3 Sleeps to Go!!!!!!

4 SLEEPS TO GO!!!

It's getting extra exciting now!

Are you all getting sick of the countdown yet? Never fear, as there's only 3 more times you're going to have to read about it (I'm not posting on Saturday)

Thanks heaps to Nikki, who's clearly been reading along and who sent me a lovely card and gift...which I think I've been very restrained in not opening yet. I'm definitely saving it for Sunday, as this year I already know what all my major presents are, so I'll need something left as a suprise for Sunday.

On other countdown news, it's only 10 sleeps until Sandy is back (fleetingly), 32 sleeps until my sister Mel's wedding, 38 sleeps until my friend Karen's wedding, and 103 sleeps until Christmas!

Woohoo! Bring on the weekend!

5 Sleeps to go!!!

BIG Cups of Tea

It's funny, but doing something like this can really work as a bit of a mirror for a blogger such as myself. I've noticed that there are a number of themes that keep recurring, that I wouldn't have really thought that I spent that much time considering. I'm thinking about this, because I'm going to write another breakfast-oriented post now. And I thought a disclaimer might be a good thing. Because I'm really not obsessed with breakfast. It's true, I do believe it to be the most important meal of the day, however I don't necessarily consider it one of the most important things in my life.

Well, not breakfast in general. What I do, however, consider one of the most important things in my life is related to breakfast. It is in fact the beverage that I consume before breakfast, with breakfast, and fairly solidly throughout the day - Tea.

I love Tea.

Especially good tea. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to these things. I'm not the sort of girl who will drink any old Tetley's tea-bag bought in bulk and stocked in the office kitchen.

I prefer a mild start to the day with a pot (not a tea-bag) of loose leaf English Breakfast. I should warn anyone who ever stays with me that attempting to speak to me prior to the consumption of the magic elixir does so at their own peril.

Once I get to work, and throughout the day, I switch to a slightly sturdier brew of Irish breakfast. In the evenings I try to cut down the caffeine intake and tend to go herbal - chamomile or peppermint usually does the trick, although I'm trying Calendula at the moment.

With Chinese food I'll always have tea. Jasmine or Oolong, of course. And for those cold winters nights, curled up with chocolate and a movie, a spiced chai with hot milk and honey is truly divine.

Over the years I have experimented with various other concoctions. Madagascan Vanilla, Lap Sang Souchong (couldn't get into that one, sorry), fruit teas and plunger teas.

Of course, like every tea affictionado, I am also quite picky about what my tea is served in. At the top of the tree is a really, really big mug. I have one at home, affectionately known as my "Sunday Mug", that fits 3 normal cup's worth of tea. It's great. Keeps me going for a decent length of time. At work I have a very sentimental mug. It was made for me at an offsite on 2002 with my workmates - we went and did an activity where you sat around a table and took in turns helping decorate each other's blank mugs. First you painted the person's outline, then passed mugs to the left, and painted the hair of that person, then passed left again...and so on and so forth until a masterful portrait emerges from the combined talents of your workmates. then you paint what you drink and how you have it (hot drinks, ok? I know what you were thinking) on the back, so that everyone can make each other drinks back at the office without getting the orders confused.

What I really HATE are those stupid tiny tea cup things that they have at hotels and conference centres. They fit 2 mouthfuls of tea in them, and you can't fit your finger through the handle, so you end up precariously holding on for dear life. hardly worth the effort really.

So, tea lovers of the world unite!

J.

New Toy

How good is it when you get a new toy? Especially when you get a new toy and it all works just like you thought it was going to.

I went and bought myself an MP3 player on Saturday. And spent a large part of the weekend downloading music onto it. Yay! It does such a good job. I took it to the gym this morning and listened to it whilst cycling away on the exercise bike and didn't have to listen to Kyle & Jackie O breakfast radio. And then I listened to it on way to the train, and on the train...

I love it! My life now has a soundtrack!

J.

The Home Straight

So it's finally less than a week until my birthday! Plans have been made (small as they actually are this year), and I've finally made up my mind what to do (kind of...it's a loose plan, OK?).

