Happy Australia Day

Hi all, it was such a beautiful day to celebrate the landing of the First Fleet and the beginning of our country as we know it. It began as a scrumptious lunch at the in-laws and continued as a delicious BBQ in Clare for Justin's housewarming. Lots of food, sun, drinks and friends! Couldn't ask for much more to be honest.

Luckily for me I have had the last 2 days off creating a 5-day weekend. So I used one of the days to continue with wedding plans. I have booked my trial for my hair style, and for my wedding day. And I have ordered the 'wedding favours' and decided what I am doing in terms of place cards. Yay for progress! And Jesse has a lead on wedding cars too. Yay for him doing something!

So that is another thing I can check off my list. There are only 2 major things left to confirm - cars and honeymoon, yay!

I am very much looking forward to this weekend. Saturday will be a lovely day bridesmaid dress shopping for Rosie, and then lunch/dinner. Sunday is the Adelaide Hills Crush festival, and I have arranged with a group of friends to visit a few wineries and sample the food, wine and awesome company...can't wait!

Hope you all had a wonderful Australia Day too =)

Australian Taxation Office

As I work in an Accounting office, it is essential that I communicate with the the government body known as the Australian Taxation Office. There are always good days and bad days, and worse days, but lately they seemed to have dropped the ball in their service standards.

Lately I have followed up 3 separate clients who have not had their Notices of Assessments released, despite their returns been lodged back in September 2010, and despite numerous follow up phone calls. There was another case where we lodged a return in May 2010, and the client contacted me in August questioning where their refund was. Due the volume of returns we process we rely on the client to contact us if they haven't received their Assessment as there is no way to follow them up without creating a huge new workload and waste time. It took 4 escalations and the lodgement of a complaint before we received the refund, 5 months after the lodgement date.

And today another delay has been realised. Generally twice a year we print a report of all our clients and see who has and has not lodged the current year's return. We went through a listing, current as of 13 January 2011 which shows a tax return as outstanding which we know was lodged in September. Unfortunately, there are various others on the list we know were definitely lodged last year. And we keep getting phone calls following up outstanding debts for entities who are no longer clients, and we have lodged documentation as such.

I would like to know this: exactly how far behind are they in updating their records?

Holidays are over

Now for a change of pace...

Last week on Monday (the New Years public holiday), Mum, Dad, Sarah and Ali came over and helped make wedding invitations, and they look pretty awesome...probably because I didn't have much to do with the making, just the designing =P

Then on Wednesday, Mum and I saw the dressmaker and have figured out all of the alterations needed for my dress! After that we headed to McLaren Vale and visited the florist regarding the table decorations, and the chair covers and sashes. I need to get back in contact with them as, after speaking to the coordinator at the reception venue, I have changed my mind on what I want for the table decorations. And then on to Port Noarlunga for the cake, and that's all sorted, yay! I have used these places as they were included in the package Jesse and I have chosen.

So there are only a few more decisions to be made, and suppliers to be contacted: limousine hire, glass printing, and travel agent! It's actually all coming together quite nicely. In fact (fingers crossed I don't regret saying this) I don't understand why people would get so stressed about this, I've really not done all that much to organise everything.

Saturday Jesse's Grandma & Grandpa Sumner celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. It was lovely it catch up and meet other members of Jesse's family, and celebrate such a wonderful achievement. Hopefully Jesse and I will get there one day.

This week back at work has been as if I never left. Somehow I'm stressed and I think I caught a bit of what Ali had last week, and so I have a sore throat an ulcers on my top gum, yay =[

Oh, also, because he asked, shout out to Peter who admits to reading my blog, thank you =]

Natural Disasters

OK, so I was going to make this blog post about the productiveness of my last week of holidays, but I think I will take a moment to look at what is happening in my country.

In Vic/NSW we had summer snow over Christmas. In WA we have floods, and a bushfire destroying homes and livelihoods. In QLD we have floods, flash floods, and what has been described as an 'inland tsunami' making it's way further south towards NSW, damaging and even destroying anything in it's path, including the state's capital city. I have been following the flood news since it began back in late December, and all that seems to happen is it's getting worse. It keeps raining, and there doesn't seem to be any relief.

I would encourage those who would, to pray and give spiritual support to those who have lost everything. Also, here is a link if you would like to make financial support to help them rebuild everything when the waters eventually recede. http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

Happy New Year?

OK, so I'm sitting here, having just gotten out of bed. It's 11am on January 2 2011. So far this year I have achieved absolutely nothing. So perhaps I shall look back at 2010.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

Well, I suppose the obvious answer is agree to marry Jesse - I definitely haven't done that before! But I also went on a cruise for the first time too.

2. What countries did you visit?

Oooh, I actually have a great answer for this one. I visited New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands, and Vanuatu. Hopefully will be going back somewhere in the general area later this year.

3. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

Probably motivation and a bit more direction. That seems to be something that I lack in general. I've written about it before, I would like to write more of my novel. And also, a husband (but that will happen in April!)

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Planning most of our wedding with as little effort as possible. I know these last 4 months will probably require more effort than what I put in over the last 8 months.

5. What was the best thing you bought?

Easy - my wedding dress! =D

6. Whose behavior merited celebration?

There seems to be a theme here - Jesse's, when he surprised me and asked me to become his wife, in such a romantic way!

7. Whose behavior made you appalled and disgusted?

I'm not sure if appalled and disgusted are quite the right words, but there are a couple people whose behavior frustrates me. But I will not name who.

8. What do you wish you’d done more of?

As I've mentioned before - writing! (And probably planning of wedding...)

9. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Procrastinating, watching too much TV, whinging...oh boy, this list could go on

10. Who was the best new person you met?

Well, I didn't meet them in 2010, but I got to know them heaps heaps better - Ali darling!! Such a wonderful friend, shopping buddy, sexy time cook, and food-baby pregnancy twin! Oh the shenanigans!!