6 Billion to 1 - Dave Gorman Style

Any of you who listen to Triple M's SheBang will understand the title of this one. The idea is that people ring in with tales of events or occurences in their lives that had a 6 Billion to 1 chance of ever happening.

Well, I love the SheBang, but I'm far too cheap and lazy to call in with this one.

Many of you will be familiar with Mr Shannon Courtney.

(Yes, that's the best photo I have)
If you were thinking Shannon was a girl's name, don't worry, you're not the first one. In fact, you'd be excused from thinking that Courtney was one too.

Shannon has several email addresses. He likes to make things difficult. Two years ago in fact, I (and it would seem Tiddy too) became confused and wrote emails to what we thought was Shannon's address. I was quite happy in that notion until I received a reply from someone else. A complete stranger....named Shannon Courtney. Although far from being male and South African, this one was female and Canadian.

You can imagine my surprise.

I forwarded on this information to Shannon (male), because it seemed like something he too would find amusing. (Plus it's always fun to tease him about his androgynous name.)

Over the past years, Shannon (male) and Shannon (female) have kept up a relatively constant email/MSN friendship...and believe it or not, Shannon (female) is now here in Sydney! This proved all too much for many members of CCSI tonight, which proves once and for all, that when it comes to Shannon Courtney, one is enough!

So that's my 6 Billion to 1 story. I challenge you all to go one up!

Melbourne....interesting...

I just returned from a 4-day trip to Melbourne, and while I have to admit I think it's a great city....there are some very strange things going on down there.

1. They are over-run with 7-Eleven stores.
It is astonishing just how many you can pass in a 5 minute stroll. I counted 9 in a 2 block area. I think that's a little excessive myself. Especially when you add to that a number of City Convenience stores, plus a sizeable Coles Express.

2. They like their sport segregated.
Here in Sydney, we have a veritable wealth of general sports stores. But not in Melbourne! Well, they have the standard Rebel Sport and Foot Locker chain....but in one street is it really necessary to have a golf store, a cricket store, a basketball store, and an extreme sport store?
(I'm already regretting that question...boys, it is not a requirement that you answer)

3. They seem to be obsessed with ears.
Or at least with the ability to hear. I think it's great that in Melbourne there is a large school for the deaf, a large hospital dedicated to otology, and several smaller clinics and centres specialising in the same. Good on them. If I ever feel I'm going deaf I'll know where to go. But I think they're taking it too far when it starts to affect their street-naming abilities....

Rumor Has It....

Unlike the movie of the same title (which I watched tonight....love Shirley Maclaine) this rumour has no truth whatsoever to it.
If anyone has been listening to Dave Moore, do not believe him. "Belly and Em" are not a past tense couple. DJM has admitted that he may have fuelled this rumour...although it seems to have been Belly's fault in the first place for assuming that everyone understands his SMS humour. But yes, we are still together.

The worst morning...

July 7th 2005. The second last day of my studies in London. The day after the Olympic announcement that had the entire city dancing in the streets. A beautiful summer day outside.

Lying in bed in the early hours of the morning, I toyed with the idea of ditching class and catching the Tube up to Covent Garden to while away the day in the sun. It was either 8 stations on the tube to the markets, or 2 stations on the train to college. As the morning sun started to warm the room, I decided against the heat and congestion of the underground, and started off for class.

I was on the train to college when the bombs started to go off. When I got off the train there was chaos in the station as word started to spread that something was happening back across the river. Everyone started to leave the station and walk either towards their destinations or back where we had come from.

If I hadn't decided to go to my class, I would have been on the tube that exploded in Russell Square.



It's been a year now since that day, and still the memory of it lingers within anyone who was unfortunate to be in London on that day. I will never forget the confusion and shock as I realised what was happening, the panic at not being able to contact anyone (they closed the mobile coverage), the relief at finding out that all my friends were safely at work or home.

I don't know why I changed my mind about going to the markets that morning. Laziness I guess. But I will thank God every day that he kept me safe.

Jeremiah 29:7
Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.

2 Samuel 22:3
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour— from violent men you save me.

Goodbye Yellow Fluffy Towel!

It's official. After August 31st I will never have to fold another towel again. The shackles of Retail Management will temporarily be released, and for a short time I will once again be out from under the rock which I have called 'Home' for the past 7 months.

Yes, it's true. I have resigned my post as Manager of Sheridan Hornsby. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of seeing me at work, this means no more endless folding of towels, sheets and quiltcovers; no more spending 4 hours of the day making beds whilst adhering to several dozen strict Visual Merchandising laws; no more trying to find a middle ground between the budgets of the company I work for and the store I work in. And no more using all of my coffee breaks to move my car (in a crowded Westfield carpark I might add) twice a day just to avoid paying $30 for a day's parking.

It hasn't all been bad. I have to say I will miss certain things. I'll miss the monotony of always being on sale because Myer is always on sale. I'll miss being able to predict the next tune coming through the PA system because in 5 months we've only had one CD. I'll miss dozing off in the stockroom after a 64-hour week. I'll miss my biceps...coz there ain't no way I'll be lifting 15kg boxes on a regular basis after this!

Most of all I'll miss the friends I've made. It's amazing what a difference a small group of people can make to your daily life. "The Manchester Family" has become quite a close-knit little group, and it will be a shame to break that up. (Although if any of you are reading this, I hope that none of you are still there in a year's time!)

And so I say "So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye" to David Jones and to Sheridan. It was a pleasure. But please don't make me come back!