iBlog

I don't own an iPod. Yeah, maybe Conor owns all eight models in six different colors, but I have never purchased an iPod or listened to music on iTunes or made dinner on an iStove or read an article on an iBook, wait, I mean iPad?... i i i!

Okay, I did just buy a MacBook Pro. I've been thinking about purchasing a Mac for a couple of years now. Conveniently enough, I dropped our Acer two weeks ago on the hardwood dining room floor. Crash. As I continued my job search on our roommate's Mac I realized that I, too, could be a Mac owner. I loved how lightweight it was and how quickly it turned on and loaded. Gosh, what a great purchase. Yes, I love my new MacBook Pro.

It rained for two days straight and now it is sunny and cool outside. Finally, cool air. I swear it's been years. It was so lovely to sit indoors on the couch with a book, my new laptop, and Bella yesterday. We listened to the rain crash against the metal awning for hours. The basement is a bit flooded and the 'mums won't need watering for a few days, but the rain was needed and finally (hopefully) the humidity has come to an end for the year.

The two week countdown to the Baltimore Half Marathon has begun. Two weeks from tomorrow I will wake up, stretch, listen to some hard rock to pump myself up, and run my first half marathon. I am looking forward to the challenge very much. I am also looking forward to a break from all of this running...It's been a lot of fun and a great motivator for me to get my butt out of bed and my feet into my running shoes. It has also been a great excuse to wear spandex - man, I love feeling all sleek and sassy in my black pants and white running shoes!

I read recently that posts should be short and sweet. So, that's all. I'm off to enjoy the cool air and sunshine.

Welcome to Baltimore

Unemployed. Again. With all this free time on my hands one would think my posts would become more frequent. At least that was the case when I originally started this blog a year and a half ago.

Well, tomorrow may still be mostly sunny, but only because it is the end of summer in Baltimore. (Today is truly overcast and humid.) Although our adventures down under have come to end (for now), we will most likely continue to engage in madness and fun in our new home, a lovely neighborhood known as Hampden, just north of Baltimore City.

With a change in location, perhaps should come a change in title and style. Although I have played around with the "theme" of my blog, I think the title will remain. I think it creates somewhat of a "glass half full" feeling. 

Bella and I are sitting on the front porch of our new home - me with my glass of red, and her with her array of potted Autumn 'mums. We're baking blueberry/raspberry muffins for tomorrow morning and waiting for Conor and Adam (our new roommate and landlord) to arrive home. It's been a fabulously rainy and productive day. She's waiting to play Frisbee with Conor, and I'm ready to continue to enjoy this lovely bottle of wine.

I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that Conor and I both miss Brisbane quite a bit - the grass is always greener...you never know what you have until it's gone. I loved my hectic, early morning job and we both absolutely adored our tiny Paddington apartment and Kiwi neighbors. I think what we miss most of all is our fabulous group of friends. We were fortunate enough to befriend the most low-maintainance and friendly group of Aussies (and one Brit) in Brisbane. I miss how easy it was to drop in on one of the couples for a glass of wine, home-cooked meal, or just a relaxed conversation. Thom and Dan would cook us lovely dinners, Anika would make us laugh hysterically, Jenn would make us think. Bron, Mik, Pete and Kirsty treated us as if we grew up in their circle. I hope these eight lovelies make it to the States for our wedding next year.

Speaking of the wedding, we have yet to decide upon a location and/or date. Let me say, the Baltimore Court House is looking pretty good right about now... Maybe we should have gotten married in Australia or perhaps we should just plan a informal ceremony for family only... oh goodness. I thought this was supposed to be fun.

Conor is home and it might just be light enough for Frisbee still. 

They're calling for rain tomorrow, again. Oh well. We love rainy days.

PDX

We have been back in the States for almost a week. Most moments, it feels as though we never left. I am beginning to think more and more, the Northwest is home. It just feels...right.

Conor and I landed in LA last Friday after a 13 hour flight from Brisbane. We managed to pack almost all of our belongings into four large suitcases and two, fairly heavy, carry-on bags. We left one bag (only one!) in Brisbane with our good friends Pete and Kirsty. They will watch over our camping gear for the next year, or until someone we know makes a trip to Brisbane and back.

From LA we flew north to Portland and have settled in at the Marriot down-town. Portland is probably one of my favourite places on Earth.

