ashthomas.net

Hi All,
It’s the end of the day and i thought i would just put up a posting as i have been very slack the last couple of weeks! Like i said, no real excuse just been flat out with work…who would have thought!! Definatly not me!

So had some good news in regard to work with my boss recommending for an opening on one of the editorial teams..it’s only very very early days yet, but hey, if they know i’m interested then it’s a start! Imagine that – Ash Thomas Jnr. Editor for Insurance Times! hahaha!! But kinda exciting aswell!!

I have been typing up letters for the Boxing News so am up to date with all of Kostya’s boxing achievements while i am over here – not that i have ever had any interest in boxing before…I do know that there is a real appreciation for it and the fans are very very passionate about the sport. Some of the people that write in i feel like i know as they write in rather regularly and their personalities shine through their illiterate letters. Mr S Olumbagus seems to think that ‘AS’ is actually ‘HAS’ – makes for a very interesting letter i can tell you!! Sometimes i think i am just making stuff up as i can not make out what they say – the editors of BN must read my interpretations and have a giggle!!
Am loving everyone i work with and feel like i have really settled in, i had monday off this week and on tuesday i was told that they missed me and i wasn’t allowed to take another day off – not sure if thats a good thing or a bad!!

On other news, the Finners crew and myself are all doing different things this weekend. Shaun and Bri will be around but everyone else is off and about. However, the weather is meant to be superb ( shoooosh don’t say it too loud or the rain clouds will hear and spoil my fun). Tops of 25 degrees on sunday!! Can’t wait – plan on finding a very grassy knowl to sit on and chill!!
Am house hunting with Shaun and Nic Metham on Sat morning which shall be interesting. My lax attitude is wearing thin and have realised i actually need to LOOK at places in order to see what they are like!! heh!

What else?
Think that’s about it!!
This week has gone a bit slow, but tomorrow is finally Friday and we are off for surprise drinks after work ( a new game we play – we are all designated a friday night and we have to decide where we all go but not allowed to tell until 9am on friday…small things!) and with my new hair ( i finally got rid of minging red, its now a nice deep choccie brown) i’m up for a good weekend!
Hope you are all well
Walkom- you are a sweatheart, thanks for the night night text
Sherbs – email coming your way soon re: long weekend!!
Nic – email coming your way too!! have been slack i know!!
Em- OC – need i say more?
Carla and Jayne – see you so soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scotti – thanks for the stuff! Had a good coversation with a guy at work who had read the book – seems to make an impression on everyone! Can’t wait to get stuck into it!!
ok i guess thats all from me…sitting here listening to NOVA through my computer..bit of Missy..awwwwww
will take loads of pics this weekend and get them up next week!
oxxo
Ash Thomas
(Jnr. Ed. Ins. Times)

Hello!!
Yes i am still alive!! Have just been busy and not had time to put anything up!!
Sorry!!
But basically there is not that much to report. Last week was relativly quiet, met up with my new friend Sarah from Manly and had drinks with her and Nic Metham, had a very hectic day on friday and was very looking forward to a weekend of doing not much at all.
Had friday drinks at Temple Walkabout with the Finners Kids, another night where photographic reminders was needed the following day! I took my self home after some very lethal shots and didn’t get out of bed til midday! ahh bliss!!
On sat i met the others at the Borough Markets which is basically a food market. So good, and so many things to chose from to eat! Ended up going for something a little too gourmet and was disappointed!
Went back to Finners house and cooked up my famous chicken and mush risotto for everyone and we just chatted and watched vids til 3 in the morning. Went home to watch OC on sunday then round to the Summer of Fun girls house for a bbq and some drinks. We are so very excitied about the tour and we are getting t-shirts made up for it. My nickname for the tour is ‘dotnet’ – am such a geek!!

They don’t celebrate ANZAC day over here and although i had the MOnday off and all intentions of going to the 5am dawn service, i had no one to motivate me to get up. I set my alarm and woke at 3:30 but it was too miserable and cold. So snuggled back down and slept til 7:30. Had to go and get my insurance number and then went and saw Caryn as she is unwell – we watched OC repeats!! ahh love it!

So thats it really – we have a long weekend this weekend. So i think everyone is doing something different as we are all a bit strapped for cash. I will be house hunting ( Jayne – was a tad to hungover to be scrutinizing shower pressure) and then it’s Max’s birthday so will be going out with them on Sunday. No doubt it will be a fun night!

Hope everyone is well!!
and i promise to be more attentive to the website this week!!
xxxxx

ME!!!!!!!
Yes that’s right, it’s been THREE WHOLE MONTHS since i left the sunny shores of sydney!!
My how the time flies!! Can’t believe it myself!!

Well thats really it from me today!

Mum and Dad – hope all is well, haven’t heard from either of you this week, so will try and call this weekend!
Em – hope the foot gets better soon
Scotti – hope your feeling better soon!!
Everyone else – hope you are all well and dandy!!
Miss you all!!

Hello!!
Yes i know it’s only Wednesday and I’m writing up another entry, but last night we went to The 100 Club on Oxford St to see Dane’s mate, Renny play.
It was so good!!
The 100 Club has heaps of musical history and was a really cool place for the gig. Dark, dingy and red lighting made it feel very old school jazz. The stage was set up with only a grand piano and a stool. There was quite a crowd and through the murmers of conversation, the distinct twang of the aussie accent was well and truly there! I was so happy for Renny to have such a good crowd!
The supporting act was a Menai girl called Alana Lee, she was absolutly excellent. Chans, Obie Bri and myself were simply mesmerised by her! She just played the piano and was accompanied by a violin for some songs. It was just excellent. We approached her after and Chan’s bought her CD, i would have only i have no money!! I will be adding her website to my links if you want to check it out!
Renny was playing acoustic and by himself and he was fantastic!
He has a very Whitlams-ish sound, in the actual music itself and also the lyrics. He just sang about stuff that was normal everyday stuff and made it sound so good. There were a few tributes and some stuff from his new album which will be coming out later this year. I highly recommend you all go and see him, his website is www.rennyfield.com and he plays at The Brass Monkey quite frequently, so get down there and have a listen. He is seriously talented and is sure to a big thing soon!!

