Fat Cheeks SIDNEY "The Fatty Goodness"

Its September 2004 and Im almighty depressed not eating, not sleeping, arguments going on in my head none stop all through the night of never ending fights I wanted to have with Rob for splitting up with me - I was only 18 mind you, and I had never had a boyfriend before and it was all new to me...I have been missing Museli alot since Dad took her in July after splitting up with my mum...

Mum agreed to take me to the SPCA to get a cat - we went to see what there was, we didnt fully plan to come out with one, we hadnt taken a cage with us...mind you Dad took one of them and Karee had the other cage...we went into the shelters - that I know all to well having adopted four cats previously from there....We walked past so many empty cages and those that had cats in them very big ginger moggies....and there was this black cat with battle wounds - few patches of fur missing...heavy tattooed eyes...golden eyes gazing out....I walked past a few times...drawn to him but sad for him being a male - mum didnt like male cats we hadnt had one before - well my parents had one 27 y rs ago when my mum was pregnant with my sister...Nor did mum like the idea of him being black...she just didnt like black cats...but to me I dont believe in the whole bad luck from black cats....I believe in the good luck.

However, mum was faling for his eyes...these beautiful eyes - (funny enough we were talking just yesturday to him about his eyes...) and it was settled on this cat.. got a carry box and took him home - the poor boy wet himself during transport and so I rang him a bath he was NOT happy at all about that - of course a week later he wasnt happy with my giving him yet another bath for smelling so bad of poop - after being spaid...it went away after a while...lol.

This cat I name Ostara - after the Pagan Spring Enquinox - how ever it just didnt suit him...it wasnt his name at all....he sat with that over night...while I faught to have a name for him, not wanting to copy any Witchy Movies and TV Shows with Black cats or Witches Familiars....he needed something original but something magical also to show that he was my familiar...

I woke up and looked at him - he winked at me. He had been doing that ALOT since I got him home....mum had told me about how Poppa use to wink alot...and it drew on me then Sidney was his name...we had mentioned it but I said nooooo...but that was his name....and so he became known as Sidney.

I remember going out to view my sister's wedding venue - he was locked in the bathroom with the window open a crack - no cat ever got out of there before....how ever when I came home and opened the door - HE WAS GONE!! I cried my lungs out - I found him under the house, those eyes...glowing out at me...the bastard lol...I managed to get him out..He covered me in kisses and got carried away and ripped into my head..I hated him - But he came after me for more kisses..lol. The second time I thought I lost him was a few days later when we went to show him to my neighbour Sue. Kareen freaked him out with the carry box and he lept from my arms and he was gone - I thought for sure he was gone for good. I had just got off the phone to the radio sttion I use to listen to back then and was telling them about him, Piper turnt up at the back door with him behind her...

As time went on and me and Rob sorted things out as mates and spent time together when we could - he came up with the same Fat Cheeks for him...I cant remember what I use to call him I think it was Fat Ass..lol but Rob's nick name stuck - he adored Rob when he came over...I remember one time talking to Rob one night - we had our black cats in our rooms and we put them on the phone so Sid and Mini could talk - we said they would be boyfriend and girlfriend lol..

This past year Ive spent hundreds on Sid at the vets...its worth every cent now for me having that second chance....I have some funny photos of him for sure from things like his surgery...there have been times where I am spent nights away from him and pinned for him...when I was moving to Blenhiem to be with Rob, I was taking Sid with me, it was tough process of trying to deside how to send him there either by plane or by car and ferry..however those planes changed to me moving to Taupo and again Sid was to come....but that turnt to custard....my big thing was moving out to Uni and not taking him...so I didnt move lol.

This morning mum woke me up with the words that shattered my world. "Sid's Dead" Its one thing lying in bed late at night in the dark listening to the radio and having songs triggering off images of peoples funerals and stuff...or driving home and hving vision of my babies dying...but to actaully have one of them come to front is another thing.

My world started to fall apart....thoughts split into my head of self harm...I refused to get out of bed for an hour and go see him. Once I did, I then spent 2 hours refusing to have him buried...I couldnt bare the thought. I wanted him with me..I wanted to keep him in my arms...As I stood there patting him...and crying....I thought of having him cremated - I rang the vets and asked how much - $180 with Rimu box, $150 with a cardboard box. I couldnt afford that - boy the vets sounded really upset like she was going to cry too...

Mum rang dad and asked him where to put him, dad didnt really know...I just wanted me dad to be there - and do the burial like he always did...but he wouldnt....Mum and Mike dug the hole...and my sister came back over and we buried him - it was so sad and horrible putting him in the whole and covering him up...I had one last cuddle with him and kissed him...inspected his face to see where the damage was...there wasnt much, just to his head...his eyes were open still....though the colour gone and his pupils fully dilated....it was what drew me to him in the first place - those eyes...

