XS, S, M, L and XXL News

NEWS FROM UP NORTH...

Well, not too much happening for me at the moment, and you can tell by what follows that even the smallest things entertain!

However, there is one rather... somewhat... LARGE piece of news (don't get too excited), which only you, my dedicated blog reader(s?), will know for the moment (until the grapevine kicks in of course), and as a bit of a test, I'm interested to see just who reads the blog! But more on that later in the entry... meanwhile, here are some simple amusements and happenings.

REBELS WITH AN EXTREMELY GOOD CAUSE... I MEAN, CRATE

In aid of my vertically challenged status, we were on the look out of a cost effective, storage friendly, but functional set of steps. I cannot reach the clothes dryer and some kitchen shelves without something to stand on, but the search was proving fruitless. Then after dance class last week, we found this beauty abandoned in the car park and decided to steal....ahem... I mean, borrow it.

I am pleased to say that I can now reach the dryer, but it is a little tough on the feet

RANDOM PHOTO #1: THE SEA VIEW FROM OUR BALCONY

CLOSET POLE DANCING

We have had a pole installed in our bedroom.... cool. Unfortunately, it's not that exciting. Gideon put a support pole in the closet because the shelf looked like it might break under the weight of our clothes!

RANDOM PHOTO #2: SUNSET BEFORE THE STORM - FROM OUR STUDY BALCONY

MY FIRST DARWIN DANCE SOCIAL

The dance scene is not huge in Darwin. There is no swing or Le Bop. There are a few places that teach ballroom and there are two places that teach Salsa - both at a beginner to intermediate standard - it's still fun, but not very challenging.

There is one guy who teaches Argentinian Tango - Gideon and I have been going to learn something new. Acho seems like authentic teacher, and sometimes we are the only people in the class. I LURVE Tango. Incidently, for those in Melbourne, take advantage of Fabio and Ana (who are lovely) at Back to Back, Nicholson St, the 2005-06 Australian Champions. Chris & Christina at Viva Dance are also awesome. Last week we met 3 good looking doctors at Tango (lol), one Brit, one from Perth, and the other I recognised! I had danced salsa with him before in Melboune! People in Darwin are never from Darwin!

Anyway, where was I? Oh, once a month there is a bit salsa social. Although, they play all sorts of music - rock n roll, samba, chacha, bachata... depends on the crowd. And they do some really basic progressive dances so everyone can have a go (lol - takes me back to Primary School barn dances and Yr 9 Prac Dancing!). I had some good dances, which kept me buzzing for a few hours!

G & g: AFTER THE SALSA SOCIAL

All dressed up - at least by Darwin Standards!

1. Gideon's appropriately funny t-shirt - you may have to zoom in
2. I even flicked my hair out with product - Gideon said I looked like a cartoon character!
3. Very cool and glamourous earrings - thanks Matt & Mel - I love them!
4. Sexy new jeans! Well, I like them.
5. My bargain Esprit Dress - good for spinning in!
6. Newest addition to shoes I can dance in - Nine West - they are awesome!

RANDOM PHOTO #3: THE SKY AT DUSK

BABY Q

For his 30th birthday (it's on Feb 11 for those who wish to send him messages! ("or presents!", he says)), Gideon got this brand spanking new BBQ from his parents. It's a Weber Baby Q, and it's so very cute!! It's actually a gas Weber - yes, they make gas BBQ's!

LESS TRIVIAL NEWS...

Am still looking for work. :( Unfortunately I was knocked back on a job I really wanted. I've been applying for a lot of Government jobs, but I'm coming to the conclusion that they are very slow to respond and that their jobs seem to go to internal applicants.

However, as a result of a couple of other jobs I applied for, I heard back from two employment agencies last week, who are both kindly on the look out for me, and already there are a few interesting possibilities! I did some computer testing at Chandler Macleod (typing, Word and Excel) and apparently I got the highest scores they've ever seen - obviously the standard is not that high in Darwin!

Then, there's been an added complication...
I'm going to the UK after all!! A massive congratulations to Gideon who has been accepted into a course in the UK... which means that we are moving to England in July/August!!!!!! What it also means, is that with planned trips to Melbourne in March, Broome in June and then the UK in July/August... I can't really apply for a permanent position without feeling terribly guilty! So it looks like I may be temping for the next 6 months... which is not ideal, but then given the type of work available, might be a bit more interesting than a permanent position. We will see what happens!

So that's my big news. And this entry is starting to get very long and boring, so I will sign off... with of course a movie review.

