a day off

Tomorrow is Australia Day, which is like the 4th of July, or Canada Day... only Australian. It falls on a Tuesday this year, which kind of sucks, since we had to go to work today... but tomorrow we have the day off. And we have some fun plans, so check back later for the photos.

Happy Australia Day!

tomato... tomahto

It’s interesting how when you grow up in the US and then relocate to another part of the world, you start to realise how very American certain behaviors, fashions, and expressions really are. While in the States I never gave it much thought but here someone will say, “Oh that's so American!" And I could never quite decide whether that was good or bad. For instance, this week a co-worker, who was talking to me about another co-worker said "do you see how he drives? with his arm hanging out the window? that is sooo American!" I am starting to think that it might not be a compliment.

On a similar note, the funniest thing happened this week at work. I was working at reception one morning (Did I mention that our receptionist quit? Does anyone want the job?!) and I had the following conversation with a woman who called in... in the heaviest southern American accent I have ever heard.

Me: Good morning, XYZ Property, this is Valerie.

She: What? What company is this?

Me: This is XYZ Property, may I help you?

She: Is this XYZ Property?

Me: Yes, it is.

She: Oh. Sorry, I didn't understand your Australian accent.

Wow. I wanted to say "lady, you just made the blog."


The photo above (taken by me, and not The Husband!) was from one of our regular Saturday morning trips to the Eveleigh farmers markets. I could live there, I love it so much. Just thought I'd share it, since I hate blog entries without photos.

a regular week

Things have settled back into a regular routine now that we are home from our trip. The Husband is still going to the gym regularly... I am not. It's been hot for days and days, but tonight we got a nice big summer thunderstorm. The kind that washes everything clean and drops the temperature ten degrees. Ahh... good sleeping weather. it will be good to turn off the air con and open the window for awhile.

Work is hum drum and it's hard getting back into it after having so much time off. But, I am slowly getting back in the habit of working again. Our receptionist quit though, so that's a bit sucky. Anyone interested in the job?

I got to go spend and hour tonight with a friend who just had twin boys. They are the tiniest little chicken-legged things! So cute and soft. Can't wait to go back and see them again. Newborns smell so yummy!

We had Indian for dinner last night. The Husband usually cooks and then I run downstairs and across the street to get rice and fresh naan - straight out of the the oven - from our neighbourhood Indian restaurant. Except, I swear that he (the restaurant guy) is judging me for just buying carbs, so I always feel like I have to order something else. Sigh. And then we have too much food and we eat too much.

Tomorrow night I have my regular dinner and catch up with Tash, and then Friday The Husband has his camera club meeting. Hopefully this Saturday I can do some shopping and get some new shirts for work.

Sometimes people think that we live this all-vacation-all-the-time life here in Australia. And I look at the laundry and the dishes and the bills and the bathtub that needs to be cleaned... and I laugh. It's just a regular week!

a new year

Let me just start by saying that we didn't take very many photos on our trip this time. Perhaps it was because it was cold enough to freeze snot, and it was a hassle to remove the 37 gloves we were wearing just to get out the camera. Or, perhaps it was just too easy to press the camera button on my iphone than to use the actual camera. (There's gotta be an app for that!) Anyway, most of the pictures we did take were blurry, a fact which The Husband has announced calls for a new lens for the camera. Whatever. I think I'll stick with the iphone.

As one of my favourite bloggers wrote this week...

The holidays seemed to have picked me up by my feet, swung me around its head, and flung me into a dumpster.

And isn't that the truth.

I am never sure if a trip "home" is going to convince me that Canada actually is home, or further my feelings that I am completely without a home. This trip made me want to curl up into a ball and eat myself into a stupor. I wonder how many Wendy's number 4 combos that would take?

Two days into the trip I told The Husband that I realised how much I missed Canada. The people are so lovely... the customer service to die for... barely a funny accent to be had. And then we arrived in the Soo. Holy cow, I thought we were in Fargo! Since when do Canadians sound like Sarah Palin? Freaky. (There's gotta be an app for that, surely!)