It hurts that my Poppa has left me yet again...but most of all Ive lost my sleeping buddy...I wont get to hear him snore anymore - he wont be banging on the door anymore. He wont be eating pistacio nuts with me anymore or stealing my chips and stuff...we had just shared a bag of salt and vinegar chips before I went to work..

Regret is the biggest one - I wish I had called him inside and left him inside...then he would still be here...but I cant go back in time....now i have no idea how I will cope having depression without him...he was there for everything...even when i was pregnant - he slept with me and kept a paw on my tummy woke me up to check i was ok...

Numb.....

RIP Fat Cheeks SIDNEY "The Fatty Goodness"

Im just partly addicted *blush*

Ok so Im like going to Latin Larder alot now lol - its my new hang out but then we all go there from work...theres no doubt that when you go in there you will see one of your co workers or former co workers or soon to be former co workers..either all but are almighty loyal to the Big Boy and his cafe...

Im sitting here thinking what to get him for Christmas, he looks after me so well, somedays I will go in and no buy anything and just sit and read...or somedays I go in not knowing what i want to eat or not wanting to eat due to having an ED...and he always brings something out for me to eat...I owe him for his great hospitality...and his big heart he has...

Sometimes you need an older adult to get things out in the open with and he is one of those people I talk to about things bothering me...always cheers me up he does - its his smile that helps to cheer me up...

ANYWAY - so yes went and had lunch there yesturday took my sister and nephews Michael and "Charlie" too....I thought it would be great fun to give a big poke to Charlie - I say thats is from your Cousin Gummi Bear for being poked and punched...but yes trust me sister to ring up when we get home moaning about my friends and co workers....she just cant handle them I can, I spent half of my time with them Ive gotten to know them and gotten use to them....you get the odd one at work who just doesnt get out dirty talk and behaviour but heh - thats Hospitality for you I say...

Ive got to go see the doctor on Monday - sadly my GP is away so Im seeing one of his partners :(

Grrr - but I seriously need to find out what is causing this pain, it went away for a couple of days and has come back again...I hate it Im hungry but I feel sick and am in pain. I was reading on Northridge Surgery's website about Gall Stones and related things to the gall bladder - given that there is a family history on it...last person to have theirs removed was my sister last year just prior to xmas - of course reading this stuff has to set off my anxiety - I hate hospitals and i have a fear of them datiing back to childhood with my Kidney Reflux....and I later develope a fear of sick people when my nephew was rushed to hospital by ambulance when he was 8 months old with a chest infection...and watching this baby in pain and crying his lungs out and puking his guts out wanting his aunty..who had to leave the room to cry and try and control not only her urge to puke from seeing that but an anxiety attack...phew..

Im panicing partly about if this is what i could possibly have - the possobilities that I would have to have surgery and where would i get the money from, it is rathet expensive...thats my big thing is the money side of it - second to time off work which i can not afford or do due to staffing shortages...I cna only imagine Big J. worrying about me again bless him...

I have crop night tonight but dont know what to work on when i have no photo printed and those that are printed I dont really have a new for them...sigh...I havent the time to go and print photos and stuff now...

I came home to find a courier from the USA - yay for Fiskateers!! Some Thomas paper - I need to source some more Thomas things to do my pages still...(as well as print the photos off lol)

I was told about someone I know being banned from a shop because they are selling similar products as them via a auction site - and were banned because they were a compeditor - ihad to have a slight giggle over it - at the shop owner being stupidd enough in clearly not know ANYTHING about marketing....I learnt from doing my marketing plan for Uni's restaurants that PRIMARY competitors are those in a short proximity to you selling the supplying the same goods or services - where SECONDARY competitors are all those supplying similar goods or services. In the case for my marketing plan i wrote the surround restaurants and bars supplying fine dinning and a la carte menus are Truffles and Four Seasons PRIMARY competitors wheres as places like the Star Mart, McDonalds, Ma Higgins Cookies, and the supermarket are all SECONDARY competitors...for the fact they sell food and beverages but not the same kind...so in the case of this lady I know - who was banned from a scrapbook store for selling cuttlebug things on a auction site - sooo doesnt know that she isnt out of business at all...for this lady I know is meerly her secondary compeditor as is every other man and dog on the auction site selling scrapbooking stuff...!

The joys of Marketing! heh!

Keeping my fingers crossed for the interview I had at the Heritage today...wonder how work will be tomorrow...wednesday wasnt too bad putting all the furniture back in and setting it back up and cleaning then running the whole place by myself while i let my boss sort other things out...didnt have a single complaint at all Love it when its like that..when its just met on the floor running things...with my boss...

For my big boss - awww too bad how sad lol - you screwed your ankle up on the power cable box - what has it taken you 10 yrs to notice that outside the bifold doors?? What do you think I have to put up with when Im on my beloved front section and its uber busy and I have to climb over that with a tray fill of drinks or a hand full of plates with meals...or bringing empty plates back in...grab yourself some popcorn and sit back and watch the security cams if you want to see what we are doing...

