Summer!!! And Buddy...

Hello Family :)

As I sit here writing an irritating little dog is whining in my kitchen. That's right, we have a dog, Buddy (I call it Mate - we each have our own name for it...the most recent name was the Son of a B**** - which it is).

Paige excitedly volunteered to look after it whilst his owner is away for the Summer - the trick is, Paige is in Peru for two weeks, so Buddy is at the mercy of three girls who despise his little guts. He is a Weiner dog, and only 5 months old, so he's into everything and whines and barks all night. Nicole refuses to look after him, I treat him with the same contempt as I showed Obi and Libby looks after him but doesn't like him. We all just want to lock him in his cage for good. Let's just say, we're praying for Paige's safe arrival for more than one reason.

Now, what's news?

I've finished my first semester at the University of Florida. I'm on Summer holidays until mid-August - what WILL I do with myself?! I'm having a ball doing absolutely nothing. I read and watch DVD's and hang out with James after he finishes work. Last night we went rock-climbing for three hours, which was so much fun. We're going to buy monthly membership ($35) because it is really good exercise and good bonding time...despite the fact that I'm 13 metres up yelling 'I CAN'T' and he's yelling 'JUST SWIVEL YOU'RE LEG' 'YEAH RIGHT!!!' so we have some nice yelling matches, but when I reach the top all is forgiven and I feel quite proud indeed. He was very impressed with my first climbing session - I made a climb which is only like two rungs (out of 10) under what James can do and he's been climbing for ages. Must be all that tree climbing from S.A.

(May have just found a solution - Libby is alergic to the dog!!! And I can pretend to be...?)

Libby and I are also planning on going to the Gym and school, which is free for all students, so that's cool. It's a really high tech gym with free classes and basketball courts and all sorts of things. Andie will probably come too.

Everyone has been away for the last few days - Paige is in Peru on a mission trip, Andie's gone Kayaking with her boyfriend, Brett, Nicole just got a boyfriend, so she's been hanging out with him, Libby went home to visit her family in Naples (Florida, not Italy) and Melissa (our newest addition) is in Africa with CCH on a mission trip. So it's just been Nicole and I home, and we've hardly seen each other. Libby's home now too, which is cool, because I really like Libby. Am going to miss her next semester if I stay - she's moving elsewhere and so am I. James spends every moment here, so he should start paying rent...hehe...he lives about 5 mins drive away.

While Paige is away we have her car! SOOOO cool. We're FREE for two weeks! So this weekend James and I are going on a road trip to some nearby springs... hopefully the weather warms up - it's been raining a bit (which means James hasn't been going to work, which is bad because he needs money pretty bad - his job (landscaping) pays really badly. He's currently looking for a real job. He has a degree in Human Resources).

No word from Michigan yet. I think I'll try call next week and see what the go is. In the meantime, I've been making plans in case I stay here - have a place to live and a job, so that's handy.

Have recently been at a little conference as part of the UF Business Theatre Troupe - it's new, we're the first members (there are only 5 of us) - doing improvisation for businesses. It's like, say they are learning about the 4 different styles of leadership, each of us takes on a different style and acts out different scenarios as that kind of leader. We also show effective communication, body language etc. It's a fun job, and I'm using Theatre to earn money! We got paid a good $450 for 1.5 day's work...and they have more jobs coming up in the future. Needless to say, this job is a Godsend. This is one factor which makes me not want to leave Florida. Also, Ron, one of the organisers of the troupe, has been telling me about a company which runs out of Melbourne which sends people to Korea etc to do exactly what I'm doing and for good money. So that's perhaps an option after I return home.

I haven't yet had time to sit down and plan my July travels, but will let you know when I know where I'm going. I also need to sit down and do some flight booking for Europe, since my ticket is a little messed up...need to drive to Orlando (1-2 hours away - a long drive when it's not your car and you're new to the right side of the road) at some point just to change the darn thing.

My driving is going well, by the way. Haven't hit anything and have managed to conquer the intersections. Almost had a close call the other day - was about to turn into the left lane when a car sped by in the right, then I realised what country I was in...I am now on my opens (which means diddly squat here) in Australia and I would like to point out the the family that I am the first Lambert child to retain all of my points on my provisional licence, thank you very much. And who thought I wouldn't get my licence? Mum? :p Mind you, I did get one parking ticket BUT I protest that because the signs were changed just a few days before.

Things with James are going well. After a fairly intense start, we've decided that over the holidays we need to take a step back and just do the whole 'boyfriend girlfriend' thing. So we're just hanging out lots and learning more about one another. We're very different (for those of you know now Myers-Briggs, I am an INFP, he is closer to an ESTJ), but we're learning to love our differences and adapt to one another. One of the most exciting things is that he's decided to come back to Australia to live for a while, whether or not we work out. So it'll be cool to have him around.

Well, I don't really know what else is news. I passed all of my subjects (suprisingly well, because James has been quite a marvellous distraction) with two A's (Improvisation and Sociology of Religion) and two B's (New Testament and Hebrew Scriptures - with the latter receiving a slightly higher grade). Let's just say God has certainly gifted me, because I didn't put in as much effort as my grades reflect. I think my professors liked me because I am Australian, so that helped too!

Well I'm going to run now, because I hear Buddy upstairs and I don't want the mutt on my bed.

As of the 26th of this month, I will have been here almost five months. Crazy. Seems like just yesterday I was wandering around Miami by myself.

Love you all lots and lots.

Write soon and tell me how you're doing? I'll try be more diligent with emails over the holidays.

Love,

Ellie xoxox