and now the post you've all been waiting for....

TOP FIVE CHOCOLATE BARS

Come on down:



1. Bounty

2. Moro

3. Picnic

4. Violet Crumble

5. White Knight





any other contenders?

When I get older...

I'll become a - ?

So what did you want to be when you were/are all grown up?

I never had a burning ambition as a child to 'be' anything in particular - apart from dessert taster (this I am still working hard on) and an annoyance to my father (success!). I did enjoy the thought of archaeology at one point until I realised that bones = dirt = digging = heat. End result equals sweat and not necessarily equal archaelogical achievement of monumentous proportion (unless sweat marks the size of a small wading pool can be called an achievement of modern wonder).

Then with such sustained logic now driving my career endeavours I shied away from the sun and into the shade. The shady bone-chilling world of pathology - forensic pathology. Just call me Kay Scarpetta. Like my grandmother before me, I loved a 'good murder' and was (and am) a dab hand at guessing a 'who dunnit'. With stellar qualifications such as these my career path seemed obvious to even the dumbest schmuck! However again, I overlooked a fundamental piece in this career puzzle - bones = body = scalpel. End result equals surgery and a surgeon/pathologist inserting scalpel into aforementioned body to excise and extract pieces for puzzle. Hmm, did I mention I'm a little squeamish at the sight of operations?

Logical compromise: Plant (no blood and guts) Pathology (mysteries to solve - Elementary my dear Watson!). And it's turned out to be brilliant!

Although, as my friend Adele once asked me - what have you always wanted to do? And I wouldn't say either Archaeology or Forensic Pathology now but these would be my top 5 choices:


1) Photographer:

I spend so many moments (especially after a fabulous photographic foray around Byron Bay on our hols) thinking the immortal line "that would make a wonderful photo". I am in the car and in between clutch, brake, swear at inconsiderate drivers, clutch, ...(notice the lack of accelerator - there's never much use for one on Kingsford Smith Drive between 7.30am and 6pm!), I see the warm afternoon sun playing on the city builidings or the Brisbane river and delight in another gorgeous photographic moment - missed. If not professionally, I'd certainly welcome doing photography (scenic not people) more regularly and certainly with some proper professional equipment (and training!).

2) Writer:

Non-fiction. I've always wanted to charm and delight people as a witty novelist (like the other 49 99999 billion people worldwide) not necessarily extrememely popular a la Steven King but more Bill Bryson - stimulating and entertaining all in one. For someone who's well on the way to stardom in this respect, check out Clever Girl Goes Blog - she writes so well and is endlessly amusing!

3) Restaurant Critic:

This was the one I told Adele when she asked! As another friend Anna, and my husband comment upon, I am already a bit of a self-proclaimed critic. I have a healthy (ahem) love of food, a good set of discriminating taste buds and I err towards pessimist [and humility ;-) ]. Restaurant critic = fait accomplis!

4) Travel Writer:

Love 1 = Travel
Love 2 = Writing
....spelling it out would be humilitating for us all.

5) Aged Care Nurse:

Yes, this has crept in recently to my top 5 displacing but not necessarily replacing psychologist. I have always been quite different in that I relate better to the older than the younger generation. This may have been caused by a lack of siblings and exposure to many adults from a young age. Plus I feel it is terrible to see the treatment of our older generation, especially in western cultures where our traditions do not place as great an emphasis on care for our elders. I know the arguement before with forensic pathology may come up here - and with due cause - I'm still squeamish! However it would be worth working on this perhaps and integrating my psychology background to maybe adapt aged care nurse to social worker come psychologist with senior citizen emphasis?

Anyway - they're my top 5 - how about you all?

Watch this post - my top 5 chocolate bars coming soon....

And so endeth another week...

Top 5'ves for the week ending the 3rd August:

1) Skipping - is not something you see every day. But it should be, I say! Why relinquish this joy of self propulsion at youth, when you could be lightening your load with this joyous frolicing of the feet, at any age!

The other day I witnessed a Sudanese teenager skipping merrily down a street of Moorooka (the place for the young at heart) and it got me thinking - when did I last skip? He seemed blissfully unaware that this may be unusual for most western kids of his age, and I thought how intersting that was. Then I saw it again today - another african teenager skipping lazily along! Is this related to the Kalahari warriors who jump on the spot, or the loping strides of the african marathon runners?

Regardless, it is such a fascinating example of the differences in culture. And more importantly, it is such good fun when you give it a go (yes I may have skipped around the house and had a good laugh)!

