New Year of Brisbane, Blogs, and Baseball!

Hi!

Well. Here we are 2 months later........! Yikes - has the time flown or what?! I didn't intend to let so much time slip past, and there were a few things that demanded my attention these past Sunday afternoons (like editing my friend's second non-fiction book!), but more on that later. We are absolutely here now - happy to have a break in the heat and humidity for the first time in a couple weeks, even the birds are chattering away out there, happy to be able to fly their errands without the danger of suddenly bursting into flames or melting from their branches. The weather has finally taken a [temporary] turn to the more cooler, breezy and overcast - whew! I know this being February is notoriously the worst month of summer, and while it hasn't been that bad, the last few weekends made up for what it lacked in endurance with high levels of temperature and humidity. So yes, enjoying the cooler change even with another good month or so of summer yet to get through! 

But first off, speaking of time flying, this past Wednesday, Feb 3rd marked the day I first arrived here in Brisbane (or even Australia in general) - a whopping ten years ago!!!! Which also means, have been writing this little blog, dull as it can be, for ten years this coming August. Wow! Ten years in one place - that's amazing for me! And talk about time flying, these ten years have passed in a total flash. But it's been really fun, super interesting, have met a lot of nice people, some of whom have been my friends since then, tho I have also learned there are assholes in every country, but after my experiences in NZ, that was almost expected, tho thankfully I've run into far fewer here than when I lived there. And, icing on the cake, am just a pledge away from finally being a real, live citizen! Technically, I was "approved" to be a citizen Jan 5th, but it's not "official" until I "Take the Pledge" at a ceremony, which I have no idea when it'll be, it's up to the whim of the local council, and apparently they can take six months or so to organize it. Tho they do tell me in my letter that if I don't take this pledge and attend a ceremony within twelve months, they'll cancel my application! Hmmm. No rush Brisbane City Council....... But there you have it! Ten years and nearly an official citizen - Coooooooool!

So I did consider, briefly, to celebrate the new year and ten years of checking in with the little blog, I had high aspirations of changing the look of the little blog, but then thought, ehhhh, why go through the couple days of pain and suffering setting up a new template, which is never as easy as merely hitting the "update template" button, those things never go smoothly (and the photo layout never works quite right). So we're left with this current layout. And really, it ain't that bad. So here we are, got the hip n' groovy tunes from the good ol' standby radio who, by the way, has added a few lively new stations, including Nortena! Ahhhhh, reminds me living in San Diego and Tucson and scanning the radio dial for anything besides talk and ads........ And of course, to accompany our little update this afternoon, we have a very nice, cool glass of the standby white Stoneleigh Sauv Blanc. The kittehs are well and happy, with Lola growing bolder as her year of living with has recently passed and who has taken it upon herself to get Kona back for all of his surprise, and not so surprise, ambushes with ass-kickings of her own now - you go girl (it's actually pretty funny to watch)! Ahhhhhhh yes, life is good!

So work. Yep. Is good. A little quiet at the moment but we have been assured time and time and time again that we "... should get ready for the onslaught", to use my Manager's words. Hmm. So, in the meantime, we have busywork. But, ultimately, as you know, I am just happy to have a place to come to everyday that pays me an OK wage! 

And then there were all kinds of weekends tucked away back there

in the calendar. Let's see how many of them I can remember..... Xmas. Xmas was nice, as it always is, spent with the Foster Family over in Toowoomba. And it was extra nice because it was Mom's first Xmas in Australia and was able to witness a Typical Aussie Xmas Lunch and try all the lovely food and salads that we usually have - nom! And it was also extra nice in that their son and his wife announced they were having a baby after four years of trying - congratulations! Needless to say the soon-to-be Grandparents couldn't've been more surprised or happy. Yeah, Xmas was really nice. 

New Year's tho, ehhh, passed without a fight - none of us could be bothered dealing with the crowds or the cabs, so around 10pm decided to call it a night. But, we made up for it the next day by celebrating Mom's Birthday by going to a super awesome seafood buffet at the Sofitel (they have a chocolate fountain!). It. Was. Excellent. My friend Graeme joined us having had lunch there before and never being one to pass up an excellent lunch. Then we had a nice wander through the City Botanic Gardens just enjoying the nice, cool, and quiet New Year's Day (I should do that every year while the city is so quiet, and if it's not hot - enjoy it while everyone's at home nursing wicked hangovers!). Then we stopped in at South Bank for snacks and a glass of wine before heading home. It was a really good day! And then not long after that Mom headed home.... That was a good but fast visit! Which means the room is now available if you need a place to stay while visiting..............!!!!!!

Then it was....... Trying to remember what else has been happening..... Baseball! So, I rediscovered baseball here in Brisbane. Turns out when I first tried to find baseball here in town there wasn't really anything. I looked a few times around the 'net but couldn't find anything other than a little team, the Windsor Royals, that looked like a group of local kids who'd get together now and then and play for fun, tho they do have spiffy uniforms and a cool name that even the Queen'd be proud of. Meh. So I gave up. Then, a few months ago while researching it again, discovered that over the years of my not paying attention the local pro team, Brisbane Bandits, was officially reborn and revamped (with half the team made up of young guys from the US) and playing games at a park/diamond a mere ten-minute drive from my house - and had been doing so over the last six years! Well, shut my mouth, I bought tickets and Mom and my friend Graeme, who used to play and coach softball, headed out to our first game. It was great! Tiny little park called Holloway Field, only seats around 2,000 and change (one game we went to they had a "record crowd" of 2,033!). And have since gone to a few super fun games, where everywhere was spotted fellow Americans covered in the gear of their teams. And, not to be outdone, I've worn my own Padres and Mets jerseys and caps! And then last night we went to see their final game of the post-season playoffs and they won the series (of three)!!!!! They even added 2,000 extras seats (bleachers) just for the occasion! ESPN was there with their cameras and cranes and everything. It. Was. FUN! Even tho it actually rained the entire game, even had to pause the game because the rain got so bad at one point. Hooray for rain ponchos! And finally the news carried a story about them - no wonder I never knew there was any baseball happening anywhere (there're teams in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide) because the news never once mentioned them. Wierd. I guess because there's no blood involved like with their 50,000 brands of rugby.... So, I do believe the local team, the only "pro" team in the state, could well be on the radar next season! Yay! Go Bandits!

And what else has been happening...... Oooooh,  yeah. My little kitty Lola, well. One night I left to go to the baseball and left her with a new stick toy with a long, stretchy string. Well, when I came home I could find the toy and stick with no stretchy string...... Long story short, she ate the stretchy string(!), some of which got caught and blocked her small intestine and it wasn't moving for anyone without a scalpel. So, $2,700 later, she came through her surgery fine and is making an excellent, zippy recovery. Poor kitty. Good grief. But she's good now and I transferred the balance from that big scary bill to a 20 months interest-free credit card. Sheesh.

So, other than that, it's been stuff as usual. Haven't been going to my swing classes because A) the weather is too awful to do that sort of dancing, wait until cooler months, and B) I don't have the dough! Not after Kitteh surgery and saving to go away at the end of the year. Priorities!

And that's about it for now! I'm sure I'll remember more for next time, and hopefully it won't be another two months until check-in..... Otherwise, I hope you've all been well up there - drop a line and let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in the little blog to celebrate ten years - tho technically the little blog's birthday is in August......! I can celebrate my ten years going out and about based on any of your suggestions! And if getting out and about means showing you around while you're here visiting, even better!

BYE!
J!