Happy Halloween!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween this year! Have fun dressing up for house parties and trick or treating for candy, but remember BE RESPONSIBLE!

It's pretty funny here in Australia of how people view celebrating Halloween. At first I didn't think they did at all(cuz I saw no commercials or advertisements anywhere), but I came to find out that quite a few people actually do. It seems like a lot of people just say "oh it's an American thing, so we don't wanna copy them!". I've also heard that it's really starting to catch on because of kids seeing it celebrated on American TV shows. My co-worker Kathy at work said her grandkids LOVE Halloween! She was curious as to why we even celebrate it and asked me the other day "so, why do you guys celebrate Halloween anyways?? What's it all about?" and I replied "you know what... I have no idea!! hahaha". I've never really been asked the question to even have to think of why we celebrate Halloween (maybe I should GOOGLE it???). I can't remember at all and even if I did ever know that was probably something I was taught back in Elementary school(wayyyyy to long ago). Anyways, it pretty much seems like another reason for people here to dress crazy, party and get pissed (drunk).

This Tuesday we have a bye week for basketball so I'm gonna be working because there's a pretty big event at the Cas Club. It's the Melbourne Cup horse races and it's supposedly like our Kentucky Derby just not quite as big. I guess we're expecting 200+ people and I'm quite sure they'll be bringing the kids as well. It should be an interesting day to say the least. I have to wear a button up white collared shirt and a black tie, I guess it's THAT kinda event haha..... On another working subject, I recently opened 3 of the 7 tins for my U.G.L.Y. contest/fundraiser and we counted $360 so far thats raised! Not bad for only 3 tins, and I'm assuming after Tuesday's festivities with a bunch of drunk people running around and feeling good hopefully the other tins will benefit from that lol! With an online donation already of $30 that brings the total to $390. SOOOO only another $600 to go with a whole month left!! Once again if you would like to help my efforts for fundraising you can donate online at my personal Leukaemia Foundation page:

http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/personalPage.aspx?LangPref=en-CA®istrationID=365760

I've officially got my ticket home now!! It's set for December 8th and returning back to Sydney on February 19th 2011. I'm quite confident that I will have a contract to come back to, whether it's in South Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide) or West Australia (Perth). Either way a round-trip ticket was less expensive than a one-way ticket (which is crazy to me!), so even if I don't want to come back out to Australia (like if I get a better contract offer from another country or some other random reason keeps me from coming back) it's still the cheaper alternative. I just hope that the season ends by August 20th so that I'm home in time for my brother's (Ad) wedding! Even if it's not I'll still leave early, because there's no way in the world I'm missing that!!!

Now that the NBA season has started I'm loving it even more out here because they show up to 4 games a week on regular tv, so it's awesome! Everywhere I've played overseas I've had to find a link online and watch a game that pauses every 10 seconds as it loads haha. Plus the games come on around 9 or 10AM so it's usually around the time I wake up (on a good day :) hahaha! It's usually more like 11-ish). Australia definitely makes me feel the most "at home" I've ever felt out of all the places I've been, even being so far away.

This week should be a busy one as I'm working 5 days straight at the Cas Club, doing my usual 3 school sessions AND Evan told me that there's going to be a few school clinics to do as well...Should be hectic at times, but the money will be rolling in and time will be flying by :). Both two things I don't mind at all!

One side note before I wrap this up. I went and saw Paranormal Activity 2 tonight. Please save your money AND time and don't watch that movie. It was worse than the first!

So I'll start the OFFICIAL countdown today with 38 days remaining till I'm homebound!!

Until tomorrow...
"make it happen"