Birthdays

May is a month with lots of birthdays. That is true whether I'm in the US or Australia. The only real difference is that you're practically guaranteed that the birthday card I send you will be late and that if I send a gift, it will either be from Amazon.com OR it will be light-weight. OH, and it will be late, too. I mailed out two packages on Thursday. The price to ship them was almost as much as the gifts themselves.

May is also the month with my birthday. That is true in both countries, as well, even though you can't say that for the Queen. Tomorrow. I'll be older.

To quote Laurie Anderson. "So, happy birthday" to Tim, Carolyn, Diana, Yof, Brenda, Margie, and me!

Laurie Anderson - Born, Never Asked

It was a large room.
Full of people.
All kinds.
And they had all arrived at the same buidling at more or less the same time.
And they were all free.
And they were all asking themselves the same question:
What is behind that curtain?
You were born.
And so you're free.
So happy birthday

Working: week 3

Tired.

I've worked everyday this week except Tuesday. All wearing "real" dress-up shoes, no less. I haven't worn shoes since I left NC! I mean, I haven't worn anything but athletic shoes since I left NC. My feet are very confused. They like living in a white, nylon house.

It has been a pretty good week, however. I'm not sure how many computer errors I've made. They've undoubtedly been numerous. But, I got to help pin a femur fracture on a cat and I think the tests I ordered on the akita puppy with chronic diarrh(o)ea (I think that is where the o goes!) will provide the answer! Tonight, though, I have a German coolie (never heard of them before) with an ugly hot spot in the hospital. Please, please, please let the steroids kick in so she doesn't do any more damage before her mom comes to get her tomorrow. I also have one very hot dog. Everybody please send a breath of cool air his way. I'm really worried. I haven't been successful at creating much of an improvement. Lab work is pending.

Overall, I'm having a good time working. I like the people I work with. I enjoy meeting with clients. I get to kiss new puppies.

Speaking of Sushi

Not that you were. I wasn’t even. But, still, doesn’t it sound like a great idea? Tuesday I celebrated my new employed status by picking up the salmon nigiri off the sushi train at Sushi Train. My god it was marvellous. Eating sushi is a semi-erotic experience. The sweet ice. The pungent wasabi. The delicate, almost melting fish. They slice their salmon thin and while I know they are only doing this to save themselves money, I think I like it better that way. I like the balance. It is easier to bite through.

I am no stranger to Sushi Train. Every semi lunch time if I’m at Chermside I stop by to watch the parade of fish. I watch. I fantasize. I drool. I order a bowl of miso ($1.50) and they GIVE me a cup of green tea. How could I pass up this spot? In a country where you may be charged for a single packet of ketchup (tomato sauce), they GIVE you tea!



So, I ate my two pieces of sushi and toasted my sushi buddies: Tim, Susette, and Christine. They’ve never even met- but we’re all tied together by the same yen. (ouch)

Tim introduced me to sushi. He and Carolyn and I and other people I don’t remember drove to Raleigh one evening to a Japanese restaurant. (I’m guessing there’s a sushi bar in Durham now. There are several in Fayetteville- and Durham is WAY cooler.) I ordered something I can’t remember now- and at the time I was not impressed. Tim gave me a piece of his sushi. All I remember was the pop of the roe. It was enough to hook me. Later, after he moved to LA, we went out to an all you can eat sushi night. That has to be what heaven is like.

It was with Susette that I ate the sushi that made me cry. We were seniors in vet school about midway through our rotations. Long days. Long nights. Feeling useless and stupid and lost. We took off the evening and went out to dinner. To a nice dinner. I ordered sushi. I can’t tell you now exactly why I cried. Everything was so hard and I was so tired and the meal was a complete luxury. A total escape. And like when I heard “Domino” (Cocteau Twins) for the first time, I was carried away by the beauty of the experience.

Finally, Christine. Christine is my Cleveland sushi partner. I passed the virus onto her not long after we met. She’s now more dedicated than I am and makes rolls at home. But, she doesn’t eat meat/fish- so sushi together is in part a parallel sushi experience. I like a cucumber roll or avocado roll- but I long to share my yellow tail or salmon or eel.

And, Kevin? He’ll eat sushi. He’ll eat just about anything that isn’t made with red beets (beet root). He just doesn’t swoon. It sort of takes the romance out of the experience- like it was just a small, raw, fishy burger. So, I’ll watch out for my next sushi buddy. It’s a big country- with lots of sushi trains.

Finding Friends

Di at work suggested that I might join a club in order to meet people and make friends. You know, so I’d have something to do other than watch Kevin use the computer. So, when I saw a flier for the Zillmere Community Centre I picked it up. Chances are this is not where I’ll be hanging in the future.