Much love to everyone at home in Melbourne.... and other places too!

gayle xoxo

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Movie Review
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Miss Potter: 3.25/5

Cast: Renee Zellwegger (Cold Mountain, Bridget Jones), Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge), Emily Watson (Punch-Drink Love, Gosford Park).

In a nutshell: A lovely little movie, but nothing of particular consequence.

Brief Synopsis: The story of how Beatrix Potter became famous and the ups and downs surrounding that time.

Having misread the cinema timetable, I was quite disappointd to find that I would not be seeing Hugh Grant make a fool of himself in Music & Lyrics at least until Valentines Day, and instead settled for Miss Potter. Thus, my expectations were low, and I ended up having quite a pleasant Saturday Morning in the company of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck and the like. There's nothing outstanding about this biography, but it is quite a lovely story that leaves you feeling vaguely satisfied and optimistic by the end. I had a bit of a cry, which for me is usually a good indication of a well put together (sometimes deliberately manipulative) movie. Zellwegger is getting better at the British accent, and is more likeable than her Bridget Jones alterego, and McGregor and Watson are both scrumptious as Potter's publisher/love interest and his sister, respectively. Bit like an English tea really - polite, warm and comforting.

Glorious Rain

Good rain means about a 5 degree drop in temperature, it's actually 26 degrees now. It's raining now and Gideon has just put some jerky on, so it's a nice change to have all the windows and doors open. Here's a picture of the view from the study balcony. If you look really hard you may be able to see the rain.... really hard.

It has rained a fair bit in the last 20 hours or so, about 2cm. Not always heavy, but consistently going. Last night I went for my first swim in a storm. The lightening effects were awesome, and the water was still warm.

So it's true...

Nightclubbing in Darwin is excellent.
After a solid 3 and a half hour dance session, am feeling tired but very satisfied.
Pretty good music, easy going crowd, and very busy.
Had to work off all those tacos I ate for dinner!!

A Slice of Scrambled Egg

Ka-Chow my pretties…

Settling into the apartment now, and have had a chance to experience Darwin life a little more, and mostly it’s all good. Below are a few thoughts and facts.

By the way, if you want a way to be automatically notified of when I have updated my blog, click on the "bloglines" button on the right, and sign up to get automatic notification.

Darwin -The City

It’s small. There is no disputing that fact. There is pretty much one of everything. One Woolworths, one Coles (none of this Express-supermarket-on-every-corner rubbish), one CBA, one ANZ, one National (they seem not to have updated to “NAB” yet), one McDonalds. Then a lot of things are not in the city, you have to go out about 9-13km. The closest KFC, Bunnings and Freedom are all about 9km away.

The other day I went to the Darwin City library and signed myself up for a membership (my first since North Melbourne!). The library is so small that although they have a Romance fiction section, the Mills & Boon are not in it, the few they have live on a stand for people to read in the library only, no borrowing of Mills & Boon… or maybe it’s just that they actually have some standards! ;P

Darwin - TV

There is no Channel 10. How can that be you ask? No So You Think You Can Dance, no American Idol (Gideon gives a big sigh of relief!), no new season of NCIS, no Simpsons or Futurama, no Bold and the Beautiful (just kidding), no David Letterman, now that he has moved from 9 to 10, no Sandra Sully or Rove McManus. I am just beginning to realise just how much Channel 10 I used to watch, and how little of the other channels I watched. It’s probably a good thing I have other things to keep me busy (computer games!J). I am really looking forward to Heroes, Ugly Betty, Dancing with the Stars and the new season of The Amazing Race though. (Incidentally, is anyone entering the Melbourne Amazing Race in Feb?). I am told that in the past they have actually shown Big Brother on one of the other channels though… lucky us! ;P

Darwin - Don’t come here for the shopping.

There is only one big shopping mall. It is about the size of Northland and it is located 12.92km from here (according to Whereis.com). Last Tuesday I decided to brave the weather and go for my first proper bike ride. Stupidly I left home just around midday, and it was damn hot. I could feel the heat radiating off the bitumen, there was barely a breeze, at one stage I was feeling nauseous and wondering if I would make it. It took me 34 minutes to get there with an average heart rate of 166bpm!!! (Put it this way, sitting around, my heart rate is about 62bpm, and my max while exercising is around 180-190bpm if sprinting). Thankfully, it is pretty flat around here (Robbie, no hills I’m afraid). Anyway, I got there safely, and was pleasantly surprised by the size of the centre. Managed to fit in a movie (See below), missed the bank (they close at 4pm here), and even managed to make a few purchases…

They are back! And this perpetual fan has a copy of the new album. It’s not bad, although a touch on the sappy side. Not exactly cutting edge music, but I still love them (I hear Michael laughing at me in the back of my head). I’m also hoping to get the Panic! At the Disco album, now that I finally figured out who the hell sings that song with the line “haven’t you people ever heard of closing the God damn door.”

