tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65187362805625137002024-03-13T11:42:10.216+11:00Sandy RosenthalSandy Rosenthal
- writing about life, love, adventure and travelAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-65334633245574767622014-05-23T06:14:00.001+10:002014-05-23T06:14:46.461+10:00Dad's Eulogy Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday I posted the first instalment of Dad's eulogy: <a href="http://sandyrosenthal.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/dads-eulogy-part-1.html" target="_blank">http://sandyrosenthal.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/dads-eulogy-part-1.html</a><br />
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I wrote this to read at his funeral service after he passed away one year ago today. Today is a tough day for my family. Here is Part 2:<br />
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One of my happiest memories of spending time with Dad was when I had a Wedding Decoration business. At times this was a comedy of errors and provided great amusement for the family. Every single weekend Dad would come and help me decorate weddings. He would tie bows on chairs, drape fabric on ceilings and was pretty much my right-hand hand man. Most times, Mum, Kath and Laura were also there. When Michelle was in Sydney she would come too. I felt terribly guilty that he would spend every weekend doing this for me without any reward. When I mentioned this to him he looked at me very seriously and told me how happy he was because he loved to see all of his girls together.<br />
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My sister Kath’s childhood and early teens were consumed by ballet – which of course meant that Dad’s world was consumed by ballet. Driving to and from lessons in Penrith, going to ballet concerts, paying for endless costumes and photos and ballet shoes. I’m sure he thought it would never end. And then Laura started dancing! But Dad never complained. Amongst all the to-ing and fro-ing Dad and the girls had their rituals like stopping at the corner store on the ride home each night for slurpies, lollies and sweets and sometimes they would pick up flowers for Mum. Again, another tradition created by Dad. Every single day when Steven and I were little he would bring us each home a packet of Lifesaver lollies and over the years there were Clinkers, Fantails, Cadbury Roses, Dairy Milk Chocolate, just to name a few.<br />
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Another ritual Kath remembers fondly, just as Steven had, is Dad making bacon and eggs every Sunday morning and serving her and Mum in bed while they poured over the weekend papers.<br />
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From an early age Dad encouraged Kath in her art. Kath remembers at the age of 6 or 7, Dad set her up in the backyard with pieces of fibro, some old brushes and house paints to begin painting. In recent years Dad became quite an artist himself. For Father’s Day in 2007, Laura and Katherine returned the favour by giving Dad a set of oil paints, brushes and canvasses. It took him some time to get started, but once he did, he couldn’t be stopped. Paintings of landscapes, cottages, seascapes, gardens and even animals began to fill the apartment in Manly Vale. Dad had found his new passion. He was completely self-taught and his appetite for art had been awakened. He and Mum began visiting exhibitions and art galleries around the country and even went to art lectures. Dad rifled through art books to find inspiration. He loved the impressionists, especially Turner, Monet and Streeton. He liked to observe nature, sometimes sketching scenes at North Head, but mostly he just loved to paint. He was always experimenting with paint and new techniques – dabbing with rags, scraping back and painting over scenes until they changed from fire to snow.<br />
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When Kath was older, she did a gilding course that made Dad very proud. His own father had also been a good artist and a signwriter and used to do the gold lettering on office doors. It was in the genes, Dad declared!<br />
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Laura remembers Dad’s keen handyman skills. There was the cubbyhouse he had constructed for her and the swingset that lay abandoned in the backyard for 5 years after the screws went missing. While renovating the house at St Clair, Dad attempted to pour concrete and stencil the driveway and despite the resulting uneven surface and colour it was there to stay. All his children have fond memories of his gardening abilities as he carefully selected an array of colourful flowers from the clearance shelf at the nursery. It was a particularly good find if he was able to pick up orange and yellow marigolds. Luckily for him, no one else wanted orange and yellow marigolds! What a score! He truly loved flowers and he was always sharing his home grown veges with the extended family.<br />
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Family excursions were common over the years and we all heard Dad declare “Come on people, we’re going!” and “I’m sitting in the car!”. Long trips interstate began at 4am with Dad driving straight through for hours on end. Local excursions with Dad included the pigeon club, the nursery, the rubbish tip and Bunnings.<br />
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A favourite for Dad in recent years was to “do brunch” in Manly. Always these were family affairs, but it was vitally important that we hurry to get there on time, seemingly so we could all hurry back home again!<br />
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He loved to watch old country and westerns movies starring John Wayne, the TV show Bonanza, a wide variety of sports and he got a great laugh from watching the sitcom Two and a Half Men.<br />
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I’m sure it’s clear how much Murray was loved by his family. It was no secret however that he could be difficult at times. He could be moody, cranky and melancholy. He was complex and complicated. Stubbornness was a trait he kindly passed on to each of his four children. Despite this, there was never any doubt that he loved us all completely and unconditionally.<br />
If you Googled the term “Family Man”, surely his name would be at the top of any list.<br />
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Less than a year ago Dad was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. We all thought it had been detected early and he would make a full recovery. On the first day of November, out of the blue, Dad announced that he was taking part in Movember. Participants grow a moe for the entire month of November to raise money and awareness for men’s health issues, particularly prostate cancer. He had Mum take photos, which was unusual for him and before we knew it he was sporting a fabulous handlebar moustache.<br />
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Sadly the cancer spread to his bones and it soon became apparent that a recovery was unlikely. Dad spent the last month of his life in the cancer ward of Nepean Hospital. As a family, we did everything we could to make it as comfortable and pain free as possible. Mum, Steven, Katherine, Laura and myself would take turns to sit with him each day, hold his hand and tell him how much we loved him. In the final week, we slept overnight in his room, so he never had to wake alone and someone was always there if he ever needed anything. At approximately 10pm on May 23, at the much too young age of 67, he passed away, we hope peacefully, with all of us by his side.<br />
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Hazel Hawke passed away on the same day. There was no story on the 6 O’clock news about Dad’s passing like there was for Mrs. Hawke, but to those who knew and loved him, his passing was just as significant.<br />
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I know for Mum this has been especially hard. It was their 47th wedding anniversary two weeks before and even in Dad’s fragile condition, he didn’t forget and asked the nurse to phone Mum hoping he hadn’t missed the date. Mum was particularly sad that Dad didn’t get the chance to enjoy retirement. She made the comment to me, “I know we were hardly Darby and Joan, but we had plans.” I didn’t want to say to Mum, “Who the hell are Darby and Joan?” so I went home and googled it. Darby and Joan is a proverbial phrase for a married couple content to share a quiet life of mutual devotion in their retirement.<br />
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Murray, Uncle Murray, Darling, Muzza, Dad, Grandad – today we remember you and celebrate all that you brought to our lives.<br />
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We hope that you are proud of us and left us knowing that you were very much loved.<br />
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There will never be anyone else quite like you.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-80872989176667705122014-05-22T07:19:00.001+10:002014-05-22T07:19:16.633+10:00Dad's Eulogy Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a while since I've posted a blog. It seems that I have taken on a little too much right now but as tomorrow will be one year since the passing of my father, I thought it would be a good time to share some memories of him. I hope you can indulge me with this rather lengthy post. I wrote this eulogy for Dad's funeral and here is Part 1. Part 2 to follow tomorrow.<br />
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Dad’s Eulogy 30.5.2013<br />
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MURRAY IAN ROSENTHAL was born to Edna and Basil Rosenthal on July 5, 1945 in Brisbane QLD.<br />
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He was one of six children, older brothers Brian and Basil (both deceased), older sister Gloria (deceased), younger brother Paul, and younger sister Rozlyn, who has travelled from Brisbane to be here today.<br />
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Rozlyn has fond memories of her mischievous brother who she said was known to be a bit of a larrikin. They moved house a lot, every year or so, but Rozlyn especially remembers times when they lived in the suburb of Groverley. Murray was friends with a group of boys in the street and they would spend all day down the road, "in the bush", making bows and arrows to shoot at anything they could. They’d find lobbies (better known to us as yabbies) in the creek, and bring them home and boil them up. He was just a real "boy".<br />
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Murray was often put in charge of caring for his two younger siblings, especially during school holidays when their mother was at work. This did lead to a few unfortunate incidents. Once he dragged them both under the bed and cut off all their hair. On another occasion, they were playing Cowboys and Indians, with real weapons of course, and Murray hit Rozlyn over the head with a tomahawk when she was only about five years old.<br />
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An ambulance was often called to the school, most times specifically to collect Murray. One day he was doing some gardening in the school grounds with another boy, most likely to get out of schoolwork, and they were throwing pitchforks at each other. One went right through Murray’s foot. I remember him proudly showing the scar that still clearly showed the markings of a fork even years later.<br />
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Murray left school at the age of 14 to start an apprenticeship as a Painter and Decorator with his stepfather Eddie. His father Basil had also been a painter and of course the family tradition has continued today with my brother Steven taking up the same trade.<br />