1. Hepatitis Council of Qld. Monthly on a Wednesday Evening.
2. YACCA- Girls group and Boys group (12- 17 years)
3. ZCC “Boot Scooters”- Every Friday 9 to 10 am. (This one isn’t out of the question, but if I’m working on Friday…)
4. “Monday Group”- 9 to 11am- Meets every Monday. Activities include Art & Craft. Work conflict. Again.
5. North Star Orchid Circle Inc.- 3rd Tues of Month 9-11 am
6. Mature Social Art/Craft Group – Saturday 1-4 pm. Am I sufficiently mature?
7. Northside Lace Makers – Wed 9-12 noon.
8. North Moreton Orchid Council Inc.- Monday every 2nd month from 6 – 9 pm. (Wondering here about the rivalry between the orchid councils. Do they wear colo(u)rs? Is there knife play involved?) I could get there before they ended.
9. Pacific Education Training & Development- Monday & Thursday evenings. Huh?
10. Narcotic Anonymous-
11. Zillmere Place Steering- ??
12. Zillmere Older Women’s Network (ZOWN)- ZOWN, that sounds cool. Like grey-haired female “batmen". Hey, maybe I could wear my electro-shield outfit?

THE massage mouse

Last week a package arrived for me from the US. My mother has sent me THE Massage Mouse. Little sticky pads attach to your skin and current is dispersed originating from a half-an-egg shaped devise that is EQUIPPED WITH EARS. This is too cool. I made the mistake of turning the current up initially and was so startled I practically screamed. This is no AA battery massage!

And now, I quote:
Massage Mouse
Hands-Free Massager
Passive Exerciser
And Document Holder.

What every home, every desk needs!

While you're wiling away your time on the Internet, check out what else is available from Hi-Dow! http://www.hi-dow.com/products.htm
I’m particularly keen on the slippers and the swifto electro-shield apparel! Who knows what kind of super-hero one could attract with the right polarity!

Watching me, watching you

I'm hearing Abba, here.

Working: Week 2

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And, I got my first pay check. It is really feeling official. Next week I'm peaking (I hope) and work every day except Tuesday. This isn't really what I had in mind when I went looking for a part time job. I don't know. It feels so, what's the word for it...? Full time. Definitely, not "casual". Fortunately, none of those days were crazy, busy days- but I did manage to see 3 really sick dogs, half a dozen new puppies or kittens, did lots of routine vaccinations, and spayed my first cat in two years. Funny thing about spays here- they're speys. How'd that happen?

Missing a few things, however, with working so much: keeping up with email and this blog, eating lunch, sleeping past 4 AM. My alarm doesn't ring til 5:30 or 6:00AM- it is just my internal alarm that has been going off in the middle of the night. It goes off and I'm AWAKE. I realize that the correspondence and the eating were predictable sacrifices to the paycheck god- I'm hoping that the early wake up is a transient problem.

By the way- I never got that button sewed on. Neither Kevin nor I could thread the needle! All I had was a set of tapestry needles (??) and a zip lock of embroidery floss. I was going to make it work. I'd started this cross-stitch YEARS ago- like in the last century. Why I thought I might finish it now and, therefore, brought it to this country I can't imagine. But I did and its here and I can no longer thread those needles! Fortunately, I'm working with a 20 year old- so I took it all in to work with me on Thursday. I told her it was OK if she couldn't do it. "It would only make me feel more competent". I don't think she was listening to the subtext. The needle is now threaded. A button will be sewn today.

Oh, and the photo. I just read the manual of the camera I've been using for 3 years and learned it had a macro setting. So, I shot a dozen photos.

Kevin's knee

Has a little less cartilage in the meniscus. He had surgery on Thursday and is doing great. He is saving his tylenol with codeine for a rainy day. And, I am getting plenty of exercise running downstairs to supply him with diet coke.

Does his colo(u)r look unhealthy to you?

Working: week 1

Gee... working can really eat into your day! This week I went to 2 interviews. "Hung out" in two different clinics on a trial basis. And, worked my first day. (Earned my first plastic-with-a-see-through-window money! I don't actually have any of that moola in my pocket, none the less I'm going to see how it spends later today.)

For some reason here they don't seem to carry generic drugs. This makes my job more of a challenge, because I have to learn a bunch of trade names. A few are the same: Rimadyl, Heartgard, Frontline, Antirobe. One is an easy enough change: Clavamox is now Amoxiclav. But there is no "cephalexin" or "amoxicillin" or even "prednisolone". The biggest source of this challenge comes from how my prescribing self is set up- in the room with the client and not in front of the shelves containing the desired medications. A cheat sheet in under construction.

I'm also learning to use a computerized client record system, work with only an owner to restrain their pet, and to pronouce Rottweiler with a long "e" sound - Wheeeeeler.

I've agreed to work part time in two different clinics: the Bald Hills clinic (hitherto to be known as MPV) in Bald Hills and the Caboolture clinic in Morrayfield (which I guess I'll call CMF). I think it means I'll be working 6 days a week someplace and at least a few days a month working both places at the same time.

Both clinics want me to wear a uniform shirt- though neither one has one remotely in my size. (My fault- I'm freakishly small.) I tried on a long sleeved top at MPV and it looked like I was wearing one of Kevin's! I don't think that is the look they have in mind. The short sleeved shirts they had were a bit smaller- a size 8 and a size 10. "You can wear the 10 today. The 8 will fit better but you need to take it home and IRON it." What have I gotten myself into???? I spent the last 4 years working in scrubs. No muss- no fuss. Not only do I need to IRON this weekend- I have to put a button on. Obviously, they think they've hired someone with a wife.

