Everything seems like it's coming apart at the seams...

And he randomly comes back and posts something from the deep dark void of cyberspace.

I have to admit, things have been very interesting the last month or so. And not always in a good way unfortunately.

I guess I'll start with the worst of things and work my way up to the more pleasant ones :)

Worst would have to be the death of my Oma. She finally passed away at age 94. It came as a bit of a surprise to ehar she was in hopsital suffering from three aneurisms a couple of weeks ago. She lasted nine days before finally giving up the ghost. In one way I'm grateful she lasted as it gave me a chance to go visit her up in Gosford and say goodbye. On the other hand, it was pretty hear twrenching seeing what my dad was going through, knowing that any moment she could pass away. I know he was with her when she finally did pass away. I hope, for his sake, that that is some form of consolation for him.

Then there's the post funeral family politics...I've been catching snippets of what's going on and I refuse to get involved. I realise emotions are running high at the moment, but still, couldn't they give her some peace before any infighting?

Work is beginning to grate. I really need some time off. I need to approach my manager and see if I can't organise something. But I've started lookign for new jobs as well. I applied for an EL1 which would be nice if I got it :) There's a job over at the aFP that looks like it might be interesting, although it may mean a pay cut. Otherwise there's not a lot out there I'm that keen on right now. At least in the ICT field.

So, now we start getting on to some of th better stuff :) My house is supposed to have finally commenced construction :) As of last Friday. I haven't been out to check, but I figure I'll give them a week or two just to give them some time to actually get some work done :D I can't wait to move into my own place. Which should hopefully be ready by mid November / early December. The extra space, the not having to pay rent and many other things to look forward to.

I've actually begun paiting my horde of marines too. I've jsut about finished the lot I'm taking to Phenomenon this weekend. Looking pretty schmick if I do say so myself. I would like to add a few extra details on them before the weekend if I can find the time though.

Finally, I've started dating someone. It's been...well actually, I suppose technically it's been a month tomorrow. It depends on when you consider things kicking off. I suppose tomorrow is a month from the first date, but things have been moving towards this for a little while beforehand. I guess that's one reason things feel so comfortable with her right now, despite the apparent briefness of the dating side of things.

*squee*

Random bragging update time!

Let's start with the hosue. The land was due to be settled today. However, due to complications, that's been pushed back until thursday next week. Luckily these complications shouldn't affect me apart from delaying things a little. but things finally appear ot be in a position to be going ahead soon.

Next, I've been a public servant for all of a year and 3 months now (give or take) and I've already gone up two pay bands to an APS 6 from a 4. My new role has seen me finally get off of the service desk. I haven't done any technical work yet, as I'm just doing project administrational kind of work at the moment, but that will be changing soon. I'm working with some interesting people who I can learn a lot from, so I'm eager to make the most of this opportunity. I'm hoping by the end of this project (which should hopefully be around June next year), I'll be in a position to get an EL1 position somewhere.

The next awesome part? I get to travel a lot as part of this new role. I'll be going out to Vanuatu later this month for 9 or so days. Sure I'll eb working for a lot of it, but, gee, life is hard sometimes :D Of course I'll be going to a few places that aren't quite so exotic too.

So now the whole two people that will read this know. And I really should be going to bed as I've got to drive up to Sydney after work tomorrow for a wedding.

So. I got some rather exciting news yesterday. My home loan application has been unconditionally approved! YAY! I'm really excited. I'll finally have my own house. Sometime next year. And my own large debt to go with it :P

Woooo update!

In the news today...I have a temporary promotion, woot! So I'm acting as an APS 5 now, more money = awesome! :) It's good. I've taken on a bit more responsibility too, which means I'm doing a little bit more to occupy myself at work.

