I thought I had this year all figured out. In fact, I had nearly everything laid out in perfect order - right down to the potential tours we wanted to go on, the budgets we would need to stick to in order to get everything done, and the potential dates for moving back to Australia and getting ready for the yet-to-be-organised wedding.

I even had things written on a calendar. And in my diary. And let me just say, I don't put just ANY old thing in my diary. What goes in that diary, tends to stay there. I hate scribbling things out and making a mess. Hate.

Jase and I have always had our own little pet project when it comes to looking but not touching. For me, that's been wedding planning: in secret for a few years, and then more openly once the engagement came about. For Jase, it was property. He loves keeping an eye on the latest markets, and watching the trends and prices of suburbs back home in Sydney, where we'll eventually end up. The problem with looking but not touching is just that - you're seeing all of these amazing and promising ventures, but you know you're just not in the position to do anything about them just yet.

They say everything happens in its own time; for us, that time appears to be now - about a year earlier than predicted. We discovered a vacant block of land available in a suburb that we have always been interested in. (Long back story: choosing a potential area to live in is so much harder than it looks. Really.) It's completely empty, it's in a lovely street and it's been on the market for a little while now, which leaves us the potential to haggle with pricing. And it's fabulous. Just fabulous.

So, we're following it through and will see where it takes us. It might not work out. We might be pipped to the post, or the asking price may not get to where we want it to be. There might be problems, or random circumstances that stop this little venture before it even starts. But on the other hand, it might just be the one. And if that happens, the rest of this year and all of my carefully thrown dates and plans will be thrown to the wind, and we'll have a whole lot of other things to think about.

Cross your fingers for us - it's going to be a long and possibly drawn out couple of weeks. I just think I'm going to need a bigger diary!

I woke up in a really average mood today.

It was dark, it was rainy, and it felt like I'd just gone to bed a few hours before - even though I'd actually had more than enough sleep. I grumbled about having to get up. I grumbled when I couldn't find my favourite pair of jeans. I grumbled about having to go out. I grumbled about the tube lines being closed. I grumbled when my substitute jeans ended up sopping wet from the puddles of rainwater on the ground.

In short, I was a real catch to hang around with this morning.

We were headed for brunch in a gastropub near Tower Bridge, where I splurged on the most amazing breakfast of french toast & banana with maple syrup. This was followed by a walk in the rain to the nearby Borough Market, with mulled wine & amazing food - not the best place to come with a full stomach because everything smells so fresh and amazing, all you want to do is eat. Again.

Soon after that, we found ourselves in an old school bowling alley, where I was reminded of my less than stellar ability to throw a ball down a lane. Jason thrashed my score, as per usual, though I held it together with none of my trademark stomping or sulking; I must be outgrowing it. Well, either that, or I didn't want to frighten the other patrons. Lots of chatting and a few pitchers of beer later, I decided that Jason and I would make a whole day of it, so we headed out to Nando's for grilled chicken in Notting Hill.

It was still raining on the way home, but this time around there was no grumbling.

Sometimes, dragging yourself out for brunch in the rain can make all the difference to an otherwise miserable morning.

Today …

I woke up and looked out the window to see everything covered in white.

I may or may not have freaked out when my iPhone got stuck on a black screen of doom. It's fixed now, thanks to Google.

I had cereal for breakfast AND dinner, and loved it.

I started something new, though I'm not ready to go into details on that.. yet!

I had a stranger compliment my engagement ring during the tube ride home.

I stood outside in the cold with snow in my hair taking pictures like a crazy person.

How was your Wednesday?

That's the thing about starting a new year... sometimes it just flies on ahead and leaves you clamouring behind it to catch up. The holidays are over and the first week back at work is done. I have no doubt that I'll wake up tomorrow and it'll suddenly be February. Or something.

London's had some very wintery weather these past few days. We had snow snow, lots of ice and freezing conditions, which made for fun days catching public transport into work. (When I say fun, I actually mean 'just a trifle challenging'.) It's supposed to stay cold this weekend, but I think the worst is over for now. Sad. I would've quite liked a snow day this time around. The last time London had heavy snow, I was at home in Sydney waiting for my Visa.

Today marks six months since J popped the question in Prague. Six months! I haven't done a smidge of wedding planning in that time either, unless you count scouring the web looking at things I can't physically touch. Although, there are only three months to go until I head on a plane and zoom down under for my two week visit home - so maybe I'll be able to work on the whole wedding thing yet!

