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Sydney Life

Google vs eBay Pong Match

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After two netball and one touch football game, the Google team took on eBay in the next event – pong. As I have terrible hand-eye co=ordination, I took on the catering job for this tournament.

Teams unite. Googlers wearing the basketball uniforms.

eBay kicked our butts and deserved the trophy. Phuong, eBay team captain, receives the mini-cup.

Phuong then skulls something alcoholic from the mini trophy and manages to keep it all down this time.

High hopes to be number 1, but unfortunately we can’t be the best at everything.

Ang and I bonded over the SingStar games that followed.


We rocked the night out with some fabulous tunes. Note however that we were rarely in tune, although Alec has told me on many occasions that I have the voice of an angel (LOL).

Some bro-mance going on here. And air guitar. Love boys in touch with their, ahem, emotions.

Tulip Time at Bowral

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Several years back I drove to Bowral for their annual tulip festival to take some photos. They came out brilliantly and I’ve been trying to come back every year since to take some more. Unfortunately, the festival only falls over two weeks every year so I haven’t made it back until now.

The tulips were lovely, but they must have had a bit of a drought this year as they were a bit dry looking and scorched on the edges. A bit disappointing, but still lovely!





Alec takes a nap. Tulips are very tiring.

Oh hai!


On the way back to Sydney we were pulled over for a RBT by the Bowral coppers. They weren’t impressed by Alec’s home-made Ls, so we were sent to the local station to grab some new ones.

Result!

Google Day Out

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It’s very rare to have all of the people who are in the same job function as I am to get together for a day, so it was pretty fun to have us all in Sydney for a day of learning and fun.

This is my team – maximisers unite! (Yes this is what my job title is!)

Waiting for our boat to come.

On board, fending off seasickness with Kate and Casey.

With Shaden and Casey.

The entertainment.

Posing it up with Jenn, A.K.A J-Vo.

Retail Therapy

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A few recent purchases! No more, seriously!

Coloured gladiator sandals at Nine West. I have the pink pair on layby.

The taupe and black sandals – I bought the taupe ones and wore them today. They were super comfy.

I also bought a new Lesportsac back from DFS store in The Rocks. I bought it so I had a bag that my Mac laptop would fit in for travel as well as to cart my sports clothes to and from work instead of in the Coles green bag I’ve been using up till now. Print is called “Charmed” and it’s supposed to only be on sale in Hawaii. Not sure what it’s doing in Sydney! I have tried to step away from the obsession I was developing with Tokidoki bags as they’re so expensive. This range is about half the price and just as cute! They also are completely man-made – no leather. Woot!

Front side – I love the hula girl in the centre.

Back side.

Close-up of the cute print.


I also bought these shoes fro Nine West. They are dual purpose. I needed to buy silver shoes to wear with my bridesmaid dress for Shelley’s wedding next year, and I thought I would get them now as I needed a pair to go with my new pink Alannah Hill dress that I am planning on wearing to two weddings in the next few weeks. I love how they are more of a pewter than straight silver – I think it makes them more wearable. The cute little stones match the beading on my AH dress pefectly.

Isis’ Hen Night

/ friends, Sydney Life / 3 Comments

Isis chose a hen day with a difference – a pole dancing class followed by dinner.

The class took place at Studio Verve, a little place in Surry Hills. I have taken a few pole dancing classes several years ago when it was just starting to become a trend, and it’s amazing to see how much it has changed from unstructured lessons in strip clubs to properly kitted out studios with syllabus’ and levels of classes.

The hen looks hot to trot.


Go Isis!


Alice takes a spin.


My turn. Weee!


Our instructor, Angie, shows us some advanced moves.


It looks pretty easy, eh?


Our turn to learn a routine.


Finishing pose.


Gratuitous butt shot #1.


Gratuitous butt shot #2.


Posing after the hard work is done. Hussies!


Group shot – go pole dancing!


The hen and Alice start with the drinks.


I try to get the hang of spins.


Me and Jenn – posing again.


Changed and ready for the night on the town.


All the girls at Pazzo, Surry Hills. Delish food at a reasonable reasonable price. It was about $50 pp for antipasto platters, bruscetta, a main (I had pumpkin filled pasta with pea pesto. Ultra tasty!) and a dessert platter. It was also BYO. We all brought a bottle of wine and got incredibly sloshed.


Yuuuuum! The marriageable dessert platter.

Google 10th B’day Party

/ Sydney Life / 2 Comments

We celebrated Google’s 10th birthday with a party at Simmer on the Bay, Walsh Bay.

Candles with the sun setting in the background.


Giant cupcake in the foyer – wishing it was real!


I’m such a poser.


With Flo, from Shopping.com.


Food coming around on a giant plank.


Caught doing what I do best – talking.



Google mural.


Crazy performers in the background.


“Oh hai!”


With Katia.


Leanne with a fish and chips bucket. I tried to collect a few of the buckets to bring home but the efficient workers took them every time I put them down!


