Enormous Relief...

The visa came through. I almost can't believe it. My life now has a direction again.

I really thought I wouldn't care if I didn't get it and had prepared myself for that eventuality. Oh, I would have been disappointed for sure, but at times I strongly wished I hadn't applied for it at all and that I could just be told NO right away for then I could have got on with my life. The stress of it was crippling. I really just wanted some kind of certainty. To know that I could rely on being in the same place in six months time and to get out of this limbo-land I've been inhabiting for what seems like years. On top of that, there was all the worry about the world financial turmoil and it's affect on the job market in the UK, and not having a home and not having a job to support myself over there, when I have a perfectly good home, family and a good potentially-permanent job here... well to say the least, the grass seemed a lot greener on this side of the fence and even thinking of going over the to UK amounted to a particularly insane kind of madness.

Now I am going back to the UK. This time, it seems for certain, although I still won't believe it fully until I'm back there. But I am so very glad I applied for that visa it's overwhelming.

Yesterday afternoon my head was spinning so much I couldn't concentrate and I was happy and shitting myself like crazy at the same time. It takes me a while to get my head around swift changes in direction and I'm a tad panic prone at times as most of you would know... I always deal well with the action required in a crisis and I keep my focus and deal with what needs to be dealt with but I'm shaking and sharp and shrill by the end of it. When there isn't a crisis I can fence sit in my personal life until the damn thing's rammed right through my soul with indecision! Thank goodness that Dad & Carol decided we should go out to celebrate and that we went to a pub and that I imbibed two schooners of Kilkeny else I'm sure I never would have slept last night.

BUT. Today I know that applying for the visa was the right decision. Today, except for the minor worry about a job, I'm not panicking at all. In fact, Today I'm quite stupidly happy. I keep bursting into a wide grin and find tears springing to my eyes at odd moments. I've been so flat for so long, not knowing where my life was going, that it is like the proverbial weight has been lifted and I'm floating away on giggles!

It is so brilliantly wonderful that I finally know where I'm going, even if I don't know what I'm going to do when I get there, and that that destination is just that bit alien and a good challenge is super fantastic... I can feel the life (or maybe it's adrenaline) firing in my blood again. From being apathetic and somnolent, I am energised and buzzing like mad! I definitely know I'm alive! Thank you world! It is great to feel good again.

*Deep Sigh* Yes. This is what I want. So happy. :)

The Visa is APPROVED!

I sat down to lunch and opened my mail and the first thing I read was this...

"Your application has been approved and the visa has been issued. Your passport and visa should be dispatched within the next 5 working days."

Teary and smiling and trying not to giggle and trying not to cry and not succeeding at either. Happy Happy Joy Joy!!

Yay yay yay yay Yay yay yay yay YAY!!!!


*Huge Sigh*. Now life can resume.

Dolce de Leche

Setting: Havana
Characters: Sky - a gambler and heavy drinker. Sarah - a Salvation Army abstinence crusader.

Sky: How 'bout a drink?
Sarah: A milkshake please.
Sky: Dolce De Leche

Sarah: These are delicious! What did you call them?
Sky: Dolce De Leche.
Sarah: Dolce De Leche. What's in it, besides milk?
Sky: Oh, sugar...and a little native flavouring.
Sarah: What's the name of the flavouring?
Sky: Bacardi...
Sarah: It's VERY good. I think I'll have another one...

Sarah: Doesn't Bacardi have alcohol in it?
Sky: Oh, only enough to act as a preservative.
Sarah: You know, this would be a wonderful way to get children to drink milk!

Excerpt from Guys and Dolls, Broadway Cast Recording.

I went up to Sydney ... sheesh, almost a month ago now. How time flies. Anyway, I went to catch up with Emma as I hadn't managed to see her since I'd come back from the UK. Yes, I'm not the best at keeping in touch!

