No. 146 - JUSTINE

Justine and I worked together in the city. I looked forward to the days Justine worked. She's extremely hardworking, reliable and precise. Justine was a God send on those tough days where I needed someone I could trust to give their all to a job and to do it well.

I know that Justine often went above and beyond the call of duty. At times, budget cuts and poor management meant we were often under staffed (a lot of staff we did have were not trained in our department) with insane deadlines and tasks to complete, even before we thought about serving the customers that were lining up. Chaos! I hope that Justine knows just how much she was appreciated.

Justine was only in Brisbane for uni and about 7 months before I went on maternity leave she moved back home to South Australia. I hadn't told anyone at that stage that I was pregnant and it nearly killed me not to tell her. I think the smiles and hugging etc. might have given things away = )

No. 145 - MARILYN

Marilyn is my Mother-In-Law, Kevin's Mum. The distance makes my relationship with Kevin’s family a little more unusual. We have known each other for a long time, Kevin and I have been married over 8 years, but I’ve only spent time with Marilyn on four separate occasions – February 2002, July/August 2004, Christmas 2006 and September - October 2008. It sounds terrible doesn’t it, but when you think of the cost involved with international travel, every two years is actually quite good.

I admire a few things about Marilyn, one is her family. Marilyn is one of eight children, 6 girls, and 2 boys. Attending a family function is something you can’t imagine or be prepared for, it’s something you just have to experience for yourself. With 6 girls it’s a loud occasion but special and warm too. I’d imagine that most large families with grown adults would find it easier to celebrate individually with their own children but I think it’s a requirement somewhere in the M. Family rules that you stick together.

Another thing I admire about Marilyn is her motivation. The Marilyn of today is a much slimmer woman than the one I met many years ago. I haven’t been there to share in her weight loss journey but I have seen glimpses of sheer determination and an uncanny will to walk anywhere, and in any weather. I see it as awaking some kind of determination dragon within you, something I have been searching for and am yet to find. I admire Marilyn’s ability to not only find that ball of unstoppable drive within her, but to harness it and stick with it.

I’m thankful to Marilyn for bringing the magic of Christmas back into my life. The hot humid climate of a Queensland summer is far from the white snow-covered, cosy Christmas we imagine. I think for me, Marilyn has shown me that Christmas magic is for both young and old. And really, decorating is the key. While I’ll never be the home decor master that is my Mother-In-Law, I have realised how it uplifts your mood. Even something as simple as eating dinner on linen placemats can make you feel special and brighten your day.

Recently Marilyn has faced probably the hardest fork in her road. While we would all like to live a happy rosy life, I don’t know if any of us really have one. All we can do is what is best for us.

No. 144 - SHADOW

On day 83 I told you about my childhood horse addiction and Gonzo. Today is about Shadow, the horse I moved up to when I outgrew Gonzo. Truth be known I was sad to leave my old pal behind and terrified of riding such a big horse like Shadow.

Apart from a Palomino my horse breed knowledge is severely lacking. Shadow was, as his name suggests black, and not a Palomino. I remember riding around the lush green paddocks on Shadow. I also remember riding around the rural streets and being terrified as Shadow cantered down the roadside. I was not in control, so hanging on for dear life was pretty important.

Over time I became more comfortable and confident with Shadow. His size became normal and my teacher's new horse became the giant I wasn't game to get on.

No. 143 - KIM KHANH

Today's tribute is to a small suburban restaurant that has stolen my family's heart. We discovered it back when my brother and I were in high school. Initially I think it came recommended by a family friend. We have spent many a night there enjoying the fantastic food they offer. It was the place I celebrated a birthday with friend's, it was the place we probably ate at more than our own home, it was the place where we regularly went as 4 guests and ended up being at least 7, it was the place that has provided endless jokes about the missing dog sign on the front window, it was the place where we came to love and know the staff, it is the only restaurant where Brian has slept in his pram while we ate, it was the place we have taken nearly every friend and family member we know, it was the place where all we had to do was enter and they knew what to start cooking, it was the place where my loathing of a herb called coriander turned into a love and appreciation for the flavours, it is THE ONLY place to get pepper-cubed beef and it is always the place that would be the perfect night out - rice paper rolls and a lemon fresh drink to go with that beef.

No. 142 - MRS. M

I was good and wrote this last night but couldn't get online to post it.

Mrs. M was my teacher in grades 1 & 2, at a school in the same town I talked about in my last post. I loved this school, most probably because it was small and rural. While I'm happy I went there for a short time I'm also thankful for the opportunities my education at larger schools provided.

This school had only two teachers, one was the Principal. Mrs M taught Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2. Mr. B taught Years 3-6. Mrs M loved what she did and it showed. I've been to a lot of different schools and had a lot of teachers but by far Mrs. M was my favourite.

I remember when Mrs. M got married. Until that time she was known to us as Miss L. As young silly students we joked that Miss L was going away to some far away land and that Mrs M was coming back. I loved the Australian twist to our classes and education. I bought Brian an Aussie CD just so I could relive my days of singing songs like Botany Bay (link is a YouTube video). All of the classes would come together for these singing sessions. I loved them.

Mrs. M rewarded us with little prizes like erasers, pencils and wooden rulers. I still have a wooden ruler with my name written on it by Mrs M, in her perfect school teacher writing. Not bad for 22 years later!

We continued to stay in contact for a little while after leaving that town. Mrs. M and her hubby Brad had two boys, Harrison and Edward. I still have a photo of the boys, Edward must have been a newborn.

No. 141 - LAMINGTON

In the late 80's we lived in a house that had an adjoining vacant paddock, fenced with shelter for animals. My Dad, like most Aussie blokes doesn't like to mow, so the best alternative was for us to get some sheep. Luckily we knew a man who owned some so we got them on loan. We had 6 sheep in total, 3 Tukidales and 3 regular sheep (I'm thinking Merino). I'm not exactly sure how it all panned out but Shane got to name one of the Merino's who was a male and I got to name one that was a female.

As kids, Shane and I loved this movie. So "Lambert" was the natural choice for Shane. I needed a female name and wanted it to be similar, so "Lamington" it was.

We had great times running around the paddock with them. Only the smallest Merino, Stacy was tame as we raised her on the bottle, so chasing games was as much affection we could show Lambert, Laminton, Mum Tukidale, and her babies Tuki and Dale (how original are the last three names?)

As far as pets go they were pretty cool and unique, for us at least. Mungo, the owner would come over and sheer them for us. Unfortunately Lamington passed away before we left. According to Dad, burying your pet sheep isn't quite as easy as burying your average size pet.

No. 140 - ANDERS

Anders and I went to uni together. He was one of the many Norwegian students taking our course.

My first time really working with Anders was on this film. Anders was First Assistant Director (1st AD) and I was Production Manager (PM). On real films the 1st AD and PM work closely together on the production schedule and Anders was adamant about doing this film right. I'm thinking it was the control freak in him that made him do it. Although I must say working with him was wonderful.

When it comes to film I work my ass off, give full attention to every detail and am a perfectionist at every step (much unlike my blog = ]) It was such a blessing to work with someone that was more of a perfectionist than me. Truth be known it was stress relieving to know that I didn't have to be the one to make sure there were capitals where there should be capitals, that the font was the correct size, etc., etc. Once we had something figured out I just sat back and watched Anders perfect. If you have ever worked with someone that compliments the way you work you will know what I mean.

The other thing I learned about Anders is that he has a heart of gold. Kind and caring. I think most of us formed a special bond with the Norwegian students and it broke most of our hearts when they had to go home (after finishing their degrees). I've reconnected with Anders (via Facebook of course) and am happy to say he's now married with two kids and has been a high school media studies teacher and a sports journalist. He's living a good life.

No. 139 - EMILY

Emily and I were school friends when we were 9. Emily was one of those happy, normal friends.

I have a vague memory of visiting Emily's new house, made of mud bricks. I don't remember too much about it, but do wish I knew more. Yes, I did say mud bricks, both cool and weird.

I also remember going to a large double storey house (all other houses I had known at that time were single level), I think for a birthday party. I remember us running out to the pool (which was green) to something unique - can't remember what it was, some kind of animal we found fascinating. It's possible this place was Emily's too.

No. 138 - RACHEL

Rachel was my optometrist, until she moved too far away. If you read this post, you will know that any healthcare professional that tells me what I want to hear is my hero. Maybe this isn't the best way to choose my healthcare professionals but I do hope it has helped me choose people that have enough experience to know the whole truth and apply some common sense (leading into my dental nightmare story here, due at another time).

I respect Rachel for not trying to do the hard sell on me at my first appointment. I will need glasses one day, but not just yet. Now, I know if she told me it was time for glasses I would trust her.

Rachel also treated me like a person, not a number. She casually chatted and took leads from my answers to continue the conversation and find out more about me. I'm not one to be nervous over optometry appointments but I think in healthcare this kind of personality and warmness from the provider is invaluable in keeping your patients calm and relaxed. *light bulb* Maybe it's not what they say that I like but how they say it.

No. 137 - FALAK

Falak and I were friends in high school. She was a part of a large group of friends that were the kind of people you would want your kids to associate with. Kind, caring, hard working, not afraid to stand up to peer pressure.