Anyway, we survived it. It was cold, and snowy, which was fun for about 30 seconds. And then it was just cold and snowy. Christmas was nice. But every year I say "Less stuff! Fewer presents!" And this year, I mean it. The craziness has got to stop with someone, and I'll gladly put my hand up. Next year, everyone gets a goat!

New Years was a lot of fun though, and it's nuts to think that we are already 10 years past the insanity of Y2K. Seems like that was just yesterday.

After 61 hours in airports and on tarmacs and in line for (some seriously invasive) security and on planes, I am happy to be back 'home' and getting some rest. I seem to have contracted the annual post-holiday sickness. Ick. Hopefully nothing a weekend of rest won't fix.

and we are back

Sorry I have been MIA for the past few weeks. It's been a little crazy. I promise a Christmas recap soon. Right now, I am just too tired.
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

and we are off

After days and days and maybe even weeks of hot, sunny weather, Sydney is seeing us off with a cold, dark and rainy day. Kind of a nice change.

We are all packed, and we leave for the airport in 3 hours. The apartment is clean, the fridge is bare, and the list has been double checked. I will be so glad to get on that plane and go to sleep.

I am thankful not to be going to work today, as the entire city bus system has shut down due to the drivers going on strike overnight. What is it with transit / airline workers striking at Christmas??

For those that we will see in the next couple of days - we are so looking forward to it! And for those of you who we won't see on this trip - we wish you a very Merry Christmas! Stay tuned for some some snow photos soon!

hot and cold

Last weekend was gorgeous here. Hot, sunny, vivid blue sky, amazing. And since one of our goals for this summer is to go to the beach more often, that is what we did. And despite the application of plenty of SPF40, I am now sporting a snazzy new sunburn. Not all over, mind you, just in large blotches - rather giraffe like. It's stunning, I assure you.

However, as I was sitting on the beach, I was reflecting on the fact that 7 days from that moment, I would be in an alternate universe, one where it's dark from 4pm to 8am, and one where it's cold, and snowy. And cold. It seems so weird that I am going to get on a plane on a hot, sunny day, and get off the plane in cold, wintry darkness. And then I realised that I better start moisturising, because it is not going to be fun wearing 16 layers on top of a sunburn. However, the good news is that there will be much less urgency to shave my legs while I am there. Awesome.

Sorry for the general lack of posting... I have been a little busy with year-end stuff at work, and packing, and baking, and shopping, and cleaning, and laundry. Oh, and I started a book this week that I can't put down... just because I really don't have time to read a book right now. But that is just how I roll.

Signed, The Giraffe

dreaming

I may have jinxed us. I may have listened to a few too many Christmas songs already. I may have changed my skype online status to "dreaming of a white Christmas" too soon. I may have squeeled with glee at the sight of this a little too loudly. And I may have ordered some sweaters online with a bit too much gusto.

Maybe. Just maybe.



Nine days to go. I can't wait!!

count down

It's that time of year again. Christmas is in the air. The scent of bushfire smoke and frangipani, the sound of myna birds cackling, the dry summer heat.... What? That doesn't sound like Christmas to you? No kidding.

It still seems foreign to me to be listening to Christmas music in the summertime, or attending holiday parties sleeveless, or even buying cherries in season 2 weeks before Christmas, for that matter. But that is one of the facts of life in the southern hemisphere. I'm not sure I could ever get used to it.

For me, Christmas will always be freezing cold, with a fresh blanket of snow muffling the sound of carolers. Wet mittens and warm cocoa and stomping off your feet when you come in from the cold. It's candy canes and icicles and twinkle lights in every window. It's dressing up and helping in the jewellery store on Christmas Eve, eating cookies and listening to Papa's jokes. It's the inevitable nap after the equally inevitable Griswold Family re-runs.

And so, we have gladly begun the count down. In 12 days we will be heading "home" for Christmas. Back to the Great White North full of all things white and cold and Christmassy. Bring on the sweaters!

happy thanksgiving

Wish I could be there to share it with you.