The Sydney Trip - Part 1

I've been back since Thursday, and am finally getting to posting a little recap of my trip to Sydney last week with Vanessa and Brett aka the Three Muskateers.

Day 1 - Tuesday
Up at 4:45am....which wasn't that hard....I guess cause I actually had somewhere to go. I pretty much bounced out of bed straight away, and into my routine which involved a check list - because at 5am you NEED a check list! I had to be in the car and ready to leave the house around 20 past, it became 25 past I think, but it worked out. That was enough time to get the last of my things together, pack something to eat on the way, and get dressed.
Brett was driving to the airport, so we all met there. In the dark! - Its always weird being up in the dark...but kinda exciting at the same time, cause you know you're doing something special.

The drive to the airport wasn't bad, not too busy. We waited in the cold for the bus to come to take us to the terminal...at least the sun was up by that point!
We got some breaky/coffee at the airport, and got on our plane, spent the flight yakking about all kinds of things....arrived in Sydney. We were all still kinda out of it.
After collecting our luggage, we caught one of those spiffy double decker trains and got off a short stroll through a park to our hotel. On our way around the block to our hotel, we passed the stage door to the Capitol Theatre. -Which made that a VERY easy check to our list!! It was too easy! (and it was safe, with plenty of footpath around, so people were not right on the road, like in Melbourne.
Our hotel was practically next door to the theatre...which was MOST excellent!

We check into our hotel, and unpacked/relaxed/changed for a bit, before heading off to explore the area. We walked around the block, checking out the theatre. Then we headed up George street, browsing in shops as we went, and making it all the way to Martin place, and to the channel 7 store...which I guess luckily had nothing we NEEDED.

On our way back, we went to Pizza Hut for lunch...an actual restaurant with the all you can eat meal. -It was fun, like being little again. We had the choc mousse and choc chips, pizza, jelly, brownie and everything!
 
We walked back, and down towards Darling Harbour. Nothing too exciting.
 

 
We went and put our names in for the Wicked $30 ticket lottery, since we were there. We waited around with the other people, there wasn't too many. My name got called out pretty early on, and so I got the 2 tickets, but we needed someone else's name to get called out so we had 3 tickets. -Our rule was all go, or no go. Unfortunately there were not many cheap tickets, and neither of the other's names were called. So we debated what to do, and ultimately ended up offering our tickets to these girls who were hovering around after. They were from Germany and Finland and were SO happy to have the tickets, that it made US feel happy about giving them away. (They just paid me for what I paid for them) -And we got cool badges, which are special.
 
We sulked for a while, but eventually got over it.
We went up to the RSL for dinner. It was a nice place and the food was good. At one point 3 fire trucks pulled up outside and made for some entertainment, all these firemen got out - still no idea what happened....I saw no smoke and after a while they all left!
 
 
After that we pretty much went back to our hotel, and hung out in our room, before crashing. -We were all exhausted! -We did have to take some pics of the pretty green lights that they had put up all around the Wicked block. Very cool!

 
 
I'll leave day 2 (D-Day) till another time....its too much for now!
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Carlie

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!

So today I had the funniest experience. I just couldn’t believe what happened! It’s kinda insane.
So a few years ago, early last year I think, my computer crashed and I had to reboot it. In the process I lost all my files and had to start from scratch again.
Today I was burning files onto a dvd, and was searching for the My Documents folder, for some reason there was two with my name on it. I clicked on one and came across all this stuff I didn’t recognise. Later on, I went searching for the folder again, it was not the one I usually use, but another one. I clicked on the my videos folder and low and behold, I found a WHOLE bunch of old videos, including the imfamous Lauren on Conan video from 2007, that Ness and I had been searching Youtube for for ages and ages. I also found all these pics and documents I’d thought I’d lost. But I guess somehow it had all been stored on my hard drive, hidden away. –Explains why I have no memory on my laptop. But Oh My God! I am both SO HAPPY, and confused at the same time!

-And it turns out the interview was just as good as I remembered it! I really do love her, she gives the best interviews!
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Carlie

Put The Lime in The Coconut....

So....not a whole lot going on - as per usual :)
Last week I went shopping...A LOT. I went to Chadstone on Wednesday arvo with Jacinta, got a couple of things. Went to Southland with Ness on Thursday, bought quite a few things, mostly stuff I either forgot about on Wednesday or didn't see. Then I went shopping on my way home from seeing the Dental Surgeon in the city.