Before we go any further, we had this thing in high school, as teen girls do, that we called each other by our names spelled backwards, so really I know Falak best as Kalaf.

I can't remember exactly what classes Kalaf and I shared together but I do remember her as a wonderful, intelligent, caring person. Towards the end of high school Kalaf started to always wear long sleeves. Now I'm not sure if it was a new found religious belief, an age specific religious belief or maturing enough to not be afraid to show who you really are, but I always admired this about Kalaf. In a world where most teens follow others blindlessly into any and everything, Kalaf was strong enough of a person to show her true self, no matter what others would say.

No. 136 - TRACY

Tracy and I used to work together in the city. I can still picture the first time I met Tracy, she was squatting down near a shelf and tilted her head up to say hi as I was whisked around the store and introduced to everyone.

As it turned out Tracy ended up being probably the single most person to provide me with more training than anyone else at that store, by a long shot. I remember apologising for what seemed the entire day, week and months as I continued to ask question after question. Tracy trained me in a couple of departments and I'm sure she would have done quite well as a teacher. She was always patient, told you the full story so you could better comprehend what you were learning, was thorough and probably most importantly was teaching you from experience. Tracy went on to bigger and better roles at other stores and is this month going to become a Mum.

No. 135 - OLLIE

Ollie used to work for my Dad when he ran a winery in Northern Victoria. At the time he was married to Kim.

As a child my fondest memories of Ollie are him telling Gula Gula stories to my brother and I. This was before Ollie had his own kids and I think he liked the creative/imaginative outlet his storytelling provided.

I have no idea where he got the stories from or what inspired him but Shane and I loved them! There was one Gula Gula (I can't remember it's name) but if you slept with your toes out of the tent it would come at get them. The stories were set in a rainforest environment, my all time favourite setting for imaginative stories when I was younger. Owh, I'm going to have to get Dad to call Ollie to find out the background!

No. 134 - LYNDAL

Lyndal and I were friends in primary school when we were about 11/12 years old. At school I can always remember having a couple of really close friends and then a few other groups of people that I was also friends with. Lyndal was one of those people from another group of friends. Lyndal and her best friend Debbie were inseparable.

Lyndal was always a happy, smiley person. I remember going to her house one day and being amazed (and probably jealous) that she had a pet bunny rabbit.

Flash forward15 or so years and standing outside my old work in Brisbane city (a few hours drive from where Lyndal and I went to school together) with an elderly customer and her trolley, a lady rushed past into the adjoining building. In that fleeting second I'm almost certain it was Lyndal that I saw. The building was multi-storey so I couldn't just go in and find her. I didn't see her again but imagine, working next to each other after all this time.

No. 133 - DEBRA

Like Kirsten, Debra and I met through Queensland Health and now call our little get-togethers Mum's Group.

Debra is modern and stylish, so much so that I feel bad because there is not one single thing that she has that I don't want too, right down to the old female dog named Barry (pretty good for someone that is not a dog person). She's the queen of fab necklaces, Envirosax and the best high end comfy shoes known to man. Debra also knows the places to shop and finds the most unique, cute, must have things including this, the coolest little boy t-shirt. Like it or not (I really hope she doesn't mind), Debra is my go-to gal for all things that will never be available at any suburban shopping plaza.

No. 132 - MRS. MAC

7 days behind. Please read this post to explain my absence.

Mrs. Mac was an elderly lady that lived a few doors down from my parent's milk bar, making her a regular customer. She was part of a family that didn't look after themselves so my memories of her are with greasy unbrushed hair and grotty clothes. Mrs. Mac was much friendlier than other's in her family and I think, enjoyed to come in for a chat. I remember cringing when my parent's told her that it was my birthday (maybe my 10th) and she gave me a hug and a kiss. It might not have been so bad if she didn't have all kinds of old spilt food all down her jumper. The thought was there though.

No. 131 - AMY

Amy and I were friends in that same rural town I spoke about yesterday, in which my parent's owned a milk bar by the river. I remember having friends over and taking walks along the banks and over the other side of the river to the outdoor stage to sing The Bangles' Eternal Flame (it was 1989!).

It turns out that Amy, well her Mum really, is/was friend's with another friend of ours from that town, Pebs. So a few years ago now I caught up with Amy and she told me the story of how we used to take one of the chicken meat rolls from the shop down to the river and try to catch fish (without a rod), using the chicken meat for bait. By chicken meat, I mean the manufactured stuff that is probably 99% cardboard, 1% chicken feet. I had completely forgotten about that. I also got the chance to walk along the bank where we used to walk. When I was young I remember it being covered in reeds, etc. and that it was quite difficult to walk through, especially with the adventurous imagination of a 9 year old. I was shocked at how small and very average it was to my adult eyes.

I also remember going to Amy's house. On special occasions we were allowed to go down to the local Coles supermarket and get a drink of cordial out of the machine. I miss that cordial, they just don't do artificial flavours like that any more = ( (no that isn't sarcasm)

No. 130 - MR W.

Mr. W was a teacher at my school in rural Victoria (grades 3.5 - 5.5). Those were the days when you had one teacher all year. Mr. W wasn't one of my teachers but for part of my time at that school he taught in the library. He was a big joker, someone the kids loved.

I remember a trip to the local hospital for some kind of excursion. On the walk there he walked up and down alongside all of the students, keeping everyone in line. I remember tripping on a piece of concrete and he said "are you falling for me?" Obviously not meaning anything, but just very quick to turn an embarrassing moment into a funny one.

Many years ago, a while after we moved away Mr. W. passed away quite young, cancer I believe. Some of my family still live in that town, infact my Aunt is good friend's with Mr. W's wife and I think my cousin is friend's with his daughter.

No. 129 - PETE

Pete was initially a work college of my Dad's. Now, I'd have to say he's more of a family friend.

I love Pete and his family. They are all incredibly hard working, mature (by nature, not age), classy, social, kind, thoughtful and modern. Pete's family share a list of traits I truly admire. But most admirable is how they make them work together.

I have many memories of Pete. From him making mango cocktails, to MC at our wedding, to "kill 'em and grill 'em" boardroom stories told by Dad, to Christmas with lots of glasses of red, to relaxed Pete chilling out on holiday. But most of all I love his no beating around the bush nature.

No. 128 - ELISE

For a short time Elise and I worked together in the city. Elise was someone I admired.

Not long after I started work at the city store I noticed Elise. I noticed that she was the only female in a male dominated department. I also noticed that she did her job well. She worked fast and she knowledgeably answered customer's questions. I remember telling her I admired how she worked and I asked how long she had been in that department. I can't remember exactly how long it was, but it was measurable in days, maybe 3. Incredible.

To this day the department Elise worked in is one that has sparked my interest. I have no knowledge or experience in that area but liked the sound of the challenge it provided and would welcome the knowledge I would gain.

No. 127 - GAVIN

Gavin was my very first boyfriend, back when I was 5. His younger brother was in my class, so I can only guess now that he was a year or so older than me.

Our relationship was very short lived (as at that age I'm sure it would have been anyway). Gavin and his family moved away.

I do remember what must have been my 6th birthday party. Gavin was invited and Dad made us sit through some photo ops on the back deck.

No. 126 - MUSIC TEACHER

My memory of this teacher is so vague that I can't even recall if they were male or female. I'm thinking female, so we'll go with that. Obviously, I don't remember her name or even have a visual of her face.

This person was my music teacher, probably only for a really short time somewhere between grade 3 and early grade 5. I'm thinking it was the first half of grade 5. The reason this music teacher is on my list is because I'm grateful for them giving me a bunch of music sheets, one of which included a chart of where you put your fingers when playing the recorder.

When I first met this teacher I didn't know how to play the recorder. I believe that shortly after meeting them I was away sick for a while (or possibly it was our trip around Australia that meant I was away from school). From that bunch of music sheets the teacher gave me I taught myself how to play the recorder. Mum helped me by writing each note out on the music sheet, as I can't read music (unless I have a day and a pencil to decipher it). I can't play any other instruments and I've always been grateful that I could pick up a recorder and play it, albeit at a very average level.

No. 125 - STEWART

Stewart and I went to uni together.

When Stewart started uni he already had a lot of film experience and a lot of connections. His standards were high and he liked to work with the best, which is why I felt honoured when he let me help out on one of his films. Stewart also introduced me to a couple of people already working in the industry who were willing to share their knowledge. Invaluable!

One of the things I loved about our uni course was that we had a great mix of people of varying ages. I felt I learned different lessons from everyone, particularly the older wiser students like Stewart.

Stewart also has a DVD collection to die for. What I wouldn't give for one like that today = )

No. 124 - HANNAH

Hannah is Kim's youngest daughter and a family friend. I'm sure that if I walked past Hannah in the street tomorrow, she would knock me over with shock at just how much she has grown, as she'd be in her late teens now. I was looking forward to catching up with Hannah, her sister Sarah and Mum Kim at Dad's surprise birthday party recently but it wasn't to be.

My memories of Hannah are as a smiling, soft fine and fluffy haired blonde girl playing make believe, as girl's do. I remember joining in, despite being much older, with Hannah and her sister's game of Miss Rabbit. She was apparently a little rabbit running through the garden, hiding here and there.

