Burnt Toast

I was only at work today for 1 hour and we had to evacuate because of a fire alarm.  It was a little scary because it was just about 8:00 AM so half the building was full and it didn't just alarm and then stop, it kept going.  So we knew it was no test.  I had to scramble down 20 flights of stairs (I'm on the top floor) in heels and a suit and then had to stand out in the freezing cold for another 20 minutes.  The fireman were there and several trucks were parked outside our building.  Only to find out that the reason was that someone burnt their frigging toast in one of the other floor's kitchens and set off one of the alarms.  Ridiculous.

Getting There

I had another visit to one of my most cherished places in Sydney over the weekend.  That's right - IKEA!!!!  I really do love that place but I was on strict credit card lockdown this time.  In fact, my Aussie went with me so I really was on my best behavior.  Our goal for the day was to get a dining room table, six chairs and six chair cushions all the while avoiding the Marketplace.  The Marketplace is my favorite part, chock full of all kinds of things that you didn't realize that you were missing from your life.  How gracious of IKEA to remind me!?  And they are very strategic about the location of the Marketplace, funneling you through it to get to check out.

So although I didn't get the $90 oven-safe/stove-safe blue casserole dish with matching lid, I was able to snag the 365+ medium oven-safe frying pan for a mere $30.  I pushed for some curtain panels for our front door but met resistance.  It's okay though.  My Aussie is going on a week-long ski trip in August that I cannot join him on because of work.  So I'll practice my patience (and my credit card swiping) in the meantime.

Lame

It's Friday night and I'm blogging.  While everyone else is out schmoozing with friends and colleagues, I'm sitting at my computer, alone, drinking a glass of red wine and feeling lame.  You've heard it before from me but once again, I need to make some friends.  I'm really having a hard time with it.

I went through the exact same thing when I moved to New York City from Amelia Island.  It took about a year and it wasn't until I got a second job waiting tables that I established some real relationships.  The thought of waiting tables now makes me want to cry.  No way will I go back to that.  But I've got to do something.  Any advice out there?  Surely someone out there has moved to another country (for a man), uprooted and left all that they know and love, and are in the same boat as me.

The females here are different too.  For being such a big city, a lot of people just know each other, went to uni together, work together and they are pretty clique-y.  Not rude, just not interested.  I wouldn't mind making a few guy friends but this is hard to do.  If you say straight up you have a partner, they are moving on.  I don't think many guys my age are interested in having a lot of female friends, even if I am super awesome.

I wouldn't mind playing some kind of sport, maybe softball, but outdoor activities won't really start up until September when it gets warmer.  I did join an American club (one of two that I could find online) but so far the only thing they've advertised in the way of news or activities is an email letting me know I can now buy Yankee Candles in Australia.  Sweet.  So I can now light an apple pie scented candle while I drink my wine and blog alone on a Friday night.  Super lame.

I've been racking my brain about potential hobbies or classes I could take.  I love to cook, shop, read, be athletic, travel, drink, and I love animals.  Maybe a book club would work out for me?  I thought about joining a cooking class or running club but those don't have a lot of one-on-one interaction. 

At any rate, I'm open to suggestions.   Somethings got to give though.  I've got to have a few core friends to call my own or I'll go crazy.  And nobody needs to see that.

Quote of the Morning

"Shaving a girl's neck is just wrong" says my Aussie this morning as I have him trim up my neck a little bit.  Big deal!!!  I have a super short hair cut and I can either pay $100 to go see fabulous Nathan at Head Over Heels to give me a trim or I can have my Aussie do it for free.  So my Aussie is just going to have to tough it out.  At least until I've become a super professional self-trimmer like my mom.  (I just can't master the right angle when using two mirrors to see the back of my head).  I'll get there.

Thankful

I had a fantastic birthday weekend.  It was the perfect way to usher in my 30th year.  I knew that I didn't want to have a big get together with too many drinks.  My Aussie's gift away was the perfect birthday present.  Nelson's Bay was beautiful and set amongst tree-covered mountain islands and bright blue water.  It is winter here so I have to get used to celebrating my birthdays in the cooler weather versus the hot, summer months in the States.  But the sun shined the entire weekend.  I took quite a few pictures but I'll just include a sampling for you below.  Thank you for all the birthday wishes! I'd like to think that after my Thursday night meltdown, I gracefully and respectfully welcomed my 30th year with love and anticipation.

Our view- we later climbed that mountain in the distance.

Quite chilly and windy climbing Mount Tomaree, with Shoal Bay in the background.

This is the view from one side of the Mount Tamaree, down into the Nature Preserve and popular surf spot.

We are at the summit and thoroughly windblown.

The view from the other side.  Stunning!



Just finished my hourlong massage and on to some Moet.



Right before our awesome 7-course tasting menu at Merretts.

I'll never have to worry about getting old.  My Aussie will keep me forever young at heart.  We had to stop and play mini golf and do the batting cages.

Watch out, David Ortiz!!

30

I have arrived at 30 but not without kicking and screaming through my last night of 29.  I cried walking the dog, folding laundry, painting my nails, eating Thai, watching Masterchef and then after my fourth glass of wine I finally just fell asleep watching a movie with my Aussie.  He handled it very well.  He let me get it all out but was supportive as well.  He didn't feed me any of those bullshit cliche lines like "age is nothing but a number".  It was very therapeutic.

I woke up today with no wine headache and feeling cleansed.  Bailey was snuggled up on my feet.  My Aussie offered to walk him so I didn't have to get up so early.  I took a nice long shower, got ready for work and then walked out of the bathroom to a nice little birthday surprise waiting on my dresser.  My Aussie gave me a pair of beautiful light green amethyst earrings to match the ring he gave me on our anniversary and tickets to see Modest Mouse on July 25th.  And we are also going away for the weekend to stay at Pepper's Anchorage in Nelson's Bay.  We leave tonight after work and won't return until Sunday afternoon.  I'm so excited.  It will be our first holiday away together since I moved here and a much needed break for both of us. 

Nelson's Bay is about 2 1/2 hours away from Sydney and it backs up to Tomaree National Park.  We haven't made any definite plans yet but I'm looking forward to hiking through the park, maybe taking a whale watching tour and definitely eating some great food.  We're booked in Saturday night at Merretts, the hotel's restaurant, for the Degustation Menu (fancy talk for tasting menu) which is eight courses and I cannot wait.  The last tasting menu I experienced was at Blue Hill in Manhattan and it was my Aussie's going-away dinner.  This dinner will be a much happier occasion.

I know why I was so upset last night.  I miss my friends and my family so much.  I know exactly how I would have celebrated if I were still in New York.  But my Aussie made a beautiful point, that his family, my Australian family, love me very much and he loves me fiercely as well.  They are all thrilled that I am here and are my support system until my own family can visit.  I know if my friends could be here they would be.  And I knew it would be this way when I decided to move here.  It just means that when my loved ones do come to Sydney, we are going to have one heck of an awesome time squeezing in all of these holidays and birthdays that we were apart for.

So cheers to my first day of 30- may it be the beginning of an exciting and wonderful decade, filled with lots of love, travel and minimal injuries!!!

Ode to 29

It's my 30th Birthday Eve and I'd like to take a moment to remember 29.  You were a long year, 29.  You were exciting, aggravating, painful, depressing, confusing and joyous all stretched out over your 365 days.  You were a traveller- from New York down the coast to Florida, over to L.A. winding down in Sydney.  You were a job hopper as well.  You finished up a role in wedding planning, went back to waiting tables and bartending only to give that up and be a dog-walker/dinner-maker/laundry-washer, and finally went back to your roots with corporate events.

