nothing special

I've been kind of lost in my own thoughts these past couple of weeks. After the cyclone, water rising and black outs hit early last week, we were off to Melbourne to make up for the down time we missed, having to work pretty much ever since the last time we flew away.

The trip honestly was, not, long enough and I really do mean it. It really wasn't until the final day of the trip that I honestly felt like I was really enjoying it; I mean seriously, once you're sleep deprived with money stresses, university stresses and all other stresses muddling up your mind for the last few months, all I really wanted to do was rest!

When we arrived in Melbourne it was exactly how I remembered it. The weather was absolutely amazing. It was breezy, cool and just refreshing. We began the trip by driving down to Great Ocean Rd. Road works and the weather which turned into less than amazing, delayed our trip by an hour or so (I actually reckon we got lost!) but the drive down, being pretty carefree was none the less awesome.

When we reached the loch ard gord, it was ridiculously cold! We seriously had packed for summer and this weather, trumped even winter! Spending a whole 3 minutes outside of the car where we ran to the gord, took 3 photos and ran back, we headed to the 12 apostles.

The view was again, absolutely breathtaking, just as breathtaking as the first time we visited. It's just one of those views where you cannot get bored of. More than a few photos were taken and back into the car we got to trek to Apollo bay, our first stop off before the shopping began.

I miss New Zealand. I say this because Apollo bay was exactly like it! Much like Dunedin anyway. We settled into the 2 bedroom loft which we will definitely be visiting again. Even found some inspiration for our own home, it was a gorgeous little place to stay. But the gorgeousness did not settle until we walked briskly down to town to find dinner. At 8 o'clock with the sun just setting (it was daylight savings down there at the time), I noticed that the rolling hills and mountains which lined this little small city, the sounds of the waves (which were probably from New Zealand) crashing into the shore and the smell and feel of the air which all reminded me of the senses I had felt in Dunedin.

Walking the streets of this small modest town was a good relaxing way to start our trip. From the bite of the Cray fish papedelle at La Bimba (I keep calling it La Bimbo) to the early morning walk onto the beach which faced an absolutely endless sea, and the drive up along the most southerly coast of mainland Australia, it is an experience I believe will push me to seek many more experiences like these.

I love being alive.

It’s been nearly two days without power and the only real thing that has really gotten to me is the heat. The awful, humid, sweat sticking heat! It’s only the sweat that has dried up and cooled down on the side of my pillow which keeps me slightly sane, having it be a few degrees cooler.

I’ve been addicted to sons of anarchy these past few days. I actually had the whole of season one a few months back but pre-reg and all it’s happenings have made me unable to watch it. My opinion on how the series is at the moment seems to be skewed, since other than watching a few episodes of SOA, limited by how long I’ve got left on my battery, there isn’t much else I can do that doesn’t require power.

I had high hopes for today, was planning on make a photo project (what I was supposed to do yesterday) but I think it’s a lot more to do with motivation and inspiration rather than just going out and doing a project in this particular sense. I did plan to read a bit more, write a bit more and maybe even do a sketch or two but other than the reading part, the latter also requires a bit of inspiration.

I quite enjoy this chillness at the moment. Sitting in the back porch, dogs by my side and the noise of lawn mowers a few houses away, maybe a little inspiration has sparked a little of my imagination.

Off to do something.

So the weather that woke me up this morning was something out of an apocalyptic movie, the following day that is. The terrible winds, the mugginess in the air and the wetness of everything was a memory of yesterday, when my morning eyes opened. Blue skies, very blue, calm, and that smell that puts a spring in your step.

Despite this, last nights sleep was less than re-engergising, sleeping in sweat with the only tool of solace, an airconditioning stick which was waved relentlessly until the missus arms got tired, no spring in my step was added from this absolutely amazing weather

The calmness has now become a problem, as with no wind brings no kind of circulation what so ever. I’ve been b-roasting, body roasting in this oven of a room and it is only until now that the wind has kind of picked up. Time to go out and sit for a while, let my juices settle

Now that I’ve cleaned up the roominess, tidied up all my papers and categorized them all into folders, I’m left here with 4 hours and 19 minutes left on my laptop (4 hours and 18 minutes now), trying to squeeze in some blogging before I get bored and find something else to do.

I’ve always found it a weird happening when there isn’t any power. I feel that society just can’t cope (me) with not having power just available whenever we require it. If power were normal, I probably would be sleeping. Wouldn’t be doing much else to be honest but with knowledge that it ‘is’ out, all I want to do is watch tv, play games, and surf the internet. Sigh….always wanting the things that we cannot have.

