the great gatsby...

can you believe it took me until i was 40 to read this book? well it did, but you know what, might have been worth it - coz i LOVED it - reckon it only took me just over a day to read and it was nothing like i thought it would be!

great book, great characterization and a good look into the post WWI in america...

might have to look for some more f s fitzgerald classics!

that's about it - having a quiet week - largely due to the lurgy i got last sunday night - have been sick ever since - fever, head cold, hideous rasping cough which won't let me get much sleep...hoping it will pass soon as I have a big week of 'job opportunities' to follow up this week and i don't exactly want to be coughing all over the people i want to ask to pay me!

on another note, the blues are into the finals for the first time since 2001 - not exactly in emphatic style given their flogging at the hands of those feral crows today, but none the less, they are in a finals series and i am happy!

go blues!

this morning i finished

the most amazing book - read it in under 2 days - mind i am 'without work' and i have been sick...

the reluctant fundamentalist - was shortlisted for the booker in 2007 (didn't win - was beaten out by anne enrights 'the gathering')...

i've had it on the shelf for a while (this isn't unusual for me) and picked it up monday...and could not put it down

i loved the first person narrative and the fact that the entire book took place in just one evening (although it recounted stories of times gone by)...

great read, thank you!

i couldn't have my finger in more pies...

it's kinda funny how when you start thinking about stuff, and set your mind to something and even tell people your plans, how things start to align...

so you know i've left the bank i was working at and have had aspirations to set up my own business (coaching, counselling, leadership development etc)? well a coupla months in it's all coming good...

i have one paying client and am loving the work i am doing with him...and i have (as the title suggests) my fingers in many pies in an attempt to create a portfolio of things i love doing...i have at least 7 or 8 potential opportunities, all that have come about through either existing relationships (apparently this is called networking!!!!) or through just being resourceful and getting myself out there...

sooo it's all slowly coming together!

wish me luck

xx

i ended up having a good day despite a not so good

start...

woke up feeling like crap - have been fighting a lurgy for well over a week so decided rather than forcing myself to get up and go into town to attend a seminar (one i actually wanted to go to) and lunch with a friend, i would stay in bed, get a cuppa and read/sleep...

then i dragged myself out of bed and realised how much i miss ben when he starts work early - it's freezing in bed without him and how much i miss the sun when it's not out :-( i felt positively bleak...

got a bit better once i got into action - followed up somethings that have been bugging me and turns out i am now eligible to graduate as the person who wasn't playing nicely has finally done what he should have weeks ago and filled in my form - thank you!

had a nice lunch, tried the cryptic crossword (did not get anywhere close to succeeding), stripped the bed and put a nice brightly coloured doona cover on the bed, had a shower, then called my old boss, after a quick call to dymocks to see if they were hiring!

had a lovely chat with the old boss who couldn't believe i was 40 - really good to talk to him - this is someone i worked with/for for 10 years so even though we don't talk that often, we have plenty in common when we do :-)

then i picked benny up from work, got home, went out again to get us a treat (scones from bakers delight) and whilst i was at st leonards went into a shop i always walk past to let them know if they ever wanted a counsellor/coach for their clients and to add to there offerings, that i had recently graduated and would be happy to work in their practice...

also i have spent some time thinking about business names (think i've landed on one), business cards and design etc (close on that too)...funny little story about business cards - on sunday whilst having lunch at cafe sydney i noticed they had a competition to win $1700 worth of designer clothes - all you had to do was put your business card into a jar - of course i don't yet have a business card, so ben and i had some fun doing one up! he did the design, as, in his words, he was feeling creative (there's a reason behind this...) and he decided to write my company name in block letters (you know, like we used to do on posters when we were kids?) and instead of the hollow shape in the middle of the 'R', he drew a little heart...cute and silly i know, but i made me smile :-)

also a big thank you to leanne for my lovely cafe sydney voucher - ben and i enjoyed a fantastic and very filling lunch there on sunday - on the terrace, front row, overlooking harbour - couldn't ask for more and it was a fantastically sunny day...

sooo despite a bad start to my day it has ended up ok and now i'm about to crawl into bed early and am very grateful that benny doesn't have to get up before the sun is up!

it's been 8 days...

since i've blogged, and honestly, i don't know where the time goes - i cannot believe i ever fitted a job in!

i've had plenty on mind - loads of 'meetings', plenty of 'networking' opportunities and plenty of time out, including walking in the sun...

so i have plenty of news, but none of it concrete so i'm just enjoying some down time, trying to get motivated to do some planning and land on a business name so i can go to the designer/printer and get the relevant stationary done...and am trying to fight this bug that both ben and i have had since monday...

so right now don't have a lot of energy but will write more later!

s
x