You got a makeover and then got a tan.  You gained five roomates and now only have one.  You gained residency and unlimited working rights but lost your niche and comfort zones.  You were heartsick and now you're homesick.  You were established and now starting fresh.  You said "Good-bye" much more than "Hello".  So here's one more.  Good-bye, 29!  Hello, 30!

Welcome, World Wide Web

Well I never thought I would see the day!!  We finally had the internet installed at our new apartment this morning.  It only took a measly four months to get that sorted but hey, who's counting?  Happy birthday to me, I suppose.  I'll now be able to give my iPhone a break, upload a lot more photos onto Facebook, blog from home, and finally I can Skype with everyone again.

Big thanks to my Aussie for taking time out of his busy schedule to bring us into the present 21st century.  Very much appreciated.  It's not fun being a nagging witch but I certainly got my practice in with this request.  Now, if I can only get the dining table and chairs for the kitchen area.......

Happy 4th of July, America!

Independence Day in the States is one of my favorite holidays.  In Florida, we would always go to the beach during the day, BBQ at night and either host our own fireworks session or go and see the big production that was hosted in whatever city I was living in.  In New York, it would mean a day at the park, probably a picnic and sunbathing session, then dinner out or at someone's apartment followed by the amazing show that NYC always puts on over the East or Hudson River.  And it's four days before my birthday so I like to think it kicked off my birthday week.

Wherever you are, please light a sparkler for me (or tease someone with those little white popper things that SNAP when you throw them on the ground near their fee).  Hee hee.  And have an excellent 4th of July holiday!!

Whale Watching

So I was able to accomplish one of my life goals this weekend.  I have always wanted to see a whale in person before.  This isn't something that you can see every day in Florida where I grew up.  And definitely not something you see in New York City.  So I was excited to learn that when they migrate for the seasons, they pass by the coast of Sydney.  I think it might be something that coastal Australians take for granted because no one here really "got" my excitement over it.  And it was all I could do to get my Aussie to actually wake up at 6.30am with me on Saturday morning so we could drive to Bondi Beach and see them.  Bailey was more than thrilled to get up and go for a car ride.

So we drove out and parked the car at the house of our friends G. and S. and then headed out to the southern tip of Bondi Bay, just past Iceburgs.  The best time to see them is between 7:00 and 7:30 AM and we got there around 7:45 AM so I was worried that we missed most of the action.  But out of the corner of my eye I saw water spraying up into the air and we got to see about three different pods swim by.  They weren't that close in and I had to use maximum zoom on my iPhone to get some shots but it was still amazing.  I got a little teary-eyed.  It was just so stunning to see them finally and in such an incredible setting.

 

We followed up our whale watching at a nearby cafe and then popped in to visit our friends G. and S. for a little bit.  Bailey was in heaven and took a little snooze in their garden.  All in all, an excellent day to be grateful for.

Crippy Jones

I'm happy to report that I'm "Crippy Jones" no longer.  I went to the see our good friend P. who happens to be the Chief Radiologist at Sydney Radiology for some X-rays on the ankle and I'm going to be just fine.  No broken bones or bone fragments, just a few hematomas around the ankle.  That means bruising.  So no heels for a week, no running for a week and when the week is up, I'll need to run with a bandage for a few months just to be safe.

Apparently once you've sprained your ankle, the nerve endings that send the signal from the ankle to the brain become permanently damaged so you are more likely to experience sprains again in the future.  Your ankle can't send the alert to your brain fast enough before you can correct your footing and avoid the twist, turn or roll of your foot. 

I'm just glad that I won't be limping around on my birthday weekend.  And you better believe I'll be in heels by Friday afternoon.  Ha!

Jonesy 3.0

If there's a Jonesy 3.0 version, I want it. My Aussie has joked about it, but as of today I think we better research my upgrade. To follow up on my last post, I had recently walked into a pole. Well later that afternoon, I ran into a human. And this morning, I guess I forgot there were two more steps left in the flight of stairs leaving my apartment. So I turned my ankle, slammed my knee, hip and head into the ground and bordering brick wall.

I thought I was fine but after about an hour sitting at my desk at work, my ankle started throbbing and then swelling. So now I'm at home surrounded by Arnica cream, bags of ice, Panadol Plus (like IB Profren but with codeine -yay!), my iPhone, gossip magazine, water, 10 pillows and a soy cappuccino. Luckily it was quiet at work and I'm not likely to miss anything.

But seriously, is this what happens when you near 30? All motor skills and coordination start to deteriorate? No thanks, let's upload the Jonesy 3.0 program and be done with it.

Caution: Sign Post Ahead

Blame it on my early morning commute (6:30 AM) to be at work at 7:00 AM.  Blame it on still waking up and not having any coffee.  Blame it on the eagerness to see if I've gotten any interesting emails or texts overnight.  Or blame it on my new haircut that features side-swept bangs that occasionally get in my field of vision.  Whatever the excuse, I did not see that sign post when I walked square into it while tapping away on my iPhone.

The sun had yet to fully rise so I don't think anyone saw me but they must have heard me.  It was painful, so I yelled.  But it was awfully funny so my yell was more like a loud guffaw.  The guffaw was more embarrasing than the actual head butting of the sign post.

But I soldiered on.  No physical damage done.  And most importantly, my iPhone was not affected in the crash.  Phew.

A Dog's Life Really

I don't know what it is but it doesn't matter what mood I'm in or how I feel or look or anything, when I see my dog Bailey, nothing else matters.  He has this uncanny ability to offset any mood I'm in.  If I'm sad or crying, he does this crazy cat thing where he rubs up against my legs and butts his little head into my knees.  If I'm angry, he'll give me this little pathetic stare and put his paw on my knee to kind of say "Relax, lady".  If I'm happy he just feeds off it and bounces around as if he were a 5 lb. Chihuahua, not a 65 lb. beast.  As a result, I spoil him rotten.  It was hard to do in New York because your options are limited when it comes to outdoors-y things but I can honestly say, he is living the high life in Sydney.

It has been chilly though lately and Bailey and I are both trying not to put on the "winter insulation" that comes with hearty, hot food and heaps of carbs so my Aussie and I decided to head out to Cronulla this past weekend and take Bailey swimming at Gunnamatta Bay dog beach.  It was mid-60's and the weather was perfect so we enjoyed the nice drive out there.  But as we walked down to the beach, we noticed signs stating "no dogs on sand".  What the?!  It turns out that my Aussie hasn't been to Gunnamatta Bay in about 10 years so the dog policy has obviously changed since then.

Luckily, I could have cared less and was more than happy to break the rules for Bailey (plus it's winter and we were the only ones in sight on the beach).  The water was definitely not appropriate for human enjoyment but Bailey loved it.  And although the humans were bundled up, we loved letting Bailey have a blast.

 

Ms. Pin Head & Mr. Bobble Head





How to Handle 30?

I'm two weeks away from turning 30.  I remember sitting at a cafe with my friend M. in L.A. back in December and we were talking about how we were going to embrace it, that 30 would be awesome and had nothing to be afraid of.  M. just turned 30 yesterday and another good friend turned 30 the week before.  And now that mine is around the corner, I'm freaking out.  Where is that confidence and devil-may-care attitute I had just 6 months ago?

I feel like 30 is a significant milestone.  I felt the same way about 25, 21, 18 and 16.  And maybe 30 feels like such a big deal because after 30, the next age milestone (in my eyes) is 40, then 50, 60, etc.  That's a long time in between milestones.  I don't think my Aussie gets it.  He just asked me last night to please not freak out about it, which is exactly what I am doing.  And he just turned 25 so what does he know about 30.  He won't realize the significance until he's 29, and maybe not even then.  Maybe it's different for guys.