1. Beautiful city views of the mountains and green hills
2 Amazing coffee, beer and food
3. Efficient public transportation (and several transport options!)
4. Walk-able, pedestrian friendly city streets (and awesome grid-layout)
5. Friendly, low-maintenance people (for the most part)
6. Fabulous music and art scene - cheap shows and exhibits
7. Powell's mega-store!
8. This list goes on and on...

After living in Brisbane for a year and a half, Conor and I have realised just how much we took some aspects of daily PDX life for granted. Although we started walking much more when we moved to Portland three years ago, Brisbane taught us very quickly that walking was the fastest, easiest way to get from point A to point B. In the past few days we have walked distances in Portland that we would have avoided just over a year ago. A mile in the morning for a good cup of coffee? Sure! 30 blocks rather than waiting for the bus? Why not?! Portland (perhaps the States) has also reminded us that it's okay to talk to strangers - offer assistance, smile, compliment, etc. It is fabulous to be in a city where people hold their heads a bit higher when walking down the street and make eye-contact in passing.

Since our arrival we have been lucky enough to meet up with several good friends. Coming home to good friends makes the time spent apart seem non-existent. We have had breakfast, dinner, and beers at a handful of our favourite places with some pretty amazing people. We even ventured out to pub-quiz trivia last night and won a few dollars (enough to cover our dinner and beers) - just like old times!

We depart for Baltimore on Sunday afternoon. Our time here is just not enough. But then again, it never is. We are looking forward to seeing our friends and family on the east coast and reuniting with our little pooch, Bella, next week. A new adventure awaits us in Baltimore!

Priceless

Conor and I went to the park this afternoon. We brought our frisbee along and tossed the disc back and forth for about twenty minutes. (We were practising for our return to Bella.) We walked around the park on our way home, stopping for two six-packs ($36 AUS). After a quick cat nap, Conor departed for a late afternoon jog. While he was out running, I searched for a house in Baltimore on the internet. It is now time to cook dinner, spinach ravioli in a garlic cream sauce, and I am enjoying one of our expensive beers as I sit on our couch in our tiny, clean apartment - thinking to myself, "What a wonderful way to end the weekend..." 

We both left work late on Friday evening. I arrived home at about 7:30, and after a quick shower, our friend Jenn scooped us, and our sleepover supplies, up. We spent the night in Mitchelton at Jenn and Dan's beautiful home. Dan cooked us a lovely lamb curry. We drank a few bottles of wine while relaxing on their new deck. We watched a slide-show of the photos from their recent wedding - (a failed attempt to prove to Conor that we must have a professional photographer at our wedding). Although the photos were beautiful, I fell asleep on the living room floor and missed out on brownie sundaes.

The following morning we went for a drive through New Farm, stopping for brunch at The Little Larder. The four of us shouted out random things Conor and I need to do before we leave Brisbane. We managed to make a list of four things we still need to do in the next four weeks. After getting dropped back at home, Conor and I changed our clothes and got the bikes out of the garage. A long ride was definitely in order - fresh air for our hangovers, exercise for our very full bellies. 

We rode about thirty minutes to a park and sat with our friend Thom while we watched his partner Anika play netball (No, not basketball. Netball.) After the game we rode back into the city and rejoined the two of them for coffee and cannolis. The coffee was terrible. The cannolis were wonderful. 

After another quick shower, Pete and Kirsty were at our door. The four of us headed out on the town in their new pick-up truck. We scored a fabulous park at the Story Bridge Hotel (SBH) and after only a twenty minute wait (and one MT Brewery beer each), were seated in the noisy dining room. Oddly enough, visiting the SBH was on our list of things to do before departing Oz. We had a wonderful meal of oysters Kilpatrick, soup, dips, kangaroo, steak, and a Tasmanian Pinot Noir. I will miss dining on kangaroo. We finished the night with dessert at Free Style - the most overpriced and delicious dessert chain in Brisbane.

At 12:06AM I set my alarm for 5:45. And after a short (six and a half hour) day at work, and a game of frisbee, I am completely exhausted. 

Conor is making dinner. Again. Now that I work afternoons and evenings, it is difficult to find the time and energy to prepare dinner. Conor has done an amazing job over the past few weeks. It should be my turn to cook tonight, but since he looks to be enjoying chopping garlic and onions, I might just sit on the couch and have another bottle of pricey beer.

It's been a while since I have included a recommendation or survey in my post. Here's a fun little diddy Conor enjoys more than most males I know. And Australians enjoy more than Americans. The Nutbush is a dance done to Tina Turner's Nutbush City Limits. Some may call it the unofficial Australian Anthem.

