Music, mostly

Hey guys!


How's everything going? Tomorrow in honor of Halloween some friends and I are going on a Halloween cruise around the Harbour. I am so excited! It's a costume required party so I will be going shopping today for some fun outfits! Really can't wait to have some great stories about lame guys to report. Let's all hope for at least one with a cool guy, please?


I just want everyone to know that I found Satan's spawn in my room hanging from my curtain rod in the corner of my room. I took a picture to prove it. The good news is he is dead which is why he's curled into a tiny satanic ball. Hey- what kind of spider is best? The dead kind!! I know it's hard to tell but the zoom was on because I was not going near it. 

Well, nothing much to report because ever since Kelly's and Coldplay's new albums came out I have been locked in my room obsessing. If you don't have them, get them. Also, Tony Bennett's Duets II album came out as well and that looks like a beautiful album. There are so many great people on that one. I haven't even heard it but I am recommending it. Beren got me turned on to Ellie Goulding so if you want some fantastic new music, go find something of hers! She reminds me of Sia, who is also quickly becoming a favorite. Go listen to "Breathe Me." You will not regret it.


Has anyone seen the ads for In Time with Justin Timberlake and Cillian Murphey (Cori!!)? I can't decide if it is going to be really cool or really awful. If y'all have already seen this let me know before I go and spend 18 bucks on a crap movie.


I'm going to dye my hair this weekend. I will post pictures once it's done! Woo! Ok, I am off since I have close to nothing to say.


Remember: Day drinking is fun but it is less fatty and more efficient if you just replace a meal with alcohol.

I'm a Tourist

Hola amigos!

Today I went on a bus tour and despite Karen's suggestion of sunscreen I got a little burned from  being on top of the bus all day. Still, it was AMAZING and Sydney is a bit cooler than I had given it credit for in the beginning. Here is the place in The Matix where Neo sees the Girl in the Red Dress and almost gets shot. Martin Place:

Well, there are some old  buildings shoved in the CBD (Central Business District) that adds a lot to the atmosphere in the city. Among other pictures taken is a really  bad ass sprial water fountain you can play in and, most importantly, my lunch of crab bruschetta. Oh yum. I also want to add a picture of Bella that I love because when we put piggies in her hair she looks like Boo from Monster, INC.




Too cute. And if you haven't seen Boo, here she is: http://tinyurl.com/44366qu

Other things...Oh! I was playing Pictionary (sort of) with Taylor and let me just ask, has anyone tried drawing a TV in the 21st century? I mean generally a box with antennae would be fine but she has no idea what that is. Now, TVS are just squares with no fun features. No buttons on the side, no giant speaker. Nothing. It makes Pictionary very difficult with the younger generation, and I resent that. Also along those lines (ish) is a quote I heard: If she/he has never used dial up, she/he is too young for you. HA! That's pretty funny and SO true! So glad we have moved past that. I guess we have Steve Jobs to thank for that too. Or is it Al Gore? Anyway. I do have more to say but I must go pick up the little ones. I hope everyone is doing well!


Remember: Kelly Clarkson's new album is coming out Oct. 24 and will replace Breakaway as her best album yet. So buy it.

 

I Hate Arachnids

Yeah, so a couple nights ago I was walking into my room out back and as I passed the curtain I spotted this massive spider just hanging out on MY curtain. It was about 10 pm and the only person still up was Craig who was in the lounge and unable to hear my screams. This resulted in me being stranded in the far corner of my room unable to leave because that dang spider blocked my only exit. Not to mention the fact that I could not monitor its unholy movements because it was on the wrong side of the curtain. 

After about 10 minutes of plotting an exit and swallowing my fear I ran through the door to go get backup (Craig.) He came out armed with a thong (flip-flop) ready to kill the beast and.....SURPRISE! No evil arachnid. The mofo left and I had no idea where he had gone or how long ago he had escaped. More importantly I did not know if he was still inside my room or if he had the courtesy to find his own room. I had to resign myself to the lounge inside the house for a while until I got enough backbone to return to my dwelling. Please believe I seriously considered sleeping on the couch in the house but I didn't want my employer to judge me. It was bad enough having to run inside and ask him to be an exterminator. I think you can probably guess that I still live in fear that he is with me still. I love this room, why shouldn't he? I bet he's hiding in my comfy bed. I looked but I know he's tricky. They are not to be trusted. 


CommunityChannel aka Natalie Tran pretty much hits the nail on the head when it comes to these terrifying, God forsaken creatures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKNsv4R3xtA&feature=relmfu


WATCH IT.

The Mitchener Drinking Club

Hey there, kids!

A couple days ago I was stalking an old friend on Facebook and he had written this thing about Skype drinking dates. I immediately felt so emotionally connected to this idea that I asked Casey, Martha, and Mama to join me in our own as soon as possible. It's usually dinner time/wine time in the States while morning here so that narrowed my options a bit to mimosa or the Breakfast drink. [For those that are missing out, the BF drink is something Cori and I created. We felt like there were not enough breakfast drinks so we created our own freaking amazing option. I will not tell you what is in it because it is a)secret and b)something you probably won't try if you found out what's in it- wuss.] 