I think what will be the hardest for me is that my best friends and family will be so far away from me on my birthday.  I remember for my friend J.'s 30th I was living in New York but I planned a surprise party with her mother-in-law in Florida, then flew down the day before to help with the festivities.  I didn't tell J. I was coming and then surprised her at her party.  And it was so cool to be a part of that day with her. 

So there's a lot of pressure on my Aussie at this point.  I've inflicted it, I'll admit.  I've made comments that this birthday needs to be the best ever to make up for not being home and not having the people that I really love and care about with me.  That it needs to be huge, monumental, something to really write home about.  I've created this major 30-year-old monster that's taking over and I don't know what to do now.  I know that I've set myself up for potential disappointment.

I know it's silly but I think what I'm most afraid of is that it won't be significant at all.  That it will be just another birthday, just another day and I don't want to accept that.  I want fuss.  I want to fuss over my 30th and if I have to make it major myself than so be it.  What I have to remember is that being 30 will be much more than just the day that it actually happens, it will be the whole year from July 8 onwards.  My 30th year will include my first year in Sydney, my first solid year with my Aussie. It could include a potential career change, maybe the purchase of a home, definitely getting out of debt, and hopefully making new friends that will help me make a fuss over 31.  I guess at the end of the day, I have to handle 30, not let 30 handle me.

A Little Late...

Permanent visa status comes with some new rights and priveledges that I didn't have before.  I can vote, open lines of credit, work anywhere I want with no time restrictions, open my own business, and I now qualify for Medicare.  Medicare is Australia's socialized healthcare program.  When I decided to move to Sydney over a year ago, my Aussie and I had no idea that I would need to have a permanent visa to obtain the quality of life I want and need.  We were extremely naive and thought I could just move here and get back to life as I know it. 

Six months later and lots of venting through this blog and we now know that's not the case.  As you might have read, I've been "challenged" with a few medical problems since I've moved here.  Cracked tooth, lost filling, lost replacement filling, UTIs, kidney infection, severe tonselitis, and so on.  If we were smart and did our research, we would have made sure that I arranged overseas health insurance for my first year, but we just didn't know.  So needless to say, it's a little late in the game to finally have healthcare but I am thrilled to know that I'm in the system and covered now.

The healthcare system is pretty amazing here.  Anyone can be treated, with or without insurance, and the government will reimburse a portion of the treatment depending on what is.  What a concept right?  I will be signing on with my Aussie's health insurance plan as well for additional coverage (I need all the help I can get).  It's an amazing thought to know though that no matter what your situation, you won't be turned away from any doctor or hospital.

Let's just hope that as I'm nearing the big 3-0 in a few weeks, that I get better and healthier with age.

(Happy 30th M. & C.!!!)

Pain In The Ash

Living in Florida most of my life has prepared me for natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, and brushfires.  I know that those things can be dangerous and you have to be prepared with a safety plan, supplies and all that.  We went through so many of those things that I don't want to say they weren't a big deal, but it became expected that they would occur and like second-nature when preparing for them.

I'm coming across a whole new natural phenomenon here in Australia- volcanic ash clouds.  You can't see it, smell it, or feel it but it is taking over and ruining things.  I have executive board members stranded here at work, some are stranded in Melbourne, they need places to stay, food to eat, flights to be rebooked and put on the earliest standbys, car transfers to be rescheduled, clothes and toiletries to be purchased as they didn't expect to be stuck in Sydney for 5 days.  I have meetings being cancelled every other hour, catering that's being delivered because it was too late to cancel and people are angry because they still have to pay for the catering even though they aren't here to eat it. 

Everyone is frustrated and tense and there's absolutely nothing that can be done.  What I've learned is that the aircraft engines get so incredibly hot (equivalent to the temperature of the sun) that if the volcanic ash hits the engine, it will melt and clog the engine, causing a plane crash.  So Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, all airlines have cancelled all flights.  This happened for a couple of days last week and it looks like it's going to last until Saturday or Sunday this week.  What is so crazy is that the volcanic ash is coming all the way from Chile but it gets stuck in the high-altitude winds and end up all the way over here.  I know it could be worse.  I could be in Chile with the volcano.  So I'll just have to weather the ash storm and see how we go.

Dog Bed

Another lovely, lazy weekend has gone by.  The temps reached mid-60's and no rain so we were actually able to get outside and enjoy it.  My Aussie and I logged about 8 kms on a run to Rose Bay and finally located the Masterchef Australia house where all the contestants are residing at the moment.  This is a show similar to Topchef in the states but it's even better I think.  I've become addicted and it's fueled my desire to cook new and amazing dishes based on Australian produce and cuisine.  The house is on the back side of Darling Point, where we live and situated on Double Bay.  I was a bit starstruck, if one can get that way about a house??

And although we didn't win Powerball, I went ahead and spent a small fortune on a dog bed for Bailey, against my Aussie's request.  My second official partner faux pax.  (My first one was when I exceeded the IKEA budget by about $700 on a solo trip I took without him ).  The dog bed was about $200.  Yes, I know that it's pretty expensive but Bailey has never had a bed before.  He's almost 10-years-old now and the arthritis in his knees and hips isn't getting any better by sleeping on the cold tile in our apartment.  And it's the kind of bed that will probably last him the rest of his life- good quality, easy to wash, very durable.  And to top it off, he loves it.  Take a look:

He loves it so much that when my Aussie jokes around and tries to sit in the bed, Bailey gets all huffy and snorts and tries to get him out.  So although I did feel the sting for a bit about purchasing this bed without my Aussie's agreement, he has warmed up to the fact that Bailey loves it.  I learned my lesson though.  For the next couple of days, my Aussie used "dog bed" as the frame of currency.  "Oh, you're getting your hair cut on Saturday- that'll cost about 1/2 a dog bed."  "I spent about 1/4 of a dog bed at the grocery store."  "That new coat I want will be about a dog bed."  You get the idea and I'm learning...

Powerball

After all the good news of the week, it's time to celebrate (and play Powerball).  My Aussie feels, and I agree, that we've been incredibly blessed over the past week so he thinks it might be a good time to buy a lotto ticket.  We've already created our "What If" list and it starts with taking care of all the financial needs of our family and close friends, of course.  And then we move on to the silly, fun things.  I'm sure everyone has a list like that.

But seriously, the word has spread about the visa and there are a lot of people that are so happy for us, and it's such a good feeling.  We are all getting together to celebrate my new residence status this evening and I'm really excited.  I wish I could have everybody here, my American friends and family as well as my Aussie mates.  But you'll just have to make a little toast for me wherever you are in the States and we'll set a raincheck date soon.

Well, I'm In

I finally finished training a new concierge at work so I can have my moment of slacking off and getting back to my blog.  We had a holiday on Monday (the Queen's birthday) and then Tuesday and Wednesday I've been training my back-up concierge.  Previously there was really no one to take over for me should I go on holiday or have to call out sick so now I'm covered.  It's exhausting pouring your vast knowledge into a two - day stretch but what can you do? (there's definitely sarcasm in there, people).

I have two amazingly awesome updates for you all though.  First, I have a brand new and very large hot water tank now and as a result, freshly shaved legs.  Ha!  It was kind of nice while that lasted but now I have no excuses.  At least now my Aussie gets a hot shower when it's his turn and I don't have to rush. 