It feels awfully quiet around, especially on a Monday but then again, we are technically on a public holiday due to Australia day lying on a weekend (good country isn’t it?!) but still, the sounds of an Australia day holiday just doesn’t seem right, with little noise other than the wind rustling whatever leaves there are left.

To be honest, it really isn’t all that quiet. I made use of the 5 dollar speakers Thuy bought for me from typo, the cardboard ones that you have to fold up. Lucky for me, I charged my ipod all night last night so at least I’ve have the sounds of Maroon blasting ever so softly for however long my ipod battery lasts.

Until then, I better find something more productive to do. Might even go out and enjoy the scenery that is my house. I miss this.

It’s now my turn to have no power with all this chaos going on about the repeat of the 2011 floods. Holy doodle, it hasn’t stopped raining until now and by raining, I mean absolutely pouring, windy rain!

Driving has been such a hassle with the tegs but my hair seems to dry a lot quicker with the heater on full blast in hope that my car doesn’t fog up in all it’s non-airconditioner goodness. Even driving the missus car this morning after dropping her off to work has been excitingly scary, with ridiculous winds blowing the black beast side to side as if I were in a boat.

The usual spots that we suspected would be under were pretty much there. JB hi fi the once WOW, over at oxley is pretty close, supercheap auto is there. Roads all along the scary area on the way to Inala have been sanctioned off by police, probably the reason why the little lake we went fishing in a few years back had all that brackish in there.

But the ‘big wet’ (seems like what everyone is calling it) has slowly moved on to the south and the winds from the numerous tornados up north are slowing down. Everything  feels, calm. Calmer.

As I sign on for the last time, put a frustrated man in an arm bar for the last time, and stack the radios in the office leaving the remaining two or three scattered on the bench beside it, I walk away from the Calamvale hotel as a security officer, for the last time ever.

I feel kind of like I miss it already. My letter of resignation I sent over to the big bosses a few weeks ago really did cement my words to actions. Having put so much of my life into being a good guard, I was rewarded with not only a position as security supervisor, I found a big bunch of life long mates and most importantly, learned so many things along the way.

Why I left security, because I wanted to. I have reached a stage in my life where I am able to make choices much more easier than before. May it be a better financial situation I have been put in, or may it be that my view in life is a little less cloudy; the decision I made to resign from security was solely because I could.

Other reasons could also include having a free Friday where I can sleep a little earlier which would lead to me waking a little more refreshed on the Saturday, or that I would no longer need to exert myself physically to fulfill my employment, or that I would no longer need to soak my blood stained shirts after the majority of my Friday shifts.

But they are all simple reasons anyone could make to quit a job. I really believed that I had reached a level where it turned exponentially harder to gain the next. I’ve told the missus a few things before, if you are always hungry, you will never be full.

As I sit here in the kitchen of the sixer, finished the chores for the morning, 2 hours early, I wonder if I’m in the same position as I was before resigning security. All my life I believe that I have always exceeded the level of my expected job description. Overconfident, cocky maybe but I honestly believe that if you don’t know your own true worth, whom else can judge that?

 Bye for now.

So what am I to achieve this year. What am I to tick off at the end of 2013. The missus remided me of how important to do lists were. Although my habits of writing a to do list have kind of settled, may the reason being that they have seriously been taking up more of my time rather than making life more efficient, I do miss making them. It is kind of a strange satisfaction being able to cross of goals and things to do once you complete them (or not) so I've decided to do one.

My to do list for 2013.

1. 90kg
2. Get through internship
3. Sell the accord
4. Sell the integra
5. Buy a new car
6. Be debt free
7. Buy mums house
8. Work on business
9. Be happier.
10. Travel overseas.

10 goals, 12 months less 18 days.

Lets go, lets get it (thanks David so).

How is life as an intern. I graduated, did all the fancy stuff and now, two months into internship, I've only just really realised that I actually am an intern. It's a strange feeling coming to grasps with reality that university has led me to a professional career. I can actually call myself a professional, even though I dressed like one, acted like one and even pretended to be one for a few months prior.

It's just a feeling you know what I mean. Internship has been tough, really tough. All my plans to make intership year a year to do absolutely everything and anything I wanted, kind of surpassed me when I was bombarded with the responsibilities.

As an intern I was responsible for all webster related issues. That included enquries, changes, set ups, deletions, script chasings and doctor interaction, anything and everything having to do with webster patients, I was the man. The goals set out for me, although I believe are achievable (because I strive to accomplish them), will definitely challenge me, and has.

A month into taking over these webster duties, I was demoted (my role as an intership changing would be more appropriate) from webstering. I have to admit it was a massive weight off of my shoulders, when the boss realised that it was probably more appropriate to have the intern deal with the regular duties a pharmacists' is to perform as eventually we will all become one. I now look over the webster duties instead of packing them, leaving more time to learn everything else there is involved with being a pharmacist.