Darwin - Herbacious News Flash #1

Inspired by the likes of Geordie the herb man and Geoff the prolific tomato grower I decided to try my hand having a herb garden once again (all previous attempts have failed dismally).
Bunnings supplied me with a block of dehydrated seed raising mix (never heard of it, but there you go), which took forever to cut in half with a pair of scissors! Yeah, maybe a saw would have been better.

Turned out I needed the whole block anyway.

Just add some water...

...and Tada!

My own little herb nursery.

And look! Hey Presto!
They are already sprouting… although I think the sun is burning some of the seedlings.

Until next update... Much rain, heat and sparkle your way... g

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MOVIE REVIEW

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Dreamgirls: 3/5

Cast: Jamie Foxx (Ray, Collateral), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Beyonce Knowles (Gold Member), Jennifer Hudson (American Idol)

In a nutshell: Jennifer Hudson rocks

Brief Synopsis: Troubles erupt in a Supremes style girl-group as management makes some changes and egos get in the way.

There are rumours that after her Golden Globe win, that former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson just may take out the Oscar for best supporting actress. And why wouldn’t she? She pretty much is responsible for the score I have given the movie. The other actors are just ok, and I am surprised that Murphy is getting such great kudos for his supporting role. The movie is a touch on the long side also. In a movie that is as subtle as a lobster tan, Hudson managed to send tingles up my spine and make me shed many tears. I am of two minds as to whether the format of the movie worked. It is a musical, but unlike the brilliant Chicago and Moulin Rouge, the songs are placed such that often they break the mood of the scene rather than add to it. By the half way point I found myself hybrid groaning/laughing whenever another song started, despite the fact that the songs are good. On the other hand, I am not sure that Hudson’s performance would have been quite as powerful had she not had the luck of being able to use her best talent, her voice.

Update by photo

Howdy Partners,

I seemed to have skipped over Christmas and New Years, so here are some photos from Dec 2006 to Jan 2007 to show you what I've been up to.

In early December, Gideon and I hit the Great Ocean Road in THE cutest car around.

Mmmmm..... the Mini luurves the GOR....

...and so does Gideon.


The Kylie Showgirl concert was completely awesome. Tania did a brilliant job of getting us tickets only 8 rows from the extended runway. Kylie was even more beautiful, stronger, and more entertaining that I had even hoped to imagine. Plus, she surprised us with some really good quality singing! As Milo would say "Nothing but respect".

For Amy's very belated (June) birthday celebration, we headed off to the Collingwood Abbey to take a look at the glass blowing at Philip Stokes' glass studio. Pretty cool to see how much effort goes into making just one drinking glass.

Katherine and Zoe have a pseudo drink of water at the Abbey cafe (nice spot for a weekend brunch or lunch by the way).

Then it was off to a relaxed lunch at one of my favourite places in Melbourne, the Fairfield Boathouse.... mmm... yummm.... jam and scones....mmmm.

A walk afterwards to work off some of the calamari salad, pizza and burgers.
Cheryl, Monica, Amy, Zoe, Katherine & me.


Next, it was up to Sydney to spend time with Gideon and his family.

On a ferry from Manly to Circular Quay

Gideon enjoys the harbour.

Sneak preview of the firework hanger on the bridge.

Catching up with Anna at the Rocks (Gorgeous Lass) for a German all day breakfast.

All smiles despite the sauerkraut.

Christmas Dinner #1 - Christmas Eve
Mum's Family
Christmas in Eastwood with cousins galore.
Adrian, Drew, Kwang, Eric, Amelia, Amanda, Sabrina.

It's ok Andrew, it's only a paper hat.

The adults in silly hats... and a few stray kids.


Christmas Dinner #2 - Cromer Heights
Gideon's Family
David carves up the delicious turkey.

Before we were all too stuffed to sit up.
Nick, Anne-Marie, David, Cate, Gideon, Gen and Archie.


Christmas Dinner #3 - Lower Templestowe
My family
Unfortunately there seems to be a lack of photos here - it does not mean that the meal was any less delicious in any way, it just means that Gayle left her camera in Sydney.
Lynn, James, Mum and Dad.

