26th of February 2013

When I awoken my eyes this morning, I could barely move out of bed. Body was still badly aching, and I felt like I hadn't slept in days! As much as I tried to fight it, it did me no good. When I used all of my strength to finally get out of bed, when every step that I took just hurt with every movement that I made. Mum came and saw me and practically told me that I looked like hell, which is when I made the conscience decision that I wouldn't go into work but stay home and rest instead. I still don't know how I slowly made it back into bed and managed to text work to let them know that I wasn't going to be in today. But I did, and passed out very quickly.

When I reawakened, it was 10:30am and I heard TV playing in the lounge room. I got up slowly and made my way into the lounge to see Frank who had returned from work watching TV. When he saw me in the hallway it gave him the shock of his life as he had no idea that I was home. I waddled over to the bathroom and had a nice long relaxing shower, after which I headed straight back to bed and watch a little of Spartacus: War of the Arena which even though I had for over a year, I still hadn't watched it yet. So I laid down in bed for most of the day watching TV and napping.

By the time mum came home from work, she informed me that my uncle from Malta was visiting for dinner and he was joining us with another uncle of mine. There was still plenty of time before they were both due to arrive, so while mum got things ready I just headed back off to bed.

Just after 6pm both of my two uncles arrived to join us for dinner, and had some pizza with us. When we all sat around the dinner table to start to have dinner, is when Howard decided to be the entertainment and sing for his supper I guess. He didn't sing for too long, but even over the chatter I could still hear him sing.

The topic soon turned to that of about family history, and I got to show my uncle from Malta a copy of the family tree which I had done, but hadn't managed to show anyone from Malta as of yet. It's one of the many MANY things which is on my to-do list.

It wasn't long  before both of my uncles had to head off home, as they both couldn't stay for long, so after they left, I headed over into the lounge room to put my feet up and also to watch the new episode of the Walking Dead. Instantly after the episode finished, I headed straight back to bed and had a good nights sleep.

25th of February 2013

When I woke up this morning, I was aching all over! All my joints in my arms and legs were completely sore. I was hurting in places I never thought possible. I still do not know how I managed to make it out of bed and into the shower to get dressed for work. I was also feeling completely exhausted. My brain kept telling me to go back to bed, and that everything would stop hurting if I just laid down for a bit more. But seeing that today is Monday and that it was a very important day at work - mostly for our customers - I didn't want to skip today despite all the hurting. I even made it to the bus stop and made it to the bus on time.

I took with me to work the photos that I had bought from the Bridgeclimb so I could show my friends, and they all especially loved the night time photo that I have with Nathalie and Anthea. I honestly wouldn't mind doing it all again, as it is such a great achievement once you've reached the top. And the view from the top is really amazing. What I didn't mention before is that you you can a free entry pass into one of the Harbour Bridge Pylons, where you can go right up to the top and have a fantastic view of the harbour as well! At the same time you also get to see a great exhibition of the harbour bridge on the way up. I wouldn't mind going to visit it sometime soon as well.

The day pretty much went in a blur as there was a lot to do, and I spent most of my time trying not to focus on my whole body aching. I got into contact with my friend Rocio, as I had a movie to review tonight and wanted to double check to see if she was still up for seeing a movie (even though I really didn't feel like going). She let me know she was still up for a movie and that we could have dinner before hand as well.

So when 5pm rolled on by, and as exhausted and tired as I was I met up with Rocio and headed to the Areo Cafe and Bar which looked to be pretty decent. Even though I didn't feel really hungry, I still ordered the pasta (I'm a sucker for mushrooms and creamy sauce) and we also ordered a couple of drinks (as they were two for one). Rocio decided to be brave and try a Russian cocktail!

Once we gobbled up our foods and got to unwind a little after a hard day work, we headed over the Event Cinemas where we watched the movie Side Effects which I had to write a review for later. I knew nothing about the movie, which is normally the case when I have to write a review, as I do not like to have an expectation of a movie which I need to review. Otherwise I may end up being disappointed and the movie wont live up to whatever expectations which I had of it. It ended up being a pretty awesome movie, a little twisted. But then it's typically how I like my movies anyways. If you'd like to read the review, click here!

After the movie we when headed straight home by train and Rocio dropped me off home. How I didn't manage to pass out on the train amazes me! But the main thing is that I made it home and completely passed out on my bed.

24th of February 2013

Woke up this morning a little before 8am. Mum, Frank and I quickly got dressed and ready as we were meeting some of the family by the wharf at Homebush, as we were having a family outing today and we were meeting each other just before 10:20am as the ferry to the city would arrive at 10:40am. Even though I really didn't get up to anything much yesterday, I still felt as though I could use another day of rest for today. But I had no time to ponder that as there was a big day ahead of me.

When we met everyone at the wharf and said all our greetings, we waited patiently until the ferry arrived. A lot of people where wondering what type of day it was going to be, considering that yesterday was a complete washout, and no one really wanted to be in the city when it is pouring with rain. Though with the sunny sky so far, it didn't look as though it would rain. 

Frank had a bit of a chat with the doc worker who mentioned that he was dreading tonight as Soundwave was on, and it would just mean a bunch of drunken people catching the ferry causing all sought of disturbance. Before we knew it, the ferry arrived and we were making our way slowly to Darling Harbour. It's bit a few years since I personally caught the ferry into the city, and even though it may be a slow journey it's always a great feeling to be out on the water.

With each and every stop as we made our way into the city, the ferry started to get full as more people caught the ferry. But before we knew it, we made in to Darling Harbour by 11:30am, and we decided to stop over for a bit of lunch before we go and visit Madame Tussauds. We we went into the nearest open pub (next to the Pontoon Bar - I can't remember what it's called), and had a quick lunch and a bit of a chat. They were playing the on the TV a game of the NRL trials, so just means one thing...NRL season is about to start! Once our bellies were full, we headed over the Madame Tussauds.

Now about a month ago, I had already been here with work, and it took us about an hour and a half to go through the whole thing. That isn't just looking at the wax figures, but you also get to interact with them as well. The experience that I had last time, was nothing compared to what we did today! It's one thing going through an attraction with your colleagues, but it's a whole other ball game when you're going through it with your family. I think it had mostly to do with the fact that this time I wasn't wearing my work uniform, so I didn't feel as though I had to be a little on guard (not that I really was to be honest). But this time it wasn't just me who was running a muck, it was basically the whole family. And you know what? We had an awesome time doing it! Even my uncle Leli from Malta got in on the act, and I can't remember a time when we were all just mucking up and having a good laugh. From putting on the the wigs to sit next to Captain Cook, to Frank giving a high-five, while my mum is pretending to yell at Alfred Hitchcock while she is in the shower... we all had a blast! We were in there for just under 2 hours and I swear it only felt like we were in there for less then half an hour.