No. 123 - LOUISE

Louise and I worked together at Woolworths (a local supermarket chain) for a couple of years from late 1999. Louise was one of my co-ordinators. She had super long blonde hair, a love for Hello Kitty and an obsession for insanely long, intricately painted and even pierced finger nails. Most of us girl's admired her and copied at least one thing she did. I bought some Hello Kitty hair clips because I liked how she could put her hair up with just one of them, only to discover I never could.

No. 122 - DANIKA

When we moved from NSW to Queensland I attended a primary school for 6 months, before going to high school. Danika and I were in the same grade at that school.

Those few months were full of 12 year old girl birthday parties, sleep overs and the like. I liked Danika's sense of style, she had beautiful hair, a room and wardrobe to die for, and I guess best of all she was a good influence. I remember what would have been my 13th birthday (I was a year older than everyone else because of the NSW to QLD move) and Danika gave me the coolest present - a canvas Sportsgirl bag. It was before I knew much about Sportsgirl and it held much prestige in the pre-teen market back then.

We parted ways shortly after going to high school, mainly because we went to different ones with new circles of friends. I've waved to her parent's at my parent's local shopping centre, most recently.

No. 121 - BRETT

Brett is my cousin, by Dad's brother's son.

This is how I remember Brett, he's on the far left next to my Nan. The photo would be over 20 years old. I don't have many memories of Brett but the ones I do have involve family get togethers, outings to the park and more often than not the "cousin photograph". I wonder what it would look like now!

No. 120 - KYLIE

Kylie and I went to school together for 2 years when we were about 8.

At school you tend to have a mix of friend's, as in life I guess. Kylie wasn't one of the weird ones, or the attention seeking ones, or the geeks. She was kind, happy, pretty and friendly.

I remember attending Kylie's birthday party one year. We had to come with a fancy dress hat. This is where I realise how alike in our weirdness my Mum and I are. We both thought it was a fantastic idea to sew googly eyes on her beanie, circa. 1970 something, and use a crochet hook to pull bits of my hair through it. I didn't win any prizes but for the pain I should have received a medal!

A few years ago, on one of our visits so see my Grandparent's (Dad's folks), who still live in the town we lived in when I was 8, I ran into Kylie. She's married now and looks great. Not only that, she works at the best pub in town! And that's saying something = )

No. 119 - STEPHEN

Stephen was my Mum's brother. I believe he was born next in line after her. Stephen had schizophrenia and died much too young.

If ever you have under valued the importance of a photo, don't. Somewhere in my Mum's, now more organised photo collection is a picture of my uncle Stephen and I. I was a toddler, younger than Brian is now (21 months), sitting in my high chair and next to me was Stephen. I'm incredibly grateful that that photo exists because it reminds me of a bond that I know was there but was too young to remember.

No. 118 - VICTORIA

Victoria is Reg's daughter.

One of the things that goes hand in hand with family rifts is not knowing what you are missing. While I had known of Reg, I never knew of, or even gave thought to his family. It really hit me when I met Victoria that there is a whole branch of our family tree out there that we don't really know. And I guess another of those things that goes hand in hand with this kind of family issue is that even though nothing bad was ever said to you about the other branch of that tree, finding out that they don't have three heads and an inbuilt desire to hate you is surprising. But it shouldn't be.

I guess that if I was to ask to meet someone that was to depict that this branch was one full of shiny red apples, I couldn't have asked for someone better than Victoria to show me. Although we didn't chat much, she exudes happiness, a kind heart and warm welcoming air.

No. 117 - RAWKINS

I've spent most of the morning wondering whether I should delete this entry from my 365 list, but have decided to keep it for the memory. The fact is I can't remember the name of this person and infact I believe there may have been two people involved, sisters. At the very least, if I am on the correct train of thought their surname is Rawkins and they weren't my friends exactly but their brother was friends with my brother.

Anyway the reason we are here today is for this memory. I recall being in a girl's room and she offered me a lolly from an olive coloured Tupperware container that was sitting on her dressing table. It took pride of place, and I remember that to have a treat from this container was super special and something the girl/s indulged in rarely. Wow, control at such a young age, where I'm still lacking!

I thought the memory worth recording and sharing with you because of my continued love today for lollies, particularly of the small mixed variety as this was (maybe they were even Dolly Lollies), and my love for Tupperware. Maybe this is where it all began?

No. 116 - PHILIP

Philip and I worked together in the city.

I've worked with a lot of people throughout my time at the city store, but Philip would have to be one of my favourites, someone I'd prefer to call a friend rather than a workmate.

Philip and I spent a lot of lunch breaks discussing all kinds of things, mostly our homelives. Philip's situation for a long while was much the same as mine, our partner's were the main breadwinners, hard workers and go-getters in their respective fields. Also, Philip is American so we could chat about US/Canadian vs Australian things like capsicums/peppers, glandular fever/mono.

I remember working with Philip in the early days and thinking who is this weird guy, as you do before you get to know someone. I quickly came to know that he has a heart of gold, will stick up for what he believes, has an uncanny knack for befriending every store manager, will support others around him no matter what, will get a job done - fast, loves a laugh, will fill you in on the latest gossip, knows every Simpsons episode backwards, and owns every one of those 8 pepsi can's around the store and that they are probably his breakfast...hehe.

No. 115 - SMORGASBORD

Almost 19 years ago today I learnt the word "smorgasbord". We were on day 35 of our 53 day holiday (thanks old journal) around half of Australia and were spending our first night at an awesome caravan park in Airlie Beach.

My Dad remembers this day best as he's always referring to it. My journal entry for that day however doesn't play it up nearly enough. I had never been to any such restaurant before and was amazed that I could pick and choose what I wanted and that I could go back again and again. I'm one of those people that likes to try a little of everything, or at least everything that appeals to me, so this was ideal! These days smorgasbords or buffets tend to be tacky or insanely expensive. And I think my waistline or lack there of should steer clear unless it's a fruit bar!

No. 114 - ROWENA

Rowena and I met during my uni days. As film students we filled most of the crew roles on films ourselves, but somethings we had to engage a professional for. Make-up was one of those roles and Rowena was fantastic. I found her through a local hair and make-up school and her continuity was second to none. In fact she's pretty much the reason I bought a polaroid camera. In a time before digital cameras were commonplace a polaroid was the best tool for film continuity. Remembering exactly what a cast member's make-up looked like, remembering exactly how full that glass of wine was, etc., etc., they were priceless.

I loved Rowena so much that I asked if she could do my hair and make-up for my wedding. My only other glamour event to date was my high school formal and my hair and make-up for that (which was done professionally) was gaudy and highly unnatural to say the least. I felt comfortable with Rowena, she knew me, my style, she was a professional (not just for films but weddings too) and I couldn't have been happier with the results.

Rowena is a natural at her profession and it shows tremendously. From the ring she wore on her little finger to help her open up bobby pins (as using your mouth is unhygienic), to the bumbag full of tricks and the big split ring carrying alphabetised polaroids, I wouldn't trust anyone else.

No. 113 - SCHOOL DENTIST

For the longest time I had great teeth. Then in high school the school dental van came to visit. I was referred on to another dentist at a local primary school - this was where they did the more serious stuff. One of my canine teeth was overlapping the tooth next to it. So the dentist pulled a tooth and gave me a plate to pull the canine tooth back in line.

The reason the dentist, or maybe it should be the dental assistant is on my list is that they taught me something I still use today. Just before I got the local anesthetic needle I was told to "wiggle my fingers and toes". Obviously this is to distract you from the pain. It worked wonders and I've used this at every injection, etc. since that day. Now I combine it with singing the chorus of Nirvana's Plateau (in my head of course), no idea why but it's become tradition. If you see me wiggling my fingers and toes and miming the words "nothing on the top but a bucket and a mop and ...." look out because pain is coming!

No. 112 - MARGOT

I seem to be on a roll of "blasts from the past", so we will keep it going with Margot. Margot was one of our neighbours when we lived in Melbourne. She lived across the street and up a little. I was so young that I don't remember too much about her, except that she was a very nice lady. She had a little white dog that would go with her everywhere. And I remember that her home felt inviting, like springtime, with trees at the front and many glass doors/windows and sunlight shining in.

No. 111 - WAYNE

Wayne is a family friend of my Dad's. In fact I'm not sure how they met, I do know it was long ago. And if I was to hazard a guess I would say that they grew up together, meaning Dad and Wayne have lots of mischievous stories to recall.

Wayne, his wife Jan and daughter Blaire used to visit us when we lived in Melbourne. Back in the day I remember Wayne participating in games of backyard cricket at our house. I also remember visiting his house in some small town somewhere and that he had a pool table. If I were to hear him speak today I'm sure I would recognise his voice.

I was really too young to know exactly what kind of a man Wayne is but one thing I do know is that he would do anything for his family.

No. 110 - GRADE 5 TEACHER

Today's tribute is to my Grade 5 teacher. This man, whose name I don't recall was my teacher for half of the year, most of which I was away for.

My family and I were about to embark on a 6 month "around (half of) Australia tour". His reply to this and whether he needed to send some schoolwork with me was "you'll learn more on that trip than you ever would if you were here". Thank you sir!

No. 109 - PLAYGROUP MUMS

I have named a few of the Playgroup Mum's on my list individually, but I felt it fair to also list them as a collective.

