Strange encounters

Today Bradley sent a message to Alistair.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: Bradley
Date: 30 Jan 2007, 02:35 PM

Hey

I don't know you, however, I do know of you.

Would it be remiss of me as to enquire whether you have spoken to Anton recently? I have not heard from him in a couple of weeks despite my attempts at calling him.

I would be grateful if you could tell me if you have spoken to him and how he is

Brad

Like, how random is that. And he hasn't been trying to call me. And it would have been easier just to send me a message rather than track down my ex to send a message to him.

• the person who decided to change the vocalist to the Home and Away theme song is an idiot
• the person who now sings the theme song cannot sing

I was on the phone to Athena today, she works at the company but we haven't met before, we always talk on the phone though. She said randomly, are you the one with the photo at the front? I said, what are you on about? She said you know, on the huge board. Employee of the Year right? I said oh my god, yeah, that's me. How embarrassing. I went down on my lunch break to have a look, it is the worst photo of me. It was taken the day we had to have them put on the staff directory. They have so many photos of me at work, and they just have to use the one that they have on file. It is so unflattering. I might go and change it.

Well that's it for it for now. Flight is booked. Off to Auckland. How exciting.

Heaven

I just ate the creamiest avocado ever.

Old friends

Now playing: I Believe - Yolanda Adams

This evening I caught up with an old friend from school, Ana, who is a flight attendant for Qantas. It has been about two years since we last saw each other - it was at a Katchafire concert in Auckland just before Uni started. I caught the tram to the Hilton where she was staying and it was just like old times. Don't you love it when you see someone you haven't seen in a long time and you just get on like you always did? No awkwardness or anything like that?

We had heaps to catch up on. I filled her in on my glamourous life working in Melbourne and living at Yve and she wowed me with her stories being a flight attendant. And the perks! My god. She is in Melbourne overnight before flying to Perth tomorrow, and she was given a meal allowance of $260.50. This is in cash - she can spend it on whatever the hell she wants. Not bad at all, that's more than I make in a day. Apparently a lot of people actually live off their allowances and keep their pay as savings. Very smart.

I brought her back to my apartment and she was very very impressed. "Only someone like you could pull this off" she said. We are so similar, we don't know what we want to do in life but we just want to have fun, travel, hang out for a couple of years before actually setting down and committing to something. We went to St Kilda for dinner. Just walking down Fitzroy Street and Ackland Street - the atmosphere and vibes were just great. She kept saying, I love Melbourne. I'm loving it more and more.

Four years ago this was taken. We both still look the same!

We went to Bigmouth for dinner, on the corner of Ackland and Barkley Streets. The only reason we ate there was because we walked to the end of the street and hadn't decided where to eat, so went there by default. It was great. I had New Zealand Hapuka, just to pay tribute to my roots. We had a great time just catching up over what we have been doing, all the gossip, what we wanted to do with our lives. It was so great, I had a blast.

We caught the tram back into the city and went to Federation Square where we watched the tennis on the big screen. Then, off to buy chocolate, and then Ana caught the tram back to the hotel and I went on my way back here to the apartment. It's just after 10.30pm, right on bedtime for me.

I'm going to go into work early tomorrow because I have so much work to catch up on. I still haven't actually given written notice that I'm leaving, so I will have to write that tomorrow sometime and give it to my manager. Only three more weeks to go. 15 business days.

Goodnight

To warm towels

I spend my Sunday mornings watching the music videos on TV and finding out all the songs I want to download. Most of them aren't even new songs - it's not the Top 20 or anything like that (unless Ex-Girlfriend by No Doubt is in the Top 20 again..)

I just had a shower and had to let you know. I actually had a warm towel to dry me, it was one of the best feelings in the world. It was unexpected as well. I had all the laundry in the Keepall and I left it there overnight. They must have been extra hot because they were half dry when I put them in the dryer. Well, the towel must have kept it's heat for nearly 20 hours because when it was still warm when I used it. I've never had a warm towel before!

I'm going to clean up today. That's my plan. I'm kinda pissed cos I sold a modem on eBAY, the auction finished on Thursday. The guy emailed me and said, "full payment will be made into the said account on Tuesday 30th January". I'm thinking, you can't do that (although I was stupid enough not to write payment had to be made within x hours). Anyway, he marked the status of the auction "payment sent" when obviously it hasn't been. I can only post goods on the weekend anyway because I'm always at work, so when he pays me on Tuesday, I won't send it until Saturday. He better not complain either, bitch.

Another Saturday Night

Now playing: Let's Stay Together - Al Green

I was woken up at 2am by a text message, letting me know that the music of Rosita Vai, the New Zealand Idol winner, was playing at a club in Melbourne. The weather was so windy and fierce outside, and something was clanging against a fence down on the ground floor, that I couldn't get back to sleep. It took me about two hours before I was back dreaming again.

