Collaroy

Yesterday the three of us went for a drive and found a small cafe/restaurant in Collaroy. It was really hot and humid and it was good to get out of the house. There is something about eating outdoors when the weather is so nice... it gives the meal a completely different feel and vibe. Very relaxed and comfortable.Collaroy is a beach town on the upper North Shore. It sort of reminds me of the small beach towns of Southern California back in the 1960's. Low key, right on the water, tranquil and quite. We found a parking lot almost on the sand - there was ice plant growing in the dunes and mature plumeria plants were planted along the streets. The three of us walked along the sand and Mitch got completely wet playing in the sand and surf. It was so nice, I promised Mitch we'd come back the next day...
Today the two of us went back and played in the sand and surf. We built a massive sand castle and found lots of shells. You wouldn't know it by looking at the photos, but it was a hot 101 degrees today. The water was in the mid 70's and a nice breeze was blowing in from the ocean. All in all, a really nice day.

Drive-Thru Liquor Stores

The Australians are known for being fairly laid back - it's a cultural thing that is woven into almost every aspect of their daily lives.

So, it's been a rough day at work and the last thing we want is for the populace to get stressed out at quitting time. After all, it's time to chill. Some will stop by the bottle shop on the way home and pick up a slab of stubbies. Pop a few in the Esky and they're good to go. But hold on a minute... Having to park your Ute in the Car Park, get out and walk on in can be disruptive and downright time consuming. There has to be a easier way...


Ah, problem solved - Drive-Thru.

Jacaranda's in Bloom

Now that November is upon us, I feel like Spring is officially here.

Today, November 12th, 2009, it was a warm 83 degrees with winds blowing in from the East. Around 6:00pm, clouds began to form and we had a wonderful spring shower shortly after. Lightning, thunder, the smell of damp earth, then it passed through and was gone, leaving the sky clear and bright with stars twinkling down at us. As I sit here writing, the crickets are singing, the cicadas are buzzing, frogs are croaking and Kookaburra's are laughing in the distance. It's loud outside - granted, all the windows and sliding glass doors are open, but some folks might complain about all the racket... not me. For me, it's music.

When I die, I want to have a Jacaranda planted as a remembrance for me. They are blooming now and I never get tired of looking at them. Look at the photo below and tell me that it isn't one of the most wonderful things you've ever seen. Granted, a photo doesn't do it justice, but it's as close as I can get.

(Definitely - click this for a higher resolution)

(By the way, if you get this blog via e-mail, I'd highly suggest you bookmark it on your web browser so you can return later and see the embedded links. Did you see the actual link to the horse race on the last entry? You'll also be able to double click the photos for a higher resolution. Evidently, some attachments don't come through on the e-mail list - only text)

So here is the direct link - Bookmark it!

http://thedtdownunder.blogspot.com/

It was such an awesome day, Mitch and I decided to make some paper airplanes and try them out in the back yard after school. Here is Mitch letting loose on one of his favorites - note the toes up, flick of the wrist and wide open mouth! He was totally diggin' it.

At the moment, Mitch is totally in to making paper airplanes. We've got several dozen about the house in different states of hap hazard folds, some colored brightly with markers, some not. All have a common link - the first fold. Most don't fly, but some do just out of sheer willpower by Mitch and his right hand. Watching him build them and explaining the intricate details of each fold, the aerodynamics of blue color pen as opposed to red, is really fun and enlightening. The funny thing is, it all makes perfect, logical sense to me.

One last photo of the Jacaranda flowers....

The Melbourne Cup

Remember the OJ Simpson trial? And the day the verdict was read?

I do... not so much the date and time or what I was doing, but more of the lead up and actual reading of the verdict. Somebody had brought a TV into the office... and at that critical moment, when it was read, the earth as I knew it stood still. Our office - 170 people, were crowded around that stupid TV, waiting. We had a call center in the office that handled about 50 calls every minute... and now, during the verdict, it was silent with not one incoming call. Apparently, we weren't the only ones watching it unfold. All of Los Angeles was glued to the tube.

Why did I bring this up you ask? Well, here in Australia, there is something similar that brings most of the country to a standstill for a few minutes, just like the OJ verdict. People go to work and do their things, however, every year at 3:00pm, on the first Tuesday of November, everything stops. It's called the Melbourne Cup.

In the state of Victoria (Where Melbourne is located) the first Tuesday of November is a state holiday. Businesses are closed and people party like it's 1999. Here in Sydney and elsewhere around the country, at 2:55 almost everything grinds to a halt. People huddle around TV's brought into their offices, some head out to bars and pubs and call it an early day. And at 3:00pm, the eyes of the nation are glued to a three and half minute horse race.

This is Australia's moment to shut down - even if it's only for less than four minutes. Just like the Super Bowl, there are hours of lead up with all the pomp and circumstance. Speculations are made, discussions about the jockeys and what they ate for breakfast, where the horses are from, etc. It's actually quite exciting to watch, especially the last sprint to the finish.

Once it's over, it's over. People go back to work and life carries on.

"Nevermore"

"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be lifted - nevermore!" - Edger Allen Poe

(Click the photos for higher resolution)

Halloween in Oz.

We took Mitch trick-or-treating on Halloween. It's not like the US. It is a holiday they are just starting to get - at least the younger generations. Here, you've got to find houses that are celebrating. There may be a balloon hanging from a mailbox, or a paper pumpkin hanging from a porch, or even something as simple as a small streamer dangling from a tree. The house in the photo above was over the top by Australian standards. The owners were having a full blown party and I'm guessing a lot of the decor was flown in just for the occasion. It looked really cool and they had real pumpkins! Being spring, they aren't in season and they cost anywhere from $25.00 - $35.00 each. I like pumpkins and all, but I can't justify forking out that much for one.


To give you an idea, take a look at the photo below - would you see two 11-13 year old boys dressed as Teletubbies in the US? I think not - and the costumes don't even fit. Oh the horror...


Mitch was dressed as Obi-Wan-Kanobe. He's really into Star Wars right now so Ana made his outfit.... It turned out great and he seemed to enjoy it. Considering the number of houses he hit, he got a pretty good haul. He was even happier that our suger-sprite, which lives under our house, would have enough food to make it through the summer. The house below was not typical in decor either - It was decked out pretty well. The owners were from Canada... that explained it.

While walking through some of the neighborhoods, I couldn't help but take more photos of the flowers.
Some houses just placed candy in a bag and hung them out on a fence. Here is one - note that nothing is wrapped! Who knows what has been groping around in there? Or what? They still haven't gotten the idea about wrapped candy... and just to take it one step further, guess what Mitch got in his bag? A carrot stick... no lie.