If you love Tina, check out this video:

If you love to line dance, check out this instead:

The Final Countdown

Well, once again, or perhaps still, we are busy. We returned from our 32 days on the road almost three weeks ago now. In another 33 days, we depart Brisbane (Friday, August 13) for Los Angeles. Our time in Brisbane (and Australia) is coming to an end. This is the final countdown.

The remainder of our journey with Pete and Caitlin was amazing. It became incredibly difficult to find the time, energy and service for blog-writing and posting, however. We have posted close to 1,000 of our photos on-line at: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/home?tab=yq Although I took notes along the way and documented our daily adventures in my journal, it might be easier and more exciting for you to view our photos and captions, than my scrambled time-line recounted on tomorrowmostlysunny. It would also be less tedious for me. In my last weeks as an Australian citizen (for tax purposes anyway), I have become selfish with my time.

We spent our morning lounging around our Paddington apartment. We slept in, made smoothies, folded laundry, grabbed a take-away coffee from a local favourite and wandered around the cute, quiet neighbourhood on our way home. We met with four of our friends for a mid-day brunch at Sassafrass, a Brisbane breakfast institution. Post-avocado on sour-dough and extra-large cappuccino, we gathered back at the apartment and planned a weekend trip to Mt. Tamborine - one last group getaway before our departure.

We spent the remainder of our day riding and walking around the city, visiting the art museum. After stopping at the local market, filling up on olive oil, fresh bread and basil and feta spread, we returned home to watch the sun set over the city from our balcony. And now I sit, typing, listening to the new National album, sipping a G&T, while Conor makes ravioli and salad. 32 days left.

Maybe today doesn't sound so busy, but you see...

Conor returned to work the day following our return to Brisbane. I enjoyed a few days of solitude before returning to French Twist. I am currently a casual employee, working across stores. Although I am no longer under contract and managing the store I opened over a year ago (sniffle), I am still working a fair amount, with one weekend day spent running around the cafe. We are no longer saving for our month long road-trip. We are now saving for a house and our wedding.

After months of debate, Conor and I have decided to return to the States in August. Unfortunately, we will no longer be living in the beautiful NW. Conor's company has asked him to assist with the opening of the Reston, VA office. Fortunately, we managed to meet his company's request halfway (no, not in Nebraska or Kansas), and will be setting up shop in Baltimore, MD. We look forward to reuniting with our pooch and good friends, Annie, Jamie and Adam along the Chesapeake.

We are busy planning and saving for our next adventure. We are busy laughing, eating, drinking and saying our "see you later"s to a number of amazing friends.

In 32 days I will no longer be reporting the weather from the future. We are looking forward to seeing everyone back home soon.

Melbourne

We spent two days in the Melbourne area before traveling along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. We rolled into town after departing the Albury caravan park a few hours earlier. After squeezing the Warrior into a narrow parking space downtown, we wandered around the city in search of food and long term parking. Conor and I visited Melbourne last November for the Melbourne Cup and enjoyed our time spent there very much. This trip was rather quick, and without a definite place to bunk for the night lined up, we were a bit panicked as we strolled along the river.


A friend of mine from Brisbane moved to Melbourne a few months back, and we had plans to meet up with her and one of her roommates on Lygon Street later that evening for some good Italian. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot near Katie's house and after enjoying some dinner and three free bottles of wine with the two girls, they invited us to stay at their cute little terrace house for the night. We showered at their apartment and crashed on their floor - perhaps this does not sound like a treat, but it was.


The following day we headed to Philip Island, a two hour drive southwest of Melbourne. Our plan upon arrival was to purchase tickets for the penguin march that takes place every evening on the island. After paying a visit to the Philip Island Information Centre (these centres have been our toilet saviors along the trip - much nicer, cleaner, and warmer than most rest stops) and snagging our four tickets for the show, we drove around the small island, enjoyed some lunch on a secluded beach, and then lined up almost two hours early to get a good seat for the penguins. 


This stop was probably the second most spectacular on our trip thus far, with Sydney Harbour being the first. We sat in the cold for approximately 45 minutes waiting for almost 1,000 "little penguins" to wash up on shore, make their way into the dunes, and then travel on to their grassy homes. The penguins were adorable - weighing approximately one kilogram each, with a beautiful, sleek blue and white coat. They washed up on shore in rafts of 8-15, waddled together across the sand and scurried off into the grass. They were amazing!