I got up at 10.30am and had a shower (it wasn't as long as yesterdays, but it was still long), got dressed and set off for the laundromat. It was cold today so I wore my blue GAP sweater, I haven't worn it since October. It looks really good so it's a shame that it's not colder more often. I took the tram because I had the suit as well and didn't want to walk the four blocks. On the tram back, there were these weird people opposite me. The lady was cleaning out the guys ears with screwed up tissues. They had lots of plastic bags full of crap (they weren't homeless, just crazy).

I watched a bit of American Idol. Ryan Seacrest is so dreamy. He's like Troy McClure. Renee hates his hair. Anyway, that's the reason I didn't get into the city as early as I wanted - because I was too busy watching Idol. I went back to the laundromat to throw my clothes in the dryer - because I had left them in the machine for so long after the cycle had finished they were practically dry anyway! So I'll remember that for next time, it'll save me heaps on drying costs, shame that I'm only going to be using them for two more weeks cos then I'm outta here!

I did end up going into the city. I went to the markets and to the supermarket. I didn't go boutique shopping because I felt like a loner and I hate going shopping into places like that alone. I end up having to ask the Sales Assistants if something looks good on me for example, so that sucks. I want to buy a Gucci belt bag, or maybe just a small satchel from Louis Vuitton. But then I've gotten on well without both so I should really just save my money. I didn't end up going to the movies tonight, because my stupid passes aren't valid on Saturdays after 5pm. But not to worry, 2 Fast 2 Furious is on TV tonight so I will watch that. I'll save the movies for when there is nothing on TV.

I had a roast for dinner. I've been chatting to my brother on MSN all night about my flights back to Auckland in three weeks. I've offered to fly him or my mum over to help me bring all my stuff back. We are trying to figure out dates and flights and things like that. I want to fly out of Sydney but it will probably be easier to fly out of Melbourne. I want to fly business, he wants to fly economy. I want to fly in the morning, he wants to fly in the evening. I guess we don't have to fly in the same class, on the same flight. I need to book my tickets some time this week though.

Well, I have dishes and ironing to do. But I'm too lazy tonight to do them. I'm going to watch the movie and then hit the sack. An early night. I'm going to make the most of tomorrow.

Night

Australia Day

Now playing: Rescue Me - Aretha Franklin

Today is January 26th 2007, which means it is the 229th Australia Day. I didn't do anything terribly patriotic - in fact my day consisted of sleeping in until 11am and then watching one hour each of Less than Perfect, Summerland and Oprah. This time last year, Renee was over in Melbourne. It was 38 degrees that day, she was shitting herself. I think the most we did for Australia Day last year was get a couple of stickers of the Flag from a souvenir shop.

I had a bath tonight, listening to John Mayer's Room for Squares. I had the candles burning and all the lights off, it was nice and relaxing. The bath was the length of the CD, so about 55 minutes. I thought I might as well make the most of the water, seeing as though Victoria is in the middle of a drought. Speaking of which, this morning, I had a 20 minute shower and I didn't feel the least bit guilty. It's not like I have a garden that needs watering, or a car that needs washing. With the current water restrictions, even numbered houses (me, 576-578) can water on Saturdays and Tuesdays, where as the odd numbered houses can only water on Sundays or Wednesdays. My last three month water bill was $4.68.

I move out of my apartment in two weeks. That means, I have two weeks to go through everything I own and decide whether or not I a) want to keep it, b) want to sell it or c) want to give it away. I've started selling a couple of things on eBAY, so far I've made $82. So I guess that's something! I leave the country in three weeks, so I have a few loose ends to tie up. I also need to find somewhere to crash for a week.

Tomorrow I am going to wake up early. I have to get the suit drycleaned, so I may as well do my laundry at the same time. I think I'm the only person who takes their dirty washing to the laundromat in a $1600 Louis Vuitton bag. Then off to the markets in the city to buy a weeks worth of food. Next, I'm going to get all dressed up and hit the boutiques in the city. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermès and wherever else the day takes me. I need to go to Assin as well to see if their Dior Homme jewellery has arrived. Then I am going to the cinema. I want to see The Holiday because I am the biggest Jude Law fan out. I have a ton of free movie tickets they gave me at work.

Well, that's the plan. I wonder how much of it I will actually do. I am going to write it all in my agenda, because I always do everything that I write it. We'll see.

Goodnight.

True

I was speaking with someone on the phone today at work and she put me on hold. The music was True by Spandeau Ballet. I was on hold for about two minutes. I nearly started crying. That's what music can do to you.