countdown

/'kaυntdaυn/, n. 1 the period of time for preparation before the launching of a missile or rocket, or before the start of any other operation or undertaking. 2 the calling out of the passing minutes or seconds of this period as they pass. 3 a counting in reverse to mark the passage of time, or the preparations taken, before the start of an operation or undertaking.

There is less than a month ’til the wedding date.

Over the Christmas period, Rachel and I were busy with Church and family stuff, and so the time went by really quickly during the holidays. It was a nice, relaxing break, but I think now things are going to get gradually more and more hectic as the time goes on.

We had a quiet New Year’s Eve; we celebrated by having dinner at Rachel’s house, playing Scrabble, watching DVDs, and then watching the fireworks on TV. I think we should definitely go into the city next year for the real thing! (All I have to do now is convince Rachel that the 14-hour campout is worth it!)

On New Year’s Day, Rachel and I drove up to the Blue Mountains with Mum and Dad, and met Heather and Don for a lunch at the reception venue, as a way of trying out some of the food, checking out the view (because some of us hadn’t been able to see it before because of the fog around), and seeing whether the revolving floor causes seasickness! It won’t be a problem for most people, but if you’re prone to seasickness, you might want to bring your Travacalm! All in all, it was a successful day, and the place definitely gets the tick of approval. It was hot, though, and we’re resigning ourselves to the fact that the weather is completely unpredictable in the Mountains, and we may have anything from snow to bushfire; heatwave to chilly mist. It’s an exciting time.

Mum and Dad helped me look for some table decorations today, but we didn’t quite find what we were looking for. I’ll have to do a bit more scouting around. As soon as the cake shop opens again, I’ll be able to organise that, and we’ve got final confirmation of our numbers (128 people in total) so I can work on getting bonbonnieres sorted out.

I also have to start packing up things at my place, seeing as I’ll be moving in with Rachel very shortly. As I’ve been on holidays, and all I’ve done is watch The West Wing and sleep in, I’ll need to get a bit more organised in that regard. Some of my books and CDs and DVDs have already made the move.

The honeymoon is mostly paid for, so it’s really only little bits and pieces that need doing.

My main worry at the moment is whether I’m going to need root canal treatment before the wedding, and how much it’s going to cost...

family

/'fæməli/ n. 1 a father, mother and their sons and daughters. 2 a group of people related by blood, marriage, law, or custom.

It’s been a busy week. My parents arrived on Friday afternoon for a whirlwind tour of Fiji, a bit of a holiday, and to visit me for my birthday. I am now 29 years old.

We had a good time, and packed a whole lot of Viti Levu (the more southern of the two main islands of Fiji) and the Yasawas (a western group of islands) into a very short week. But it was great. My parents were able to visit the school where I’ve been working, and meet all my friends (both Fijian and other volunteers from all over Australia and New Zealand). It was a fantastic time, and I’m extremely grateful that they were able to make the trip over here. That’s twenty-nine birthdays I have celebrated with my parents! I’m sorry Tanni and Belinda couldn’t be here as well.

My hope was to be able to show my parents some of the more beautiful aspects of Fiji, like the multicoloured sunsets, and the millions of stars that shine more brightly in the Fijian sky, unhindered by the lights and pollution of a “modern” city like Sydney. Unfortunately, that particular week was spent in the vicinity of a tropical cyclone, so we were mostly blessed with clouds and wind. It was sunny on the boat on the way to and from the island. This is a perfect example of Murphy’s Law!!

I am now on the homeward stretch; there’s about a month-and-a-half until I return to Sydney. There are going to be lots of mixed emotions happening, I’m sure. It will be really interesting to see how things have changed, and what things are the same. I am excited about what God has in store for my future, and am eagerly waiting to see what’s around the corner.

To close this entry, let me show you a picture of how the thieves broke into our house. This is our front door, which we had thought was fairly secure, but was apparently only made of two thin pieces of plywood. It’s been fixed now, and as an added bonus, the PWD (Public Works Department) has given us four new bolts for our back door, are in the process of painting the outside of the building, and are arranging for new flyscreens on all the windows. We really need this, because the mosquitoes are coming out in force (and I don’t really want to find out what having Dengue fever is like!)


Cheers,

Andy