I had a lovely time. Em has a gorgeous new house - she's had it for over a year now but I hadn't seen it before I left. It's a converted barn I think and about 100 years old (?!? Can't remember!). It has real ambiance and so much space... well, the illusion of space at any rate. She kept saying it didn't have all that much floor space but it seemed really big to me, but the illusion is what you want in Sydney and they seem to have enough space for the two of them and any temporary guests. Her and her partner Nik have made it quite homey. And I adored sleeping in the actual queen size bed in their spare room. The one thing I miss the most about living out of a suitcase is my old bed. The space! The Luxury! *sigh*

We didn't do much. Wandered up to Glebe on the Saturday to see the markets. Got our fortunes told. Went to an amazing - I believe it was Spanish - cafe called San Churro that served the Dolce De Leche mentioned in the quote above. And it really is wonderful. It's a caramel flavour sauce which Em and I had served as a side dish along with dipping chocolate to accompany stick-extrusions of crispy donut batter... yum!! Went for another walk on Sunday and saw one of the gardens that the Gorilla Gardeners had erected... interesting, if a tad pointless I thought. Then came home.

Always nice to spend time with friends and I do love catching up with Em. Must do it more often!

Someone has a sense of humour...

I really do like IT geeks. They have the quirkiest sense of humour. When you work with computers for long enough, you really treasure the moments of levity.

Yesterday a program I was trying to stop running told me "Have some patience please. I heard you the first time!" ... :)

And today, I had a corrupted file that was particularly happy to be so. See if you can spot the corrupt lines! It's happy and in love and singing a tune!

The Wait Begins... Again.

The money has done it's time.
The certified bank statements confirming that the money has done it's time have been obtained.
The certified bank letter confirming that the certified bank statements are correct and that the money has indeed done it's time has been obtained.
The new passport has been obtained.
The online application form has been filled out.
The application fee has been paid and the bank card has had all it's blood sucked out.
The biometrics appointment has been made.
The biometrics appointment has been kept kept by the skin of my teeth and my fingerprints and facial scan have been done.
The application form appendices have been printed and filled out.
The online application form has been printed and signed.
Both my passports have been reluctantly handed over.
All documents have been sent via a traceable system that is not Registered Mail.
There is nothing more I can do.
Now the wait begins... again.

Shoot me now.

If they fail me at this stage, there is no recourse. That's it. I'll just have to stay here.

And quite frankly, that's looking better every day.

NYE at the Reeds.

Ok, so this was a while ago now but I'm still behind and lagging further but it's worth mentioning anyway.

This was fun - kinda scary but fun. I took a plane over to Adelaide just for the night. Had dinner with the Burgess's and saw Tim for an instant but the reason was to surprise Kerry et al. And I did manage that.

I have many memories of parties at the Reeds. I've known Kerrie and Grant for longer than I care to remember... in fact I think we may have actually have reached the 20 year mark in terms of time known... whoishka.

Anyhoo. Memories. Bob standing on top of the pool house and singing musical numbers at the top of his lungs - somehow I don't think he damaged himself despite a fall perhaps because he was mightily drunk. He may also have been accompanied by Ted but I can't be sure... I was probably drunk myself.

My first, and last, trial of an illicit substance was at the Reeds. I came, I saw, I tried and I spent the rest of the night fertilising a bush out the front of their place with the contents of my stomach. Needless to say didn't try that again. Still very, very, very grateful to Marty for looking after me that night.

I remember not quite avoiding being thrown into the pool by somebody and killing my current watch thereby. Not that this was a tradgedy. I went through three or four watches a year back then.

And who could forget Gang Show friday night parties with a recitation by Phill of 'The Day MaCather Farted' with all the back-stage crew actually there balancing out the youngsters.

I also remember a couple of Movie Nights / Sleepovers when in Venturers with Roie and Kerry and feeling like a gangly kid in comparrison to those two sophistocated beauties.

And now, Bob is married with two kids, Andrew is married with one and expecting another, Patrick is married with one, Dan George is married to Cassie and they have one, Ted is married and Rodger is engaged. Who'd'a thunk it? And Julia's two kids are almost 9 and almost 5 or thereabouts. Time flies way too fast.

So scary to have a yardstick whereby I can actually see I've aged but fun to see the old place one last time and revisit so many good times.