Goodbye Melbourne

I woke up early this morning, leaving the hotel and catching a tram back to Alistair's place where we loaded up the car and headed off to the airport. I had so much stuff and it only just fit into the car.

We got to the airport and met my brother there who had to catch the bus in and also take a bag and a suitcase for me. We arrived three and a half hours before the flight was due to depart because we wanted to check in early. We had both come up with sob stories to aid us with the excess baggage. We came up with them separately and surprisingly enough they both had something to do with a death in the family and us sending things home.

90kg. That is the total weight of all my baggage. They gave us 25kg each, so we were effectively 40kg over the limit. At AUD$18 per kilo, well, you do the math. We both seemed unfazed when he told us the final amount. We just said 'OK'. A little while later, the guy said, is someone paying you? I said excuse me? He said, is someone paying the baggage charges for you, or is it coming out of your own pocket? I said, my own pocket. He said 'oh, I see'. I think because of our reaction when he told us the amount, he assumed we didn't care because it wasn't our money.

The flight was OK. My brother and I were seated next to one another. He stole my middle seat. We were seated next to a guy who looked exactly like Todd. My brother did not watch any of the movies or even listen to music during the flight. Instead, he decided to bother me and ask me to photograph him doing the various brace positions. I watched a French movie (of course) called L'Équipier which was about a seaman who was in the army and moved to work in a lighthouse. And of course there is the love affair with the married woman of his co-worker etc etc. It was good. Typical French movie though as far as setting and plot goes. But definitely made me want to go explore the country areas of France.

My cousin picked us up from the airport. When we got home, my brother walked in the front door as I was unloading the van. My mum started chasing him and trying to hug him, saying she hadn't seen him in 24 hours! He was running away. I said "hello, I'm home" and she didn't even come out and see me! And then I walked into the house and said "I'm outside unloading the van if you wanted to say hi", but nope, nothing. I walked in and put the boxes into the spare room in the front. Only after about 5 minutes from when I actually got home did my mum come and say hello!

Well, it's odd to be back home. Everyone keeps asking me what it feels like to be back, and I really don't know. So stop asking!!

Moving Day, again

I watched Quizmania this morning from about 1am for a couple of hours. Just before Emma and Rowan left the apartment, I asked whether or not it was on, and Rowan said it would be, but I thought it wouldn't be on Friday nights. But he was right, and it was, although it was on like an hour later than usual. I was so bad - I was meant to finish off packing and I didn't. Well, I didn't start packing until after midnight, when I had had the whole night to pack. I was just being lazy.

This morning was so stressful. I woke up at 6am and started packing and trying to tidy up. But then I got bored. Alistair came and took away my bags. Then Rowan and Emma came and they took away all my boxes, some of the sofa, some bedding, tables, TV and all the other stuff I didn't want. They were so great. They brought over a mop and some rubbish bags that I used to throw away everything. It was great - I had dirty dishes in the sink - straight into into rubbish bags they went. Rowan cleaned the whole balcony for me AND mopped the bathroom and kitchen floors!! And helped take all the boxes down to the car. And Emma made heaps of trips down to the car and to the rubbish area too. So helpful. It was odd to see the apartment so empty and bare again.

Their car was sooo full. I worked out they have been over at my apartment four out of the last seven days!

I returned my keys to the concierge after I left the apartment. It was just after midday. Emma kept asking me if I wanted some time alone before we left (I didn't). Robert, the nicest of all the concierge staff, was working today (just as he was last Saturday). He was so nice, he greeted me by my name and I thought, I am so going to miss this. He is so friendly. He said that they were sad to see me go. It was funny because he asked me for the 'resident moving out' form and pretty much the whole form was blank except my name! The form is where you write your moving company and request a time to actually move out. I think he realised over the last three days that we have been taking things down the lift in a sneaky fashion.

So it was sad to go. I will miss walking out of the big glass doors each morning to go to work. New adventures lie ahead.

One more sleep

Now playing: Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

Today at work, everyone kept wishing me well and the best for the future. Most of it was over the phone - when I was speaking with an account manager or someone in the warehouse. They would say at the end of the call, oh yeah, all the best. A couple of people, who don't work directly with me, came up to me in person and said it and shook my hand. I had to keep telling everyone that I had one more week.

