But. I have been going through this old blog now, and realising how the extra effort of blogging was actually worth it. So much more detail. Such funny stories. Things I totally forgot! You can really capture my mood - and I am sure I will appreciate it as I get older, and already regret that I didn't record anything since July 2009!!!
It isn't like I haven't been doing anything. I have been on some trips, had big events (did I mention my wedding in 2009? Don't think so - whoops. Lots has happened. Shall I recap?
2009
Moved back to Australia, and lived in Aidan's parents house while they were in Perth.
Went to NYC for two weeks on a $900 flight with my friend Christina - which I actually did chronicle.
First fostered, then adopted, a crazy little dog called Snorty, which was rechristened Coco, then quickly rechristened again to Croco, after she stopped her good behaviour and went back to the ways which has resulted in her being returned to the pound TWICE!
Also, got married - at the Australian museum, which I didn't write anything about and maybe I should have. It was small, fun, but...well, let's just say I am not the 'bridal' type, and am glad to never have a wedding again. The benefit, obviously, was that I got to marry the most perfect man for me in the world.
This was also the first year of my business - talk about an emotional roller coaster - but three years on I can say that it is going fine.
In December that year I went to China and Hong Kong - for business and pleasure. Still haven't been back to Hong Kong, which makes me mad! My favourite place on earth.... For business we went to Beijing and Shanghai, then 10 nights in Hong Kong on the way home. We didn't do much work, ate a lot, and had a christmas food extravaganza at the Marriott buffet!
We also spent a day in Macau - my generous cousins, Kenny & Co, picked us up from the ferry, and drove us around all day long to see the sights. We ate yum cha, Portugese custard tarts, saw fishing villages, the big cathedral (or remains of), and of course - casinos. Finished off that night with a lovely meal at a Portugese/Chinese restaurant, and back to Hong Kong on the boat.
Also in Hong Kong we went to Disneyland - of the three I have been to (Paris & LA were the others) Hong Kong was by far the best.
2010
In 2010 we continued on with the business, kicked out our renters and moved into our flat. It was at this point which I achieved my most proud achievement - of my whole life!
Getting Croc into our flat. The neighbours in our block of flats were particularly nasty about Croc, having never met her, seen her or anything. They said a blanket "There are no dogs allowed, and never will be! (maybe a cat)". Well, we tried to reason, we tried to negotiate - to no avail. They would not listen, or bend in the slightest. Now, while we understand you dont' want a barking annoying dog in a flat, we knew croc would be fine (she only barks at pedestrian traffic, and she wouldn't be able to see it.)
So, we took them to a tribunal and despite the fact that they tried to scare us by saying "Our application is being written by so and so, who is a solicitor" - we WON! WE WON! I remember clearly I was in the sushi train at Crows Nest when Aidan gave me the news, with Christina, and we ran home, and went and got Croc, and took her to the flat!
Gratifyingly, the biggest biatch in the building saw us come in with croc and instantly rang the Strata manager, who then rang us to tell us we couldn't have Croc until agreement from the Tribunal. AHAHAHAH I had SUCH pleasure telling htem I had it, and I have such pleasure, to this day, swanning around with Croc, letting Croc wee out the front on the verge, etc. etc. Even when the biatch walks past me with Croc and says "YUCK" really loud.
p.s. we saw the application the 'solicitor' made - I feel sad, she must be dyslexic.
So, that was one of the best achievements of 2010.
2010 was also the year of our first anniversary, which coincided with travelling to Vanuatu for Sharon Keller's wedding. A big holiday with lots of friends, it was very fun, and Aidan got to pat a Dugong.
Also in 2010, I turned 30. To celebrate, we visited Nerissa & Andrea on the way to China for work meetings.
We stayed in their apartment in Dubai for a couple of weeks, then went for a few nights at Bab Al Shams, for my actual birthday. Bab's is a desert resort out of Dubai, and is the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in.
We had drinks on the roof and watched the sunset, swam in the pool overlooking the desert, had a 'high tea' of sorts, and went to an Emirati spectacular for my dinner. The couple of days, which was to celebrate my 30th, involved me twice being mistaken for a child.
1. On checkin, the valet was walking us from the car to the front desk, and he was saying something to me, kind of mumbling, and it sounded like "do you want a lollipop", so I just kind of smiled and nodded. When he brought me said lollipop, Andrea was outraged and asked for one for the rest of us!
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2. At the Emirati extravaganza restaurant, Nerissa and Andrea could barely hide their laughter, as the receipt had charged us for 3 adults and one child.
Us females keeping our surnames was another thing to confuse the Emirati's who called me Miss Moore, Nerissa was Mrs Moore, and Andrea was Mr Moore.
After 2 nights there, we went driving through the desert for hours and hours to Oman, to our hotel on the coast at Muscat. RIGHT on the coast - it was beautiful and we spent hours in the warm ocean. We took drives out into the pebbly and rocky Omani desert, to a fort in the middle of nowhere, and ate on the floor in a private room at a 'traditional' Omani restaurant. The room had a tv, which we didn't use. The food was kind of disgusting, and the innocuous sounding "Omani bread" turned out to be a disgusting bread in milk affair.
This month also saw us going to Beijing for work, and later Shanghai for Amy Zhao's wedding to Neo. Located in 'Thames Town' in Shanghai, which is a faux English town, the wedding was outside, next to a boat, on which we then took a 10 minute ride around the lake, then proceeded inside for a big banquet, where we were on the bridal table. (Similar to when Amy took us to her friend's wedding, we were on the bridal table even though we had never met the bride).
2011
Must remember to finish writing this post later - it involved - a month in Paris, trip to Dubai for christmas, moving in to our first office and hiring some staff....
Also, involved two hospitalisations only 2 weeks apart. The first when I smashed a wine glass making scones for the Royal wedding, and cut an artery and had to go to the hospital, where they gave me morphine for twice my weight and didn't realise the deepness of the cut until 5 hours later when I had actually sprayed blood high in the air like a geyser. The grossest thing to happen to me ever! The pain of needles into the cut was revolting.
Two weeks later I was hospitalised the day after Aidan's birthday, for my kidneys. Of course there is still 'nothing wrong with them'.
