It was Evan's 21st birthday on Saturday, so in standard Stainsby / Wilson fashion, it's been spread over a few days. Friday night was the family do, then Saturday was all of Evan's school / work friends. A good time was had by all.

On Sunday Elisse and I headed up to Nagambi to watch Dane (Elisse's baby brother) jump out of an airplane.

I'm heading back to England today, my flight leaves at 11pm. Must admit I'm looking forward to getting back to work, all this socialising is really tiring me out.

I got my PowerBook back today. Yay! I've had it in repair since just after I got to Australia, it's been kind of weird, I feel a little lost without it. Sad, I know.

I was going to resurrect my WoW account today, and have a look at some of the new features and stuff. But the authentication server has been down all day, so even if I could get on to the game, I can't unfreeze my account because I can't log into the web-site anyway. Oh well, it can weight.

Elisse and I are going out for dinner tonight with Elisse's parents and her friend Jessica. The Inn of China on North Road. I'm looking forward to that.

On a more mundane note, the times on all these posts are probably wrong since we've been posting from Australia. The timestamps reflect the time in Greenwich (UTC), and in that respect is corrent. They do not reflect the local time when we post though.

'The girls' and appendages (Hayden, Adam and Dom) went down to Sorrento on Saturday morning to spend a relaxing day and night eating and drinking lots in honour of my birthday. Of course nothing is ever as smooth-running as in the imagined scenarios. After finally finding Danni and her carload and getting them to cruise behind us on the freeway, we noticed lots of smoke behind us. I rang Danni up and asked her if her car was on fire, and although she said 'I don't think so', we suggested she pull over. We had to leave poor Dom on the freeway to babysit the smoking car while we caught up with the rest, already an hour ahead of us!

The lunch was lovely. As you can see from the photos, we were literally ON the beach and the view outside was gorgeous. We've captured the moment hungry Dom joined us (to roaring applause) and Holly standing by the steps because she didn't want to get sand in her shoes.. how un-Australian. We returned to the shack and had a jolly night playing Charades and other kids games all night long.

Elisse and I went down to Sorrento with her friends last weekend to celebrate Elisse's birthday. We've got some photos up.

On another - geekier - note, happy 30th birthday to Apple. Apple Computers Inc. was founded on the 1st of April (yes April fools day) some thirty years ago.

That's all, just wanted to get a post up so when Elisse makes her post, it will be up the top.

This is kind of sad, but anyway. My laptop is being repaired, and I'm feeling somewhat lost. I really don't know what I'd do without it.

I'm well on my way to eating 21 Cakes for my 21st birthday..
The photos illustrate the beautiful first almost-week I've spent in sunny Melbourne. Haydenand I rushed down to the beach (2 minutes walk from home) hours after my arrival - it was nearly 30 degrees and my pasty white skin cracked the camera, but the photo of Haydencame out fine. We looked like such (British) tourists.
That night was Omi's 21st - the "family reunited" posed for a photo outside at her cocktail celebration.
The next morning I opened my presents at a lazy outside breakfast (I love this place!) chez Stainsby. I thought my parents had abandoned me, but it turns out they were busy organising a SURPRISE PARTY for me that afternoon. I was completely fooled and speechless when I arrived! It was a fantastic gathering and the chocolate cake was enormous. I couldn't have asked for more!

Last night we went and saw the St Leonards Old Collegians play at school. I can't believe it's been 5 years since I went to St Leos! It was strange going back and I felt very old. The photo is with Megan and Stef who also came to the opening night. I'm seeing the rest of the girls tonight, and we're going away together this weekend - more photos to follow!!

Over and out.

Watching the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony last night, involving footy (as in Aussie Rules), love heart candies and Dame Edna Everidge singing a song about Melbourne that should be used as a tourism campaign.

In other news, for those of you who haven't been asked Where the bloody hell are you?, check that link to an Australian tourism advertisement that got banned from television in the UK. Then check out my favourite spoof of the ad, this one's also been banned, but in Australia this time. Although it's still easy enough to find.

We had a surprise birthday party for Elisse's 21st yesterday, which all worked out really well. The idea that I should give a speech hadn't even crossed my mind, so I had to kind of wing it on the day. Nothing too embarrassing.

We'll get some photos up soon, I promise.

I took a trip up to Canberra yesterday to submit the paperwork for my visa application. It all went very smoothly and I've just received my passport back in the mail, with my new visa!

There was never much chance of me not receiving the a UK ancestry visa, but I am still very much relieved. I can finally relax. So I'll be back at Titan on the 12th April, as per planned.

I also finished reading The Shadow of the Wind yesterday, a fantastic book.

Elisse arrives (in Australia from England) tomorrow morning, and then we've got a busy weekend of birthday celebrations, her's and Omi's. Then more to come with Evan's a couple of weeks later.

The concert with Claire went really well. It was fun playing in a room full of artworks packed with interested people all dressed casually, but very serious about listening to us. After the concert when people were speaking with us, one man rushed up to me and said "It was such a pleasure.. and such a surprise! Here, take this" and handed me £20!! He was gone before I could come to my senses and give him a hug and tell him not to worry, in a few minutes we will be spending the entire £20 on desserts in the fancy cafe downstairs (the treacle tart was amazing. And the chocolate ice cream had bits in it!!).

Anyway, back home late and preparing for a sleepless night doing my assignment which was due at 1pm the next day. I had done MOST of it when I decided to have a dinner-break at about 11:30pm, closed the lid of my laptop to see the TV, the laptop screen started going mad then suddenly went completely black. I'd saved my work ON THE LAPTOP.. not externally, and with Hayden2 hours into his flight, the timing for a technology screw-up was perfect. I was up at 6 the next morning rushing to College to re-do the whole thing and hand it in before my rehearsal at 10am, the train station of course was shut, I was high on coffee and feeling queezy and everything just kept getting worse and worse...
So yeah, yesterday was terrible. I handed the assignment in with about 1 minute to go, no proofreading but better done than not. The problem is that everything good comes at a price - a fabulous concert followed by an amazing sugary creamy chocolate filled evening couldn't just be left amazing - it had to be rounded off with misery.
I have a weekend with no internet and no one else at home to look forward to. I might have to turn to watching TV or something disastrous.