My first day of work was with MPV. They are tied into a number of pet stores so most of their patients are young pets- primarily dogs. Lots of routine vaccination appointments. The exceptions on Wednesday were an anal gland abscess (and rupture) in a greyhound and a very painful old Staffordshire Terrier. So, I was pleased to get a little pus and frustrated to find I couldn't provide the Staffie with much relief. (Kevin, by the way, thinks its gross that I would include an abscess in my blog...but, this is my life. It gets gross and smelly.)

CMF, on the other hand, according to my visit day was more like what I'm used to- though we were a bit heavy on the euthanasias. It has been a long time since I had to travel down that road and I was the one in the room crying on Friday. The day was brightened by a woman bringing in a laundry basket piled high with blankets and towels and heating pads...and buried deep inside a soft fleece bag- a baby kangaroo. (A joey- just to practice my technical language). I hadn't thought about kangaroo development for forever- so I was surprised to see this footlong pink, blind, naked and long-footed baby. Those marsupials just pulled fetal development out of the uterus and stuck it in a pouch. Anyway, this joey is experiencing severe diarrhea (which I think I need to put an "o" in somewhere) and so to combat dehydration was in the clinic to get some subcutaneous (SubQ- though here they are sub-cut) fluids. I tried to remain professional and not jump up and down so to get a better view.

Monday is a holiday. Labour day. And, given I am now "labour", I shall be taking it easy.

Friday morning's dream

I had a strange dream last night.

I dreamed I was living someplace else. All I know about it was I in a very big room with very high ceilings and from the ceilings against the walls hung beautiful purple tapestry curtains. They had gold trim or tassels – some sort of ornamentation along the edges. And, in this place a man with red hair named John asked me to marry him. I didn’t feel I knew John well, but I said yes.

And, as he left the room the tapestries began to come down and I knew that it was because I got to keep them if I married John. Other people came in the room. Young people like I was young and I told them about saying yes and about the tapestries.

Then time passed and I was looking upon a rural scene. There was a bright green pasture with horses and a field in which were planted a long row of apple trees. It was very early in the spring. The trees were dark and leafless, but the grass was yellow green. I turned to my mother and said I didn’t know where I was, but I hoped this was mine.

I turned the image and saw the house. It was a large, old farmhouse. The off-white paint was pealing from the walls. Maybe this wasn’t such a dream house…but then I looked at the front.

Like a dollhouse the front of the house was removed inside people were scurrying to replace the furniture and decorations. A grand staircase descended down the middle of the house- the stairs and baluster’s dark wood shining with wax. Chairs were set up both upstairs and downstairs looking out and I was placed, now wearing a long gown, on the stage in front of the house. I had a high backless stool that I could sit or lean against if I liked. And, in front of the stage were more folding chairs with more guests.

I knew this was my wedding to John. I looked through the crowd and couldn’t see his face and I told myself I thought I would recognize him…but I wasn’t certain. Then the music began.

Making his way down from the upper floor and through the crowds to come sit or lie propped on an elbow before me came a man wearing a plastic mask and singing. “One love to be living for. This nearly was mine.” I wondered if it could be John- but I didn’t think so. (http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/southpacific/thisnearlywasmine.htm)

And, while he was singing, three older women arrived. Two made their way up onto the stage and found seats on the first floor of the house and the third sat on a chair on the ground immediately in front of my stool. She had brought a gift, but she didn’t seem to really know who I was.

I woke up before the music ended. I woke up before I knew for sure that John wasn’t coming or before I knew if I cared whether he came or not. I woke up feeling bittersweet.

Playing with photoshop

This afternoon (or in Australian, This arvo) Kevin and 3 friends are playing Roads and Boats. I was supposed to be #4- build my own goose empire! but someone needed to step down and I volunteered. Its a gloomy day and so I've entertained myself with trying to make an image to capture our game group. Initially I wanted to create an image we could put on a t-shirt. I think these are too busy. Undoubtedly, I'll be embarrassed by them in the near future. Now, I'm stiff from sitting at an ergonomically improper chair/desk combination. Time to quit and think of supper!

Wiccans evolve

Witches in Australia have adapted to the absence of Halloween. They're selling their hats, painted orange, to use as barricades. Yes, they've plopped down three "witches hats" at the end of our driveway to discourage driving across wet cement. Likely, there's a curse attached.

Winter approaches

The first day of fall here was March 1st- so we are well on our way to the dark side. It is apparent. The natives are preparing for the long winter siege.

Some un-identified tree is dropping little brown sticky leaves that have evolved to adhere to the semi chewed texture of once yellow tennis balls. They litter the dining room rug, our one and only chair, and the bed.