After spending a couple of hours with the penguins we hopped back in our van and drove back north to the Mornington Peninsula. We found a fairly nice caravan park that had agreed to stay open for a late check-in. If memory serves me correct, this was the first time we attempted to sneak in two of our campers. Caravan parks are funny places. They charge per head, not per vehicle and after paying $50 to stay at one park, we decided to draw the curtains in the back of the Warrior upon arrival to the parks from that point on. We were somewhat nervous when the gentleman at reception insisted on walking along our van to guide us to the site. But $30 and fifteen minutes later we were enjoying pasta and a few beers in our van.


The evening spent on the Mornington Peninsula was the coldest we camped through yet. They four of us woke up multiple times throughout the night, shivering and complaining. At one point I got up, put a sweatshirt on and then jogged around the park for five minutes before returning to bed. The next morning we quickly exited the park and drove to the Mornington Peninsula Ferry. After crossing the harbour we began our journey along the Great Ocean Road!

Sydney

Okay, so, if you didn't know this already, I love Sydney! I have visited the city four times now and each trip leads to new adventures and surprises. Yes, I have toured the Opera House twice now and seen a show in one of the theatres there. No matter how many times you float past the structure while aboard the Manly Ferry, it is always a spectacular sight! While in the city this past trip, I took several more photos of the Harbour Bridge (I had never sat under it during a rain storm before!) and strolled through the Botanic Gardens, gawking at the insane number of bats hanging upside-down in the trees above - it never gets old!

Pete, Caitlin, Conor and I spent a day in the city and then traveled to Katoomba/the Blue Mountains (a two hour train ride from Sydney centre). Although we half expected it, the mountain air was cold! We hiked between Leura Cascade and Gordon Falls and paid a visit to the Three Sisters and Echo Point. We also rode on the world's steepest cable car line - with an incline of 52 degrees! We strolled through the rain forest for about an hour and finished the day with a "make-your-own" hot chocolate: dark chocolate chips melted fondue style with steamed milk and a metal spoon/straw. Yum!

As usual, we bunked with our friend John Blogg in Manly. John is a relative of one of Conor's co-workers and is a fabulous story-teller and host. His duplex style, 1900 home was once shared with none other than Peter Garrett, Australian musician (Midnight Oil), environmentalist, and Minister for the Environment, (although no longer an elected official after a government funded insulation project gone wrong!).

John set us up with warm beds and showers, good food and a fair amount of gin and beer. We had a great time staying with him, as always. Pete enjoyed John's "prawn sandwiches" while Caitlin was treated with her own jar of Robert Timms instant coffee (the closest thing to drip coffee here in Australia). 

After a few luxurious days, we hopped back in our van and headed further south. Along the way we experienced a rather unpleasant and surprising turn of events. We were driving along a six lane motorway when a woman driving a compact car came barreling across the median and collided head on with the car driving next to us. Conor slammed on the brakes just in time and we were able to avoid impact. The other two vehicles involved were not so lucky. We jumped out of the van and helped the two folks who had been traveling along aside us out of their vehicle. They were in absolute shock. The other driver was not so aware, and most likely knocked unconscious by the crash, and was extracted from her vehicle almost an hour later after ambulance and fire crews tore her tiny car apart. Our van was tied up in traffic for quite some time before we were able to escape the city. About an hour later Conor was pulled over for a random breath test. Although it only took moments for the police to clear Conor and for us to continue our travels, the stop was another roadblock in our travel to Melbourne.

After a quick stop in Canberra, Australia's capital city, we drove into the night and eventually stopped to eat and sleep in a small town, Albury, NSW. We parked next to some public toilets and a lovely park and enjoyed an episode of Flight of the Conchords before bed - a much needed laugh after such a long and stressful day.

The Warrior

I cannot explain it. I love writing. I love telling stories. I love exaggerating when I tell stories. I like to think a fair amount of time passes between posts because I am waiting for inspiration or the proper mood to strike - I want each and every post to be perfect. I know this cannot be true, however, because I am lucky to see and do pretty amazing (and inspiring) things every day. It has been a busy few weeks - make that months! I have at least a dozen stories to tell, but in the interest of time I will brush upon a few major highlights of the past five to six weeks below.