Second, I've been granted my new visa!!!!!  Can you believe it??  We applied on June 7th and the letter states it was granted June 9th.  They hand delivered the grant letter on Tuesday because of the long holiday.  That has to be some kind of record.  It took me 6 months to compile all the information that they needed and I can't believe they only needed a day and a half to review it, fact check and background check.  I'm definitely not complaining, I'm just gobsmacked.  The average waiting period is nine months so two days just seems miraculous.

So that's it, I'm in.  I'm officially a permanent resident of Australia.  It's really weird to say that, and I feel like I'm cheating on America a little bit.  I don't know that I will every feel 100% at home here, maybe someday.  Don't get me wrong, I really love it here.  The natural beauty of this place surprises me every day and I'm constantly catching my breath at all the new sites.  I love my home, my job, my Aussie and my new friends but my family and history are back in the states.  I've been welcomed from day one but will always feel a little bit like an outsider, I think.  I'm sure it will just take some time and I'm in no rush.  My Aussie and I have lots of awesome plans for our future and we're just getting started.  The greatest thing of all is that I now have no worries as to whether I can stay here or not.  There's no pressure to find a new job or to move again.  I can finally just fully enjoy my new life here with no little worries in the back of my mind.  It's a huge relief and really freeing.

Hot Water?

Sometimes you just don't know what you've got until it has slowly ebbed away and is gone.  I'm talking about hot water people.  My Aussie and I have discovered that although our apartment is designed for 2+ people to live in, the hot water tank is designed for .5 people to actually bathe there.  And we are in the middle of our winter so there is nothing more delicious and decadent than taking a nice hot shower to get the chill out.  But until the landlord approves a larger water tank, I have become a speed-showerer.  I feel this is a true testament of my love for my Aussie and I want him to have a hot shower as well, so I will turn off the water to lather or to shave just to give him an extra couple minutes of hot water.

But now that the temperatures have dropped, turning off the water is really not an option.  It's too cold and I get goose bumps and if you've ever tried to shave goose bumps, it's not pretty.  So as much as I hate to admit it, I've just stopped shaving.  Or I should say I shave about twice a week.  Gross? Yes.  Liberating? Heck yes.  I don't think my Aussie is completely put off by it but I'm probably pushing his limits.

Let's just hope the plumber arrives pretty quickly here, before I retire the razor for good.  Hee hee!!

Done and Dusted

I submitted my application today, but not without the usual drama that has surrounded since I embarked on this journey.  I met my Aussie just outside my workplace around 9.30am.  We hailed a taxi to the Department of Immigration, stood in line for about 10 minutes, saw someone behind Counter 9, she flipped through the pages, stamped a couple of them and then asked where our pictures were.

I pointed out that my passport-sized photos were in one section and my Aussie's were in another section.  But no, she was referring to the pictures of us together which I did not have.  No where in the 527 pages of checklists and booklets that I have gathered for this application does it say you must have pictures of us both.  I, of course, point this out to which the woman at the counter agrees, but states that "everyone who turns this application in always has them" and assures me that if I want to add them in, I can send them via Post (snail mail).

So we turn to leave and I'm already in tears because once again, another speed bump when all I wished for an express lane or even just a yellow light.  My Aussie comforts me and we decide that once we recieve our confirmation and are assigned a case manager, we'll send through the photos.  So we cab it back to our respective offices.

I feel just OK but what can you do.  So I'm back at the office and putting my purse away when I look in to grab my cell phone and see a couple of key forms (medical check and criminal background check) that were supposed to be submitted with my entire application packet.  I'm literally sick to my stomach now as I call my Aussie in tears again.  But bless him for being able to make me feel better no matter what.  He points out that now we can print out some pics of us together and submit with the other missing forms and just get it all off our plate at one time. 

So I print out the photos and hail another cab, race back to Immigration, turn it in to a different person at a different counter who assures me it will be added to my existing application package and then I'm back off to work again.  Thank goodness my manager is so understanding of all of this drama.  And my Aussie.

They've already charged our credit card though so processing must have begun.  Let's just hope that my application doesn't become some schleps coaster.  I'll keep you posted as I follow up.

Lazy Sunday

I'm rarely excited about Mondays but I can't help be in a cheery mood given the great weekend I just had.  Saturday was spent watching the Red Sox win over an awesome Jonesy-style brunch (porcini & parmesan scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage links, grilled tomatoes and vanilla French toast) and then meeting up with friends in Bondi for dinner and a night out. 

Sunday though was the kicker.  To give you a hint, when my Aussie and I actually got off the couch and headed to bed, there were two very large divets in the cushions because that is how little we moved.  I'm not a huge advocate of being so sedentary but some days just call for it.  We literally got up, made some tea, headed to the couch to watch a movie, walked Bailey, I made lunch, we ate it back on the couch, my Aussie watched some sports and did some studying, I read Book One of The Hunger Games (thanks M., an amazing recommendation!!!), we watched another movie, ordered Thai food to be delivered, walked Bailey, and then another hour of TV before we went to bed.

It was a lazy but lovely Sunday.  Now, back to my race training this week as I logged zero kilometers over the weekend.  And wish me luck and say a prayer- we have a 9:30 AM appoitment with the Department of Immigration in the morning!!

She's Baaaacckkkkk.....

Hellooooo, everyone!!!

I hope you didn't think that I'd forgotten about you or this blog.  Quite the opposite.  I've come to love this blog, it's like a diary for me where I can vent, explain, sympathize, poke fun of myself and let you in on my life in this crazy but amazing country.  I haven't posted in such a long time because I thought they had blocked this site at work because it uses Gmail to log in.  Social media website along with personal email websites are blocked at my job.  And my Aussie still hasn't gotten around to getting the internet set up at our new place.  He's gotten the pricing, filled out and submitted the application but hasn't set up a time for the tech to come out and install everything.  It's taken almost three months to get that much down so maybe in another three months we'll get the tech out to visit.

But thankfully, it wasn't that work had blocked the site, it was because we were still operating off of Internet Explorer 3.0 and my system was so slow that it wouldn't let me get anywhere on Blogger.  But we just had an upgrade done yesterday to 8.0 and now I'm sailing along just fine. Woohoo!!  I can open any website I want, nothing's distorted, it's all colorful and pretty and fast.  It's like getting internet for the first time all over again.  Ha!

Anyway, some great things have happened in the last few weeks.  I finally got my last criminal background check result back from the State of New York Division of Criminal Justice so my visa application checklist is now complete. Can I get a big CHECK-CHECK from the crowd?!?  So my Aussie and I are going in this coming Tuesday in the early morning to submit all of our paperwork and fork over a ridiculous amount of money and pray that whoever the random person is in the Department of Immigration that gets assigned my file is really efficient and kind and decides to let me live here past my expiration date (Dec. 17, 2011).  It's a nerve-wracking thought that someone can weild that power over you, someone that doesn't know anything about you other than the 200 pages of personal information, letters, pictures and medical records sitting in front of them.

Anyway, I've also started running again.  Road running.  I'm about two weeks into it and have gotten up to about 12k's.  My Aussie and I are going to enter in the City2Surf race that is on August 14.  It's a 15k run that starts in Hyde Park in the business district of Sydney and ends at Bondi Beach (click here for the link to check out the course and details).  A friend of ours is entering her charity into the race so a big group of us is running for it and trying to raise money for her.  It's called Giant Steps Sydney and it's an amazing school for children with autism.  Her 4-year-old son was diagnosed not too long ago and since attending the school is now testing at 3 1/2-year-old level (he started out at the 2-year-old level).  So I'm trying to log as many kilometers as I can.  It's decieving because it seems like you are running longer distances when you measure in kilometers and mentally I start to tire out a little.  (l km = .62 miles) 

I am loving it though.  There are some amazing routes to run here and they are all so visually stunning that it helps to distract from the massive case of shin splints I'm developing.  I've been running on treadmills for so long now that the road running is having it's way with my shins.  Oh well!  It's worth the pain and a great way to get to know Sydney!