Honestly, there were so many great photos that we took that I wish that I could put them all up! So what I decided to do, was just put a group of them at the bottom of the blog to share them with you all. The ones that I am choosing to share with you, are only the tip of the iceberg compared to all the photos that were taking that day. I'm so glad that everyone had such a fantastic time. Mum even bought herself an Oscar (award) and had it engraved with her name.

After we did our appearance at Madame Tussauds, we all headed to the the Lindt cafe for some coffee and ice cream. It was a bit of a nice break from all the chaos that we've just caused. It was also a great place for us to all unwind and catchup with each other and just chat for a while. Especially for mum and her brother who rarely get a chance to have a chat with everyone around. We all chilled for about another hour or so, before Nathalie and I had to take off, as we were both going on the bridge climb and wanted to get there at a reasonable time. Plus the rest wanted to head off home as well. So while Nathalie and I caught the ferry to Circular Quay, everyone headed off home.

Once we arrived at Circle Quay, Nathalie wanted to go up close and personal with the Opera House, as she has always seen it from afar and has never been close to it. So we headed up the steps and had a bit of a walk around and also took some photos for her. At one point I pointed up to the Harbour Bridge and mentioned that it wouldn't be too long that we would both be up there soon.

Nathalie also received a call from a friend of her Reece who's been wanting to catch up with her since she arrive. So while we slowly made our way to the location for Bridge Climb, Reece and his girlfriend caught up with us and came with us to the Bridge. I had met Reece and his girlfriend last year when my other cousin Mark was here, so it was great seeing them again. When we arrived, my session for the climb was earlier than Nathalie, so I waved and took off. When they called us in to the room, they made the group all introduced ourselves and mention why we were here. There was a family who's father was celebrating his 60th birthday, and this was his present. I mentioned that I was here because of my cousin, but her group was filled up. But that didn't deter me away from wanting to do the climb, as it is a rare opportunity.

While the group got dressed in our jumpsuits and put away our belongings within the locker, one of the girls from Bridgeclimb came up to me and mentioned that they were going to try and get two people from my cousins group to join the group I was in, just so that I could be with my cousin. The managed to convince a couple to join the group that I was in and I got to join my cousin, her friend Anthea (who is my cousin Mark's girlfriend) and her family as well. So I was overwhelmed with excitement that I could be with them all on this great experience.

The putting on the suit and the equipment didn't take that long, plus they also made us do a small obstacle dummy climb of s set of stairs which we had to climb up and down of just to see what we were in for. We were told that only one person could be on a set of stairs at one time for safety reasons, and to make sure that we all took our time and didn't rush. 

Before we knew it, we had all our gear on and made our way to climb the bridge. When we first walked out, I saw Reece and his girlfriend sitting on a bench within the street, and I called and waved to them and they waved back at all of us. As we made our way further and further along the bridge, all I wanted to do was touch all the steel parts of the bridge. So I can say I actually touched a part of the Harbour Bridge where not many people can lay their hands on. I know it's a little ridiculous, but it's the similar urge I had in Egypt when I just wanted to touch the pyramids, as not everyone has the opportunity to touch them either.

Along the way up the bridge, we made frequent stops for photos and just for a bit of a rest. But once we reach the top we all burst out in excitement and gave a really big cheer! We were all told that the group before us (the one I was originally in), a guy just proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes. Then we were told of a time where a guy proposed to his girlfriend while doing the climb and she said no. But apparently he had proposed the day before and she said no then as well.

We took loads of photos while we were on top of the bridge, especially with my cousin Nathalie and Anthea. I also had one taken of myself to right on top of the bridge! it's definitely an experience that I'll remember for a long time. The three and a half hours in total that it took, didn't drag on at all. The whole way up the bridge you know you are climbing up slowly to the top. It was especially fantastic as by the time we reach the top and started to head down, it was already dark and we had some great photos taken.

We slowly made the journey back down, and I don't think it took as long as it did on the way up. But then again we were doing downhill which would explain how fast it went. When we all got back to the lockers, Anthea mentioned that she got a message from Mark (my cousin), and wanted to take a photo of us 3 before we changed back into our normal clothes.

When we bought out photos and got our certificates to say that we've done the climb, we headed back into the foyer and Reece and his girlfriend was there waiting for us, just to meet one more time before we all had to head off again. Nathalie and I then got a lift home from Anthea's relatives, but we stopped over quickly at McDonalds on the way as we were all starving and also a little leg sore from the events of today.

It was one of the most amazing days I had experienced in a long way, and I'm so glad that I got to spend a lot of it with my family as well! With a day like today, I can only imagine what is install for Nathalie and I when we both go to the Northern Territory next week!

23rd of February 2013

FINALLY!! I slept in more than 8am today! I was so happy when I woke up and I saw that the time was 10am. I think I could have slept in longer, but I really didn't want to push it. Plus it's been raining since last night and it feels like a DVD and TV day anyways.

When I woke up, I looked after little Howard as he was constantly screeching. When he does this, it just means that there were no food left in this seed cup thingy. So I filled it up with more seeds and also changed his water while giving him his medicine which I do every morning as soon as  I wake up. After that I made myself a coffee and got started on posting some news events to put up on the website for Spotlight Report. One was really annoying to put up. It's usually a copy and paste job with a bit of editing here and there. This one though, when you got to copy and paste, every word came up on a new line! So that one took more than usual to do.


While putting these posts up, lunch time rolled by and mum made some pastizzi's. If you don't know what they are, they're basically a very yummy Maltese savoury pastry. I was actually discussing this with my friends yesterday during lunch time. So it definitely helped pass the time a little while putting posts up. During that time, my friend Jia tagged a photo of me from a drawing she did of Ayers Rock. It made me realise that I have over a week to go! I'm so very excited about the trip!

When I finally finished about 2pm, I went to watch TV with Frank who was watching the horse racing on TV and I was also trying to find a good application on Play that would help with horse racing tips. As I am now in the punters club with Frank so every week, we set a few dollars aside to bank while using the other half to bet on a horse. Everyone has a turn better on a bunch of horses and it's my turn next Saturday. I could only find a couple of apps, but I'll see how it goes for me next Saturday. Plus it isn't like I know anything about horses, I just go for the names or numbers.

Mum also mentioned that today (the 23rd of February), is the 41st anniversary of her 3 brother's death. For those who do not know the story - to put it very briefly - they passed away in a tragic fireworks accident. A story which I want to one day to release. My mother I think was only 14 years old when the tragedy happened, but even though it happened so long ago it is implanted in every family relative on my mum side. Especially when a similar incident occurs.

Mum found out that a movie she's been looking for a while was going to be on Foxtel. It's called "The Barretts of Wimpole Street". It's about a tyrant of a father who doesn't want any of his children to get married. Then one of his daughters Elizabeth falls in love with a poet. We started to watch a little bit, but had to stop as mum and Frank were going out and they needed to get ready.

