Long Overdue Update

Hi everyone!
Has it really been several weeks since I last updated? Sorry.. Life has been good. We officially had the first day of spring a few weeks ago and suddenly "boom": perfectly gorgeous weather that makes you ache to go outside all day long. The time of cold is over and won't be around again for a long time... I'm already wearing t-shirts and it's only spring. *fingers crossed that summer is mild*. Other than beautiful weather, spring has brought with it allergies. I've never really had spring allergies before, but now I've got really itchy eyes. Thanks weird Australian pollen.

I work all week and keep meaning to update blogs/e-mail family and friends on the weekends but I keep having interesting, event-packed weekends. One Saturday I went on a bus with the church group to Canberra -Australia's capitol (about 3 hours away). It was great fun. We went to the national war museum, ate a picnic lunch in the park with black swans and pink cherry trees blossoming, took pictures of the parliament house (which they do not like you calling the Capitol building, by the way), and a lookout stop at Mt. Ainsley. The drive home was a treat also as we saw HERDS of wild kangaroos! I loved getting to be a tourist for a day. I've got heaps of photos and will upload some of the better ones when I get a chance. Unfortunately, all the kangaroo pics were out a bus window moving at around 60 mph as we drove by.

This weekend I'm looking forward to Mountain biking in the Terry Hills area with the church group. It's lovely weather, and it should be beautiful in the scenic bike trails around there. Australia has lots of national parks and scenic protected areas, which is nice.

The other main thing I've been occupied with is house hunting. Our lease ends next month and we needed to find somewhere to move to. Considering how big of an effort it was last time, I was very anxious. This time, with the help of a good reference from our current real estate company and my super-organization of necessary documents, we got in at the first place we applied! It's a long lease too which means we won't have to move again soon, thankfully.

Next stop, car hunting....
Cheers and have a great weekend everyone!

SciFi into reality

I'm at work facing the same problem experienced in nearly every other office worldwide, and most homes too.  I'm freezing!  I'm wearing an undershirt for warmth, a long-sleeved sweater, and a jacket -while drinking a cup of boiling hot tea even.  Meanwhile, the guy next to me is wearing a t-shirt and has turned the airconditioner on.  

Yes, I could bring a portable heater from home up to work.  But, it just doesn't make sense to turn on both a heater and airconditioner in one room does it?  Not to mention, quite a waste of electricity.  

So, someone smarter than me please hurry up and invent personal space bubbles that each individual is in control of their own surrounding temperatures please.  I don't want to dress like I'm going skiing just to go into work!  

The taste of home

Wow, I can't believe it's September already! I'm back in Australia now, and have had enough time to unpack, do some house cleaning and mostly to get back into things at work.

I've been waiting for my mom to send me this picture since I moved here last Jan. It was our last meal out in Oklahoma. Mmmmm, good inexpensive Mexican food -and definitely not skimpy on portion sizes. Now this is a burrito!

Cheers everyone.

Home Safe

Hi everyone! What a whirlwind trip. I'm just now back in Oklahoma after seeing many friends and of course wonderful family in Texas. Boy it was hard to leave, but it sure was nice visiting everyone. I should have done more of this stuff before I left the continent. I guess you never fully appreciate what you have until you have to work for it, and that includes family and friends close by.

Only 4 more days here *sniff*! I'm looking forward to more friends to catch up with, a little more shopping left to do, and some good quality time with the folks. I can't believe how fast it's gone by already.

That's right you're not from Texas, but Texas wants you anyway....

I've been having the best time here in Austin, and Texas as a whole. I'm so happy to be around my cousin, who is like a big brother to me. He and his amazing wife and 3 lovely kids are always such a blessing and a comfort to me. He finally got to come home after nearly 2 weeks in the hospital. There was much rejoicing. Home is wonderfully healing medicine compared to a hospital room. I've finally gotten to meet my new little cousins. I think it may take a few trips for them to know me, but for now I'm just pleased as I can be to be around them and to love on them.

I've also gotten to visit with some very good friends here in Austin. Last night I had a wonderful time at the Melting Pot with 2 very dear friends, and we even had a violin solo played just for our table!

What great people, they always inspire me and challenge me to do my best at everything while still just being wonderful fun to hang out with. You all are so cute together, you made me think about how much I miss being around V. And yes, someday it would be nice to call Austin home and see you all more than just a dinner passing through. Right now it's a growth opportunity for me to live in Australia and I need to wake up and take greater advantage of it if I can. But thank you for making me feel so at home here and for keeping in touch over the years. And the offer still stands if you can make your way to Australia, you've got a place to stay and a tour guide at your service.

Tonight I just drove back from meeting up at Starbucks/dinner with another very dear friend, who will probably laugh at me when he reads this, but who seems to really have grown since college. He's always been a fantastic and interesting person, but he's only gotten deeper and even more caring over the years. It's been a long time since he threw my books into the hall when the teacher wasn't looking. (And there may have been some retribution in the form of a baby picture.. but it wasn't me! :) ) Now the guy who sat and doodled through Calculus is a math teacher -oh the irony. But he's a wonderful person and I'm so grateful he took time out to visit.

Makes me wonder if I've changed very much since college. It doesn't feel like it, even despite all the momentus events in my life -a doctorate, marriage, living on a new continent -I still feel like I was just in college yesterday and I'm still a kid. Maybe that's because I just left grad school last year so I really have mostly been in school and not 'the real world' very much yet. Maybe it's just easier to see when I look at other people. Being around my friends now, it's like somehow they're like adults now. People with kids! Owning houses! Years at jobs and work! It all happens so fast and when you're not looking.

Seeing all these old friends has brought back lots of fond college memories. Those were some great years because of the great people I was surrounded by. I'm looking forward to seeing more friends and reminiscing about more stories tomorrow night as well.

I'm so lucky to know so many thoughtful and gifted people who really make other people a priority in their lives. I'm treasuring these moments as best I can, soaking them up. On a bad day, I want to be able to remember sitting in front of the speakers with my cousin listening to amazingly clear music with nuances and soul. I want to treasure the laughter of my friends and the happiness in their eyes. I want to 'feel' hugs from my family.

If only I could transport my new Australia friends, and maybe a bit of the beach, to Austin..... But I'm leaving on a Jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again. Listening to that song today -I don't know of my cousin, a John Denver fan, knew how much that song really hits home with me right now in my life. It still feels like I just arrived in the states yesterday, but I have to fly out again in one week already. Shortest month-long vacation ever.

Biscuits N Gravy

Austin or Bust!

I'm so busy catching up with old friends now, cause yeah they all still live in Texas! I'm heading to Austin in a day to visit friends and family. So if you're around Austin (this includes San Angelo!) send me an e-mail! I've already gotten to see a really good friend from college and meet his adorable lovely wife finally, and I just happened to be eating at the same restaurant after church as them! Very happy coincidence.

Only thing that worries me is when people I don't know well tell me "They've heard stories about me". Oh my. Whatever it was you heard, it wasn't me! :) I guess one good thing is people in Oz don't know all my fun college stories!