Hope you all had just a great a Christmas as I did and ate just as much.... well no, I shouldn't wish that on anyone, no matter how delicious all the turkeys, chickens, sausages, hams and pork cracklings were. :)

g

Come on in...

Welcome to our new home...

Very humid greetings from Darwin!

I hope you are all well, and recovered from Christmas and New Years feastings!

Apologies again (this seems to be all I do on this blog), I know I said I would try to blog more often, and I promise I will. Am waiting for our ADSL connection to happen at the moment, so using dial up, hence the lack of blogging. Also having problems accessing hotmail, so apologies to anyone who I have been innocently ignoring!

I’ve only been here for a week now, but it feels like a month. The last week has been pretty busy.

The day I left Melbourne was a hectic one. I got two fillings from my local dentist (instead of the four fillings the stunningly blonde dentist at Smile Solutions had prescribed – long story, most of you have already heard it). Then set about trying to get all my stuff to weigh in under the 35kg limit, after which the cost of excess baggage is phenomenal. Finally rocked up at the airport with my trolley loaded with a bicycle, large suitcase and my trusty backpack… which totalled to 35kg exact! Luckily the new Virgin rule of having to weigh your bike did not apply to me because I booked before the 1st of Jan, and the bike (plus accessories) weighed in at a mere 5kg. Double bonus was that because my trolley was so overloaded, they let me go straight to the front of the luggage queue – sweet!

Very lucky girl that I am, Gideon did all of the hard work and looked at about 25 apartments and townhouses before I got up here. Then on the morning after I arrived we had a look at 3 places and signed the lease that afternoon. The next day all our furniture was delivered and we have been unpacking ever since! All extremely quick and stress free… for me anyway.



The apartment is awesome. The only complaints I would have is that the two car spots we have are only under shade cloth (still working on finding a dry place to put my bike, it’s already getting rusty out on the verandah, a new bicycle may not be far off!), and the bathrooms are definitely on the pokey side.



But otherwise, it fits all of our requirements.

It’s a short walk to the city centre, ie. The cinema (approx. 500m), and there is a Video Ezy and a Dominos just around the corner. There’s a lap pool which has been a divine treat after each day of unpacking, the water is always warm and welcoming.



The apartment itself is big enough that both of us can be in the apartment at one time and not know where the other person is. Best of all, it’s large enough to fit all of our junk! The cupboards and storage space are phenomenal – Gideon tells me that in general Darwin places tend to have a lot more storage than Melbourne. We have a spacious living area (plenty of room for the trolls!)...



...and a pretty decent kitchen, apart from the electric stove (seems to be the standard here).



There are 3 bedrooms, one of which we are using as a study. The other is a dedicated guest room, and we can’t wait to have our first visitors. So please take that as an invitation!

Gideon has gone back to work this week, so I’m at home by myself during the day trying to be a dutiful house slave. Don’t know if I’m being all that successful as I keep getting distracted by computer games (Icewindale II). Believe it or not I have been getting up quite early, 7am today – as I’ve been getting up with Gideon and trying to make use of the day. A bit of job hunting, more unpacking, some errands and then making dinner – and there you go, the day is gone!

Still getting used to the weather, but starting to get better. I think switching between air conditioning and the humidity outside is going to take some time. Finding my bearings around Darwin hasn’t been too difficult, as there really isn’t that much of it. Our unpacking has finally got to a respectable level too. There are still some boxes still to unpack, but at least there is not a box at every turn now. Will send on more photos once we have gotten rid of all of the boxes. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Love gayle

PS. Photos from the Christmas & New Years to follow, once I have access to a better connection.
PPS. And some movie reviews, of course!

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MOVIES
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Night at the Museum: 2.3/5

Cast: Ben Stiller (Reality Bites, Zoolander)

In a Nutshell: Fun bit of puff, kiddie silliness

Brief Synopsis: The new night security guard at a museum has to learn to deal with all of the models and dinosaur skeletons in the museum coming alive every night.

Nothing particularly outstanding about this one. In the vein of Jumanji, there are a few laughs and some adventure, and the main character learns more about himself in the process of sorting things out.


The Holiday: 3.75/5

Cast: Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine…, Titanic), Cameron Diaz (Charlie’s Angels), Jude Law (A.I., Cold Mountain), Jack Black (Hi Fidelity, Nacho Libre)

In a Nutshell: Overcomes a bad case of overacting at the start with some funny and touching (read mushy) moments.