I chose mimosa because hard liquor is so much more expensive here and the mimosa required fewer ingredients. So after I dropped Taylor off at school I came home and met my girls for our date. Casey, who got serious demerits, did not drink as she was about to go out. (It's called pre-gaming, Case.) Other than that we all had our drinks and caught up. Part of this included looking at the glorious naked tease photo of a Canuck hockey player.  I forgot his name, but honestly, who cares? I tried to find the link for y'all,  but apparently "naked canadian hockey player" brings up a whole other series of pics from Google. Search at your own risk. Or pleasure. Whatever. 

Anyway, the ladies and I decided that we should have the Mitchener Drinking Club, which I like to think is a happier, alcoholic version of Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I intend on documenting our adventures and making a book of everyone involved. The best part is I am not limiting entry to Mitcheners. You can be from any family and all names will be changed in the book. Just ask and you can join us! 

In other news, Bella got her ear operation done (just grommets to drain the fluid in her ear) so now she can hear! This video is before her surgery.  She is doing animal sounds and you can tell what she heard is not exactly what we were saying, but she's smart and got around quite well for being one of the worst cases that Doc had ever seen!

 

The girls are cute as ever. I went to the Taronga Zoo, which I believe I mentioned in my last post and can now say with confidence that kangaroos are real.  Tonight and technically tomorrow night I will be going out, but as Mike and Ravin can tell you, I will probably flake on Saturday. How sad that Craig has already pegged me as a grandma and he was the first to laugh when I said I would be going out  both nights. I am so cool. 

Anyway, I need to plan my first trip. Where do you think I should go? Melbourne? Perth? Straight into the Outback and see it first? I am up for suggestions! 

I am also interested to know if anyone has good ideas to get kids to eat. I would love some dinner ideas. Taylor won't eat much more than nuggets and ravioli. I even made her real fried chicken one night and she demanded the frozen crap. Boy, did that feel good. I'm up for ideas! 

Can't wait to tell you all about the stories I get tonight! Love you and remember: if you google "naked hockey player" I would make sure SafeSearch is on.  

 

Shelby!, Cinema, Singers, and Southern

Many fun things to report! I am still enjoying Sydney! I have made friends with a group of girls who are so fun and enjoy drinking like I do! Last night we went out to a bar which was expensive but fun. It's called Cargo Bar and is on the Harbour. Beautiful views! Some secuirty guard at the next bar told me he should be my boyfriend and then admitted that he was a mere 18 years old. Yeah, no thanks amigo. I finished my beer and made the girls high tail it out of that place moments later.


I went to go see The Help, which was amazing. It made me miss home so much and all I wanted to do afterwards was go listen to Southern accents. It also made me miss home because my movie ticket cost $18. Yeah. JUST the ticket. I wanted popcorn too so two hours of nostalgia cost me $23. I should have stayed home and watched Steel Magnolias ("Shelby!"). I'm just kidding, go watch it. It is a fabulous film. I have to say though, considering that a movie costs 5 dollars in Clemson and 10 in Augusta, nearly $20 for a ticket hurt. Not to mention, apparently CDs cost an arm and a leg too. Craig told me that a new album costs $23. Seriously? Who's music is really worth that? I mean, besides Kelly Clarkson (whose new album "Stronger" drops Oct. 24- go buy it). He got all cross when I told him Target sells new albums for about $13. On the movie subject, I took Karen to see Crazy Stupid Love which is still the best movie ever and Ryan Gosling's abs are still too beautiful for words. Emma Stone is still my hero and everyone should go see this movie. Even if it costs 20 bucks.


Taylor and I went to the Taronga Zoo a few days ago. That absolutely changed my life. I want to work in a zoo at some point. Elephants are the coolest animal ever and I also want a pet tiger and kangaroo. I think we could all get along well. We all have sassy personalities and from what I can tell we all love a good meal.
It looks as though they just lay around for good portions of the day which I can do happily. I am doing it right now actually. Team Ex is gone for the weekend and I am not moving one inch from this couch other than to get food ro change the DVD. Except I barely have to do that since at the moment I am streaming TV online.
The only thing I am missing are all my friends and the cast of Arrested Development. And wine. I have also bought on my Kindle (thanks, family!) Ellen's new book and it is amazing! I often annoy Craig and Karen by laughing about something that they won't get because it's one of those you-have-to-read-the-whole-chapter-to-get-it jokes. I highly recommend it if you just want to laugh.


Earlier this morning I was slightly productive and got a laser hair removal treatment. It was really interesting! Didn't hurt at all and I do believe it will be a lot easier than shaving all the time. A friend told me that they do it here for a great deal less that America and that was pretty much all it took for me to book an
appointment. I have to go again in six weeks so I will keep everyone updated on the process. I am sure you are all riveted with anticipation.


Well, enough of all that. Love. And remember: Tigers are 5-0 and will soon be 6-0 :)