I Would Like To Make a Donation Please

I am a jack of all trades here in Australia and have a variety of different jobs to keep me busy. The other day I was filling in for the receptionist at a family services and domestic violence center fielding calls for the day. The majority of the inquiries that they receive are either people calling for emergency care in the home or to make a donation to the center. In the few hours that I was there people were ringing to donate money, clothes, toys etc; however towards the end of the day I received a call from a man to donate something entirely different....take a look

Me: "Good afternoon Nicole speaking,"

Man on Phone: "Hello, my name is Howard how are you today?'

Me: "Good thanks."

Man on Phone: "Good, I'd like to make a donation to the center"

Me: "Great! What would you like to give?"

Man on Phone: "I'd like to donate an organ"

Me: "OH MY GOD!? Wow!..........Which one????"

Man on Phone: "Ummm......the instrument one"

Me: (holding back EXTREME laughter as I now realize that I was thinking of the wrong type of organ and the man is not cracking up at all) I then say.... "Oh, ooops. I'll transfer you to Julie"

After that call I decided I was clearly done for the day, turned the lights off and went home.

I'm still dying of laughter about this and all night I kept thinking to myself - what if he did want to randomly just donate an organ to the center? Wouldn't that be weird!? My first thought when I heard him say organ was, 'well maybe he has really good kidneys and thinks he can give it a go on one the rest of his life?' But, that thought was clearly fleeting as he put a kabosh to it when he brought me back to reality with the instrument comment.

Headed back down the Great Ocean Road this weekend to a friend's beach house in Lorne. Will be back to blogging next week - have a good weekend where ever you are in the world!

Crisis Solved and Full Blown Disaster Averted

I found a house. I will not be living in a box on the beach. I'm staying in the same area, but a few miles closer to the city. Once again I am falling back on the great network of people that I have met here in Australia. I was online at work this morning looking for roommates on a few different sites when I casually mentioned to another woman that I was looking for a new place.

Ten minutes later she comes back and says that she has a few spare bedrooms at her house with all the furniture that I need if I was interested. Of course I immediately jumped on board as the place sounds amazing and just a great set-up all around. It's close to the trams that I'm used to taking as well as my gym and all the shops and restaurants.

I will post pics and such next week when I'm moved in and sorted. Sorry to sound the alarms so quickly, but was first instinct when living on the other side of the world. Thanks for all the great comments and emails - was much appreciated for the over reacting drama queen in
me ;)

Off to the beach this weekend!!

Homeless in T-30 Days

(now just imagine my head popping out of that box)

Let me just paint you all a little picture:

Come home today to two cheery roommates, watch TV, go for a run, come home, take a shower, lay in bed and Facebook stalk.

An hour later one roommate comes in and says can you come upstairs for a chat about the lease, think to myself "huh that's weird I'm not on the lease because the landlord only allows 2 tenants,' walk upstairs, other roommate sits down, she quickly mutters that their 'best friend' from New Zealand is now moving to Melbourne, then stumbles her way through something along the lines of, 'Oh and by the way she is going to be living in your room so that means you have to move out by mid-December.'

I nod my head, politely say 'no worries,' walk directly to the liquor cabinet, grab the bottle of whiskey, walk down the stairs to my room, call Lindsay, have a small freak out, get over it, turn on Grey's Anatomy from 1999 and decide I'm not going to let it ruin my day until tomorrow.

Anyone need a non-drinking (well that could be a stretch,) non-smoking, foul-mouthed American, suffering a minor quarter life crisis living at their house in the near future?? ie: next 30 days.

Mexican Food

I refuse to believe that nowhere in Melbourne serves a decent mexican meal with a frozen margarita! Any Aussie readers out there who can suggest somewhere for a date night on Thursday??!! I want a large frozen margarita in a glass as big as my face accompanied by a burrito or chimichangas!

So far I've heard that Amigos on Acland street is going to be the closest to edible food and drink?? Anyone?? Bueller?? Anyone??

Sickie

I've been super busy ever since getting back from New Zealand and posting on my blog has been on my 'to do list' for about 5 days now. Unfortunately, I am feeling sick today and not inspired to finish the posts I started. Also its been 90 degrees the past few days and I've been on the beach soaking up every last drop of salt water.

So basically I am bailing on my blog again today and will hopefully be back in the mood tomorrow.

A Sneak Peak of New Zealand: The Sandbox of the Southern Hemisphere

Shot of the mountains as I was flying into Queenstown airport in New Zealand to begin my 7 day journey with my bests from Chicago.

View from our hotel room at St. Moritz in Queenstown - I think if I lived there I would never wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

Queenstown is surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges and we were lucky enough to take a ride up the side and enjoy the views as well as a few times around the luge course.

View from the top of the moutain looking over Queenstown.

First activity of the trip: Shotover jet. Essentially 20 people packed into a boat speeding through a canyon of sorts going entirely too fast and too close to the rocks for our own good.


My three lovely travel buddies out and about for dinner in Queenstown.
Dorris is on the far left, Daniel and Zach.

Zach and I enjoying some of New Zealands finest brew - Speights.


Zach and Daniel in front of the Shotover River in Queenstown.


After a ten minute tearful panic attack I was finally pushed off the 150 foot Kawarau Bridge, the same location where the world's first bungy took place.

Zach and I trying to work off the kilos we gained during our Japanese dinner in Christchurch. (OK fine zach is working and I'm and enjoying the ride)


The last few days of the trip were spent in Sydney visiting a few of Daniel's pals. Way too much fun! The weather was perfect and the company even better.

Blogger Housekeeping

Want to give a big thanks to Jan and Kristin for taking the time to put together two really heartfelt and interesting posts while I was out gallivanting around New Zealand for the past week!!! I am so lucky to know such wonderful ladies on the opposite sides of the world! So thank you thank you thank you!!

On a quick side note - I love it when you all leave comments and give your two cents worth on my blogging adventure, but PLEASE if you're going to comment anonymously sign your name at the end. I have no idea what the official blogging etiquette or rule of thumb is about commenting, but I have been very open and transparent from the start of this blog and so have my guest posters; that's why I believe it's only fair that if you are going to join in conversation that you too leave your name. I am not trying to deter you from contributing, but if you want to leave a positive or negative thought to a post have the decency to back that up and tell us who you are. I know that a lot of my family will comment anonymously because they don't have blogger accounts, but they still will sign there names at the end. Unfortunately if you comment and don't leave a name I will have to delete it. :(

Thanks again for reading along and I should have a New Zealand update with photos soon!!