J and I have already spent quite a bit of time doing some planning for the year ahead, which is looking to be pretty monumental right now. It's too early to say what we'll end up doing this year, but I'm very much looking forward to it. Good times all round. So how's your 2010 been treating you so far?

So with the New Year already blasted into being in most parts of the Southern Hemisphere, and with only a few hours until we celebrate* here in London, it's time to look ahead to the future. Mainly for myself, but also to share with anyone who is still here reading the ramblings - you can be my conscience!

Without further ado, here are my resolutions epic plans for 2010.

Blog

I've definitely let my blogging slide this year, which is a bit disappointing. To go from being a daily blogger for a number of years with quite a few followers and blog friends - to the occasional post when I remember, is incredibly slack. I'm not saying that I'll be returning to blogging daily next year, because, let's face it, I won't be but I will be more regular. That's a promise.

2010 will also likely see me return to my old wordpress account, as I just can't justify the money involved in self hosting at the moment. And seeing as I'll be saving for other things (... see below!) I think it's a sacrifice that makes sense. It won't be any time soon, but when my hosting is up for renewal, I'll let you know so you can adjust your feeds once more.

And lastly, I will definitely be making more an effort to get back into commenting this year. I've turned into a super lurker - I have a habit of letting my blogreader get the better of me, and then end up reading without chatting, which I hate doing. If you haven't heard from me in a while, I hope that will change soon.

Travel

Work has been the big priority for both Jase and I last year, and having Oscar has made it trickier to drop everything and go! This year, there are a few things in the works - and while it involves quite a lot of cash and forward planning, it potentially covers quite a few countries I've been meaning to visit in the last few years.

High hopes at the moment are to head back to Europe, maybe a little more of Scandinavia, revisiting Scotland, checking out Ireland/Wales and maybe even popping across to Canada, if we're lucky. I already have a two week visit back to Sydney, Australia, booked and paid off for April, so that's a start. I'm so excited!

Health

It's pretty cliche, but I'm determined to get on with it this year. I've ended up at around the same weight, if not a little squishier, than this time last year. I wish I had something to blame it on that would justify that, but unfortunately I don't. It's just laziness. I joined a great gym, have been involved in some great classes that I do pretty regularly on a weekly basis (Aqua & Spin!) but I just haven't had the drive.

Seeing as the goal for setting a wedding date is going to likely be in 2011, that leaves me with a whole year to get myself into shape. No, it's not just for the future wedding, but that's as good as an incentive as any to get my arse into gear and shed what I need to shed. Before I moved to the UK I lost a good deal of weight by recording what I was eating and starting a running program, though I developed pretty severe shin splints in the process that still haunt me now.

This time around, I'll do the food journals mixed with other regular exercise at my gym, and stick with it. That's the goal. I'm not going to count calories, per say, although I may end up doing that if it becomes a habit. And I'm not going to set up any extreme exercise goals, because I'll just set myself up to fail and give up (again). Instead, I want to aim for 2-3 times a week at the gym, supplemented with whatever else I feel like doing after that. The most important thing that I've learned about myself is the ability to self sabotage my efforts. This year, if I have an off day, I intend to just write it all down (yes, all of it!) and keep chugging along.

Of course, it's always positive to have something to work towards - so I have my own little personal achievement I want to hit. The first is to have some progress by April, which is when I'm heading home to Sydney. Thanks to our new Wii Fit, I have a rough idea of my weight & (dreadful) BMI, so I'll be using this to keep a track. I don't have a set number or figure. I just want to see a difference from the beginning. Pretty broad goal, I know, but that's what I'm starting with.

Read

I'm a big reader at the best of times, but in the latter part of 2009, I found myself flying through books at a crazy pace! To combat this, my new favourite resource are Oxfam, Hospice & Charity Stores, where I can rehome secondhand books at a fraction of the price - and can then give them a new home once I'm done.

This year, I really want to keep on reading at that frantic pace. I have at least a dozen unread books sitting on my bookshelf ready and raring to go, as well as a few old faithful's (why hello, Harry Potter) that I'm itching to start over with. Can't wait!

This will be my last blog post for 2009. I hope there will be many more to come!

*celebrate = try to stay awake until midnight, but will most likely fail.

