Marking Andrea's 30th and Jessie's 25th

Having been asked to go to Ballarat to help complete some assessments, I managed to create a long long weekend for myself. Only having access to the office for half a day meant that a had the perfect excuse to find other thinsg to do...which included a much enjoyed massage for a tired and over worked body!!

Friday night I went to the Tokyo Grill House, to have dinner and drinks with Andrea to mark her 30th birthday. Our table was reserved around one of the big grills, ready for the cooking show. The teppanyaki, via a banquet meant that the food kept coming all night, which was just as well, given the BYO wine consumption! Ordering drinks proved to be a challenge all night, with brandy instead of bundy - just shows that the simple beer and wine is always the best!

Discovering that Andrea had somehow made it to thirty without discovering a Jager Bomb, and the fact that her and Dean were out for the night baby free, a crawl through the Ballarat venues ensued. Haida Bar was the venue for Andrea's introduction to Jager, and then on to Karova Bar...mainly due to walking proximity!

Sunday night back in Melbourne, a gathering at Jessie's house for drinks and pizza in the sweltering heat, started for Jessica's 25th birthday, on Monday. The group wondered on to St Jerome's, before walking the streets on this Labour Day Eve to find a dance off location. Sadly, not a lot was open, to the groups surprise, and thus a crusty pub was found for it's drink availability and it's jukebox - Roxette for Jessie, what else!

Jane's 30th at the Grace Darling

Jane's birthday is today, however given that she's to fly to Timor for work, she marked the turning of 30 on Saturday night at the Grace Darling.

The theme was 'come wearing something you have always wanted to, but never had the chance'. Now, we can be disappointed in Jane's red lipstick effort, however many of the gathering went to some crazy effort! Rambo, full hooped dress, blonde wig, former bridesmaids dress....I wore my pyjamas.

After setting up Jane's cakes, ordered from Sugadeaux, I wandered off to watch the second half of the footy at a crusty pub - with a surprisingly good menu - for the semi final between Hawthorn and Adelaide. A loss to the Hawks, for the semi final of 2007 replay, but not without a few moments of sheer brilliance from Buddy Franklin, which I am sure would haven't given Crow's fans PTSD flashbacks!

Back to the party, there were speeches and much drinks, and dancing. Happy Birthday Jane! Welcome to 30!

Tartuffe and Pre-Season Footy

A total clash of culture for the weekend!

As a bit of a consolation prize for missing Underbelly here in Victoria, following it's temporary ban, Jenny, Mary and I had tickets to see Moliere's Tartuffe at the Malthouse Theatre on Saturday afternoon. We met along Southbank for lunch at Bear Brass, before walking down to the Malthouse, and finding our front row seats.

The stage was central to stadium like audience, remininecent of a tennis match. The simple single lane swimming pool, jutting out from the Toorak mansion was the setting for this modern, Melbourne-ised version of Le Tartuffe.

Funny, dry, sexy, and Barry Otto was brilliant. A cast strong, and who would burst into song at a whim. Marcus Graham, the star attaction for us, appeared well into show, was ripped! Prancing around as the God like creature who had made his way into this home, and this families life and confidence, was perfect! And being pool side for the close ups weren't too bad either!!

After the play, and emerging into daylight, we wondered down to Bourke Street for more drinks at the Royal Melbourne Hotel, to dissect our thoughts. I met Simon at the station, following his flight into town, and we rejoined the girls for drinks, before heading over to the Telstra Dome for the footy.

A pre-season hit out for the nab Cup, Hawthorn played Carlton, and beat them convincingly. We met Mum, and Melissa and Clinton for the match, and managed to sit on the bottom level of the Dome - always a treat for Hawthorn Members, who usually getting shafted with the nose-bleeders in the normal season. A drink at half time on Level Two, and then more drinks at The Turf Club after the match, before heading home.

Gotye

Last night Nicole and I headed to the Bandroom at the Prince in St Kilda after work for the 'solo and intimate' Gotye show. Meant to be a secret gig tonight, which was actually sold out pretty quickly, he had to put on a second show, which meant we saw him first!

First up were The Basics, which included Wally. A three piece group of lads, with great sounds, and stories and lyrics, and acoustic sounds.

Gotye emerged on stage after lengthy roadie works to set up Mac laptop, keyboards, mics, and whatever else was on stage, to create the sounds and visual show that was. And what an amazing show it was!! I was blown away!!!

Such a talented man! Wally played keyboard, piano, bongos, drums, and also had spine chillingly awesome vocals! I am without speech about how good he was!!!

Hearts A Mess was just disarmingly great! And an encore of We Are The World, with Wally on the piano, with the vocal range to give us each BandAid character. Such a

First Birthday and the Number 8

I went back to Ballarat for the weekend, and hung out with Katie and Mum on Saturday. Sunday afternoon, though, I headed across to the Eureka Stockade playground park area for the gathering to mark Cooper and Charli's first birthday.

Andrea, who confesses to planning this sort of thing for years and years, had a full spread of people, food and play equipment. I was handed little Cooper upon arrival - so cute! - and eventually sat in the sea of kids and toys with him and some books.

Cake time revealed a Lady Bug and Bumble Bee twin cake, homemade by Andrea (who is not meant to have this much time on her hands - how does she do it!!!?). She says the cake and party theme was because Charli is a lady, and Cooper is such a busy Bee!

Following the big party, I headed home to get Mum before her and I bonded at the pub, watching the footy! A NAB cup match between Hawthorn and Sydney, which the Hawks were lucky enough to win! A rush the to train station for me after the final siren to get the train back to Melbourne.

I made it back to the big city, just in time for the first short film showing for this year's Tropfest at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Joining Katie, Jessie and Noodles on their picnic rug, we settled in for the 16 finalists - all this year needing to feature the number 8 in some way.

The eventual winner of the night was Marry Me, a show of a school aged romance - but for the audience, or at least gievn the female dominated laughter during the screening, it was about the lengths in which a girl will go to be noticed by the object of her affection. So cute!

Debt Free

It's offical! I received notice in the mail - my debt monster has been resolved! Lot's of hard work, and fereting money away from my reach....but it's done!

Sorry

This morning I got into town a little earlier that usual, and headed straight for Federation Square to watch a historic parliamentary sitting live from Canberra, being broadcast on the big screen. Was a momentous day, and one I had to feel a part of!

Kevin Rudd, new Prime Minister of Australia, submitted a motion to parliament to acknowledge and apologies to the Stolen Generation, for the treatment of Indigenous people by Australian governments of the past. Am amazing, comprehensive speech, with anecdotal stories of the hardships of one particular family and experience, and the pledge to work together to move forward on health, education and housing for indigenous communities. He talked of working on the 'stain on our nation's soul', and did it so well. I have never been so proud of Australia.

The Opposition Leader then responded, and really, I wish he had of merely stood and acknowledged the motion to parliament. Instead he proceeded to attempt to justify the previous governments of the past's actions, and talk of alcoholism, rape in the communities, and "doing what we thought was best". The large crowd at Fed Square booed him, chanted 'get him off!', and turned their back on him. A show that the Opposition did not truly understand the point of the Sorry.

Nevertheless, an amazing day for Australia. A proud day, and a day of hope and promise that we can all move together as one, at last.