Brief Synopsis: Two lasses do a house swap to the other side of the earth to get away from their boy troubles.

Surprisingly it is Winslet and Diaz, both normally stunning and lovable sheilas, who make the movie painful to begin with – I don’t think I have ever seen such an atrocious case of over acting. But if you can get past the first 15 minutes, it is worth it. Nancy Meyers follows a similar formula to her previous movies, Something’s Gotta Give and What Women Want, throwing in some good humour with some human emotion and gets it mostly right. Jack Black is a puzzling choice as a romantic lead, and well, unfortunately it does not work. However, where Black lacks, Law makes up for it. A completely biased point of view, but Law was definitely the best of the actors, oozing natural charm, boy next door qualities and just general shaggability. I want to watch this again. Probably more for the chicas though

FESTIVE SEASON OR HUGH JACKMAN SEASON?

Apologies for such a long time between blogs. Things have been extremely hectic with packing, moving and Christmas and now I’m currently living out of an overstuffed backpack as most of my stuff is currently being transported to Darwin. Where I’m going to pack my newly purchased post-Christmas sale shoes and miscellaneous items I forgot to pack before, I have no idea.

Unfortunately my entries on the Great Ocean Road and multi-Christmas will have to wait as I have left my camera in Sydney. In the meantime, here are some movie reviews for the holiday season.

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IN CINEMA

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Happy Feet: 3.5/5

Cast (Voices): Elijah Wood (Rings Trilogy), Robin Williams (Aladdin), Hugh Jackman (Kate & Leopold), Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge).

In a nutshell: Cuter than a button, but not quite up to the hype.

Brief Synopsis: In a community of emperor penguins where singing is a social necessity, tone-deaf Mumble, with his quick tapping feet finds himself an outcast.

The movie starts off at 100 kph but then slowly decelerates all the way through. The baby penguins are possibly the cutest thing you will ever see on the screen, and the opening scenes are extremely funny. But once you get to the half way mark, the story line seems to loose a bit of steam and meanders…not aimlessly… but lacking some oomph. The ending was a nice idea, but the execution somehow seems a little silly and possibly too hasty. However, overall, the quality of the animation is top notch, and the characters are a treat, and there are some great family moments to be had.

Eragon: 2.4/5

Cast: Jeremy Irons (Lolita), John Malkovich (Dangerous Liasons), Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener)

In a nutshell: Great start that turns into a cliché fest.

Brief Synopsis: Based on a book, it is the story of a young man who becomes a dragon rider and the one hope to oppose the evil king.

The actors are really good, the CGI dragon looks amazing, the story is the stuff that good kids books are made of, so why is this only an average movie? I can only guess, but maybe firstly it has to contend with comparisons to the Ring Trilogy, and secondly, they have tried to fit a big story into a short movie. The movie starts off wonderfully, but from about the mid point, it turns into cliché followed by cliché, then in true trilogy style, leaves you hanging at the end. Not particularly satisfying at all, perhaps you can wait for this on DVD.

Flushed Away: 2.5/5

Cast (voices): Hugh Jackman (Van Helsing), Kate Winslet (Finding Neverland)

In a nutshell: Enjoyable, but we expect more from Aardman.

Brief Synopsis: Roddy, an upper class pet rat gets flushed down into the sewers and embarks on an adventure to get home.

Dreamworks and Aardman – sounds like the perfect mix. Unfortunately this doesn’t quite get there. It’s cute and probably a great one for the young ones, but for this try-hard adult, there was a lack of wit that would have improved my enjoyment exponentially. Having said that, there are some great characters and funny moments, but there should have been more.

Casino Royale: 3.75/5

Cast: Daniel Craig (Layer Cake)

In a nutshell: Best Bond of the last few years, but falls down slightly towards the end.

Brief Synopsis: James Bond becomes 007 for the first time and sets out to thwart a corrupt banker who has lost the money of terrorist investors.

Like most, I was a little dubious about the decision to make Daniel Craig the next Bond and like most I would say that he definitely surpassed expectations. He is not debonair like Brosnan or Connery, but he brings a steely determination and a dry sense of humour that makes for a good 007. It doesn’t hurt that he is supported by amazing Jackie Chan like action scenes and some very clever script writing. However, in the end, this is another movie that starts off well and then leaves a little to be desired in the resolution. What killed it for me was the clunky way in which the romantic section of the movie was developed, which unfortunately was an integral part of the plot. As a positive though, it is an interesting way to explain why Bond is the way he is and definitely worth watching on the big screen.