When I first started attending Playgroup Brian was miles younger than all of the other kids, so I considered leaving. But truth be told the conversation was educational. I learnt the ins and outs of kids birthday parties, the issue of "do you invite their entire class" to the party, the location of a couple of good local parks and probably most importantly of all that Playgroup is a chance for Mums to chat. It sounds rather insignificant but let me tell you, if you are a Mum you know the importance of learning from other Mums. I guess I knew this was somewhat important as I've always valued being a part of our Mum's Group too, but never underestimate a good chat with a Mum of a child who is older than your own. They are a wealth of knowledge! And the piece of cake and cuppa does wonders on a Monday morning too.

No. 108 - JESSICA

Jessica is was my hair dresser.

The salon Jessica works for was recommended to me by a friend, a stylish friend. Every time I've walked out of that salon I've felt wonderful. It's more expensive than the cheap places, but really it's not as much as most. Kevin just thinks it is because I would add on either a new bottle of shampoo or conditioner each visit. Let's not tell him though.

To be honest that shampoo was probably one of the things that kept my hair looking nice. They use Redken and I'll blame them for my need to visit their flagship store on 5th Avenue, New York. I got two bottles and a few extras for much less than the price of one bottle in Australia. Sadly, budget cuts mean I've had to ditch Redken.

I think the thing I like about Jessica is that she always cuts my hair in a stylish manner. It's never an old style and it's always one that suits me. She is the only person I have ever let straighten my hair, and therefore the person I can blame for wanting a GHD. Too bad she didn't come with it because I'm not sure how I would go doing my own hair!

You may notice that I said Jessica WAS my hairdresser. The salon she works for is in the city and now that I don't work there its difficult to get in. And then when I do get it in I have this little issue called Brian. I can just see him causing havoc in there and Jessica having to rush my haircut. Not something I want.

No. 107 - MR. S

Mr. S was one of my high school film teachers.

One of the things I liked about film class was that the two teachers complimented each other. Mr S. was the nice one, not that Mr. CS wasn't nice, he was just a little scarier.

When at the age of 15 I was faced with the question of "what do I want to be?" I had no idea. I loved police shows on tv and the idea of being a detective sounded appealing. Clearly though that's not the starting rank. I also knew that I didn't want risking my life to part of my job. Journalism was another option and had things not played out so well that's probably what I would have studied. But another path was set for me.

During the last year of high school I completed among many, one particular film. This film, titled "Creepy" became very near and dear to my heart. I poured hours into this film about stereotypically creepy things - like fingers scratching down a whiteboard. When the equipment I had available to me at school meant that I couldn't fulfill my dream of finishing this film, Mr S offered to let me use his home editing suite. There wasn't any favouritism shown here as I know he would have done it for anyone else in the same boat.

Later that year I entered my film into the Minister's Award for Excellence in Art. And although the film was far from professional I think the judges liked my idea. The aim was to make the audience creep and crawl in their seats. I know I achieved this as when we had a public screening at school, I sat in my seat and watched the audience. It was a good feeling.

Winning the Minister's Award was what made me realise that other's enjoy my work. And that film class was the one subject taking up every waking moment of my time. You think I would have figured that out earlier! This is why I decided to take film production further.

I owe winning that award and helping find a field that I love to Mr S. I'm no longer in film but I do miss it. Especially when I've been pouring through old production folios for this blog. Family means more to me than film and the hours and unstable income makes it difficult for them to work hand in hand.

One thing I will never forget about Mr. S is his family. I met them that day while working at their house. Mr. S has more than the average 2.4 kids and for a film teacher he has strong views on their television viewing. The only tv they are allowed to watch is Gardening Australia. He said that they watch it as a family and the kids really look forward to that time each week. Watching tv is rarely something that brings the family together as most of us take it so much for granted these days. It's nice to step back sometimes and see just what it is that we are teaching our kids.

No. 106 - GRANDMA

Grandma was actually my Great Grandma, my Mum's Mum's Mum.

When I was younger Grandma lived by the sea and I remember taking walks along the beach near her house with her sausage dog, I think his name was Hansel. The smell there is one that I know will bring back so many memories if we ever go there again.

If you know me at all, most of my memories are food related - it's terrible, but true! Grandma used to have a red glass bowl (with a handle) that she kept her Minties in. I'm sure that after every one of our visits she had to refill it. Grandma also kept a bowl (I think it was wooden) of walnuts on her coffee table. I think that this is where my love with walnuts in the shell came from. To this day they are the biggest treat and only this past Christmas we finally bought a nutcracker to get those little treasures open.

The rest of my memories of Grandma are from visits to my Nan's house. Playing cards was our favourite thing to do during a visit. I think what we liked most was that it bought all the generations together around the dinner table. Grandma had a few rules and no eating while playing was one of them. Apparently she was very pedantic about sticky children's fingers on the deck. It's funny, because at the time I didn't know that, but I do remember her saying "these cards are sticky".

No. 105 - DANIELLE

Danielle and I were good childhood friends. I think our Mum's met at the local health centre, which is where they established a Mum's Group (Mum's groups are a God send!).

I find it funny how memories come to you in small snippets. I remember stepping on a piece of cold pineapple on the lawn in Danielle's backyard. I remember that she loved Clix biscuits. I also remember us having a nap together, maybe a sleep over. We slept at opposite ends of the same bed and she never slept with a pillow. I remember going to the zoo and drinking cans of softdrink - mine was Fanta, Danielle's was Coke. And I remember that for the longest time, and possibly still, my Mum's photos from that outing were kept in a brown paper bag with crayon writing on the front.

The last time we saw each other would have been around 1990, when Danielle's family visited us in rural Victoria. I remember her telling me that she kept herself occupied on the journey up by lying on the back seat (hopefully strapped in!) and reading a book. Looking down at any book in the car, even for 30 seconds makes me feel sick!

Our parent's still send Christmas cards but we never hear what they have been up to during the year.

No. 104 - WADE

Wade and I went to uni together.

I owe Wade big time. During uni I lived about a 2 minute drive from Wade's place. On more than one ocassion, usually after pulling an all-nighter to get an assignment finished, I would call Wade early in the morning to see if I could get a lift to uni. He always answered and never once said no.

Although we rarely worked together on the same film, or in the same department, it was clear to see Wade's professionalism. He put a lot into what he did and it showed. A local post production studio saw his talent and offered him a job even before graduation.

No. 103 - STEVE

Apologies for the delay. It's been a crazy week!

Steve played the main role of a film I worked on in uni.

I can't tell you how wonderful it was to work with him. You get a lot of "I'm all that" types working in film, but Steve was happy to go along for the ride. He was a true professional and loved a bit of a laugh too. Working with someone is so much nicer than working against them.

At the end of the shoot he announced that he and had proposed to his girlfriend - too sweet.

No. 102 - MR HATER

If you have been keeping up with my posts then you will know that my parent's used to own one of those old fashioned Milk Bars - the kind that did everything from fish and chips to groceries. Mr Hater was one of their customers.

Mr Hater was an elderly gentleman that from (my poor) memory dressed like one too. He may have even worn a hat.

Mr Hater liked black cats - the lolly (candy) kind. It was my job to count them out for him, 20c worth was 7 lollies. Those were the days! You know, I don't know if that was the only reason he came into the shop, but it sure felt like I was the only one that mattered. It wouldn't even surprise me if he didn't actually like black cats.

I also remember visiting his house one day. It was brick or stone, lets say big stone coloured bricks. It was small and old. Inside was also old. I vaguely remember the kitchen with a bench along the wall and the kitchen table, possibly metal. It didn't seem cluttered, maybe because he was male. You would expect an elderly ladies home to be cluttered, wouldn't you? I have know idea why we were there but it's funny how little snippets of images stay with you. I wish I could place some of the other snippets of images I have floating around in my head.

No. 101 - LUKE

Luke is my dentist.

He's the guy that took over the practice from the guy I used to see when I was in high school. Although I should probably face facts that by now someone may just have taken over from Luke.

Luke is kind of my hero. Any person in health care that tells me what I want to hear is my hero. That's why I love my optometrist too. I'm currently avoiding my Doctor so he doesn't drop off my hero list - he's not going to tell me what I want to hear!

Back to Luke. Luke kind of saved the day after my life changing/scaring trip to another Dentist, that is also on my list for all the wrong reasons. I'll leave that story for his post but I will say that I like Luke's experience and the fact that he thinks before he acts in terms of your dental care. I don't like a Dentist that will drill just to drill. With me?

No. 100 - PARK FIREMAN'S POLE

No it's not what you think! My grandparents have lived in the same house since Mum was in school. And for as long as I've been around, we would obviously visit them. A very short walk from their house is a park with a small children's playground. This park holds my life's biggest nemesis - the fireman's pole.

I'm scared of heights, that's no secret. But this pole has made my palms sweaty for years!

To get on the pole you had to climb up a rope net. Then, on the platform you had to step over the barrier (I think this is what made it seem scary to me - why would I want to step over that safe barrier?). Then you reach out and grab onto the pole, and at some point (4 years from today, or in my case about 24 years!) you lean onto the pole and slide right down. I'm getting nervous just writing this, I tell no lie!

