Happy New Year! (and hanging out with Joel's friends...)

NYE this year was pretty chill- we didn't have big plans, which was fine by me. I find that often NYE has been a let down. It's always one of those nights when I feel like it's supposed to be really big and monumental- a night you're not supposed to forget- and yet, they usually end up with me being bored, tired, not drunk or too drunk and well, anyway... I was happy to have some simple plans. Hanging out with Joel's friends, heading into the city to see fireworks, coming home again. So that is what we did. Unfortunately, one of Joel's best friends, K, was busy and had other things going on, so we didn't see him- but R&D were around, and the four of us had a nice time.

After a fair few drinks at D's place, we head into town- here, R and I wait for the tram.

Then R flashes his gang signs and I do "peace" because it's the only thing I know how to do.
And then we add D into the mix- gang signs all around- but I'm still flashing peace. :)

In town, Joel and I sit and wait for the fireworks.

Fireworks!

(And can I just say that the show lasted a good 12-15 minutes, and fireworks were being shot off from several different locations, resulting in the entire skyline being lit up, and one needing to continually turn one's head left to right to try to keep catching what was going on- after three years of LV fireworks, Joel and I were in awe!)

After the fireworks we headed straight for the trams to get back home. The crowds were huge, and it took us about an hour to get on a tram. We did witness a cat-fight in the wait time, which was interesting. Some girl got a whole lot of hair torn out of her head. Ouch! Once we got back to D's place, we had some more drinks, but around 2, I found myself assuming a more and more horizontal position on the couch, until eventually, I was asleep. From what I remember, R was doing the same on the floor. So, we passed out. Ah well. :)

We got home thanks to Joel's wonderful dad picking us up- and proceeded to have a good long sleep. Nothing like waking up at noon on Jan 1st! :)

Here's wishing all of you a very happy new year! I know I'm looking forward to lots this year- hoping you're all as excited as I am (about your own lives!). :)

The pictures you've all been waiting for...

A few days ago Joel and I took a day trip down to Philip Island. It took a little over an hour to get there I believe (I was so stuck in reading my Kindle, I love long car trips now!). First things first, Joel needed to get in the water with his new surf board. So we found a beach that had decent waves, and he headed into the water:

I stayed on the beach reading. It was really windy down there (as you can see from the way my hair is blowing in the following picture). It was also pretty cloudy now and then, so I lay on my towel, zippy-hoodie zipped up and legs wrapped up in my skirt. I got a good sunglasses sunburn on half my face from laying like this. :) There were other people on the beach- girls laying there in their bikinis as well- but honestly, I don't know how they did that! Joel's reply, "They're Victorians." (meaning they live in the state of Victoria, Australia) Brrr.

Cute pic on the beach. :)

After we went to the beach we had a walk around main street and had a late lunch. Then we set out to find some animals. We didn't find the place we meant to find (a koala sanctuary) but we found a wildlife park instead- and we think we lucked out. The Koala sanctuary would surely have had, well, koalas, but this place had it all! Check out the pics!

Aggressive emus wanted to be fed. I didn't like them that much. I'm pretty sure they have a big ole middle toe that can gut you in like two seconds flat.

Joel was all, "Stand there, look at me." And I stood and looked, but didn't know what the emus were doing, or how close they were getting. Then he was all, 'The one is coming around your other side, really close." And I was like, "Eek!" And inched away...

Then we got to feed the kangaroos! Witness the first kangaroo I saw in Australia!

Then that dang emu kept following me, and trying to eat all the food- notice my scowl meant for the bird.

Then the nice kangaroos ate out of my hand!

I'm amused!

There were lots of em!

This one had a joey in it's pouch that we could see moving through the skin, but it didn't stick its head out.

Here's another mamma- but you can see her joey! :)

Joey head again!

(I tried to get close to her, but she growled at me- Joel used the zoom to get this pick.)

Here was another group of them. They were more aggressive than the other group.

Down the end of this post should be a video of me feeding these guys. You can see that the one is actually holding my hands as I feed him. He was hungry!

Koalas!

This one was sleeping. SO CUTE!

