I am feeling a little bit tired - I had a busy weekend.

Firstly, at the moment it's all about the ballet concert. Every year at this time things get a little manic as we are thrown into a whirlwind of extra rehearsals, costumes, ticket-buying and photos. This year Alana's ballet class is doing Swan Lake - hence the photo above. THIS IS NOT HER, but her costume is fairly similar, and they have learnt the actual choreography of the traditional ballet! In addition, Alana has been chosen to be one of the four cygnets (baby swans) who dance their own special bit. Even if you know nothing about ballet, you probably know the dance of the cygnets. It's that one in which the four dancers cross and hold hands in front. The one that everyone tries to imitate. Quite the honour!

This weekend she had rehearsal on Saturday and photo day (in full costumes and makeup) on Sunday. We also had to make a quick trip to our nearest Bloch store to pick up a few bits and pieces, including brand new ballet slippers (the old ones had been painted so many times I think they had more paint than leather on them!).

Secondly, one of my flute students had her 4th grade exam today. Saturday was her last lesson and Sunday afternoon we travelled to Sydney to stay with my parents overnight because the exam was being held 9am in AMEB headquarters and we didn't want to have to leave home before dawn to get there! My Mum and Dad were super hospitable feeding us and putting us up for the night, as well as driving us into the city this morning and dropping us right out the front of the building.

Good news - my student got a solid pass in a technically challenging exam. Smiles all 'round!

So that's me for now...

My current favourite song!

Awful Library Books

Each time I sign in to my blog, I cast my eye down my blog list to see what all my blogging friends are writing about. There are a few blogs that are my favourites, that are not-to-be-missed. When they have a new post, I check it out straight away, because I'm sure to be entertained and informed.

One of my current faves is Awful Library Books. The title speaks for itself, and I usually see something laugh-out-loud funny. The comments are always great too.

Why don't you visit it today?

Jobs, High School and the Twilight Saga.

1. I have just posted another job application. No luck (so far, and it's been a while so I'm not holding my breath) with the other two that I applied for earlier in the month. This one is local (tick), part time (tick), and as part of the local public library team (just what I want). However, the hours are challenging (5 - 9.30am Tuesday to Friday), and I wouldn't actually be working in the library, but manning a book stall at the local train station as a service to commuters. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a fabulous service to the community (and before this job came up I didn't even know it existed). However, I don't think it's really my dream job! I'd prefer to be in the library, working with a team, and with the opportunity to extend my skills and use my abilities in many different areas of library work including story time for preschoolers, the virtual library (particularly online resources for school students) and reference work. I think that the Book Express job would be limited to checking out adult fiction. But it would be a foot in the door. And simply getting my resume into the hands of the people responsible for hiring at the library is a good start. I really hope I get an interview!
2. The whole family went to the parent information evening at Alana's high school last night. Alana was fortunate (and talented!) enough to gain a place at an academically selective high school in our area. Last night was a precurser to Thursday week's orientation day, to prepare the 180 students that will be entering Year 7 next year (and will be the class of 2015!). We got lots of information about travel passes, uniforms, book packs, joining the P&C, and how to overcome "homework shock"! I'm starting to realise what a big deal it is to have your oldest child start high school. Any advice from parents that have "been there, done that" will be received gratefully!
3. I'm re-reading Eclipse. I know, I know, it's not literary gold, but I can't help myself! After seeing New Moon at the movies I just had to continue with the story!

Double Review Day

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Borrowed from my local public library.

**** "Enjoyable"

I have learnt by now that I enjoy the genre known as "popular science", which I presume means science written for the non-academic reader. I like finding out about stuff! This book sees Bryson take the reader on a tour of everything that is currently known about the universe, the Earth, and life on Earth.

Starting with an explanation about what scientists currently believe about how the universe began, Bryson introduces us to the unimaginable scale of everything science related. The enormous size of the universe is balanced by the truly teeny tiny size of its constituent parts. For instance, if we were to draw a picture of the solar system to scale, with the Earth reduced to the size of a pea, Pluto would be two and a half Kilometres distant! And a typical atom has a diameter of 0.00000008 centimetres, or eight one hundred millionths of a centimetre! But even more amazing, most of this diameter is actually empty space, with the nucleus of the atom occupying only one millionth of a billionth of the  total volume. Unbelievable!

Bryson also discusses evolution, ice ages, extinctions, and the rise of homo sapiens. I found it genuinely fascinating, and recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.

Since finishing uni for the year, I've had plenty of time for reading, so I can treat you to another review.

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris.

Borrowed from my local public library.

*** "Readable"

Real Murders is the first in the Aurora Teagarden mystery series by Charlaine Harris. Since I really enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse series, and also recently read, and loved, one of the Harper Connelly books, I thought I'd give this one a go.

Aurora Teagarden is a single 28-year-old librarian who lives alone in a townhouse in Lawrenceton, just out of Atlanta. She meets once a month with a group of like-minded individuals, who share an interest in true crime. Each month they dissect a famous case in detail, trying to decide whether the police arrested the right person, or attempt to solve unsolved mysteries. Unfortunately the Real Murders club find themselves right in the middle of a real murder when Aurora finds the body of Mrs Wright bludgeoned to death in the kitchen of the club's meeting place just as a meeting was due to begin. Before long the dead bodies and murder weapons are piling up, all of them with some connection to Real Murders club members, and all bearing striking resemblences to famous true crime cases.

Sounds promising, doesn't it? Unfortunately, it just didn't grab me. It's readable enough, but I don't think I'll be revisiting Aurora Teagarden in a hurry.