Oh well...off I go...to crop night...

RIP Betsy

Video is of Betsy at 4months of age in Blenheim before moving to Christchurch a month later.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Bronwyn Theresa Bell and Robert James Denham

One year, one month and one week - that is how long it has been since our gorgous girl Betsy left us and walked over the rainbow bridge.....

Daddy gave you the bestest life ever, he promised you that he would, and Mummy took on that promise too.....you were our baby....our little girl....Daddy's best friend, he worked so hard with you to get you to listen and to train you. You loved him to bits and he loved you. No matter what happened you would go crawlling back with your tail tucked between your legs to him after being told off for doing something naughty....like drinking coffee out of a cup! You were watch set the spark off in my love for your breed...your sister Abby reminds me everyday of you...! Though you were more behaved because Daddy was so much more tough on your than Mummy is on Abby.


Betsy was a puppy that Rob's friend got from a pet store and due to a lost in her family and moving back home she was unable to take Betsy with her, Rob took her on and promised to give her the bestest life ever. And he did just that....Rob has always loved his Dogs.....in the years Ive known him Ive watch how he is with his family pets....both Rolly and Dee-Dee...and also with Betsy....and though he has yet to meet Abby I know the two of them will hit it off.

It ripped my heart apart when he had to make the choice to have her PTS - it is not a good life letting a animal live a life in a pain....no matter how much it costs to fix...it is ethically wrong in my view....and I actaully cry as I write this thinking back to that day.....and I know that Rob still hurts deep down....though as time has gone on we have dealth with that - but she will always hold a soft spot in our hearts...



What brought this blog on?? And email from Purina for Rob lol - with an offer in it for a book - Im sure if I look in my other email account there will be one there for me....however its one per house hold and mum has already entered it for Abby so I cant enter it! What I dont understand is that this is the first email they have sent for Rob in almost a year..! They know that Betsy passed away - I have the card they sent saying they were sorry for our lose. I have it on my cork board in my room...


Anyway...

RIP Betsy.....I hope you are having fun up there running through the feilds with Gummi Bear...

My Job is never done...

*slips on Simply Red - Would I lie (to you baby)*



Wellll now like Ive said when I thought I had time to myself it turns out not to be so true! My week is filling up with lots of appointments and stuff along with work too..

Tonight is the Sex in the City Theme party at work - sooo guttered that Im not working tonight, I was looking forward to see what our parties are like at work - I get the please of going into work at 9am in the morning tomorrow how ever to put all the tables and chairs back into the restaurant...! Yay!! hahaha - bonus of 9am starts Staff Breakie! Hehehe.

Meanwhile...

This morning Villa Maria Vineyard had a recruitment open day - that I completely forgot about till I saw an ad on TV for Matua Valley Wineries (go do their Tastes of the Nation and find our your Palate Profile - mines is Chardonnay) when i went rushing to my email account and sent an email through asking what time it finished and letting them know I was going to be late due to a doctors appointment for a follow up for my hospital visit (only to find out that was on Monday - Yaz dont feel bad for not reminding me about my appointment being yesturday...)

Went through to the vineyard, I missed the tour and most of the team building exercises, however was there for the last one - where we had to design a new label for a wine bottle - first thing I thought about was see through labels - Ok so if you dont know what Im talking about go out to a bottle store and look at the wines and their labels!! We had to design it and state in our presentation why we did our design and all - the girl who lead the group I was in clearly didnt know much about marketing lol - Im sorry its not my fault I have just finished writing my marketing plan and have seen my results online for that paper...however when they came to asking why we had a see through label she didnt know how to answer that so I steped in saying because we want the focus to be on the wine - when you hold the bottle up to the light you can see through it and see the colour of the wine....regardless of it being red or white...and I actaully have noticed this lately at work I have noticed the colour different between some wines now! feeling proud of that! Pinot Gris is a more orange gold colour than chardonnay which is a more pale yellow - and then you have Syrah being a more purple red to a Pinot Noir being a dark brownie red....anyway my group won - the snobby chick how ever took the prizes all for herself (I did actaully wine some binoculars but couldnt be bothered in getting them) this chick had already won prizes from the other team building exercises - as she walked out the door she was going Im going to give this to my mum she is going to be so proud of me...blah blah I rolled my eyes at that....the whole lot of them (yes they were from my Uni) were really snobby and yes....and all I could was man Im so different....I am a GPK girl....we are snobs like this...

