A Sweet, Sweaty Mess

I started this post about a week ago after changing my shirt for the third that day (hence the post title). It's starting to get warmer in Brisbane. Temperatures have reached 35 degrees Celsius over the past two weeks. The five minute walk home from work in my black uniform has some days taken me what seems like hours to complete. I have jumped into the pool, which is still icy cool due to its shady location, a handful of times upon my return to the apartment complex. I never liked swimming alone, but these days its the best option for cooling down quick. Summer is on the way, whether I'm ready or not.

The grocery store near our home set up their first display of Christmas decorations last week. It's hard to believe that Christmas is only two months away. A regular customer asked me if we would be setting up a few trees in the store for the holidays. It's difficult for me to imagine green and red bulbs, garland and holly in the desert. Maybe we will see some snow this year (in the mountains in New Zealand) - there's hope.

Conor and I travelled to Boondall on Sunday evening. About a month ago he joined an ice hockey league in the suburban town. Ice World. If the temperatures continue to rise, the rink might be my new best option for keeping cool. Watching Conor play hockey with 16 year old Australian boys was rather, er, interesting.

The musty, sweaty smell of the rink reminded me of home. It was cold and for the first time in a almost a year, I could see my breath. The lightly padded floors, torn posters of retired NHL stars and Zamboni made me long for the Sherwood Ice Arena outside of Portland. The young players and parents wrapped in winter coats, hats and mittens made me wish our Centre Ice package could be transferred to Brisbane and that we had definite plans to compete in the World Pond Hockey Championships in Plaster Rock again this winter.

I miss the cool fall weather, my little black dog, hockey season and wearing scarves.
Gosh, I love wearing scarves.

In just two weeks we head south, where temperatures will be a bit more tolerable, for the Melbourne Cup (Australia's equivalent of the Kentucky Derby). We are travelling to Melbourne with six friends and staying for three nights and four days in Conor's favourite Australian city. I have yet to visit Melbourne and am incredibly excited to a.) get away for four entire days and b.) wear a glamorous dress and hat to a horse race.

Upon our return to Brisbane, we begin our move into a new apartment. Luckily, Conor's brother Dylan arrives for a visit amidst our move. He will be our first house guest in the new apartment, and also a great source of cheap labour. We are looking forward to the move, escaping the noisy highway beneath our balcony and the sounds of cranes and large trucks late at night working the new bridge that spans the river directly across the road from our complex.

I think I may turn the air conditioning on, wrap up in my favourite green scarf, and bake some cookies. Maybe I will pop in the last few episodes of the West Wing. Nothing screams America more than Washington DC and Toll House cookies.