April 19, 2003 - 10:47 a.m.

it's probably not the best time to be updating, considering everyone will be on holidays and all. then again, maybe you want to run away from your family and play on the internet?

i've been working at another state government office, but this one deals mainly with dead people. the mortuary, the coroner's office, grief counselling - you name it, and i answer the phone for them. i'll be there for the next two weeks, so things will be somewhat stable for a bit.

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simon and i have been cooking nice meals more often and taking walks right after dinner. it's improved both of our energy levels a lot, and it's also a good time to talk about the day's events. the sad part is that i can definitely feel it the next day if we haven't walked the night before. so if we have some sort of weeknight event to attend, the routine goes out the window. the overall difference is worth it, though.

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i've started selling some of our rare CDs on eBay, duplicates from the merger of the two CD collections. i listed four CDs less than a week ago, and the combined bidding is now up to $237. hello! that's groceries and a trip to the movies, kids. i only listed four as a test. we still have a few rare ones left, so things are looking up.

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i visited my buddy for the first time last week, and things are going swimmingly. i'm a volunteer with an organization called do care, which finds social partners for elderly or disabled people who have chosen to stay in their own homes (as opposed to a nursing home) but are missing companionship.

they did an awesome job with my pairing, i think. we have a lot in common in terms of independence and thought processes, and she has a wickedly funny streak. she's full of great stories about long-ago melbourne, too. she's going to teach me how to knit soon, so i'm pretty fired up about that. i am such a sucker for warm hats and scarves during winter.

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in yesterday's classifieds, there was a job ad listed for a newspaper photographer. this has *never* happened in the entire time i've been back in australia, which is over a year. this is the job i want, and it has taken this long to get one measly listing??? yes, i am definitely applying, but i can't say i'm a shoo-in because i don't have too much experience. also, the job is in shepparton, so - depending on the outcome - we might have to make a big move.

some other decent jobs have come up as well. i've got two more i'll definitely be applying for, one of which is 15 minutes from my house, if that. i'm staying positive.

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for anyone who cares, my current hairstyle looks a bit like catherine zeta-jones in chicago, but with far less poof. i like it.