From the Vineyard I went through to Prego - an Italian Restaurant in Ponsonby which is just down the road from my work's head office. Filled in my application form and handed it over - Big J's been working hard in getting me something good....and I really appreciate how much he looks out for me, right from the moment I started at my job Ive always gotten on with him - I have never had him yell at me ever he's yelled at others but never at me...Ive been warned not to get on the wrong side of him and all but I have never been on it...probably because he knows howsmart I am and I dont take shit from anyone when it comes to work...he can see the potential in me...and all...hmmmm.

Had a phone call from him not long after I was leaving Prego asking me what i was doing and if I had been in, I said yes I did and would come in after work...(Latin Lader is so my hang out these days lol) - not long after coming home I went and layed down in bed for some time to myself - and had a phone call from Heritage Hotels asking me to come in for an interview - so that is Friday's task....!

Just in the process of writing out my Resignation letter now...and finding the forms I need to fill in for Uni for my 300 hours work expereince requirement for my Diploma - I have done over that since starting Uni!

Off to sort something out for dinner - and sort the dog out who is going to town outside...

Boats and Battleships

Having a million sister is not a miracle. The miracle is to have a sister who will stand by you when a million are against you. I WILL GLADLY BE THAT SISTER! Send to all your beautiful sisters who mean the world to you!

I was sent this in a text from my lovely sister Maxine Easthope! I always know when a texts is from her, she sends alot of forward texts to me...minus the whole send this so many blah blah stuff - they always are such meaningful texts some of them....and such beautiful ones too...

This text suits this blog entry - it also makes me think of when I have friends supporting me when I have had some friends or well people whom I thought were friends but I misjudged in giving them such a title attacking me. Friends in my view and opinion do not make up lies and spread nasty shit about you, they dont talk badly about you behind your back, nor do they ditch you because you cant be there for them, be it because you have to work, or have to go into hopsital or something because your sick, or because you have been dignosed with somethng, or even because you are moving to another city or country! That reminds me of when Rob moved to Australia, all the people who said they wouldnt have anything to do with him because he was moving, and here was little old me - his bestest friend in the whole wide world - of all people you would think would be upset and begging him not to go - turning around and saying F Them! You go and you have fun and you have learn from the experience and if it doesnt work out you know home is always here - Robbie did just that...and one thing I have taken on from Rob in the time ive known him, people can just get F'ked if they cant accept me for who I am..I change for no one but myself (and perhaps I will tweak and fix a few things where I have gone off the tracks for Rob and a few other friends...but only because I know they care about me).

Speaking of Friends....

Friday night I went out to Westhaven Marina - dressed in my little black dress I brought last year for my Graduation from my Cert in Tourism Customer Service (TCS) the graduation that Robbie couldnt make it to due to limited money to get a flight up...but I know he was thinking of me, however having BOTH my parents there that night met alot...(even having my step mom there meant something too) - anyway this dress I wear to every fancy do, Regan's funeral last year, Bex's exhibition on the Wave's of Grief (her journey through Reg's death) and Stacey's farwell to Australia (before she moved back again lol) and well the list goes on...you see..

However I have learnt I need to buy me a new dress - as due to my drastic weight loss, it is now not has hot and sexy as it use to be, my boobs done spew out of it, due to shrinkage!! OMG!! And the whole thing just falls off me!! I use to struggle getting the zip up on this dress! Now its falling off me with the zip up!! So feeling semi ugly in this dress now (not to mention the fact that the dog had a good old munch on it one day when she pulled it off the washing line and I saw her asleep in the back yard with it...all snuggled up nicely...lol)

Anyway - the boat cruise was fab! Girls night out, and I can say not only do Samoans know how to party, they are loving and caring, the whole night they were asking me if I was ok, if i wanted something to drink or eat..I said no - partly because I wasnt feeling very well and kept thinking how I wanted to go to the hospital and wanted to ask Max is she would take me there on the way home....but I didnt want to ruin her party, she kept telling me to socialise, and there was the odd time where she would shove her drink in my hand to make it look like I was drinking lol...But it was great - half my old work was there, some of them I havent seen since July last year when I last worked there before I went on sick leave, some since my 21st party, and some since I last went into the hotel to see Max before she left....I had a few ask me how i was and where I was working now - I pointed out to the other side of the harbour going TAKAPUNA!!! GPK BABY!!! I had a few ask me to come back to which I replied that I tried but I couldnt go back (and plus going back now wouldnt be the same with out Max there...somethings just arent the same you know...sure if Max was still there I would be gagging to go back and as much as I miss them all minus two people - its just not the same).

I was so guttered I forgot all about taking Max's present and I had it all engraved and all!! I was sooo looking forward to giving it to her and seeing her face - instead I had to say Im an idiot! I forgot it! I gave it to her sister when they dropped me off home...soooo hopefully Max got it...haha I felt sooo stink man! I worked sooo hard trying to get the correct spelling and all of Happy 30th Birthday in Samoan to engrave on the back - and the girl who did it - it was her first time engraving shell.