I've learnt how to close a claim, deal with manufacturers, order critical items from pfizer to avoid delivery fees and everything else in between. I even talked to Tim Logan, the president of the Queensland branch of the Pharmacy Guild! He made me shit my pants, the real Tim Logan. I seeked advice from him regarding the marketting regulations of famciclovir, a newly rescheduled medication, blah blah blah. All interesting to me but you all probably don't want to hear me blabber on about it :)

But I will blabber one last thing and that is, I'm absolutely loving it. Life as a pharmacist (intern) and life outside of university is a great one. Maybe it's the second Rekorderlig that's talking but hey, when was the last time I had a drink? Be it the free time I've got on a Thursday night where I can relax, sit back and enjoy one with my new favourite cold one, or I've been so stressed and rung out that I need a cold one to lax out, I'm feeling carefree more often which is a good thing.

Talk soon.

And then started. Happy New Year everyone.

The year ended eating pizza with the missus and falling asleep while playing scramble with friends. It has been an amazing year spent with amazing people!

It's difficult to summarize all that has happened this year as it was such a massive one. The first accomplishments I feel that stood out most were probably completing the Bridge to Brisbane, graduating university, starting full-time work and closing parts of my life off.

The year definitely was not an easy one. But it seems as though this has made it so much more worth while.

2013 will be another one to remember! 

Farout! Christmas was around the corner, it came, and it went and now it's so far away, I'm counting down till the next one (mind you, it's only been a week or so since Christmas but still!).

We prepared long and hard for Christmas, well prepared better than all those other years but it still didn't ready us for hectic-ness. I hate the Christmas crowds, the 8 or so carols that were on repeat at the drug dealers and everything else that comes with Christmas! Not really. Don't take me for such a sad guy, I love how Christmas brings people together, but that's it!

It was difficult to get in the shopping for the present receivers due to how work has been but we did squeeze in a good few days of crowd squeezing and sore feet. Carindale, Indooropilly and a few of the other big Westies around were frequented, more than I had preferred but it was good to get into the spirit for once.

We had a nice gathering with a few, a few nights before Christmas which was a good change of pace. I've been a sudden alcoholic the passing couple of weeks with few meals without a beer in my hand. The Christmas dinner we had was no different. Big asian santa downed a six pack of crowns and two coronas and happily fell asleep with Mrs Claus a few hours later.

We went out for steak a few days later and after one cider, one and a half steaks at the Morrison hotel, some pre-workout followed by a leg session, I seriously wished we hadn't gone out and paid so much for dinner that I would eventually throw back up.

Holidays have been great. I'm really loving how this year is finishing up. 

Holy holy doodle. Life is good. Wonderful in fact. It's been too long since I was ever this carefree. For those who still bloody visit this thing (not many), you would have noticed that I finally graduated Goal Number 19; Graduate university.

It seems as though this chapter has finally come to an end. I'm overcome by a really strange feeling, now that uni is all over, it kind of feels like all my hardships have pretty much ceased as well. Maybe it's just that massive weight off of my shoulders, and I really mean, massive; boulder like.

Everything else seems so little compared to how it used to be, and by everything I mean worries about absolutely everything. Life just feels so complete now that all (most) of my blood sweat and tears to complete something that was so difficult for me to do has been achieved. Even though I knew of my grades long before putting on the graduate robe, it didn't really hit me until I was standing in front of mum that I knew I was finally a graduate.

Mum got teary, which made me a little emotional. So much we have sacrificed for mum to tell people that her son graduated from uni and for myself to say 'I'm a graduate bitch'. Ultimately, like I say occasionally, it really is only a piece of paper (one that I've paid alot of money for) and a title but it is what you do with that piece of paper that makes going to university something to be proud of; I mean, if I just wanted to make money, I would of picked up a trade or better yet, work in woolies and saved, they make alot more than intern pharmacists I'll tell you that much.

But none the less, I am proud of myself for finishing. There's no better feeling than doffing to the chancellor, shaking their hand and then pissing off never to return ever again! (I'm actually thinking of going back mind you, but that's another story).

Thank you all for those who read or have read. It is for you that I write these blogs in times of need for expression; I'd probably blab about stuff either way but it does make a difference knowing people want to listen genuinely rather than having to.

Have a Merry Merry Christmas and a Happy Happy new year. 

19. Graduate from University. Completed!

O, Mai Gaaah. I can't believe I actually finished! Well technically, I haven't graduated but all went well with assessment and the hard few years (more than a few) have finally paid off. It's interesting to see how far I've gotten since I first started this blog which began nearing the beginning of my studies. I shared how I dropped out of uni to start it back up again and then shared how life has it's twists and turns and I ended up doing pharmacy.