A golden orb weaving spider has strung her web entirely across our driveway. She obviously has designs on Kevin. He'd be quite the feast throughout the winter months! Just in case, I hit the ground and crawl down the drive to get the mail. (Per my suggestion) Kevin knocked the web down last night using one of the multitude of palm fronds that have fallen everywhere. She had it in full repair this afternoon- waiting for Kevin's return at 6 this evening.

And, my Australian neighbours are buying their winter footwear.

Now, where did I put that shovel?

The Reminder! It is Anzac Day in Australia on Wednesday April 25th

No big plans for Anzac day. When we were traveling through Canberra in 2002, we went to the sunrise service... so we aren't total heathens.

If you need a little history, check out Mel Gibson (1981) in Peter Weir's (ala "Picnic at Hanging Rock"- it comes up again! What a small world is Australia) film "Gallipoli".

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gallipoli/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082432/

Visitors!

I am so excited! I just got off the phone with my cousin, Elaine. She, my auntie, and my mother are coming to visit in August. This August. Just the other side of winter, August! I've known they were coming for months and even knew the month, but now they are telling me about the things they want to do while they are here. Whale watching. Holding koalas. Sitting on the couch with Zelda. (That's Marianna's and, no doubt, Zelda's, idea of a good trip to Australia.)

Elaine is in charge of being excited and identifying things to see and do. She tried to involve my mom and Marianna today in the planning, but they were content to do what she wants. So far her idea (after Brisbane) is to see Alice Springs, Uluru, Melbourne, and Phillip Island. The only thing they're interested in in Sydney is the Opera House. Perhaps I could talk Elaine into climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge (that was fun!), but the septagenerians would not be interested. I'm sure she'll try to climb Uluru if Kevin is there to egg her on. I'm not sure what she/they want from Melbourne. I'm not as familiar with it- though, obviously, I was there most recently. All these places take a good amount of walking. I hope Kevin and I can get free to go along so that Elaine can do the walking stuff without relying on her aunties stamina.

Oh. Oh. Oh. I am excited. I wonder if I can rent a bed. I could put it in the living room.

Keeping up

And now we’re home.

They took over while we were away. I knew it would happen. The spiders and the geckos. Running amok. Wild parties and not watering the Italian parsley.

They also broke our computer. Broke it dead. Lifeless. It is just flashing four little lights on the keyboard. We don’t know why. Some sort of SOS message.

And, you know what this means. No TV.

Add to this- I’m still sick. Of course. Why wouldn’t I be? I was sick yesterday. Still, I managed to stock up on groceries this afternoon. But, I couldn’t work up the energy to vacuum up the confetti and tiny beer bottles.

Zelda reluctantly came home with us. She was shacking up with two Shih Tzu bitches. She hid her tennis ball dumbbell toy thinking we wouldn’t make her go home without it. We have no heart.

Misery abounds.

The Second Instalment in which people are married and warm days return!

We left early Friday morning. Early. Like before the sun went down the night before- during which, I might add, I won the game of Bang (with help from Georgia)! (We were the renegade!) Our flight to Dallas was uneventful. Our bags shuffled around so that none (mine) exceeded 50 pounds. My carry-on, however, must have topped 3 tons.

Our friends K and G were getting married. Kevin was the best man. That’s how Dallas came up on our itinerary. They are both gamers. Gamers like Kevin. Gamers who just spent the previous week and a half in Columbus at The Gathering. They married like they lived. Gaming. The invitation featured an image from The Game of Life- you know, an image associated with getting hitched. Their program included a word search. Their cake was done up in game bits and topped with the King and Queen (Chess and Hearts). They made sure to pack a game to take with them to the hotel on their wedding night.

Sunday and Monday Kevin gamed. I got to meet three of my cyber friends in person! And, ride for the first time in a convertible with the top down. I verified convertible/top down etiquette before we began and was advised not to expose myself. It was so much fun that the next time I do this- in 45 more years- I may just go ahead with the exposure thing….

Monday we managed to pull Kevin away from waiting for the UPS man long enough to visit the Kennedy museum. I wonder how many people leave there less convinced of a possible conspiracy? A pristine bullet? A 4th shot on tape that the second investigation (FBI) said occurred a minute after the first 3 and was, therefore, unrelated? Creepy and sad and well done. Thinking about a rewatch of "JFK" and "13 Days".

I learned something very surprising at the Dallas airport. It is possible to not know how to use a point and shoot camera. Even with instruction. Even when it looks like from the other side that you’re doing it right.

Ah, and then the ride home. We arrived a little less than 2 hours before our flight departure. Pretty darned good. We were behind maybe 12 other parties. And, in front of us- behind the counter- was one very slow attendant. Another person looking on might have counted 2 or even 3 employees. But the competent blond man was servicing first class and the competent Hispanic man was helping people who had been bumped from an earlier flight to SFO rebook onto our flight to LA. Even though he kept telling them to wait in our line, one by one they cut out and cornered him behind the self check terminal. We waited at least 75 minutes. Then, things got worse.

