If you're thinking that the paucity of my posting is directly related to the TV having been switched on again last month, you'd be wrong (well, you wouldn't be entirely wrong, as it must have played some part, but I'd like to think it's a little more complex than that!). In my defence, it's got a lot to do with the convergence of many worthwhile things competing for my time. It's somewhat ironic that, the more things you have going on in your life, the less time you have to write about those things (though they'd probably make the most interesting posts) while conversely, the less you have going on in your life, the more time you have for posting, but then you're likely to have a less-interesting blog as a result. It's probably true that the most interesting blogs will never be written, as the people living those lives can't make time to sit down and write what they're living. Not sure what that says about me (boring enough to have a blog in the first place, but with enough going on to keep me from updating it very regularly).
One of the things that's been competing for my time is the DVD proposal: it's about 80% complete, and I'm hoping to have it to my bosses within a week. It's a 20 minute video presentation, on DVD, hoping to convince them to let me make a full-scale DVD for them. If the time spent making this initial DVD is anything to go by, it might be a blessing if they say 'no' to the real thing: it's eaten up an awful lot of nights and weekends so far.
Over the last few weeks we also had my Uncle over from London: Uncle Roy is a real character, and it's great to see him when he makes it out here every 12-18 months or so. He was here for 4 weeks, but it felt like only a few days, and we really regret that we didn't get to spend much quality time with him (other than the 20 frustrating hours spent trying to fix/rebuild his laptop). While we weren't able to get the laptop 100% fixed before he had to go back, we were able to introduce him to Jessica for the first time, which I think was more-than-adequate compensation. I'll pop a photo of Uncle Roy, Mel & Jessica here aswell - though he and Mel will no doubt want it taken down immediately. He's not always that shiny red colour, by the way: he and our friend Frank seem to have a tradition now of heading out in a small boat and getting burned to a crisp in the days leading up to Roy's flight back home (I guess if you live in London and work 12 hour days indoors, sunburn is a unique souvenir).
Having seen Uncle Roy off on the 2nd of April, we welcomed my Dad and his wife Maureen from Northern Ireland on the very same day (they must want some sunburn, too). They're spending a couple of weeks in Victoria, then spending 4 weeks driving north through New South Wales and Queensland, through to the top of the Northern Territory. They're visiting with my brother and his family who are stationed in a remote part of Australia, where John is a pilot with Missionary Aviation Fellowship. You can check out what MAF does here. Dad's actually driving a 4WD vehicle up there to hand over to John and the family, as they currently have no transportation (Dad and my other brother, Stephen, purchased that vehicle this week, and from what I saw of it tonight I think the family will be very impressed). The Australian Outback will be a huge change for the two of them, as they're accustomed to life in Downpatrick, N.I., where they operate three 200-year-old stone cottages. If you're ever planning to be in that neck of the woods.... We're hoping to put together a little box of treats for John, Angela, and particularly their 5 great little kids Jordan, Mitchell, Cooper, Emily & Joshua (all of whom we haven't seen for over a year, and won't see for at least another year), before Dad & Maureen leave on their trek on Monday. Here's a snapshot of Dad with Jessica, whom he also hadn't met before this visit...(you can see the family resemblance, despite Jessica having a little more hair)
Tomorrow I have to go into work early, so that I can leave early and get to a late lunch with friends of ours who are down from Sydney. They've invited us to a fancy place on the St Kilda foreshore called Donovan's, and we're very much looking forward to it. Not because of the place itself - we'd be happy catching up with them over a doughnut and a cup of coffee - but just because they're great friends. They're actually a Matt and Mel also! They've already warned us that they're really only here to meet Jessica, so I don't think it'll matter if Mel & I are there or not. Matt & I used to work together in Sydney, and have stayed good friends ever since - I was even a groomsmen at their wedding. He now works as a DVD Account Manager for Fox Studios, which sounds like an exciting & glamourous job at first, but evidently is a hugely stressful and demanding one. And I guess all of the free DVD's (they do Simpsons, Star Wars, Arrested Development) don't mean much if you're never home, or awake, to watch them!
And on Sunday we'll be getting together at my Mum's new place for Easter lunch. It'll be a big congregation of the family - which doesn't happen nearly as often as it should - and my sister Bec will even be down from Sydney. She hasn't met Jessica yet, either, so I can see that we'll walk in the door, hand Jessica over, then have to ask for her back when we go to leave many hours later. It's Mum's first big get-together at the house (that I know of!) since moving back from Sydney, and she's always been a fantastic host. She's even promised to make her much-loved Biscotten Torte for dessert (I'll have to keep that in mind when deciding how many Easter Eggs I'll eat). Really looking forward to Sunday, and will no doubt take hours of video and several hundred photos, to the annoyance of virtually everyone.
Speaking of photos (yes, we were), it's time to add some more photo's of Jessica. I missed posting on her 3 month milestone (April 2nd) so I'll now post 3 recent photos - 1 for each month. These were all taken last Sunday, the 9th, and I really like the way they came out...they almost do her justice! 
Well, I'm supposed to be heading off to work in less than 4 hours, so I really should get to bed. Happy Easter!
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