You Know You've Become Your Mother When...

I'm sure as we all grow older and start to find our way in life, there are little things we do and say that instantly make us think of our parents.  I can't help but notice in the last five years that I am truly my mother's daughter.  (And please note, this is not a complaint, I'm quite proud of these developments but it does kind of help me explain so of my quirks to my Aussie.)  This morning I found myself commiting an act of complete and total V. Ann-ness that I can probably say I've reached the pinnacle of becoming my mother.  But I'll start with the running list I've developed so far.

I know I've become my mother when:

1. My label-maker is one of my most cherished possessions.
2. I put a label on everything, even when it's probably not necessary.
3. Metal clothes hangers are not allowed in my closet (and all hangers must be the same color).
4. I tediously organize the wires coming from the TV and computer, and then tie them up neatly with zip ties.
5. I see 2-for-1 sales and get excited.
6. I am a member of 7 different coupon websites (this is probably the modern day equivalent of cutting coupons).
7. A day of garage sale shopping sounds AWESOME.
8. I urge my Aussie to sneak into a second movie when we only paid for one.
9. My entire life can be found in a color coordinated file including an alphabetized list of addresses belonging to all my friends and family, medical information, financial calendar with weekly debt-countdown details, important documents and Bailey's medical history.
10. I'm seriously considering learning how to can and/or pickle vegetables (and planning to grow these vegetables in pots on my terrace).
11. A night IN of movie rentals, a bowl of popcorn and several candy bars sounds better than a night OUT anywhere.
12. I cry when someone else starts to cry.
13. I have 5 boxes of hair-dye on my shelf and back-ups for most of my toiletries.
14. I make a packing list for any trip I'm taking (regardless of length of stay).
15. I organize the books on my shelves by color and height.
16. I organize my closet by article of clothing groupings and then shirts by sleeve length.
17. My day starts with making a list.
18. I get into argument with my Aussie about how he makes the bed.
19. I get into another argument with my Aussie about the direction the decorative pillows are facing on our bed.
20. I abide to the once-a-week cleaning routine and always clean in the same order: dust first, clean glass, clean kitchen, then bathroom, then I sweep, vaccuum and and finish with the mop.
21. I wear slippers or flip-flops at all times in my home, even though I know the floors are clean because I cleaned them (and I never wear these slippers or flip-flops outside - indoor use only).

And to top it all of, I definitely know that I've become my mother when instead of booking an appointment with my stylist for a trim, I decide to cut it myself (and actually do a really good job of it). Ha!!

Sydney Carnival

What an interesting weekend I had.  I was really looking forward to Saturday, after weeks of pep talks from my Aussie.  It was Sydney Carnival day which is a huge day for horse races at the Royal Randwick track.  From all the research I'd done on it, all the women dress up in cocktail dresses and fun hats; the men wear their best suits; and it's generally a day of fun and champagne and good times. 

Ever since I moved here, my Aussie has been talking about how much fun these races are.  I, however, have been vehemently turning down the invitation to attend any of the races.  Although I am no longer a vegan (I have incorporated some dairy and will eat seafood now), I am still a huge animail lover and animal rights supporter.  I've never been a big gambling fan and any kind of race involving animals has turned me off.

But my Aussie explained that there were a lot of other fun aspects to the Carnival (fashion shows, good food, drinks, and the opportunity to meet new people and hang out with friends) and that I should just go.  So I went and made my first millinery purchase and got a fantastic little fascinator, bought some new make-up, and went to bed early Friday night so I would get plenty of sleep for what I knew was going to be a long but fun day out.

My Aussie and I woke up to a raging thunderstorm going on.  While we walked Bailey and started to get ready the rain came and went, but mostly came.  We called a cab to meet a bunch of friends over at our friend P.'s house where a huge breakfast was being made for everyone.  After some bubbles, we all headed over to the races.

It continued to pour as we made our way to the grandstands (covered, thank goodness) and then found a good spot to see everything.  Because of the weather, the fashion show on the field was cancelled among other activities so it was really all about the races at this point.  Everyone had been reading the race papers and planning their bet placements.  I made it through one race while keeping my composure but the second time the horses were paraded past everyone, the tears started flowing.  It's unreal how gorgeous these horses are, absolutely perfect in every way.  They get so agitated by everyone screaming that they are bucking their heads and pulling away from their leads.  The dreary weather and rain and stupid drunken behavoir of almost everyone around me probably didn't help.  I just honestly don't think animals of any kind were put on this earth to make us quick, easy gambling money or to be our entertainment.  And we all know what happens to them when their of no more use or if they are injured racing.  I just can't be a part of it. 

So I went inside and sat with my friend S. to catch up and have some girl time instead of watching the races.  I left my Aussie to carry on with his friends and he understood where I was coming from as well.  It is a deeply rooted cultural past time here, as in many other countries, but it's one that I'm not going to acclimate myself too.  I can say I went but I don't think I'll be going back.

Sweet Success

As you could see from yesterday's post, it was my Aussie's birthday.  It was a big one, he turned a quarter of a century!  And I think birthdays are a big deal too so I had to plan a surprise party for him.  We've had a lot of expenses lately with all the new home purchases, plus a big group of us are going to the races on Saturday (more on that later) which will no doubt be a pricey outing, so the plan was to just have a quiet dinner out between the two of us.

Little did he know that I had invited about 15 of our close friends to come over around 6:30 PM last night to help with the surprise celebration.  Now, I've been planning this for two weeks and I'm terrible at keeping surprises a secret.  I will usually get down to the last couple of days and then I'll burst like a dam.  Not this time.  Everyone kept it quiet and so did I.  There were a few close calls, like when my Aussie told me he was going to make a dentist appointment at 4:00 PM so he could get out of work early.  No bueno.  He never gets home before 7:00 or even 7:30 PM so an early arrival would have ruined everything.  So I had to give him the the excuse that his big birthday present was being delivered around 7:00 PM and I didn't want him to see it arrive.  He bought it, thank goodness.  So he stayed on at work a bit longer and then texted when he was about 15 minutes away.  Everyone hid in the kitchen and then jumped out when I told him to get his birthday present in the bedroom.

It was awesome to have pulled it off.  And I think everyone had a good time.  We had lots of good wine and champagne flowing.  I made a nice little buffet of food which was completely devoured.  Roasted sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, squash and asparagus; 7 lbs. of prawns with homemade cocktail sauce (they put mayonnaise in their cocktail sauce here- gross!); veggie spring rolls; vegetable crudites and Turkish breads with hummus and tzatziki and my famous 4-layer bean dip with chips.  The piece de resistance was the mini gourmet cupcakes from Ghermez Bakery in the city.  So good!!

My friend S. took all the pictures so I'll have to get them from her and post them here soon.  All I can say now is TGIF!  I'm exhausted and ready for my weekend to begin.  I'm sure I'll have all kinds of interesting feedback on my first experience at the races for Monday's post.  See you then!!

It's Somebody's Birthday...

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to my Ausssssiiieeeeeee,
Happy Birthday to you!

Love you, babes!

