How nice is this? My friend and colleague Ruth was hoping to send these in to me at the office today (her hubby works on my floor) but it didn't quite work out. So she took a photo of her home-grown roses through on email...just before she sent me a day of work to complete! It IS the thought. I was really touched. 

changing lanes

It's kinda official that I'm moving on from my role at NCLS to something new and (more) exciting. I'm going to manage a centre in Epping that will ultimately become a community centre in a space also occupied by a Gloria Jean's, Video Ezy, juice bar and Jester's pie shop. The intention of the site will be to provide a place where people can cultivate a bit of community and get involved in activites which lead them to better lives. It's a bit ambiguous and fuzzy at this stage but more will come to light as details get nailed down. I suppose I'll be like the chaplain for the centre which is right outside a busy train station and will be open long hours. The slate is clean at the moment but I've started to chalk up some ideas...running video clubs, book clubs, art exhibitions & philosophy groups as well as having an active social justice program that engages people (even if just for 30 sec's) while they order a caramel latte. I'll need to recruit staff and facilitators and ensure that the place is rockin'.

I've got a few issues and tensions of my own as I take this step. I'm not completely comfortable with Gloria. Where's her coffee grown and how much exploitation is she doing? I guess I can ask these questions during my month at Gloria Jean's coffee school! Yes, it's true.

Anyway, stay tuned for more.

That's funny

I was sitting in Martin place (read: Hay St Mall or any busy plaza near where you live) the other day eating my sushi for lunch. There was a bloke sitting next to me on the steps and some girls on a bench nearby. A over-confident guy approached my step-sitting colleague with the line "Got two bucks mate?" to which he received no desireable response. He walked a step in my direction "Got two bucks mate?" and I was already shaking my head before he finished the sentence. Without confidence waning he approached the three girls on the bench individually with the same line. Each time he bounced off without seemingly caring if his question was answered. He wandered to the middle of the plaza and occasionally tried the question on anyone who walked within earshot.

About 3 minutes later the guy on the step next to me had his newspaper reading disturbed again with a question "Got any change?". This new begger looked stereotypically like you would expect in any international capital city. Amusingly he did the rounds of the same benchsitters with a similar question to #1. With no luck he moved to the centre of the plaza where he noticed our first friend standing alone, "'scuse me, got any change?". There was a ironic moment there where they both looked into eachothers eyes without flinching until #1 said "nup" and #2 walked off.

Lookout world, here come the superheroes of the next generation. M's nephews on any given day are fighting the forces of evil to make this world a better place. A bemused and well-protected mother (Megsy) sits watch.

Hello Japanese designer! Gorgeous, delicate, intricate, stimulating, inspiring form/fashion. You couldn't wear it to the football though. 

Despite minimal activity on this blog recently, all is well with barrandgirl. It's been a weekend where a career change into fashion design has been on the cards (it's Rachel writing, not Michael!). On Saturday night we had dinner with an old colleague of M's whose partner has a bridal couture business she runs from a showroom at home. We cracked a bottle of champagne and chatted about fashion design while surrounded by exquisitely crafted 'frocks'...I love that word. It was such a brill night with food and wine in abundance until 2.30am.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the Powerhouse museum seeing lots of absolutely gorgeous things including a Japanese Designers exhibition. I loved it. Wanted to chuck in 5.45am alarm clocks for a life of stitching beautiful fabrics together while sipping red wine and watching Dr Phil.

All systems go for my sista's arrival on Thursday morning for ten days of hilarity.

By the way, if your name is Keith and you are my boss...I'm not really thinking of quitting.

In the spirit of fairness we thought we better put Ethans brothers on the blog as well. This is Callum, a real whiz on the internet and excellent reader. 

Ethans brother Declan 

On Saturday we visited Mike's godson, Ethan. He really liked the cakes we took 

Rachel and Kath - former flatmates and sista's in crime. Here at Little Beach during our recent long weekend up the coast. Our greatest crime over the weekend was 6 uninterrupted hours of op-shopping with bargains galore. Just warming up to my biological's sistas visit in a fortnight.  

Here's our mates Dan and Katie Patterson. On their way on a world trip with three months in Africa doing a medical prac. We had a brill day of eating at Sydney icons. This pose was at Manly beach. See you in Perth you crazy critters! 

The victory is sweet. This was actually taken after the St Kilda victory but we are still cheering the red and the white.