Every time we went to my grandparents place I knew that I HAD to go to the park and conquer my fear. I had to do it EVERY time. It might take days but I wouldn't leave until I had done it. And the worst thing is I know that if I was to go there tomorrow it would still take me just as long to slide down. Now, I've been the same height for over 12 years so it has been considerably less of a distance to the ground for some time. This is just something I'm never going to be comfortable with.

I'm trying my best not to instill this fear in Brian, but I've already had instances where playground equipment heights have freaked me out. God help us if we find a park in Brisbane with a fireman's pole!

No. 99 - CRYSTAL

Crystal and I went to high school together. We were in the same Legal Studies and Modern History class. I was terrible at history and we had a long running joke that I loved to use the word "fundamental" in all of my assignments.

Crystal is a wonderful, kind hearted person. She's now a married Mum of two and a teacher.

Singing has always been one of Crystal's great passions and if you heard her sing you would know why. We were chatting recently (thanks FB) and she told me that these days she is happy singing at church. It makes me think that maybe Crystal gets even more enjoyment out of singing this way than if she had made it a career. It's continued to be something she wants to do, rather than has to.

When we were in high school Crystal worked at a local cafe. They had the best water! And if you know me this is a big deal. The secret was strawberries and lemons floating in it.

No. 98 - PEYTON

Peyton is my niece, Kevin's sister's eldest daughter.

Peyton and her sister Kayla are the main reasons I really would like to get back to Canada. As yet we have not met, which clearly makes it hard. One thing I love about kids is getting to know them and their personalities and that's one thing the distance makes us miss out on.

From pictures and emails you can tell that Peyton is a great big sister. She has long hair to rival most girls and I'm guessing likes the colour pink.

We are very excited to have Peyton as our niece and I just love having the excuse to shop for pink girly things! One day Petyon you will get to meet your Aunt Brooke, Uncle Kevin and Cousin Brian.

No. 97 - EDDIE

Eddie was our neighbour when we lived in Melbourne, so he knew me from day dot to 6 1/2 years.

The only still image I have of Eddie in my mind is him leaning over the fence, probably saying "Hey Peter" (to my Dad) and his beloved cockatoo sitting on the fence right beside him. I have vague memories of either under Eddie's house or in his smoke house - meats hanging everywhere.

There was no lawn to mow in his backyard, it was all garden beds, mostly growing vegetables. I'm not sure what it is about elderly neighbours but to a child they are just the greatest. Their home is always such an adventure and at their place you are always made to feel at home.

Eddie passed away, I believe from cancer a few years after we left. My parent's are still in touch with his wife, mainly at Christmas time (I'll save the rest for Gina's day).

No. 96 - KEN

Ken and I worked together in the city.

Ken is the kind of guy you like to have on your side if you need some back up. Just by being there he's a little intimidating to the person giving you grief and on more than one occasion he was there for me. Ken might be the tough guy but he also has a heart of gold.

He's full of surprises too. Ken can sew, and sew well. He can also cook and is a trained chef. You know how some nights you might feel like a naughty snack, well, for Ken it's nothing to whip up something that the rest of us couldn't cook if we had all day to do it!

Working in the city was for most of us a job and not a career. I guess this is why we were always so happy to hear that someone was moving onward and upward. Ken certainly did this and is now driving trains up north and earning big money. He certainly has his "happily ever after" as he's now married to the girl he met and courted, mostly on company time (hehe - it was cute to watch), Sharon.

No. 95 - STEFANIE

Stefanie and I worked together in the city.

Stefanie is such a happy bubbly person. She has about 5 or 6 siblings, and from memory I think they are all girls. It's no surprise that Stefanie would come to work looking very girly, beautiful hair and her style shining through even though we had to wear a uniform. It's funny how she made me look at the world differently. She was talking to me one day about dressing up for a party and that she was thinking about fake eyelashes. I remember finding a very snazzy picture in a magazine and ripping it out for her to use as inspiration.

One thing I admire about Stefanie is her dedication to her religion. It may be very insensitive of me to say but to me it seems that in Australia it's less cool to actively go to church. Stefanie took it all in her stride though and valued the time she dedicated to her faith. Something often rare in someone so young.

No. 94 - IAN

Ok, so I get a big fat F for yesterday. I thought I was super organised, having the dishes done, Kevin's lunch made and most of Brian's lunch done all before 7:30pm - clearly I forgot something!

Ian is Kevin's cousin, Amie's brother.

One particular meeting comes to mind when I remember Ian. On our last visit to Canada, Kevin's Aunt Anne had a few of the cousins over for dinner. It was wonderful. Great food, great company and a great night. Clearly these cousins had lots of memories of visiting each other as children but this was possibly the first they had together as adults.

I remember chatting to Ian's girlfriend Cassie who is so down to earth and super super nice. I can't recall her profession but she is very much into baking. Something I would have loved to talk about a lot more.

I know that I've already talked about remembering that exact moment in time when you learnt a particular lesson. It's the kind of moment where you remember every detail, who was there, who told you and it's the kind of lesson that you never forget. While it might be small, the thing that Ian taught me that I will never forget is that "if you cook something in a cast iron pot, the food will be higher in iron than if you cooked it in any other pot".

No. 93 - WOOLWORTHS

Not counting my one month stint in a sandwich shop (it closed down), the role of checkout chick at Woolworths (supermarket chain) was my first job.

While I wasn't happy that they rewarded my 3.5 years with them by giving me only 3hrs work a month, I am happy with the experience the role gave me. Essentially, Woolworths taught me the foundations for a customer service role (dealing with customers, handling cash, etc.) One unexpected outcome was a greater knowledge of fruit and vegetables. I still know the difference between a turnip and a swede!

No. 92 - FIJI BABYSITTER

Maybe Dad can help me here with this lady's name? She was our babysitter when we holidayed in Fiji, somewhere around 1987. We stayed in an all inclusive resort, at least to a little 6 year old it seemed all inclusive.

On a couple of occasions Mum and Dad went out for dinner and Shane and I were babysat by a lovely lady. Apparently we loved her that much that we wanted Mum and Dad to go out more often. I do recall her taking us to the movies one night. Which for us, who had never been was a major major deal. I have no idea what we saw but I do recall waving to our parent's in the restaurant on the way past.

No. 91 - DANNI

Danni and I worked together in the city.

I'm thankful to Danni for opening my eyes ever so slightly to the world of eating disorders. She had had a very tough few years before we met and had spent considerable time in hospital. For Danni eating is so different. Mostly her lunches consisted of steamed vegetables and small portions were hard for her to manage. It was exciting to see her progress and try new things. She's also a gym junkie and a bottled water addict. I'd be willing to bet that there isn't a bottled water out there that she hasn't tried!

Danni's now studying to be a nurse, just like the ones that helped her. I know her experience and willingness to open up is going to help her in this career. She's also super organised, a bit of a list maker and multi-coloured pen lover like me.

No. 90 - RHIANNON

Rhiannon is a family friend. Our Dad's have known each other for over 30 years (maybe 35).

It's funny how our relationship has changed over the years. I remember sitting next to Rhiannon when she was in her bouncer, admiring the new little baby that she was. I also remember being hit on the head with a giant kid sized plastic golf club, Rhiannon must have been about 3.

And then just last week when I was wishing Rhiannon a happy 24th birthday we were talking about Kevin being away and what must be going through Brian's head. I feel like we have come full circle. Once we were too young to communicate and now here we are taking advice and talking as adults. Oh Rhiannon, how you make me feel so old = )

No. 89 - RADIO STATION

From age 8½ to 10½ my parent's owned a milk bar (the good old kind), and our neighbours were the local radio station. There was no better advertising than my Dad running next door with a couple of freshly made "burgers with the lot", opening the studio door and tossing them in to the radio hosts.

Maybe it was kind of a return favour, or maybe it was just that they needed some kids they didn't have to pay, but one day my brother and I were asked to do a radio advertisement. It was for The Sweet House, a new lolly shop opening up in town. Did these people know me, or did they know me? At the time I was the only one out of Shane and I that could read, so I got the gig. My "radio Dad" sounded anything but impressed but I did the best I could. Little Shane got the big finale "The Sweet House is really great!"

Doing a radio advertisement is one of those tick the box cool things to do in one's life. I think for me it means a little more to me these days as I have a secret burning ambition to do the voice of an animated character in a movie - one of those bucket list wishes.

I remember taking the tape into school and the teachers opening up all the partitions that separated out our 4 or so 3rd grade classes. They played the tape to everyone and they had to guess who's voice it was. Of course everyone guessed it was the "cool girl", but no, it was little old me.

No. 88 - BARBARA

Barbara was my Dad's first wife, before he met my Mum. She's also the Mum of my (half) brother Dallas.

I have snippets of memories visiting Barbara's house in Melbourne when I was younger. She's a keen dog lover and always had at least 2 dogs in huge big runs out the back. To my recollection the yard was massive with lots of tall trees and I remember many leaves on the ground. I also remember thinking it was super cool that my brother had a water bed - we are talking the 80's.

Barbara and her hubby Pete are vegetarian. It would be quite easy for them to make a big deal about attending a BBQ but I admire the fact that they just bring along their own food to BBQ and don't mind using the same grill plate that has just cooked a few dozen bits of meat. Barbara has worked a lot in pub kitchens and as far as I'm aware doesn't mind cooking meat. I admire the control that takes - if I can't eat something I can't cook it either!

