'm an alumni! I feel special. I want to do more ceremonies once I'm done with all my Sydney coursework as James missed out on his and Sarah probably won't have one. I'm the only one who will. So here are the photos.

Dad took a few photos on mum's digital camera but the battery died so these are from my new phone. They aren't that bad! I think they do the job. The quality might not win awards but it's definitely better than my old phone. There is a picture from mum's camera of the stage and everyone sitting down so I might post that later. I am so glad I did the ceremony. It was such a great experience. My friends Andi and Jessi came along with my parents and my sister, who had to leave early to go to work. She saw me walk across the stage though and get my certificate. I loved that bit. I was so stoked and tuned everything around me out. I felt a little light-headed but so proud. I can't wait to do it again for a more prestigious degree. What a great weekend.

Nothing much happening

What's new? Not a lot. I visited Andi and Ivy today. Ivy was a little shy, which could be seen by her sticking out her tounge apparently. What a cutie she is. Andi and I had some nice chats and have planned some for later in the week.

It's dad's birthday tomorrow so we had dinner for him tonight. I made a chicken pie, the one Yorick and I made together, and it was yummy as always. I'm super full though. Not so good.

Last days of Uni tomorrow, unless I'm doing those damn exams. Too much effort for something I have lost interest in.

I felt James and Georgie's baby's kick tonight. That was awesome. Nice work, little one.

Yep, that's about it. Thinking more about the earrings and I want to have a rainbow of colours to choose from in good quality fabrics. This will be good. I'll need to find something else to sell, other jewelry that is. Hmm.