After this great fun, we headed to a place called The Nobbies where there were meant to be seals. We didn't see any. It was a nice walk along a boardwalk that overlooks some pretty mean looking water. Beautiful though.

The night ended with the whole reason we went to Philip Island- watching the penguins come in. Unfortunately, it is not allowed to take any pictures of the penguins, as they are actually wild birds- we get the opportunity to watch their natural comings and goings, but we have to do our best not to disturb them. So, we watched em come in from the water, waddle up the beach, and head to their burrows in the bushes that line the beach. Walking back up to the carpark, we also got to see all the babies that were standing outside their nests squawking for their mum or dad to hurry up and come feed em! :) The penguins were really, really cute. They are the smallest penguin species, once known as fairy penguins, now referred to as small penguins. Anyway, super cute. :)

So, there you go- I have seen Australian wildlife, although not completely wild, I'm satisfied. :)

Cricket

On Boxing Day (the 26th) there is always a cricket match on. Friends of ours from Latvia (he's an Aussie, she's a Latvian) are also visiting in Oz these holidays and had decided that they would go to the cricket that day. We decided to join them, if only for the pleasure of their company.

Turns out, the most exciting thing that happened that day, was indeed their company. Not only was it great to see them, but it was wonderful to hear them announce their intent to marry. :) Congrats to the beautiful couple!

As for the cricket itself... well, at first I tried to watch. But I couldn't see the ball. I could see the guy run and wind up for the pitch, I saw the other guy move the bat a bit, but, I never saw the ball. Then, maybe I saw people running, and I tried desperately to place the ball. All in all, it was way too much effort with very little payoff. Instead of watching I then chatted more and more with D&D. When they left, I drank more beer in an attempt to keep myself amused. Then I ate in the same effort. And finally I pulled out my new K.indle and started reading. After three beers and the sun though, adding in the reading only made me sleepy, and I started drifting off. Finally, only 2/3s of the way through the day I convinced everyone we should go. There wasn't going to be a winner that day anyway- the darn match lasts 5 days. Ah well.

At least we got to see some old friends and catch up for a little while. And now, I can cross cricket off my list of things to experience in life. Been there, done that, not doing it again. :)

Anyway, here we are, taken at what appears to be the worst possible angle for all.

Christmas....

We celebrated Christmas on the evening of the 25th. All the Smedes who were in town gathered together to open presents and have a wonderful meal. Here are a few pictures... sorry...we didn't take too many!

Oma and Luka look on (and maybe help out a little) as Oma Oma opens a present

Jon and Courtney open a present

Luka figures out what the chocolate "M" I got might stand for...

Luka opens the present we got him- hope he liked it! :)

Luka plays with one of his new toys while his parents, Julie and Jamin, look on

Funny how most of these pictures (all but one?) have Luka in em... kids are more fun to photograph than adults! :)

My verdict on the Australian Christmas? Well... it was a lovely event, but, I do have to admit that I had a hard time feeling Christmassy at any point. The lack of snow and cold and desire to cuddle and bundle did contribute. I'm not saying that I want snow...I'm just saying it didn't feel the same. So who knows...next year Christmas might just be in Michigan again. Maybe.

Hope it was a happy day or two for all whether you celebrated Christmas, the solstice, or something else. :)

This is HARD work!

Tell ya what, finding a wedding gown is hard work! I've only spent two days, one and a half really, doing it, and I'm exhausted!

On the first day we went, I started out quite uncomfortable. All these big, pouffy, white dresses... it's not something I wear! But the first store we were in was a small, not very nice one- the carpets were old and dirty, the dresses were not very high quality, and the staff had too much going on at once.

The next store we went into was much nicer by comparison. It was clean, well organized, had nice large dressing areas, and had a nice darkish grey carpet. I have decided, in my completely irrational and unreasonable head, that the dark grey carpet makes for a good shop. :) In that shop I found two dresses that I really felt like a princess in. I even tried the one on twice, because I liked it so much. And when the lady put the veil on my head, "just to see" I nearly started crying. There is something about the veil that just makes you a bride!

After that one afternoon, I was quite excited for today's second excursion. My future mother-in-law (and seamstress) as well as one of my future sisters-in-law were coming with. And, we were going to shops where you need appointments. I was excited.