Downright Chilly

I think winter is officially upon us here in Sydney.  I got up at 5:00 AM to walk Bailey and remarkably only hit snooze a couple of times so it was still pretty dark out.  I threw on my gym pants, light jacket, flip-flops and opened the front door and was greeted by a downright chilly breeze!!!  I had to make a little cup of green tea to-go and put on a scarf, for crying out loud.  And then later on today I checked the weather in New York City and the temperatures are supposedly the same??  This is ludicrous!!  (I'm using a lot of exclamation points today I know).  I'm only talking about a high of 65 degrees here today but for Sydney, that ain't right.  I guess we really will get a winter here soon.  But I know I won't see snow at least.  Phew!!

American

I'm not sure how to react at this.  I heard it and cringed, then bristled, then let it go...

My Aussie and I are at IKEA last weekend and we're waiting in the never-ending lines at check-out.  It's moving pretty slow and there must be something going on at the register in the line next to me.  There's this one woman huffing and puffing and muttering and all of sudden she says, "DON'T MAKE ME GET ALL AMERICAN ON YOU!!"

Is this a compliment, like Americans stand up against ridiculousness and won't put up with crap?? Or is this more like "don't make me get all ghetto on your *$$!" implying that Americans are rude and crass, etc.  I'm speechless...

Piggy Backing...

To piggy back on my last post, I am also learning that Aussies call some things by a different name here, so when I get frustrated to no end because I can't find something, in a few instances it's been because they call the item by a different name.  For example, cookies are called biscuits and biscuits are called rolls here, although they don't have those awesome buttermilk biscuits that we are used to pouring sausage gravy over in the South.  A water fountain is called a bottle-o.  McDonalds is called Maccas (as slang).  Ketchup is called tomato sauce and tomato sauce (pasta) is called bolognese, not marinara.  Marinara here is a seafood pasta sauce.  A jumper is a hoodie/sweater, trainers are tennis shoes, a buggee smuggler is a speedo. Haha!

A capsicum is a pepper, green or red or any color.  A line (as in waiting in line for movie tickets) is a cue and they don't say, "where is the restroom or bathroom?" but "where is the toilet?" which I still can't bring myself to say.  A gyro is called a kebab and fries are called chips.  Ground beef is called mince and if you ask for pudding at a restaurant you'll get a fruit cake. And don't ask for a pitcher of beer, it's called a jug.

One particular instance when I was here in April visiting (before I moved over for good), where I made a complete American idiot out of myself was when I went shopping for guacamole items.  I wanted to make it homemade so I found everything except the core ingredient- cilantro.  I asked an innocent grocery attendant and she took me to the produce aisle and pointed out something called coriandor.  "No, no, not coriandor; CILANTRO" I said really slow and loudly as if she were dim.  She replies that yes, it's the same thing.  I erupt and it's not pretty.  I rant on that I can't make guacamole without cilantro, what is this coriandor stuff, I can't believe you don't have cilantro, this is ridiculous and I give up the shopping basket and any attempt to make guacamole.

Weeks later, back in the States, I'm reporting the story to my friend C. who starts to laugh her head off.  She informs me that cilantro is the seed that grows into coriandor so it is actually the same thing.  We actually call it the wrong thing in the states, not vice versa. I feel like an idiot and I really feel for that poor  girl in the grocery...

Vanilla Soy Milk At Last!!!!

I've come to understand and accept that I may  not ever find or enjoy the same things in Sydney as I did in New York City.  NYC spoils you to the core.  I never realized how ultra-convenient and accessible everything is until I moved here.  It's not that Sydney is inconvenient or archaic by any means.  It's just that NYC overdoes it so much with its abundance that you come to think that its the norm when that couldn't be farther from the truth.

Be that as it may, when I do luck out and find something here in Sydney that I cherished back in the States it is like Christmas!!  My most recent gift that overjoyed me to the hills was the discovery of Light Vanilla Soy Milk.  Seems silly and insignificant, but I have become very attached to my homemade bowl-sized mug of Starbucks French-pressed coffee with steamed vanilla soy milk frothed to perfection and lightly dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Now that we are heading into our winter, I envision many a night snuggled up on my new couch with a cozy throw, Bailey at my feet, my Aussie at my side, and a mug of this delicious brew in my hands.  It's the simple things in life, you know, like Light Vanilla Soy Milk!!

Into the Week I Go

Well, it was quite the busy weekend but I can't say much was done outside of getting our apartment set up.  My Aussie played cricket on Saturday all day until about 5:30 PM while I cleaned and organized and decorated our apartment.  Then Sunday we had to make another trip to Target and then ended up doing laundry at a friends place for about four hours.  We have yet to get a washing machine.  Well, that's not true.  My Aussie bought one from a website called Gumtree, picked it up in the back of our Volvo (yes, this is correct) and then tried to fit it in our laundry nook but it was too big.  So now it's just sitting in our office until some friends of ours pick it up when they move into their new apartment on April 18.  So now he's bidding daily on Ebay for another washing machine but no luck so far.  So who knows?  We could be bumming of someone's laundry machine again this weekend... but let's hope not.

Other than that, the place is really coming together.  I didn't take any pictures yet (I'm sorry!!!) but I will.  Short of some wall art and a dining room table, we are doing pretty good.  Oh, and a coffee table and little bistro set for the front terrace and a filing cabinet, new desk and sleeper love seat.  The list goes on...

TGIF

I know it's not yet Friday in the States but it is here!! Yes!!  It has been one of those weeks where at the end of it, you are almost physically aching for the weekend to get here.  Between the move, unpacking, building furniture and work being so incredibly busy, I cannot wait to just chill out at home.  I promise to take some pictures of our new apartment setup.  I would have already but we have a mountain of cardboard in about every room and it's not pretty.  We need to bundle it up and move it out.  If I never see another cardboard box, it will be too soon.  Our place is all a bit bare bones at the moment, but we do have most of the furniture sorted and now it's on to the fun stuff.  The searching and picking out of the little pieces here and there that add character to a home.  I need my Mom here for that.  She's got a great eye for decor, but practical decor that not only looks good but adds a bit of organization.  That's going to be the greatest challenge of all.  We just have all this "stuff" that needs a home.  Right now we are kind of just lumping it all in the second bedroom.  It's starting to get a bit overwhelming but hopefully after a few more visits to Target and Kmart, I'll have it all sorted soon.

Anyway, I hope you have a great weekend!!  I plan to!!

Must...Learn... Conversion

Living here and not knowing the metric system conversions will be the end of me soon.  I joined a new gym last week, Virgin Health Club, and my first day back in to my weight training was yesterday.  The gym is awesome and has everything- pool, bikram yoga, spinning with the fun TV monitors that make you think you are actually driving through a forest, beach, etc, and an awesome cardio section.  It's like the gym of all gyms.  Except that all the weights are in kilograms, not pounds.

It was "leg" day for me yesterday and I made my way over to the Smith machine to do some squats.  I had a new playlist on my iPod, new gym gear on, heart rate monitor strapped on and feeling like a rock star.  I put on relatively light weight, about 45 pounds as a warm up, and hoisted that bad boy up in the air and subsequently nearly broke my back.  45 kg equals 99.2 lbs.  Rock star status was immediatley revoked.

Bat Attack... Almost

I don't think I've shared with you any information about the bat situation here in Sydney.  Around twilight time, they come out in droves.  You can look up at any given time and see anywhere from 5 to 20 just flying around.  They squeak around here and there, doing their sonar-whatchamacallit looking for bugs, etc.  Usually they stay up in their trees or up in the sky.  This morning though, I was walking Bailey and it was still dark out.  I walk through Rushcutter's Bay park and it's pretty well lit in most parts (it's not daylight when I leave for work yet) but I decided to walk along this path by the water and there are quite a few low lying branches on the trees that line the paths.  I'm sure you can see where this is going.