Sooooo many photos!! I took I think about 40 - Tasi took probably near to 300...and there were more people taking photos...though I look shit in most of the ones I can see me in from Tasi...probably why I ended up in hospital the next day...

Which brings me to conclude with that yes I was in Hospital...4.5 hours...talk about taking ages to do everything...the last time I was in hospital for my miscarraige it took them an hour! And I was out...It was funny though when I went in and they were going through my details and my emergancy contacts....and they were like Robert....your partner...Im like yea does it really matter?? Everythings is important there you know and yea get on with it...stop fluff arsing around! I got put into a room that had no bed in it, they had to bring one in, and it was still dirty from the last patient, stains on the floor from the last use and all...it was grosse! And the clearners had gone home in the morning! How stupid is that!?? This is a hospital you would think they would have them on hand all the time!

Bloods, urine, xrays later - they all came back clear and discharged me into my GP's care...saying it was probably muscular...grrrrr...! The whole time I was walking up to ED my mind is going through so much, first it was thinking wow last time I came here it was for my miscarraige, and then it flicked into anxiety attack mode of OMG what if I have to have surgery I have never had surgery before (I was lucky as a child being borderline with my Kidneys that I didnt need a transplant or anything and outgrew my reflux and only had to have scans and xrays done for 10 yrs) I was also texting Cameron going I have a fear of Hospitals and Sick People hospitals are full of sick people you know that dont you...and he was like yes I know you do but this is important....so Big hugs and thank you though to my friend Cameron Burton who is in Med School (and was in my 7th Form Biology class -- as embarrasing as it was for my high school crush to ask me personal questions relating to cycles and pregnacy and stuff lol he did a great job for an hour talking to me before concluding that he wanted me to get checked out at the hospital incase it was my appendix) - a big one finger salute to the reception lady at Middlemore Hospital...coz your a bitch who treated me like a dumb shit and told me to go to a GP...and a big thank you to my doctor at the hospital who worked over time just for me...before handing me over to be discharged by another consultant when she went home....(she's a regular at my work well out head office branch but yea...lol) And a big thank you to my friends who texted me and checked how I was while in hospital - especially Justin who rang all worried...lol...I swear if you had visible hair still you'd be grey by now!! (Though GPK isnt the same with out you, its ok coz we have Latin Larder to hang out at now!) A big thank you to my boss your fantastic and thanks for making work go smoothly yesturday morning...sorry I couldnt make it for my shift on Saturday (guttered there goes one of my sick days for this year! Lol)

Bronnie still has her Appendix - but does have some bruising now from being poked and proded by doctors - but is going to the doctors tomorrow for further more investigation into the mystery pain...one interesting thing though is I discovered my biocarbonate levels are high and my potassium levels too! Alone with my Beliruben still being isolated...

And for my sister Maxine!!! Happy 30th!! I hope you enjoy your dirty 30's lol and thank you for a great night...Im so greatful to have you in my life, and all the things you have done for me since I met you at Jet Park Hotel....you have gotten me through some of the hard times....and i know I can stress you out sometimes...your a great friend and an awesome mum to your two babies.Im so glad I could be there to Celebrate your 30th just like you were there for my 21st....MWAH!!!

100 things..

I saw this on fellow Fiskateers Michelle's blog...Im sure Rob will be able to highlight WAY more than me on this list!! :o)

A list of 100 things... the ones I've done are bolded...

Play along...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band and in orchestras and string quartets
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (ok it was from my front door looking out to the beach by my house!)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (hey I taught myself scrapbooking!)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (any dork knows you dont serve the same cooked chicken a week later!
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (they are called "Mental Health" Days)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (my childhood best friend had a lamb and i remember feeding it :p)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (ok so it was only a few hours on the harbour last night but still!!)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (French in high school though not good now, and Rob tries to teach me French, Italian and Spanish hehehe)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke (Singstar baby!!! lol)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (my first date with Rob in Mission Bay, though cant remember if the moon was out that much)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain (Christchurch Airport with Rob awww lol and a few other places with him)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (Girl Guide Biscuits actually...)
62. Gone whale watching (We saw more Dolphins than Whales)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (When my niece was born I donated Blood, cant now due to low platelets and prolonged bleeding time - stupid blood disorder!)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (have ALL of my childhood toys still)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (Had my hours cut to nothing for no reason...)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (its NZ NEW!!! Lol...)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (twice once in primary school once during high school)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Sir Roger Moore stayed at the hotel I worked for, Sam from Sticky TV, Hillary Barry from TV3 News and More FM, Helen Clarke, Jim Bolger, Jonathan Hunt (NZ politicians/Prime Ministers and Im also related to a Gold Medal Olympic Runner John Walker)
92. Joined a book club (Little Sitters Book Club...yea it was in Primary school it only went to a certain number though in the series)
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (In heavan with my Poppa to soon before I got to meet him)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone ( I have TWO cell phones!)
99. Been stung by a bee (Bumble Bee, Wasp and Bee!)
100. Read an entire book in one day

November Baker's Dozen Challenge - DONE

I present to you ONE November Bakers Dozen!!