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After work each day he would arrive home to find his mother had his dinner ready on the table, steak and 3 veg every night, never anything else. He always enjoyed his steak way past the "very well done, burnt and crucified" stage and this never changed. When he was finished he would drive across the other side of town, every night, to visit our mother Marie, his then girlfriend.<br />
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Murray met Marie when he was 17 and she was 14 at a drive-in picture theatre. They would be there just about every weekend, and as they had a friend in common, they would often chat to each other. Mum said they eventually "paired off", whatever that means. On one of their first dates Mum said that Dad took her out in a "tinnie" to go fishing. That could have ended badly. Dad just loved boats and fishing and I guess he thought everyone else did too. He probably thought wow, this will impress her. Incidentally the name Murray means "Man Of The Sea" which seems so appropriate.<br />
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When they met they loved to listen to The Beatles and other popular music of the 1960’s, although their taste in music change considerably over the years and it would be fair to say, it didn’t move in the same direction. Dad went through his Slim Dusty stage while Mum was listening to classical pieces. In recent years they found common ground as they both enjoyed Andre Rieu and songs from Les Miserables.<br />
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I asked my Grandmother, who is here today, what she remembered about their early courtship. She said that one day Mum announced that she was going to a party over in East Brisbane, which was on the other side of town. Grandma said "No you’re not" and Mum said "But I promised Murray!" Grandma said "Well, you’re going to have to unpromise Murray, because you’re not going." Apparently she stayed in her room and sulked for the rest of the evening.<br />
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On another occasion Mum and Dad were sitting in Dad’s car parked out the front of her house at around midnight. Grandma called out from the open kitchen window "I think it’s about time you came to bed Marie." The next day Mum and Dad were sitting in the lounge room and Grandma overheard Dad say "Did she say anything else when you came in?"<br />
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It seems that even my parents were once teenagers in love.<br />
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They married young. Dad was 20 and Mum was only 17 when they tied the knot on May 14, 1966 in a small church in Michelton in Brisbane. They drove to Sydney for their honeymoon and the car broke down - sounds romantic. They wanted to start a family straight away and Steven was born the following year. They bought some land and built their first home just before I was born in 1969. At around this time Dad saw a Bassett Hound puppy at a house he was painting and decided he had to have one. This was the start of their dog breeding and dog showing days. Mum and Dad spent every weekend indulging in what would become a shared passion of theirs. At one stage they had 49 dogs at one time. This may also explain my own lifelong love of dogs.<br />
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Make no mistake, dog shows were serious business and required some thoughtful dressing. In the early 1970’s Dad went shopping for some new clothes to be worn at one of the more important dog shows and turned up dressed in purple pants, floral shirt and white shoes. We still have the photos to prove it. We all remember in later years when Dad bought a handycam that was the size of a small car. He proudly slung it over his shoulder and was known to film the dogs while wearing his Drizabone coat and Akubra hat.<br />
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For many years Dad was pretty much always working and when he wasn’t at work on Sundays they would be at dog shows. There was always at least one kid around so they never really had time to be just on their own.<br />
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We moved a lot too, just like he had in his childhood. He was always restless. By the mid 1970’s they decided to move to Sydney for better opportunities to find work. Dad did however always remain a staunch Queenslander and loved to barrack for the Maroons in State of Origin matches.<br />
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After a 10 year gap, in 1979 Katherine was born, followed by another 10 year gap when Laura joined us in late 1988. There were 22 years between the oldest and the youngest child. For a long time Mum and Dad referred to Steven and I as "The Kids" and Kath and Laura as "The Girls".<br />
Dad had four children and even though we share many common memories, we’ve discovered that he actually had quite a unique relationship with each one of us.<br />
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Steven had a particularly special relationship with his father. He got to see him almost every day as they worked together as painters for more than 20 years. Mum recalls that the first time he went to work with Dad as a little "helper" he was only about 4 years old.<br />
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Steven said that Dad was highly regarded by others in the building industry and was often described as a "top bloke". He was quiet and respectful - a hard worker. He worked quickly but always turned out work of a high quality that Steven said was rare in their field.<br />
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He went to work with his thermos of milky tea every day for what I remember him calling his "smoko". He never complained. He never took a day off. He worked hard all his life. Painting from the age of 14 until he got too sick to continue. Sadly he never got to enjoy any sort of retirement.<br />
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One of Dad’s greatest joys in his life was to be Grandad to Steven and Leanne’s three boys, Jared, Tom and Zac. Leanne describes him as a beautiful Grandfather who had a lovely way of joking and having fun with the boys that they really responded to. He was a key figure in their lives and they really looked forward to their Grandad coming to watch them play their various sports.<br />
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Steven had season tickets to the Penrith Panthers home games and they all loved to go and do that together. Dad proudly told his Grandsons that he had once played football as a boy on the oval that the Brisbane Broncos had also played on. He took a great interest in the boys’ talents and he often said that Jared reminded him of a young Arthur Beetson.<br />
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The most special thing they all did together though was to indulge in Jelly and Icecream. This was their tradition that I’m sure the boys will remember fondly when they think of their Grandad in the years to come.<br />
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Steven made the comment this week, "He would have given you his last dollar". And sometimes over the years I reckon he did. That really was the essence of who he was. He always thought of everyone else, insisted on paying for everything and was always available to us. He was just so generous with his time. A phone call and he was there. Break-ups, house moves, renovations, driving us all to and from the airport when we were going on overseas trips. It didn’t matter what it was, he always insisted on coming to help.<br />
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Steven said Dad loved cooking everyone breakfast and described him as the master of bacon and eggs.<br />
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Murray enjoyed a special relationship with his niece Michelle who was also his Goddaughter. He was a father figure to Michelle and she remembers times as a kid when he let her sip his beer on the back porch and the cup of tea that he would make and leave next to her bed at 5am every morning when she would come to stay. In fact this was another tradition in our family. Dad would get up really early every morning and deliver us all a cup of milky tea next to our beds before he went to work. I would nearly always fall back to sleep and never drink the cold tea but he still made it every day.<br />
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Michelle also really loved it when Murray and our family would come to stay with them in Qld on family visits. I remember pulling up outside their house and Michelle would be hanging out of one of the front windows and the minute she laid eyes on him she would announce his arrival to all and sundry by squealing out in sheer delight, "It’s Uncle Murray!!"<br />
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I remember Dad being a particularly overprotective parent. We weren’t allowed to go anywhere near the water at the beach, we could not have friends that owned swimming pools and we absolutely could not eat fish without taking a tiny piece between our thumb and forefinger and mushing it up until it could not possibly be described as anything resembling a fish.<br />
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Another great passion of his was his pigeons. He had raced and showed pigeons as a youngster and he continued this for many years. He was always rebuilding the pigeon cage requiring lots of trips to the local tip. When I was about 9 or 10 it was my job to sit with Dad in the pigeon cage every Friday night and record details of the birds and their I.D numbers in a ledger that he would then take to the pigeon club. This was my job because of my excellent penmanship and spelling ability, although in the past few days I have discovered that he told both my sisters the very same thing!<br />
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He was a great animal lover. Apart from pigeons we had finches and budgies, chickens and roosters, goats and dogs and cats. For a while there he also raced greyhounds. He loved looking after all of our animals when we were away on trips. I was upset once when a kitten of mine went missing. Dad decided to drive around and do a search in my local suburb. He phoned me and said "Sandy, I think I’ve found your cat!" I was so happy and eagerly awaited his return with Oscar. Unfortunately he had found a ginger cat, not the tabby I had lost. He was always terribly worried that someone would witness him dumping a cat when he tried to return it.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-85024731141960229092014-03-27T17:28:00.001+11:002014-04-09T06:32:41.054+10:00Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