On to some bigger news though. I picked up the contracts for the house and land today. 12 squares of living, 2 car garage, postage stamp block of land. But it's *my* postage stamp block of land :) Loan application is all systems go too. It's hard to get unconditional approval wihtout the contracts see. Now I jsut need to pray that I can get everything sorted before the end of the month. If I don't, it's not the end of the world, but I do miss out on $7,000 of free money from the govenrment. But it's all very exciting and scary at the same time :)

In an amusing story, I had to get some forms signed off so I can get them to the builder *checks time* later today. One of which was a stat dec. I don't know any JP's. So I went to the AG's site and started going through the list of people who can sign off on a stat dec. I noticed that an officer in the ADF can. What a coincidence! I have a mate from gaming who's an officer in teh ADF and lives just over the other side of the lake! So I rock up at his place and he's got some guests over. One of which, amusingly enough, is a JP! So got the stat dec signed off by them. Hung around and played several rounds of rummy. Had a whiskey, tried a german beer. Had a wonderful chat with my mate and his wife about where things in my life where going in terms of future options, talked about the house and what I could possibly do with it etc.

Oh and for those I haven't already told, work recently sent me to Jakarta for a week. It's been about 20 years since I was there last, some things have changed, but what I remember like teh air pollution and the general poverty was still there. I enjoyed myself though and wouldn't mind going back if the opportunity presents itself. But the exciting part is that while I was there, workign in the office on the 26th floor, Jakarta was hit byt a rather large earthquake. Either 7.0 or 7.3 depending on who you listen to :) Certainly and interesting experience.

Anyway, I think that does it for updateness for now.

Oh one last thing. When is Australia going to get a gorram R 18+ rating for video games!!?!? I want my left 4 dead 2 dammit!

I love it when someone you've gotten on well with for the best part of 7-8 months decides to just shut you out because you stuff up once. One mistake undoes everything and more apparently.

Oh well. It was fun while it lasted I spose.

On another note...I need to a) get out more and b) need to develop more self control when in JB Hi-Fi.

I am still doign regular exercise. My change in diet is well, it's still going, just been a bit more lax though. But I'm still losing weight, so all is good with the world.

LOL. I just realised that this is close to the last place I've got where I can let random stuff out that is unlikely to be read by certain individuals (lol, actually pretty much people at work) in my life.

Once again I find myself plagued by woman. Well that's not fair. Confused would be a much better word than plagued. Plagued implies that there's something bad with said woman. Which there isn't. But my god. Could the signals get any more mixed? Blah. I've always thought I'm a reasonably empathic person. Generally able to pick up on most individuals' state of mind etc. She vexes me so. Comments that, well, quite frankly lean towards the positive in terms of indication of interest. But, do I take it as that? No. Because that would be assuming too much. And I don't like making assumptions of that nature. But one of these days I'm going to just have to take the plunge and jsut do soemthing about it. Whether it be now, with this person or in the future with someone else. I can't continue to sit idly by while my life continues to go past me. Ok, now that I've finished my usual "OMG I'M INTERESTED IN A WOMAN WTF DO I DO?" vent and got it out of my system (for now :P), onto other, possibly more interesting things.

On another note. I'm down to about 111kg as of a bit under a week ago. I think that's possibly the lightest I've been for at least a decade. Another 21kg to go and I'll be happy. I hope :P I'll at elast be ready to go sky diving. Along these lines, I think I'm actually going to *shudders* join a gym. I hate to admit, but the coupel of classes I've been to this week have been really quite good. Even if I am sore and tired afterwards :P The company helps though. *see above*. But if I join one, it's probably better that I join one closer to home. But. Yeah. Exercise is good. On the exercise note, I've actually been walking home from work 3-4 times a week. The trip is about 6.6km all told.

Work is sending me over to Jakarta. It should be, I hesitate to use the word fun, so I'll settle for interesting instead. It's been about two decades since I've been to Indonesia. So I will get to see the sights, the sounds, the crowded masses, the pollution, the bombings... It's only a short trip, about a week or so. At least from the brief conversation I had about it. I guess we'll see how things pan out.

A position I applied for at work got axed. So my application is now null and void. yay. Still waiting to hear back about my expression of interest in a couple of positions that opened up in teh Service Desk. I'm not holding my breath though. Everything moves so slowly in the APS *sigh*

Hmmm, what else. Nope, I think I'm suitably tired / tapped out to bother writing any more.