I have been sooo busy with Uni I havent been able to complete the last two - but better late than never I will get them done!! Yuh!! How ever this is Novembers one...

I really love this Challenge that Deborah sets on Fiskateers...!! It is a true Challenge and its fun seeing how we all fit everything in off the list - even the weird wakky things!! how ever this time round didnt have anything overly bizare on it....

November Bakers Dozen Challenge

1. Black and White Photo - My niece and nephew

2. 5 Brads - four silver stars and a big blue star

3. Flowers - On the photo and also in the ribbon!

4. Chipboard - W A O and the snow flake are chip board

5. Ribbon - The flower ribbon on the paper

6. Hiedi Grace/Cloud 9 PP - The main background and the snowflake and dot paper are all from HG Frost Blvd.

7. Shape Eyelets - Star one by the date under photo

8. Stickles/Bling/Glitter - On the snowflake, around the border and the star in WINTER

9. Stickers - Annual and Outfits are sticker letters

10. Date - Under the photos says Winter 2007

11. Stamping - very faint but there are silver stars stamped around the place

12. Embossing - under the journalling I was sent a whole pile of pre cut paper that was embossed using the Cuttlebug from a friend in Christchurch

13. Foamdots - I didnt have dots but i used foam tape on the chipboard letters and snowflake

Scraplifting

Scraplifting (skrap-lift-ing) – The act of copying ideas and designs from another person’s scrapbook page to use in your own pages. Designs or ideas can be copied in whole or in part and is largely subjective. - Source: scrapjazz.com

A while ago, my best friend Jade had taken a gorgous photo of her son Rhiley, I loved the colours in the photo, she also had changed it to black and white - thats it down on my profile... :p

For a while I had been wating to make a scrapbook page of him, and I asked if I could and Jade said yes - on the terms I did one for him, so what better way to make a duplicate layout, that way there wouldnt be the whole ok which one do I keep and which one do I give if we both liked one layout more than the other and stuff..

I was trawlling through the gallery on Scrapbook.com and fell upon a layout that I liked, and decided to scraplift it. You can see it HERE - thank you to the original artist who did this layout - your work is really awesome!

My main thing was to match the colours in the photo - to pull out the bright colour from Rhi's bandana....and to make it pretty boyish...people say they struggle scrapping boys...I semi agree, its a process of using the right colours, and I have done a few layouts with boys in them.

It took me only a day or two to finish my layouts, thats both of them...and I shared little sneak previews with Jade...lol who was loving every bit of it...! And does love the finished layout. I can not wait to deliver it personally at the end of the month..

MY FINISHED PRODUCT

I uploaded my layout onto Fiskateers and it was only yesturday that I was going through my gallery on there that I noticed Donna (aka Beach Girl Donna) had commented some time ago that she was lifting my lift...! I searched in returnt through her gallery to find her layout and I found it!! Her and her twin (or do I say Triplet??) sister Deborah (aka Groovy Deborah - my luffly friend) have been doing a big scraplifting challenge together for some months now....and I was picked for their Letter B....! These are Donna's and Deborah's layouts.

DONNA'S LAYOUT

Deborah is checking to see if she actaully did this lift or not :p

Isnt it fun to see the difference???

Woot!! Two Layouts completed

Friday I went to Crop night - it was strange - there wasnt many there, a few new faces I hadnt seen one was Karen's mother, and two other new ladies, though one I think I may have seen at the last one or so.....Ive been gone for so long! But it was fun....being able to catch up again.....I have finished two layouts I had started at the last crop night I went to in July...


Im sooo proud of myself for that....One of them I pulled apart and started again and then I completely butchered the new version but have managed to fix it....just wasnt thinking with my bored on that one! This one was also based on a challenge I had been doing last year I think it was - but didnt have the photos...thanks to Luke for pxting me this photo from his place to enable me to use it on this layout.. :o)


So here they are to share...


PS - new name has been christianed to me by Yaz...haha!! I dont understand the whole meister name thing she has going on with another best mate of hers - but heck if known Yaz for 8 yrs now, she was the first person I met at the gate on our first day of high school - us Palagi had to stick together you know! Lol - Wikipedia is your friend if you want to know the whole meaning of Palagi btw...

Anyway - Yaz has Christenied or Knighted me??


Scrapmeister-Bee - Scrapmeister for Short also more commonly known widely as Bee for Short...!!







Hahaha.


Chur Bro!! hahahaha




Here are the pages anyway - they will also be put into the slides later...

I have PMS and I will use it.

Seasons.