The Prestige: 4/5

Cast: Hugh Jackman (X-Men), Christian Bale (Batman Begins), Michael Caine (Ciderhouse Rules), Scarlett Johansson (The Island)

In a nutshell: Darkness, intrigue and wonderful unravelling, just what we’ve come to expect from Christopher Nolan.

Brief Synopsis: Two rival magicians go to extraordinary lengths to outdo each other.

My favourite movie of this bunch. Seriously, with Jackman, Bale, Caine, Johansson behind the lens and Nolan at the helm, how could you go wrong? Like its subject, there is a well built anticipation of what happens next and a mystery of how it happened. The storytelling is intelligent and compelling and the atmosphere suitably dark. Towards the end, the story does take a little bit of a strange turn which doesn’t necessarily make for as captivating an ending as the journey, however, this is only a small quibble. Not for everyone, but certainly excellent movie making.

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FROM THE LOCAL DVD SHOP

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She’s The Man: 3.5/5

Cast: Amanda Bynes (What a Girl Wants)

In a nutshell: A guilty pleasure. A surprisingly good laugh.

Brief Synopsis: Take the Twelfth Night and throw in a bit of Bend It Like Beckham, and you have She’s the Man. Viola pretends to be her twin brother in order to play highschool football (Soccer).

Admittedly I entered this viewing with no expectations, which always makes for a better than expected movie! The basic story line is a good one, being sourced from Shakespeare himself and it has been translated into an enjoyable teen flick. Big kudos to Amanda Bynes as Viola, her comic timing and willingness to jump into the role wholeheartedly certainly makes the movie.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend: 2/5

Cast: Luke Wilson (Royal Tenanbaums), Uma Thurman (Truth about Cats and Dogs), Anna Farris (Scary Movies)

In a Nutshell: Funny pretence but the movie itself is not particularly funny and a bit awkward. Watchable…just.

Brief Synopsis: Guy dumps girlfriend who happens to be a superhero and in the process incurs her wrath.

One spends a lot of time during this movie thinking “That’s just stupid”. Uma’s character is painful to watch, Luke Wilson is a wooden and the funny bits may deserve a slight chuckle, but not much more. On the upside, the ending is not a bad one, especially when so many of the movies I’ve seen in the cinemas lately have such predictable or crappy endings.

TEAM TROLLZ MARK II

On the 2^nd of December, Team Trollz went at it again in the Melbourne Amazing Race hoping to improve on our 4^th placing from last time. This time we were team yellow (better omen than burgundy I say) and Gideon and I were joined by the very lovely Rachel, Jasmine & Gemma.

After a slow start at Albert Park on the putting greens and jigsaw, we managed to make up some time getting to the Exhibition Building and doing the origami task. The girls then did a great hustle of forcing people and small children to take photos with us at Southgate. This brought us in at 2^nd at the first pitstop.

After lunch, technical difficulties dropped us back to sixth. But we soon made up a couple of places - making the right decision to do the word puzzle (rather than running up and down 4 flights of stairs for an unspecified number of laps – which ended up being 6 laps each), the heroic efforts of Rachel and Jasmine riding bicycles by the Yarra and then Gemma at the eating broiled chicken feet task. The Christmas shopping task was an exhausting and frustrating one, but seemed to be the same for all teams. Then we were headed for the Melbourne City Baths for the swim leg.

At this stage we were coming fourth, and the third team (Black team) was leaving the pool just as we were arriving. Gideon and I quickly jumped in the pool and did our 25m each, quickly got dressed and headed out to catch the tram to the last pitstop at the Riverland Bar & Café by the Yarra. To our lucky surprise the black team was still waiting for a tram, and then when one finally came it was a race from the tram to the finish line. With great skill and determination (mmm… lots of luck more like it) we beat them to the finish line only to find out that we had come 2^nd rather than 3^rd. Great way to end an awesome day!

Here are some photos care of Uplift Events – www.upliftevents.com.au (Check it out for info on their next public event).

<>Does it look like we have no idea?
Building an origami box.
<>

Yay Team Yellow! Second Place!
Me, Gemma, Rachel, Gideon & Jasmine at the last pitstop.

Merriness (and not in a Hobbit sort of way) to you all!

Hi All!

Just wanted to send you happy thoughts and wishes of glad tidings for the New Year! Hope you all had a special Christmas as well.

Love Gayle

ps. many more updates to come shortly!