Well, I've lost another 3.3kg over the last three weeks. Given how badly I ate during some of those weeks, I'm pretty impressed to lost a bit over a kilo per week on average.

I've been trying to walk home from work as often as I can too. 6.6km a day is probably helping things a little.

In other news...I'm going to a gym class tomorrow. Getting exercise is actually the secondary reason for it though. I'm going to spend time with someone. So I'm going to go to the gym, to pay what will probably be some exhorbidant fee to get all hot and sweaty with someone. I'm sure I'm doing this wrong >_

So, if my memory is accurate, it's been 4 weeks since I started my new lifestyle, in terms of a comitted dietary change.

Over the past 4 weeks, I've lost a grand total of 7kg. None too shabby. Of course, despite this, I've still not noticed any changes in myself physically. Of course, given that I constantly see myself, that could be a good reason ;)
It's like not noticing my lizard is growing.

My insane project of collecting an entire marine chapter is slowly moving along too. I've managed to assemble over 300 of the little blighters. I know there are people out there who think it's a complete waste of time and money...but I'll do it :)

ANyway, that's it really, I think I'm going to head out for a walk and buy myself some crockery...if I can find anything I like in my price range.

OK, so a brief update I spose. I've managed to lose almost 4 kilos in the last two weeks. I'm guessing mainly thanks to the diet I started last sunday.
Win!
This is unhealthy weight loss.
Fail.
It's only unhealthy weight loss if I don't keep up my change of lifestyle longterm.
Win!
I've managed to keep it up for jsut over a whole week now and don't forsee any problems keeping it up indefinitely.
Win!
My new eating habits are saving me a shed load of money.
Win!

Lots of win up there :)

My surviving lizard is going well. I've applied for a higher level job at work that I'm reasonably confident I'll get. There's some other stuff which I've told...well actually quite a few people now. I should be getting a house. I'm waiting on the building contract, finalised plans and then I need to get unconditional approval for the loan...as well as a solicitor to go over it all. Fun and games no? But much excitement to be had!

Today marks the day of my changing my diet...hopefully permanently. While I've been exercising regularly, the weight isn't coming off, it's hovering about the same level, so I will need to change my diet more than I have already to compliment the exercise. Time will tell I guess. If that doesn't work, well, I guess I'll have to see a health professional or something.

I'm hoping to lose about 20kg by christmas. Which will put me about 10kg off my target weight.

I'm goign to follow a similar plan that a mate has done and it has worked wonders for him. I just hope I can stick to it.

So apparently I'm not good with animals. One of my lizards died a few days ago :( The other one is alive and kicking though. I hope, certainly seems to be.

But life goes on etc. Had a great day at work today, for a change. Nice and busy, plenty of stuff to do. Pretty much busy all day, except for a brief lull during lunch. First time, well, close to since I started the job. Got to meet some of the gradlettes today. At the risk of sounding stereotypically male, mmm, tasty. I have to say, while the work is a bit slow, the scenery at work is top rate :)

I'm still waiting on housing pricing, whether or not I'm going to get one or not and my loan application to go through. Grr. So want a house.

OK. This is so awesome, I couldn't *not* share.

http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=13408&count=0

So I may or may not be about to go into incredibly large amounts of debt soon. It all depends on a couple of factors. Well mainly it depends on if I can actually get in on the Ownplace scheme to get a nice affordable house. And I guess it also depends on if I can get a loan. I don't see a problem on that front, but I can't guarantee I'll get one given the current climate.

So. The tank is at my place as are the lizards :) I'm still looking to get a stand though, so at the moment it's sitting on the floor on a wooden board.

I still need to get a few things, like some branches to stick in the tank for some variable heat levels for the things :)

But here are my new babies, I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to call them, but Prime and Grimlock are the leading contenders:

I went indoor rock climbing for the first time ever yesterday. And I managed to complete 4-5 climbs, which I thought was pretty good for myself, given I wasn't even expecting to be able to do more than 1-2. I did rediscover my dislike of heights though. But, despite that, I think I'll give it another go.