Our flight was delayed. Not by too much. At least, not until we boarded the plane. Then the door to the luggage compartment wouldn’t close. We arrived in LAX with 30 minutes to make our connection. We ran. We ran from terminal 7 to the international terminal- terminal 2.5. Dodging between people. Slipping past baggage and columns. Fortunately, I picked up an e-z cart on the way so we were not unduly slowed by our copious carry on bags. We made it with 10 minutes to spare. That is, we made it to the terminal. No waiting at the Qantas counter. No real reason to expect waiting as the flight was closed and the last flight for the night was in their final boarding. Fortunately, there were seats on that last flight. Seats to Melbourne.

LA to Melbourne is the longest flight that Qantas makes. There is only one flight longer anywhere. (Where? dunno) 15 + hours. Adding in our layover and the subsequent flight to Brisbane- total travel time was approximately 30 hours. And, that’s a very long time. Very long. Particularly when you’re coming down with a head cold AND a UTI. Simultaneously. No risk of DVT when you’re on your feet hourly to head to the looooo.

Overall, it was a great excursion to the US. Exhausting. Busy- and yet, as always, incomplete. Not enough time with each individual. No time to really relax. I didn’t get any photos of the beautiful wildflowers blooming along the roadsides in TX. I only ate sushi once.

The first instalment of Travels in America

March 24 – 27: Cleveland, Ohio

Before I go any further, yes, our luggage arrived about noon on Monday! Clean socks for everyone!

It was in Cleveland that we had our good weather. It was so beautiful, in fact, that Kevin was inclined to miss living there. Actually, it wasn’t the weather (though the weather PERMITTED him to entertain these thoughts) so much as the great time we had with our friends in Cleveland. I gadded about with my BCAH alumni Nan and Christine while Kevin began the binge of gaming that characterizes every instalment of this missive.

March 28 – April 2 : Ann travels into Dixie with MAD.

Athens, GA: U of G Annual Veterinary Conference and Alumni Reunion. A significantly smaller meeting than I’ve attended in either NC or OH, but it was bolstered by the standing ovations that members of the audience gave speakers from their graduating class. 1987, in particular, is a very supportive group! Eyeballs and pee.

Savannah, GA: Does anyone know why every entrance and exit ramp onto highway ?? has a closable gate? Or, why no one has thought to open a restaurant ? We spent our first day enjoying the city via trolley- well, except for the seats. Monday we tried to visit a museum (not open til after noon!) and walking on the beach at Tybee Island.

Charleston, SC: Spent the night in the hotel made famous by the 2002 birthday invasion! Dinner with Steve- formerly known as birthday boy.

The drive home was no where as much fun as we had on the way down. Summer retreated into spring. Construction slowed us. Rain! slowed us. Listened to the end of "Every Little Bird that Sings", which managed to drag out the loss of Dismay (sorry to spoil that- but you’d have guessed it was about to happen) for an entire CD. I was exhausted with grief.

April 4 – April 6: Ann attends The Gathering of Friends.

This is where Kevin’s been, if you’ve been wondering, with more than 300 of his closest similarly gaming-obsessed friends. I think I’ve hit the highlights earlier- you know the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I had a good time and would have enjoyed another day. Maybe 2.

April 7- 9: Easter

Family time for Ann. Roast pork and turkey breast. Chicken and noodles, Mashed potatoes. Green beans.

April 10- 12: Back to Columbus.

And visiting friends. More gaming. A terrific outing to the North Market to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Ohio. Try the number 9. My OSU nostalgia was eviscerated by the reworking of High Street. It has become very commercial. If I hadn’t been miserable in the cold and rain, I would have been convinced I was inside a shopping mall. No more Mean Mr. Mustards. No more Crazy Mama's. Not sure where one goes to dance. Sigh.

Shout outs: Muchos gracias to Greg for putting us up in Cleveland. Steve and Georgia for housing Kevin (and, eventually, me) in Columbus. Andrew for the use of his fabulous car. It was so wonderful to be able to turn the steering wheel effortlessly. And, see out of the windscreen. And, listen to the radio. And, turn on the heat.

Catching up in the USA

Writing today from Clintonville, Ohio. We have less than a week left in the US, but I feel we've squeezed most of a year into the past 19 days. Beautiful spring weather in Ohio- temperature in the mid 70s with daffodil, forsythia, blue skies and green, green grass. Watching the leaves unfurl and the blossoms changing from redbud to dogwood to wisteria while driving south to Georgia and (early) summer. Then, back to Ohio. Arriving at 11 pm; passing the bank clock where the temperature read almost 60 degrees. Waking up to 27 degrees. And, snow. We're approaching spring again. It is chilly and rainy. What a wonder is Ohio!



Meanwhile, Kevin's spent much of the time holed up in the basement of the Midwest Convention Center playing games: board games and card games, primarily, though we (I was there for 2 days) did have a few killer games of "Gnip Gnop" and "Rapid Fire". For the most part, Kevin practiced his ingenious Australian Expo strategy for tournament play whereby he deprived early opponents of advancing only to, ahem, not win future rounds. Through fierce determination, however, he won the "hidden contest", earned his sheriff badge, and took home a pair of pink fuzzy handcuffs. I didn't actually witness ANY of this competition, so I only have his word on the origen of the handcuffs. Additionally, I helped clinch the last place position in the duplicate Tichu competition for team Kevin. The winning team scored something like +2000 points, while we rocketed to.....-1440. Woohoo. It is all part of the grand design to steal the prize next time.