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By now, it would almost be impossible not to be aware of the tragedy and the mystery surrounding Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that disappeared on the 8th of March 2014.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">Like everyone else, I couldn't believe that this plane seemed to simply vanish.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">Malaysia Airlines is well respected. The aircraft, a Boeing 777, has an excellent safety record.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">We know that the vast majority of accidents occur on take-off or landing. Planes generally don't just 'drop out of the sky'. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">For me, as a flight attendant, this was especially hard to comprehend. This is my world. My people. My livelihood. Of course, in a job like this, we accept that there is always the possibility of what we refer to as 'an incident' occurring but we try not to think about it too much. If you did, you'd never be able to step on that plane.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">Theories began circulating almost immediately. Pilot Incapacitation. An Explosive Decompression. A Bomb on Board. A Terrorist Attack. Pilot Suicide.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">As we are now well into the third week of this mystery, perhaps we'll never know.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">Two days ago, Malaysia Airlines issued a press release to declare the aircraft as officially lost. This is part of that statement:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday, March 25, 12:30 PM MYT +0800 Malaysia Airlines MH370 Flight Incident - Media Statement 25</span></span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 23px;">'As you will be aware, last night the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak, announced new evidence regarding the disappearance of MH370 on 8th March.</span></div>
<div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"></span></span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;">
</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"></span></span></i><br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;">Based on this evidence, the Prime Minister’s message was that we must accept the painful reality that the aircraft is now lost and that none of the passengers or crew on board survived.'</span></span></i></div>
</div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;">
</span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">You can view the full statement here </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"><a href="http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/my/en/site/dark-site.html">http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/my/en/site/dark-site.html</a></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;">I saw this on the evening news and was overwhelmed with emotion. It was heartbreaking to watch footage of the loved ones of those missing. Loved ones who had been fearing the worst but hoping for the best. Many were so overcome with grief that they were taken from their hotels on stretchers to receive medical treatment.</span></span></div>
<div>
<i></i><br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">There were reports that the families of the missing passengers were sent this announcement via text message. If this is true, surely this is an unacceptable method of communication, especially given the delicate nature of the news.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;">I am also overwhelmed with emotion when I think of the crew. As part of the international crew community it is hard not to think, 'that could have been me'. Whatever happened I know they were amongst friends. We are like family. We spend most of our lives overseas, on planes and in hotels. We often spend more time with this flying family of ours than the real family we leave behind.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;">I remember a similar feeling some years ago when I visited Port Arthur in Tasmania. At the time I was a tour guide at BridgeClimb and the Sydney Opera House. In 1996, 35 people were killed in the 'Port Arthur Massacre'. Many of those killed were tour guides. I was quite struck by the fact that these were people, just like me, who went to work that day and never came home. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days after the aircraft went missing, there was a post circulating on Facebook that was written by another Flight Attendant, Susan Davison. I have included a link underneath to the full article but here is some of what she said:<i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The tightness of the flight attendant community transcends language barriers. It breaks through lifestyle choices, religions, age, and cultures. It bonds us together.</span></i></div>
<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></span></i>
<br />
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what goes through our minds when we hear there is a commercial plane missing? Dread. Cold chilling dread. And sorrow. Deep sorrow. Tears for our fallen. We don’t think about ourselves, we think about our comrades. The women and men who have the same mindset we do. Who do the same job we do.</span></span></i></div>
<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></i>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline !important; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>We picture them in the aisle and galleys, doing their jobs. We feel their emotions as they realize something is wrong. We feel their terror, when they realize they and everyone on the aircraft are going to die, and all their training cannot stop it. We know they tried, in the end, to comfort the passengers and then each other."</i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://itsthatlife.com/2014/03/11/malaysia-air-flight-370-one-flight-attendants-thoughts/" target="_blank">Malaysia Air Flight 370 - One Flight Attendant's Thoughts</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's hope that the aircraft <i>is</i> found and some peace and closure can be given to those who need it the most. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_xGIFkkKXiCWiwelwB6NIOgKyQNPszCpYyhxeCb3BhHOhUvnrXg4PQO7CvljRfxevvf1mVvXcBAGL5ltaHN1RQIlsLi16mj85YdIB9D3nEDwH4Pd-jpDYQZGJPGc1gjQp4gtndz_ovAe/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_xGIFkkKXiCWiwelwB6NIOgKyQNPszCpYyhxeCb3BhHOhUvnrXg4PQO7CvljRfxevvf1mVvXcBAGL5ltaHN1RQIlsLi16mj85YdIB9D3nEDwH4Pd-jpDYQZGJPGc1gjQp4gtndz_ovAe/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Me, heading off to work. </b><br />
<b>Always hoping for an uneventful flight.</b></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-35085872165305295402014-03-20T08:18:00.002+11:002014-03-22T21:02:38.996+11:00Off the Back of a Truck<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHoENFNG1vdf5FDxVDAhXy7TItLG-hV1w1hktyPJhm5ZiG73af03AHOdTZb3cAJHoihRivSSqA-jsJM5shVlGQszkIerJzQs1iJmDod2orW7i4gSj5Zi-tAtdQjsnwWgahBWOxTIgU1X7/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHoENFNG1vdf5FDxVDAhXy7TItLG-hV1w1hktyPJhm5ZiG73af03AHOdTZb3cAJHoihRivSSqA-jsJM5shVlGQszkIerJzQs1iJmDod2orW7i4gSj5Zi-tAtdQjsnwWgahBWOxTIgU1X7/s1600/DownloadedFile.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite growing
up in an area where drugs and crime were commonplace, looking
back, I’m always surprised by how </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">naïve</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I was about some of the activities
going on around me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friend of mine
once asked me if I was interested in buying some things from one of her
husband’s friends. I can’t recall what they were selling – perhaps clothing,
electronic goods or the like.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever it was,
it sounded like I should at least take a look so I said, ‘Sure’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friend then
told me, ‘They’re off the back of a truck. You don’t mind, do you?’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Off the back of a
truck? I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. Did we have to go to the back of
the truck to buy the stuff? I guess that would be okay. Besides, for the
prices she had mentioned I could hardly be picky about where they were selling them from.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">‘Off the back of
a truck?’ I innocently enquired. ‘Yeah, they fell off a truck,’ she said,
laughing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow.
Everything fell off?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went to some
non-descript house in the suburbs to take a look. Some of the things were brand
new, some used, but all at prices that could hardly be believed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a
veritable goldmine! I’m sure I bought tons of stuff and when I was told they
had another ‘truckload’ coming in next week I made plans to return, which I
indeed did on a number of other occasions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t know when
the penny dropped that ‘off the back of truck’ actually meant stolen. And when
it did, did I cease my law-breaking ways or continue unperturbed?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thinking about it
now, I wonder how I could <i>not</i> have known. I was naïve yes, but I had also been
a rather prolific shoplifter myself some years before.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my school
friends told me once that it was really easy to steal make-up from the local
supermarket. I wasn’t allowed to own, much less wear make-up at the time, so the only way I
was going to get my hands on some was to steal it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which I did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In large
quantities and on a regular basis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My crime spree
continued and I began to take more risks. I started to take higher priced items
like expensive clothing and jewellery. I remember going into a department store
wearing a long dress and coming out wearing an entire change of clothing
underneath, including a pair of designer jeans. Most of the
things I stole I couldn’t wear anyway as I had no way of explaining to my Mum
where everything came from.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was more about
the thrill of getting away with it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually I
almost got caught. A security guard asked me to empty my pockets as I was
leaving a store. I <i>did</i> have a stolen lip-gloss in one of the pockets but was able to manoeuvre
it so he didn’t see. I went bright red in the face, as most guilty teenagers
are prone to do. He let me leave and I never stole another thing again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well at least not until I discovered ‘the back of the truck’ which I guess was stealing by
default.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I promise you I
have spent my adult life as a law-abiding citizen. I was raised in a
conservative home with parents that would have been completely shocked that I
was doing such things.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It just goes to
show that our external environment can greatly influence our actions and
behaviours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am just so