I could literally not see a thing it was so dark (and the bats are black) but I swear I felt the fur of this darn bat brush my nose as it flew off that branch.  Granted, it could have just been a stiff wind from the beating of its wings, but I'm sticking to my fur story.  It gave one loud squeak and I gave one loud scream and then it was gone.  And that, folks, is how I was attacked by a bat... almost.

New Furniture

So exciting!!!  Our new furniture was delivered today!!  We are going a little funky in the living room.  Red leather chaise lounge, very mod-looking.  White and glass acrylic entertainment center and bookshelves.  And we are accenting with aqua and bright blue.  I think it will come together.  I'm still in the market for some wall art/hangings, and other little decor pieces.

For the kitchen, black dining table and chairs with electric blue accents.  We're getting an awesome picture for the wall that has alot of aqua, bright blue, purple and pink so I think this will be the statement piece.  The bedroom will be light grey with bright green and orange accents. 

Not that any of you care about all this but I love decorating.  I need my partner in crime/decor (aka Mom) here to help me but I promised to skype once it's all done so she can see everything.  I'll post some before and after pics soon...

Blogging from where???

Hi everyone!! I know I've been MIA for a bit but we have officially moved in to our new apartment as of Friday and we don't have Internet. I was thinking of trying to blog from work but they are so strict on security and personal use of the computers that I wussed out (I guess given that it's a financial institution, they want everyone to focus on making money. Lame I know.) So today is my first attempt at blogging on my iPhone!!! I'm on the bus on the way to work. Who knew?!? I don't know why I'm tickled pink by this but I am. I'm sure people do this often. I bet my friend M. is thinking "Way to join the 21st century."

So until we get our phone, cable and Internet installed, I'll be reporting to you from wherever my iPhone happens to be!!

New Digs

No more apartment searching!!  We finally landed a spot in Darling Point last Thursday.  It's a super cute property, right on Rushcutter's Bay.  (We are just to the left of the docked sailboats in the bottom left of this photo; you can see the city, opera hourse, Harbour Bridge just beyond).


10 minutes from work, 5 minutes from the pet store and vet I take Bailey to, and 2 minutes from my doctor's office.  I wish I could post pics from the realtor's website but they already took it down.  But we sign the lease this Thursday and do our walk- through so I'll take heaps of photos then and post them as soon as possible.  It has two outdoor spaces, one courtyard and a front terrace.  It's a large 1.5 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment in a block of only 4 so plenty of privacy.  I can't wait to decorate and do some gardening/planting.  It's such a relief to be done searching and can now think about all the fun stuff we can do with our new place.  Home sweet home has just begun!!

No Go on Bondi

So bummed.  We didn't get the apartment in Bondi that my Aussie and I wanted.  And I just rushed to another listing with a near-empty tank of gas at 5:30 PM through rush hour traffic to find out that they don't take dogs after all.  Thankfully, I have a lovely bottle of Shiraz staring at me and my roomie P. is making his delicious Mexican special for dinner.  Tomorrow's another day... and another listing to see at 12:30 PM on my lunch break...

House Hunting

My Aussie and I started our house searching this weekend.  We crammed in five inspections on Saturday and found one we loved in Bondi Beach.  It's seven houses down from close friends of ours and about 100 meters from famous Bondi Beach.  It's an older property but huge and a has a little private courtyard in the back.  It's so cute and we want it so badly.  I told myself I would not get attached to any one property, not with how ridiculous these house inspections go.  But it doesn't help that my Aussie loves it too. 

So we put in an application Sunday afternoon and I followed up with an email Monday to make sure all our 50 pages (only a slight exaggeration) of supporting documents uploaded and went through.  The realtor followed up and all was received.  Apparently there are five other applications aside from ours.  I'm worried the "pet issue" is going to be a challenge.  But we offered to pay an additional $10/week along with an additional pet deposit to try and sway the decision.  We also attached a photo of Bailey (the one where he's at the beach sitting on a towel).  I think it  makes him look small and well-behaved.  I mean, he is well-behaved but he's not that small.

We'll see.  I'm mentally preparing myself for another Saturday of inspections though just in case.

Another Check!!

You know how I love to check things off?!  Well, this is a big check, a massive check.  I finally got my FBI background clearance letter back!!! Woohoo!!  And as I suspected, it indicated no arrest record or criminal history.  Of course I knew this but to have to wait 8 weeks for someone to put it in writing was silly.  But, I got the letter and we are pretty much at the end of my visa checklist.  I still have to get the state of New York to write me a letter of clearance as well, but that one only takes three weeks.  After that, I'm finished.  I can fork over a huge chunk of money along with the application and hope that within 5 months, I'm granted my permanent visa.  If it doesn't happen in five months, then I have to find another job.  Ick.  My current visa allows me to work with one employer for a maximum of 6 months at a time and to only be in Australia for no longer than a year.  So I better get cracking, eh?

And on another good note, the IRS accepted my most recent tax return e-file with no rejections.  So as soon as that refund comes into the bank, it's going right back out to pay for the visa fees.  Short-lived riches towards a life-long love. :)

Perceptible Shift

Today was a strange day.  Strange in a good way.  Let me try to explain.  I was at work chugging along booking rooms, answering the phone, planning menus and the woman I'm replacing wasn't in today.  I was on my own for the first time.  And things just started clicking all of a sudden.  I could look at my caller ID and recognize extensions and the names that belonged to those extensions.  I didn't have to refer to my room capacity chart to see what kind of meetings would fit in certain rooms.  I could quote pricing from memory.  It was like a perceptible shift in my universe had happened, like the gears were slipping a bit yesterday and then today I'm moving at full speed.  It was awesome.

And there was a lot of smiling today.  Not that people in Sydney are not nice, they just don't seem to smile at other people much.  I used to pass the same moms with strollers at the park almost every day and I would always recognize them and smile, and get nothing back.  But today, people were nodding and smiling at me all day.  And not just when I was walking Bailey.  I mean, how could you not smile when you see this pup?

But people were smiling at me when I was just walking along by myself.  It was so weird.  Good weird.  And I didn't look like anything special today either- light make-up, hair in a bun, work clothes.  I didn't look particularly radiant.  I get dressed and do my make-up pretty much in the dark as my Aussie is still sleeping and it's not light out. 

Hey, I'm not complaining.  Keep the smiles and friendliness coming.  I prefer that to rudeness and scowls and blank faces any day.  It was just bizarre because the change was so noticeable to me that it was almost physical.  I'm not sure if my words are doing it justice.  I just know that I'm moving in the right direction.

Hannah vs. IRS

Phew, I just finished my taxes round two and I'm exhausted!!  I was rejected on my first e-file attempt because some of my numbers didn't match up.  So I went through each line and took pain-stackingly accurate measures to make sure that I didn't miss anything.  Hopefully this is it and I'll be getting my refund check soon.  It's going straight to my visa application fee fund.  And what's left will go towards my credit card... or a new couch.

My Aussie and I are starting the new apartment search this week.  It's exciting and awful all at once.  Exciting because we will finally have our own place and not have to share with 4 of his university friends (I will note that they are really great, nice guys but it's time, you know).  Awful because its such a freaking rat race to get to these timed inspections.  There was one today that ran from 5:00 PM to 5:05 PM, and that was not a typo.  Sydney has such a shortage of proper housing that these realtors will literally shut the door to the apartment at the cutoff time and not let anyone in, not even if you have the bank account of Donald Trump and the reputation of Mother Teresa.