1. On April 18 my parents arrived in Brisbane. They spent two weeks traveling and relaxing with me and Conor. After hanging around the apartment and wandering around the city for three days, the four of us flew north to Cairns and then stayed in Port Douglas for two nights. We spent time on the GBR, cruising the Daintree River, wading in the Mossman Gorge. We had a fabulous time. 

Mom, Dad, and I then flew south to Sydney, while Conor returned to Brisbane for work. We stayed in Manly with our friend John for four fabulous nights. We visited all of the tourist hot-spots, such as the Rocks, Opera House, Botanical Gardens. We walked around the down town, rode the monorail and took a stroll through Luna Park under the Harbour Bridge. On our last night in the big city we saw Regina Spektor perform at the Opera House - it was wonderful!

2. On May 1, one day prior to my parent's departure, the four of us headed to Mt. Tambourine for wine, beer and cheese tasting. We visited a few wineries, and after purchasing a few bottles of wine, set up a picnic on one of the vineyard lawns. It was a gorgeous fall day. On the drive back home that afternoon, we stopped at an overlook and got out of the car to wander around. It was dusk and the valley was just beautiful. Conor asked me to marry him (and of course I said yes) and we were able to celebrate that evening in Brisbane with my parents. It was a fabulous end to my parent's stay. 

3. Just over a week later, on May 12, Pete and Caitlin arrived from Buffalo, NY. We were incredibly excited to see some of our best friends and welcome them to Brisbane. We were also very excited for their arrival because it marked the start of our one month holiday and Australia road-trip!

The past week and a half has been full of crazy adventures. On May 15 we left Brisbane and drove south to Byron Bay. We spent our first night on the road parked on the side of the road in our Back Packer Camper Van, also known as "The Warrior". I had never slept in a vehicle on the side of the road before. We pulled up next to some public toilets, turned the kitchen table into a bed, and spent the night by the ocean (similar to most Byron backpackers, I'm sure). After walking along the ocean to Australia's most eastern point, we jumped back in the van and drove a few more hours south to Port McQuarie. Not too much to report on Fingle Bay or New Castle - except I now know why flights to New Castle are sometimes only $9.

Since Port McQuarie, we spent three nights in Sydney, a night in Melbourne, a night on the Mornington Peninsula just south of Melbourne, a night along the Great Ocean Road in Apollo Bay, a night in the middle of nowhere at a caravan site that we drove into quietly after dusk and departed from quickly at dawn, and now, I sit Adelaide, attempting to summarize the madness that occurred along the way. There are definitely more stories to come on Sydney, Melbourne, and the creepy caravan park. 

Tomorrow we head slightly north of Adelaide to the Barossa wine region. After that comes Coober Pedy and perhaps a lack of phone and internet service! Outback, here we come!

Holiday

Two weeks ago, on February 14 (coincidentally the most romantic day of the year), Conor and I set out with two of our favourite Australians for a kayak-camping adventure! It has taken me over a week to recover from our "holiday" and gain the perspective to tell our tale without embellishment. Or perhaps with less exaggeration than usual (for me).

We started planning our trip to the Whitsunday Islands over a month ago. We researched kayak rental. We compared hotel, youth hostel and campsite accommodations and pricing. We travelled to Anaconda, Australian's adventure superstore, on numerous occasions for all of our camping, kayaking, and snorkelling needs. We spent hours calculating and mapping the distances between three of the islands. We downloaded information on the tides. And on February 14 we hopped on a plane and headed to a campsite in Airlie Beach to begin our adventure.

All of the planning in the world could not have prepared us for our trip. In fact, less planning might have helped lay the groundwork for a more relaxing vacation. We set some pretty serious goals and achieved all but one, paying a visit to the third most beautiful beach in the world, Whitehaven. Four days and approximately 65 kilometres later, we returned to Airlie Beach in search of shelter, a shower and anything aside from lentils to snack on.

When we arrived in Airlie Beach we were greeted by 86% humidity and our lovely bus/shuttle driver. His question to the group of tourists as we loaded the bus, "What are you doing here? Seriously, it's the wettest month of the year."

(What were we doing there?)

We chuckled and congratulated each other on our cheap flight tickets and the accommodation savings we would achieve by sleeping "on the beach, under the stars!" Little did we know, the time we spent on that bus was the last time in five days we would be clean, dry and cool.