I'm finally getting my wisdom teeth out. Its gonna get interesting. I have to have all 4 out, and so its happening in december. I didn't want to do it just before my birthday. I thought in case I'm miserable and swollen, I shouldn't be for my birthday....not that I have anything planned yet.

Got a few assignments coming up. One due next friday after I get back from Sydney, and from there they start piling up.

Went to the Rob Guest Endowment Concert/Award presentation Monday night. It was really good. Got to see Lucy Durack tap dance..which was cute. -Then she came out later with a costume change and kinda looked like Broadway Barbie, all blinged out. There were a few other big names there, Ness and I both felt like we were at the Christmas carols with Marina Prior and Rhona Burchmore there. The 6 finalists were amazing! It was a pity only one could win

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Carlie

Language

So I'm in the middle of reading a chapter of my textbook for Intercultural Communications, and there is a chart of Aussie words, and the US words that go along with them....so here's the list...and MY words :P

US/Aussie
Ranch/Station (seriously? to me its a farm...or a ranch if its in the US...)
Herd(of cattle)/Mob   (A mob? really?)
Round Up/Munster (okay aussie words are stupid!)
Pasture/Paddock  (okay I have to go Paddock on this one)
Pacifier/Dummy  (Dummy or in my house...Ning-a-ning)
Trashcan/Bin  (yup..rubbish bin)
Case of Beer/Slab (slab all the way)
Shopping Cart/Trolley (I work at Safeway...totally Trolley)
Jell-O/Jelly (well to be fair, JELL-O is the brandname...like Bandaid....but yes I call it Jelly)
Diapers/Nappies (again I go aussie...course I don't think I use the word much)
Car Trunk/Boot  (boot, unless quoting something)
""Hood/Bonnet (I probably use hood...but I don't think I really need to use it ever)

I find it interesting that footpath, sauce, and many other famous words didn't pop up in there.


Okay I think I'm done for now...

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Carlie

Taking It Easy

Well....I'm back at uni...thank god that I've gotten those last 3 assignments over and done with....too many in a short amount of time.
My one week off turned into a very short week, by the time I watched The Emmys, saw some friends, and worked on the last essay.

Last week was much easier. Back to classes, no assignments due...Granted I better get started on the next one pretty soon.

Things are pretty quiet at home...sorta. Mum's off galavanting around London and Paris. I'm so happy she got to go...I hope she's enjoying it.
So Dad's running things...its very weird...without Mum around, he's being a lot nicer...he's even including me in things...and on a normal day I don't even talk to him usually.
I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm not pushing things the way I normally do. But it makes me mad that he's being nicer and more family orientated when my Mum's not here....I assume once she comes back, he'll go back to acting like a single jerk, keeping to himself and playing his music and ignoring everything....I guess I should appreciate it while its here.

Not much else going on. I'm looking forward to my trip to Sydney with Ness and Brett. I definately need a vacation. I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun....once we find something to do when we get there! lol.


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Carlie

80's and 90's fun

Found this list in an old notebook, of things that were big for me as a kid in the late 80’s and early 90’s.


TV Shows/Movies/Toys

Agro’s Cartoon Connection
Saturday Disney – with James Sherry, Shelly and Lisa
- Bonkers (Bonkers, bonkers, bonkers, BONKERS!)
- Ducktails (whoo-ooo)
-Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers
-Gummi Bears
-Goof Troop
-Talespin


Mighty Ducks
Raggy Dolls
Rupert
Super Ted
Banana Man
Victor and Hugo (Hugo and Victor)
Inspector Gadget
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High
Muppet Babies
The Bunny Picnic
Frazzle Rock
Beverly Hills 90210
Care Bears
Strawberry Shortcake
My Little Pony
Baby Sitters Club
Nintendo
Sylvanians
Sailor Moon
Transformers
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Samurai Pizza Cats
Round the Twist
Trolls
Polly Pockets (that actually fit in your pockets)
Cabbage Patch Kids
Lego
GameBoy
Baywatch
Barbie
Doodle Bears
Arthur
Little People
Cup Cake Dolls
Mermaid Dolls
Magic Babies/Animals/Mermaids
Pop Corn Pretties
Water Babies
Mr Men and Little Miss Books
Grug Books
Spot
Noddy
Caboodles
Animaniacs
Mullygrubs
Brum
Mr Squiggle
The Ferals
Romper Room
Rainbow Brite
Lady Lovely Locks
The Land Before Time
Return to Oz
Fern Gully
Crash Dummies
Super Soakers
Slip and Slides (inc the homemade variety)
Press Gang
Fat Cat
Magna Doodles
Etch-A-Sketch
Play Doh
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Pound Puppies
Puddle Lane
Tea Bag series
Ghost Writer