It was a late night considering it was a school night, but i was so happy for everyone to come along and support him! So thanks to the Finners group who all made an effort – and for the PizzaExpress team, loved how corporate we were!!

Well better get back to the exciting world of a receptionist!!
xxx

…we honestly didn’t pay much attention!!
ha!

So it’s Monday morning again….
Where does the weekend go??

Well i must say we had a fairly civilised weekend. Friday night i went for drinks after work and then headed off to meet up with “The Regulars” at Oxford Circus. The cold front had definatly set in and there was a bit of snow as i ventured off to the tube!
The Regulars were at a bar called Bar Logic and it was happy hour. Because i was a little late, everyone else was pretty much on their way, so Nic Metham and myself went and found a lovely little place in downtown Green Park. It was called Europas and it was this little italian restuarant in a side street near the Ritz ( The Ritz was our first choice of course, unfortunatly they had stopped serving dinner – or that’s what they told us!)!
After a yummy dinner and a great bottle of red it was time to call it a night.
Went home, had chats with Merle then off to sleep…
A lovely sleep in on Saturday and then it was off to Hammersmith for shopping and lunch.
Our weekly trip to Primark ( and cheap cheap cheap shop, would give supre a run for it’s money!! but they have great stuff! love it!) was again successful and i found the most AMAZING pair of cowboy boots…ON SALE!!! We then made our way to The Old Ship which is on the Hammersmith river. It was so lovely. Sat upstairs and outside and just ate good food ( salmon and risotto) and drank some beers while watching the rowers go by. Was very similar to Drummoyne area for those of you who would like a visual!
Went back to The Finnsbury Park house and watched DVD’s til it was time for me to schlepp back home.
Now, because there are so many people in London, I have never really feel scared or alone when traveling by yourself. Until that night.
Shaun walked me to Arsnel tube ( very gentlemanly like – thanks shauny!) where there was not another single soul on the platform. I swear it was like out of a scary movie… Em – i had the whole entire script planned in my head, the only problem was that i was scaring myself!! Finally a tube came ( and when i say finally, it was about a 3 minute wait..) and i jumped on. The carriage was not full, but there were a few people about. The next stop three drunk kids got on and were just mucking about…the next stop a group of about 15 guys jumped on the carriage next to ours except for one guy who was on ours. He walked up to the end so he could talk to his mates through the windows between the carriages. The drunk kid wouldn’t let him pass and the next thing i knew, they were fighting and pushing and by the time we got to the next stop the 15 others had come around and were belting the living day lights out of this kid.. i was SO scared!!!!! The guy opposite me got up and broke it all up and the doors closed and it was all ok… but my goodness! what an experience!
Finally got home to safe ol’ Acton and felt content and safe once again!
Sunday i went back to Finsbury Park and watched The OC ( could the show get anybetter!!), sat on the balcony enjoying the rays of the sun…it was lovely!!
We went to Shepard Bush walkabout for a bit of a Northie afternoon… dancing ( or some pretty interesting interpretations of it), singing and 2 for 1 VB’s had as all feeling very happy. Everyone became very elusive and before i knew it i was on the bus going home at a very reasonable hour of 8pm.
So that it from me.
Thanks for the quick chat this morning Nic, we will arrange for a better one this weekend ok!!
Em – work place injury…what the?
Mum, Dane, Grandma and Pa and Christine – great to have a chat with you all, and glad to hear Mum is getting some old fashion medicine!
Dad – will call you this week!!

Everyone else hope you are well…
Oh and TableEighters…can’t believe they have banned access to ashthomas.net – might have to have a word with Bernie!!
ok love from me!!
*MWAH*

Well it’s another cold and miserable day here in bustling London… the rain seems to have set it, and makes you want to just curl up infront of the tellie and watch OC re-runs! heh!
This week has gone very very slow, not sure if its just because it’s cold…chances are it is.
The house has been so cold aswell, which makes for a restless night – at the moment i have a duna, blanket and sleeping bag keeping me warm!! There is something wrong with the heaters, which we are trying to get sorted.
The washing machine kicked it in, and the place is a tad more filthy than the norm. I think it calls for a message on the fridge to my house mates!!

Caught up with Max and Caryn last night which was really nice. Had a yummy dinner and a great chat with caryn, catching up on all the goss from their two weeks in Sydney. Saw photos from Gram’s 90th – are we seriously related to some of those people Dad? ummm Brody??????
Looked like it was a great day, got a bit teary when i saw the grandchildren photo… hopefully dane can superimpose me on there somehow!!
Got a lovely bundle of things from Mum and Grandma…love the skirt!!!!! it’s just so me and so beautiful… it’s a little bit big as i’ve dropped a bit of weight, but big belts are in and i will be wearing one with it! The pj’s and other tops are great! You both did very well!!
And thanks for the ponds tinted moisturiser…it really is the little things…

This weekend no doubt there will be drinks and food, so i will inform you of it all next week. No special occasions though…
The “crew” here are all looking forward to going to Renny’s gig on tuesday Dane!! i got a whole posse coming with me!! We’ll be the screaming aussie’s up the front!!
ok hope all is good with everyone
Mum – can not believe you are back in hospital… it really must be “missingashavitis”, i’ll try and give you a call tonight.
xxx