Comedy Festival Gala Night: Melbourne's annual comedy festival brings comedians from around the world and the hardest part is deciding who to go and see. The first event each year is the gala opening night show that features short sets from many of the performers. It is televised and used to show people some of what is on offer. Some years, I like to go to the opening night to get a taste of what is on offer - this year was no exception and it was a great night.

French and Saunders: the girls decided to do a world tour to say goodbye as they no longer plan to work as a duo. Their show was a collection of favourite characters and sketches from throughout the years. It was one of the dullest shows that I've been too. It was a good collection and it was performed very well, but it may as well have been on TV for all the interaction there was between them and the audience. I have seen them live before and they were brilliant - in my head, they remain brilliant as I will forget about this one show.

Salvadore Dali: the National Gallery of Victoria have some wonderful exhibitions that they put on and this was a goody. I don't claim to know anything about art, but I like some things more than others. Though I am not particularly a Dali fan, I enjoyed the show and how it demonstrated the path that he took to be the artist that he was.

Kerry Greenwood: as part of the Melbourne Writer's Festival, there were many events laid on and one of them was a dinner with Kerry who is a local writer with over 40 books to her credit. I've never read any of her stuff myself, but Carolyn is a big fan, so we went along to listen to her talk about her life and books and to answer questions from the small number of people who were there to share dinner and time with her - it was a nice event and an interesting night.

First Tuesday Book Club: This is one of my favourite TV programs. It is on the ABC and is shown on the first Tuesday of each month where the host (Jennifer Byrne) and two regular guests (Marieke Hardy and Jason Steger) are joined by two guests and they discuss a couple of pre-selected books. It is as simple as that. It is a gentle, interesting and amusing show and as part of the Writers Festival, they recorded an episode in Melbourne (it is usually recorded in Sydney) - I managed to get tickets to go to the recording and it was a lovely couple of hours.

Volunteer days: Each year, the nab encourage staff to take two paid days to do volunteer work within local communities. They arrange and suggest many options but it is up to individuals as to whether they take these days or what they do with them should they take them. The first day I took was at a place in Warrandyte - a few of the team members shared this day where we took cuttings, potted cuttings, re-potted plants and went on a nature walk along the river - it was a good day. The second day I used to assist the Emerging Writer's Festival people with their website - it was good to be able to help somebody using the skills I have.

Dalai Lama: This was the second time that I've been to see the man and it was good to have a listen to what he had to say in a talk entitled "World Peace; who is responsible?". The talk was not earth-shattering or anything, but the experience was good including mixing with the other people who had wanted to be there.

Sharks: At the Melbourne Aquarium, I saw a sign saying that you could dive with the sharks and never having dived or been close to a shark, it seemed like a great thing to do. They plan to teach you to dive and to do the dive all in one day. So I booked in and went for it. The first part was where we went to the diving school and they explained how it all worked - that was all very interesting though the bloke explaining everything was more interesting in showing off for the four girls there rather than engage with myself or the other bloke there. After that, we went to a local swimming pool where we would do our first dive. Unfortunately, things didn't go well for me and I wasn't comfortable with it at all - the suit they gave me was too large and therefore trapped lots of air in it that prevented me from submerging properly as I was continuingly having to fight from surfacing. Plus, the slippers were too small and my feet hurt. As we were under time restraints and I wasn't comfortable with it all, I decided not to go for the final part - the actual dive at the Aquarium. I didn't want the whole experience to be bad, so I decided that I would try again at another time and preferably with a different instructor.

Moving apartment: This is a biggy. After having rented places since being in Australia, I finally decided to buy somewhere. This was due to rents going up even though with the economical situation being such that people weren't buying places. So interest rates were low and the benefits for buying were high - so I took the plunge and now my mortgage is around the same as my rent was - so it was a sensible thing to do. The place I have isn't particularly big, but all my stuff fits in, so I am happy with that. It is fairly modern and in a good location. Job done.