I always feel odd in Columbus. No matter how long it has been and how many OTHER things have happened in this city, I am flooded with images and feelings from my days at OSU (or, since this is still my Australian journal- "uni".) When I see the "towers" from 315 and pass under the green sign identifying the upcoming Lane Avenue exit, I'm 18 and in the back seat and moving into Taylor Tower. The Continent is indelibly marked with my first excursion there to see a movie. And, the sidewalks and paths are peppered with my roommates and friends. I'm left feeling wistful and full of longing. I am once again in love. I miss all of you.

Probably, I just need to eat breakfast.

I now turn on my

windshield wipers to signal a turn in two countries!

Movies, Violence, and Clean Socks

Writing this morning from Greg's home. Kevin is at Mike's playing a war game. Zelda is frolicking with her new friend(s) at the Pines. I am waiting around hoping to see our suitcases on the front porch. Could be any moment now. That's been the thought for the last 36 hours....

It has not been the boring experience one hopes for in a trans-continental flight. Our flight was modestly delayed in Brisbane as the crew tried to repair the "on-flight entertainment system". Kevin was pleased to wait for THAT to be fixed. This was going to be his first flight on Qantas with their new "videos-on-demand". The system was stocked with all the academy award nominees as well as several good older films he hasn't seen and Australian films. (I was particularly keen on him watching "Kenny" and "Last Train to Freo"- both of which were well considered- in fact, many, many Australians wax lyrically on the outrageous humo(u)r of Kenny. I watched both films on the plane when I went home for the holidays. I watched both films for about 25 minutes- then I just had to stop. Was the problem me? I wanted to Kevin to let me know. So, as we outlined our movie experience, our flight crew interrupted to let us know that some of the seats would NOT be having the entire catalog. Just a few. They were in contact with Sydney and were going to try something else to restore the system. Restore it, they did! Soon, we all had 3 channels and could watch endlessly "Open Season", "A Good Year", or "Little Miss Sunshine". I continue to enjoy "Little Miss Sunshine"- though I wasn't overwhelmed by it this time. The soundtrack is magical- at once whimsical and melancholic. "Amelie"- also affects me like this...though it is also a visual feast. What colour! So, we watched "LMS"- in full or part at least 3 times. Kevin tried the cartoon. I quit on the Russel Crowe film...also, beautiful, but really, really stupid and poorly acted. Thank god for Rick James.

The customs and immigration officer in LA asked us to step behind his desk and wait. We waited. Kevin often has problems in airports as there is SOME Kevin O'Brien who is on a "no fly" list in the US. We're getting (sort of) used to this. Finally an agent came by- "Do you know a S.H.? She has a filed a protection order against you." No. Never been to Racine. Living in Australia. No, never met the woman. No. When the agent finally dismissed us, I swear she said something to the original passport stamping man something about the wanted Kevin O'Brien being 5 foot 6 inches. Good thing she hadn't noticed the leg transplant!

We found a very helpful agent at United, and thereby made our flight to Chicago. Our final leg- to Columbus- was canceled, however. Kevin was able to get us onto a flight to Cleveland that was scheduled to depart within the hour. Not enough time to reroute our bags.

As of last night (Sunday), they were still in Columbus. "You want them in Cleveland?" I guess the paper we filed wasn't clear on that. This morning's call suggests that they were supposed to be on a flight to Cleveland at 6:10 AM... but now (11:20 AM) they don't know where they are. We leave Cleveland tomorrow. I sure hope we have them before we relocate to Columbus!

Updates

Big changes are afoot.

To begin with- I think I've found a job. As with any new job, I'm a little trepidatious, but hopeful. I think I'm going to learn a lot and grow as a doctor. Eegads. Building character. Never without angst. Need to work out the details, but would be starting in April. We'll get to that soon enough.

Secondly, I passed my practical test from the radiation health safety people. Yay! I took a bang-up nice looking radiograph of a disembodied human hand. Let me know if you need one done for you.




After the exam I walked into the city to meet Kevin for lunch. As I suggested earlier, I wanted to check out what was new in my graffiti alley. On the way, however, I found a new one. This one is most likely tied to the gallery it is next to: e'merj. I'd seen their logo spray painted on buildings before but didn't know it meant something. Anyway, this alley is COVERED. Not really sure that it is appropriate to call it graffiti- more like murals gone wild.

On the other hand, most of the images I posted from "my" alley are gone. They've gone through and over painted the walls with more red paint. I'm suspecting that art will crawl back into that space if we are very, very quiet. See, it is already creeping out the door...

Found a third spot near the Centrum Movie Theatre- but it was very busy with cars and people and I felt too self conscious to take photographs. I'll go back some weekend morning. Like a Sunday at 7 AM. I'll bet I have the place to myself.