It's become a yearly tradition to recap the years gone by - this will be my fourth blogging recap since I started on Wordpress and eventually my own domain.

See 2006 here, 2007 here, and last year's recap here.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before? Moved apartments, applied for a Highly Skilled Visa for the UK (and was successful), changed jobs at work & got a payrise... oh! And became a fiance!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I think my resolution last year was 'not to worry so much'. I think I did alright - I still worry a lot, but I'm more aware of myself this year. I tend to go well with resolutions for the first month and then falter. I've got one (the usual?) ready to go for 2010.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? In my general vicinity over here, no. No babies.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit? This year... let's see. I visited Belgium (Brussels/Bruges), Switzerland (Zurich & surrounds), the Czech Republic (Prague) and France (Paris). I also went back to Australia for nearly three months, waiting in Sydney for my Visa to be processed. Quite a busy year, of small trips.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? I'd like to have willpower. And the ability to stick to my resolutions to achieve a goal.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 8th, 2009 - the day we got engaged in Prague. I still can't believe it sometimes.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting a new job at work, having a bit more independence.

9. What was your biggest failure? Getting lazy, bodywise. I joined a gym in the last few months of the year, but I feel like I could have done more.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Nothing major this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought? I actually don't think I bought all that much this year? Lots of small things, for sure. I suppose my iPod from last Christmas - I used that nearly every day of 2009!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? A few people this year. First up is Kirby. She's my best friend, my future maid of honour, and she's gone through some crap this year and is still smiling on the other side. Same goes for Julie. It's not easy keeping in touch with people when you live thousands of miles away, but whenever I see these girls, everything comes flooding back and it feels like I never left.

And of course, Jason. The boy is a machine. He works so hard over here as a contractor, never takes a day off, and all so that we can have some savings to take back home with us when we leave. He's amazing!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? A few people.

14. Where did most of your money go? Saving mostly. I also spent money on the usual things, like books, clothing & bit and pieces while travelling.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Our engagement! After nearly seven years of dating, I had basically willed myself to stop focussing on marriage and just enjoying things as they were. And wouldn't you know it, when I finally stopped whining? Jason pulled out a corker of a proposal, complete with a surprise birthday weekend to Prague AND a little blue box! I love my beautiful ring, and still find myself staring at it and looking forward to the future. Soppy, I know.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009? A couple, actually. Use Somebody - Kings of Leon. Lovegame - Lady Gaga. You Found Me - The Fray. Lover, You Should've Come Over - Jeff Buckley.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
(a) Happier or Sadder? Happier.
(b) Thinner or Fatter? About the same, unfortunately.
(c) Richer or Poorer? Richer.. but I intend on spending alot on travelling & wedding planning this next year, so I'm sure that next December I'll be poorer!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? I wish I'd taken a few more photographs. I also wish I'd seen more of England, but it's tricky a) without a car and b) having the cat to think about. It's hard to travel when you have a little one.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Being lazy.

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2009? Hibernating in our cute West London flat with Jason and Oscar. We cooked our own turkey and played on the Wii.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009? We stayed in love. He's my best friend.

22. How many one-night stands? Hold on, let me get my diary and check...

23. What was your favorite TV program? Grey's Anatomy (again!), True Blood and Coupling.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don't hate anyone. Disappointed in a few people, but not hate.

25. What was the best book you read? Again - so many. These are the ones I can think of from this year: The Heretic's Daughter. The 19th Wife. The Cellist of Sarajevo. Wicked. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Not sure if I'd call it a discovery, but maybe a rediscovery? The Fray & Jeff Buckley.

27. What did you want and get? Bling! And also, my UK work Visa.

28. What did you want and not get? In touch with a few more friends.

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince. I also really liked Avatar and New Moon. (Hee.)

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 25 this year, and spent the day at work. The following weekend, Jason took me to Prague for the long weekend of a lifetime!

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Seeing more of England.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Jeans, winter coat, flat shoes. I also got into the whole tunic/tights phase VERY late in the game.

33. What kept you sane? Jason, Oscar, Kirby.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? No-one really?

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Off the top of my head? I have no idea.

36. Who did you miss? The usual - everything about being at home. But then, when I was home, I missed everything about being in London. It's a conundrum.

37. Who was the best new person you met? A few more new starters at work. I'd love to meet some more new people though. Is it just me, or is it harder to make friends as you get older?

