Events of note

So what happened after my world travels? I went back to work (duh), learned a new hobby, got a new kitty, visited with my dear friend, Jill, and her family, and turned 30!

My new hobby is knitting. I am so addicted! To use a popular term right now, it's very "zen" for me; it's relaxing, and allows me to slow my brain down and be productive at the same time. One of my very close friends, Hanna, taught me a few weeks before my birthday, and I was hooked. She very generously bought me my very own knitting starter kit as a birthday present, and I haven't been able to stop knitting since. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of my projects at the moment, but there will be time in the future.

My new kitty is all black and his name is Angus...(pause for chuckling). I fell in love with him and took him home on the same day. Ever since we brought him home he has been the best cuddler, and one of the most annoying cats ever. It really is one way or the other. I am either calling him my favorite kitty or trying not to strangle him. He is into EVERYTHING! My friend Wendy, who is a long time cat lover, said, "Oh yeah, well he's a kitten." No...that's not it...he consumes or tries to consume EVERYTHING. If I had a nickle for every time I have yelled a sentence that starts with, "Angus! No kitties in the..." I wouldn't need to work. Wendy very kindly volunteered to watch our cats while we are gone on our European excursion (sucker), and has since informed my that my cats are crazy...I tried to tell her.

"Angus! No kitties in the dishwasher!"


"Angus! No kitties in the trash can!"

Not too long ago we had a much anticipated visit from our friends the Grahams, Marc and Jill, and their two boys Desmond ("the Bruce" as Scott and I like to call him), and Jaxter. It was a whirl wind of a week, but a total blast. There were reunions with other friends that had moved away, a grand girl's night, some quality Jill-Tressa bonding time, and much playing and laughing with small children. For more information on this topic I suggest you take a peek at Jill's blog. She has recorded the excitement very well. (jill-log.blogspot.com)

...Yes...I am now 30. Some people are sad when they reach this birthday, but seeing as how I plan on living to at least 100, I decided that I didn't want to spend the next 70 or more years being sad that I'm no longer a 20-something (for various reasons involving lack of youth and fantastic skin). Therefore I say bring on my thirties! Good bye fast food and tee-shirts, hello sophisticated adult beverages, and fabulous dresses! To celebrate this milestone in my life I, of course, got a fierce new haircut, and threw a party at my house that included Scott's homemade tacos and devils food birthday cake! Scott worked so hard on the food and it was all fantastic! Thanks Babe, it was a blast and one of my favorite birthdays!

A few weeks after I finished my 6th school year at Strawberry Hill, Scott and I then embarked on another European summer adventure, this time for six weeks...let the art gluttony begin!

Sydney

Last but not least on our winter trip was Sydney, Australia! This bustling city had tons to do, and since the museum there backed out on Scott, it was 100% fun. We took so many pics in Sydney that I'm just posting pictures and I'll let them tell the story.

First stop, Sydney Aquarium:

I like the sign...you'd think that no one would WANT to jump into a crocodile enclosure, but...?

...anyone have melted butter?

Next stop, Manly beach via ferry past the opera house!:

*singing* Ahhhh...

Lunch on the way to the beach. A half and half pizza of seafood, and kangaroo loin. Yumm.


Eating the baby octopus on my pizza

Scott at Manly beach

Our last stop was the Taronga Zoo. It's probably my favorite zoo because guests can be part of so many enclosures, minus the dangerous animals of course. I don't have room for a whole lot of pics, but Scott got to pet an Echidna, and we both got to get close to the kangaroos. (Shown below)

Adelaide, Austraila

After such a harsh experience at the end of the China portion of our journey, landing in Adelaide, Australia was like landing on a different planet. We could understand what people said, and they smiled. The weather was much improved as well with the sun shining, and temps hovering around 100 degrees F. In those small ways, it was like coming home.

Adelaide was a near perfect match for me: sun...check, warm/hot most of the year...check, big city that feels like a small town...check, green...check, culture...check, foodie places to eat...check, WINE COUNTRY...double check! Scott and I really like Australian wines, and the National Wine Center is there in Adelaide. Naturally we had to pay it a visit. Of course we picked the day it got up to 115 to make the 40 minute walk from our hostel. Not our smartest move, but we learned a thing or two in the museum there and had a very tasty tasting of premium wines that we probably won't ever be able to afford...good times.

There weren't a ton of sites to see in Adelaide, it was just a nice place to be. We stayed in a very comfortable hostel, so we made our own food in the community kitchen. That meant that I got to spend some of my time during the day a giant market of fresh food. In my opinion, it was every bit as good as the Nashmarkt in Vienna.
We also went to a local church on Sunday morning, and we were greeted warmly by the members. We stayed after the service and had some coffee and conversation with the nice people we met.

Last but not least, Adelaide's best feature...beaches! Our most memorable evening was spent on Gleneg beach. We witnessed an absolutely breathtaking sunset. When I am trying to close my eyes and relax, I remember Gleneg beach with Scott. It has become my happy place!
Adelaide has been added to our list of places we would like to live overseas if the opportunity presented itself. I realize that this post could be a bit boring for the reader, and I'm sorry about that. I have to admit that I have had a hard time communicating in writing how fondly I remember our time in Adelaide. Enjoy the rest of our beach pics!