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!!