Misc
Fluro anything
Slapbands
Elastics
Macarena
Zinc sticks
CD’s
Spice Girls
Roller Blades
Mountain Bikes
Hair Mascara
Bindi’s
Scrunchies
Gripballs
Springlaces
Rainbow shoelaces
Light Up Shoes
Tie-Up T-shirts
Connector Pens
Dummy Necklaces
Lip Smackers
Mood Rings
Frogs in Jelly
Push Pops

Games

40-40 (Home)
What’s The Time Mr.Wolf?
Mother, May I?
Stations
BP
Heads Down, Thumbs Up

Musicals

Been busy lately, especially last weekend. Friday after uni and after doing some work on a presentation I had this Monday, I headed down to Ness’. We did a night of drinking, with Brett. We played a drinking game to RV. It’s a fun movie drink to actually. Then we did the obligatory WW episodes. –We might need to start branching out soon in terms of the eps we watch. –Maybe we should retire season 1 for next time….or not. :p

Saturday night, after getting home from Ness’ and spending the afternoon working on my presentation more, it was off into the city to see Chicago (the musical, not the band – in case you were confused) We were split 3 and 3, Me, Nick and Kay, and Ness, Brett and Vicky in the cars, those from the east, and those from the south. We had dinner at The Spaghetti Tree before the show. It was good food and nice to eat out together as a group. Then we went over to Her Majesty’s Theatre where it was playing. We got our mandatory programs, and headed to our seats. I was on the aisle, and Ness was next to me, and then Nick and so on. I liked our seats, we had pretty good vision. The show was a lot of fun. There were some parts I simply loved and others that were a little disappointing. But I didn’t let them ruin the good parts.

We couldn’t help compare it to the movie. In the end some I liked better on stage, some better in the movie. I really liked Gina’s voice, but I felt her big number should have had more movement in it….they didn’t always use the stage as much as they could have.
I loved Roxie. I thought she was excellent, very funny…even if she is scary tiny. My favourite part might have been the part in ‘Roxie’ where she takes the conductor’s baton and starts playing around with it.

After the show Ness and I went over to the stage door and got Gina Riley (Mama) and Sharon Millerchip (Roxie) to sign our programs. Gina was lovely and went to the effort to sign to us by name. Sharon did too; she was very nice and friendly and drew little pictures. We also enquired about the commotion that stoped the show in the first act…someone up on the balcony had some sort of medical attack or something. But the show went on after a little while.

After the show we went and found the rest of the gang…who had gone missing when we dashed off to the stage door. –We turned around to tell them we’d meet them later, but they were gone. We got drinks and/or dessert back at the Spaghetti Tree afterwards. I had hot chocolate with yummy marshmallows!
Then it was home again.

I’m a little sad now cause that means I’m out of musicals in Melbourne. I’ve seen everything proper that has been out in the last year really – ‘cept for Rocky Horror which I don’t think was really my thing. It started with Wicked back in July 08. The first proper, and by proper, I mean big production with biggish stars and in the big theatres, show I’d seen in years. Before Wicked, I had seen Phantom of the Opera not long before that, and then before that was Oliver…sometime back when I was in High School I think.
In the last year I’ve been musical crazy. I saw Wicked…a few times…I saw Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, Avenue Q, and now Chicago. As far was as I know there is nothing coming for a while. There is a short run of Cats, which if I have the money I wouldn’t mind seeing maybe. I’m not sure about Mamma Mia. I’m not too fussed about it. And then there’s Mary Poppins coming out sometime which I’ll have to see, as long as they cast good people. I think that was my problem with some of the shows between Oliver and Phantom…the stories were good, but casts were annoying. Now I’ve become pretty familiar with some good Aussie theatre talent. I’ve even got people to follow now. –Story of my life: another person to pay attention to. I value talent and am loyal to those who I think have it. –They’re MY people.
….I’m absolutely hopeless. But so what?! It’s really too late now to start worrying about it.



-Carlie