The Family You Choose...

Without a trace of sarcasm or irony, I say this now - I damn well know how to pick ‘em.

After waiting so impatiently for December to chase November out of my life, only to have it end up yet another source of looming gloom, it ended up being one of the best farewells to a year I’ve ever had.

Though it was sad, at times painfully so, not having any family around over the holidays (particularly considering December is THE month for us), it allowed me the chance to see just how wonderful the family I have chosen really is.

I love every single one of you.

You were the most wonderful gift 2011 could have possibly ever given me.

LJ Repost: Craaaaaaaaazy!

Well, I've not updated this thing in, let me count it... almost five months! Terrible! That said then, may as well make this post worth it (even though the likelihood is this will show up on Friends pages and people will think... huh? Who is this? No blame for sure! I will cite the usual excuse and move on! Yes, life could always get crazier but admittedly what we have tends to be a bit on the nutso side! I only hope that it's being kind to everyone!

Meanwhile, as to the rest of it, on the more mundane bits and pieces, things are just plodding along really - work, writing, etc... I will say 2007 has already proven an odd and interesting year so I am honestly wondering what else is to come. Considering the curve balls that have made their way into the mix, I honestly have no idea anymore... just waiting and seeing! 

A resolve I have been working on lately, is more pics! I am not a camera person so I've rarely any pics of friends and family, which I really do want to change so I've been trying to gather more and trying to take more (will hopefully soon be investing in a camera!) and I feel like sharing so, here we go :D 

This is my darling friend, Menchie - without a doubt, one of the sweetest people in the world who, though yes, tick-off-able, is never able to hold bad blood toward anyone for long. At all.



It's an old pic, but I love it and recently uncovered it. 3 of the best people you'll ever know - Katherine, Mel and Kim. I've known Kim for 13 years, Katherine for 12 and Mel for 10... wow... love them all.



Dearest Clarkey on her big day :D She's a record holder (unless I can get a pic of Nicole on here...) I've known her since we were 5, so we're going 20 years here! It's amazing to watch someone you've known since Kindergarten, get married :D



This is with our friend Tess, another school friend whom I've known forever (another not so unlucky 13 years) who, much like myself, disappears for eons at a time, but when she comes back up, it's like she was never gone :D



Going from school friends to my main uni crew :D Reyna, Mench, Jennifer and myself. Reyna is one of the best people to hang out with and Jennifer is likely one of the most understanding people I've ever met in my life. Sadly, we are however, missing Ri and Carlos. 



The rest of the 'OC' (or Oporto Crew) at Menchie's bday last year. Cindy, moi, Aissy (Mench's sis), Dolly (from Darwin, hehe), Sam and Mae are all very, very cool chicas. Aissy, especially. Nothing is more fun than watching her and Mench battle it out over whatever in the car. :P



This was at Mench's surprise birthday do, a week before the one in the pics above. She had no idea what was happening (although admittedly, neither did a lot of us up till an hour or so earlier!). At this point, she was in the 'drunk-with-happiness' stage which is really infectious :D



At the Westin, where we stayed when Dolly came down from Darwin for a visit last year. We all experienced the same shock when we walked into the room and found there was a window into the bathroom! That is, till we found the blind. Still, we had to document so... :P



That night, we had dinner at Centrepoint (to crown a day of cruising through Sydney Harbour of which, unfortunately, I don't have pics. Mench and Dolly have them all!) and Ri came up too. All beautiful people through and through. I've covered Mench, Dolly is a real sweetheart and Ri is quite possibly, the best friend anyone could ever have. Love her to death. I couldn't do it myself, but the others got adventurous that night - I can only remember the kangaroo meat, though I'm sure there were some other weird dishes on that list!



An old and terribly scanned pic, but I wanted one of Ange's wedding up. She and Kyle recently celebrated their two year anniversary and now have two damned adorable little girls :D I also have to mention Mellicia, the girl with fabulously curly hair next to me (who doesn't seem to be looking at the right camera). Pure personality, that one, fantastic! 



The labbies. Well, sort of. I'm an 'honorary labbie' and Arlin, to Mel's right is her old friend from Singapore. Pann Pann and Ryan on my right, along with Mel were all up in BioSciences. Mel and PP are still there, but sadly, Ryan took off to USyd to do Medicine :( But no fear, we still all come up with whatever excuses whenever we can to head out to dinner or to the city! Birthdays... Fridays... 



And this was at Pontoon just before New Years. That bar really sucks, but good times abound despite it! We've got Apple on the end, there, Jen's friend... and lucky Carlos in the middle! Looking very out of it, mind you, as are the rest of us...there are some oddities about this pic, almost unnoticed to me except for Ri's caption. Poor Carlos... looks much worse than it is!

From this point, I really want to better maintain this place so hopefully will be able to do that! Missed more about it than I realised... though I admit, people have admittedly gotten me hooked on some other things *cough*myspace*cough*friendster*cough*... but at the same time, my net time has decreased significantly, in comparison to before. I used to be online all the time, browsing pages, forums, FF posting like a nutter, etc... oh well, I still do that, but not nearly as much. Although, I'm guessing that's a good thing! 

Meanwhile, here's to hoping this isn't the last entry for too long! Hopefully the next update doesn't come around later than mid-year or else that end of year round up is going to look so very sad.

Cheers! :D