When they'd left I ended up watching a few episodes of Arrow. As I had missed at least 5 episodes and had fallen behind a little. The story seems to be getting interesting with every episode, and I especially love to watch it with John Barrowman making an appearance. While about to watch an episode I heard Howard's loving singing voice and even managed to record a little bit. If you know how a canary sings, you'll notice everything is basically Howard instead of one sqawk which happens. The bad quality is mostly due to me recording on my phone and having to be a little further away so I wouldn't interupt him singing.

22nd of February 2013

Woohoo! Friday! Hooray! So glad that it is Friday! Another end to the working week, and even more special today as I'll be going into work late. Which is always an extra bonus right? Though I still had to leave at the same time today as I had to head into St Leonard's for an appointment at 9am. So I caught the usual train. Instead of getting off at Town Hall, kept on going to St Leonard's. Which felt really weird for me.

When I arrive at St Leonard's it was already about quarter past 8, and decided to sit down and have a coffee for a bit before I headed off to my appointment. If you've never been to St Leonard's it's a lovely place to visit, even if you're just planning on going to the station. There's a big water feature/pond thing as you come out of the station, and the place is surrounded by cafes and food places. Feels like such a tranquil place. Well it does at 8:15am in the morning anyways.

At about 8:30am I headed off for my appointment with a guy named Colin who will be helping me write up my CV as well as prepare me mentally for job hunting as well as any other ideas. I though I got a little lost at finding the place, but it ended up being in a building where there was more than one company in the one building, but yet had the one receptionist. Not sure how that works, but it seems like it does.

Colin explained to me the different types of stages of finding out that you're being made redundant - which I already knew for being in it more than once. I mentioned that I'm already part the denial and the anger and frustration, and now moving on from the limbo to seeing the acceptance and seeing how there are plenty of opportunities out there for me. Maybe even better than what I have. He mentioned that I have confidence and a knack for looking at the bright side which will help me a lot. I have another appointment a week after I come back from Ayers Rock to start working on my CV. In the meantime, I need to send him a copy of what I already have - updated with my current job role.

On the way back to work my phone rang, and it was a friend of mine who had an appointment Colin later that day as well and wanted to know what he was going to expect. Mentioned that it was pretty good and made you remember things that you kind of forget about job interviews when you've been working for a while. Mostly the example questions. I never liked those, mostly because I try not to rehearse anything. As I don't want to see like I have an answer already prepared and have time to think about it.

Once I got it into work, it was a little after 11am and had a chat with Gloria quickly to see if there was anything special that was discussed within the meeting and also to tell her about the appointment that I had. I was on phones today for the team, so I headed back to the desk and made sure that the calls were diverted to me. It must've been a day for everyone to knuckle down and get a lot of work done, as we were receiving a lot of calls to follow up on a lot of things today. Especially from people who emailed late yesterday and wanting to know why I hadn't emailed a reply yet.

At 1:30pm I caught up with Gloria, Jia and Sandra for lunch, as this was the last day for 4 weeks that I'll see Sandra. She'll be away all of next week, and when she gets back I got to NT. Then when I get back so goes on holiday for another two weeks! So she suggested that it was best that we all catch up for lunch, which I thought was an awesome idea! We went to the scary canary for lunch and Jia chose a table next to the window, which can be a little odd with people walking past on the sidewalk constantly look in. But we all had a great time and talked about our up coming holidays and also what we have planned for the weekend.

When that was over, we headed back to work where I gave a quick call to my cousin as I though that the family were going to Katoomba tomorrow - apparently it is next week! So it looks as thought it'll be Katoomba on Saturday, Picnic on Sunday then Ayers Rock! Wow! A lot of days going out. Looks like I'll be a busy girl next weekend!

Not much happened in the afternoon, apart from answering more phone calls and doing a thing call work. But there was a bit of a scavanger hunt in the afternoon which I ended up finding a package, and my prize was a box of notes :-p

When it was home time, headed off home and I managed to find a seat! Since I catch the train from Town Hall, there are usually people who get off at either Central or Redfern. For the past two days, either I'm in the wrong carriage but no one gets off until Parramatta! Which I found a little weird oh well!

On a side note, just want to thank my readers out there. I've managed to reach 1000 views within the second month! So thank you everyone who does read my blogs - I do hope it is a little entertaining for you all. Please feel free to like, comment within the Facebook page under "What Wanda Said." Cheers!

21st of February 2013

When I woke up this morning, I couldn't believe that it was Thursday already. I mean I am aware that yesterday was Wednesday and that I went out with my cousin, as I had planned to take that day off about a week ago. But when the day finally arrived and left I had trouble believing that it was Thursday today. I thought for a minute that someone was playing a cruel joke on me at first.

I wanted to wash my hair in the morning, but since it takes a while to wash it, then to have it dried completely and ready to go it would have just taken too long. So I tied up my hair and got ready for work and headed off.

Met up with Rocio again at the train station, and I couldn't believe how many people were already waiting for the train! It must be the Thursday where everyone gets paid as it is normally never this packed. We were lucky enough to find a couple of seats though.

When I got to work I caught up with Gloria to see how she was doing, as I hadn't seen her since last week. She certainly sounds a lot better. We just went over what happened yesterday, as it seems that there were in total three people away including me. So no one really got up to much.

Not really a lot happened today apart from at lunch time. As we caught up with Mark for a lunch get together, and finally had the team outing we've been meaning to for at least 3 weeks now. It was at a Malaysian restaurant which I wasn't too keen on, as I'm not a big fan of the food. But I did manage to find something that I could eat that I wouldn't be picking at. Even then I didn't get to eat it all as it was still spicy.

When we got back to work, we all knuckled down due to the Thursday rush. But we didn't have to stress too much this time as we had all pretty much caught up to our work and no longer have emails that have been sitting there a while. I can pretty much guess that next week we will have a better turn around than before, as the summer period is cooling down and we've pretty much on top of things. We even played a few games of hangman to lighten a bit the mood.

After work I pretty much rushed home and sat exhausted at the kitchen table and I suddenly had a wave of tiredness come over me. So I had some dinner, had a shower, and got ready for bed! Early night for me.... so here's hoping I can crash and pass out very quickly!

20th of February 2013

Woke up this morning a little after 8:30am, and still felt like I needed more sleep! I really should just come home from work tomorrow, write my blog and not even bother about having dinner and get some shut eye. My body is aching for a evening like that. I got up and had a shower to get ready to visit my cousin who is at my aunt's place. But there was a few chores I had to do, so I couldn't arrive early as I wanted to and ended up getting there a little after 10am.

We had a drink and a chat before my cousin Nathlie, Joanne and I headed of to Penrith Plaza. On the way there it looked as though it may rain, as there were dark clouds ahead and it even started to sprinkle a little bit. We drove past the UNSW on the way there, and it brought back memories of the times I use to visit there once a month for the Observatory nights! I really should find a place that has them, as I am still fascinated about the night sky.