grateful now that I was ‘almost caught’ all those years ago.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-19589647987349479102014-03-17T12:42:00.001+11:002014-04-02T12:10:06.999+11:00Just Give It A Go - And I Have<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_jN6M32_eykfUFo5hJCu9108LDkWjMzOmgGxNLIRlWUoHY8ByPr02em8A3QNuGkO4qsoHGE0bBPNoNujKKAYXCQBB07aqOotFGl94qdUp-FEZr8Bd7TrK88Q8UtyIvWUwrf3bv2vFVqx/s1600/images-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_jN6M32_eykfUFo5hJCu9108LDkWjMzOmgGxNLIRlWUoHY8ByPr02em8A3QNuGkO4qsoHGE0bBPNoNujKKAYXCQBB07aqOotFGl94qdUp-FEZr8Bd7TrK88Q8UtyIvWUwrf3bv2vFVqx/s1600/images-5.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started this personal blog on February 11th, 2014 and in my very first post <a href="http://sandyrosenthal.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/just-give-it-go.html">Just Give It A Go</a> I said I had a 'plan'. I had already ticked off the first few items in a rather extensive list that I had put together to enable me to kick start my career in travel writing. I also indicated that I would post details on this blog from time to time to show how the rest of that plan was progressing.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cannot quite believe how much I have achieved in a little more than one month.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I now have my ABN to allow me to start getting paid writing work. I just need to start pitching some of my story ideas to magazine editors.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have had this personal blog professionally designed by Designer Blogs and introduced the tagline <i>Writing about Life, Love, Adventure and Travel.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have created a separate blog, <a href="http://www.sevenmarathons.blogspot.com.au/">Seven Marathons on Seven Continents</a> which Steve and I will use to document our journey towards becoming members of the exclusive Seven Continents Club. This involves running a marathon on every continent across the globe.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have created a separate blog, still in the design stages, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.awalkinspain.blogspot.com.au/">Camino de Santiago</a> which Steve and I will use to document our 800km walk across the top of Spain in 2015.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have finally discovered Twitter and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inst</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">agram and have links on all of my blogs to both of these.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have created a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/sandyrosenthalfreelancewriter">Facebook page</a> dedicated to all things writing. This will also be the one place that will link all three blogs. At the moment I have just over 200 'likes' on this page. I am aiming for more than 1000.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have enrolled in a Travel Photography Course and have decided to purchase my first DLSR camera. I plan to take lots of photos during our upcoming trips and I have had an Instagram box installed on both the Seven Marathons and the Camino de Santiago blog. The photos I take on the road can instantly be uploaded to these Instagram boxes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have purchased a voice recorder to use for the interviews I plan to do on my travels.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I attended the Blog to Book Course at the <a href="http://www.writerscentre.com.au/community/best-australian-blogs-comp/">Australian Writers' Centre</a>. It was interesting to learn that publishers now ask about a writer's social media presence and particularly want to know the numbers i.e how many Twitter followers, Facebook likes, etc.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started my first online subject <i>'Introduction to Writing' </i>which is part of the Professional Writing and Publishing degree I am undertaking at Curtin University.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am currently undertaking the Australian Writers' Centre online course 'Magazine and Newspaper Writing Stage 1.'</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I attended a talk with bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert (<i>Eat, Pray, Love</i>) as part of the NSW Writer's Festival and gained some great insight into the real world of writing. A week later I was very excited to meet Liz on my flight to LA. What a lovely person she was and she graciously spent time talking to me about my writing plans. And replied to my <i>tweet</i> the next day!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have decided to enter the Australian Writers' Centre 'Best Blogs 2014' competition. They have a number of categories with some amazing prizes, one of which is a chance meet with a publisher to discuss the possibility of publishing a book based on a blog. Some of the categories in the competition that I've entered are <i>'Best New Blog'</i> and <i>'Outstanding Humorous Post'</i> along with a <i>'People's Choice'</i> round. As my blog is so new, I will endeavour to increase my posts from once a week to at least twice a week to better showcase my writing style.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that's the update on my 'plan'. I'm happy with how far I've come and know that this would not have been possible if I didn't spend time setting some ambitious yet achievable goals right from the beginning.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-1As28uRN-raM-qv1C81cg6aHDf9swopGfDlbTkoOYXSbve_0XsusWaE4G12vDVKSYXOLtbv4paQxFTT7vm25vOzJyQsLRDO8AlorXFppseTKu8fHHA8c0aex7vMEkIa8XA2T70qdGKf/s1600/DownloadedFile-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-1As28uRN-raM-qv1C81cg6aHDf9swopGfDlbTkoOYXSbve_0XsusWaE4G12vDVKSYXOLtbv4paQxFTT7vm25vOzJyQsLRDO8AlorXFppseTKu8fHHA8c0aex7vMEkIa8XA2T70qdGKf/s1600/DownloadedFile-4.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-75188796222374755622014-03-12T08:56:00.000+11:002014-03-17T15:13:38.389+11:00Never Mind the Clean Undies<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1sMLBKdPM-1vYYssNj0KEEuXquKEDun8Qgs30dUzW899i321oPzGVWxgfFfCkP5nTvYDJhZi_xtiTHi4Y6BOxn_cfNZsLjPwy-ORI3QfpvXt4NCeygJFcXQKzTsEt1ovUcook629XSgc/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1sMLBKdPM-1vYYssNj0KEEuXquKEDun8Qgs30dUzW899i321oPzGVWxgfFfCkP5nTvYDJhZi_xtiTHi4Y6BOxn_cfNZsLjPwy-ORI3QfpvXt4NCeygJFcXQKzTsEt1ovUcook629XSgc/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">When I was about
18, like most girls that age, my friend Marg and I loved clothes, shoes,
nightclubs, our first cars and boys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">In no particular
order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">We also loved to
drive around on most weeknights in our clapped-out cars to gossip about all of
the above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">One evening, I
was standing on my bed to get a better look at myself in the mirror. I was
working out what to wear that coming weekend to Tiffany’s Nightclub. I had pretty much
decided on the dress; a very bright, multicoloured halter neck, but I just wasn’t
quite sure about which shoes to choose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">At the time I was
really into the brand ‘Mr Christian’. They had the most beautiful shoes in a
range of amazing colours. I loved a couple of their designs so much that I
bought several pairs in a few different colours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>What to wear with
this dress?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>The red sling
backs with the chunky heel or the bright green flats?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Solution. I’m a genius!
Put the dress on and then put on one red shoe and one green shoe and stand on
tippy toes to reach the mirror and see which one would go best. Best to get me
a boyfriend was most likely what I was really thinking.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Mum called out
that Marg was waiting in the car out front. I’d lost track of time. We were
heading out for our regular cruise about town. Not wanting to keep her waiting,
and knowing we weren’t planning to get out of the car, I left the house dressed
as I was.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Besides, Marg
could give me the much-needed second opinion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">‘I just need to
get some petrol,’ she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">We pulled up at
the service station and wouldn’t you know it, the fire truck from the local
fire station was there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>Why do firemen have to be so damn hot?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">In my haste to
get a closer look, I jumped out of the car and positioned myself where they
could also get a better look at me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I suddenly realised
what I had done. There I was standing out there in the open with my two
completely different shoes on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I quickly jumped
back into Marg’s car and tried to pretend like nothing had happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">It occurred
to me that if we were in an accident and the good-looking firemen were required
to facilitate my rescue, they could quite easily assume they were dealing with
two bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">‘We’ve got two in
here!’ I imagined them shouting so they could get some back-up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Never mind the
clean undies, I say. Just make sure you’re always wearing a matching pair of
shoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-24016217340157946362014-03-10T10:29:00.000+11:002014-03-17T15:14:16.459+11:00Bring Back Some Bedazzle<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SyFg6RoBCd6TdwdQn4o5YJm3YM1HPZBL24d96YWPAJylScOr4DJNVI5xJBidxqnU0fCA3YIoE0lGefW77fhHjiEGbaZXBhUz3iClEgQPZs-2h0HlOxBnpapo5GNrpRR1wvWdclttLTH9/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SyFg6RoBCd6TdwdQn4o5YJm3YM1HPZBL24d96YWPAJylScOr4DJNVI5xJBidxqnU0fCA3YIoE0lGefW77fhHjiEGbaZXBhUz3iClEgQPZs-2h0HlOxBnpapo5GNrpRR1wvWdclttLTH9/s1600/photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I spend a lot of time travelling around Asia and one of the things I
love about it is the people. I love how quirky they are. You never quite know
what they’re going to be into.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One of the best things I’ve seen yet is this taxi in Singapore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I happened to hail this one down at the airport and was surprised to hop in and see that it was bejewelled like no other taxi that’s gone before. The
entire interior of the car, from the dash to the glove box to the doors was
completely covered in sparkles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This could only be the work of a BeDazzle!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">You may remember The BeDazzle that initially surfaced in the 1970’s. It
was a 'simple tool used to fasten glitzy rhinestones, studs and patches to
clothes and other materials.'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It was voted #100 in the <i>Top 100 Gadgets of all Time</i>, a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">lthough a commentator in
Entertainment Weekly magazine did once describe the BeDazzle as: "The
cheap-ass rhinestone-studding tool favoured by art teachers and over-excitable mums
everywhere, the biggest piece of crap sold on late-night TV since the
Thighmaster and the reason women own shirts with glittery kitty-cats on them."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">You can still buy them from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.asseenontv.com/"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.asseenontv.com</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> for $19.95 USD</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EJBxD-CA7K9rFgQaKrHHbRBz40x8LPx6wl_Pw66pqSL8kIJE1ebmvGpMle_LAQ7N-V8v4BbyRSTU8FfYazSuUClfChW16PrIAUOL_9vhm88-T9DR_bKN26oY7AJqM4Rg-3ZwdPZQjCGW/s1600/00296300-117235_290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EJBxD-CA7K9rFgQaKrHHbRBz40x8LPx6wl_Pw66pqSL8kIJE1ebmvGpMle_LAQ7N-V8v4BbyRSTU8FfYazSuUClfChW16PrIAUOL_9vhm88-T9DR_bKN26oY7AJqM4Rg-3ZwdPZQjCGW/s1600/00296300-117235_290.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">This is their current sales pitch taken directly from their website:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>‘HOW DO YOU TAKE SOMETHING FROM DULL TO DAZZLING? You BeDazzle it with
the Original BeDazzler Stud and Rhinestone Setter!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>Yes, the BeDazzler is back again and it’s the fashion craze of the
season. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>Even if you've never threaded a needle, you’ll be BeDazzling in minutes.