6 Sleeps to Go!!!!!

The dreaded lurgy

...has had me in its clutches for the last couple of days. Not fun at all.

Lots of daytime TV has been watched. I'm up to date on Days of our lives. And did you know that they're showing repeats of really early episodes of Sons and Daughters at 10am every day? What a treat!

I promise I'll be back next week with some witty posts or something exciting, but at the moment I'm feeling all fuzzy from the Codral and all the soldiering on and all, so have a great weekend everyone, and watch this space!

P.S. Congratulations to Kristina who apparently had a healthy baby boy last night!

Guest Writer - That Place called Lebanon …

an article from our safely returned Cecilia...

That Place called Lebanon …Hello avid readers of Jacki’s Jabbering,
As you all know this article is a bit overdue. My excuse is that I found it really hard to write an interesting and entertaining article about my visit to Lebanon because of the war that was happening there. Eventually I have decided to write a general article about Lebanon and it’s main attractions. Here it goes…

Lebanon is officially known as the Lebanese Republic. It is small country, which is represented by a dot on the global map of the world. Located in the Middle East at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, it is bordered by Syria to the North East and Israel to the South, with a narrow coastline along the western edge.

The flag of Lebanon features the Lebanon Cedar in the green against a white backdrop with two quarter-height horizontal red stripes on the top and bottom. The red stripes represent the blood of the martyrs that dies for Lebanon’s independence from French Colonialism. The white backdrop represents the snow on Lebanon’s mountains and the Cedar is the native Lebanese tree.
The capital of Lebanon is Beirut and it is the largest city in the country. Prior to the Lebanese Civil War (1975-2000), it was known as “Paris of the Middle East’. The city had undergone major reconstruction in recent years:
· It had largely regained its status as a tourist, cultural and intellectual centre of the Middle East.
· It is also the centre for fashion, commerce and media.
· The city was host to the Asian Basketball Championship and the Asian Football Championship.
· Beirut also successfully hosted the Miss Europe pageant twice.
· The city is home to numerous international organizations. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is headquartered in Downtown Beirut while the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
The city is bustling with restaurants, beach clubs, centres for performing arts, music venues, movie theatres, a casino, and a number of night clubs, pubs, and bars.

Lebanon is a place of many attractions from fresh green valleys and mountains, historical sights, fabulous entertainment, great shopping destinations to a laid-back country/village life. In honour to my fascination with history, the remainder of this article will discuss the historical attractions (which I didn’t get to see, but I am determined to see next year)
The main attractions listed below, are in my opinion part of the “1001 places you should see before you die”
Tyre: Ancient Queen of the Seas - is over 5,000 years old and as such constitutes a historian and archaeologist's delight. Although there are remnants of Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician, Greek, Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman civilizations in the city, it is the Roman ruins that are most prominent in Tyre today. Highlights include the largest Roman hippodrome in the world, an enormous triumphal arch, and an extensive Roman necropolis.
Aanjar: Commercial Hub of the Umayyad Dynasty – Mainly renowned for its graceful stone arches and wide arcades, the ruins of Aanjar offer a unique opportunity to step foot upon an ancient Islamic trading hub connecting Damascus to the Mediterranean Sea. It is among the world's few known ruins of the 8th century Umayyad dynasty and is one of the region's only examples of an inland commercial centre.
Baalbek: Roman City of the Sun – is home to awe-inspiring temples and city ruins, which are among the largest and finest examples of Roman architecture in the world. Located in the fertile Békaa Valley, the city of Baalbek originated in Phoenician times as a place of worship to Baal, the Phoenician Sun God. During the Hellenistic period (333-64 B.C.), the Greeks named the city Heliopolis, or “City of the Sun.” However, Baalbek entered its golden age in 47 B.C., when Julius Caesar made it a Roman colony. Byblos: Ancient Crossroads of the Mediterranean - Historians believe that the site of Byblos dates back at least 7,000 years. It is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The modern port city of Byblos is built upon multiple layers of ruins, dating back to as early as the Stone Age and extending to the more recent Ottoman days. Byblos offers annals of Lebanese history through its great age.
Qadisha Valley & Cedars Forest: A Natural & Spiritual Sanctuary – Quadisha Valley is known as the “Holy Valley.”It has been a place of refuge for those fleeing religious persecution since the 5th century, and it houses some of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Rock-cut chapels, grottoes, and hermitages, many painted with frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, are tucked into the steep walls.
The Qadisha Valley and Cedars region is a prime destination for nature enthusiasts, with abundant opportunities for hiking and trekking, mountain climbing, caving, and other natural exploration. In the wintertime, the nearby Cedars Ski Resort, along with the other resorts in the northern Mount Lebanon region, are popular destinations for skiing and winter sports.
Be sure to make this lovely country one of your future destinations ;)