Now I'm no fan of shopping, as I despise it very much (mostly because my money disappears and I end up with sore feet and sore everything).Once we got to the shops, we walked about and did a bit of shopping. Even checked to see what movies were playing, but none of them really caught our eye.

About 12:30pm we stopped to have some lunch and have a great time just chatting away. Especially Nathlie and I and with what I remembered from when I went to Malta and how different (in a good way) Malta is. Especially with all the cousins about my age that are there. We stayed chatting for about an hour and then continued to do a bit more window shopping.

Once we decided that our feet and bank account had a but of a workout, we stopped for an afternoon treat at Chocolateria San Churro where we had a couple of churro's each (with chocolate and caramel dipping sauce), and something sweet to drink. This was my second time ever sitting down to have churro's and it's the most delicious thing that I have ever tasted! Especially when they are warm. 

After that awesome afternoon snack, Joanne dropped Nathalie at my place where we continued to watched episode 10 of The Walking Dead. Wow.. that show is getting a little more warped for my liking! Even though I know Rick goes off the edge in the comic books, it's a little disturbing to see on the TV Show. **SPOILER ALERT** And if anymore characters get killed I don't think there will be many people left.

After watching episode 10, we both than headed to my aunts place where my cousin will be spending another night there. Mum, Frank and I also had dinner with them which I loved! More time to spend with the family is a great thing!

Not long after that we headed off home, which is when I realised that a review was suppose to be due before the movie comes out tomorrow! So it doesn't look as though it will be another early night for me again. Oh well... at least it is done and dusted now. Back to work tomorrow!

19th of February 2013

Woke up this morning at about 5:30am, and it was a struggle for me to get out of bed. I still felt so tired that I don't know how I would make it through the day. It was more of an emotionally drain I think, more than actually being tired.

Once I got dressed and ready for work I headed off to the station where I caught up with my friend Rocio. Where we chatting the whole way to work while also playing some Candy Crush. I'm again stuck on a level, but not as annoying as a few previous levels before.

Once I got to work I caught up on a bunch of emails which I let pile up a little as I had been more focused on making sure one customer was happy, which would have had dire consequences if I hadn't lived up to my promise. Since now that was out of the way I could spread myself more evenly and make a bunch more people happy.

It was a pretty uneventful day. We had a meeting early in the morning just to really catch up and explain a few things for the new people who had started a few months back and to keep everyone updated. We were all given a copy of our job description too, which will help me with my resume when I have a moment to update it. But I did get a call from a company - can't remember what they're called - to help prepare me to look for work. It's one that the company has recommended and I thought I may as well give them a shot. Any help I receive is good help. So I have an appointment with them this Friday in St Leonards.

Since Gloria was away sick again today I ended up giving in to temptation and went to Kings Comics again and bought myself a copy of the Walking Dead - Governor Series. As well as the first series of the Walking Dead comics. It was more curiosity than anything. I've been told that the comics are great and they differ a lot from the actual TV show. Mostly with Daryl not being in it. So I'll give it a shot.

Headed back to work were we had another meeting to give us a bit of an update about everything that has been going on as of late and also to dispel some of the rumors that had been circling around since of the events of last week.

Once we all went back to work I started to feel really tired again and couldn't concentrate as well, and it seems as though I wasn't the only one. So the boys ended up playing a couple of games of Hangman to all get our brains ticking. At the same time, one of the girls received a call from her doctor to let her know that she was pregnant! We couldn't believe it, and had a bit of hush congratulations.

Not long later it was 5pm and time for me to rush home. As soon as  got to Town Hall station I saw in the corner of my eye that the Train was going to Emu Plains and I rushed at it. Even though I'd never seen that train before. Thankfully not only did it have seats, but it was air conditioned and was an express. So I got to Mt Druitt station about 10 minutes earlier than I would normally. Also had Frank picking me up from the station since my cousin and uncle was arriving for dinner.

Mum went to pick them up from my Aunts place in the next street over while I quickly got changed and Frank was preparing dinner. So when they arrived, dinner was ready. Gave them both big hugs! It felt like ages since I've seen them, when in fact it has been a little over a week now. I gave Nathalie her present which was a Walking Dead board game which she loved! She also had a present for me - which I wasn't expecting. It was a Tardis cookie jar which makes the Tardis noise when you close it or press the light up the top! So very excited! Loved the present so much.

We then all sat down to eat and catch up on what they've been up to. It seems they have been all over the joint visiting a lot of the family. Even told me about when they went to a reptile park and a guy was demonstrating a small crocodile and how it came close to my cousins foot, and then my other uncle grabbed it by the tail and pulled it away. Which made everyone laugh.

My mum than received a call from my brother to say that he just finished work and had time to come over. Which was amazing considering we hardly see him any more. So a few minutes later he arrived, and he chatted about the time he was in Malta and was thinking of going back again there next year. Which seems to be a constant topic about everyone lately. I wouldn't mind myself going back.

After dinner I took my cousin into the lounge to watch episode 9 of the walking dead which was last week as she hadn't had time to see it. Especially the half yearly finale ended on such a cliff hanger. Frank came and joined us after a while and wanted to know what we were watching. Same with Wayne (my brother), but said he couldn't get into the shows that my cousin and I like to watch. He was more of a Soprano person.


When the episode finished, it was time for them to go back to my aunt's place, but I was going to catch up with them both tomorrow! Maybe to do a bit of shopping and also maybe watch a movie.

18th of February 2013

Oh Monday... Monday...

Woke up a little earlier than usual this morning for a work day. I mostly wanted to get a quick start at work as I knew that it would be a big day. Despite everything that is going on, I'm still working as usual and not slacking off as it has been suggested to me many times. With the last job that I had which I was also made redundant from, everyone seem to have the attitude to work less... "Because we're going to be fired anyways." That has never been my attitude. Yes the initial shock, and the having conversations with people around you so everyone - including myself - can vent. That's all typical stuff. Call me mad, but I rather work as I always have, and leaving in a few months isn't going to change my attitude.

The annoying thing about going to work now, is that a lot of people know that I'm one of the people who are made redundant, are the sympathy looks I've been getting. It's not like I've cried and work or had a breakdown... far from it. It seems the looks that I've been getting is more like "Oh you poor thing.... they don't like you. Which is why you're leaving."

On the bright side, I did notice today that the usual things that would annoy me don't bother me anymore. The way that I figure it, I wont have to deal with the annoys bits but most likely find new annoying bits to replace the old. Which made my work day a whole lot better.

I pretty much buckled down to work right away, as I had promised one of the customers that they'd be my top priority today. So that didn't changed, and when I call them with the good news that I had finished, they were very pleased that I had focused on them so much over the past few working days.