Somehow on the way to the first shop though, I freaked myself out. It was going to be too fancy for me, too posh (I like dressing up, but let's face it, I'm not posh!), and the worst fear, nothing was going to fit. Not to mention, today started off hormonally imbalanced, so everything I was feeling I was feeling twice as big as I usually would. The fact that my mom wasn't there had me in tears, as did the fact that I was not a size 0.

Also, at the first shop, somehow the first dress I tried on was one that the sales lady picked. I didn't even like it, would never have chosen it, and felt like a sausage in it- it did not set the stage well. So that shop was pretty much a wash. Thankfully, we had a bit of a ride to the next shop, the sun came out, and luckily, for some reason, my mood brightened.

When we got to the second shop of the day, the grey carpet made me happy as soon as I walked in. As did the fact that right away we saw several dresses that looked worth trying on.

The sales lady at that shop was a bit funky herself (in a good way, not a stinky way), younger, chattier, and a very good judge of style/appropriateness of dresses. I don't remember how many dresses I actually chose to try on there, but she ended up choosing a couple for me to try on which rocked my world.

The one was not something I would have ever chosen on my own. It was strapless, and had a mermaid style skirt- we called it the pouf dress, because it was also too long (as were, let me see, oh yeah, ALL of the dresses!), and therefore pouffed at the bottom way more than it would have at the right length. Anyway, the lady zipped me into that dress (I sucked in and held my breath), then tied a satin sash around my waist, pulled a couple other parts of the dress tighter where it was too loose (in the bum I think) and used those big clamps to secure the extra fabric, and suddenly, I felt like a bodaciously curvy movie star out of some long(ish) ago decade. It was not a dress I would ever have given a second glance, and it was just stunning. It was highly inappropriate for a beach wedding- but I couldn't stop staring at it. I also tried several times to breathe deeply, and kept being reminded that to keep this shape, I would have to give up something, and breathing was it. :) It was just so gorgeous though- I was kind of willing to give up breathing.

They finally got me out of that dress- actually, the lady "released" me :), I took a deep, luscious breath and then I tried on another dress that she had chosen. I can't tell you too much about this one, because, well, it's the top runner right now, and needs to be a surprise for at least one person if not most of you (because what better surprise do you have a wedding than what the bride is wearing?)...but, I can say that this was a style I liked, but never thought would look good on me. But this dress has secrets that you can't see that work really well. And it was gorgeous. And it is the softest silk, and light and airy and flowy and perfect for the beach. And gorgeous. And glamorous. And gorgeous. :)

Eventually, I took that one off too, and soon we were done at that store. We had some much needed lunch (and glass of wine), and headed off to another shop. Right away I saw 4 dresses that I really wanted to try on. This store was also nice and clean and had grey carpet in the trying on area, so I felt ok... but, none of these dresses were stunning like the last two. None of them were jaw dropping. And the lady kept asking me what I didn't like, but it was really just the overall effect- it just wasn't there. And what I really wanted to say to her was, "I just don't like it as much as the one down the road," but well, to get good service, you kind of have to pretend that you really want one of their dresses, so you can't tell em that you like someone else's dress better. So then I was stressing myself out trying to come up with little things I didn't like about each dress. The lady probably thought I was annoyingly picky. I did try on two dresses that were fairly nice, and pretended to like them more than I did to reach a sort of acceptable end to that particular session.

The thing is as well though- by the time you've tried on 20 white dresses in one day, they all start looking somewhat the same. This one has beading, that one has lace. This one is an a-line, that one is drop-waist. This one is egg-shell, that one is snowflake, and the third ivory. They start to blend together, unless they REALLY stand out. Also, everyone is looking for my reaction first- but I want everyone else's reaction- so we find ourselves in a push and pull, "What do you think?", "No, what do you think?"