The journey seems like it only began not so long ago but in noticing the side panel of my blog, it was in 2006 when I started this bloody thing. 2006! That was nearly six years ago! Having a quick browse to see what I was on about all those years ago, it does seem that a little bit of what I used to be has changed. I seemed so carefree regardless of all the problems associated with work, girls and everything in between that I didn't realize it would be the last time I would ever enjoy being young without repercussions.

In saying that though, life really wouldn't be the same if you didn't make mistakes along the way, which I definitely did as you can see from a number of my posts (probably most of them!). I've seen how the mood of my posts have shifted through the years, a lot of sombre feelings but yet, in between the darkness are still those little glimpses of light. Without them, I'm certain I would not have gotten as far as I have.

It kind of feels like the end yet on the other hand, I don't think it's really started. An end to one journey, and to the next step to another. I don't start full-time work until next week so the past two weeks have been all about relaxing. Still working the same old shifts at the sixer and the 'vale with the pharmacy work filling in the gaps but really enjoying the spare time I've got on the days off and any other time I can squeeze out of the day.

TBC.

I've forgotten how much I love Bublé!!!

Man it sucks when you're lazy and bored. I woke up with the best motivation today hoping to do so much with my day.

It pretty much ended after my feed. So much for fasting. I did clean up the mess downstairs after a few months of neglect aswell as the shed out the backyard.

I'm supposed to be finishing up my accord but with this heat, I honestly can't be stuffed driving to the shops to get my tools. I'll do it tomorrow when I'm already out with the missus.

TO DO ACCORD
- Masking tape
- Mask windows
- Sand front and rear bumpers/ side skirts
- Last coat of paint
- Buy a new battery (charge the old one)
- Reassemble
- Sell
- Be rich again. 

After my post earlier in the day, I've managed to get a few things done.

Apparently I don't start my internship yet, well start working at the pharmacy anyway, but I really am not one to complain. There is so much that I've neglected since my attempts to try and pass this final year of study that it seems that the free time I've got at the moment is a godsend.

I can't really remember the last time I mowed the lawn but I did it today. The good old red beetle is still working hard; it scared me a few months back when it wouldn't start but a spark plug change today got her roaring again (chirping). A cleared lawn is a good feeling. Not just the smell of cut grass mixed with the afternoon air fixing up the nostrils, but the feeling of satisfaction seeing the bottom of my backyard after a year or so is a great one.

The dogs gave me quite a fright this afternoon when they decided they'd go on a jog around the paddock. Instead of hanging around the back gate where they usually are, I ended up having to go grab the car keys in a search for them after having a stroll up to number 1 (usually where they are) and not finding them. Having a final search of the paddock I saw two blobs (a yellow and a black one) running relentlessly over where the train track barriers were. Bloody bastards. At least now I know that there aren't any holes in the paddock for them to escape. Still won't be letting them out of my sight for that long ever again though. Stupid dogs.

I took down the gates mum erected when we had a house mates husky here and fixed up the dodgy ass welded gate which broke from it's hinges a few too many years ago. The basketball hoop came down from the front garage and the difficulty getting it down questions me why we had put it up in the first place; Phuccie and I probably shot about 20 hoops, if that, before never ever touching it again.


And I cleaned the teg, and picked up the missus. Day completed. Successful.

Wow! Let me just say in great relief that I can't believe I made it through all that! Exams, a full month of placement, work and all the little bits in between!

Hopefully that is it! My last piece of assessment, forever (lets hope) was completed and presented last Wednesday. Another step I have made in a journey that has only just begun.

There is so much I would like to share, yet so little time for me to sit and remember, at the moment, but I will summarise all that has happened since the last time I posted; this might be just as challenging.

It's been so long that I only just realized that all my pictures linked from facebook have decided to stop working; probably had something to do with facebooks' new terms and conditions, bastards. I'll work hard tonight to fix them up, not for you guys, just to fulfil my obsessive compulsiveness.

• Completed placement of 4 weeks at two different pharmacies; I learned alot from both but most importantly,  I found passion in pharmacy, something I will look forward to in the future.

•  Still working my 3 jobs;

• Gym. Has been good but could be better. My diet on the other hand has been great! My little fasting antics in particular, skipping brekky has definitely helped me drop a few kilos (100.8 --> 94.8) since the end of placement up until today. I really haven't changed anything else other than shifting my eating to the later part of the day. I think I've subconsciously tried to stop eating junk but other than that, it seems to be working? I bought myself a scale so that has been helping me keep on track; I lose about a kilo of water after my 8 hours of slumber (weight myself before I got to bed and first thing in the morning). Strange huh; probably explains why I always wake up covered in sweat!