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!