The one where we arrive in London...

We're finally here!!!
The second leg of the trip was a nightmare... we were delayed in Hong Kong three hours, but only after we boarded the plane. Smashing. So all up, the second leg took 17 hours!!! Eeeek.

Either way... Rob was at Heathrow to meet us, thank God, and has safely deposited us in his Lee mansion, complete with internet access, bath and three cats.
Driving back from the airport was amazing - it was 9pm and still daylight, 27 degrees and England flags everywhere. A real British summer's evening.
It's going to be a great trip...

Hi from Honkers...

We're on our way - woohoo!
Just touched down in Hong Kong, the first ten hours of the trip done and dusted.
It was great - both Bo and I slept for atleast five hours, the inflight entertainment was first rate - CSI and Sex in the City - and the food, although not particularly hungry, was palitable.

We've just under three hours in HK, and $50 to spend... its about $6 Australian so I don't imagine it will get us far. Bo has spotted some Tiger Balm for $34. It sounds so mad.

The word from Sydney is that Elvis was a little shy after being abandoned by his mums, but after an hour of cuddles from Sonia, he's as happy as ever.

Anyway, more updates when we have some actual news. And pics too, though I do have a rather fetching one of Bo on the flight with her eye mask on...

Talk to you from London,
The Elvis Entourage xxx

And we're off...

After months of planning and waiting, we're leaving for the UK tonight.
As you can see, the bags are packed (no prizes for guessing which is mine) and I'm just enjoying my last few hours with Elvis before I jet off for two months.

We're flying Cathay Pacific tonight, and already know what movies we'll be watching. We've a two-hour lay-over in Hong Kong before heading to London. Rob T will be picking us up at Heathrow, and there's talk of an Indian that night, but I guess we need to get through the flight first...

Charlotte's web...

I do appear to be the gushing aunty at the moment, so attached is a more recent picture of Charlotte with her Daddy. She's changed so much already!!!

Bo and I will be visiting my new niece in eight days - we've decided to add an overnight trip to Devon to our brief time in London. I can't wait!

On an equally happy note, today has marked the first day of my annual leave from work. Its been a hectic day and I have heaps to do before we fly out on Thurs night, but I am looking forward to my time off. Woohoo!

Introducing Charlotte

Here she is.... isn't she a beauty???
The Secret Diary of Charlotte >>>

She's here...

She may have been 11 days late, but my niece finally appeared at 9.35pm (UK) on June 19th.

Poor Jen endured a 21-hour labour, but baby Charlotte Ann appeared with a light smattering of blonde hair and 'fuzzy eyebrows" (direct quote from her doting Dad). And by all accounts they heard her before they could see her - she was making lots of noise the moment her head was delivered. Ruick says she is a true Gould female in that respect - far from quiet. I've just had a quick chat with Jen, and Charlotte was adding her thoughts to the conversation! Amazing.

The new family are well, although a little shell-shocked by the delivery, and Jen and Charlotte are already home.

She loves her bouncy chair from Uncle Len and Aunt Michelle, and will no doubt be spoiled rotten in the coming weeks from her family across the globe.

Stay posted for a pic as soon as I have one.

One more week to go...

So here I am at 11.40pm on June 18th waiting for the Socceroos to take on the mighty Brazil in their World Cup group qualifier.
As I've mentioned on a previous post, the time difference between AEST and German time is a killer when the games end up kicking off at 2am. I finish work at 12.30am and can't decide if I should go to bed or just stay up. I know regardless, I'm be bloody exhausted tomorrow.

I've six more shifts at work before I finish up for the (Northern Hemisphere) Summer - I feel like I've been counting the days since Jan (probably because I have) but more than getting to the UK, more than getting on the plane, I am so very much looking forward to putting my out-of-office-reply email on and not looking back until September 11th.

Bring it on!

Oh, this week was my birthday and I was given a dvd of the ABC show We Could Be Heroes which is the funniest thing I've seen since I was first sent Little Britain a few years back and Bo Selecta before that. I'd highly recommend it.

And still the conspiracy theories continue

I'm as fascinated about Princess Diana in death as I was when she was alive. And this article in today's Daily Mail in the UK may well be rubbish, but its interesting reading all the same...
Revealed: Diana inquiry's tantalising new questions>>>

The best in Australian advertising

These are all up for nomination and are a great way to see how Australia has evolved over the years.
My fave is the Qantas ad... gives me goosebumps.
Greatest Aussie ads>>>

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...

Last night's Socceroos World Cup clash against Japan was one of the most fantastic football matches I've ever seen.
True, I was watching it at stupid o'clock in my pjs while updating the Telegraph site, but the car horns and cheers that went up in Sydney's Inner West when Tim Cahill put in the first of his two goals in the 84th minute was pure green and gold magic. And with (there's only one) John Aloisi scoring in injury time, the Socceroos romped how with the three points and an impress 3-1 scoreline.
Their next clash is 1.30am on Monday morning - the World Cup giants Brazil. A real David and Goliath story yet to be told.

The beautiful game...

I love living in Australia, but man its hard from a professional perspective when we're timezones away from the action.
I'm on World Cup watch for the Telegraph site here in Sydney, which may sound like a dream job, and to some degree it is, but most of the games are kicking off between 11pm and 5am Australian time. It's a killer already.

As I write this blog, I am covering the England v Paraguay game (76 mins gone) but the big one for us (this week) will be Monday night, 1.30am, Socceroos v Japan.

Sydney is awash with green and gold at the moment - and 'Wog Ball' as they call it over here seems to have finally graduated to the mainstream.
Go the Socceroos!

I heart yourtube.com

Check these two out... v funny and clever :-)

Disco-dancing aerobics

V clever

Something for the weekend...

Despite the drudgery of work my life has become in recent weeks, I had a pretty good weekend.
Although I live and work just six minutes from Sydey city centre, I rarely venture passed Central Station. But I dragged myself into the city yesterday for a very sedate spot of retail therapy - long overdue.

Today my legs feel like lead and my purse is floaty-light but with all the stock-take and end-of-financial-year sales, I managed to pick up a few Billabong bargains, as well as much coveted pair of Converse All-Stars for my overseas trip. Woohoo!

I actually had the evening off work last night, but popped to a friends' place to watch them unpack after moving house, and I was out for the count at 9.30pm. Rock and roll, eh?

Today I dragged myself out of bed (which was tough as I am officially knackered as I approach 35) and went a to a preview screening of the new Dreamworks movie Over the Hedge. What a great movie. A dmittedly it is for kids, but it was so smart, and Ben Folds did the soundtrack, which was fab. I loved it. Thanks Sonia (AMD are partners with Dreamworks).

Leisurely Wagamamas lunch at Darling Harbour, and although I am now working again, I really feel like I had a proper weekend. And I didn't go NEAR Coles :-)

Finally, my cousin Emily is marrying her partner Chris in Seattle today. I had planned to be there, before Jen announced her pregnancy, so instead I've sent a coffee grinder and am thinking about them instead. And the fact that as 6/6/06 looms, Jen had better keep her legs crossed.
NOT LONG NOW....

Pinch, punch...

It's been a pretty quiet week here. No baby arrival as yet, but since we're in June I can now say that I'm going to the UK this month.

I've already checked out the Cathay Pacific movies for June, and they're pretty good. Not really seen any of them, with the exception of that big gay epic Brokeback Mountain.

I'm in the midst of 38 days on at work without a break - and have just heard today that the relaunch of the sites I have been working on since December last year have been postponed for at least a month. All that work, and I'll be overseas when they go live. Bollocks.