<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>You can BeDazzle a hat, a shirt, a belt, a scarf or a sweater! It's
easy. It’s fun. It’s fabulous! <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>You get the original BeDazzler plus all the rhinestones, studs and stars
you'll need! Don’t be dull - BE DAZZLING! - with the better than ever
BeDazzler!’</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bring back some bedazzle, I say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-79880873543421810462014-03-08T07:47:00.000+11:002014-03-18T07:52:19.592+11:00A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Root Canal<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L3VcDBRc0Ij4dPynI1swvuKlrt0Y9ZDJ1YrMKWX5RFRfI9DgwLBZJegwX15xm-4RMM1E6nS_p2z33hxChE6STZGAXbwNR0r8YZtsllChyphenhyphenjaG0lt2VJjW7Dcdyun0Pls8L44gGIux-MAP/s1600/images-16.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L3VcDBRc0Ij4dPynI1swvuKlrt0Y9ZDJ1YrMKWX5RFRfI9DgwLBZJegwX15xm-4RMM1E6nS_p2z33hxChE6STZGAXbwNR0r8YZtsllChyphenhyphenjaG0lt2VJjW7Dcdyun0Pls8L44gGIux-MAP/s1600/images-16.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Some years ago I
had a bit of time to kill before a dental appointment so I went window-shopping.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I called into a
little boutique shoe store. I was their only customer that morning and got chatting
to the sales assistant, who I’ll call <i>Ruth</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">There were random
shoes and shoe boxes piled high and covering just about every inch of floor
space. Ruth excitedly explained that they had just taken delivery of the new
season’s stock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">With great animation
she began to tell me all about the latest trends, suggesting this and that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I felt it only
fair at this point to let her know that I was only browsing before heading to
the dentist for root canal and I wasn’t planning on buying anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">‘No problem,’ she
said. She really just wanted to see what the new styles looked like on a real
live person and insisted I try on literally dozens of pairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">She seemed so
thrilled by it all, how could I possibly refuse?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Besides, Ruth was
just so nice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The time came
when we had to say our farewells. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>I wished her luck
with her shoes.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>She wished me
luck with my root canal.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">A little while
later, I lay back in the dental chair waiting for whatever it was they jabbed into me </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">to work it’s magic and take me to a happy place.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> It was circa 1988 at the time and I’m pretty sure dentists only
used horse needles back then.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The dental nurse
came in and tapped me on the shoulder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">She was really
sorry to do this, she really didn’t feel comfortable about it at all but it was
going to be necessary to search my bag for a stolen item.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>WTF? </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">As far as I can
remember we didn’t actually use this term in the 1980’s but </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>WTF?</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Ruth had
obviously lost one of the shoes in the pile of crap she was surrounded by and
decided I was the most likely suspect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilk8yY6k0UbHOanMZlYsjGTDBCb78uUCcgJBXCWKxxFpPQBiT1_ihj_cKf8dmAt245-YSU5X5UWR1djvqt9ZqRF1H4fcq9wjznp_Ig4KUKdpRVfSOmra6N_EqSzXdyG1z2ozCOvKD662HD/s1600/images-15.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilk8yY6k0UbHOanMZlYsjGTDBCb78uUCcgJBXCWKxxFpPQBiT1_ihj_cKf8dmAt245-YSU5X5UWR1djvqt9ZqRF1H4fcq9wjznp_Ig4KUKdpRVfSOmra6N_EqSzXdyG1z2ozCOvKD662HD/s1600/images-15.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">She must have
then put out an APB or at the very least called around a few local dentists
until she found me. Haven’t our privacy laws come a long way?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I remember going
blood red with the humiliation of it all. I let the dental nurse search my bag
and relay the news to Ruth (who was still on hold) that ‘no, she doesn’t have
the stolen shoe.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Naturally I told
the story to one of my best friends who in turn told her mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><i>Enter Tutti Mavis
Alice Myrtle Mary.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Tutti was an
unusual character to say the least. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">We called her
Tutti Frutti Wanna Rooti behind her back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">She was what I
would call a real tough nut but she looked out for us all like we were her own daughters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">She wasn’t going
to stand for me being treated this way and hauled me straight down to a
solicitor’s office with clear instructions to sniffle and cry in the hope that
I might be able to sue the shoe store for defamation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Tutti also
started to regularly go into the store and harass Ruth, especially if there
was an audience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">One time she
walked in and in one foul swoop she knocked all the shoes off the shelves and
quietly walked out again. <i>Pure Tutti. Pure Gold.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">The most
ridiculous thing about all this was that I was never accused of stealing a <i>pair</i>
of shoes. It was only ever one shoe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">For months
afterwards I had to put up with friends winding me up by hobbling past me, wearing only one shoe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-5180849371731890952014-03-05T21:36:00.001+11:002014-03-18T07:56:16.700+11:00Life, Love, Adventure and Travel<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Writing
about life, love, adventure and travel.</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Here are my top 5
thoughts about what each of those four words mean to me.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>LIFE</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjsy60x9Wi9rE08eSdUf7jKg2pt8M2snVXaaoVrlHbFbblcZEd0xNhDxZHFSSamx7C8Z_-tUQM11Oql_6KIsPiNqtZfYdXooXVkXwOanf6ZvZueAPp0p9lPST4FTPIBXbEDKl8VpaHyF_/s1600/602745_10151171647946361_339536902_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjsy60x9Wi9rE08eSdUf7jKg2pt8M2snVXaaoVrlHbFbblcZEd0xNhDxZHFSSamx7C8Z_-tUQM11Oql_6KIsPiNqtZfYdXooXVkXwOanf6ZvZueAPp0p9lPST4FTPIBXbEDKl8VpaHyF_/s1600/602745_10151171647946361_339536902_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sailing in the Whitsundays in 2012</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">1. I
know how lucky I am to be here. After a serious health scare in 2010, I live my
life to the full. No regrets.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">2. Freedom.
