Are you gonna cook Michelle?

Only 20 days until I go to Sydney for a weekend and only 21 days until all you year 12s are ex - students!!!
*Loud noises of joyous proclaimation*

It doesn't feel like I've been out of school for nearly a year, but there you go. I suppose I have done a fair bit, like:

Completed Nanny College, 3 jobs (Coffee shop november to June, Colorado July until now and Book keeping since 3 weeks ago), been accepted by a family to go to America, been a one80 leader (that takes up more time than you kiddies think), helped out at Girls' Brigade at church, helped out at Kids Club at church, went to the Hillsong Conference, turned 18, successfully managed a breadtangle (not an easy task :P), got my driver's licence, and that's really only the beginning.

I suppose I have something to show for all that time I've been out of school. What are some of the biggest things you've done since this time last year?

Freeze, Chick!

The theme songs are everywhere - so WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE KNOW THEM?!??!?! I love theme songs. I am a theme song type person.

Hey everyone, "paragraph and a half" rhymes. That's funny, and you should be laughing.

I'm going to let you all in on something you probably never knew about me. There was a time when I was a contributor to the KJ~52 forum. I was on there almost every day, but that was nothing compared to some of these guys. They would spend every moment they weren't at school on the forums and they would routinely stay up to 2 or 3 in the morning just to make sure they didn't miss anything. With the majority of these contributors living in the US I would often be checking the forums in the few hours that these people were asleep or at school (most of them were highschoolers).

I wasn't very adventurous at first. I stuck to the "General Discussion" and "Ask KJ" rooms, and would occassionally dabble in the "Debate" section. I avoided the "Battle Zone" at all costs, because there was no doubt in my mind that I could verbally be taken apart by some of these forumers. Eventually, my curiosity got the better of me and I entered the "Battle Zone", becuase lots of people were in General Discussion asking for votes.

I discovered that the Battle Zone was a place where you would type a freestyle rap according to the rules of the opponent and then others would vote on how well you did. You set how many votes you had to get to win. Usually it was first to five, but 3 - 0 was KO (It took me 2 weeks to realise that meant knocked out).

After doing some voting I thought that I should have a go at this "battling". First I had to find out the meanings of words like: biting, feeding, reycling, crew votes etc etc etc.

I issued an open battle and beat this guy who said at the beginning: "I won't be going easy on you just cos you're a newbie". This was before he knew I was a girl.

I beat him 3 - 0 (it was a KO!). The very next day I had 3 or 4 offers for people who wanted me to join their "crews". I considered this, but I kind of got the feeling as soon as you joined a crew you had a target on your back, so I didn't. Not too long after I found another Australian on the boards who challenged me. I beat him 3 - 0 as well, then discovered he was doing a set at Sonfest. He was pretty good, but I found it kind of satisfying that I'd beat him in a battle.

I got invitation from all over to join the battle tournament, to join crews and I even got a call out of two (that's when people specifically choose you to battle with, because if they can beat you they prove something I think). To this day I am undefeated (after a decent number of battles), and I sound less and less like Dr Suess every time I battle. I even tossed the phrase "I have you lyrically incarcerated" in once. But I haven't been back there in a couple of years, because the culture of the place has changed and everyone likes to bite the newbies. I don't think I'm that good, but as one of the forumers once pointed out, my record would suggest otherwise.

Yes, from time to time I like to pull out the lingo and see if I've still got an element of "flow" left. And I would like to see how I stand up against these folks again, but for now I'm just letting sleeping dogs lie. But I'll take any of you anytime!!

You saw it on TV, so it MUST be true!!

Here's the latest:

I, am going to the US of A on the 15th of January, 2007. It's official as of today. You are not permitted to weep until the 15th of December, because that will be my last one80 night, and weeping is permitted from then on.

I'm going to miss you guys, but I'm really excited at the same time. Anyways, I'll save all the mushy stuff for closer to when I leave.

I'm going to quote this once again, cos I think it' s so monumentally stupid: "If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." - Bill Clinton.

"Uncle J, can I have a word in the K, right away?" "Why, yes you may."

It's an exciting week folks, for many reasons. First of all, two headliners for AGMF have been announced. I'm not going to tell you who they are, you have to find out for yourself. It's going to be a great festival, judging by these two headliners. I won't be there (keep reading if you don't believe me), but I expect you all to go, and have tonnes of fun, and share the love (especially to volunteers!!)

It's an exciting week also because school is back. Unfortunately for many of you this means many bad school related things are headed your way, but it also means that one80 is back on!! This week is Tribal Warfare, with two brand spanking new tribes, with rocking names and sweet colours. School also means all the one80ers are all online at the same time and you're all occupied with your assignments, so you spend more time procrastinating and keeping me occupied :D. Unfortunately school being back on means Logan Road is really busy in the morning and it takes longer to get to work.

Developments in the Nannying vein are as follows: I had an offer from a family in Miami, but they can't have me because they need me in November. I have made it official that I can't leave until January (late January at that) , so you'll be putting up with me for the rest of the school term, and some of the school holidays. I am going away for 2 and a half weeks, to pester those Sydney people before I leave.

Anyways, the family in Miami with the 5 year old girl can't have me, but I have had an offer from a family in Connecticut. They have 3 children, a 15 year old girl, a 13 year old boy and an 11 year old girl. It will be a challenge, but I think it could possibly be more rewarding than looking after the little kids. I don't know. I real feel like this is the family God wants me in, so it will all work out great. And they want me in January. It's not 100% finalised, but it's pretty close.

That's me for another week, and now that you're all back at school and uni and stuff you'll have nothing to do and you had better comment!!! Just joking. Have a great week guys!

Tigers in a Cheese Song

I made the comment to Luke Harris (who incidentally, just signed into msn as I typed that, incredible sense of timing that fellow), that his blog was, in a word "boring". This shocked and upset him greatly, so in an effort to reedeem myself, everyone go and read his blog and make up your own mind (link's over the side somewhere). His latest post is better.

Good to hear all the Outbreakers got home safely. Not impressed to see that Hayhoe is not tattooed. I guess we're even because he gave me a bit of chewing out for not going on Outbreak. You see, had I been on Outbreak Hayhoe would have been tattooed, keeping me happy, and I would have been on Outbreak, keeping Hayhoe happy and we'd all be happy.

That aside, I discovered something at work today. When I first started at my current workplace they did this big booklet on workplace health and safety. Part of that involves how to climb ladders safely and correctly. Technically you aren't supposed to stand on the top or second top tread of the ladder. Today I actually took notice of the sticker on the second top tread that said, "Do not stand on or above this tread. You could lose your balance." I pondered, "Couldn't you technically lose your balance on any tread, or even just standing on the ground?"

Tell me what you've all been up to!!