No. 87 - MRS. B

Mrs. B taught me to type.

When you think about it's a wonderful gift, no two fingered pecking needed here. I can't even recall the name of the subject but it was mandatory in the first year of high school and I think a couple of years after too. I'm thankful for that, as I'd be a feeling even more behind than I do in this modern world if I couldn't touch type.

The sore fingers and "asdf" sequences were more than worth it.

No. 86 - BRENDAN'S MUM

I feel terrible that I don't even know this lady's name! We originally met at a baby singing group at the library. Our boys became too big to attend so we stopped going. Then all of a sudden we ran into each other everywhere. The local shopping centre, the major local shopping centre, the carpark. And do you know not once did we swap our own first names or phone numbers for that matter?

Brendan's Mum has an uncanny resemblance to one of Kevin's best friend's from Canada, so I can't help but feel relaxed around her. After finally deciding "the next time we meet I WILL get her number", we haven't met again in about 4 months! I bet by having this in print we'll meet again tomorrow.

No. 85 - HELGE

Helge and I went to uni together.

I spent my last days at uni working with Helge on his film about a stand up comedian named Bob, who may be about to give his last show with anything but his usual scripted ending. I really enjoyed working on this film as we did everything from scratch, even sourcing an old run down ex-comedy club and bar that was due to be gutted. This meant we had full rein on changing the interior, by full rein I mean what our uni student selves could fund. As it had been abandoned for some time it also meant major safety hurdles - I love a challenge!

My uni course was difficult to get into as numbers were limited. As with most courses, by the final year numbers dwindle even more. Helge was part of the Norwegian brigade, that made up about a quarter of all students. He proved to me that you can work hard and achieve results all the while living it up in your free time. I've never met a Norwegian that didn't like a party.

I can thank Helge for my introduction to lingonberry sauce and teaching me that a bowl of steamed broccoli is actually a meal. I lived at home during uni and have never really lived that typical uni student life. I will never forget walking into Helge's shared apartment and seeing that a mattress standing up against the wall was the perfect place to throw a ball.

No. 84 - HAYLEY

Hayley and I worked together in the city.

Hayley came across to me as the well behaved, hard working type until I learned very different = ) She's also a party animal and currently mastering the art of working with a hang over!

Technically Hayley is my replacement while on maternity leave, you can imagine my surprise when I found out she was overseas. She's back now and dealing with all of the lovely customers that frequent our store. At Christmas it was getting a little too much for her so I made her a jar for "Ashes of problem customers" (just like I saw at my tailors).

She really is that hard working person and one of my favourite team members to have working along side me.

No. 83 - GONZO

Gonzo was the horse that I learned to ride on.

I was one of those girls that loved EVERYTHING horses. My Nan bought me a jumper with a horse on the front and the same year she also bought me a "Caring for Horses" book, which is probably only something you can get in the rural town in which she lives (we also lived there at the time). It was a wonderful tool for someone so addicted to these creatures.

I'm not sure if it was before or after that particular birthday that I actually took up horse riding lessons. You will learn about my teacher in another of these posts, but today is dedicated to the horse. Gonzo was a white horse, I can't recall the breed. We formed a special bond and obviously I was confident riding him. I was sad when he became too small for me and I had to move up to Shadow (he's also another post).

Gonzo loved to eat the usual chaff but treats included sugar cubes, molasses and fruit sticks. Not only did I learn to ride him (through bush and in paddocks) but I learned to care for him too. Washing him, brushing him and cleaning his hooves. He was a girl's dream (and a parent's too because he wasn't mine to keep).

No. 82 - ELIZABETH

Elizabeth and I went to high school together. Liz is one of the kindest, smartest, dedicated and hard working people I know which is probably why I referred to her as my hero.

I remember that when we graduated from high school Liz was given a ring featuring a pearl as the "stone" by her parents. This was her reward for completing the past 12 years of education and I remember that that ring was so very special to Liz.

Unfortunately Liz is another person from my past that I haven't yet reconnected with on good old Facebook but I'm sure she's working her way up the ladder in a high profile career.

No. 81 - LAURIE

I worked with Laurie at a local grocery store. She was a few years older than me.

Laurie was probably the first person to horrify me by thinking I look much younger than I really am. I've come to expect it now. At the time I was about 19 and she thought I didn't look a day over 15. I'm obviously getting younger because last year someone else asked whether I was older than 15.

No. 80 - DI

Di is a local artist. She was instrumental in the week long workshops that I attended after winning a Minister's Award.

Di is your artist stereotype - not quite normal. I learnt a lot from her during the workshops and was happy she had the time to share her skills and knowledge with us. In particular I remember her teaching us about web pages and html coding. I thought it was super cool and I'm sure if I took it a little further I might have a smidge more understanding of that whole digital world out there.

No. 79 - ANNA

Anna and I worked together in the city. Actually we started on exactly the same day and did all of our training together. Anna had previously worked for the company so it was more of a "re-training" for her. Clearly that was good for me as she had some added tips that were always helpful.

Anna is a happy, bubbly person. Like many, she left the company well before me (technically I'm still there) and I loved it every time she came in because I liked to hear how happy she was in her new job.

Our role for the most part involved customer service. One day Anna was having a terrible time with a customer. The kind that no matter what she did the customer would still be yelling at her and treating her like utter crap. Anna said to me "Brooke, can you please take over". I did and the customer was better dealing with a new person. I always liked to take a lesson away from this kind of situation and that day Anna taught me that sometimes it's just better to remove yourself from the situation.

No. 78 - SAM

Sam was Katherine's boyfriend.

Sam used to play the guitar. He had lessons at the same place my brother did. In fact he was the session right before my brother. As scheming 9 year olds, Katherine and I decided the perfect night for her to stay at my place was the very same night of the week that my brother had his guitar lessons. Of course this was so we could go along and "accidently" run into Sam after his lesson. Clearly seeing him at school just wasn't enough for Katherine. After all it was the time of:

KC

4

SR

4

EVA

Can you totally see that written in pink and purple smelly pens everywhere?

No. 77 - ASHLEY & SCHREDER

Ashley & Schreder is my tailor. I like how snobby it sounds to say that I have a tailor, but despite the fact that they will make you a suit from scratch I just use them to get my pants taken up.

I have only used them a few times but really they are the best. It costs me $10 to get a pair of pants taken up. I'm not sure if that's the actual price or that's just what they charge me because they think I'm still in high school.

Most of those little stores in the walkways of shopping centres cost you at least $18 and you have to pin the pants yourself. At "my tailor" you go in, use the change room to get changed into your pants, they pin them up, you get changed back into your normal clothes, hand them the pants and come back usually sometime that day to pick up your new pants.

Of course I wish I could sew, but I do enjoy shopping knowing that those pants that are too long in the store will fit just right for an extra $10.

The staff are friendly too. I once had a 10 minute discussion over a purple pen with the man behind the counter. You can see they love what they do and appreciate their customers too. So much so that they have a little jar on the counter that says "ashes of problem customers". I've loved this jar for years! I made one around Christmas time for a friend who works in retail that had been having a hard time with customers of late. It's just perfect.

No. 76 - NORM

Norm and I worked together in the city.

Norm is one of those people that believe in customer service. Working in retail is a lot about that balance of serving customers and getting your work done too. It's often the tale that there aren't enough staff to get the jobs done, so customer service lacks. In Norm's case it was the other way round, which as a customer can be a good thing.

Norm often got in trouble for working the way he believes things should be done. So much so that I feel he was treated poorly. I believe in treating others the same way you would want to be treated yourself. Everyone in life is different and obviously that translates into the workplace. Some people require you to work differently with them to inspire the best in them and that's one of the things I loved about working with so many people from all walks of life.

No. 75 - PETER

Peter and I met at uni. Remember on day 48 when I told you I worked on a film about a scary mortician that ate his customers? Well, Peter wrote and directed that film.

Working with someone on a film, especially one that is their own vision is a pretty good way to get to know them. Peter was always fun and easy going but working with him showed that he is also dedicated and very hard working. In fact at uni a lot of the people that you would now expect to be, shall we say famous in the film world are no longer working in the industry. I believe Peter however, still has his finger on that pulse.

No. 74 - HEATHER

I read quite a few blogs of varying themes and have only 3 blogs listed on my "favourites" tab, Heather's is one of those.

The main reason Heather is on my list is because she was the one who inspired me to start our Friday Movie Nights. It sounds simple enough, sitting down to watch a movie every Friday but really the change to our life, something so simple has made, is one I'm grateful for.

We used to find that our weekends weren't long enough, and that come Monday we weren't feeling relaxed and refreshed, ready to start the new week. At the time we both worked in the city and some Friday nights we would stay back for dinner and possibly a movie. We found that doing something on Friday night made our weekend feel so much longer.

Our next issue was, that by the end of the week we are too tired to always go out (and the budget couldn't handle it anyway). Most of the time we just felt like sinking into the couch and doing nothing but watch a movie, which was something we sometimes did all weekend long. Obviously come Monday on those particular weeks we felt like sloths and disappointed in ourselves for not doing anything over the weekend (clearly this was before Brian). As you can see our lifestyle was really calling out for movie night, so our official Friday Movie Night was born.