Gloria didn't come into work today as she was ill, so I decided to head up to Kings Comics during my lunch break to see what new things had arrived. I was also contemplating on collecting the Walking Dead Comics, but decided against it. I did notice though, that there was a new set of Walking Dead comics which had just started called the 'Govenor Series," Very tempted to get that, but managed to walk out without buying anything! Hooray! Though I did go across the road to buy a present for my cousin Nathalie who is over from Malta at the moment, and will be having dinner with us tomorrow evening. So VERY excited about that.

Headed back to work and I even ended up staying back for half an hour to make sure that I had done what I promised to today. Which I am very relieved about! Sad thing is, that I may have to go through all this again within a few weeks. So I'm not looking forward to that.

When I got home, we decided to have McDonald's for dinner and noticed that I won a movie pass. I honestly don't recall ever winning anything from them previously apart from free chips and a coke. So these two prizes which I've won so far are pretty awesome!

17th of February 2013

Woke up this morning a little after 8am, as mum, Frank and I were leaving for Wiseman's Ferry at about 10am. While everyone was getting ready I was trying to put up some post on the review website that I was emailed. For the life of me I just had a mental blank.

10am on the dot we left with Frank's brother's car (Dennis), and we headed off. I had my trusty iPod with me so I was all set for the journey. We even took a few fishing rods with us in case we had time to fish a little. I even brought my one along which I received for Christmas a few years back and haven't had a moment to use it.

The trip was taking longer than I expected, and we ended up driving up near places where they grow and sell lawn. I just thought it was a little amusing to see acres and acres of just lawn for miles.

 It wasn't until the the road turned uphill and a little rocky that we realised we had been going the longest route. The usual 1 hour journey took almost 2 hours! I normally never get car sick but I was feeling a little woozy and very tired once we finally arrived at Wiseman's Ferry.



We walked about the small town for a tiny bit and even walked into an antique shop which really didn't have much at all apart from some glasses and forks and knives. There were also a few toys and I thought it was funny that the dial up telephone which had the style about the 80s were there. I know that many people - if not everyone - doesn't use them at all, but I wouldn't call them antique! Maybe old school...

Afterwards we went to have lunch at the pub there, and I wasn't sure if I should eat anything as I was still feeling a little off. But I must've been hungry as I gobbled everything up and also decided to play the pokies for a little bit to! Managed to win 100 bucks, even thought I only put a 10 in. Score one for Wanda =)

After a couple of hours of being at Wiseman's Ferry we headed back home, but this time we made sure that we were going in the correct direction! This time it only took us just a little over an hour to get home.

As soon as I arrived home I went to have a bit of a lay down and rest a bit. Not sure what's wrong with me. Maybe it's a little of the shock from last week that my body feels as though it needs to rest. I checked quickly on seek to see what jobs were available, and I noticed that there was a positions vacant for a company that is in the same building were I'm currently working. I thought that would be hilarious if I was there, but it was an upper management kitchen position and not my type of thing. Oh well, have to get my resume in order soon enough anyways.

Later after the rest I was organising with cousins for a day out next Sunday into the city and take my cousin into Madame Tussuad's. From the last time being there, I'm pretty sure everyone would love it!

Also forgot to mention that the review for West of Memphis that I helped write a little with Craig , that we went to see a couple of weeks back is finally out, and appearing on www.spotlightreport.net

Time to go to bed now, another long day tomorrow!

16th of February 2013

This morning I was suppose to be at the vet to take Howard by 10am. But when I was suddenly awoken by my mother bursting into my room at 9:15am, I knew that we weren't going to make it on time, since we both still had to both get ready and also that it is a half an hour drive. While mum got ready I quickly cleaned up Howard's cage while I also called the vet to let them know that we were roughly running about 15 - 30minutes late. When mum finished getting ready I dashed into the shower to also get ready.

It wasn't until 10am that we left home to take Howard to the vet. Which is when I realised that even though I had set the alarm for 8am, I didn't set it for a Saturday and had set it for a workday instead! Which got me thinking about the Seinfield episode about the champion running who slept through his alarm clock. Well... he had the volume turned down!

When we arrived at the vet's, there was already a little Maltese terrier, and it looked as though it may have been crossed with a poodle. The funny thing was, I put Howard's cage down car from the little dog, yet the little dog was still scared of little Howard! The whole time that we were out the vet he didn't move from his perch, and he didn't even make a sound the whole time we were there.

When we were called, it was a different vet from the last time I was here and she wanted to know how he was doing. I mentioned that since last time he sang only once that I was aware of and that was last week. She then picked up Howard and gave him some medicine and put him back in his cage, but not before he nipped at her finger. She gave a laugh and said to him in a childlike voice, "You only weight 30grams Howard! You think you can take on a big person like me?" We had a bit of a chuckle and she told me that I still needed to give him his medicine, and it would probably be another 4 weeks before he fully gains his voice back. And I would also have to return in another 2 weeks to receive the last dose of medicine she was giving him as well.

Mum and I dashed home and dropped off Howard before heading off to the shops. I don't need to remind you how much of a stressful week it's been, and usually when I get stressed I like to go shopping. Even if it is to watch a movie. But I had saved up a bunch of gift cards over the past few months, which were mainly for Dick Smith. So I decided to treat myself and get myself a tablet which I wanted to for many months now. And with all the gift cards I had saved up over Christmas, I didn't have to fork out a lot either.

When we got back home I was completely exhausted, and decided to go lay down for a while. To help me relax I put on the movie/play 'Much Ado About Nothing,' which stars David Tennant. Every time I watch it I burst out laughing, especially during the scenes where both main characters overhear certain conversations.

By that stage it was already 6pm and dinner was getting ready. Which is when I noticed Howard was singing again! I couldn't believe how quickly he found his voice again after the medicine today! So it definitely seems to be working. It's such a funny thing to hear a wonderful sound coming out of this little bird. But as always, when I tried to record his singing voice he suddenly got very shy. One day Howard... one day!

Mum and Frank told me that they plan to go to Wiseman's Ferry tomorrow for a bit of a drive. I thought why the hell not! Go out and have a little bit of fun.

Before I also started to write my blog I came across this Youtube link which is the best of scenes from a hat from "Who's Line." It's very very funny... so I suggest you check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=mR2I4ZoqpMI&feature=endscreen

15th of February 2013

After yesterdays initial shock part of me really didn't want to go into work yesterday. All that kept running through my head was "Why bother? I'm gone in a few month anyways." But somehow I managed to pick myself up and head to the train station to go to work. I completely forgot that my friend Rocio wasn't coming in today, and I didn't realise this until I got to the station and didn't see her there.

When I got to work not many people were in, as a lot did arrive late. I have a feeling that even though some people were being let go and the rest were staying, a lot of people were shocked to the core and were also going to take it easy today as well. I caught up with a co-worker of mine Jamie, and had a bit of a chat with her before we started to get to work. She was concerned with how I was and wanted to know if I was going to be ok. I was bluntly honest in explaining that I still do not know how they chose the people that were going. Take me out of the picture, but a lot of those who were left to go were great people and high achievers so that didn't make sense to me. As for the rest, there are a lot who do slack off and also come in late who are staying. So that theory behind letting people go escapes me. After the chat with Jamie I headed back to my desk and got started to work.

