I've been away from the blog for a while, mostly because life has just made things too busy - I'm lucky to even check my mail, let alone write a blog entry. Work, renovations, and as you might have guessed - I'm pregnant again - this time we're adding a boy to the Rynne family clan - due around the beginning of December!

Anyway, I was happy to let the blog just sit until I was ready to start up again, but unfortunately, spammers have ruined that great plan, and have just been caning my site, and consequently my email, and so I have now disabled comments.

Apologies to any die-hard readers (I doubt there are any left) who may have wanted to leave legitimate comments, but until I have time to start monitoring the site comments (or spammers finally get shut out of the internet once and for all) will remain disabled.

So, once again, we are at the day that, in Australia, marks the beginning of the end of the year - Melbourne Cup.

As always, I had my usual flutter - the office sweeps, and a couple of bets at the TAB. I did ok this year (but only if I can claim my family's win as my own!). Collectively, we came out in front, but the best I could do was 2nd place.

My bets this year (and where they finished) were:

$5 Each way:
Maybe Better (scratched)
Blue Monday (7th)
Zipping (4th)
Master O'Reilly (the favourite) (8th)
Purple Moon (2nd) - my only winner.

Tim had the winner Efficient in a $10 bet, so that was our big family win, and Emily managed to pick up Purple Moon, and so got second place in the office sweeps.

Once again, Tim was 1 horse off the box trifecta... If only Zipping had come third we would have been celebrating big time!

For those who care - the results.

For those wondering, now I haven't disappeared of the face of the earth, just into motherhood! I am taking a well-earned break while Emily sleeps to catch up on some emails and I thought I should write a quick blog, just so any remaining readers know I'm still around.

The last few months have gone by very quickly. Em is now 7 1/2 months old, and is almost crawling. She's getting so big, and so full of energy she saps most of mine! Anyone interested can check out Em's very own blog for updates & photos.

Aside from motherhood, I have been working part time for the last 3 or 4 months. I do 2 days in the office, and a few hours from home. I'm finding it a nice balance, helps me use my brain for things other than nursery rhymes, but I'm not away from Em too much. Luckily, my Mum is able to look after her, so I haven't had to find child care yet. And of course, Nan & Pop love having their "Emily days". I still haven't decided which is more of a break - work or baby... although there is something nice about spending Wednesday afternoons in the park or pub with other Mums.

From a work perspective, I'm still doing Notes/Domino development, and still enjoying it, although it's very hard to be smack in the middle of debugging code, and then realise that you have to go to get home for your daughter.

Although you wouldn't know it from the site, things are moving too with Openslice, we have a new version (almost ready to call it 1.0!) in use now at our client site, but haven't yet updated the website. Keep an eye out, as hopefully things will start happening soon.

Anyone who has lived in the Sutherland Shire, and probably a large number of others who live in Sydney, would know "Northies". For the rest of you - Northies is a pub at Cronulla Beach. For as long as I can remember, and probably longer than that, it has been "The" pub at Cronulla. Many a lazy Sunday afternoon (and quite a few manic Friday & Saturday nights) have been spent at Northies over the course of my adult (& teenage!) life.

The reason for this post is that today, Emily - at the grand old age of 5 1/2 months - has had her first Northies experience - and it looks to become a regular outing!

For the last 3 - 4 months, every Wednesday afternoon has been spent at one of the many parks or beaches at Cronulla with the other Mums & bubs I have met through the local Early Childhood Clinic. However, now that winter is finally on us, it has become a bit too cold to have all the little ones outside. As pubs are now all smoke-free, it has been possible for us to move our group to Northies. The pub has a nice area at one end with lounges and lots of floor space to fit in 10 - 12 prams, and blankets for the babies to lie (roll, sit, not-yet-crawl) on. Of course, it also means that it's easy for the mums to have a coffee, or a coke, or even a wine while we "watch" the babies.

Yep - motherhood is pretty tough sometimes!

Today is Anzac Day in Australia, a day of rememberance of those who have served and sacrificed as part of the Australian Defence Forces. It is a special day for all Australians, but for my family it will now be even more special as I have become an Aunty today. My brother & his wife have had their first baby - a little girl, Sascha Frances. As you can imagine, this is quite something for my parents, who became grandparents for the first time in January when our Emily was born.

Congratulations to Bill & Suze - good luck on this grand adventure!