Finally, when the tenth person gave me best wishes, I freaked out and started saying, maybe it IS my last day? Maybe I got the day wrong. And I kept asking everyone around me to see what they had heard. Some had heard Tuesday was my last day. Some thought it was today. Others knew it was next Friday. I confirmed that in fact I did have another week to go. Kind of sad, because I don't want to go to work, I think I need a break. Hopefully this coming week will go by so fast that I won't know what hit me.

We didn't talk to Sam today. Even people who weren't there last night didn't want to talk to him, they were pissed at him for just being 'Sam'. And then he went off to this meeting for an hour and didn't even tell anyone so people are against him. I wonder how long this will last. I'm pissed because now I don't have anyone to give my stuff to, so it means I have to throw it out.

Rowan picked Emma and I up from work and we drove back to the apartment in the van. Then we got Emma's car and drove to the petrol station to fill up the van, then back to return it. It was (according to them) very stressful. I wasn't driving, I was sitting in the back of the car (for some strange reason) and it was great. After we dropped off the van, we came back to the apartment and they filled up their car with some more furniture and stuff like that.

Tonight, I need to pack. So far I have only done one box, which isn't much. And cleaning. So much cleaning to do.

Childs play

Now playing: Flawless - George Michael

Emma and Rowan just left, they brought me over three moving boxes, for moving! These boxes are great - they are quite large and what they don't know (yet anyway) is that I'm going to play in these boxes like little kids do. I have already set them up around the apartment and I've been hiding in them (from who, I don't know).

You do not want to know what we were talking about the two hours they were here. But I better write something otherwise I'll have nothing to say.

• human anatomy (mainly the uterus, ovaries and womb)
• the fact that Emma did not know what a kiwi was
• a 'mystery' boyfriend
• someone all three of us do not like

That last point took a good hour. Other things I did today, well I cleaned the bathroom, including the shower, while I was having one. I also cleaned the kitchen and the stove/oven. Did some vacuuming and listened to a lot of music. I did lots of singing and dancing today.

Last night I tidied up my wardrobe, all ready for putting into boxes, or suitcases. I'll see what happens. Tonight will be watching lots of TV. I missed So You Think You Can Dance last week because I was out with Ana. I already know who wins though because I was stupid enough to read it on Wikipedia. And more packing.

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.

Moving Day

Today I moved into Yve, the building designed by the same talented people as the world's first Versace hotel. The moving company were meant to arrive at 7.30am but they rang me and told me that their rental truck place didn't open until 8.30am so they were going to be late (rental truck place??) They finally arrived at 9.30am and it took about 10 minutes for the two Irish guys to move all my stuff from the apartment down to the truck. They were pretty hot too. They asked me if I needed a lift to the new address and I said yes. So off we went.

Moving everything from the truck back into the new apartment took 15 minutes, so it was a very fast process, I didn't own much, I don't even have a bed. The concierge gave me my set of keys and a quick tour around the building. It is exciting, being in a brand new, never been lived in apartment. Everything is so clean and empty. The shower has never been used. The toilet has never been christened (well, so I hope).

I only found this apartment two weeks ago. When I first moved to Melbourne, I saw the building on tons of websites and always dreamed of living in this building. I saw that there were some inspections on a couple of weeks ago and I ended up going and viewing a couple of one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom apartments. I saw this apartment here and knew that I wanted to move in. The rent is $1700 a month so it's quite steep, but it's worth it. The things an apartment has to have in my mind, is a great kitchen and a great bathroom. And this place has both. Walk in shower, walk in robe, tons of storage space, mirrors everywhere, huge balcony.

The building itself has a swimming pool, spa, steam room, sauna, gymnasium, private theatre, board room and executive lobby (fancy name for a huge glass room with funky chairs). There is a 24 hour concierge and I have my own wine cellar as well! Lleyton Hewitt and Bec Cartwright live in the penthouse of the building.

It's exciting. I don't have a TV or a bed, or even internet at home. I've got my laptop and some DVD's some hopefully that will be enough to keep me amused until I can get a few more things for my home.

So, here I will be for the next six months. Welcome home, to me.