I feel blessed to have a partner and a job that both give me the freedom to do
anything I choose in my life.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">3. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Being
Australian. To be born and raised in this country is a privilege. This truly is
the lucky country and if you don’t believe that, take a look at what some
others around the world have to contend with.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">4.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Making
a difference. Over the past couple of years I have realised that we can truly
make a difference in this world. Find something you are passionate about and
give a little bit of yourself, whether it's donating your time or raising
funds and awareness for something worthwhile. I am passionate about Animal
Welfare and have raised in excess of $10,000.00 for charity.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">5. Making
things happen. Nothing is accidental in life. If you want something work hard,
make plans and take the necessary steps to make it happen.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>LOVE</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDcRh2FWYO4XMRFQAn52xlzit3XlIkih7K0seQGVH7WmmXUkPDn-S7mCodK8Y18fwMBN4j3LvL0bgFM45gmGA2EapG_MDyAYfTUdIJQRhXYcwrQGOclXX28xHzHR03f-Z3xfnDbYub9YX/s1600/947209_10151412861531361_1600452649_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDcRh2FWYO4XMRFQAn52xlzit3XlIkih7K0seQGVH7WmmXUkPDn-S7mCodK8Y18fwMBN4j3LvL0bgFM45gmGA2EapG_MDyAYfTUdIJQRhXYcwrQGOclXX28xHzHR03f-Z3xfnDbYub9YX/s1600/947209_10151412861531361_1600452649_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">My cousin Michelle, Dad and I at his 60th birthday in 2005</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">1.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">Stephen
Bock. In every way. I love that he inspires me, encourages and supports me and
loves me completely even when I am being utterly impossible.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">2. My
family. Especially Dad (sadly missed), Mum, my brother Steven, my sisters
Katherine and Laura, my cousin Michelle and my Aunty Rozlyn. And of course the
most amazing woman I know, Beryl Margaret Wood, my 92 year old grandmother.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">3. Golden
Retrievers. Especially Harley and Caesar but also the ones that have yet to
enter my life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">4. Siberian
Huskies. Especially Samson and Willow but also the ones that have yet to enter
my life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">5. My
friends. I love that I still have friends that I met when I was only eleven
years old. I especially love my friends from school, Panthers, BridgeClimb and
Qantas.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>ADVENTURE</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Me trekking in Nepal in 2011</span></b></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">I like to think I
have an adventurous spirit and I’m sure the following show that I do. Some have
already been experienced, others are on my list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">1. Taking
on challenges. Steve and I love to take part in various long distance events. I
have completed Wild Endurance – a gruelling 100km hike in the Blue Mountains,
trekked to Everest Base Camp, climbed a 5500m peak in Nepal and climbed Mt
Agung, the highest point in Bali. On the list is the <a href="http://www.awalkinspain.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Camino de Santiago</a>, running a <a href="http://www.sevenmarathons.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">marathon on every continent</a>, hiking the GR20 in Corsica and so much
more.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">2. Learning
to fly a plane. After reading ‘Til We Meet Again’ by Judith Krantz when I was a
teenager this has always been a goal of mine. I will make it happen.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">3. Riding
a motorbike. I want to get my licence and zip around town in a scooter. The
thought of this really scares me but I am determined to do it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">4. Yoga
retreat in rural Spain. In September 2012 I had one of the best experiences of
my life at a yoga and hiking retreat in the Asturias mountains in the north of
Spain. The most adventurous thing about this was not so much the location but
the fact that as a ‘non-yogi’ at the time I managed to do four hours of yoga
every day for seven days.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">5. Learning
another language. French or Spanish – I’m not entirely sure which one I’ll
choose. Perhaps to some this may not seem adventurous but I have always dreamt
of living in a foreign country to learn a language. I think that constitutes an
adventure. I’ve been talking about this for years. It’s time to make it happen.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><b>TRAVEL</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmm0nKrot_e3jGp5t0SngN5Fycr_XCLih80y7jLrVbEZus_XGjoC4tlohlSJdTLseBWmFho3A_AXWVKqZ_aaonZGM5Tvmuv3izXaa3n-DcSDljy_l51XO4mYqHIjqvRuTab8_X6NSieAz/s1600/DownloadedFile-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmm0nKrot_e3jGp5t0SngN5Fycr_XCLih80y7jLrVbEZus_XGjoC4tlohlSJdTLseBWmFho3A_AXWVKqZ_aaonZGM5Tvmuv3izXaa3n-DcSDljy_l51XO4mYqHIjqvRuTab8_X6NSieAz/s1600/DownloadedFile-3.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Qantas A380, my office</span></b></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;">So many places to
see and such a big list, but these are five destinations that are currently on
my radar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">1. Africa
in May/June 2014. Our itinerary includes Johannesburg, the Drakensberg Mountains,
a Safari, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Cape Town, running the <a href="http://www.big-five-marathon.com/" target="_blank">Big Five Marathon</a> in South Africa and visiting Victoria Falls in Zambia.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">2. Paris,
Nice and London in August/September 2014 with Mum and my sisters Katherine and
Laura.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">3. Broome
in December 2014. I’ve always wanted to visit this part of Western Australia. I
will not miss my opportunity to ride a camel along Cable Beach.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">4. The
<a href="http://www.awalkinspain.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Camino de Santiago</a> in April/May 2015. Walking 800km in 35 days, starting in the
Pyrenees Mountains in France and heading across the top of Spain.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">5. The
Northern Lights in Lapland. We don’t have a date set for this yet but it
remains high on the list. I cannot wait to see the Northern Lights, stay at the
ICE Hotel and go dog sledding with huskies in memory of our darlings Samson and
Willow.</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-7405584143971320002014-03-02T08:00:00.000+11:002014-03-18T08:00:30.033+11:00When a Gorilla Gram Becomes Madam Lash<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiKhcAhWoY7KSd7zskdjeZune1NSPkkY8o6zf-2d9ttvHyk40whiil7Upzk02GANTtAtUWrGVohCac_j0KaP8VW1jVXWlHiDpjEeUHiuUtdwj2wQbMZq0t8RXExLk9l0Fv6UIQaHBd6aP/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiKhcAhWoY7KSd7zskdjeZune1NSPkkY8o6zf-2d9ttvHyk40whiil7Upzk02GANTtAtUWrGVohCac_j0KaP8VW1jVXWlHiDpjEeUHiuUtdwj2wQbMZq0t8RXExLk9l0Fv6UIQaHBd6aP/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have spent almost my entire life searching for (legitimate) ways to make money.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been lured in by countless money making schemes and have had more first, second and third jobs going at one time than I care to remember.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of these jobs lasted merely a day.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve tried Tupperware, hairdressing and real estate. I’ve been a Jenny Craig consultant, a camp counsellor and a wedding decorator. I’ve driven a lunch truck, worked as a waitress, a bar attendant, a hotel receptionist and as an usher. I’ve been a tour guide on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and at the Sydney Opera House. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am, for now, a flight attendant.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My earliest memory of trying to make money goes back to when I was just six years old.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My brother and I had a packet of lollies. They were <i>Fantales, </i>one of my all time<i> </i>favourites.<i> </i>Fantales are the ones that have chocolate on the outside and a centre filled with chewy caramel.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OLKP0x5TGNCjKq66vEO1vNXPrwWQECds15fFBXrZFR0FYMOoQziGkKbvfYNJpRxqhqVMxTd2Tovc63EFdWfvbdVwYgBNLknGoKkxa29MbPb6vFwosFfDglkMGZpLz6_28JM440rgsk84/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OLKP0x5TGNCjKq66vEO1vNXPrwWQECds15fFBXrZFR0FYMOoQziGkKbvfYNJpRxqhqVMxTd2Tovc63EFdWfvbdVwYgBNLknGoKkxa29MbPb6vFwosFfDglkMGZpLz6_28JM440rgsk84/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span id="goog_354418256"></span><span id="goog_354418257"></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a brilliant sales idea that would mean we could enjoy the taste of the lollies and still make a profit.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This involved sucking off all the chocolate and carefully re-wrapping (being as careful as a six year old can be anyway) the now 'caramel-only' lollies back in their original packaging.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then sold these for a few cents to Mrs Sentamato, (or Mrs Tommy Tomato as we liked to call her) the next-door neighbour. We stood in her kitchen and watched her eat them while she told us how delicious they were.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably not my finest moment.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But by far the most memorable experience for me was when I enquired about an ad for a second job as a Gorilla Gram.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was about 16 or 17 at the time and working full-time at Catch Hair Design in St Marys, which I talk about in a previous post <a href="http://www.sandyrosenthal.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/a-westie-in-vaucluse.html" target="_blank">A Westie In Vaucluse</a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was only earning about $100 a week and struggling to get ahead financially so I started trawling through the local newspaper to look for a second job. The Classifieds had an employment section called <i>Situations Vacant.</i> I’m not sure why it was called this and not Positions Vacant but I <i>can</i> tell you that I was about to find myself in a ‘situation’.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After noticing the ad for Gorilla Grams I thought to myself that this would have to be the easiest way to make some extra cash. After all, no one would even know it was me!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I conned my workmate Bryce into applying too. We made a phone call and spoke to the sweetest lady who invited us to come to her home that night for an interview.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we got there it didn’t take us long to realise she specialised in more than just gorillas. She was in the ‘entertainment business’ and supplied a range of impersonators and singing telegrams that people could hire to presumably spice up their parties.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Such as Madam Lash.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To our surprise she suddenly got down on all fours and demonstrated with a whip how easy it was to be Madam Lash.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dressed in lingerie, all you had to do was get the birthday boy (or whoever was the 'client') down on the floor, jump onto his back and whip him into some kind of ‘I don’t know what’.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Easy.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I was horrified.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had never had a serious boyfriend before and most certainly wouldn’t have known how to ‘sex it up’ if I tried.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bryce wasn’t spared either. She pulled out a tiny pair of underpants stitched with a big gold Z for Zorro on the front. Another popular one apparently. Now, I have to point out that Bryce wasn’t opposed to dress-ups. No one did a better Boy George at the Culture Club concert than Bryce but this was too much even for him!