Hitting the Wall

Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before this blog began to feel like a chore. Sorry for the hiatus, just been enjoying some beautiful spring weather here in Oz. Since Maria left we have been taking it pretty easy, eating at our favorite places, hanging with friends, and in general trying to savor our remaining time in Manly.

That's right, our time here is coming to an end. The plan is to leave here in March to go travel for 4 months. A bit weird, part of me is quite ready to leave, but the other half is pretty sad. Living in Manly is very enjoyable. Walking to your favorite coffee shop, being so close to the water and your friends is something that will be tough to give up. And for what, a crappy US economy when we arrive back to the States? I've never gotten political on this blog, BUT, if McCain and the hockey Mom win the election I might think about staying here as I will have completely lost my faith in America. So I am gonna hope that doesn't happen, because we really miss good Mexican food. :)

On to happier thoughts, had 2 great surfs this past Friday and Saturday. Narrabeen turned on, throwing big, meaty turquoise barrels. So much fun, and best of all very few people in the water. Most impressive though was that every surfer out were completely cool, no drop-ins, no snaking, just hooting one another into waves. Reaffirmed my faith in humanity a bit.

Veronica and I got hooked on "Dexter", perhaps one of the greatest TV shows EVER! Just finished Season 1 on Saturday night, and my oh my, what a fabulous show. I am so excited about seeing Season 2, I almost feel like a kid again with all the anticipation I have running through me presently.

Haven't taken any photos in a while, so alas, nothing to view with your peepers except for my turgid ramblings. I promise to write, sooner rather than later.

V's 30th B Day

Where to begin? Maria, Veronica’s mother, left Sydney this past Sunday morning. Drama ensued upon check-in at the airport because unbeknownst to Veronica and I, the clocks had been set forward an hour the previous night. (No mention when I read the paper on Saturday, or when we watched TV that night.) So, Maria had ten minutes to make her flight. But, besides for that little snafu, Maria had a great vacation here in Sydney. She spoiled us rotten, cooking up a storm, and no doubt I gained a few pounds throughout her stay.

We celebrated Veronica’s 30th birthday on the 2nd. The celebration was a low-key dinner at our favorite place, the Bavarian Bier Café, with our good friends Andy, Jamie, Jay, Martina and Gavin. It was a good time filled with tasty food, delicious mango beer and a drunken French chick thrown in to boot. The drunken French chick was courtesy of Andy, and here 4 separate pit stops over at our table provided everyone with some good laughs. The laughs were due to her telling us repeatedly, ‘I’m drunk’ and ‘You’re hot’ to different people at the table. Comical, yet bizarre.

I got Veronica tickets to the Cirque du Soliel show on Friday for her birthday. The show had been in Sydney for about 2 months. Since Veronica had wanted to go, but was a tad dismayed by the price, it was an easy present to give. And don’t you love it when you give a present that entertains the receiver as well as the gifter? Exactly! Great show, if you haven’t seen it, definitely check it out next time your in Vegas, or Paris. Highlights of the show would have to be the little Chinese acrobat who could rotate her entire body all around while perched up high on one arm. Nuts! The trampoline set with two guys was also very impressive, and a tad scary, since they performed without safety nets. Good times, and we enjoyed some delicious ferry floss (cotton candy). Hence the picture with blue tongues.

The rest of our long weekend was spent relaxing. Sunday night we went and saw “Waltz With Bashir’, an Israeli movie about a man trying to recollect his memories about his experiences in Lebanon during the conflict in 1982. The film is animated, yet there is nothing childlike about the topic or pacing. I highly recommend this movie; check it out if you have the means.

Monday we hung out with Jase, Brenda and Hunter over in Freshwater for most of the day. The sun finally peeked its head out in the arvo, so we took a walk around Manly. Katrina and Naomi, two of my coworkers from the Melbourne office of Video Australasia were in town, so V and I met up with them and Jamie at the Steyne Hotel, one of my least favorite places in Manly. This bar is a dirty cesspool of humanity, and it did not disappoint in showcasing the worst behavior mankind is capable of. Case in point, we were all standing at the bar, waiting on a beer, when a skirmish broke out between a small man and a big man. I literally turn around when I hear Small Man say ‘WTF?’, see him take one step forward, and Big Man (either a Maori or Samoan who looked like he played rugby) moves forward like a cat and throws a right, which connects squarely on Small Man’s mouth. Small man fell like tree and was knocked out COLD. The bouncers immediately had the Big Man in a bear hug and dragged him out of the bar. I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life. One-punch knockouts were the stuff of fiction I had reckoned. After last night I can assure you, that is not the case. DAMN!