It's about TIME!!!

OK. I realise it's been a while since I last posted. But a lot has happened in the last few months.

Last update indicated I wasn't real happy with work. As it turns out, I wasn't really very happy with anything in my life at the time.

So I've made the radical decision to move back to my home town of Grafton. It appears my time at Easter was just tooooo relaxing.

I think they call it a "tree-change" - getting back to a more rural setting. Getting away from the hustle, bustle and hectic pace of the city. Fighting back for more time for myself - to be who I am, to not be so busy that I can't actually have time to enjoy the time I have on this earth.

As it turned out, one of my friends down here in Grafton spotted an ad for a position that sounded like it might be OK for me. So I bit the bullet, interviewed, and actually got the job. I mean, I seriously didn't think I'd get it. Apparently I heard later they were thrilled to get someone of my experience. Boost to my ego, I can tell you!

Money's good - same as I was on in Brisbane, which after you take the cost of living into account, is seriously good money. My travel costs have been cut by 10, and since I'm living back at home, my living expenses are next to none.

The job is steady, with no stress, and I really get to do what I want. No one really tells me what to do very much at all. Occassionally, the RGM will come in and ask me to find out something for him, but mostly, I'm just running my own race, and my own pace. Which is a great position to be in. When I feel like pushing myself, I do. When I feel like taking it easy, I do. And because I come from a very time poor industry, my "go slow" pace is this job's "flat out". So I look great no matter what pace I'm working at!

The people are lovely - mostly all are hard working, polite and fairly old fashioned. There are always the occasional dickhead, but they are few and far between thank god.

We're getting new offices next year - in the middle of a rebuild/refurbish at the moment. Should be good to finally get my own office. There's nothing better than being able to just totally focus on the task at hand, without distractions. Can't wait.

Grafton is relaxing, slow, totally free of stress. Not a bad place to live and work. It's very rural, with plenty of wildlife, cattle, horses, goats, birds etc It's also really green down here - we get lots (!) of rain, ensuring the place always looks beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful, I was here for the whole period of Jacaranda for the first time in 20 years! I even entered in the business competition that CE was in, and ended up dancing on the back of a flat bed semi, dressed as a gangsta to Ice Ice Baby. It was a scream! btw, CE won the Gold Cup AND the Rose Bowl at this year's Jacaranda. VERY prestigious prizes, let me tell you. :-) ANYWAY the place was awash with streets and streets of Jacarandas. I had almost forgotten hor gorgeous the place looks in the first week of November. Just spectacular.

Jenna is fitting in well. She has made lots of friends, all of which appear much less sophisticated than the girls in Brisbane. Which Jenna really needed, as she's very simple and straight forward person. She doesn't play games, and really isn't interested in drinking, smoking or being popular. Meant she was really mostly a fringe dweller in Brissie, constantly getting her feelings trampled on.

Mat is having issues. He doesn't want to be here. Tried making friends with some of the people here in Grafton, and they were all talking about drinking, drugs and cars. None of which he has too much of an interest in. He really misses his mates in Brisbane.

What he really needs is a place to Board in Brissie. Anyone want to make a bit of cash on the side by renting out a spare room to a quiet, slothful, polite, computer nerd? He's going to TAFE here in Grafton, but really wants to transfer to Brisbane. He's hoping to get a job night filling at Coles or somewhere similar here. He's going to have to go to Brisbane though. He's 18 in less than 12 months now. He'll be off before I know it.

Mum and Dad are happy to have us here. They are away for 5 months of the year anyway, and we have our bolt holes to go to if we need a break. I've visited Sydney once and Brisbane twice.

Only thing missing in my life right now is a man. Hmmm. Not sure I really need one right now, actually. If the right one turns up, then I'll be fine with that too. He'd have to be: reasonably good looking, fit (i.e. not overweight), tall, happy with himself, confident, intelligent, expressive, active, have his own money, like to travel, NOT WANT ANYMORE CHILDREN, oh and a hundred other things I will probably all throw out the window when I meet the right person.

Anyway, I'm going to keep up this diary now, and will load up picture and comments. Read on. Comment. Keep in touch. Hopefully I'll find something witty and interesting to comment on occassionally. We'll see.