Birthdays: I don't like celebrating my birthday - I just don't like having attention or anything. I have thought back over the years and calculated that I have celebrated only 31 of my 48 birthdays. But this year, I have celebrated three birthdays despite none of them occurring on the actual real date. Whenever I join something on the internet and it asks for a date of birth, I always pick April 1st, so that is one birthday. Then Carolyn wanted to know when my birthday was, so I told her to choose a date and we'd use that - so that was August 22nd. And then I decided that I'd like my birthday be on Friday 13th, so the next available was in November. For April 1st, there was no celebration - it is just a date. On August 22nd, Carolyn took me away to Rye for the weekend - including a session at a Spa. On November 13th, we went on the restaurant tram to celebrate.

Louise: This year, my sister turned 50. Why is this an issue? Because that means that I am approaching 50 too. I don't think of either of us being this old, but we can't hide from the facts. She's made it to 50 and next will be my turn. Sheesh.

On a personal level, I feel under-utilised but if that is how they want to use me, then that is their choice - they keep paying me and I keep going in. So it is their choice in how they use me and my choice in allowing them to do so.

And we have finished this year with a new restructure taking place, so it will all change again when I get back to work.

Forgetting the actual role that I have, the company are certainly providing me with flexible work hours. I am working from 6am until 4pm and as such, I get my two weeks work done in 9 rather than 10 days - so I have every other Thursday off work. And the Thursday that I am working, I tend to work from home. So with those two agreements, it makes things acceptable to me.

So it's been a good seven months where we've done lots and seen lots and we already have lots planned out for the coming months. I am enjoying spending time with her.

And part of the Carolyn package is Luigi and Rosie - which is fine by me.

Local acts that I've been to see have been: Geoff Achison, Augie March, Black Arm Band (featuring a number of Indigenous performers such as Archie Roach, Bart Willoughby, Dave Arden, Emma Donovan, Kutcha Edwards, Lou Bennett and Shellie Morris), John Butler, Kate Ceberano, Crowded House, Sally Dastey, Renee Geyer, Geoffrey Gurrumul, Hunters and Collectors, Paul Kelly, Midnight Oil, Katie Noonan, Archie Roach, Split Enz, Dan Sultan, Vika and Linda, The Waifs and Chris Wilson.

International acts that I've been see have been: The B52s, The Black Keys, Leonard Cohen, Elvis Costello, Mary Coughlan, The Easystar All-stars, Melody Gardot, Boo Hewerdine, Angelique Kidjo, Simon and Garfunkel, The Proclaimers, Simply Red and Leo Sayer (don't ask).

Festivals were only Sound Relief and Chill City.

I also attended the RockWiz Xmas show as well as the RockWiz show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl - both thoroughly enjoyable.

Highlights:
Leonard Cohen - I am a huge fan of his and was thrilled to have had the opportunity to see him live - he put on an excellent show at the Rochford Winnery and it is a highlight of life as much as just this year
Simon and Garfunkel - another band that I have loved for years and this was the second chance I have had to see them - they still know how to put on a good show
Mary Coughlan - I used to see her in the UK when I had the chance and this was the first time I have had the chance to see her since - she is still a star
Black Arm Band - I saw their show in 2008 and that was a sensation - the 2009 show was equally impressive - so many talented people is a good thing - but the arrangements and performances were sensational
Melody Gardot - what a delight - I like her CDs but she has an extra dimension live - beautiful gig
Archie Roach - the man never fails to amaze me
Chris Wilson - he's got his old band back together and they are superb and it seems to have restored Chris's energy - welcome back

Listing the names out also shows me the fluidity of people I encounter along the way - seeing names no longer on the list, seeing people on the list who I no longer see, seeing people on the list that have been there for a few years - I love meeting new people and I value my friends and I am grateful for the time I get to spend with people. I tend to catch up with most friends on their own (and usually involving food) - so it is quality time.

I appreciate my friends and I am grateful to each for their friendship.

So really I am looking forward to more of the same - I enjoy my life and the people involved in it - bring it on.