London + new blog

Hey guys, London's going well - sorry I didn't have time to tell you guys I was going. Makes it a bit interesting though doesn't it? ;) Hey Mark and I started out own blog to put stuff up for our families - it's at http://theellieandmarkshow.blogspot.com/, if you want to have a look.

In Argentina

Not the pic that I wanted... but took too long to load to change! At an internet cafe in northern Argentina. Things are way more simpler here, for want of a better word. But loving it! Pic is of a cool waterfall on border of Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu. THings are going well guys, we started our second project a couple of days ago, we have showers out of a bucket and at last we feel like we are really roughing it! Just about booked a trip to Galapagos - that´s for you Ellie!
Miss you guys, hope to talk soon. Love JodesX

Waiting...

Hi guys

Just had a look at this site and thought it seems to be dying! So guilted myself into posting, even though I have no real news to put up. I'm still waiting and waiting to see if my contract happens in london - hopefully it will but it's been 3 wks and they still haven't sorted themselves out :P I keep telling them I can go anytime so what's the bet they just turn around and say 'ok your flights are booked for the day after tomorrow - off you go'!?! Anyway hopefully I'll get there...

Mark and I went out to see a ballet at the opera house last night - it was brilliant, I loved it, although we were sitting way up the back so couldn't see a lot of detail. Bizarrely, I got scared because we were too high up... Mark was laughing at me cos there's not really any chance of falling down to the bottom when you're sitting down is there?! Here's a self-taken pic we took during one of the intervals - I like it, it's a bit zany. Don't ask me what the lights are going over our heads, maybe people had sparklers and were waving them behind us... :)

I've been doing family history research into my mum's paternal grandfather's side of the family (other family members had done the rest), and it's pretty cool - I think I've traced my ancestors back to the 1730s in Northamptonshire in the UK. Will try to go visit where they lived if I get over there. They came out to Aus in 1855 and lived in Camden - pretty cool hey?

That's all the news I can think of right now. Hope everyone's going well, and is going to post something up here soon, no matter how mundane!

Oh, and I'm looking forward to the reunion too - I hope playing lawn bowls is fun, I've never done it before. Who do you guys want to catch up with most?

Ellie xox

In Argentina!

Hey guys,
Sorry it has been ages since I spoke to many of you! But thanks to Ellie, I could figure out how to put something on while over here (my Spanish isn´t that great yet to read the site stuff here). I can´t figure out how to see my camera on this computer, so you will have to just put up with my words! Well, things are pretty different here in good old Venado Tuerto. This small Argentinian town reminds my strangely of Junee. There are so many rust-bucket cowboy cars still alive... only just... and creeping down the road. It is dry and hot and really, not much to do here on the social side. On the work front, I have been building my muscles on the building site here, yep, you better believe it! Have been doing some brick laying and some plastering. My brick laying is way better than my plastering though. :)
It´s been pretty tough being a team leader... had to have quite a few serious chats with some people in the team about different things. Spanish is slowing getting there. So cheap here! And so much meat! Will be a vego when I leave I think! And the eat so much and stay up sooooooooo late! I feel so old.....
The people are so friendly though.
In about 2 weeks we finish our first project and our going on a short team holiday at some cool waterfalls on the border with Brazil, should be good. Thinking about vising the Golapogas Islands when we finish but not sure yet. Better keep going. Really miss you guys!!!!! Not sure when will be back in oz... when is the reunion again?
JodesXX

Out & About

Hi Everyone,

Just thought it was about time to post something up again. Time is certainly flying by. Just recently the Lovett clan went to canberra for Glenn's cousin's wedding. It was held at the National Museum and was pretty flash. We all had a great time as you can see by the picture Ki enjoyed herself the most I think :)

This Saturday just gone I helped out Dan's Mum at the first ever BJ Bandits Blitz, (translation = amateur line dancing competition). It was a great day and I saw some good dancing - I haven't been to anything like this before. I wish I could have seen some professionals dance too, maybe next time.

A few weeks ago Mackezie had her first birthday which was really cute. Bob did such a great job with helium balloons, heaps of party food and a great soundtrack - a great time was had by all - perhaps they will post some photo's soon?

That's about it for the moment...work has been work what else can I say. Luckily there are a few short weeks now over easter which will get me through the slog to come at June. Glenn is busy going for job interviews so it's all happening here.

