When I left you last, we had just come back from our 'vacation' and I was feeling all nice, relaxed, ready for a great year. Well, two weeks later, I'm tense, stressed and the best way to describe it would be 'wired'! Let's just say, I didn't get off on the right foot (pardon the pun - it will make sense soon).
One last thing I had to do before going back to work was to get my licence. I can still drive on my Aus licence, but with a NJ licence I can reduce the price of our insurance. So, I drove myself down to the DMV, my first solo drive coincidentally. After getting to the stage last time where I was rejected because my passport name and Aus Licence name didn't match, this time I made it through all ID checks (would you believe my marriage certificate was here the whole time - doh!), and was able to sit down for my knowledge test - the only thing I need to do to get my NJ licence. So, we're off... first ten questions down (out of 50) and already 4 questions wrong - this isn't a good start when you can only get 10 right in the entire test... next ten questions and I'm up to 6 questions wrong, on a better trend, it'll be ok.... next ten questions and I'm up to 7 questions wrong, improving the trend ("I've got this in the bag!")... next ten down (up to 40 now) and I'm on 9 wrong questions ("It'll be okay, you can get through the next ten with only 1 question wrong).... up to question 44 and I get 1 wrong, ("okay I'm up to 10 wrong questions, only 6 questions to go - you can't get another one wrong, you can't, you can't").... Oh well, it seems I can. Yes, that's right, I bloody failed my driver's licence knowledge test! Stupid questions about probation drivers - I won't even be on probation, why do I need to know this stupid stuff??? Feeling like I did when I was 18 years old (yes, I failed the first time then as well), I got back in the car and just drove home. In reality all I lost was $10, another hour at the DMV, oh yes, and some pride.
That night I was able to drown my sorrows and share my embarassing story (I know, it's a shock that I like telling a story, particularly after a couple of drinks) that night as I said farewell to my colleague and friend, Yaelle, who was setting off from chilly NYC.
This is me with Yaelle in the middle and Victoria on the right.
So then it was Monday and the first day back at work, and I'm suffering back to work blues. So, I drag myself out of bed, my eyes are all puffy and ugly, I get myself ready - make myself at least half way presentable, and then make my way down the stairs. Well, the first half of the staircase was maneouvered in a proper manner, the bottom half went something like this - feet slip from under me, THUD! as my backside (luckily now padded after a southern food fest) hits the step, then BANG! as my shoulder hits the step, DONK! as my head hits, then a whining ooooooOOOOOWWWWW (you know like a little kid whose lip quivers and then out comes the burst), and me in a pile at the bottom. Luckily no broken bones, just a new fear of stairs, and a few decent bruises and bumps, and even more damage to my pride. On the damage, to give you an image, the bruise on my butt was so bad it looked like someone had shot me with a tennis ball from an auto tennis ball machine thing. This is on someone who really doesn't bruise that much. No pics for public consumption of this one.
So, after that things did go better, but it's been very busy. I caught the train down and back Washington DC last Tuesday for a meeting - soooo much better than catching a plane - no shoes on, shoes off, laptop out, laptop in, scan, id check, another scan, another id check etc. etc. On the train, you show your ticket, get on the train and relax for 3 hours. It was unseasonly warm at 21 degrees, and the next day in NY it was also warm with 15 degrees. On Thursday, I walked out inthe morning and it was 15 and left the office that night and it was -3! Craziness.
I went to my first Ice Hockey match last Thursday night to see the NY Rangers lose dismally to Pittsburg Penguins. Great sport to watch live. Thre seems to be no rules except that you can't blatantly punch someone in the face. Beyond that everything is allowed. Makes for fun spectating. Here's some pics.
Sunday night was Superbowl Sunday! What a great match in the end and for some reason it was the first time that the game actually made sense to me (as opposed to Ice Hockey, there are many rules, so it makes it more difficult to follow). Beyonce rocked the house - so much so, the lights went out, but the outage did help bring the 49ers back in the game, not enough though for a victory, so it was the Baltimore Ravens taking home the prize. For those that have seen the Blind Side (with Sandra Bullock), the guy that movie was about, is an offensive linebacker for the Ravens, so in the absence of the Giants being there, I am happy they won. In tradition (well, a second year tradition now), here are the picks of my fave ads, though the quality was definitely down this year:
Mum, I thought you'd love this one - I did:
Official Super Bowl Commercial 2013 (Taco Bell) - YouTube
Lisa, this was voted the tear jerker ad, I know you'll love it:
Budweiser Clydesdale Commercial - Super Bowl 2013 - YouTube
I always love our little M&M friends:
M&M Super Bowl Commercial 2013 - YouTube
This one was definintely not a fave, it was just wrong:
GoDaddy's Gross Super Bowl Ad - YouTube
And one for the ladies:
2013 Calvin Klein SuperBowl Commercial - YouTube
Not much to report this week, except that we're now 'hunkering' down for the next storm, the Noreaster Nemo. I mean who names these bloody storms, the Weather Channel's kids? I worked from home today so I wouldn't get trapped on the island and it's been snowing or sleeting all day - we've had a few of inches already, but apparently from 8pm (in 35 mins!) to 4am is when it's going to really turn nasty, with high winds and around a foot of snow. We may be trapped all weekend!
Have a great weekend.