Finally, Kevin and I are leaving on Saturday to spend a few weeks in the US. It will be a whirlwind tour encompassing Columbus (OH), Cleveland (OH), Rogersville (TN), Athens (GA), possibly Savannah (GA) and Charleston (SC), and finally Dallas, TX. Kevin is very excited to be going "home" to play games with our friends in Cleveland- and 10 days and nights! gaming in Columbus at the "Gathering of Friends". Meanwhile, I need to complete my continuing ed requirements- hence the trip to The University of Georgia. I imagine my chances of hanging with the B-52's is slim- not enough hair. Because my Internet contact will be limited to public libraries, I suspect that not much will be happening here. I'll still be thinking and writing stories in my head and taking lots of photos. You'll just have to tune in psychically for a while.

We're getting a new neighbor!

We've been watching the house being built next door for most of our time here in Aspley- and now I think I know what's going on. Yep. Zelda will be so pleased.

We've got an edge

Yep. with God. See, somehow we scored a whole class of first grade catechism to pray for us. This has resulted in 1 orange and black rosary (the colors of the Versailles tigers) and a blessed cross medallion. Not to mention the boatload of halo points we must have.

My dear childhood neighbor and friend, Dixie, decided that we would be the family that her Monday class would pray for. All year. Each week. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be. (I know because I went to class in December.) Not just Kevin and I. No. It is important to note that Zelda gets included in every offering.

I was touched. I was also amused. They send letters and ask questions about life in Australia. "How big are the snakes?" "Are koalas mean?" "What time do you eat dinner?" There is an obvious emphasis on spiders and snakes. I'm not sure if that reflects Dixie's worries, my anxieties, or just the kids liking creepy crawlers. I try to write regularly and send them pictures. I wonder what their parents think?

There's only one way to end this;

Amen

Is it because I grew up in Versailles?

Poultry and egg hub of the midwest. Home of the annual "Poultry Days" celebration- www.versaillespoultrydays.com - including Miss Chick and ultimate frisbee and a peck of shriners. Anyway, does anyone else really consider which egg to crack? Do you use the eggs from the left side to the right? or go for a more balanced approach so the box isn't lopsided and risk it tipping out of your hand when the top is closed and you're half asleep? Maybe I have too much time on my hands. Good thing the floors need washing today.

And now for something completely different

Seems I've been emphasizing the natural side of Australia- landscapes, wildlife, toilet ants... and haven't yet shared any of the art- at least not for a long time. I've been intending to collect a sample of the wonderful utility boxes that are painted by local artists in locally appropriate images. (You can see two - one from China town and one across from a big church/cathedral- I think- April 4, Signage). I could also explore the sculpture and architecture. But, today, it is graffiti.

Brisbane has MORE than its fair share of standard graffiti- you know the scrawled writing that you can't really make out and are pretty sure you aren't missing anything intereting. There's even some on our mailbox! The thing about this graffiti that amuses me to no end it that it is all created by folks who wear dorky uniforms to school. (But that- shcool uniforms- is a different blog ALL TOGETHER.) There is one alley in Fortitide Valley that I am particularly fond of. It is beside a travel agency, I believe. And, not sure what else. I'm certainly not aware of who is wielding the spray can or the glue bottle or even the silly string. There is more great street art in FV than just this particular alleyway; I'll include some of that later.

Photobucket will only let me put 10 images in a slide show.

I haven't been back to my alley this year yet. What new wonders have been added...? Maybe I can schedule a visit on Tuesday.

Marching to Victoria

OK. It was February; we took a plane. But, the title is catchy. Something to hum along to whilst pondering a way to fit whilst into a sentence and appear more Australian.

The last weekend of February Kevin and I flew down to the "Spa Capital of Australia" about an hour north of Melbourne. (Hint: If you want to speak Australian, you don't pronounce the "r" in Melbourne- MEL-BEN.) Kevin won the "Champion of Champions" competition at New Horizon's last year and his prize was this weekend away.

We left home about 5 AM to catch our flight South. Picked up a rental car (wow!) and drove out to Daylesford arriving early in the afternoon. We had only a couple of things we really wanted to accomplish on this trip- going to Hanging Rock, enjoying a spa bath, and touring the lavender farm. (OK. That was just me. Well, I guess the last 2 were just me. Kevin wasn't expecting much from this trip- but he really enjoys Hanging Rock.)





So, we started out with Hanging Rock. If the name sounds familiar but you just can't place it, think checkered table cloth, ants, missing school girls.... Early in the last century the novel, "Picnic at Hanging Rock", was written. It got a lot of buzz as people questioned whether it was a true story about how several school girls went missing on a St. Valentine's Day picnic in 1900- Boom. They were just gone. A few days later - wait- it was made into a movie directed by Peter Weir (who also directed "The Truman Show". This came up in last week's Big Quiz- the 40 question trivia quiz in every Sunday Mail. Kevin won that quiz. It was rather heavy in film questions and decidedly lacking in anatomy or disease.) OK. Here's a link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073540/ I won't tell you more of the story in case you want to see the show (or, god forbid, read the book). (We watched the film a few years ago. Actually, I quit on it. Kevin finished it and filled me in on the story and all the symbolism and nuance later. He found it more interesting to read about than to watch. But you- maybe you'll like it. Terry (who games and takes the quiz each Sunday) says we needed to see it when it came out. He thought (thinks?) it is quite spooky. I think wearing those long skirts and full sleeves in this heat is pretty spooky. But, I stray. We enjoyed climbing to the summit of hanging rock- which is a pile of rocks- big rocks- where we, of course, had a picnic.