Don't be shy and post some new entries soon.

Lisa

Cool-aid show

Hey guys - who watched that cool-aid show on channel 10 last night? I thought it was good. I just went to the website and did the carbon footprint thingy to work out how much you pollute the air in your household. It told me every year Mark and I put 12.65 tonnes of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, which means that if everyone on earth lived the same lifestyle that we did, we'd need 36 planet earths to sustain our lifestyle. I'm shocked by that. It's at the channel ten site here, if you follow the "are you a carbon fatty?" link. What do you guys get when you do it?

A glimpse of Northern Ireland

Well guys, I didn't see any mad gunmen wearing balaclavas, but I did see a stunning coastline, a smooth line and some great savings on food and beer! Welcome to Northern Ireland! Many from the south would never venture up there... bad memories... but it is lovely! Check out Giant's Causeway - this really cool step-like coast formation!
There's also a picture of us with a memorial to Yeats the Irish poet, remember him from English guys?

hunter valley...

Hey guys

Sorry, started posting on Friday but got halfway through it and firefox died :P So will have another go. Yes, I did finally figure out my login!

Just spent a *great* birthday wkend in the hunter valley, as a present from mark. We were in this little cabin that opened out onto a patio that led straight out onto a little stand of gum trees, with a vineyard on the other side, out on an estate away from any towns (but not any wineries ;). We spent the entire weekend eating, drinking, swimming in the pool and chilling out, it was fabbo. This is the place we went to.

Danno, I did see An Inconvenient Truth a few weeks back on DVD, and you're right, it's humbling. What have you guys done after seeing it? We have a pretty small footprint since we're in such a small apartment here, and we were pretty conscious beforehand of things like avoiding as much packaging and plastic as possible, not driving if we didn't need to, not leaving lights or appliances on etc, but there are a few other things we're doing now as well. I've got a little mini-compost bin that you can use in apartments to reuse our kitchen waste as soil for pot plants, and we swapped over our light bulbs to the energy efficient ones, but the thing that suprised me is how much power appliances use when they're in 'standby' mode, like the TV/DVD/stereo. It can cost hundreds of dollars a year in power! So we switch all that stuff off now too when we're not using it - the only thing you lose is the clock setting, but I don't really think you need 5 clocks around the house anyway! There's also this type of stuff, where you can calculate your household's carbon emissions for a year and pay for an equivalent number of trees to be planted to offset it, which is pretty cool.

An Inconvenient Truth

Hi All

Bob and I just saw the Al Gore documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" and it was absolutely mind blowing. Please, if you all can, go and hire the DVD and watch it. It is not for one minute boring, it is real life, actual happenings. It shows how quickly and how in such a short space of time we are destroying the planet. If your like me and always thought "it's along way off being a big problem" then once you see this you will KNOW that we have got to get our bums in to gear and start doing our part to stop Global Warming. It is predicted that the entire North Pole will have melted within 50 years, that pretty much kisses The Netherlands goodbye and all but floods hundreds of major cities around the world including Australia. Spread the word all, we all have kids, or care about our future enough to want to do this.

Sorry to sound preachy, but watch the film and you will understand. On the right hand side of the screen is a Pledge counter. I challenge you all to Pledge and get our counter up.

Cheers.

Ki

This is that picture of Kiandra. Poor Ang couldn't figure it out so good ol' Dan came to the rescue :)

