Men are that they might have Joy - 2 Nephi 2 : 15,25

I created this quick video for the SA FHE I'm doing tonight. The theme is happiness. Do you get it ?

2 bags of potatoes

2 bags of potatoes .. = 5kg .. = what I have lost = happy face = 2 weeks of diet = what took me so long.

ANZAC DAY - Australia New Zealand Army Corps

Anzacs were born out of WWI : in particular in a seemingly suicide mission at Gallipoli, that took place beginning April 25th 1915.

Now we have a national day of remembrance for all of our past veterans and for all those present day men and women who give of their time to protect our country and our freedom.

All over the country at sunrise services are held, marches are planned.

This morning I woke up at 3.00am to travel to Currumbin Beach to take part in the Dawn Service. There were a small group of us. We arrived at Currumbin at 4.00am, and saw the crowds, it was huge (literally thousands and thousands of people, I'll tell you why later). I was driver and just followed the car in front of me. Suddenly realising we were right in the middle of the start of the parade, yikers and so turned up a street that had a bus heading right for us. We stopped, talked about the stupid bus driver and found a park not very far from the beach. It wasn't until walking back to our cars in the daylight, we realised I had driven up a one way street the wrong way .. Then in the darkness we solemnly and reverently watched the veterans, and many of the past veterans family members who marched in their places, as well as those who are serving us today and will in the future (cadets). It was a very humbling experience as you saw the faces of men and women who have and are and will battle for us so.

The dawn service was on the Beach so we were blessed to see a most beautiful sunrise.

Then came the reason there were thousands of people there. Powderfinger! gave a free concert on the beach. We were right up at the stage. We waited 4 hours for their concert and it was EXCELLENT.

BTW my new crush is Bernard Fanning .. humma humma.


The Diggers
Sunrise on Currumbin Beach

The Crowd

Powderfinger

The Best Amateur Star Wars Ever

FINDERS KEEPERS !

A week ago I was attached to you,
in more ways than I would admit,
I knew the relationship had to end,
Just how and when was a matter of my own undertaking.

There were many goodtimes that we had together,
but I really am looking forward for the better times ahead,
without you, by my side,
Today I smiled, for the first time, since I got rid of you.

It's been a long time coming,
but something I'll be forever grateful for,
You used to hold me back,
Something I vowed not to let happen,
And it won't happen again, anytime soon.

wherever you have gone,
whatever you are doing,
don't look back,
I won't be waiting for you.

Goodbye! 3.8kgs.

Happiness is

I had such a great day today, I had to share. And I'll share it with pictures.

Banana's are back and are affordable. yay.

Today I went shopping with my nieces, along the way we stopped at Sizzlers, then on the way to the car, walked past the bowling alley and decided to have a couple of games.



Tonight a group of friends met at Chris' house, with mixed ingredients and made some gourmet pizza's. My fave topping was "smoked salmon, anchovies, mushroom, sundried tomatoes, capsicum, fetta cheese, red onion, mozarella cheese". Afterward we went to see Wild Hogs, again, that movie maketh me laugh.


And to top it all off, my sister had a baby girl! in New Zealand just after 1am. We welcome another girl to the whanau. That makes me an aunty for the 13th time and my baby sister the very capable mum to 7 kids.

People always look good in their coffins - Elvis

So I have started a new diet .. started it yesterday. The Tony Ferguson diet, you can see it online and check it out. Nearly every second person at work is on it and getting results. My sister in law started it 3 weeks ago and has lost 9.7kg. She's a trouper though. I dunno how she does it.

I was very very good yesterday, at work we had our usual Friday savoury/sweet day, Stacey brought in a carrot cake (my fave! next to banana) and Chrystal brought in some dip and herb breads .. argh .. and I sat there and did not partake. It helps to know I told all that I was starting the diet, and my boss who is on it made sure that I didn't partake, since he can't either. I was quite proud.

Then there came a little hickup. Last night was Marguerites Friday the 13th B'day Party. Anyone who knows Marguerite, knows her parties involve, good food, and cute guys. Un/fortunately when I got there a cute guy started chatting and then decided to feed me chocolate covered sultanas. I had to think to myself, sacrifice the beginning of the diet or enjoy being fed chocolate covered sultanas by a cute guy.

