This job has confirmed what I already know - I have awful aural comprehension. Combined with my equally awful hearing, I make the worst receptionist in the world. I have to ask callers about three times who they are and what they want, and by the time I get around to paging the person receiving the call, I've already forgotten all that information. You could have somebody who doesn't speak any English doing a better job here than I am by just mimicking the sounds callers make. I don't think I have much of a future in this role...

The footy is back and I am pumped. You could not even begin to comprehend how pumped I am.. I would be happy to get hit by a car today and go into a coma until Saturday so that these next 4 days don't drag on.

I just received the St Kilda newsletter and its all looking very promising. They had an intra-club match last weekend where everyone in the team apparently played hard, and I think the Wizard Cup will be the same. There are too many players for spots in the team, so everybody is going to want to impress. I'm hearing promising things about two of our signings - Cain Ackland and Aaron Fiora. Apparently Fiora has put on 7 kilos over the summer and according to some looks like he might come into the team ahead of Stephen Powell - he kicked two goals off the wing in the intra-club match. Ackland dominated the ruck against both Blake and Koschitzke. He spent most of the game filling holes in defence but still managed two goals.. This is all pointing towards a merciless thrashing of Hawthorn on Saturday night and I am excited.

I'll probably only get to see three games of footy this year, so hopefully they're all good...

This week I hit the front in fantasy premier league for the first time this season... Suffer in your jocks jess' 15 year-old brother...

that is all...

You may have noticed the blog has been renamed. This is in preparation for my upcoming travels (damned if I'll be bothered with such details from an internet cafe in Jaipur). I promise you, even though you may think its a marvellously witty name now (I know I sure did), after however many months it'll just become part of the background and you'll have forgotten the original title (whatever it was)...

Big News... I have booked my ticket. Now all that's left is getting the appropriate visas and officially deferring uni! Tell me this isn't unbelievable, my itinerary is Melbourne-Mumbai-Delhi-London-Helsinki-London-Santiago-Melbourne for $2100 + taxes (admittedly taxes are $500, but I still reckon that price is unbelievable). I'm booked to leave Melbourne on Friday the 11th of March so I'm going to miss our going away party (which Hana plans to have on the 12th)... It just means you're gonna have to say goodbye to me at my 21st. And if you're a bad friend (like Jo) and can't make my party then I may or may not see you in about 12 months... For those who are interested, this is the tour I've booked in India: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/tripnote.php?code=HSG&validity=1/1/2005... I'll also have a couple of days at either end in Mumbai and Delhi, so the plan is (amongst other things) to get a suit tailored.. (very exciting, I know).

Anyway, its all very exciting and be sure to check back soon to see how I'm going.

Bow down, my long-awaited return is upon you... As it happens, this coincides with my return to White Cleland. But now I'm able to do shit all without feeling guilty/getting busted because I am now a receptionist. This means that waiting for the phone to ring is an acceptable thing to do with my working day.

I've decided to post because I've found an exciting website (I am absolutely certain that no-one else will find this exciting..).. http://www.spareroom.co.uk - Its a listing of sharehouses around the uk. As Hana and I will be together we pretty much can't do the work/live at walkabout thing, so accommodation has been a major concern. Also, I may be able to line up work in a law firm in London and Hana will be looking for real work so it may turn out that neither of us work in a pub at all. Initially I had mixed feelings about this - Steve worked at walkabout and had an unreal time, Umesh worked in a London law firm and couldn't wait to get out - working an office job may mean my first 5 months are miserable. On the flip side, the pay is unbelievable - umesh said he made 8000 pounds in 5 months - and the way I save money I'll need that much just to leave England. And it would be some good experience to have on my resume...

But what I'm starting to get excited about is the possibility of living in or around London. I always said I didn't want to simply because of the expense involved, but rent is surprisingly cheap in a share house. Since Mulgrew and Sex and the City the idea of in living in New York has appealed, and London could be similar - and hopefully the Mulgrew-style big-city lifestyle can make up for the Whately-style manchester-pub lifestyle I'll be missing out on.

So anyway, as far as I can tell I'm either pumped or just reaching the zenith of the manic-depressive cycle that is my life...

...await a retraction of this entire post in about 6 hours...