What Nellie Did Next...

Well...thought I'd do a little bit of a write up of what I got up to while away from the 'Big Smoke'. Just a couple of days out of town, but it's nice to get away.

Last Tuesday I took a friend and her brother back home to Dubbo. Hence visiting the place. Always a nice place to get away to. Visited another friend while out there. Driving out there took up most of Tuesday, and we got to the farm in the evening as darkness was approaching, but not before I was able to get the photo of the sunset (featured below).

Wednesday was a nice easy day where we just stayed at home and read, and relaxed, and vegged out on some Phantom of the Opera (25th Anniversary edition, live at the Albert Hall, London). That was very good. Nice easy day. Hence me forgetting to actually take a photo.

Thursday was going into town. We arranged to meet up with another friend at the South Dubbo Tavern for lunch (which they don't do too badly, at all) and then drove into town after dropping our friend off at his house. In town I was able to pick up a great bargain: an Espirit dress that I had seen for $149.99 in Sydney at the beginning of Summer Wear Season. Not a bargain at that price, hence leaving it until coming out to Myer Dubbo, where they had it (towards the end of the season, yes...) for $79.99, and then it was reduced some more, and because of a gift voucher given to me for Christmas two years ago, I got it for $34.95. Not bad, not bad at all... After a little bit more browsing of the shops we went and had coffee with the friend we met up with for lunch to look over his house (that's relatively new, still). Bought a book, too, that should help with writing things about books that I've been reading all year, and should help me keep reading during the year. That was good, and it wasn't long before we started heading back 'home' for the evening.

Next day was another trip into town to see the latest Sherlock Holmes movie, as well as visit the Old Dubbo Gaol. The movie was good, and quite enjoyable. More intrigue, or something (or a better plot line?), made it quite good, and worth seeing. Horror night at Old Dubbo Gaol was worth going too, as well...even if I did ruin one of the 'ghosts' little gig by seeing her moving, getting into position to try and scare my friend and me. We got back to the farm a little after midnight, having had ourselves some fun driving back. If you must know, I like night driving sometimes better than daytime driving due to sunlight being a hassle at times.

Anyway...Saturday was the day I was driving back, and didn't leave until an hour and a half after I was expecting to...due to my own fault at procrastinating it. I had fun looking at the property guide for the area...and dreaming the prices in Sydney were the same for the same types of properties. Oh...to dream. 3-4 bedroom homes at $300 000. Oh...to dream...

The drive wasn't very eventful apart from roadworks and fog in the Blue Mountains. It was great to see...and fun to drive through. Nothing major, and got home fairly much at the expected time.

So, that was my few days away. Nice and easy, and fun, with many relaxing moments. Twas good, 'twas good, and hopefully shall do it again sometime this year... Maybe winter time.

Cheerio!

Here they are

So, the photos that were meant to be put up yesterday are finally here. They'll be explained as they are 'listed'. Enjoy.

10th January:

Sunset where I was staying

11th January: photo I forgot.

12th January:

Going 'home' from 'town' - that was sunset

13 January: Horror Night at 'Old Dubbo Gaol'

We were entertained about stories of prisoners by the 'Governor'

Prisoners who's stories we were told about

A little bit of mischief made by the people who run the Gaol

The 'Condemned Man' in his cell - actually based on a prisoner

14th January: Coming back to Sydney

A beautiful day around Lake Windamere

At the top of Mount Victoria, with fog starting to appear...

...and getting thicker...

...and continuing on...

The fog kept on going until down past 450m in elevation. Got to love driving the Blue Mountains in summer, when anything can happen!

Hold on a moment...

Okay...so I promised to put the photos up for the last four days as soon as I got home. Or something like that. Well...I'm going to do that tomorrow, because I'm not awake enough to do it right now. That's because I travelled home from Dubbo today, where I have been staying with friends and seeing the sights, as I always do. As well as spending money...because I always do my shopping in Dubbo. Just ask one of the friends I stayed with.

Anyway, because I do touch-up work to the photos sometimes...and that takes time...you'll have to wait a moment...or a day. And I missed a day up there. I was going to take a photo, and just forgot, so that's two days so far that I've missed. Oh well. Such is life.

Take it easy, and I hope - if you're on holidays, or ending your holidays - you're relaxing and having fun.

Yes, yes, yes...there is no photo up for FOUR DAYS!

Hey there, people.

I know, it's shocking: there hasn't been a photo up for four days. That's because I'm out visiting friends away from my usual computer and things like that. Therefore, I will upload photos for the time I've been away once I get home...which is tomorrow.

Wait until then, and you won't be disappointed, and you'll see that I've been keeping up with my challenge!