Now, although we have missed a few Fridays and the snacks are rarely related to the movie (because I'm so disorganised), Friday Movie Night is keeping us sane in more ways than we care to admit. It's this change in our lives that I'm happy Heather helped me find.

No. 73 - PENNY

I'm not quite sure how I came to know Penny, or why my parent's thought it a good idea for me to spend the afternoon at her place.

At the time Penny was in her teens and not exactly the best role model for someone a few years younger. My only recollections are that her house was huge, I think she owned horses and that we sat in her room as she randomly cut bits out of her hair and filed her fingernails into points.

No. 72 - FAMILY OUTINGS

Not too long ago my family decided that once a month we would have a major family outing. Shane and I were both in high school at the time and Dad and Mum were busy working during the week, so it was a great idea to keep us close and let our hair down.

I think the "official family outing" idea only lasted for one month but we talked about our one outing many more. Go-karting was our adventure and it was clear from the way we reminisced about our day it was super fun for all.

I missed out on the first lap and consequently the "how to work the kart" and more importantly "how to stop it" lectures. My lap ended with me driving up to the two rows of go karts and slowing down. When it became clear I wasn't going to stop I steered towards the gap the two rows formed. Luckily one of the instructors helped me out at the last minute, after a little crash.

No. 71 - STEPHEN

Stephen was one of our next door neighbours over 20 years ago!

Stephen and his sister Jessica are older than my brother and I so it felt special when we got to play with them. I don't know too many kids that enjoy playing with younger kids. Stephen had a bike with trick pegs on it and Shane was able to ride around standing on those.

Our families would regularly get together for meals and drinks, so the trudge through the two vacant blocks to one another's house was made often. In fact I made that walk with my roller skates in one hand and a bottle of sauce in the other, with a freshly broken arm.

Stephen's family was very much into river life, particularly water skiing. I remember going back to visit them some years later and realising that their "huge" boat wasn't the ship I remember it to be.

Possibly on the same trip, Stephen decked my brother out in his hockey gear. At the time we didn't know he would someday win gold for Australia.

No. 70 - AMIE

Amie is Kevin's cousin, his Mum's sister's daughter.

As with most of Kevin's family I haven't had the privilege of spending much time with them. Amie is happy, fun and stylish. It's very easy to be jealous of her perfect hair = )

I remember running into Amie and her family in the parking lot while they were picking out a Christmas tree in 2006. Choosing a tree is something I had never experienced but have seen quite a lot in movies. I must say that it was a surprise to see that the event was just as magical and exciting as they make it seem on screen. I think I credit Amie for making me feel the magic that day. An Australian Christmas is so different from a white Christmas that it's easy to lose the spirit that is the season. Seeing someone who is no longer a child exude that magic was wonderful to watch and very inspiring.

Thanks Amie for making me see that the magic of Christmas doesn't end when you are an adult.

No. 69 - EMILY

Emily Falconbridge is a famous scrapbooker. We have never met and I wouldn't even say we are friends. I'm one of her many blog readers and am thankful she blogs.

Emily is one of the wonderful bloggers that encourages interaction and she won't hesitate to answer your questions. I love that I get a glimpse into her life and I love to see how Emily and her family embrace the natural side of life.

Some of my favourite of Emily's posts have been the scrapper's habitat, sharing her Christmas list for her children (including her budget), and her open and honest posts about the birth of her children.

No. 68 - SUE

Sue was for a short time our next door neighbour, and the buyer of our first house.

When Sue moved in next door to us we realised that it might be time to capitalise on our investment, so we begun the big clean up. We introduced ourselves to our new neighbour and apologised for the mess she could see in the garage. We also happened to mention it was because we were considering selling. Instantly Sue's eyes lit up. Her best friend's had joked that she should throw rocks on our roof to get us to move out as they liked the area. Within a few minutes Sue called her friends and they were interested. A few inspections and a lot of phone calls followed. Eventually Sue's friends had to pull out, it was bad timing for them. Sue saw the potential and ended up buying our house.

We always try to buy a house that will someday make us a profit, I guess that's what we all want. I'm thankful that Sue helped us achieve that, and minus the real estate agent fees too!

No. 67 - JAMES

James (I hope I've remembered his name correctly) was my driving instructor. I'm sure Dad would say he is a very brave man.

Clearly driving is one of those things that we easily take for granted. I'm thankful to James for teaching me the skill and although I'm sure he wont ever be reading this he might like to know that I still have his voice in my ear every time I cross a railroad and parallel park. And no, I don't parallel park on the railroad!

No. 66 - TRISH

Trish is the Mum of one of my brother's footy friends. Thus someone we used to see weekly.

I hadn't seen Trish in a very long time until fairly recently when we were at my parent's local shopping centre. I felt special to know that she just couldn't resist meeting Brian. She's a lovely lady.

No. 65 - ALEX

Alex is the head of the Queensland division of a film school that provides a lot of support to local industry.

I'm grateful to have people around like Alex. On occasion she met with me for career advice and guidance. She also interviewed me for a role that would have been a bit of a dream job (not freelance) for me many years ago. I wasn't successful but was happy for the chance to apply. Success in the film industry relies a lot on networking and it's great that people like Alex make the process easier.

No. 64 - RUSSELL

Something I don't like to brag about, yet something I think Kevin enjoys telling people in his "I'm so proud" voice = ) is that I have worked with Russell Crowe. My biggest claim to fame happened in mid 2002 when Russell directed a film clip for his wife Danielle Spencer.

I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of working with someone so famous. There are certainly advantages and pitfalls. One advantage is that a signature can sometimes turn a situation around. One disadvantage is paparazzi. They will break laws to get photos and that's not good for anyone.

No. 63 - DOCTOR

I don't know the name of this Doctor, but he is the one that decided Brian's birth date. The best recollection of this story can be found here.

I'll leave it at that as it tells you all I wanted to say.

No. 62 - NIKKOLA

Nikkola and I went to high school together.

One of my most memorable moments with Nikkola was our work on a school project. I'm pretty sure it was for an accounting class, which is kind of weird seeing as we did some baking! I don't recall the parameters of the assignment but it involved coming up with a product or company. I don't think actually making your product was required but going that extra mile always made oral presentations so much better! I always went for the "grab your attention beginning".

Nikkola's product was a chocolate bar which had everything in it from chocolate to wafers and sprinkles. I made two flavours of icecream, one was butterscotch - which I made from scratch in the microwave, it was soooo divine I can't even remember the other flavour. I don't know what our marks were but I didn't have to take any icecream home with me.

I think for the same assignment we also did a commercial. It was at a time that NO ONE had video cameras so it was new for me to be using one. I remember panning the camera across Nikkola's living room and us singing the intro. Nikkola wasn't too shy to tell me that I can't hold a note! Nothing's changed.

No. 61 - DAN

Some 365 posts come easier than others, Dan's is one of those. He's responsible for a memory I will never be able to forget, even if I tried.

Dan and I went to uni together. He wrote and directed a film called The Tall Poppy, on which I was the Production Manager. It was about a "think I'm all that" kind of guy that went to an interview with his (insert more correct term here), shall we say "manhood" hanging out!

On a small crew the role of the Production Manager is really the "do everything" kind of job. And one sunny afternoon I had to head off on a little trip to the sex shop with 3 guys....I know, how fun =( What would such a classy film be without the appropriate prop? So here I was, young innocent me, never having stepped foot in this kind of store before, wondering where exactly I should put my eyes. The guys, being guys had no trouble at all, picking up and joking about with the biggest and apparently bestest of everything.

The decision was made and Dan and one of the other guys went to the counter to pay. Once the transaction had gone through the guy behind the counter said "have a nice weekend boys", to which Dan, who had obviously never bought this kind of thing before, replied "oh no it's not for us, we are making a film"! Cause that line just made it so much more right?!?!

No. 60 - MRS TANAKA

Mrs Tanaka is Mr Tanaka's wife and Mum of my friend Hiromi.

There is three main things I admire about Mrs Tanaka. One, she's a great housewife. Mrs Tanaka made caring for the kids (now adults) and making yummy bentos and fancy dinners look effortless.

While this may not be the case anymore, when I stayed with the Tanaka's, Mrs Tanaka, like many Japanese housewives kept house while her husband worked and lived away from home during the week. Mr Tanaka would come home on weekends. I can only imagine the strain this would put on a marriage, the children and daily life. I think it takes a strong patient person to life like that.

Thirdly I admire Mrs Tanaka for stepping out of her comfort zone. When I was staying in her home she made a tremendous effort to speak to me in English. I had been studying Japanese for about 5 years and wasn't confident enough to use it at much as I should have. Mrs Tanaka, who hadn't studied English at all, used more of it than I did Japanese, during my stay. It made me feel comfortable and when I think about shows just how much of a wonderful host she is.

No. 59 - DAD

The random number generator is starting to freak me out. Today is Dad's day, the day after we celebrated his 60th birthday. And he's No. 59 - the age he was only a few days ago. Freaky!

When writing a 365 post for those you most care about it's hard to know where to start. So I'm going to start at the beginning.

When telling a story, some people might say "before you were born...", but not my Dad. His favourite starting line for a story from long ago is "before you were a twinkle in my eye". His second favourite is "back when I used to have hair"....hehe.