2) Fire up - and we have, at last, managed to light and sustain a fire for more than 10mins! Thank you kindling and a forward thinking Mobile servo! Mind you, this also coincided nicely with a warm spell this week! I didn't let a few extra degrees impeed me though, in my efforts to create an impressive marshmallow-toasting environment. Instead, turning our place into a sauna on Friday night, regardless of hot flushes and stampeedes to open windows.

3) Hargorrison Happy Hour - debuted on Friday night, where it was great to have a relaxed drink with friends from overseas and closer-by. Indeed, it was a double billing that night with happy hour at our place, followed by drinks for my friend Sal's birthday afterwards.

4) Funbags - Only 8 more sleeps till the EKKA!!!! Yes, devotee as I am, I am going twice to this great institution with my mum and maybe even Andrew! Nearly two years into marriage and at last I'm exerting a positive influence over my husband.

5) Moorooka - it's the place to be! I'll get the debate between those north of the river and those south started now, shall I?! Well as you're clearly aware, the southern suburbs are the place to be. You need look no further for examples than the African Festival on Saturday held at Yeronga park. As part of the Brisbane festival, which apparently ends today (glad I got onto it yesterday then!) they held celebrations for African culture at the park - which included fantastic live music and some good traditional African food and souvenir stalls. Quite amusing to see a number of aussies getting up and shaking their booty -african style - to the encouragement of the band members. The kids stole the show though when they got up on stage and wiggled it very impressively with no practice nor encouragement needed!

Low note:

- The responsibilities of management -

My boss is away for three weeks this month, so I've taken the helm in the pathology department (ie. consisting of me, myself and I). This means the unfortunate batton of responsibility is passsed over and I now have the frightening power of release and destruction in my unsteady hands.

With that, is the ever disturbing problem of justification - you mean my word isn't law? - when decisions are questioned by irrate importers! And alas, that has already started! One week in - and I'm ruing the time I daydreamed away in those middle management courses!

On a lighter note - one of the guys in the nursery stock unit, with whom we work closely, actually called me Boss yesterday which made me question, not only his sanity, but the degree of knowledge he mistakenly thought I held!

Vanessa come back soon!!!

Another week endeth..

Top Five's for the week ending the 22nd June:

1) RDO's - I love government jobs! I get a rostered day off every three week's and boy, does it make the difference! I saved up two and used them to make this a four day weekend. Bliss!

2) Sharing a day off with Andrew for the first time. Today we lazed about in the morning (read sofa time) and then went for a drive up to Mt Glorious which was, wait for it, glorious! Beautiful winter weather meant that we were able to see down into Samford valley and across to Moreton Island clearly from the lookouts. Yet, all this beautiful scenery - and no photos! Yes, you heard right, today I was sans camera. I ditched the digitals (who were under-energized) and instead had to savour the experience with my other senses...which leads me onto lunch, and the Mt Glorious Cafe and Restaurant. I cannot recommend the view from this cottage cafe enough along with terrific fare. All in all, I was inspired to do more day tripping, and, take the SLR on a much-deserved outing in future.

3) Cold Feet - are there any other fans out there of this phenomenally good British TV series? I'm/We're addicted. I made the mistake of buying the whole series' on DVD. 36 x 1hr episodes later.....and hence far too much sofa and less computer action! (ah the mental deprivation!).

4) Workmates - I have such a great workplace. Not only is my boss an utter gem who made me a birthday card - isn't she the sweetest - but the guys whom we work closely with in another section (Nursery Stock) are hilarious fun! The other day I was doing an inspection with Craig from nursery stock, and we were discussing children. He was mentioning the 'presents' he and his wife received from their in-laws - that being a children's cubbyhouse! (they have no children). Hmm, said I. Subtle!

He laughed and said that will be me soon - and I said something along the lines of "I've heard children have been raised by wolves.." (meaning to finish the sentence) and he broke down into fits of laughter. I didn't want to kill the moment with the rest of the sentence, so needless to say he now thinks of my maternal side in terms of rare, medium and well done! .... Anyway, good to see we share a good sense of humour!

(No animals were harmed in the delivery of aforementioned jokes).

5) And what would a week be without another set of inane J & A conversations. An avid reader (thanks Paula) said she "wet herself with laughter last week" so I take that as encouragement enough!

Scene II : A rare dinner at the dining room table -

1) as we begin our meals and with no lead in - A: "Trrific". J: "What?". A: "Trrific". J: "I don't get it?". A: "I'm Adam from Cold Feet". J: "Ah, no, you're Andrew from Moorooka - who alas isn't a cool sexy scot from a British TV series. Can I eat now?".

