30th March: Crim shot

This afternoon I sat and passed my green P's licence. I know first hand about hazards, more so than I might have three weeks ago! As excited as I am with gaining this higher licence status, it has brought up a topic of thought.

"Why does the photo on your licence always make you look like a criminal?!"
-I was ready to turn to the side and hold up my number-

It is a known fact that I am not the most photogenic person around, and if there is someone who is going to get caught with there teeth looking at though they are jumping out of their mouth, it is me.

The 'example' I will have to carry around for the next two years has not changed my mind on the matter. Dozy/spaced out eyes, lips that show signs of a sneer, red face, plain miserable looking..
The picture never seems to be in focus either. I had wondered if others had noticed how the camera they use distorts reality.? (That is what I will tell myself)

Although I thought it best not to put up photos of my licence here, I did however go through my photos and found a classic example of what licencing photos come out like. Have a bit of a laugh at my (miserable-looking) expense....


(Yes, it looks as if I am ready to kill someone, ironically I was quite happy in this moment. Who'd've thought?)

16th March: In Its Own Time

My ticket for the Folk Festival arrived in the mail today. This brought with it a smile and a little skip in my heart. I have longed to go to this particular event for the past five years. I was determined to go, I ordered my ticket early so I wouldn't miss it again.
These sorts of things have a way of creeping up on you fast, that before you know it they have come and gone.

I have found it to be very true, that whether we realise it or not, everything happens when it is meant to. Often things we would like to do/see/buy are in the front of our minds while they are not happening. Than one day, without thinking about it you find yourself in the middle of the thing you had longed for, and you know if it had come earlier it wouldn't have been the right time. (Even though you ached for it to be so)

Do we try to understand things we are not meant to know.
Or plan our lives ahead of ourselves...

15th March: Car Selling 101

After spending two days looking around countless car yards I have decided it is a very good thing that you don't have to trust/like the man selling you the car.
I am not saying every car salesman is like this, but certainly all those I have met over this weekend.

This is my guide to selling a car..

Firstly I have found the new way to sell a car is to make sure you tell the buyer your name. (Now I have nothing wrong with knowing to whom it is you are speaking to, yet rushing over to you when your foot crosses onto the car plot is a little excessive.)

The second thing you must know to sell a car is to ask for a budget and make the buyer has in mind.

Following step two, you take them to the cheapest car in the plot, and show them how bad it is. Then proceed to show them to a car about $2,000 over their mentioned budget and tell them how great a car they could get if they 'pushed their budget' just a bit. (More like blow the budget out of the water!)

When you have finally showed them to a car they like, let them know that it belonged to a church-going man, that you have been driving it around for the past two weeks the drive being smooth, and how you have been unable to knock the car for its performance. Throw a price in the air -a little lower than is written on the windscreen-. Allow them, after taking a photocopy of a licence,to take it for a drive around the block.

Upon the buyers return, drop the bombshell that the boss is not happy with how cheap you have previously discussed, that price is the steal of the century and will last one day only.

If the buyer (your prey) brings up any 'flaws' they have come across in their drive and brief inspection. Deny, deny, deny.
Example:-
Them: There seems to be a bit of a tick in the engine, and a noise on the left wheel.
You: Is there? I've been driving it for two weeks and haven't heard a thing. That's the truth.
Them: Yeah, there is defiantly something wrong/in need of being fixed.
You: Well, I'm not a mechanic but I'm sure its only a barring or maybe a flat tire.
This method is tried and true.

Talk price a little more, the buyer at this time will be wanting a little time to think about things. Give him your card, even take their phone number; Tell them you will get a mechanic to look over the car, fix those MINOR problems, and talk to the boss again about the best deal you can offer them.

Give them a call an hour after their departure, tell them that you will fix everything up, but you would have to bump the price up from your initial offer. OR drive away as is, for cash, $100 cheaper than offered bargain.

That my friends is all you need to know to be a car-salesman.

3rd March: Miracle

This morning God sent me a miracle. 7ks from home, on a dirt road, taking my dog to the vet I lost control of my car went careering off the road. I came to stop between two rather large trees, either of which could have caused a lot more damage than did occur.
Although the car is beyond getting fixed, I (and my dog) walked away without a scratch.
I have never been in an accident before; the road upon which it occurred is a very quiet place, it was only after walking for nearly an hour that a car came along and dropped me off home.
I am amazed at how many things can flash through your mind in such a moment. I can clearly remember at least 15 different things I had been thinking at the time. Is it only in the event of a life threatening situation that we realise these things that our lives should be about..?
It would not be quite honest to make you think it was a serious accident. But it could have been. It certainly makes you realise that God is watching our lives, and keeping us safe. I have also been overwhelmed with the idea that He must have something in mind for me to do, that I haven't done yet.
When my Dad came up there with me to look at the damage later in the afternoon, he said "You know there is an Angel up in Heaven with skid-marks on his back that will want a word with you!" That somehow put it all in prospective for me.
We are here for a purpose. God has a plan for us, though we may never know the extent of what that is.

2nd March: The Cat Empire

Last night Mother, Brother and I went to see the Cat Empire live at the royal theater in Canberra. What a performance it turned out to be.

Our whole family are lovers of their music, and as much as I love all of their albums, getting to watch them preform live is nothing short of fantastic.



The vocal solos (by both Harry and Felix), the instrumental displays, and the charisma of them all working together, is enough to keep them in my favourite band list for many years.

I love that no matter what type of music one might normally like, there is somethings about the 'Cats' that keeps everyone entertained.

Post update...

Technical difficulties...

A quick note:
Over the past month I've been having a little trouble publishing my posts, some deleted themselves (certainly not of my own doing!). For some reason they would save ok, just not publish. A few did publish, much to my own surprise.
Though I seem to be having a bit more luck getting some of the up, so please scan through some of my older posts as they have only just been uploaded.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.
~Sarah-Mechelle~