As we reached our destination in Airlie Beach, we pitched our tents immediately, as it began to rain upon our arrival. We walked to the grocery store, dropped $140 on lentils, beans, rolled oats, canned tuna, peanut butter, granola bars, soy milk, nuts, and bug spray. We took the bus back into the town centre and splurged on $10 fish and chips in celebration of Anika's birthday. We chatted excitedly about packing our belongings into two kayaks and spending the week on the turquoise sea.

On Monday morning we packed up our gear, lathered on sunblock, and hopped on a bus to the marina. There we met Neil (or Salty) of Salty Dog Kayak Rental. Before signing our lives away, we rented stinger suits and life vests with whistles. Neil taught us how to use the neon orange tarp he provided as a rescue signal. We filled nine 10 litre bladders with water. I bought Conor a quick cup of coffee and some yoghurt - he would need the sustenance for what lay ahead.

The rain held off for about an hour. Then it continued for four days. We paddled, ate, slept, swam, urinated, and laughed (a lot) in the rain.

We camped at two different sites, Joe's Beach and Chance Bay, on Whitsunday Island and spent our third night on Denman Island at North Spit. The campsites were fabulous. Sandy beaches and beautiful views. Toilets and picnic tables. Goannas and spiders. What more could we ask for? We kayaked almost 70 kilometres in four days. We went to bed just after the sun set and started stirring as it rose.

The best campsite food: lentils, coconut powder, green curry paste. The essential kayak snack: mixed nuts and M&M's. Thom prepared Greek coffee for the group every morning. We munched on smushed chocolate cupcakes our first night on the islands in celebration of Anika's 28th birthday. It was a wonderful adventure - we would not have done it so well with any other couple.

On day four we headed back to Airlie Beach, in spite of a warning from Salty. The visibility was poor and we needed to cross a fairly wide channel. We were tired, wet, and bruised. There was no way we were spending another night out in the rain. Anika had slipped in the mud the night prior to our departure and sliced her leg on some wooden steps. Her shin turned black and blue almost instantly. I paddled for two days with swollen and blistered lips, after getting burnt on our first day on the water. My lips were about three times their normal size and hurt like hell. It was time to head back to the mainland and a warm shower.

We braved the channel.

We spent four to five hours on the water on our trip back to Airlie. At one point we talked about tossing ourselves into the jellyfish infested water and giving up. Thank god we didn't. Upon our arrival to Airlie, we unpacked all of our wet gear from the kayaks, grabbed our packs, and headed into town in search of a hotel. We shelled out a little extra cash and stayed at a two bedroom apartment for the night. We swam, showered, ordered pizza, and watched movies as we all slowly crashed on the living room floor. Conor curled up in front of the air-con.

I cried as we rode the shuttle back to the airport the next afternoon. What were we thinking? It was the wettest month of the year. I was exhausted. I knew once we reached Brisbane we would have to flag a cab and head home. There wasn't anything in the house to eat and I needed to be up for work bright and early (4:45AM) the next morning.

As I mentioned, it has taken a week or so to recover from our trip. I would post photos of the beautiful Whitsunday Islands and our dear friends, but our camera was demolished on our first day at sea.

It has rained almost every day since we returned to Brisbane. But at least the four of us can sit indoors and eat dairy and fresh vegetables while joking about our relaxing holiday.

Tweet Tweet

Tweet, tweet, twit.

I just don't understand. Could someone please explain to me the concept of "tweeting"? I imagine Twitter to be similar to my Facebook status. Updated 17 trillion times a day. If I had Twitter, here's what my tweets might look like:

5:49AM: Why do bikers insist on wearing yellow Lycra? It IS possible to cycle in denim and cotton. Is it yellow lycra because of Lance...?

6:11AM: I hate my job. I hate my job.

6:12AM: Thank god for the Dropkick Murphys. My morning just got a lot better.

7:44AM: Australians are ridiculous. Canadians are worse.

8:14AM: I love my job. I love my job.

9:30AM: I should learn how to speak Korean.

11:59AM: Maybe someday I, too, will rely on my husband's income to support my unhealthy shopping addictions. Nah.

11:59:05AM: Maybe someday I will have a husband...

1:16PM: God, thank you for creating cheese! Especially Camembert.

2:01PM: Maybe I will leave work on time today. Maybe. Probably not.

4:52PM: I should have walked. Why am I waiting for the bus? I could have been home by now. But if I start walking now, the bus is sure to come! What do I do?!

5:02PM: Red wine. Check. Veggies. Check. Camembert. Check. I must be able to make something for dinner with what's already at home...

5:03PM: Maybe I will order Indian...