2) A: "Do we have any garlic?". J: "Yes in a bottle labelled Garlic". A: "Is that the bottle with the labelled rubbed off?" . J: "aaah does it say 'Garlic' "?!

3) A: "So we don't have any Garlic then?" J: "Well did you taste the contents of the jar with the label rubbed off?". A: "No, I think it's Ginger". J: (thinking to herself - Watson strikes again!) "But did you taste it?". A: "Jen while I didn't discover the Garlic, I did discover that we have three different types of Mustard - Seeded, Dijon and ofcourse Hot English. Very impressive!". (Andrew it seems is not only a garlic conniseur but a mad mustard fan too).

4) A: "Stop looking at me like that". J: "Like what?". A: "Your too good with those eyes". J: (what can I say, I've got a knack with my cornea's) "that's just because you can't outstare me!". A: "Okay here goes" (begining his penetrating stare at me above his glasses). J: (staring back with my mesmerising cornea's).

A: "Where are your eyes??, I can't see your eyes". Ah the benefit of a staring competition with a blind man who can't see above his glasses - J: "There right here staring at yours". A: "Are you looking down, I can't see them when you look down (sounding afronted and confused at the same time) , they just look like two moths on your face". Ah romance isn't dead!

Gold for the Morrisons again!

Hope you had an equally enjoyable week!

And so endeth another week...

Top 5 Fave's for the week ending the 8th:

1) The stupid conversations I have with Andrew - in particular trying to mime a sudden brilliant plan I had tonight of going to Freestyle Tout for dessert. Let me recreate the madness...

So to get the ball rolling, I introduced him to the fact I may have had a cunning plan! This involved Andrew's favourite "Kia eyes" (the explanation will take too long) and once hooked (I took the bemused frowning as encouragement), I followed this winner up with silly arm movements, to indicate my 'freestyling' dance. After guesses of Bollywood and serious psychiatric disorder - I had an inkling that I may be floundering alittle - so I tried to break it down into 'style' (involved pouting and puffed out chest?!) and.....well, there was no And, as I finally shouted FREESTYLES FOR DESSERT at his blank face. Needless to say he put me in my place straight away, "Why didn't you just mime swimming?"...hmm, damn my neglected Articulate practice.

2) Andrew/Jenisms:

• A: "The steak took 17.5 minutes, only turned it once, with 7 mins on the first side and about 9mins on the other" J: "Oh there's no 'about' it Andrew!".
• J: "Did you notice the echo?". Andrew looking quizzically at me over the table.."No". J: "Huh, huh, huhhh.. see that echo with the wine bottle". A: "Ah yes, another glass for you Mrs Morrison!". (nb: there was an echo with the empty wine bottle when you directed your voice at it!...good experiment should you get bored with your dining partner at the table!)
• A: "That pepper says best by 2002!". J: in supercilious scientist voice "Andrew pepper doesn't go off!" (my standard response to anything with a due-by date suggesting we should be dead by now).

Gold for Morrisons!

3) Sundays, relaxing ones (in this case with in-laws up the coast), where you finally get your spiritually starved souls to church in the morning and follow that up with some serious journalism - well, we searched for it in the Sunday papers for quite some time anyway! Then another good serve for the soul, in the form of Songs of Praise. Yes, you heard me admit it here first! I might as well go the whole hog and say that, not only am I a fan of Antique roadshow, but I do enjoy abit of Songs of Praise on the side! I'll search for the appropriate group to associate myself with on Facebook and truly come out of the vestment closet. I have to say there's something really nice about visiting (with Aled no less) historic churches from all over the beautiful English countryside, set to some well-sung hymns, to make you feel like it's Sunday! (put away those aghast expressions!)

4) Getting through presenting 3hrs worth of training on Quarantine Diseases and not blowing it! Even the curly questions I got from the participants didn't throw me too much (no I'm not 100% sure that the fungi found in Tuttenkhamen's tomb would be viable after 5000yrs!) nor the fact that some were nodding off right before my eyes!

5) The anticipation which gets you through the week because it's a LONG WEEKEND...need I say any more!


Thumbs down:

There not being four days to the long weekend, so you can fit in seeing friends AND the dreaded domestic duties!



NB - WATCH THIS SPACE for exciting news concerning a joint venture with a friend...
NNB - Actually it may not happen overnight, but it will happen! (we hope)
NNBB - aaah, that DOESN'T have any reference to babies!...well, not the obvious one you might think!