On the way home from Hanging Rock we followed signs to one of the local mineral springs. (This is the claim to fame in the area. Lots of mineral springs. The spas are a product of the springs.) We filled our water bottle and took our booty back to the room...where our water became ever more cloudy and rusty looking. It took a certain courage to drink that water. We haven't died yet.




Otherwise, Saturday evening was filled with very slow service at a Chinese restaurant and my first opportunity to watch Australian TV. Wow. There's some bad stuff out there. I can't believe I tried to watch the show where Australian celebrities compete in training their dogs...

Sunday, we walked down to the Sunday Market (not the Tuesday market or the every-other-Saturday market) - a big flea market with plenty of fresh produce but no German games. Then, walked around town- past the convent that has been turned into an art gallery, restaurant and bar and through the botanical gardens. Here it was that I learned that regular qi gong practice does not prepare a person for climbing up and particularly down a narrow winding stairway. Ouch.
















The lavender farm was fun. I think I even saw Kevin smile. It was far too late in the season for much lavender to be in bloom- but there was a little. We wandered through gardens where I was reminded it was really fall- see pumpkin. We fed scones to the donkeys. We played boccie ball. (I lost.) Lunch was in Hepburn Spring at the Chowder Pot- a fun spot across the street from the general store. After, we made our way to Hepburn Spring where we'd already learned the public spa was closed for renovation- til sometime 2008. This was the end of my spa dream, by the way. The public spa costs $8. The next cheapest was $30.

Finally, we walked around the lake. Not a big lake but a pleasant enough walk and, I think, it must be THE PLACE for practicing "Downward facing Dog" (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/491_1.cfm#). Evidence- see sign found along the path.


What else COULD it mean?

Hanging rock had been maybe a 45 min drive from Daylesford and much of the way was punctuated by signs suggesting a slower speed between dusk and dawn because of Wombats! Cool! Sunday evening we hustled out to the car and went cruising for wombat. We even turned down a dark road leading into a national park and crept along-Kevin saw something hop. Obviously not a wombat. I didn't even see that much. Very disappointing.

Monday we refilled our bottle from a cleaner looking spring and took off for Melbourne. We arrived in time for lunch. (The bottle filled more quickly than it sounds here...I've left off breakfast, bathing, and buying chocolates for Steve and, oh yeah, ME driving. Woohoo! Power steering!) We spent the afternoon in the Melbourne zoo. Zoo highlights: fabulous butterfly aviary and a pretty great bird one, too. Very, very cool decorations. That annoying pinging sound you hear everywhere is a bell bird. I think that's right. There were also 3 tiger cubs playing. It was a big zoo and we really didn't see it all before closing at 5 PM. From there we drove into town and strolled (hustled) through the botanic garden then drove back through town to the airport.

I had a great time. Kevin, less so. He found Saturday to be difficult because it was a bit chilly and he hadn't packed a jacket. He had laid his belt out with the clothes I was packing- which I thought was just him laying out his clothes- getting ready for the morning. But, I was SUPPOSED to think he wanted me to pack it. Anyway, he couldn't wear long pants, either. Good thing he likes me.

NOTE: The small photos are clickable, if you want to see a bigger image. The slide show... is problematic. HELP!! OMG it worked! Yes! Yes! Yes!

Every which way is Left

I've always had a somewhat tenuous relationship with the directions "left" and "right". And, that's funny since I remember being 7, 8 ,9 and figuring out in dance class that all I had to do was locate the HUMONGOUS small pox vaccine scar on my left arm to KNOW which direction was left. But, in real life, I just wear too many clothes. Still, you'd think after 45 years of living it would start to be second nature.

Two problems. First, I went to vet school. My left or the dog's left? Every xray involves pointing straight ahead with the right hand index finger and saying "you can see here on the left". It doesn't help that the owners have no real loyalty to left or right when describing a limp. I should be pleased that they usually have decided the problem is with the front or rear. Still, I was coping. I could still give and follow directions. (And, by now I'd figured out I write with my right hand and a little cursive air-doodle would quickly reset my compass.)

No more. Problem two. Driving in Australia. I was OK as a passenger, but now that I've graduated to REAL driver (beyond the hypermarket grocery run) I'm totally buggered. A turn that involves crossing oncoming traffic is (everyone, together) a LEFT TURN. I can (and have) raised my air-doodle pen in hand and asked myself "which way" and STILL I come up with "left". Not even a hint of disquiet there. A turn the other way or following the round-about clockwise is "to the LEFT". So, left is still left. Its just that now right is left, too.