So we are mapping out our Saturday and hoping to get in at least four inspections.  You have to have 100 points of identification, copies of bank statements, passports, driver's license, utility bills and a perfectly filled out application ready to hand over if you like the spot.  My last apartment was a bit of a "Monet" (nice from a distance but once you got close, it was a wreck) so my parents want me to really make sure I do a thorough check in each place.  But with the strict time limit and overwhelming turnout of interested renters, it's going to be tough.

Who knows, maybe by the end of the week I'll be holding on to my new apartment lease??  And a confirmed ACCEPTED tax return??  It sounds too good to be true but we'll see.  Say a little prayer!!!

Going Mental

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like your head is going in a million different directions and everyone wants a little piece of you??  Today was one of those days for me.  I feel like my brain has run a mental marathon.  Maybe it's just under excercised from all the vegging out I've done in the last few months.  I seriously just want to put on my "fat pants", curl up on the couch, and have someone spoon feed me my dinner while watching episode after episode of anything on HGTV or Animal Planet. 

YUMMY

Dinner at Toko was awesome and I was able to take some pics.  We had tempura fried soft shell crab with wasabi mayo, braised scallops with pickled cucumber and jalapeno garlic, grilled mushrooms with honey butter and an awesome selection of sushi to include ahi tuna, wild salmon, baramundi, and pacific oysters.  For dessert, white chocolate panacattoa with macerated berries and passionfruit foam. 

Here are some pics:

So good.  Almost as lovely as just having a some time alone with my Aussie.  The excellent dinner was just the icing on the cake.

Belated Valentine's Dinner

My Aussie and I are going the non-traditional route this year and celebrating our Valentine's Day tonight.  On the actual day, it was my first day of work and I was exhausted and just didn't feel up to battling the masses for a reservation, getting dressed up, etc.  So tonight we are going to this awesome sushi restaurant called Toko in Surry Hills. 

The only sushi I've had so far here is "sushi train" which is okay, but not the real deal.  For those of you that haven't tried a sushi train establihment, it's exactly as it sounds.  You sit at this bar and individually plated little dishes of sushi move past you on this conveyer belt.  You simply take the dishes that look good to you as they pass by, collect your plates at the end, and then pay based on your plates.  The plates are color coded and some cost more then others.  It's a nice way to get a good sushi fix but by no means an amazing sushi experience.

Toko has it all- the ambiance, the amazing cocktails and saki, and the menu looks incredible.  It'll be my first sushi experience since moving here and I'm so excited.  If it's not too crowded, I'll take pics of what I order (but I don't want to be "that girl").  If you want to check it out, visit their website here. 

I hope to have a lovely evening with my Aussie and I hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm Back

I'm back and boy, am I ever.  I took a bit of a hiatus with landing the new job and I'm happy to announce that I am back in all forms.  Back with new zest and new zeal.  My first week of work went great and it flew by.  I'm supposed to have three weeks of training but I'm doing so well that it might just be a couple more days and I'm on my own.  I just received my first paycheck too, which my Aussie and I are already allocating to the appropriate parts of our new budget. 

I had a great couple of weekends since I last blogged as well.  Last weekend was the Good Vibes festival.  A group of us went and although it rained all day, the shows were great.  I saw The Ting Tings, Kelis, Alo Black, Phoenix, and Ludacris, plus a number of awesome DJs.  This weekend we went to the beach, had friends over for a BBQ and then just vegged and got ready for the week on Sunday. 

And on an awesome high note, I was cleared today medically by my GP so the medical check for my new visa application is complete.  My Aussie also discovered that the FBI charged our credit card for my background check on Feb. 10th so hopefully I'll be getting those results back soon.  So all that's left is my letter of clearance from NY State Department of Criminal Justice and we can submit the application.

So it looks like Mom and Dad were right.  Everything will work itself out in its due time.  You can't rush it, manipulate it or control it.  And although I hate to admit this, I do know it's true.  You can plan but be prepared to throw out those plans and start over.  Or at least save those plans in a color-coordinated and properly labeled file for another time...

Bittersweet

I had my second job interview today and it went really well.  So well in fact that within two hours the catering company called me back and offered me the job.  I was riding the bus on the way home from the interview when I got an email from a friend that a mutual good friend of ours passed away last night in a car accident.  All I can think of right now is that I need to count my blessings, every one of them.  I look back on these last few weeks and all my gripes about not having a job, not having money, not being stimulated enough and it's so incredibly trivial and ridiculous in the grand scheme of things.  I have an amazing family, my health, strong friendships and a partner in life that loves me for who I am and despite all my anal idiosyncricies and hard-headedness.  I am so blessed.

Sending love, prayers and strength to A. today.  Some of my fondest memories living in Amelia Island include you and G.  He will be missed so much.

Updates

I should have posted yesterday but my Aussie took a sick day so we could watch the Superbowl together.  I was really excited about having the day alone together and also having a little piece of Americana with the Superbowl being on.  I was rooting for the Steelers because I have a lot of friends that like them but truthfully I had no emotional connection to either team really.  I was most interested in the commercials and the halftime show.  I thought the halftime show was great.  The Black Eyed Peas were awesome and the surprise performance of Usher was super cool.  The biggest disappointment was that they didn't show the US commercials here, we had Australian ones instead.  And they sucked.  So I'll have to go online to find out what everyone thought the best commercials were.

We also finally got a break in the record high temperatures.  On Sunday, it literally went from 106 degrees to about 73 degrees in one hour.  It was the freakiest thing.  We left the house to go to Star City Casino to watch the Silva/Belfort UFC fight and by the time we were walking in to the casino, I was freezing.  But it feels great now.  The best part about this weather is that I won't sweat when I wear my suit to my SECOND JOB INTERVIEW tomorrow!!  Woohoo!!!

I have another interview with the catering company that I've mentioned before so hopefully this is it.  Please cross your fingers, channel good vibes, say a prayer, etc. because I really, really need this to be it.  Wish me luck!!

I Think I See Light!?!

Yay!!! It's Friday!!!  In all fairness, it's Friday every day for me and has been for the last two months however it really is Friday for all those hardworking Aussie's I live with.  In about two hours, my Aussie and the roomies will all be free and ready to grab a couple of drinks and I'll have fellow human contact for a solid two days.

On another great note, I think there might be a light at the end of my unemployment tunnel.  I got a call on Wednesday from that catering company I mentioned and the position that I originally applied for is still in progress as far as getting the appropriate people to sign off, a formal description generated, package established, etc. but they mentioned another role that had opened.  So they are supposed to call me today to set up a second interview next week.  Now it is almost 4:45 PM here so I'm not confident that I'll get the call today but I'm starting to realize that although Australia is a helluva huge country, it still is an island and people here operate on "island time" for sure.  So I'm not going to get freaked about it; if anything I'll call them tomorrow to remind them.  Annoying but I guess I have to acclimate.

So in celebration of this potentially awesome opportunity, I took Bailey to Coogee today.  We went to our favorite spot, Gordon's Bay, and did some rock climbing, had lunch and of course swam and tossed the ball around.  It was great.  Bailey is now pooped and passed out on the floor next to me.  Here are some pics to illustrate.  See you next week!!

Bailey on our rock, looking out to sea.

He gets his own towel. Ha!

I'm in his sun.  Major tanning faux pas.

And here is the end result of massive day at the beach.  A bathed and droopy eyed Bailey.