Happy Hammers, Horrible Hangovers, Holiday Homes, Hollywood Hotties, and um... Hemployment Hopportunities

Well well well - where to begin? Feels like bloody ages since I've been on here, although it's only 2 weeks.

SO - first things first. We have moved into our new little pad. We are officially camping out in our own flat - sitting on bean bags and sleeping on an air bed. I cannot wait til we can afford to buy some furniture - getting up and down off the floor all the time and having no back support at all is an ergonomic nightmare I tells ya. At least our relationship has survived enforced conversation and spending time together. The flat is grand though - nice and central, very pretty, good facilities etc. There's a gym onsite and I have been going very regularly - me! I'll do a proper blog about it another time when I've uploaded some pics and stuff.

We're on a bit of a poverty trip at the minute as I am STILL not working, and Stu doesn't get paid til Weds, so a strict diet of 2 minute noodles is called for just now. We've managed a few trips out in the last fortnight though.

The weekend we moved in here we went to a meeting of the Brisbane British Club which is an expat group who meets on the last Sunday of every month in the Pig & Whistle (Stu's favourite pub as we know). It was very nice, and we met some nice folk. Of course we got completely totally and utterly shit faced, and neither of us remember getting home. One of the folk we met emailed us the next day to say that he'd had to throw a sickie that day as he had practically puked up a lung when he got home. Another bloke who neither of us remember at all emailed Stu to ask whether he could pass on the details of Naylor recruitment as discussed. Neither of us have ever heard of Naylor recruitment. Hopefully we weren't having some sort of fantasy conversation and making up a load of nonsense to this bloke. I'm just hoping we're allowed back next time. I don't know how Stu made it to work on the Monday as I just wanted to die all day.

Last weekend we went to the Bathing Buddha Festival over on the South Bank which is rapidly becoming one of my favourite parts of Brisbane. It was a really lovely day, loads of great food stalls, all very educational. It was only slightly marred by the fact that on our way in someone gave us a leaflet which I assumed was information on the event - but no. It was in fact helpfully pointing out that all Buddhists are going to go to hell because they worship an idol. I will let you know how the author responds when I email him to ask him how he would feel if a load of Buddhists picketed his Christmas or Easter celebrations - but then it wouldn't happen as they seem to generally be nice open minded people!

Afterwards we went to the Jade Buddha for a few scoops as it seemed appropriate under the circumstances. (It turns out that Pat Rafter owns Jade Buddha, so I fully intend to stake it out at every available opportunity from now on). Anyway, there we were minding our own business when a bunch of too cool for school folk traipse in with some kind of minder bloke in big shades and a bluetooth headset. They all settle down to a table, and one of them gets out a camera and starts filming one of them doing such riveting things as ordering and eating food, etc. Being a naturally inquisitive person I gawped at them, til I figured out that it was Jared Leto with his band. So check me right out, rubbing shoulders with Hollywood A listers. Barnes verdict: Very very very pretty, but a bit of a knob.

As I said above, I'm still not working but things are kind of looking up on that front. I'm in what I hope are the last stages of an application with an HR consultancy firm. I originally applied for a job as a business analyst, which they turned me down for. I emailed them and said please keep me in mind etc etc, then they invited me to apply for an HR admin role. Better than nowt I thought, so I trotted along and got invited back for a second interview. Half way through this interview it turns out that they were interviewing me for an analyst post - the one they originally turned me down for. Very confusing. I have to do a case study thing this weekend, then hopefully I'll get a decision. So fingers crossed and positive vibes down under please, as I really want the job!

I think that's it for the minute. I've got a load of emails to catch up on this weekend, so hope to be in touch soon!

Oh yeah - and have a look at where I'll be spending Christmas.