Plotting and planning ...

I wouldn't be me unless I was planning some kind of trip. I'm actually planning two (possibly a couple of weeks in wintery UK in Jan/Feb) but the big one is so-called because of the CEO Award I won earlier in the year, which will go some way to paying for this extravaganza of air travel. To hell with my carbon footprint.

As the maps above may (or may not) suggest, I'm off to New York and Canada via South Korea to catch up with Bo's family and check out the temples and, er, whatever else there is that is Korean and not Kim Jong il. I think there is something cool about visiting somewhere you know practically nothing about :-)

NYC is a dream come true for me and I can't wait to start spreading the news. I've been booked to go to the Big Apple twice before: once was in Nov 2001 but 9/11 happened and it just didn't seem like a smart or safe trip to make. And the time before that was in 1995 when I was studying in LA - I'd booked a flight to NYC for the weekend but there were storms in the midwest and Delta Airlines wouldn't let the plane leave. I think we ended up in Florida for the weekend instead ...
I had planned on having my 40th in New York but it's been accelerated due to my good fortune!

And of course Canada - where I have amazing family and close friends, and where I am seriously overdue a visit.
I'm looking forward to Kathy's 40th, a few days up at the cabin, a day at Niagara and the outlets malls at Buffalo - but most of all spending time with my family. I've been desperate to see them but just hadn't felt strong enough emotionally since my mum's death a couple of years ago.
But I think I'm ready :-)
Bring it on ...

Dolmio gets the Glaswegian treatment ...

Aloha - I'm back from Hawaii ...

I've just had a quick eight days in Hawaii to try to thaw out after the chilly Sydney winter weather we still seem to be enduring despite it now being Spring.
I love going to new places and the sense of adventure they offer. And Hawaii didn't disappoint.

From rain forests to dormant volcanoes, it has it all. The weather was stunning - swimming in the sea every day - and the shopping was outstanding. Hurrah for the strong Aussie dollar and the weaker $US.
I managed to bring back 10 kilos worth of new clothes (including five new pairs of shoes) and am planning to make this an annual shopping pilgrimage.
Just what I needed to get me through to Christmas and the height of summer.

And the winner of the CEO's Award is...

...ME!
Each August ninemsn holds a company kick off to outline goals for the financial year ahead. It's usually an off-site event to celebrate our successes and aims and is huge fun.
There are also a series of reward and recognition awards, the highlight being the CEO's Award which by some fluke, I was awarded this year.
It is a huge honour - I'm thrilled, but it also comes with a pretty nifty prize of a $3500 travel voucher for anywhere in the world ...
... hmmmm, time to consult the Lonely Planet guides :-)

It's renovation rescue time ...

I'm not sure if it was the one year anniversary of moving into the house looming large, but I've thrown caution to the wind and am in the midst of getting the kitchen and laundry gutted and remodelled.
It's one of the BIG THREE jobs the house needs (moving the bathroom to the back of the house and converting the existing bathroom to a study are the others) and the first biggie we've been game to tackle.
It is going to look awesome when it is done - especially with these stunning tiles.

The cabinets are all white with some kind of caesarstone benchtop (I'm freaking myself out that I not only know this detail, but am excited by it) and Bo has splashed out on this fab new cooker we've been coveting for the last couple of years:
It's going to be a slow process - with it hopefully completed by mid November, but it will totally be worth it.