The assignment last Sunday. You can go elsewhere and find out exact details of what it was if you really want. The short version is that a bunch of happy little operatives were sent along to a pier-type thing under the bolte bridge in the docklands to find two objects- a secure object and key to it. We searched and searched until we found a code in a bottle and a shiney silver briefcase. The briefcase contained a minidisk message from a Mr Charles Hastings who said the exercise was a training exercise, told us to get white masks for a future assignment and gave the minidisk to an operative bunny and the briefcase to me. (yay briefcase)

The more innteresting developments happened after the mission during the week. It seems that there has been mayhem and mischief in Cam headquaters recently. If you believe *all* the stories there have been hackers and upper operatives impersonating other upper operatives. There have been leaks of information due to all of this. Leaks of information that I am just dying to pass on...

I have learnt that we were being taped during our mission on Sunday, my strongest sucpisions lie at the feet of bunny or teigan.

I have also learnt that we were being watched in person. Did anyone care to pay attention to the pier just accross the water there?

I know a little more than I should about upcoming missions but in this day and age I believe that would be considered a spoiler. Just be prepared for twists and turns. It seems that we're not all quite on the same side.

EDIT- This guy just reminded me. We were also intervied by a couple of friendly policemen on our way back to the car from our assignment. If Neurocam management called them... *shakes fist at neurocam management*

Well, I failed with my quest to find a present before Friday night but that's ok. The brother was already pretty drunk before we got to his house so he didn't really notice. His party was most fun. There was drinking and eating and talking to funny funny DJ Pocket. Oh man the world was spinny at the end of it...

Saturday we had to source a present. We headed to IKEA to get some mass produced yet acceptable looking stuff for the brothers walls. There was not much to choose from but we managed. We gave it to the brother, picked up the girl and headed home for a few quality hours of nursing the hangovers.

We gots oursleves a very happy phone call saying that xadey boys mum had come into some money and had put some aside for us. Sunday we went to visit, see her two ittle kittens and collect ourselves some cash. We had another couple of happy hours at IKEA getting all the stuffs we'd been wanting for our house since we bought it. Yay! Our house is almost all decked out now and looking very cute. Well the bits that aren't covered in boxes and tape and packing crap. Yay decked out!

Thanks to the DIY aspect of IKEA, xade is now in bed with a sore back rather than being at work... Eh. Good with the bad.

There's gotta be at least a couple of guys in their midish twenties who can tell me what to get for my 24 year old brother. well he's 24 tomorrow. And I need the present for tonight. And I don't drive so dont be telling me I have to go to like... the middle of the dandenong ranges to get him no little jars of home made jam... It's not a happening thing.

I was thinking I'd get him a painting or something because he has bare walls in his house and... questionable taste at times. I don't think he trusts himself to actually decorate his own place. Aside from that I've got no clues...

So- anybody know any arteests with some sellable quality work that's good to go or at least somewhere I can pick something up? Anything... I'm stuck...

this morning our bird died.

i saw it.

i can't get the smell of him out of my nose.

But which Charlie is the question... I think I prefer 'Charlie' as opposed to the grumpy smurf I'm dealing with now but hey, beggers can't be choosers I guess.

Well I'm not working on it. The lovely Queen Brandelion is working on it. Soon this scungy generic mess we have here will be all purdy-like all thanks to her great and many talents. Yay! Pretty blog! Now I just have to get to writing soething pretty to write in it...

Yay Neurocam sussness! Secrets abound in the world of the cam... I don't really care. I'm really just waiting to have a beer with a masked man. See that would give me something to blog about.

I have so many theories... just wish I was allowed to tell...

Dear Operative Jo

Your report for NEUROCAM ASSIGNMENT has been received and
filed.

Neurocam would like to congratulate you on a highly successful
operation completed in record time. We were particularly impressed with **************. It was a ********* to *****.

Neurocam International's Operations Division is currently examining
your report and your individual performance will soon be assessed in
accordance with our operational criteria. The results of this
assessment will be noted on your file. You are making excellent
progress within our organization. Your sense of humor is a breath of fresh air as well :)

Kind regards,

Charlie
Head, Operations Division
Neurocam International
operations@neurocam.com

(*edited to the point of meaninglessness....)