Pucker up for some SUGAR!



The night progresses and the wine kicks in.


This was taken off the top of Darren’s head, hence the strange bits of hair in the foreground.


Hugs all around.


Surf’s up, Olah!



Leg and foot shot. No idea where this came from.


Little goody bag we took home.


Cute optical mouse.


More sugar – mmmm!!

Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation Lunch at Jordons

/ Sydney Food, Sydney Life / 1 Comment

I love a good cause, especially when it involves the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation.

Today I spent a lovely afternoon at Jordons in Darling Harbour with many other like-minded women supporting a great cause.

I’ve been to a few of these style of event and I think this was the nicest so far. It could have been the lavish displays of pink everywhere, or the excessively girlishness of it all that did it for me – or it might have been the delicious food and the simplicity of the event. No entertainment was needed, no excessive speeches. Just a few poignant moments and plenty of time to chat with old and new friends while raising money for the cause.

Google table – yeah!


Pink merchandise everywhere.


Sussing out the silent auction items with the fabulous view in the background.


The Mimco bag I had my eye on – and “won” in the silent auction. Hey, it’s for charity!


With girly partners in crime.


Our table of 20 like-minded ladies.


Sweet touches on the table.


Angela Bishop, the MC.


Cous cous with lentils, fetta and more.


Pumpkin risotto with spinach and sun dried tomatoes.


Fresh salad.


Tasty chips.


Most delicious dessert – pink mirangue with some kind of berry / passionfruit cream. So tasty I ate two.


With my bag after the auction end – while I was still on a buying high and before it set in that I had accidentally bought a bag.


Bye for now!

Perisher Snow Trip

/ Australia, NSW, Sydney Life, Travel / 2 Comments

The annual Google Ski Trip is a wondrous event. This year the engineers were bussed down to the resort on Lake Crakenback on Monday for some days of skiing and, umm, making coffee? The rest of us departed later in the week. While the official ski trip departed Wednesday afternoon and arrived Wednesday evening, giving us only one day of snow, my team of crazy hyper athletes decided to drive down on Tuesday night so we could get some extra snow time.

We spend Tuesday night in Cooma, at the pub / hotel. It cost us $25 a night per person for a room with four beds – and yes, we really did get what we paid for!

I was so happy to drive on the next morning into Lake Crackenback and grab my boots and board from the resort. Alec left a spare Perisher pass for me at the resort so I let my uber crazy team head on off to Thredbo to throw themselves down black runs, while I joined Alec and some of his team for some easy green runs at Perisher.

I’m not an awesome boarder by any means. I have boarded exactly four times now over 10 years. Each time I go to the snow it takes me the entire time I’m there for my body to remember how to board – just in time for me to leave again!

I had two good days of snow on this trip so I spent day one literally falling down the slopes and day two began to regain any skills that I had once had on previous trips.

There was a lot of snow up on the mountains for the end of the season, and we were blessed with sunny, warm days. Unfortunately, this also meant the snow wasn’t nice and fluffy – instead if was pretty icy and hard in a lot of places – I seemed to find quite a lot of these icy patches with my butt.

Ready for take-off!


Cheesy!










“I’m the king of the world!”


Just before my board slipped out from under me.





Tired!





Sunset at the resort.



This kangaroo and I eyed each other off … note the joey in the pouch!






The actual trip was fabulous .. only bad side came at the end of the second day when I was struck down with a nasty virus. I was the sickest I have ever been, and was eternally grateful that I had Alec there to take care of me. I was told that the virus was going around the area – it was pretty concerning how many of us got sick! At least I didn’t waste any precious snow time being sick however – now that would have really been terrible!

RSPCA Cupcake Day

/ Sydney Food, Sydney Life / 1 Comment

Anyone who knows me knows that my passion in life is animals. I am the hugest fan of the RSPCA and would do anything for them to help them fundraise.

2008 marked the first year for the Cupcake Day for the RSPCA and I decided to bake up a storm and raise some cash at work.


Since my oven doesn’t work, I went over to see my parents and baked with their state-of-the-art wonderful oven. The recipe I used was the same one I have been using since I was about five – it’s a very simple, never-fail, vanilla cupcake recipe that always turns out perfect – fluffy and crumbly in the middle with a great texture and taste. I did however tempt fate by making a second batch and throwing in a good heap of Cadbury drinking chocolate to see what happened. What happened was I stuffed up the recipe and half of the chocolate cupcakes sunk in the middle so were un-sellable. They were still tasty and devoured by family however, so it turned out OK!

Batch number two goes into the oven.


Batch number one comes out – perfect!


Iced! Glorious sprinkled cakes with lemon yellow icing.


Chocolate with white butter cream icing and chocolate sprinkles.

Dispite some hiccups at my work, the day went off very well. Several other Googlers brought in treats they had baked as well, and together we raised $170 for the RSPCA. Google also gift matches any money we donate to charity, so it ended up being $340 we made in total. I hope to raise even more next year!