Ciao!

Some more photos from Italy!

This time, I've got photos from The Forum and a couple from the Capitoline Museum.

Firstly, though, a picture of me with the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum in the background, and the Colosseum, again.

Now, The Forum.

Arch of Septimius Severus and the Senate House

Tabularium with what's left of the Temple of Vespasian and Titus in front

View of The Forum from the west (Arch of Titus is in the far background)

Another view from the west (taken from inside the Tabularium)

Same as above, just different camera settings

Forum from behind the Temple of Saturn (close on sunset)

After visiting The Forum (and having a dodgy lunch), we visited the Capitoline Museum.

The original statue out the front of the museum

A model of the Capitoline Museum

The She-Wolf statue depicting the legend of Romulus and Remus

Next up will be photos of Ostia Antica. This is a cool little town to visit if you're into ancient Rome, as it was the sea port of the city (until humans - emperors - interfered, changing the environment through creating another port to the north of it, and ruining the original port, or something like that). More on that later, though.

Some photos from Italy!

So, I have finally got around to adding all the photos from my trip to my computer, and start to put them up here. I hope that you enjoy them. I've only done a select few. Leaving out the really boring ones. Like you'd want to see all 1500 of them! Enjoy the few I do put up here.

Just so you know, they are large photos because I didn't bother to downsize them before putting them up.

First up, some of the Villa Guilia - our first stop on the trip.

Next, the Portico of Octavia and the Theatre of Marcellus

Reconstructed section

More will come in the next couple of days.

Another Year Over...

In two days time I will be getting on to a plane to head to Rome. This has come about very quickly, and I still haven't even thought about starting to pack. But no matter: still have the morning of leaving to get everything done in time.

But what have we all achieved this year? What kind of goals have you set and achieved, or failed? Or are still trying to attain? I hope that everyone has at least achieved one goal that they set at the beginning of the year. I've certainly achieved one, but I don't know about more than that.

So. New Year Resolutions. Suggestions? Mine certainly always involve less procrastination on the internet. Somehow I always feel certain, before I even make the goal, that I'm going to fail at that one. But apart from that, what other goals should I set for me to achieve? There are a couple:

• Make more time for sport/leisure exercise
• Spend more time at the piano and/or flute
• Use the diary I was given for Christmas to good effect (as well as the receipt book)
• Try and enjoy having a 30th Birthday

Yes, the big 3-0 is looming near, and I haven't even thought of what to do about it. Not that turning 30 is really that big a thing. It's certainly a change in mindset to what it was ten, fifteen years ago. But it certainly means that you're certainly supposed to be even more responsible than what you are already... Hmmm...

Anyway. Good luck with your New Year's Eve party (if you're going to one), and best wishes for the New Year. 

Ahhh...Rome...Looking forward to what you do for New Year's!

Holidays

Well, all I can say is...ABOUT TIME!

This term seems to have dragged on, but also sped along, all at the same time. The days seemed to fly by - probably because we were all constantly on the go, doing things to make sure everything was running smoothly at school. And yet, at times the days could not go fast enough. Especially when I was teaching certain classes. Other teachers would understand - there is always one class that you just don't want to face...especially on certain days when you're already not in a good mood.

I must admit, I haven't done as much work as I should have during the whole term. Or, rather, I've been very slack and not done enough work in my own time, thereby creating extra work for me to do during the holidays. That sucks, but that's my own fault.

My favourite National Rugby League (NRL) team is in the semi-finals tomorrow night, and I'm definitely barracking for them to make it through to the grand final. It would be great if they did. They seem to bail out in the semis each time they make it, but...High hopes this year. Go the DRAGONS!!!

Apart from that, and hoping to maintain some kind of semi-respectable status in an English Premier League (soccer) tipping comp, there isn't really much that has occurred, or is going to soon occur, in my life after this term finished today. School, home. That seems to be my life. Very boring. I seriously must start thinking about achieving something more with my life.

And the real dratter these holidays - though not at the same time, because of the reason - is that I can't go out and visit my friends from where I used to live. I'm housesitting at the moment, and so enjoying the break from home. However, because of that, I have an obligation to not go anywhere, in case of any break-ins, etc. I would feel very guilty if something occurred while I was away. So, I'll just have to try and squeeze a visit in before Christmas.

Oh, heading to Rome for NYE and three weeks after that. That's certainly something to look forward to, apart from seeing Muse in early December. Yes, those are both highlights of my life at the moment.

But holidays are made for vegging out with, right? Here's to vegging out! (Oh...and all the marking that goes with not completing it before the term ended...)