5:05PM: Why on earth is that woman wearing that hat? It's ugly and provides almost no protection from the sun.

5:06PM: Pizza actually sounds really good right now.

6:01PM: Who needs a shower when you have a bikini and pool? Is it okay to condition my hair while I swim?

6:09PM: Why does my neighbour always have a bird on his shoulder?

6:10PM: I don't think birds should be allowed in the pool area. I will put my conditioner away if you lock your parakeet up.

6:28PM: Glass of wine in hand. The National playing in the background. Balcony and blog, here I come!

7:02PM: I should seriously think about cooking dinner.

7:28PM: Conor is my hero.

8:06PM: Dinner, movie, bed.

8:07PM: Tweet.

Christmas Down Under

On Christmas Eve Conor and I flew into Auckland, New Zealand. After lugging our tent, sleeping bags and rain coats through customs, we hopped into a cab and headed to the harbour. "You want to go where?" asked the cab driver, "Where they keep the boats? You want me to leave you there?"

Yes.

It was officially Christmas Day by the time we arrived at the marina. We paid our lovely friend (an amount that could have been a down payment on a small home) and wandered into the darkness, hoping to stumble upon Conor's father, Jack, at any moment, "Merry Christmas!"

Conor's parents had arrived earlier that day and had already unpacked their belongings on a beautiful 38 foot sail boat in the Auckland Harbour. After hellos, hugs and happy holidays, we retired for the night.

I woke up to cool winds, delicious coffee and the view of a few hundred other masts, the city prominent in the background. We sailed for two days before departing Auckland and heading to the South Island. We swam and hiked. We barbecued, exchanged Christmas gifts, read, and of course, watched a few episodes of Flight of the Conchords on the boat. Although we did not see much of the city, the Great Barrier Islands were amazing. It was wonderful to spend Christmas Day on a boat in the Southern Hemisphere - a once in a lifetime thing, I'm sure.

We flew into Christchurch, picked up our rental car and began driving. The Semlers like to drive. Actually, I don't know if they actually enjoy long road trips, but they claim to, and they do them well. There was very little complaining and we only stopped a few times as we travelled south to Dunedin. Dunedin is a college town on the east coast of the South Island. With summer break taking place, the town was quiet. It was also rainy and cold. It felt like home. (Minus the rain, plus snow.)

We stayed in an old church, the Chapel Apartments, showered for the first time since our arrival, and ate ta pas at a cute little restaurant in the centre of town. Dunedin was lovely. A little sleepy, yes, but lovely. We drove up the world's steepest street and then walked to the bottom. Green. Hills. Sheep.

On our way out of town, we drove out onto the Otago Peninsula, stopped to watch the albatross for a bit and then hopped on to an 8-wheel drive vehicle and took a tour of the coast. More sheep. We also saw baby seals (some just two days old) and penguins - lounging on the rocky coast, strutting across the sand to their nests. Amazing.





Jack, Mary, Me



Young seal lounging on the rocks with her baby nearby.



Is my wingspan comparable to that of an albatross?

After Dunedin came Milford Sound and Queenstown. The photos of our kayak trip in Milford Sound pretty much summarise the hours we spent there. Clear, clean water (Bella would have loved it). Mountains. Crisp Air. Breathtaking views.





Who looks bad in Spandex? Clearly not me.





Is Conor getting paid to advertise here?

Queenstown was similar to most ski-towns. We were still surrounded by nature, but the resorts and hotels, restaurants and cafes, and crowds of people were our reminders that we were no longer in the national park. Queenstown was a great transition for my trip back to Australia and Brisbane.

I returned home to Brisbane after a three hour delay in Sydney. My late night arrival and early work morning were worth the Christmas treats in NZ. If only I had stopped and snagged two bottles of Bombay in the duty free shop, my Christmas trip would have been perfect.

Fetch

While wandering through Rosalie and Milton this morning, Conor and I passed by a park. There were families sprawled about on picnic blankets and in lawn chairs, children running around with cricket bats, dressed in their sun hats. Typical. One family had brought along a couple of hula-hoops and the kids were going mad for them. We watched one mother toss the hula-hoops at her two young children for a few seconds before we realised she was playing fetch with them. And they loved it! She threw the hula-hoops into the field, the kids ran after them, grabbed them and then returned, dropping the objects at her feet. They then waited, twitching and yelping for the chase to begin all over again.

I looked at Conor, "That's not right. It's hot out here." We kept walking.