Great Quote

Just read this quote from Edward De Bono and really liked it.

"If you have an obvious problem and think you have a solution, what is the need for creative thinking? Actually, there is a real need, because an adequate solution is not necessarily the best solution. Too often, the adequate blocks the best when it comes to problem solving."

I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you?

J.

12 Sleeps to go!!!

Anyone interested in my birthday wish list yet?

;-P

The Breakfast dilemma

For those of you who have been listening to me whinge about my unsatisfactory breakfast options since the move tot he new office, I promise this is the final one. I've admitted defeat and and taking a new tack.

for those of you who haven't been subject to my ranting about my breakfast, the background to this story is as follows:

Back at the only office, there were many problems. Lack of views (of anything other than the sides of other buildings), crowds, things falling apart, grotty chairs and desks, minuscule kitchen cupboard (meaning the kitchen was effectively in the cupboard) dodgy air-conditioning, and dodgier lifts. what it didn't lack, however, was excellent food options. In particular, I was a fan of the MLC centre breakfasts from the L.A. Grill. Lovely fresh rolls, fluffy scrambled eggs, and plump fired mushrooms. The ladies there were lovely, and looked after their regular customers. They'd have my order ready for me by the time I got the front of the line. Mmmm...delicious.

So the move to the new building came along and I realised I'd have to find an alternative. the first place I tried has quite nice eggs but no mushrooms. I did try to suggest that they would have a good and regular customer if they were to add this item to the menu, but to no avail.

The second place I tried found me some mushrooms and cooked them up for me along with my egg. I gave them an "A" for effort. Pity that both the eggs and the muchrooms were overcooked, salty and rubbery.

I found a third place. Not bad on the eggs front, and I liked the rolls they use. They gave me raw mushrooms. Hmmm...n0t bad, but also not really what I was after. Also, after asking for no butter, and then confirming that when the fellow who was preparing my roll asked again, I still ended up with a heavily buttered roll. And they charged more than anywhere else. Strike three.

I've walked through all the various areas of the station entries and exits, and all the streets between there and my work, and all the places surrounding, and these are the only options I've been able to find.

So I've given up. I've arrived this morning with a grocery bag full of supplies. I'm giving cereal a go. And I have bread with various toppings to try toast. This morning, I had quite a good toast experience, although I've discovered that the kitchen nearest me doesn't have a toaster. I have to walk all the way around to the other side of the building. Fine for this morning, but I'm sure that will get old very quickly.

So wish me luck on my quest to find the perfect working breakfast solution!

J.

the weekend

Just want to have a bit of a brag about my weekend.

Spring sprung with a vengeance and the weather was balmy and divine.

Saturday consisted of a swim, Lunch with Cecilia, an acupuncture/massage appointment, a bit of shopping, some new (well, second hand, but new to me) books, then a few pints of cider at the Irish pub with Trent and Ronene.

The evening was a quiet one at home on my own cooking up a feats and watching movies and having an early night (after drinking cider in the sun, it was probably the prudent course of action!)

Sunday was more beautiful weather, a trip to the supermarket and greengrocer, and then off to the Spanish festival! Sangria and salsa all in the same place...what more can you ask for???

Dinner in Chinatown with Marti (mmm...salt & pepper tofu, at least as good as the version from my favourite Chinese restaurant) and then home for another early-ish night.

Only one complaint...it just wasn't long enough!

13 sleeps to go!

Bring on the birthday!!!

