Happy New Year - 2008 is here!!!!!

Wow - cant believe how fast that year flew past. It does get faster and faster the older you get.

We had a really fun New Years this year. Went to Number 8 Restaurant at Crown for dinner and they put on a great one. The tables were set out beautifully with big cocktail glasses as the centrepiece, there were top hats for the guys and fascinaters for the girls to wear, and all the streamers and whistles you could want to make as much noise as possible. We got to see the fireworks, as the restaurant has on outdoor section which is on Southbank.

Then we went back to Royce Hotel on St Kilda Road. Crown was fully booked, by the time we wanted to last minute book a hotel. And I thought it would be good to try a new 5 star hotel in Melbourne, since we are always at Crown. Well what a joke, I would rate that hotel 3.5 stars. For 5 different reasons.

1. Supposed to be valet parking available, but when we got there, no valet parking left. What the? Pat had to drive around St Kilda Road looking for a street parking. And the lady at Reception is like, 'This sides a 1 hour parking, that sides clearway..blah blah..'. So Im thinking, yeah well, if we cant park - we aint staying lady!!

2. Our room was suitable for disabled people. They should have let us know this in advance and we would not have made the booking. The reason for this is that the shower is low, so you can sit down. (People in wheelchairs). We couldnt have a shower the next morning,until we got home!!

3. No vanity in the bathroom, just a sink, not even any drawers - where the hell are you supposed to put your toiletries and cosmetics????

4. Ordered breakie for the morning. My eggs didnt arrive, only Pats. Had to call reception. There was no spoon for my cereal, had to use the teaspoon we used for the coffee.

5.On the breakfast order it says when you order tea, you get lemon and honey with it. I got a teabag and no lemon/honey. So I had to put water in the kettle we had in the room, fill it with water from the bathroom and make my own tea!!! When Im paying to get the tea already made. That really pisssssed me off, cos I was looking forward to it.

From a 5 star hotel - I dont think so. These things should not happen. Maybe Im being fussy, but I know how good 5star+ hotels work and this is not the way it is.

The owners should go to Dubai and learn from them. The best hotel we stayed in was the Jumerah Beach Hotel in Dubai. The service was immaculate and so was everything else. You were treated like royalty. Amazing!

OH and service wasn't great at all. Mehhh - my advice, dont go to Royce Hotel.

Anyway, enough silly ranting - heres the pics!

My sister made this dress. Steve Madden patent heels.

The table decorationAntipasto - Grilled whiting in tomato juice. Also had bread with caramelised onion dip and pesto dip. My main meal was an asparagus and grapefruit salad - didnt think it was worth taking a pic of. LOL

Handmade pumpkin raviolli with pinenuts and cant remember what else on top!

Goats cheese with cranberry paste, truffle oil and sultanas.

Raspberry tart, cream and semifreddo

The boys with the Cabaret dancers.

Mmmm. Jam donuts all round!

This New Year, I have a few things I want to happen.

Our new house to be finished firstly. I also really want to start Yoga but because of my work timetable all over the place working nights and mornings, its hard to get into any kind of routine. I just dont do any exercise what so ever, I can hardly move my ankles if I try and run! LOL They need to be oiled like the Tin Man or something.

I would love to go to Japan, but that depends on when our house gets finished. We also might be going to China, for Pats company for business, but thats not for sure yet.

I want to adopt a dog when we move into our new house, possibly a greyhound - they are very docile, gentle family dogs who require little exercise (perfect for me). Racing greyhounds are given up if they dont do well on the track or if they are at retiring age of usually 3-4.

www.greyhoundsafetynet.org will tell you more!

Dont care about advancing in my career, I would like to get pregnant at the end of this new year, and then goodbye working. Hahaha, I have never been the type to care about my career - dont know why, guess its not for everyone. Im not a competitive person at all, so maybe this has got to do with it. Being a mum is a full time job anyway, and thats fine with me!