Lastly, the thing that makes it hard to really feel good about any dress is when it doesn't fit. Of course, the stores cannot stock every dress in every size. Some of them come in several sizes, and some of 'em don't. The ones that lace up the back can sort of be made to fit even if they are smaller because you can lace them looser- the thing is, you end up with flesh squeezed out between satin ribbons criss-crossing your back, and when you turn around and see that as the back of your dress, even though you *know* it won't look like that in your size, it's just really hard to say, "Yeah, I love this!" Worse yet, is when it's a zip up dress, and it's too small to zip, so they manage to fasten it in the back with a piece of elastic or something, so you can get the idea- but again, you turn to see the back, and what you get is a nasty piece of elastic, pins, a flash of your underwear that isn't quite bridal, and your love-handle, and you just don't feel the sexy. It just makes it hard to like the dress. Alas, the dress that I am mostly in love with was one that the lady just stood behind me and held tight, because it was so small, she could neither bind it, nor clamp it, nor elasticize it. The result is that we're not actually fully aware of what the back looks like- and therefore we're already planning a trip back to that shop. :)

After that shop, it was near/past 4:00- and we'd left the house that morning at 9- so we were all beat. Driving home we talked very little- as far as I'm concerned, just because we were exhausted. And as soon as we got home, I crawled into bed under the pretense of reading, but really to take a nap. :) Said nap is probably the reason I'm feeling wide awake at nearly 1am just now...but what can you do? I needed it!

So, that's it; my wedding gown shopping experiences. It stinks a bit to have to hurry through these trying-on sessions and choosing, but that is what I get for living in Africa. Ah well, I suppose the sooner the decision is made, the less time I have to stress about it.

Now, if we can only figure out what Joel is going to wear... :)

Is it much different to America?

The other day in the shop, the young shop assistant asked me if I found Australia much different to America. The truth is, no, I don't think I really do. She looked a bit surprised and said, "Really? Don't you like get sued for sneezing on someone over there?" "Uh, I haven't lived there for a few years," was the only reply I could offer.

Of course, they drive on the left side of the road here, and french fries are chips, and chips are crisps, and it's summer at Christmas, and winter in July... but some other basic things, are pretty much the same.

We've been to several different shopping centers and they could easily be middle-America. There are just as many McDonalds and unhealthy-looking people queueing up to eat at them. The fashions in the shops seem to be just as trendy as would be in the American shops, and just as many young girls are wearing whatever the latest fad dictates instead of what actually suits. Ah, and the young shop assistant, well, I think she's pretty representative of your average young shop assistant- dropping phrases like, "Those sunglasses (er, she would have called 'em sunnies) look sick!" (To which I responded, "That's good, right?" :) Suburbia looks like suburbia- not quite as green grass (they have water restrictions here), but otherwise, just as nicely groomed gardens, driveways with two cars, etc. Banks and churches abound. Grocery stores, oh, grocery stores. I have yet to have a good wander around, but it did take me a good 5 minutes to pick out a box of soy milk the other day faced with all the choices. But it would be the same way in America. People in shops are nice though- asking you how you are, if they can help you, etc. Yeah, it really just isn't that different.

Ah, but there are some differences I guess... yesterday we drove up into the hills where our post-engagement/pre-wedding party will be held, and along the way, instead of the yellow "watch for deer" signs (you know, the yellow diamond with a leaping deer on it), we saw the same signs with kangaroos on 'em. We didn't actually see any kangaroos though- I either have to go to the zoo or way out bush to do that, I've been told.

Oh, and the other night we went to China town for dinner with Joel's friends, and on the menu they had both kangaroo and crocodile meat. That made me laugh- but even more so when one of Joel's friends commented that it's really just cat meat that they call kangaroo or crocodile for the tourists. Hee hee.

I have been very excited eating lots of green stuff- we've had Chinese a few times, and it's had beautiful bok choy, broccoli, snow peas, spinach as well as carrots, mushrooms and more. Yummy, yummy, yummy. :)

Tomorrow we're going to go into the city during the day to be tourists. We haven't really taken many pictures since we've been in Melbourne, so maybe we will tomorrow.

There you go- I'm enjoying being in Australia. The sun is finally shining in Melbourne, the rain has stopped and it looks like it might actually be a hot Christmas- which now that I'm here, I do find myself excited about. Several people have asked if I miss Latvia- and the answer is always the same, I miss people, but not Latvia- and certainly not the cold, wet, dark gray/white that it would be now.