Yeah I took the sacrifice .. it was worth it ..

holy toledo ..

I think my old stake president is on ldsmingle ..

Who

The Byron Bay Blues Festival starts tomorrow. There were 4 bands I really wanted to see. The Black Sorrows, Wolf Mother, Ziggy Marley and Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars. Now go .. go look at the schedule ... tell me why right now I am pulling my hair out .. and I gots lotsa hair ..

a) The Black Sorrows scheduled for the Jambalaya Stage at 10.15pm

Click for their Myspace

b) Wolf Mother scheduled for the Mojo Stage at 10.30pm

Click for their Myspace

c) Ziggy Marley scheduled for the Crossroads Stage at 10.15pm

Click for his Myspace

THEY'RE ALL ON AT THE SAME TIME !

Can someone tell me how to be at 3 places at the one time ..

Reign Over Me

Great interview with the two main actors, Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler. The interview really has nothing to do with the film, as they chit chat with each other.

What did I think of the film ?

First up, thankyou for making the man bag a fashion accessory ! even I would love the bag that Adam Sandlers character slung about his shoulders the entire film. I'd also like the scooter, with the price of petrol these days. Lots of the F word is dropped in the film, so if that offends don't go watch.

Most people know what the movie is about, A man who loses his family in one of the planes of 911, and loses it.

Although Adam Sandlers (Charlie Fineman) character was the central one in the film, that is the central tragic one, whose life had become one of recluse as he tried to forget his life pre 911 - I was interested in Don Cheadles character (Alan Johnson). Both men were college roomies and both had become dentists, quite successful at that.

Charlie Fineman had a loving family who adored him, tragically killed in 911. He was haunted by their memory, he was haunted by the last words he spoke to his wife, he shut himself off from the world including friends and family as he tried to forget. A poignant part of the film is when he is forced to see pictures of his family in court. Noone understood, he didn't need the pictures, he saw them in his head, he saw them in the faces of people in the street, he saw them in windows, in sidewalks in buildings. Memories are a very very powerful tool. Memories also possess the feelings and the emotions we felt at certain points in our lives, things that don't dissapear as readily. We have albums of snap shots of different aspects of our lives, yet when we look at these pictures they bring up other memories. We remember the hour the day even the year the snapshot was taken, we remember what was happening at that time, we remember past joys and sadness, we remember. It was very easy for people to identify with Charlie's problem because his grief was so visual. He quite obviously needed help and there were many good intentioned but highly unqualified and misguided samaritans ready to jump in and help him in their own way, if he'd let them.

Alan Johnson is a successful dentist, at a practice he created, he has a wonderful family and a beautiful wife. He is not happy, he feels lost, he feels insignificant, he feels that noone sees him for himself. He sees Charlie one day in the street and attempting to gain back a life from his past, chases Charlie down and tries to regain the friendship they once had. There is only one woman in the film who recognises the hole in Alan's life, she recognises that he is lacking something, although the something she thinks he is lacking, is a bit off ! (you'll know what I mean). She recognises his need (or the fact he is not quite centred) because she herself has gone through a traumatic experience, which has knocked her off kilter. To everyone else he is fine. I actually could identify with Alan Johnson, and I think many of us can, when we sit down and think about it. Many of us go about our lives with this mask on. We appear happy, we appear as if the world is at our feet, yet we are battling internally and privately with emotions and changes in our lives, that are affecting us considerably. The samaritans by pass us, because they don't recognise our need, and we would not expect or even accept help from a samaritan if they did in fact stop. Not because we are ungrateful, but because we feel that our trials are not as great or as wanting as others who are in greater need, eg in Alan's case, Charlie.

It was a good film, lots of thinking to be done at the end of it. I didn't really like the ending though, it could have been better. It's a sad film and was a nice change to see Adam Sandler in a role that required him to dig deep. Although the sadness comes from his circumstances, I didn't actually cry at any part of the film, wait I did in the one part where he opens up about his family. I would recommend it.