Hi everybody. This is my first time to contribute on my own so please be patient with me. This picture is of Kiandra sitting in her bumbo chair. She has had a really big week this week. (Anyone without children stop reading here - you will be bored!) While recovering from her first tummy bug we discovered the arrival of her first tooth! She is a little grumpy but no trouble as always. She can sit on her own for a minute before falling flat on her face & now holds her hands out to go to her favourite person rather then a stranger. She chews on her feet rather then her hands and drools like that dog in Turner & Hootch. Speaking of dogs Beau is her best friend. She thinks he is great & so do I as he does not require 8 batteries like most of her XMAS presents, he just keeps going & going........................
Justin is away on another work trip that they informed him about at 10:30 pm last night & he left at 3:30am this morning. He is pissed off, which is funny cause it takes a bit to get under his skin. He is hoping to be home for Australia Day as we always like to have a BBQ but if not he will be home by Saturday. Either way Mum is cooking a lamb roast Friday night so I will be there with or without him. With any luck Glenn & Lisa will be visiting. Ki has a bit of a thing for Glenn, she always smiles at him and stuff & I think it is cause he does not carry one like the rest of us in that baby talk way. It is as if his attention a good challenge for her.
We are off for our usual holiday in Tathra on the 19th of February. It is good to have the caravan as we do not travel light & everything fits in.
Life is really great at the moment & I am very lucky to have all the things I do but I have to say it - I am going insane as a stay at home mum. ( mainly as Ki is asleep more then an average baby)I have even asked Justin to start being a bit more demanding (eg; 3 course meal every night) but he says I should just take it easy. If things were much slower around here I would be asleep. I am keen to go back to work, but can afford to be picky & not work myself into the ground again. It may take months to find the right job. So Dan when you are wondering why I am not contributing to the blog it is cause all I have to talk about is babies & food. Take care everyone.......

Belated Christmas & New Years Wishes

Hi all,

Sorry it has been a while but what can I say the last few weeks/months have been hectic - none more so than over christmas & New Years. Just to quickly fill you all in I have been busy studying to get my final exam out of the way so that I can graduate this year - so far no luck but I will keep pottering along with it - just one measly pass is all I need. Glenn has been busy applying for jobs which is great. His health is going great. The drama since christmas has been that my pops health went down hill rapidly and the Drs were talking only 2 weeks to live. My family were very distraught as pop has been a major part of our lives. He struggled his way through christmas, getting sent home on christmas eve day to basically die as there was nothing they could do for him in hospital - we were angry and hurt at the callousness of it - he couldn't look after himself but they were sending him home!?!. Mum come to visit pop just before he got really ill and was staying with him when he had to go to hospital - her 2 week stayed turned into about 12 weeks. We finally relocated pop back to mum and dads in Albury last weekend after he was released from Junee hospital. The Dr's are now talking that he may have 5 months or more to live (he has fluid retention which is collapsing his lungs and pressuring his heart - and the fluid tablets to relieve it are killing his kidneys so it is no win all round). I am much more at peace with what is happening now which is good. Mum is a great help too as she is doing such a great job looking after him. He will probably be moved into nursing care soon. So that was all a very big emotional upheaval.

Over the break my whole family was home so it was good to see them. Caught up with Ellie which was great. Glenn and I went to Eden with Ang & Justin and some Tumut-ites for New Years eve. It rained the whole time but was lovely anyway. I must be getting old cos I fell asleep at 11.30 - totally missing ringing in the new year! My friend Scott came home from Japan and we hung out heaps over the new years break. Then the day he was meant to fly home his brother in-law committed suicide so he postponed leaving for an extra 2 weeks while he and his family dealt with it. I attended the funeral and the wake. It felt odd cos I didn't know the deceased but I was there for Scott which he really appreciated. It just seems that all my friends lives are crap at the moment - I mean they are strong but are all dealing with death or disease. I hope that you guys are all OK. Sorry to bring the mood down a bit - but that's where I've been at lately. Things are looking up though and hopefully I'll have some more cheerful blogs to post soon - perhaps relating to a house warming party for the summerell clan....2 beers anyone? Here's a pic of me not being doom & gloomy at our xmas party, it was in the members stand at the MTC, it was at night so there was no actual racing going on.

More pictures

Here are a few pics, thought it had been a while so the first one is Lachlan, Mackenzie and I, then there is Bob and Lachie making Milo balls and then a good one of Mackenzie.

Hope everyone is well.

Need some ideas guys!

Just wanted to rack your brains for an idea....
We are thinking about doing a sponsorship thing to raise funds to go to South America - we found out we are heading to Argentina when we do all that volunteer work for four months. Anyway, we thought to have a sponsorship form where people can donate instead of just asking for money would be a good idea.
Thought it would be good to work the van in somehow (a big white van is a bit of an icon here), a lot of people know us from that and it could be quite funny. We want something interesting, not just a climb or walk or something, so what do you reckon we could do with the van?
At the moment all I can think of is how many people can we pack into the van to sleep? Like sleep one night with 5 people in it or something...
Suggestions????
Thanks guys! JodesX