26 London Style

Well I was 26 yesterday and I made it through the day... nice!

It was a tad weird. I may be somewhat sheltered ... but I have never been away from home on my birthday before. It was different. There was no Tim to jump on me in the morning. There was no family do... it's a little bit of a shock to ones system I think.

HOWEVER... the most lovely people who I live and work with (some of whom I am lucky enough to do both!) were just so lovely and did everything they could to make it a really really lovely day. It started the night before (yes I held a vigil of my birth) with the beautiful Jovina who was visiting me (ok she wasn't visiting ME she was visiting her sister... but you know... I am here too!) and who took me out to a most lovely Mexican restaurant and the we went to the Haugen Dass (I don't think that's how you spell it... but you know... the super fantabulous ice-cream?) cafe and had a most lovely night! (Jov... I cannot BELIEVE we have NO pictures of us in London AT.ALL!)

Then I got home and the lovely Jeanine was there and she gave me a most lovely present of slippers (she doesn't really approve of my bare-feetedness) and a CD of the brilliant and Ella Fitzgerald.

Jeanine also welcomed me into my birthday by giving me a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday through the door at 6:30 in the morning... gotta love her!

Then I got to Mass (whooohooo for having a birthday this is also got such a cool title like Michaelmas!) and had my obligatory coffee. At work we had a most lovely cake in the form of a GIANT french fancy... Hannah... you are amazing! Work was of course busy... we've got a marrrrrhusive week this week and there is NO time for slacking off even on one's birthday.

Then after work Hannah, Edna, two of my Anna's, Barbara, Vincent and Marcus came out for dinner on Charlotte Street (love that street... and that name!) where a most exuberant and hilarious time was had by all. The most lovely people at the restaurant gave me a birthday cake with super cool candles on it. It was a really nice night.

So. All in all ... I had a really really lovely birthday. Thanks to all those who sent me messages via phone, email, facebook, post, ect. I really really really REALLY appreciated it! Thanks also to everyone here for making my birthday here so really very special. xxxx

Hmmm I'll just wack up some photos from the night at the bottom here! (Yes Hannah... I stole them off you. x)

Hannah and me!
Edna and Anna (one of them!) Cute (and tasty) cake with very cool candles M&S how awesome are YOU!

Lovely friends!
Me the poser.

Quiet Weekend

Well I am in the middle of a nice a quiet weekend. I've had a stack of filing to do at work so I've kind of hung around the office today trying to catch up on all things work.

I chatted to the family this morning. My youngest brother Tim is really happy about the Hawks finally being a team of which he can be proud! I am very proud that he stuck with his team through all the rubbish years (which have lasted pretty much his entire life) and didn't fall to the usual temptation of childhood swapping to a team who is actully doing well! Well done!!!

Here's a pic of him... just becuase i miss him! xxxxx

We had a little bit of a scare this morning because the Centre of the World, who I mentioned in my last post, went missing for a little while... Fr was doing a baptism and Ambrose escaped while Fr wasn't looking and ran out into the street. Now... Soho... isn't a place for a little dog... so we were SCOURING the place for the little red dog! Somehow he managed to get himself down to Tottenham Court Road Tube Station and found a rubbish bin... one of his favouite things. Well he was found and was VERY sorry. So... we all forgave him. Here's some picture of the cute little thing to perhaps try and convey his cuteness and help you to understand why we all bow down and do what he wills!

See... how much is he so cute!?

Busy Week
Well... I've had a busy week and I wish I had more time to write but I really just don't... I am up to my eyeballs with work and am in the processes of restructuring the whole thing so that I can work properly... am going to go for a walk now and come back later tonight to finish some stuff up. Hmmmm I might take Ambrose out with me... Ambrose is the Parish dog and also know as "the centre of the world" ...because... well.... he is!

Miss M goes to Newcastle part II

Whoo hooo! There is growth! I said I would tell you about Newcastle AND I AM!!! David will be so happy with me.

SO I had a BALL in Newcastle. Seriously loved it. I got up some ungodly hour and got ready and made my way down to my nearest Tube station which is Tottenham Court Road. Scary at 5:30am let me tell you! ANYWAY it wasn't open as yet (1st train is 5:45) and so we had to wait outside for a little while. Seriously. There are CREEPY people in this world. Shiver.