I've had a good day

I've had a good day. For many reasons....

1. It's Spring!!!! the winter of my discontent is over. Summer is coming!
2. It's now 17 sleeps to my birthday. AND I can now say that my birthday is this month.
3. It was a beautiful day
4. It's no longer winter
5. It's Friday, and I have a glass of red next to me as I type this
6. They finally fixed that stupid blind I was whingeing about yesterday.
7. Work was good and very productive.
8. It's the weekend tomorrow

How can you go wrong with all that happening?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

J.

P.S. Photo diary updated: http://hotoiary.fotopic.net/

17 Sleeps to go!!

It's the little things that get you

OK, so it's another whinge post.

The new building's all very lovely and the views are great blah blah blah. But it's possible someone skimped on a budget somewhere, as one of the electric blinds doesn't work. ie All the blinds around it close, but this one is forever open.

Now this may not sound like such a big deal. But seriously, you should check out what happens at sunset every day.

the offending blind is behind me and slightly to my left. So at a very special time very day, the sunset comes blaring drectly onto my computer monitor, and then reflects directly back into my eyes. I physically cannot see a single thing on my screen and end up having to turn it around sideways and len forward and turn my head to keep working.

Great for OH&S non?

Taste

I've always wondered about how people like and dislike different flavours.

I mean, I assume we all have basically the same equipment for tasting, and if you're a Darwinist the basic theory is that taste developed to indicate what was good or bad to eat from a survival point of view.

So why would it be different for different people? Apart from allergies, foods that are good for one person are good for another and the same with poisons.

But, I'm willing to wager, if you turn to the person next to you and ask them what their favourite food is, and which foods they dislike, they will not be the same choices you would make.

Today I wandered down to one of the local food shops to get some lunch and ordered a pre-made salad. There were a lot of ingredients I like, and just a little bit of beetroot.

I don't like beetroot. Never have since I was a kid and first eating solids. this was much to my Mum's dismay, since she grew and pickled her own and I think it may have been a source of pride (not without good reason, mind) that her beetroot is pretty sensational. Regardless, I've never been able to stomach the stuff. As a side note, this may not be such a bad thing given my natural clutziness and the apparent ability of beetroot to permanently stain anything it comes into contact with.

Since I like to think of myself as open-minded and I also know that my tastes have changes as I've gotten older, I decided to give it another go. It was only a small piece after all, and mixed in with the rest of the salad stuff.

Well, I guess my tastes haven't changed. Yuck! I'll give that a miss for the next 10 years thank you very much.

So, now you may or may not be wondering what else I don't like. Regardless, I'm gonna tell you!

1. Number 1 by a long-shot is Vegemite. Not very patriotic of me, I know, but the stuff literally makes me feel nauseous. Can't even handle spreading the stuff on toast for someone else because it smells like it tastes.
2. Peas. OK on their own or raw in coleslaw (mum's secret ingredient), but I don't like peas mixed in with other stuff. It's just somehow wrong.
3. Carrots. Love them raw. Not so good if they're cooked. I don't hate them, just rarely do them for myself.
4. Tomatoes. Love them cooked, not so big on them raw. I used to refuse raw tomato altogether, but have conceded to not picking it out if it's already in a salad. Also I'm OK with them if they're home-grown.
5. Bananas. Can't stand the texture. Don't mind if it's banana cake or something.

so yes, I'm kind of specific with the things I'm fussy about. My sister says I'm weird. but then she doesn't like garlic. she must be mad.

J.

18 sleeps to go

The Winds of Change

There's nothing like a new look to liven up things up a bit. I've updated by blogger tool and so now have all sort of new bells and whistles to play with!

Hope you like the new look. I've also been toying with the idea of changing the name. Too much? Good idea? Any suggestions? You could end up going down in the jacki's Blog hall of fame (tempting, I know).

Submit your thoughts via the comments.

J.

Count down...

I have started the countdown. Actually I started ages ago, but its kind of not cool to draw attention too far out. So anyway, now I've broken the 20-day barrier, expect constant reminders.

It's my birthday in 19 sleeps!!!!!