In other news, I'll be getting my pet lizards + tank tomorrow. I'm still trying to figure out where I'll put the tank though. That being said, I'm about to go look at a place that will have a lot more space as a possibility of renting. It's available in April, but it looks like a nice place from the pics, so it will be good to get a proper look at it before I decide if I'm going to commit to moving there.

I guess I'll post more later, I really should get going.

So. I spent a lot of money today. Well technically yesterday given that it's after midnight. I also have nothing to actually show for it yet :P But, I am now, officially a pet owner. Well, technically I got two pets. Of the same species. And a tank to keep them in. And all the bits and pieces to setup the tank. Yes, I actually splurged on a pair of bearded dragons. They're so cute. I'm eager to get the setup...err...setup. But I am house sitting at the moment and my car can't fit the tank in it if I tried. But I have transport assistance sorted out when I need it. So all is good with the world on the pet front.

Also today (yesterday, whatever...damn pedants) I went to the doctor. I've had this irritating thing in my eye for a little while that jsut never went away. The last day or two it got really annoying, so I went and saw a doctor about it. Luckily, it was just a piece of debris and nothign serious. It still feels a little scratchy, but I'm sure that will go away soon now that the particle has been removed.

This message brought to you by too much energy.

So. Stuff. As I think I've already mentioned, I've changed by habits a bit. I find myself *actually trying* to keep my house clean. It's been about a month now I think. Which is a world record for me. I don't think I've managed to keep a place clean for more than a week before.
On top of that I've been regularly exercising, which I'm also sure I've mentioned before. But I've managed to do it consistantly for almost 3 weeks now.

I spent a large amount of money on one of these.

Mainly so I can make my life easier as I convert this into something riderless and generally more pleasant to look at but still as angry. But it should make my hobby life simpler in general anyway.

I should find out towards the end of this month, or at the start of next month if I'm going to be buying a house. I'm excited but scared at the same time. It's a huge decision and it's a lot of money. You know, I don't know why I'm posting here, I'm pretty sure I've covered almost everything already in past posts :P

On another note, I updated MSN...now it won't login. Not 100% sure why, so I've installed Trillian in the meantime. Turns out I can remember my ICQ account number and password. It's been years since I've used ICQ. It looks liek noone else uses it anymore either :P

Oh yeah, I guess I should say something in the vague direction of a Watchmen comment. I saw it last Saturday. I enjoyed it, but I think the comic covers more and is, overall, better. I've got a friend who disagrees, but each to their own :) I recommend you go see it if you haven't. Reading the comic is up to you though, I'd also recommend doing so, but I'd probably leave it until after the movie in hindsight.

Now time for some blasphemy in the eyes of some. I finally saw V for Vendetta for the first time earlier this week. I really enjoyed it, even if some things were pretty predictable at points (and no, I have not read the comic for this one). Mind you, the only reason I saw it was because it was $10 at JB and I picked it up when I went in to go buy I Am Legend. Then I also picked up Layer Cake, Iron Man, The Hulk (the new one, not the Eric Banna one), Lock Stock and Smokin Aces. I'm kinda happy that all that only set me back $90. Of course, I'm yet to actually watch any of the other movies I bought apart from V for Vendetta :P

I'm feeling a bit lost at the moment though. Well, maybe not lost, just weird and different. Almost like I was someone else, but not quite. But generally I've been feeling pretty good. That could be linked with the vaguely healthier lifestyle I seem to have adopted :P
On a vaguely, but not really related note. I seem to have a penchant of finding friends who are somewhat mentally...unstable (to put it nicely :P). I don't know if it's just me or that all humans are mentally fubar. I suspect that the human race in general is just fucked up.

OK. So while I appear to be somewhat fitter than I thought I was, which is good, I'm still not fit enough to ride to work. I can just do my place to my mate's place in Ainslie. But I think I pushed myself a little too hard and feel a bit queasy. But hey. I only got off to walk the bike twice for a couple of minutes on the way back and not at all the way there. Now if only using up all this fat was that easy...