But the big news .... I have yet another overseas trip planned for this year - I fly out on 28th December for three weeks in Scotland with my family there. That will make four overseas trips in the same year - what a gadabout!!
The story behind this latest trip is that my Mum has to have hip replacement surgery - this all flared up about 6 months ago and she's now in constant pain and unable to stay actively involved in her usual social life which revolves around lawn bowling. She's been waiting for a date to come through for her surgery but in the meantime I could hear that the whole business was dragging her down and the feedback from my brother and sister was that the last few months had aged her considerably. She's normally an incredibly active, positive, progressive and youthful thinking lady despite being about to celebrate her 75th birthday in January. So after a recent phone call when she sounded quite down, I had a discussion with Bloss and said that I thought I should try and schedule a quick trip back to see her and cheer her up. Obviously I wanted to try and plan this around such things as being there after her op rather than during, trying to go when I already had public holiday leave and getting a reasonably priced airfare. It all came together beautifully with my travel agent finding me the last remaining seats on some great priced flights, the date for Mum's op coming through to line up with those dates perfectly, and my boss allowing me to have leave.
Then I had the lovely task of telling Mum on Sunday night that I was coming. She's over the moon and it sounds like it's just given her the pep up she needed. Needless to say I'm very excited too - I haven't seen her for 3 years and although I saw my sister 2 years ago when she and her husband were here, I also haven't seen my brother, wife and 2 little nephews for 3 years either.
So on 28 December (only 7 weeks away), I fly from Brisbane, to Singapore, Amsterdam and then Glasgow and then leave to come back again on 16 January. So I get New Year's Eve (Hogmanay to us Scots) and also Mum's 75th birthday on 11 January while I'm there - how good is that!
So will spend a lot of my time there driving Mum round as she won't be able to drive. I'm sure we'll have lots of lunches, morning teas and visits to the old Aunties and other relies, who will all be so excited that "Anne from Australia" is back. But what a great incentive for me to get my act together and really focus on getting a few more kilos off before then.
We went to one of my company's Christmas party on Saturday night. We picked up my friend Shaz on the way - and shared a couple of champagnes with her - she was celebrating as she had just heard that her son, DIL and 3 grandchildren were coming back from the US to spend Christmas. Anyway a selection of silly photos followed and like a good little blogger I'm sharing them with you all.
Shaz and I posing like the couple of charlies we are
Shaz and Bloss
Bloss and I doing the gooey look on the settee
Bloss's fault - managed the 'soft focus' on this one.
Having major dramas at work this week, nothing I can't solve but time consuming nonetheless - still trying to support another area through process issues, support one of my people who is having to move across the country with her husband and family and really doesn't want to leave her job with me, farewell another one who has scored a job closer to home on many thousands of dollars a year more money, and so recruit three new team members in total since I 've had a vacancy since before I went on leave when another one had to leave and move back to Darwin for family reasons. Then the one remaining one who has been having major problems with her knee has to go in for surgery on that in two weeks time. The joys of being a team leader! (and wondering if I'm wearing the wrong perfume!)
OK that's my news for the week - a big 'un but a good'un. Hope all is well in your world.
Take care and live every day like it might be your last.
Love Z xxx