Got To Liverpool Street Station and hoped on a Stanstead Express.... to Stanstead which was quite a nice ride. About 45mins with two stops... which kind of deafeats the purpose of an EXPRESS if you ask me... but it's not a bad trip.

THEN I got to the airport which is actully a nice little one... SOOOOO much better than Heathrow. I HATE Heathrow. A lot.

We had a slight delay, but all things were good (Easy Jet you are great even though you have that horrible orange which makes me gag) and I got into Newcastle at about oooooo 9:45ish and was met by the lovely Maria.

Had a really lovely time with her and her beautiful family who just made me feel right at home! Was really just nice to feel at home when you live so far from it! Maria then spend the day showing me and another friend Liz around the town which I loved. Seriously can you believe this. The council (or what ever they call the council of the town .... not up with local politics here!) have decided that most of the buildings which were built in the 60s and 70s were ugly and so are now systematically going through a knocking them all down! Man... I have never HEARD of such sense coming out of a bureaucracy!

Across the river is a bizarrely familiar sight... I looked at one of the bridges and thought... hmmmm... familiar... where have I seen that....

Yep... from what I can gather... this was kind of the proto type for Sydney Harbour Bridge... it's pretty much exactly the same... but... titchy! Even the lamps are the same. Apparently you can climb this bridge too and it doesn't cost a mint.

We had a great time wondering the streets checking out the Art Gallery which had some interesting stuff... as well as this installation which was... in effect a massive dark room with mirrors. We had NO idea what we were meant to do once we got inside. So after clinging to each other.... we edged our way to the light of the door and came out rather confused. Weeeeeeird.

We had a great lunch which between the three of us came to £11... £11 FOR THREE of us.... I'm not sure you understand how amazed I was .... but I'll leave it at that.

We then had to rush home and get dressed for Mass and a poshy dinner which was marking the 40th Anniversary of Humane Vitae and we had a really nice night. Great people, great food a BEAUTIFUL surroundings. It was a the Assembly Rooms which kind of made me think of Pride and Prejudice. I can't find a pic of the inside so this one will have to do!

The next morning we got up and Pat, Maria's lovely mother made us all breakfast. We hoped over to the Cathedral for Mass which was really lovely (Mass and the Cathedral!) It's a Pugin church and it's BEAUTIFUL! Here's the link to some photos of it. I don't have any :( my camera had run out of battery and I forgot to take my charger up. Seriously beautiful... scroll through til you get one from the nave of the altar. The ceiling is just brilliant.

Anyway we had a nice time just hanging around. Then it was time to go again and I flew back into Standstead at about 10ish and got into bed around 1pm... sooooo tired the next day but it was worth it of course!

WHAT!!!


Ok... I just realised that I am going to have to get up at 4:30 in the morning tomorrow... man... why I do these things to myself I have NO idea!

Miss M goes to Newcastle Part 1

Am heading up to Newcastle EARLY tomorrow morning ... Standstead... oh the joys of cheap airlines.... Actually I should complain... it actually takes me a shorter amount of time to get there than it would if I was taking public transport from home in Melbourne anyway!

Am going up for the weekend. I am LOVING weekends! I think that they are truly sent by God and a glimpse of heaven. Ok... so I am exaggerating... but it's my blog and I can exaggerate if I want to! I have been away alot recently... Cambridge, Dublin, back to Australia for WYD, going to Rome next month, doing other random trips where ever! LOVE IT!

I do hate packing for weekends though... it seems such a waste of time! A little bit of this and that... pah... boring. SO boring that I would rather POST then pack... Says a lot yeah?

So anyway... I should do something about it all! (and try not to be disterbed about the strange noises outside my window... someone is TRYING to sing and it makes my ears bleed!)

Yes... I'm back again!

Greetings from London Town... although I am assuming that by now you have all left in disgust believing that I would never return. Well... in true Monification style I have returned... but who knows for how long!

MEANWHILE.... I'm having a ball over here!

Working... meeting people... going places... seeing new things. Learning a BUCKET load about myself... including a nice heathy dose of humility. Nothing like knowing nothing! Does wonders for the soul!