august snow

This week Lucy, Wal, Graham, Flo & myself headed up to the slopes of Mt Hotham for 3 days & 2 nights. The weeks leading up to the trip snow had been falling giving us awesome snow cover on the mountain. This season is definitely one of the better ones! We all didn't know each other except for Lucy who was our central link to each other. Hehehe . . .

Well we made our way up to Mt Hotham on Monday morning boarding for the day then checking into a lodge. The lodge was close to the General store (Lucy counted 150 steps) which is where we hung out & made new friends (Russell aka Ablett, Dicko 8 dumps in a day, Lee, Graham, Hoody, Ken, Stewart & a few more) after the days event. Being a communal lodge we made friends there too . . . Adam (14 yo kid who's been to the lodge since he was 3), Glenn, Tony, Neil, more)

Flo had never seen snow, let alone ski . . . so she got lessons then headed to Zirky's after for a few drinks where we'd catch up when we had had enough (when the lift closed). So she was the one who was absolutely pumped for the mountain night life. Starting drinks at Zirky's (3.30pm) through to dinner & at The General Store. After Flo had disappeared for more than half an hour Lucy found her locked in the toilet asleep. I had to lift myself over the top to call & wake her up. Man, she was out of it. Took her back to the lodge, got her to bed. Then I headed back where we stayed out till 11.30pm but we all woke up with a very spin-ned out head the next morning & some sore tummys.

So we all decided we wouldn't let history repeat the next evening, agreeing not the drink so early & to only go out for an hour at The General then to bed. Another good day out on the slopes, fresh powder . . . we headed out to The General again for a few drinks. It was open mic night . . . Flo was gone for a long while & we saw her on stage . . . hahaha! We didn't know she could play the keys, not even her boyfriend, Graham. So she was hired, & she had a ball of a time, we ended up drinking & staying till 1.30 in the morning. The plan blow out . . . oh well we had fun! Graham stayed out with Flo till 2.

The next day we were sleep deprived but not as hung-over, good thing! So we headed out for another day of boarding before we heading for home that evening.

All in all it was an awesome trip; great company, delicious food, amazing new friends & good night outs.

easter

I kick started easter on Thursday evening, we Saz & a few of her work mates for bowling. I sat out knowing that I'd probable drop the ball on my foot, being so tired from the weeks load. After they played a round, we headed to a Karaoke bar but found that it wasn't meant to be - $600! Crazy!

So we popped round into the Loin Hotel for a few more drinks, live music & dancing! It was great cos I got to see people I haven't seen in a long long time. It was good.

It's amazing what a dance floor plus alcohol can do to some people!! Hahaha...somethings are meant for closed doors, let's just put it at that!

Well Easter Friday is here, a good time to reflect on things.

To all have an awesome long weekend!

Since turning twenty-five

Having traveled to Hanoi, Viet Nam - getting to go Halong Bay a beautiful place to go, rest & absorb the atmosphere & environment, as well as the city. Learning how to cross the roads without getting runned over by the millions of motorbikes, cars, bikes & vans, zipping pass.

Spending Australia Day with a brunch of friends at Elwood Beach in the midst of a hot summer day, doing the Aussie thing . . . a BBQ with a stubby in hand! Then making my way to a Karaoke Bar with another group of friends to sing the night away.

Having a birthday dinner at an exclusive Japanese joint, every every tasty . . . loads of sushi, sashami, beef, oysters & more favour-some (If there is such a word). Another beautiful day out at Albert Park Lake for a BBQ birthday lunch with old school mates. Plus an outing to Ocean Grove for some surf, sun, sand, fun, food & a ice cold Crownie! Hummmm . . . hot summer days!

I had a long work week which lasted for 14 days without a day of rest to chill . . . it was indeed a tiring fortnight filled with work & weekend courses. Thank God for Labour Day . . . to have a break from labouring!

About a week ago I gave blood & cut 2 seconds off . . . my personal best! hahaha! Not only that the nurse gave me a nice bruise.

Travelling to Geelong for a re-affirmation of vows for my cousin & husband, then back to Melbourne for drinks & nibbles. Plus finding out the day before to be bridesmaid & to do a solo verse to Amazing Grace! It was great fun to catch up with friends & family.

Plus starting up as a club physiotherapist . . . day one today! How exciting.

25 today . . .

So this is what it's like to be 25 . . .