Roadworks - grr

I have a little pet pieve sitting stuck in road works, especially the ones that take soooo long to do...and we have a few like that, with the new alingments of the roads and a new highway thing going in......but Ive gotten use to that now, as i travel over it everyday I go to work...

But then they decide to randomly just do something in front of your house that has never ever had road works done on them before - thats when you get a bit ticked off....and most people who know me know i have been living in my house since i was 2 yrs old - thats 20 yrs now...

I always thought that you were meant to be given notice of such things....my mum rang the council to complain whom said that yes notice was meant to have been given - and they would forward it onto roading *rolls eyes* in other words its a thats nice dear we dont care kinda reply..lol I say!

When you ask the workers how much longer they are going to be and why notice wasnt given that just shake there head, shrug their shoulders and ignore you acting like they cant hear you - this is when all the noise has stopped...

Residence of my street - those that have been here for as long as we have or less - have come to learn that othing exciting ever happens on our street.....the last time anything happened that had people getting in their cars and driving down was when they had a rescue helicopter down at the beach with a naked guy and a whole pile of police about 4-5 yrs ago...

Its now a process of getting use to chip seal than smooth seal - and doing a funny run across the road in bare feet! Guess I wont be able to go fast on my road with all the lose chips that will be flying off now..

What i find amusing is that only last week they have just refreshed the road markings - what a waste of money and paint that was...

All Aboard the Train. Choo Choo!! Chugga Chugga.

ALLLLL ABOARD THE TRAIN!!! CHOOO CHOOO Chugga Chugga CHOO CHOO!!

My nephew sits there on my lap singing this as we are riding down through the railway lines upon Tod one of the steam trains at Glenbrook Vintage Railway in the Friends of Thomas the Tank Engine show they had on this weekend just gone.

I dont know how was more excited me or the kids...Ever since I started Uni and catching the train in, I have grown a new love for trains....watching them all at work in Westfeild...its rather spiffy and i get all excited If i get to see the steam train that is locked up inside a shed near the city....

It was only the other week when i was coming off the motorway on my way home from work that I saw a big cloud of smoke and a train slowly moving under the bridge I had just driven over...I knew then i had to go straight home and check out what there was to do when I go down to Kapiti - and fortunately there is a steam railway down there!

Their train was brought up for this show...

My nephew Michael was so excited about the whole thing, the moment we got off the train in Glenbrook he was decked out in a Thomas outfit and as we got off in come Thomas - THOMAS!!! he cried out, and it was none stop wheres my thomas...theres my thom thom i want to go on thom thom...of course when we actaully did go on thom thom is was a different story of Im Unwell...leave me alone Im sick...lol...and my niece just as much enjoyed it too...there were a few heated arguments which with a STOP FIGHTING from me they settled down...

My niece Meggan has her own Thomas set at home she got when she was a baby - when my sister was pregnant with her 6 yrs ago her heart beat would match and race agianst any trains coming in to Papakura when she was in having scans done through out her whole pregnancy...her first trip on a train was when she was just under a month old..we went into the city and had lunch at Burger King with her dad...

And Im sure my nephew "Charlie" (given that the scans arent wrong lol) enjoyed the family outting we had too....though "Charlie" couldnt SEE it all "Charlie" would more than lightly to have heard it all...

I love my fire engines to death though...but there is just something about steam trains......I dont know what...much like my thing for planes....perhaps its just my tomboy streak still in me from when I was growing up?? Lol


I cannot wait to make scrapbook pages from the photos i took - there were some awesome ones...Now I wonder where I can source the Thomas themed scrapbooking things from.... I know they are done by Sandylion...

Hang Man - For Robbie

Want to Play a game with me my darling???

_ _ _ _ _q_ _

Theres your game board baby fill it in!! And you will find out whos been bothering my the past week or two!! Asking if we can try again... Oh oh and she has asked if I had heard from you - I polietely screamed YOUR NOT MY F'ING PA AND NOR DID HE EMPLOYEE YOU AS HIS!!! To which she totally ignored and asked something else totally out of the blue...hahaha you should see the fun and games me and Stace have been having with her....

I was kind and gave you a letter to get you started.... :p

Schools out!! Farewell Timmy Toe-Jams!!

I have finished all my exams for University! - UNIVERSITY yes I do love to say that word out loud again as much as I hate going there - but I love to boast about it to those few jealous people I know who couldnt accept me going there....perhaps you should take a page from the book of a customer I had come into my work during our graduations for uni who graduated in her 60's!! Now that is some damn pride there i tell you!

YIPPEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I am soooo glad to have some time to myself now....when Im not at work that is! However got to go back into uni for handover day or what it is when we are givne our results go through our exams to double check it is all correct and that they havent been marked incorrectly - I do love my answer and I know Rob you will find this probably funny...hahah - Given that one of my lecturer did a piss poor job at teaching Accommodation Operations i answer two parts of the exam with THE LECTURER DIDNT COVER THIS SECTION FULLY IN CLASS SO DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!! Its all very well having expensive text books for it, and "studying" but here we are going to class to have her not even cover the parts fully but to spend like 2 hours covering it expecting us to have understood it first time round and then moves on to something else....and i like to think hmmm what have I learnt about accommodation (that i dont already know from personal experience and work expereince) Not alot at all! Infact some of what she said isnt true at all!! Like her saying there are no flights after midnight - pfffft then howcome when I am travelling home from work at midnight or 1am sometimes 2am I see planes coming in to land?? HUH!?? Yes....it also annoyed me that it seemed to focus more so on Hotels...and not any of the other types of accommodation out there, and the videos were WAY WAY WAY out of date...

However - goodluck to my friends and co workers who are still doing exams and are about to start exams....



My final shift with Timmy was last night- and I sooo desprately wanted to do a double and texted one of the newbie girls asking if I could do her shift - she said I was a saint and thanked me!! hahaha....so double with Timmy yayness!! Going to miss him so much - and I wish him all the best for his future at Prego and with his travels and stuff...I have so many fond memories at work of my time with Timmy....like when I had a massive arguement with him about coming inot work stoned...and me saying AT LEAST I DONT COME INTO WORK STONED!! And him putting the "I like little boys" sign on Justin's car...boy did he get ripped into for that...no one touches his baby - I was amused watching someone trying to parallel park in front of it on Sunday at work...wincing at them getitng close to hitting it - they gave up...we were pretty quiet at work to the point we were all standing outside watching the cars attempting to park...!

I ended up finishing my first half of my shift after a couple of hours and couldnt be bothered going home then coming back a few hours later for my second shift so I headed up to Latin Lader for lunch...had a scrummy toasted BLT...Mmmmm yummy!! Then about an hour later after texting Yazzy and Iain (whos in the Navy and has just resently moved from CHCH to AKL with them) I had a slice in the cabinet screaming Eat Me...EAT ME!!! And my wallet going NOOOOO!! Im empty!! EMPTY I SAY!! And Yazzy going DO IT!! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!!! To which I sat there for a good our confused to have Justin come up and check on me again I said the slice is screaming EAT ME!! EAT ME BRONWYN!! He said which one I said that one there second from the left....he goes over and get the third one from the left!! And brings it to me...to which I shrugged and ate....to have him come out and eat a danish seductively infront of me to make me laugh...Boy do I miss working with him! He had me laughing which was good considering I was feeling a bit depressed...

One thing I noticed was that Justin had BLUE buttons on his chef jacket and before I left to go to work I said to him I wanted blue buttons for my chef jacket! He said he would see what he could do for me...if i was a good girl...haha...I can not believe that Uni are charging 35cents EACH for black buttons - white ones were free with my jacket....I want black! I mean come on man! The white dont give it full dimension...



*Awesome things this week that happened*

*My baby brother Luke rang me from Gran Carnaria to see how I was and to let me know a post card was on its way..

*Bex rang to ask when i wanted my hair cut and set a booking for an hour after he call...so have a new hair cut now! :p

*Finished Exams and brought my chef jacket for next semester

*Big Boss Kissed up to me and greezed his way about with my new hair cut - haha still leaving mate!

*Went on a steam train ride (blog to come)

*Went to my first Crop night since July PHEW! Finished a page! Woot!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Happy Halloween!!
Blessed Samhain to my friends in the Northern Hemp, and a Blessed Beltane to those in the South with me... ~ LadyBlackHeart

I went up to my niece's school to watch her do her production of the Hungry Caterpillar - I took some photos, though not good ones from the back of the school hall and with the darn stair rail blocking the view of my lovely baby girl...! However I took some photos of the two of us after she finished school...

I decorated my house up for halloween and fully expected no kids to come as the streets were dead, and the weather cold and overcast with rain on the way....however come 6.30pm they all started to come out...mum worked away on Meggie's outfit - sorry I didnt take photos of it as we didnt end up going out trick or treating with Mikey having been in for surgery for gromets in the morning...

We popped next door to Aunty Sue's who spoilt her rotten with the candy she had - too which I was informed our other neighbour had gone out to get candy though it was stated that by the time she got back it would be next halloween lol...its the thought that counts! We popped into another house up the road (funny enough the house i had been going to some years ago to see if they had mail of mine from Rob - hmmm yes I think that postcard may have been eaten by the postie my love! Along with my letter I sent you last year...haha) we then walked the rest of the way to her house with the dog...hey what better excuse to have the dog out for a walk...

I handed out most of the candy bags I made with a few bags that didnt have tags..I didnt expect to get 50 kids...but I did get 40! Thats impressive I say...left over candy is being taken to work to my coworkers from Brazil - since my candy is from Brazil...haha