it's been a while...

since I last blogged.
I'm still working; I got four days off over the Christmas weekend, which was very exciting for me, and back to work today..! No rest for the wicked...?! Hehe :P
My contract just got extended today, till Tuesday 9 January, so I shall be working till then! They actually have somebody coming in on the 10th, so I shall be done by then.

So, working...is about all I can really talk about in great detail now....
I do enjoy it. Although it's tiring, and sometimes boring...I mean, it doesn't really take that many brain cells to stuff envelopes....although that does mean that I can day-dream, think, plan etc. while I do it. So there are up-sides to it too!
There have been major printing issues as well, which has been very annoying and most inconvenient. There are something like three printers, but due to certain things, like printing on letterheads and the like, there are different procedures for selecting specific trays and what not. And of course, they had to completely break down.
Right in the middle of printing mail merge letters. Blergh.

Anyway, today wasn't much better....it will be fixed tomorrow, so hopefully it will work fully! *fingers crossed!*

On Friday, I was sitting around at about 4pm, and the Director of Industry and Consumer Services (so yeah, pretty high ranking!) asked his PA (who sits at the desk next to me) "Have we sent Gladys home yet?" to which she replied in the negative.
And he actually told me, "Go home. Go on..."
So I went to get my timesheet signed and all, and had put the final time as 4pm. I came back to my desk, and he said to me "I hope you put 5pm on that.." and I said, "No, because I'm going home now, and it's 4pm.." but he insisted, because he had "ordered" me to go home. Which was very kind of him (to order, and to tell me to go home...!)
So I can't believe that I actually worked for 37.5 hrs last week. It's a full-on, full-time job! Hehe. I get home and I'm so tired...I think I'm getting old too quickly..hehe!

I've learnt several new systems (for entering data etc) and the procedures for opening/closing files, for entering bond lodgements, for writing specific types of letters, and so much! I don't really know what to do with it all sometimes!

Anyway, so to my Christmas....
On Sunday, for Christmas eve, we went to our cousin's for the usually time-honoured tradition of the Tan and Chua family Christmas eve dinner.
This year was no exception, and was a splendid affair, with the addition of the Moh family.
The table was beautifully set, everything was matching, the candles were lit, the menu beautifully printed.
And we ate soo well!!!!
IT went something like this....:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scallops and prawns with asparagus
on a bed of roquette
Herb and garlic rolls
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
West Australian crayfish
Salad
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roasted turkey with Mediterranean
-style roasted vegetables
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
White chocolate ice-cream with cognac-
infused cherries
Selection of seasonal summer fruits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Premium selection of coffee and tea
with chocolates and shortbread
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All accompanied by a fine selection of
assorted alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was so extravagant, and oh-so-good! And I ate all the way through it, because it was so good....mmm..
Then we stayed up, well past 12....
playing poker,
and also opening pressies. :) (part of the Tan/Chua tradition on Christmas eve)

Christmas morning, we went to church at 9am (argh..so early!!!)
but came home pretty quick, because we had a whole lot of cooking to do! We hosted a Christmas dinner at our place.
The menu was something like this:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whole roasted turkey
Fresh cold prawns
Pasta salad (made by yours truly!)
Green salad
Lasagna & Canneloni
Ham
Rolls
with dessert being:
Lemon cheesecake
Almond and chocolate cake
Christmas cake
Fruits
Orange cake
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No wonder I am so full...all I did for two days was eat...! (Okay, I did help prepare and clear up too, but I did eat so much!)

On Boxing Day, yesterday, we all slept in quite late (like, 11.30am...mmm...!) but then we went out for a picnic in the afternoon. We (us, and a stack of family friends, and friends of friends etc) went to Woodman Point, which was probably one of the worst ideas ever, because half of the 'multicultural' society of Perth decided it would be a good day to go there too! It was dreadfully hot, so relaxing in the shade of a tree was an excelltn idea. So too was going swimming at the beach...Yay! I can actually say I went to the beach over my summeR! woot!
I held a starfish that some other girls had caught..Lydia and I were really amused, then freaked out!
We played a bit of cricket (I got out in spectacular fashion, but not before hitting a few runs...I'm quite proud of myself hehe!) and ate leftovers (as you do...)

So, I am pretty much quite burnt out. And ti's work work work here on in, which is not a bad thing, I guess. I already have the plan for what I'm saving up for, which includes a digital camera (of my own..ooo!) as well as a holiday to Europe and America in the near future. If there is any more I guess it'll go towards spending money in Melbourne, shopping momey, eating out money etc. I guess plans for a new violin are not really on the cards, unless I'm taking up violin more seriously, which isn't at this point in time, but we'll see!
Alrighty, should head off to relax on the couch a bit, watch some tv (because I don't have any study...!!! although I should practice........eek!) and then head to bed, for another long day at work tomorrow! Yep, getting old too fast!