Pretty much the same as 24, 23, 22 . . . age! We're only as old as we feel . . . & am feeling real good *grinz*

Anyways, Christmas seems to have gone by as quickly as it came by. It's been a full on year for myself; with friends getting married, making new friends & seeing old ones off, but hey we sort of know the final destination & really its the journey that makes it all worth wild!

Well here's wishing each & everyone of you a Merry Christmas & may the New Year bring you more of the things you'd like, need, want . . . 2008 here we come!

record time . . .

Today after work two of my work colleagues & I went to give blood. We had planned to challenge each other on how fast we could give a bag of blood, which is about 470ml.

Matt - 6mins:32secs (give the day before)
Sharon - 9mins:10secs
Barb - 8mins:3osecs

** Drum roll **

Cheryl - 6mins:07secs

Hehehe . . . we're a competitive bunch!

weekends ago . . .

About 2 weekends ago, a number of us heading up to Falls for some sun, fun & especially snow. We took a bus load so that was 48 of us but I stuck to the 5 friends I invited to come along. We fully had an awesome time! The weather was prefect, sunny & the snow wasn't icy hard; lovely.

Snowboarding, huh the life! Learning to grind rails, land jumps, master 360s . . . muahahaha. Fully sick! But with the good times there's always a few mishaps along the way . . .

The first day was relatively injury free, but not so much sore free . . . some had a sore neck from sleeping on the bus, hahaha poor fool! Other were just sore from boarding all day. But the second day, coming off the chair lift, I told lil' M not to fall but ended you big P took a fall! Damn it! I was going straight for him at a pretty good speed too. So I tried to jump him but hahaha, I didn't make it over big P. CRAP! Flat on my face with the board following behind me, smack down on my head. Good thing it wasn't the edge or my beanie would have been ripped. Oh & my scalp split! OUCH! Is right, I got an instant lump . . . they were all oh, Cheryl are you ok! Made them really nervous cos I stayed really still for like 10 seconds before I turned. Hehehe, but dang it hurt. I iced it straight away . . . why not use what's available to you free & in abundance.

The last day, another friend fall awkwardly & pulled his shoulder muscles pretty badly . . . good thing there was a physio on site! hahaha!

Anyways, there's a few more I could tell but maybe next time . . . for now it should keep me going to the snow again . . . let the good times roll

flight . . .

It's been a week since Gav & I have got back from our trip overseas. It was great to relax in the sun get a tan, enjoy the presence of good company, eat yummy home-cooked meals and have little to worry about.

Gav having first hand experience of fanning the BBQ/grill at a Night Market, where the workers were all too happy to pass him the fan. Hahaha! He also got to try one of the skews, which I like to call 'Bishop's noses' cos it looks like it . . . its a part of the chicken







He also got to have one of the traditional dishes called Ambuyat, which is a sago powder made into a what you see above (at a restaurant)! There's a skill in getting a lump of it, using a utensil which literally looks like a joint chopstick. And its eaten with tasty side dishes.

Those are just a few things we got to do . . . in one night!

bumped . . .

The other day on the way to ikea to get these fancy mirrors for my aunt, I got bumped! Was a busy intersection turning either way, three cars in front of me were turning right which was worst cos of traffic both ways. I was turning left & so was the car behind me.

The car in front drove off barely making it pass oncoming traffic . . . the passing van gave a huge horn & I stopped but the freaking idoit behind me probably had no bloody idea how to drive. If that wasn't enough I pulled over to the side of the road & just what the bastard did . . . he just drove off! That's right! Wow . . . I was so freaking pissed off, I drove after him. He got caught at a red & I got out of my car (like road rage, but all I wanted was at least a sorry). Walked up to his window & he rolled down his window. Come to think about it he was a little nervy . . . so he should be I was so ready to blow my lid off.

Man in his dark blue Hyundai Lantra, with pitiful eyes: "Ahh...sorry mate! There's no damage, honest! Trust me! Trust me!"

Me: just staring in disbelief that he just drove off. If only looks could kill!

I took his word for it, I got back in to my car but took the liberty of taking down his license plate number, in case there was actual damage when I parked to have a careful look. Man that seriously pissed me off . . . but shit happens!

I reckon it could have been worse . . . me driving off together with the car in front & more that likely getting hit side-on at a greater speed rather than being bumped on the bumper. True? True! So thank God for that.