LIVEALITTLE

As I had just finished a night shift, I was groggy. But I was determined to make Thanksgiving dinner this evening despite only announced this decision the previous night. Ants had chewed through the wiring in our car so it was in the shop for repairs. I needed to rely on the kindness of a friendly co-worker to get me to the shops and then to haul my purchases back home afterwards. This dinner was not going to be easy. There wasn't much selection of turkey at Woolworths so we settled for a 2kg turkey breast and a 500g packet of turkey cold cuts (in case the breast didn't work out).
At home, I realized that the turkey breast was ... simply a solid piece of chicken breast. A bit desperate, I decided to slice the breast in half and carve out the meat in the middle to allow for our couscous stuffing to fit inside. Surprisingly the turkey bowl and cover concept worked out well! We also made a creative, healthy version of Waldorf salad, cranberry sauce, gravy, an unhealthy version of mac and cheese and finally we topped off our already stuffed-selves with a gluttinous dose of pecan pie with vanilla ice cream.
In the bussle of the dinner and the urgency to finish before 3 people needed to head off for night shift, I didn't get to give my thanks.
This year has been a huge year. It was my first year as a nurse -- something I had been looking forward to for 4 years. I may not have shown it, but I was apprehensive about coming to Darwin and proving I could be a capable nurse amidst its madness. Surely my experience here would not have been the same if not for all the wonderfully supportive people here -- particularly Brian, Lydia and Andrew. They have encouraged me to be a better nurse, to be a better person and also to be a better cook (even though I still improvise). I can't imagine how I would have maintained my sanity without them. They are truly gems as well for putting up with my increasingly annoying PMS wigouts. Thank you guys, you are sincerely like no other. You have been my mother, my brother/sister, my advisor, my counsellor, my friend, my hero and the best family any nomad could ask for. xoxo

Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157610392206998/

After 23 somewhat arduous weeks, I have completed all my prerequisite training to be a Lifeline counsellor. For those of you who don't know what Lifeline is, it is a counselling service for anyone in Australia nationwide to discuss any issue they deem a crisis. I have had 3 buddy (shadowing) shifts after my 20 weeks of training and there are alot of people out there managing relationship issues as well as the grief and loss ladder. Oftentimes, the caller is not ready to move on, but I had my first obvious 'success' today whereby the caller reached a plan and decision and was extremely eager to execute it. She even expressed appreciation to me which made me feel fabulous. I am grateful for the wonderful selfless aid Lifeline does for the community as well as the amazing tools it has armed me with for nursing and towards life. I have already used my Lifeline skills in the nursing world and hopefully empowered one of my patients to stand up against the domestic violence which exists in her life at home.
For details: http://www.lifeline.org.au/topend

Believe it or not, my new hometown, Darwin, with a population of a measely 200,000 jam-packed my evening tonight with an eventlist worthy of a New York City socialite! Of the five events listed, we were only able to accomplish 3 (but Liz got through 4). Getting lost in Yarrawonga searching for the photography exhibit shaved valuable time from our evening, but we did spot a sign for a winery and a coffee house we have marked for a future occasion. Sadly no one else from ward 4B ventured out to meet us, but it's great to have found a new friend with similar interests in Liz as well as finally deciding to become a Greenie!
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157610389906928/