As we continued our Saturday morning stroll, we talked about Bella, our little black mutt. Bella loves to play fetch.

Conor stopped to get some cash at an ATM and I noted, pointing to our feet, "Bella would never drink out of that bowl." The Milton grocery store had set up a metal carousel outside of their front door, allowing patrons to tie up their dogs while they shopped. They also put out a stainless steel water bowl. Bella is a huge water bowl snob. If the water is not fresh, cold and clear, she will not drink it, no matter how high the air temperature. We laughed for a moment. "No, she would never drink that."



We purchased our margarita supplies and sauntered home, sweating more with every step.

It was a wonderful morning. Today is my first day off in over a week - my second day off in the last 15. Conor and I slept until 8:30AM. We ate brunch at a wonderful little restaurant in Rosalie called Salt. We wandered, reminisced about a handful of our favourite moments spent with Bella. We talked about the milkshakes we would buy later that afternoon (which a few hours later we did enjoy). We went to the grocery store and bought fabric softener, and then returned home to do our laundry. We went for a dip in the pool and then set up on the balcony with our cocktails and computers.

It was a perfect Saturday. It was a pretty good Friday too. Conor and I finished up work, met at home, showered and headed to the Tivoli in Fortitude Valley to hear David Sedaris speak. Two Coronas, some hot chips, a short, intelligent, liberal author, and a late-night burger to boot. Although we tend to avoid spending time in the Valley, we enjoyed our time at the Tivoli very much. David read from his new book, to be released Fall 2010, answered a handful of questions and told the audience about his favourite Christmas gifts. He was hysterical. He was a touch of home.



Bella is most likely sleeping in front of my parent's wood stove or romping through two feet of snow, chasing after her favourite red Frisbee. Conor and I are sitting on our balcony in shorts and tee-shirts, still sweating, and talking about how much we enjoy a good breeze. (That's somewhat sad, isn't it?)

Here's hoping Sunday brings many more common, yet enjoyable, occurances.

Resolution

I try not to make them. At least not out loud (especially while someone I know is within earshot). Unrealistic. Unattainable. Pumped full of false hope. Instead of listing my "faults", without having first concocted a solid elimination plan, I thought I might take a moment to list a few things I am grateful for and will continue to work towards and support in 2010.

1. Friends
As many of us discover over the years, good friends become family - you hold them just as close, and often times closer, as you do your own blood. I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many lovely people. Supportive, understanding, open-minded. Thank you to my family for being there for me during the ups and downs of 2009.

2. Hope
Some days I lose sight, but overall, I feel hope. It's not just a popular campaign term. It's a grumble in my belly for more. So much more. I have hope for many things, big and small in 2010, including an end to war (as cliché as it might sound), and with that an end to prejudice and hatred. I hope for advancements and achievements in finding a cure to serious and fatal illnesses. I hope for patience and understanding from those in my life, as well as from myself. I hope for new adventures, discoveries and knowledge, and love. I hope all of this love (the love I am so lucky to feel and receive) will continue.

3. Energy and Ability
I'm not giving up food, alcohol, caffeine...no way am I giving up caffeine, but I am grateful for my natural energy and the ability to take care of myself. I am grateful for the physical ability to walk (not just to the espresso machine, but to work and the grocery store and the clothes line, etc.), to run (not just for fun, but at work for ten hours a day), to bike and hike, kayak and swim, cook and clean, the list goes on. I am grateful for my health, physical and mental, and will continue to maintain it in 2010.

4. Art
This one might actually be a resolution. Although I am grateful for expression through art, and will continue to support artists in general, I made a silent promise to myself to write and read more in 2010. We have books galore, both here and in the States, and yet I take very little time to actually sit and read. My blog is evidence that I do not write nearly enough (at least not enough for me). Conor gave me a new journal for my birthday - I plan to use it more in 2010.

5. Conor
Last (for now), but certainly not least. Conor. It's too easy to say that my life would not be the same had Conor not walked in when he did. It's been six years, stretching back to 2004, and I am grateful for every second of it. And with Conor, shortly after Conor, came Bella, our beautiful little mutt. Our family. I look forward to many more adventures, late nights and early mornings, good days and bad days, hard work and lazy moments, laughter and more laughter, with Conor.

2009 was a good year. It was a great year. May my list of weaknesses grow shorter, even if I don't intend for them to through a New Year's resolution. And my strengths grow stronger.