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a few more torturous minutes we made a hasty retreat and told the sweet lady we’d think about it and get back in touch.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Like, never.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was one moneymaking scheme that wasn’t quite right for me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to the drawing board.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to the Situations Vacant section.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.gorillagram.com.au/" target="_blank">Footnote: To my surprise Gorilla Grams still exist. Check out this link - www.gorillagram.com.au</a></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-38771883833094425792014-02-23T08:00:00.000+11:002014-03-17T15:16:25.813+11:00Caesar - A Very Golden Rescue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am usually very good at remembering dates.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This month, however, I forgot a very special one that relates to Caesar, my darling Golden Retriever.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those that know me well, know how much I love my dogs. They also know that I have experienced enormous grief in recent times when I’ve had to say goodbye to four of them in the space of just three and a half years.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are the dates of their passing that are etched in my memory.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Harley: December 30, 2009</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Caesar:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>February 1, 2012</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Samson: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>December 8, 2012</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Willow:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>July 21, 2013</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On each of these anniversaries I share a little story about them on Facebook along with a favourite photo. For me, this is a way to remember them publicly on a day when I am feeling just so sad.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week it suddenly occurred to me that I had missed the date for Caesar - February 1, the second anniversary.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am so upset by this.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why did I forget this year?</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This magnificent creature was only in my life for such a short period of time (five and a half months) but he managed to affect me greatly.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Caesar was a chubby, hairy and sometimes smelly Golden Retriever. At the estimated age of 11, he was our very own <i>‘Golden Oldie’.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He came into our life via Golden Retriever Rescue, (GRR) a registered charity and animal rescue organisation in NSW.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of years ago, I stumbled across the GRR website and was both touched and more than a little shocked to read the stories about these abandoned, unwanted, unloved and often abused <i>‘Goldies’</i> they were trying to find <i>‘furever’</i> homes for.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GRR rescues a staggering number of this gentle breed every year – somewhere in the vicinity of 200. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keep in mind that this figure represents only one rescue organisation, only one breed and only the state of NSW.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The overall problem of dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes that find themselves either lost, dumped or surrendered in this country is astounding. Without rescue organisations like GRR a large percentage of these would be euthanised. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is almost impossible to find accurate figures but there are some sources that suggest around 130,000 perfectly healthy dogs are put to sleep each year in Australia alone.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is especially difficult to find a new home for the seniors. Everyone wants a puppy it seems. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Steve and I always knew we wanted to give an old dog a second chance. GRR advised us that they had a boy named Caesar who might be the right fit for us.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The details of Caesar’s past were sketchy at best but we were told that his previous owner had died and he was surrendered to the RSPCA. He arrived in a terrible state. He was dirty and matted and was so obese that his skin had grown over his collar.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEbau72VHiVw3hd_k-JTgVglohqCaoSrZkfCwK_y5p40FKMcHZ6HNRypSwpmzWFhk_bquGXwI6qet3zmMNpzmstq6FNpCia0s6mnyHk-SxIpHivgULP6WlwJdQvZHAZNMvtyo4NWLzaUd/s1600/caesar3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEbau72VHiVw3hd_k-JTgVglohqCaoSrZkfCwK_y5p40FKMcHZ6HNRypSwpmzWFhk_bquGXwI6qet3zmMNpzmstq6FNpCia0s6mnyHk-SxIpHivgULP6WlwJdQvZHAZNMvtyo4NWLzaUd/s1600/caesar3.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Caesar at the RSPCA Yagoona</b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GRR then took him for a short period of time so he could undergo some rehabilitation. They also needed to assess whether he was suitable for rehoming.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we were introduced to this sweet old gentleman, it was love at first sight. Initially we were going to foster him. This involved taking him on a trial basis for a few weeks and, all being well, we could then consider adopting him permanently.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With Caesar and I in the back seat of the car, we drove out of the driveway of GRR and before we had even made it to the end of the street, Steve looked into the rear vision mirror and said, “I love you mate.”</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another<i> ‘foster failure’</i> as they say in the rescue business. In fact one of my friends said to me the very next day, “That dog ain't going back!” It was obvious that we were completely besotted.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We set Caesar’s bed up in our bedroom and he spent this entire first night crying like a frightened baby. It was heartbreaking. While we knew there was only going to be love for him, this was his fourth home in the space of a few months and I guess he wasn’t quite as convinced.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Loving his nice soft bed</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the following day he seemed to know that he had struck gold. Our home quickly became known as <i>‘Caesar’s Palace’ </i>and he seemed to work that out within the first 24 hours. We were committed to doing whatever it took to make sure he would live out his days with us with everything he could have ever dreamt of.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After he settled in, he seemed to just open his heart to us. We spent the next few months doing everything together. He lived inside with us and had cuddles and home cooked meals every night; more cuddles and walks every day - one very happy family of three.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Loving life</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve and Caesar had a very special relationship. They truly were the best of mates.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Two of my favourite photos of Steve and Caesar</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly though, at the end of January 2012, Caesar’s past caught up with him. After years of neglect and poor health his body started to break down. We did everything we could but after a few days it became apparent that we had to make that terrible decision. He needed us more than ever now.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We held him in our arms, told him how much we loved him and did the only thing we could do to take his pain away.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to think we gave Caesar the best five and a half months of his life.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even so, he deserved so much more.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RIP Caesar. On February 1, 2012, a date to remember, you took a little piece of my heart with you but I’ll be eternally grateful that you chose me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b><i>“If love could have saved you, </i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>you would have lived forever.”</i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.grr.org.au/" target="_blank">Please consider adopting a rescue animal or making a donation, however small, to GRR. All donations over $2.00 are tax deductible and it’s a wonderful way to really make a difference to the lives of these beautiful animals</a></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> - <a href="http://www.grr.org.au/">www.grr.org.au</a></i></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com0Sydney NSW, Australia-33.8674869 151.20699020000006-34.711976400000005 149.91609670000005 -33.0229974 152.49788370000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-36481820204596115912014-02-16T18:14:00.002+11:002014-03-17T15:17:00.130+11:00A Westie in Vaucluse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIj2mCyS2PkH0WgLginOQhxOCakcfNgFKqTfgQKHdW8d1lP1oQYd77ex3YSWIMbot0-sWha4DD2_Z8oUNYTkt1mzx0jX1V4-lT27ySCWe5QQuuCsoIcxUIg6H3sBvxUFDQj8SlmTyruZh/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIj2mCyS2PkH0WgLginOQhxOCakcfNgFKqTfgQKHdW8d1lP1oQYd77ex3YSWIMbot0-sWha4DD2_Z8oUNYTkt1mzx0jX1V4-lT27ySCWe5QQuuCsoIcxUIg6H3sBvxUFDQj8SlmTyruZh/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something got me thinking this week about how I ended up living in Vaucluse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was raised in <i>St Marys</i>, a Western Suburb of Sydney.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">St Marys is just past Mt Druitt, in between Blacktown and Penrith.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a teenager growing up in the early 1980's being a "Westie" had it's drawbacks and it was more than just our bad perms. We were instantly recognisable, especially the boys. Mullett haircuts, tee shirts, tight black jeans, unbuttoned checked flannelette shirts (flannos) and ugg boots. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes. You knew a Westie when you saw one.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went to Colyton High School and even though I was always in the top classes academically, my less than ladylike behaviour started to become a problem. I dropped out of school when I was just 15 to become an apprentice hairdresser. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I cannot believe that was thirty years ago.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I cannot believe I became a hairdresser.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My albeit brief career in hairdressing was purely accidental. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was in Year 10 it was compulsory to engage in a week of work experience. Our school decided it would be better for 'our development' to find our own work experience placement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the time I thought I wanted to be a barrister. There was a solicitor’s office on the main street of St Marys so I decided to approach them. The office was on the second floor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the street level was a hairdressing salon, 'Catch Hair Design', so named because the owner wanted something 'catchy'. Well, nothing like sticking to the basics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the last minute, I got too shy to walk up the stairs and walked into Catch Hair Design instead. The next thing I knew I had secured my work experience placement and managed to get offered a part-time job as the Thursday night/Saturday morning hair washer, hair sweeper, floor mopper, coffee maker and all round dogs body. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first pay was $15.00, which was given to me in cash in an envelope. Everyone got paid in cash back then. It was such a thrill to be handed that envelope. To celebrate I went straight to local fish and chips shop and spent $3.00 (20% of my entire pay) on potato scallops and chips with chicken salt and BBQ sauce. It's funny what you remember.