I also took it a little easier today and tried not to do anything too complicated, as I honestly do not think I was in the right mind set to do anything too difficult. Especially when explaining a lot of things to suppliers. I did get a lot done which I was very proud of myself.

During lunch I joined Gloria and Jia and basically just vented about what was weighing on our minds. Even though they are both safe and are staying, the whole process of eliminating people confused them to. Jia also suggested that I join her and a bunch of people after work for a couple of drinks before I head off home. I wasn't sure I should, but in the end I decided to to have a little bit of fun before crashing when I got home.

I stayed back for about half an hour more than my usual time and did a bit of work while I waited for everyone else to finish that was coming with us to the bar for drinks. I quickly freshened up a little bit and joined everyone else. Had a mojito, which I'm not too fond of as I really don't like mint. But guzzled it down anyways. No matter how much we tried to avoid it, the topic of people who were leaving and who wasn't leaving did come up. One person pointed out that they saw me cry when I left the meeting room. I told them that they must've been dreaming as I have too much pride to let something like that knock me down and make a fool out of myself.

When 7pm came and went I took off home. On the way there I noticed on Facebook that mum was mentioning the internet again. So when I arrived home I gave Telstra a call to find out what all the fuss was about. Ended up fixing everything up so now we have internet! Hooray! Another big day with my emotions tossed all over the place. I was relieved that I was finally going to bed!

14th of February 2013

♥♥♥Happy Valentines Day♥♥♥

Wow! What a morning and what a day! Especially after the events which had unfolded yesterday, I honestly didn't know how I personally was going to react, and I didn't know how the day would pan out at all. Especially after the shocking news which work had given us the other day. 

On the way to work, I was actually running a little bit late, and caught a later train. Which meant that I arrived work at about 5 minutes after 8am. But it seems as though that I wasn't the only one that was late for work, a lot of people had blank faces and really couldn't concentrate on their work. Which meant that there were a lot of groups talking to each other and trying to look on the positive side.

I had a one on one meeting at 1:45pm which I was a little nervous about, as there was only about 6 people on our side that had one on one meetings. While the rest had on big group interview. I was nervous inside and tried so much not to let it show it, as there was a lot of people who were worried as well and I tried my best to comfort them and let them know that everything would be alright. This was just another bump in the road, and in the wise words of an ancient proverb, "This too shall pass."

People start watching movies at their desks, and listening to music and rarely were doing any work. But there was also a large group of us who were. I for one was doing as much work as I could just to simply get my mind off things, and I was trying to set an example to the people around me that no matter what the outcome would be, it wouldn't change who I was.

I had my lunch break early, and went on my own to have some Maccas. And that was simply because I wanted to walk all the way to the QVB building and listen to some music by Muse and try to get my mind to stop wondering about what will happen. It was a good thing that I went as I happen to win a free attraction pass from the monopoly game that Maccas is currently doing at the moment.

When I headed back into the office I headed off into the meeting which I had, and the news wasn't good. The job which I had for almost two years will no longer exist and I will no longer be needed after a few months. I had somewhat prepared for this, and I just starred blankly for a while. I think no matter how much I thought I was prepared for it, the actual news still hits you hard. You think the worse but you never really expect it to happen.

After that meeting I went to sit within the foyer of  the building on the ground floor and just sat there for about an hour so I could process everything. I started to send texts to my mum and friends to let them know of the outcome of the meeting. I wasn't there for long when people who had a meeting after me joined me within the foyer to let me know the same thing. We joked around and laughed a bit,we knew that we were all strong but it would take a little while for the shock to go away. 

I found out a few hours later that only a few of us were let go and that the rest of them were staying, which personally made me a little angry for a bit as I don't - and still don't - understand it. The whole thing didn't make any sense, and why they were only letting a few of us go and not a big group of us, but I guess that's what life is all about. The mystery, the uncertainty, and the consistent keeping you on your toes. I was fine until I got home and everything set it. The looking for work, the feeling like failure when you don't get the job that you've applied for, and the constant struggle to keep moving forward. I broke down and mum and Frank pulled me out of my room and told me that there are worse things that could happen, and I just kept on thinking let me just grieve for now, let me just take some time to get over it, so I can get this all out of my system.

I was constantly receiving text message from friends with support and comforts that I felt really loved and blessed. It really makes you stand up and notice who your friends are when times get a little bit tough. The people who are there to pull you back on your feet and offer support if you need it helped greatly. And I think and love all my friends who were there for me, even if it was just for them to lend an ear to me while I vented.

After a few hours mum had to visit a friend of hers and wanted me to come with her just so I can get out of the house. I honestly didn't want to get out of the house, but felt that it was best that I should so I can vent and get it all out of my system. We were only there for an hour until I came home. I put on a movie so I wouldn't let my mind wonder why I tried to sleep, but honestly I was that exhausted that I don't think I saw 10 minutes worth of the movie.

13th of February 2013

Wow what a day it was today! I had a gut feeling yesterday that it wasn't going to be a good Wednesday, but I honestly never expected to have turned out this way.

I woke up a little extra early this morning, as I wanted to wash my hair and I didn't have time last night. Mostly because I wanted to go to bed early and have a good nights sleep. Well I completely failed at that, as the gut feeling that I had yesterday was nagging me in my sleep. I even managed to watch the new episode of  The Walking Dead and also of The Following, but I still couldn't get to sleep. I think I managed to nod off at about 1am in the morning.

I stopped off at Woolies before I went into work as I wanted to grab a bite to eat as I was feeling a little hungry. When I got into work said hello to the people was there and pretty much got started on my work. Everything was easy breezy up until 10am, where the whole floor had a meeting. We thought this was a little unusual as we very rarely have a big floor meeting, but as much as I joked about what may happen, I never thought we were going to be told something like this and especially so early in the morning.

I wont go into detail about what happened, as honestly I do not know the details myself as I drifted off a little within the meeting. But it did leave everyone stunned and really not in the mood to go back to work. Part of me actually wanted to go home and sleep through it all and maybe wake up the next day and deal with it then. But I knew that hiding wasn't going to be solving any issues, and plus I had a movie to watch tonight which I have to do a review for.

When I went to lunch, I decided to have some quiet time on my own as Gloria was catching up with her fiance and thought it was best that I walked about the QVB listening to music and trying to get my mind off things. When I walked past a store, I saw a logo what a surfer dude which looked familiar, and if I recall correctly he was the logo for the old Onetel.

The rest of the day pretty much went by in a blur, as no one really had a clue what was going on, or what was going to happen. Since all of us will finally know exactly what the whole situation is tomorrow. Towards the end of the day I messaged my friend Jia and asked her if she is willing to catch up after work to have a cup of coffee, and she mentioned that a bunch of us will be meeting. Though when work did finish for the day, we all just looked into space and not really saying anything.