Yay he changed the mass mail for me! :D Does this mean we're buds? You never know.... At least he's not calling me impetuous any more.

ok... well after shopping with Miss N Saturday and being horribly spoiled, hanging out with Dr J and co Saturday night, Neurocammy goodness on Sunday afternoon, a three hour Deep and Meaningful with Miss Melly followed by a solid twelve hours of sleep finishing up at 2 pm today, I'm starting to feel a little human again... just.

I can not wait for Mel to be back in Melbourne. Ditto for Dr J as well, although that aint going to be happening for a while yet. I have no clue why people keep leaving Melbourne. Most Livable City in the World kiddos. I mean sure, I would have been out of here like a shot if it hadn't been for the girl, but that's not the point...

My aunty has been over from NZ for the last couple of days. It always ends in tears. My mum always convinces herself about some special sisterly bond they have going on and how they will be just like best friends this time, giggling over vino, chats about shared childhood and kids and families and the like. Then my Aunt gets here and it all comes rushing back to her. The fact that aside from genetics, they really are nothing alike and no, it doesn't have that complimentary effect that some opposites get going. My Aunty can be abrasive, loud and a bit of a bully whilst my mum can be oversensitive and emotional. It all ends in tears. My Aunty leaves. I tell my mum it's all ok and then she pretends that they're all perfect together again... *pulls hair out* I was really looking forward to not having to be the parent one day...

Anyways... 3 hour chats, neurocammy goodness, ugliest kitten in the world snoring in my lap. Happy thoughts of butterflies tickling the air and choirs of leaves rustling in a midafternoon breeze... My girl's getting home this evening and I can't wait to feel her near.

I hate everything...

Hopefully some joints tonight and neurocammy goodness tomorrow will help the world look aa little brighter... or at least foggy. Yeah. Foggy's good.

I have decided to take a gander at how the other half live... the other half who are capable of making decisions, that is. I have decided (and I'll decided it here because it's a lot harder to back out of stuff when it's written down) that if my mums future looks bleak at the end of all the testing and whatnot that she's about to go through, that I'm going to get myself a real job, knuckle down and attempt to take us both to France within 18 months. She's always wanted to go. I've always wanted to go. I think we should go.

After i finished my crying the other day, I got my super friend Dr J the med student to look stuff up. Like, more optomistic stuff about prospective cures and the like and he found one that is being tested in Melbourne at present. I'm just going to go ahead and hang all my hopes on that...

One more kiddy video and I'm going to be heading to the dementia ward before my mum... (such bad taste... *slaps hands*) It is cute seeing miss bu wrapped up in a scarf being a dancer... this only marginly delays the departure of my patience and sanity though.

I discovered something interesting about her this morning though. Thanks to Bran posting up the most beautiful feast for the eyes and me going back through her archives to find it, I discovered that the girl has an appreciation for art. Woo! She was into Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, hated Van Gogh and was totally captivated by Joe Sorren.

Perhaps we should go to a gallery.

What do you do when the world drops out on you? On Sunday I was at the St Kilda Festival, wishing I'd put thought into what I was wearing. Monday I was at the zoo caring about what friends thought of my girl throwing a tantrum because she was tired. Tuesday I was concerned that my mother wouldn't live to see me turn thirty and that if she did she wouldn't remember me...

What do you do when your mother comes out and tells you that the doctor just called, she doesn't have cancer, her blood pressure's very low, there's no reason to be concerned except that the doctors scanned her brain and believe she has Alzheimers. At 49. What do you do?

I was brave but now it is Wednesday and I'm alone. My childs asleep and I can't stop crying. I can't stop thinking how unfair it is. I can't stop wondering how and if and why. I can't stop thinking of all the horrible things I found out when I researched the disease. The 10 year life expectancy. The memory loss. The confusion. The total dependence.

This is my mother. She's beautiful and well educated and kind and loving. This is my mother. And I don't know what to do.

they have got to stop advertising at the soccer....

one, two, blog...