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Applying for a job in the 1980's was quite different to how it is today. There was no Facebook, Twitter, Email or the Internet as we now know it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You had three options:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A. Walk in off the street and ask if they were hiring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B. Go through the Yellow Pages (two gigantic volumes: A-K and L-Z) and look for suitable employers and telephone them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">C. Scour through the <i>Classifieds/Positions Vacant</i> section in the newspaper (and try not to be distracted by the <i>'Man Seeking Woman' </i>or the <i>'Same Seeking Same'</i> ads) and apply the old-fashioned way by posting a hand-written application letter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Option C presented the biggest problem because naturally you needed to write your address on the correspondence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The girl from St Mary's that went to Colyton High School?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>OR</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The girl from money, I mean Vaucluse, that went to Kincoppal-Rose Bay.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You really couldn't compete with that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now this was quite unfair really. I had some wonderful teachers at Colyton High School especially our science teacher Mr Allen, otherwise known as <i>Sharkman</i> for reasons I can no longer remember. Another great teacher, Mrs Long, invited our entire music class to a pool party at her house (that sounds a bit weird now). Unfortunately the brother of one of the other kids tried to drown me causing a premature end to the party.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was well aware that we would be compared to these kids from faraway lands (the Eastern Suburbs). I imagined their mansions, maids and swimming pools just like The Beverly Hillbillies. At the time that was my only reference point.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hated being asked where I lived, and if I were I would answer in a whisper in the hope that they didn't hear me or had no idea where it was anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps these days it doesn't matter so much where you come from or maybe it does but at my age, I don't care anymore. Back then it just seemed to mean everything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only wealthy suburb I could name was Vaucluse. All I knew was that was where the rich people lived. Who knew that some twenty years later I would call Vaucluse home?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q-XCEC8f-ibdI7QV6c-P68LaWR9XozOMOowt-hoEKcPNwkhCpKcFLMmzEywJkUi_VePU6BLttcMSTDHFNHC3UpoPxkVcYX-9XPS5skbyJ0BJU_x7admQPmxSqPmL0xYctQ4a54h3V4LP/s1600/314092_10150334120291361_52052528_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q-XCEC8f-ibdI7QV6c-P68LaWR9XozOMOowt-hoEKcPNwkhCpKcFLMmzEywJkUi_VePU6BLttcMSTDHFNHC3UpoPxkVcYX-9XPS5skbyJ0BJU_x7admQPmxSqPmL0xYctQ4a54h3V4LP/s1600/314092_10150334120291361_52052528_n.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Aerial View of my Street in Vaucluse</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, when I get asked the same question, "Where do you live?" I struggle to say Vaucluse. It's very hard to say Vaucluse without sounding like a complete knob especially when the response is usually, "Oh. Vauclooze!" said with an exaggerated highbrow accent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I find myself defending this by saying, "But I grew up in St Marys!" like that makes everything okay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it usually does.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So over the years I've realised that growing up in the west has really been a blessing. It has given me wonderful friends, a strong work ethic and a desire to make something of my life. I also appreciate everything I have. I've worked hard and saved hard and I think I can say I have been a kind and decent person with strong values.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So yes, while I will admit to living in Vaucluse, I have to say I am still one very big, proud Westie at heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Never Forget where you came from.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>It's what made you the person you are today.</b></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7slTlPo4CprK2I5FYgu_M7s58vdFelIswMMylCNf4g5VFE61Z_QqHn3vB6o8InDPAsDE5XlbDOFc45pqnHuTLYjHH4ngytPFJ_akTgjZFesIsNwsUU9xKwINc_VTuxJg0MlhOkimFJ1RC/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7slTlPo4CprK2I5FYgu_M7s58vdFelIswMMylCNf4g5VFE61Z_QqHn3vB6o8InDPAsDE5XlbDOFc45pqnHuTLYjHH4ngytPFJ_akTgjZFesIsNwsUU9xKwINc_VTuxJg0MlhOkimFJ1RC/s1600/photo.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Walking Caesar in Christison Park Vaucluse</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05068373272811253776noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6518736280562513700.post-7894700143765261932014-02-11T19:04:00.001+11:002014-03-18T08:11:44.296+11:00Just Give It A Go.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYr8UPvEUYIHTlx2raI0t3eKI5pE6SVbQ_N5i6iVpADDzHQr34-wF-W1vgnca0YvYMoEDuRzkcK8rouz5pLAmsQ1i2eDi24a5jYDXMClhB9XbysylFiMhmF7EQsVH7TfTcXtMc-i4ms_QB/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYr8UPvEUYIHTlx2raI0t3eKI5pE6SVbQ_N5i6iVpADDzHQr34-wF-W1vgnca0YvYMoEDuRzkcK8rouz5pLAmsQ1i2eDi24a5jYDXMClhB9XbysylFiMhmF7EQsVH7TfTcXtMc-i4ms_QB/s1600/IMG_0204.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Just give it a go. If you don't like it, you don't have to do it again."</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to a friend of mine, I say that a lot. It somehow resonated with him and gave him the courage to try a number of things that he had never really considered a possibility before.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in the spirit of this, I'm going to take my own advice and give writing, or more specifically <i>travel writing,</i> a go.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My immediate goal is to write feature stories about the incredible experiences I've had at some of the amazing places I've been to around the world and then pitch these stories to editors for publication in major newspapers and magazines.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My ultimate goal is to write a number of bestselling (naturally!) books in the form of a <i>travel memoir</i>. From blog to book, as they say.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sounds simple enough. Of course I know it won't be that easy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I have put together a bit of a plan.</span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Step 1. Get a new email address that tells everyone I'm a writer. Tick. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Email me at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>sandyrosenthalfreelancewriter@gmail.com</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Step 2. Create a blog. Tick. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to my blog. It can be found at <b>www.sandyrosenthal.blogspot.com</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As this is my very first post, I thought I should Google the term <i>blog</i> to make sure I even knew what it meant. For the record I didn't. Not really anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="lr_dct_ph">blɒɡ/</span><span class="lr_dct_spkr lr_dct_spkr_off" data-log-string="pronunciation-icon-click" jsaction="dob.p" style="display: inline-block; height: 16px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 2px; margin-top: 0px; opacity: 0.55; vertical-align: middle; width: 16px;" title="Listen"><input height="16" src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAAcUlEQVQ4y2P4//8/AyUYQhAH3gNxA7IAIQPmo/H3g/QA8XkgFiBkwHyoYnRQABVfj88AmGZcTuuHyjlgMwBZM7IE3NlQGhQe65EN+I8Dw8MLGgYoFpFqADK/YUAMwOsFigORatFIlYRElaRMWmaiBAMAp0n+3U0kqkAAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" style="height: 16px; width: 16px;" type="image" width="16" /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>noun</b></i></span></div>
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<b>a personal website or web page on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis.</b></div>
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<b>1.</b></div>
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<b>add new material to or regularly update a blog.</b></div>
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<b>"it's about a week since I last blogged"</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Based on this definition I'll be recording my personal stories and sharing my thoughts and opinions here on a regular basis. I think that, too, sounds much easier than it will be in reality. Sharing your private thoughts can be quite a confronting experience.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel that blogging will be a great way for me to start putting down some words on paper, so to speak and get into the habit of writing regularly to improve my skills before I make those pitches to some of the big scary magazine and newspaper editors out there.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope I can deliver interesting, enjoyable and perhaps at times even thought-provoking posts for you to read. I welcome all comments and feedback at least until I decide to welcome them no more. Well, I am an artist and we can be volatile creatures.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What sort of things will I be writing about?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mostly my life experiences, love and my relationship, adventure and travel. I will share my passion for rescue dogs and raising money for charity, especially for animal welfare groups and discuss my thoughts on enrolling in university for the first time at age 45 (terrifying) etc.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have an exhaustive but hopefully not boring list of topics to explore.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's no doubt I live an adventurous life. My job as an International Flight Attendant affords me the opportunity and my partner Steve gives me the inspiration and belief that I can do anything I want to do. He has summited Mount Everest, so he's not that easy to impress but for some reason, I seem to impress him with my willingness to continually take on challenges that would take just about anyone out of their comfort zone.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our conversations run a bit like this:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me: "Let's run a marathon on every continent including Antarctica!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve: "Sounds good."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me: "Let's do the Camino de Santiago and walk 800km across the top of Spain!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve: "Love to. Lock it in."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Me: "Let's see the Northern Lights in Lapland and go dog sledding!"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve: "Sure."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps that gives you a bit of an idea on some of our upcoming travel plans. For the record we have already run our first marathon on this continent at the Australian Outback Marathon. Only six more continents to go. Easy. Next stop - The Big 5 Marathon in South Africa this coming June. Stay tuned as I will be furiously blogging all about it while I'm there.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Step 3, Step 4, Step 5..........to follow.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I sign off from my very first blog, I should say that as I sat down this morning to write this I naturally turned to Facebook to indulge in some procrastination and I spotted what I think is the perfect quote on a friend's page (thankyou Cheryl Ward-Massey) to end with:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"If there is something you want to do,</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DO IT NOW.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Don't let <i>later</i> turn into <i>never</i>."</b></span></div>
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