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009. Patience: it really is a virtue. And apparently nagging really doesn't pay off?

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. “You know that I could use somebody - someone like you and all you know and how you speak..."

40. What are your resolutions for 2010? Ah, but that is a whole other post in itself.

I'll be working tomorrow (yuck!) and then hopefully meeting a beautiful blogging friend when she visits London, followed by NYE celebrations in Chinatown. Enjoy the last few days of 2009!

How did we once again end up on the other side of Christmas? It's all such a blur. The turkey is mostly gone, though I have a suspicion that there are still quite a few leftovers hiding in the fridge, the wrapping paper tidied up and thrown away - and our little flat looks back to normal now. We didn't put up decorations this year; last year Oscar demolished our tree in a matter of days and to be honest, I just didn't feel like it.

After feeling rubbish all day today, I decided to throw myself into a cleaning frenzy. I'm usually super organised, but I'll have the occasional day where nothing looks right, and all I want to do is clean.

I scrubbed the bathroom down (how does one tiny room get so dirty?), re-organised my bookshelves, sorted out my mail & paperwork, and with Jason's help, moved furniture around in the living room - it looks much more open now. Shame about the Wii accessories tossed around the room, but I really don't think there is an easy way to make that look neat, without putting them away completely. It's a work in progress.

The stangest thing about it all? Even though it looks much better now and everything is in its new place - it still doesn't feel like home. Don't get me wrong, it is home, but it isn't really ours. We live in it. We rent it. It's not ours.

Yesterday marked two years to the day since I arrived in London.

One of the hardest things about our adventure living abroad is that while you're away, life goes on without you. People get married, buy houses, have children. Friends stay in touch initially, drift away and eventually end up as just a number on Facebook. And all the while, you float in limbo, in your own little ex-pat bubble. Life is wonderful. London amazes me every day. We're doing this for the future! But still...

It's like that Sliding Doors movie. You have a perfectly happy existance, but there's this whole other life that could potentially have happened. Would we be settled somewhere and having a similar day like we are now - cleaning and rearranging our possessions? Would we both still be working - what would we be doing? Would we have any kids other than Oscar - human or of the furry kind? So many things to think about.

I'm not ungrateful for the things that we have been able to accomplish together so far. We're very blessed to be here. And as down and homesick as I can get sometimes (I'll blame the post-holiday season) I know that when we do eventually move back to Australia? I'll miss this gorgeous city.

It's just one of those days.

So, before I even start, can I just say how much I hate that Christmas song? Seriously. Hate. Who hates a Paul McCartney Christmas song? It doesn't seem right. But oy! The second I hear those horrid clashing sounds at the beginning of the song, I tense up and feel slightly cranky. It's such a horrible tune, and the radio station my work has on all day long, just loves to play it. Bah humbug.

Alas! I am no Scrooge - I love Christmas! We've had more snow over the past few days, but sadly it hasn't been sticking around very long. If you've seen the news, temperatures in Europe have been making the weather very unpredictable, so who knows? We may be lucky and get that snowy Christmas Day yet. I have work tomorrow, and then I'm off for a good few days until the New Year, and I am so looking forward to doing sweet, sweet nothing.

I was spoiled super early too, as this past weekend Jason gave me my Christmas present - a brand spanking new shiny iPhone! It took a lot of effort, including going back and forth across the city several times, but I managed to get the very last phone handset in London on the 12-month plan that I wanted. (That will end next Christmas... leading into other things very nicely.) My boy is way too good to me. I love him so. (iPhone or no iPhone, of course.)

Any technologically proficient bloggers feel up to walking me through all things iPhone? I really want to be able to send pictures & write blog posts directly to my little blog. It might just get me back in the swing of posting more regularly, which is something I'd really like to do. Oh, and apps? Any favourites or suggestions are welcomed!

It snowed today in Central London.

It wasn't a great deal of snow, and it didn't last for very long - but still, SNOW! The last time it snowed in London was when I was back home waiting for my Visa, which I was gutted over missing. Suffice it to say that I was chuffed to see this today.

The flakes didn't settle for long, but that didn't stop me from ducking out into Chancery Lane to take some pictures. (Yes, I was the token Australian girl in the street with a camera, who was too busy grinning to put her coat on.)

I'm hoping to go to bed tonight and wake up to a blanket of snow - it's hardly going to happen, as it's mostly cold and rainy right now, but a girl can hope!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...