So what's been happening for the past 2 weeks?

Night Noodle Markets
Yes I dragged Phil out to the Night Noodle Markets (which are now over), twas a chilly night, or at least getting quite chilly. Phil had okonomiyaki and beef in black bean sauce with fried rice from the East Ocean stall. I had a dish of Salt & Pepper calamari from Zilver (ack, too too salty) and Prawn laksa from Wok Inn. No photos, I keep forgetting to bring a camera.

Josh's 24th bday
Had takeaway pizza from a local joint, twas quite late by the time they came around with dinner, was half-tempted to chew on Phil's arm by 2030. Phil & I got him PJs and trunks from Peter Alexander, that reminds me, I owe Phil $45, I will find your account number, there's no doubt about that love!

Brian's (our locum minister) farewell lunch
Our church had lunch on Sunday to say thank you and farewell to Brian, who's been kindly shepherding us this past year. Twas good, twas sunny and hot, twas very stuffed and saaaatisfied therefore ready to sleep in the arvo. I had plenty of leftover pasta which I took to work and had for lunch as well as dinner.

Gary's (our new minister) induction service
On Wednesday night, we have a new minister! Yays!! Praise God for providing us with a minister! So I can't wait to chat to him, look forward to getting to know his family.

2nd claim for car
I've put it in and I have to pay $500 post completion of repairs. Which is better than previously stated $800. So now to take it to the assessment centre with the quote. I need a new car... with a full tank of Premium petrol (which it needs, stupid engine) it got me just under 400km. So now to organise a time Monday to Friday 0700-1700 to take the car and assessed.

Phil & I went for Thai
After craving and craving and craving for a red curry, I think I got a green one yesterday... Phil was wonderful enough to go to Thai with me! :D We went to Kumlai Thong in Parra last night, mmm... I tried to pick the non-hot and not-so-spicy dishes. So it was Satay chicken skewers, a red chicken curry (I think it was green) and Gai Yang (which from the tidbits I had tasted very nice, sweet, very tender, I'd definitely go for it next time), and coke for Phil and COCONUT JUICE for me :P. Then we were planning on going to Max Brenner for dessert but it was completely packed out (and more), and we were all prepped up to go, packet of marshmallows and all. So we went to Gelatissimo instead and got passionfruit sorbet, and I had biscottino and chocolate liqueur.

Shopping with Shelley
TOL shopping, man I need to lose weight, I've popped the weight back on from when I got gastro in February, must lose, must lose, I can't afford to buy clothes again. So we got coffees, I got a Bosciaola pie and bought salmon for dinner and headed on home. I wish we could've spent more time shopping, I need to get groceries...

Things learnt this past fortnight

• some people in CCL seem to be quite lazy. As in take things too slowly, not working quickly and efficiently as other departments. And I'm really not used to that, I have to be on my feet and doing stuff rather than sitting down or standing around chatting. I know why people complain that some nurses just stand around chatting, THIS dept seems to do that.
• my job in CCL seems to be a shelf restocker. Sure I scrub and scout but this is a HUGE waste of my skills and knowledge. I know I sound like a know-it-all prick but I do have knowledge, time management skills and nursing skills which seems wasted in CCL...
• my NUM just told me yesterday that there's 15 vacancies in ED!! For after the new grad rotation. If CCU doesn't have vacancies I will be applying in ED, actually I may apply for both and try. ED is full-on considering it is LPL, chopped arms, resuscitations, meeting point for emergencies from Bowral to Bankstown, etc. You need more than satisfactory knowledge on everything. Yikes. I think I'd drown, but it'll be better than staying in CCL and wasting my skills that I've worked so hard to gain.
• wearing lead aprons suck. You don't feel it so much whilst wearing it, but when you take it off, my goodness you feel it badly... I've had a sore back all week. I looooove Panadeine...
• NEVER buy seafood from Harris Farm in Parra, frozen stuff and go to Chullora instead.

Recent purchases
- 2 dresses - cheap cheap love sales
- lounge pants for $6

Currently reading Like water for chocolate, I want to watch the movie, I think it was on last night but considering the (lack of) reception at home to SBS, it would've been tragic anyway.

Finally, a long weekend

Well these 3 days are my long weekend, woohoo!!
Plans:
Saturday: bugger all
Sunday: church in am, lunch with Morrins, go grocery shopping, church in pm, dinner with Phil at my house
Monday: wake up early and take car to panelbeaters, go into city to buy Josh's bday present, have dinner at Night Noodle Markets

It's not been very easy to assimilate into CCL. It's very cliquey, it doesn't help that the NUM is part of that clique. But there are a couple of people who are easy to get along with. It just takes time to adjust to a new member of staff anyway, I guess. It's different for me this time coz it doesn't take me such a long time to assimilate in normally. It's coming up to 4 weeks. Hmmm. Another 3.5 months to go at CCL. My employment is still uncertain at LHS. I need to apply at CCU (coz that's where I wanna go) some time soon. I'm hoping my annual leave is approved as well. I applied for Christmas Eve onwards for 3 weeks. $20 I won't get it.
In other news, I have approval to go to an Intra-aortic balloon pump workshop in November which should be good. I have to get a money order first, then give all the paperwork to the NUM and it should be approved through. Woot! I've always wanted to learn about IABPs. And it'll come in very handy at CCL and CCU.

I have a new phone and plan btw, still the same number but now I'm with 3 instead of Optus. I need to get a cover for the phone, it's gonna get scratchy, scratch scratched.

So I need to go huge grocery shopping tomorrow: but then again, it depends on how many times I'll be eating at home this week... OR maybe I should buy a crapload of food from Night Noodle Markets for this week, ooooh sooo tempting!
- fruit - pawpaw, strawberries, tomatoes
- veg - broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, beans
- fish - salmon and something else
- cheese - Ambrosia (for Maria at work), a big block of roll cheese, maybe not ambrosia this week, harvati maybe, parmesan
- salami or cold cuts - for rolls
- yoghurt - for brekky
- bread rolls (to buy on Monday)
- laundry detergent
- Just Right
- jelly
- margarine

Our locum minister's last Sunday service is on the 14th, and we're bringing in food for a Thankyou lunch, I'm leaning towards broccoli penne plus a dessert of some kind, Jelly!
And for our new minister's ordination service on the 17th, I think I'll make pikelets, I'll just buy some margarine, I don't fancy using my Flora Pro-active stuff. Or maybe fairybread. Hmmm...

Anyways, I have to take a shower while this treacle pudding is steaming. I'm going over to Phil's for dinner. See you ladies later, hope the theses are up and running.