On the plus side, I did go to the early screening of the movie The Last Stand which I went to see with Craig. Who thankfully has offered generously to do the review for me in this case, as I really don't feel up to doing one at the moment.

Anyways, I headed off home and I think I may watch a movie or TV show with James Purefoy and it's what I really need right now. I left a link below of a Muse song which I've been listening to on repeat on all day. Please send your prayers and hugs my way as I as well as many people that I know could really use some at this moment.

12th of February 2013

Oh man, I really should learn that staying up late to do homework isn't the best idea I keep having. I didn't go to bed THAT late, but staying up to write a review to have to get up at just after 5am in the morning isn't a good idea. Oh well, once I was up and getting ready I didn't feel too badly. I think it just mostly had to do with the weather being over cast and slightly misty in the morning. Or what I like to call "Staying in bed watching TV weather."

I rushed to the bus stop, and made sure that I learnt my mistake from last time and not get my shoes wet and walked along the side of the road and stood within the driveway of a house so the grass wouldn't wet my shoes. But the bus driver through otherwise and pulled over in a very muddy area.

When I got to work I focused a lot what I had to do today, as I was adamant that I wanted to get everything that I had planned for the week. Extra bonus was that the boss was away, which means the mice will play! Muhaha! Nah, kinda boring when the boss is away really as I still sit down and do my work. Plus it didn't help that the big CEO bosses was in today as well, so no real fooling around.

Since the weather was badly overcast and very windy within the city Gloria and I sat within the PWC building have our lunches. We weren't that very good with conversation as we both felt really drain. Well Gloria mostly as she thinks she is coming down with a cold, and me because I should be sleeping more!

When I got back to lunch a co-worker of mine mentioned that there is a Walking Dead board game and that you have the option to either play as one of the characters of the Walking Dead or a Zombie! ZOMBIE! I'm contemplating buying that game just to play a zombie and have The Cranberries song playing int he background every time it was my turn. Hmmm... very tempting.

When I got home I went through the review a friend of mine Craig sent me, and added a few things here and there to be sent off to post on the Spotlight Report website. I honestly didn't have to add very much, as it was a awesome review of the movie that we saw early last week.

Anyway not really a interesting day, as it was very miserable. Though the photo that I did take of today was that of poem written by Rupert McCall back in 1995 about Australia pride. And even though personally I wasn't born in the country I can honestly say that I have as much Australia pride as much as I do Maltese pride. Even though some people try to tarnish the Australian pride with their hate, I do think that the poem has a meaning in there for all of us.

Now off to watch the Following!

11th of February 2013

Not a great start to the working week. For some reason at 1am I woke up with a start and I have no idea why. There were no thunderstorms or lightening that was going on, but luckily enough for me I went right back to sleep. Only to be woken up an hour later by the smoke alarm. I have my door shut, so I rushed out into the hallway to almost bump into Frank. We had no idea what set it off, and I only remember grabbing a pillow to fan away whatever invisible smoke there was. There was no smoke, and the pillow fanning wasn't helping at all. So we just reset the alarm and headed off to bed. Apparently it went off a couple more times afterwards but I was dead to the world.

Funnily enough, thinking about the smoke alarm while I write this blog if there was a fire I probably would have ran right into it. As I'm so use to the smoke alarm in the past randomly going off that I just run out into the hallway without a moment to stop and think. Though something like that startling me in the middle of the night, my thought patterns aren't the sharpest at that time either.

Headed off to work, and was dreading it a little as I knew how much work that lay ahead of me and wasn't really looking forward to it. Once I got there though my mood changed completely into that of determination. And I was adamant of having a goal and having it completed.

The weather wasn't the best either and was constantly overcast for the whole day, and when the boss arrived in the morning she brought with her some toys and some seedlings to get our team garden started. She wasn't able to bring in everything, and promised to bring more throughout the week. Maybe I'm a little old fashion, and as much as I love to have a laugh and a chit chat here and then for work, I have the mind set of going to work and working. So this idea of having fun and spending a little time with the team to bond and get to know one another is very alien to me. All I kept thinking was, I could be working and getting things done while we plan all of this. But that's just me!

On the way home from the city I noticed that it started to sprinkle a little, and was thanking my lucky stars that it wasn't pouring with rain. I played some Candy Crush within the train ride home, and noticed that I got a message from my cousin Paul on Facebook suggesting that I come over for a visit for a few hours.

So once I got home and had dinner, mum and I went over to visit my cousin Paul, his wife Joanne and also my cousin Sandra. Mum hadn't been to their place before so we had to use my phone as a GPS to find our way there. We caught up on some stories, and they talked about their up coming holiday which they're all excited about. I personally love listening to travel stories, but the only downside is that you wish you were going overseas with them and being part of it all. Though I'm lucky in a way that I'm going to Ayers Rock within a few weeks so I definitely have a trip to be very excited about.

Mum and I were there for a few hours before we headed off home. When I got home, Frank was passed out on the lounge and even though I swear I could hear the bed calling my name I stayed up for a few more hours writing up a review before I could finally go to sleep.

10th of February 2013

I woke up a little late this morning as I was up until 2 in the morning, posting articles within the review website (www.spotlightreport.net.au). Well actually to be more accurate I was up until 1am posting things on the website, and decided to lurch out of my room to find Frank sprawled out on the lounge watching TV. There just happened to be a special which just started on about Bruce Lee's life and watched that for an hour before crashing into bed.

When I got up, I found that mum and Frank had already started moving furniture about the place and they 'hinted' that I should do the same. As well as finally cutting off the internet and phone connection from my previous place to where I live now with mum. It's not that I dreaded being on the phone, I just find it a little bit of a hassle and sometimes think wouldn't it be just awesome if you could just call up and say 'Hey! I've moved, cut off my phone line" and you're done nothing more else to do. Over in a matter of minutes, but nooo. You have to be on the phone for about an hour mostly waiting for someone to pick up and once someone does has to go through all the terms and conditions again... and blah. I know it's some form of laziness which refrains me from waiting to do these kind of tasks, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people get annoyed with this as well.

On the up side though, when I did manage to call Telstra to get everything organized there was a helpful guy named Matt who was actually pretty nice and actually wanted to help me. I didn't even have to wait long for the call to be answered either! I went through some of the things that I had discussed previously with a week or so ago, but apparently the other guy had no idea what he was talking about cause 'Matt' was telling me, things like 'Oh no you don't need to do that! I can fix that all up for you.' Also on a side note, which is one of the benefits of working withing customer service for a long period of time, that you know when they tell you that they have to speak to my manager to see if they can waive the fee it's just them maybe putting you on hold to have a drink and then coming back with "hey he waived it for you!." Am I really suppose to believe that?