If Dad and I had a song it would be "A Little Ray of Sunshine". It came about as Dad and my older brother Dallas were driving about town trying to find somewhere to eat. I had recently been born, in mid December, and as it was the holidays I believe a lot of places were closed. This song came on the radio and I guess the words spoke to Dad. It's nice to know I'm sunshine.

Here's the famous/infamous first day of school story. I get nervous, very nervous. Dad took me to my first day of school, I think because Mum knew I was nervous and Dad said something like "She'll be right. I'll take her". Well he never took me again because waiting outside to go in I said "I'm going to be sick". Dad said "No you're not". I said "I'm going to be sick". And before Dad could say "No you're not" one more time, I was sick!

When we lived in Melbourne, Dad had a vegie patch. He's had them most places we have lived but this one was special. We used to grow zucchini. I'm not sure exactly what I did to help the growing process but I do remember admiring how huge they got, and posing for a photo with Dad in the yard, both of us super proud of the home grown zucchini we were holding.

Through my teenage years Dad and I had a lot of arguments. It had a lot to do with my messy room, which he named "Chookuspigaramus" - my nickname is Chook (which you will hear more about in another 365 post). I think that it was after we moved back in with my parents (when the landlord sold our first home), that I begun to realise how much Dad and I were alike. I'm thinking that might have been a major reason for our arguments. Now our similarities just mean that we love to chat about kitchen appliances over a nice Thai lunch. Or we look at Brian and feel sorry for him for inheriting our "sweat like crazy" genes.

Dad is good with people. He always knows what to say and my family and I are proud of that fact. I remember sitting in the car with Shane and Dallas, I can't remember why or where we were going, but we were all talking about Dad and saying that we love his nack for choosing the right words and his problem solving abilities. It's a great memory because you could really feel the love and appreciation for him in what we were saying and most importantly how we were saying it.

Dad is also Kevin's problem solving go to man. Some days when Kevin comes home from work and he's got some major controversy he can't get on the phone to Dad fast enough. Obviously he prefers when the major issue happens on a weekend because they can then discuss it over a nice steak and a glass of red!

I believe that our car conversation also covered Dad's working life. As a youngster I never aspired to have the same career as my Dad. (Notice how I avoided mentioning exactly what he does/did? The truth is I have no idea how to describe it.) Now, I would love to have even half the career that my Dad has. He's top of his field. He knows everyone you need to and people want him for his knowledge and experience. I think that's the kind of role and career that most people aim for, but many rarely achieve.

Dad is my go to cooking guru. He loves the colour green and has every shade known to man, in all kinds of places from the letterbox to his wardrobe. All three of us love to spend time with Dad, he is fun, great for advice - even better on payback advice, and like us enjoys good food - and wine, hey Kevin?!

We don't have many friends but we are super happy that Dad (and of course Mum) are among our best.

Love you Dad.

No. 58 - VANJA

Vanja (or Vee as most people call her) and I met at uni.

One thing I remember about Vanja is that she always looked comfy cosy. Maybe it was all those crazy hour film shoots we were on. She's also an avid cat lover.

If my memory serves me correctly I also think that Vanja was present when my Picnic chocolate bar got stuck in the vending machine. It was sheer disaster. Luckily the storeman had a coat hanger and fished it out for me!

Vanja is also famous for using the word "meh".

No. 57 - AARON

Aaron is my cousin, my Dad's sister's son.

Most of my memories of Aaron are when he was younger than Brian is now (19 months). I will never forget going back to visit our family, and Shane and I being absolutely shocked that Aaron could talk. It wasn't unexpected, he was about 8!! He could walk and ride a bike too, but I think there is something special about hearing someone's voice. It's an instant lesson on who they are.

Often I wish I could live both the city and country life, but it's hard to be in two places at once. My Nan raves about Aaron. He sounds like a fun-going but hard-working responsible adult. Way to make me feel old cuz!

No. 56 - REG

Reg is my late Pa's (Mum's Dad) brother.

I have only met Reg once and to me I felt like I was meeting a superstar. Sitting in the car, waiting to go inside to my Pa's funeral I looked over to my right. In a car, two parks down, was a man that was almost the spitting image of my Pa. I said to Dad at the time, "that HAS to be Reg".

An incident many years before, meant that I would never see my Pa and his brother together. In fact I'm not even sure my Mum had that privilege either. I took for granted that my Pa had family other than the ones I knew. I took for granted that there was a man out there that had the same slanted eye, same wavy hair and same hands as my Pa. Maybe it's the fact that I appreciate that Brian has the same thumbs as Kevin that makes me think this kind of thing is special. I guess it's a visible form of history.

No. 55 - ANITA

Anita is an Australian singer. Back when Britney Spears was by no means trashy, I worked on a music clip for Anita who reminded a lot of us of a punked and more adult version of Britney.

Most people are on my list because I've learnt some kind of lesson from them or I'm thankful for an experience they gave me. Anita showed me what it was like to work with a demanding client. I'm not bagging her for it, I'm thankful for the experience.

I was sent to get sashimi that wasn't eaten, and me, who doesn't drink had to take a trip to the liquor store to get some champagne. I even got to use the "make it cold quick" machine!

No. 54 - RACHAEL

I'm a firm believer that you have to take both the ups and the downs that life throws at you. So I'm embracing the good, the bad and the ugly with this 365 journey.

Rachael was to be our wedding celebrant. At the time she was possibly Brisbane's most popular celebrant, even the celebrant of choice for media personalities.

One week before our wedding, we went to her house for a rehearsal. We had had a long relationship with Rachael through Kevin's visa application process, so this was hardly the first time we had met. After we had finished the rehearsal we sat down, paid her part of our fee and then she told us that she would probably be about 30 minutes late to our wedding. What?!?! I know!!

The excuse was that she had another wedding that was across town and it would take her some time to drive to our wedding. We had had her booked for months and it really wasn't right for her to take another booking that would jeopardise our time slot. I can't recall what we said to her that day as we were flabbergasted. Obviously we weren't happy!

Later that evening we came to the realisation that we could no longer have her share our special day. We gladly ditched her (never to re-coup the money mind you) and began the mad search for someone, anyone, to marry us. Talks with other celebrants revealed that she would often book weddings VERY close together. Even that she had been known to walk from one wedding to the next, literally through a hedge at a particular Brisbane wedding venue that could cater for more than one wedding at a time.

This is one memory I would prefer not to have to revisit. I am so happy that we did what we felt was best, so that we could concentrate on having a wonderful day. A wonderful day that is coming up to 8 years ago!

No. 53 - PREP ART TEACHER

1986 was the year I started school. I only attended this school for one year as we moved, but I can still remember the art room.

I have no recollection of the teacher, except an inkling that she was the art teacher stereotype, a little on the weird side. The room was long and slender. It would be funny to go back because I'm sure it's not as big as I recall. I think there were long work benches on the left and student benches and stools on the right. The windows meant the room was bright and there were french glass doors at the back of the room, maybe also down one side of the room. Kind of like a glasshouse.

I remember clay being something we played with quite a lot. Especially, cutting clay with a piece of string. There must be something about getting your hands dirty that is creatively inspiring.

I'm sure, tucked away in her dresser drawer, my Mum has a piece of my art created in that room. Maybe I'll blame this teacher and that room for my love to create. Really though, I would like to thank them, because that's a part of me I love.

No. 52 - NETBALL

We all have a sport we played when we were young, mine was netball. Moving meant that I played on a couple of different teams in two separate states. The first team I was on was probably my favourite. I can't recall how we did in finals but I remember the coach and feel that she was there because she wanted to be. Under her wing it felt like we were there to have fun, stay fit and play a little.

My other team was quite different, as it tends to be in the older age groups. With this team it was more about winning, and we did take home a grand final win one year, but it wasn't as much fun. Maybe that's why I didn't continue.

No. 51 - CATHERINE

Catherine is one of the Playgroup Mums. I first met her through another Mum friend at a "solids" class.

The second time I saw Catherine, she walked through the door of Playgroup and saved me. I had seriously been considering finding another group as, at the time all of the other kids were much older than Brian and Playgroup numbers were dwindling, in fact one week it was only another Mum and I that turned up. I think that Catherine's appearance was almost a "changing of the guard" for our Playgroup. Since then we have gone on to have so many people that we now have a waiting list!

Catherine's son Zeke was active from day one, and a typical boy. I always enjoy stories of the mischief he gets up to and every time I see him I think he looks like he's about 6 years old, he left the toddler stage months and months ago!

No. 50 - MRS. R

Mrs. R was my forth grade teacher. I have two distinct memories of her. One, when she told us that Roald Dahl had died and two, the chocolate experiment.

I remember that most of the classes came together for the chocolate experiment. We were sitting in a large room and were asked to close our eyes. One of the teachers read us a story or a sensory piece. It was about chocolate, describing the smell, etc. We were asked to imagine the chocolate and eventually if we could smell it. We all could.

To this day I don't know how they did it. Did they bring chocolate into the room for us to smell or was it our imaginations? I know there are a couple of students out there that know the truth as some of the favourites got to help out with the experiment. Isn't it great when childhood memories stay with you as the same magical memory/experience they always were?