Once that was all done and dusted, Matt told me that since he had to cut off the old Internet that mum's place had to issue the new internet we would get I wont have internet until the new modem arrives. Boo! Oh well, first world problems right? I can survive a few days without the internet! But it just had to be the week that Walking Dead starts back up and I'll most likely miss the new episode of The Following until I have internet connection. Damn you Australian TV! Why do you have to be so behind?

I also called up my auntie who lives within the next street over to see what time everyone would be there, and it seemed that from about 2pm everyone was meeting at her place. Only problem with me, is I still felt I had hardly no sleep as well as mum and Frank. So we all had a bit of a lay down and watch some TV and before we knew it, it was almost 3pm! So we hurridly got dressed and ready and headed over to my aunts place.

On the way there the weather was badly overcast and looked as though there was a thunderstorm coming up soon. Which did when we got there. All of my aunties where there, catching up on old times. My Uncle Leli from Malta, had a couple of DVD's which he wanted to show us which he had took from Malta.The first DVD was of the property within Malta where my cousin has a lot of farm animals there, as well as of the surrounding area of the place where they grew up in Malta in the village of Mgarr. Since it was only a few years ago that I was there myself, it did bring back a lot of memories for me but even more for everyone who was there.

Afterwards we all watched another DVD of the most recent festival of Mgarr, where my uncle makes the fireworks for every year. Within Malta a lot of our family are involved within the fireworks festiviatives, but this particular year was the first time the fireworks were also upon the church itself and in time with some music!

It wasn't long before everyone had to leave, but not before we all took photos with each other. I miss times like these with the family. Catching up and listening to old stories, as well as just being in the presence of all family members. Which is why even now I love spending time with the whole family, as we very rarely catch up anymore. Unless there is a big event or someone from overseas comes to visit.

Once we got home we had some dinner, I started to get my things ready for work as well as get ready for bed.

9th of February 2013

I got to sleep in a little this morning, and I was so happy that I was finally able to do so. What annoyed me a little was that I was having somewhat a half dream before I actually got out of bed that I was running late for something. I knew at 11:30am I had a vet appointment for Howard, and at 1:30pm I was going to visit my cousin and uncle from Malta, but that was all I really had planned. Though this nagging feeling of me running late was there so I got out of bed to check what the time was. It was 9:30am. A little sleep in, but only by an hour for me than usual. Then something grabbed my attention. I heard a noise that I haven't heard in the longest time coming outside. I stopped in my tracks and tried to make any movement at all. I even tried to keep my breathing to a minimum, as I knew... any sudden movement would have broken the spell.

The noise was coming from outside, within Howard's cage. I listened carefully and before too long I heard a wonderful singing voice that was coming from Howard. I couldn't believe my ears! I had to hear it a second time before I got really excited, as I thought that maybe a bird nearby had made this lovely sound! But it wasn't a lie. This couldn't be faked, it did come from Howard's golden beak! So with all my excitement and joy I ran around the house looking for my mum, yelling in a loud whisper MUM! MUM! I ran so quickly that when I burst into mums room I gave her a bit of a scare while she was tidying her room. I quickly told her to follow me quietly into the kitchen again to see if we could hear Howard once more. We waited for about a minute before he whistled again. I was so extremely happy! The only change between yesterday and today, was the fact that I had moved his birdcage to where it use to be before I had moved. But it couldn't be a simple as that! As he had been there for a year and still didn't sing. Mum suggested that I call the vet and cancel today's appointment and wait maybe another week. As he still wasn't singing all the time, but it's definitely a big improvement and maybe he just needed an extra week on his medicine.

I decided to then make myself a cup of coffee and sit within the kitchen to enjoy Howard's tweeting while I enjoyed my cup of coffee. It wasn't long before Frank arrived as he was at my auntie's place from mowing the lawn. We decided that before mum and I head over to my aunts place in the afternoon we'll have a bit of a clean up and put some furniture as well as a few clothes into my room to move things up a little bit. So mum and I started cleaning up the house as well as moving and removing a few things within my room to make way the furniture we would put in.

Frank than called from the lounge room as he was watching the horse racing that was about to start for the day, and mentioned that was a horse named 'Vela.' Since mums surname is 'Vella' he decided to make a bet on it for the day. So while he was calling up to make the bet I decided to look through the paper and see what the other names for horses were and maybe place a bet myself. I hardly gamble, but in the case with horse racing I honestly do not know the odds for each horse and usual just go by the names. Out of all the races for the day, only two name stood out for me. Octavia and Doctor Doom. Anyone who knows me, will know why I picked the name 'Octavia' (just Google who she was married to) and Doctor Doom is a marvel character in the Fantastic 4.

We then went to move the chest of drawers into my room, as well as my stereo and (se)X(y)box. When we went to take out the drawers to make it easier to move, we cleaned up the whole thing and took it into my room. It was a little trouble putting the drawers back in, but while Frank was putting it together I heard Howard sing again and got distracted and went to listen to him again. I then set up TV and stereo and make sure everything was plugged in and working ok - which it was - then went to have a shower and changed to visit my cousin.

Not long after I got ready the first horse race which had Octavia in it was about to start so I sat there transfixed to the TV. AND THEIR OFF! as the TV commenter announced. Right from the very beginning Octavia was either second or third. Frank kept telling me, 'You're cheering too early, don't cheer yet!' As soon as it hit 300 meters to go he told me you can cheer now. And within the last 300 meters Octavia went from position 2nd to 1st place! Hooray! I won myself 40 bucks! If the race would have been any longer she would have lost as it was a very close race, but I'm really happy of my winnings!

With my all excited about my winnings mum and I than took off to my aunts place near Parklea to visit my uncle and cousin. I was so very excited to see them, even though I had only seen them on Tuesday. I have to get use to the kiss on both cheeks that they do. I got use to it when I was in Malta, but when I got back home no one did it here and reverted back to the kiss on one cheek!

We started telling stories about the trips that we had, and that in some countries it is against the law to take photos. I talked about my trip to Egypt and how when I went to Israel they didn't like me very much because of my surname, but when I crossed the border to Palestine they were happy to see a Maltese person and called me sister!

My uncle also brought out a photo that was taken not long after mum and my uncles brother's that had died in a terrible accident while making fireworks of the machine that they were using at the time. I had heard my uncle tell me the story many years ago about how my grandfather rescued them, and the machine in the photo was exactly how I pictured it when he told me the story. I asked him if he could please give me a copy of the photo as I'm still in the process of writing not only a story of the accident but also a story about my grandparents and thought it would be a good photo to include in both of them

It wasn't long until we had to leave, but I found out that they will be visiting my other uncle and auntie who lives in the next street over from me tomorrow afternoon so we're also going to be visiting them again tomorrow.

When we got home, everyone sat down at the table to have dinner, then afterwards I cleaned up Howard's cage. I also gave him some egg as a treat for being so awesome today.