And of course, Joel's family, which is finally a complete puzzle in my head (the J&J&L piece had been missing until now), is wonderful. It's great to see the house where Joel grew up- to see all the pictures on the wall, and to look through all the photo albums showcasing events over the years (Jem and Mook, happy to finally see all the pics from your wedding!:). Everything feels a little more complete now, and like, we can really knowingly join our lives in a way we couldn't before. If only our families could meet before the wedding... alas...

That's about it for now...

Jet-lagged...

Here, I am... it's totally the middle of the night, Joel and Mere are sound asleep...and I'm just wide awake. I've already been in bed awake for an hour or so, trying to will myself back to sleep- but it wasn't working, so I thought I would get up and post a few pictures and tell you the lovely story (not) of how we came to Australia.

So, let me begin by telling you about the airport in Luanda. Of course, we had only been there once, at our arrival, and only seen a small part of it. Well, turns out there wasn't much more to see. It's a small airport, but well, so badly managed, that one has to arrive hours and hours before a departure time to make it. We arrived at 8am, for a 2pm flight. The morning began with us standing in a line, for about two hours. Eventually I found out, we were waiting in line, to get in line. Blah. After the two hours there, we made it to the check in line, where we did come across one person who tried to tell us that he had been waiting for hours in the middle of that line (mind you, we were on big group of teachers from school that made up the whole beginning of that line, so we KNEW there was no one else there!). We told him to go wait for his friends, who would allegedly be back in a minute, elsewhere.

After check in, Joel and I followed the lead of most of the other teachers and headed for the VIP lounge. For USD$20 a person, you get to sit in an air-conditioned nice(r) lounge, and you get either two drinks or a drink and a toasty sandwich. We all went the drink and the toasty sandwich, because a lot of us had not had breakfast that morning. Of course, turns out, more drinks can be purchased for rather small prices- and so it came to be, that most of us had a few cocktails before we even boarded the plane. Now, mind you, I have not been drinking much at all for the last two months (I have only consumed alcohol twice in the last two months) so after having two gin and tonics in the lounge, I was ready for the plane and a good sleep. Ah yes, and the reason I felt I needed the two drinks was because as our departure time approached, we all started to realize that, there was no plane!!!

Our time between planes in Johannesburg was tight- we only had about an hour, so, the later it got, the more nervous I got. As I slowly drank my first cocktail, I tried to relax about it- but then, our departure time came and went and I got more and more nervous and self-medicated with a second drink. It didn't help anything other than keeping me in a pretty good mood- optimistic even, as we finally boarded the plane an hour and a half late. I kept saying that all would be ok, and that we would make up the time in the air.

Alas, we did not make up any time. We landed in Joburg exactly at the same time as our originally planned flight to Perth, Australia was taking off. Joel and I even made a dramatic exit off the plane- jumping up before others, and running up the aisle to be the first ones off and then running to the connection desk- but to no avail. It was too late.

So, our biggest concern then, was that we would definitely be on Sunday's flight, which happened to be a direct flight to Sydney. The guy at the connection desk wrote us a new ticket voucher as well as a voucher for a hotel, transportation and meals included. Fair enough, if we couldn't make it on our scheduled flight, at least we were getting free stuff in the meantime. :) The only bad thing was that we were also not able to get our bags that night in Joburg, because they were locked away in some transit cage. So we headed to the hotel in the stinky clothes we had been in all day, without a change of clothing, without toothbrushes, basically just with our books and neck pillows- important flight accessories.

That night we had our free dinner and went to bed.

The next morning we got up, had our free breakfast, checked out, and took the shuttle bus to the local shopping center. I was desperate for a clean shirt and clean underwear. So we walked around for a few hours, finally picked something out, and then caught the shuttle back to the hotel, to catch the shuttle to the airport again.

We made it to the airport, and found another line for the line- people were already lining up for check in- including many of our friends from school. We stood in that line for hours too. I think it took about an hour to reach the front. And then this is where the fun began.

First, of course we were nervous to be told that we were actually listed as flying stand-by or something. I was already prepared to pitch a fit, and make sure that not matter what, even if it meant being thrown up into first class, we would be on this flight! Well, when we got to the check in, the guy says to us, "Um, Joel, you're booked for this flight to Sydney, but Mara, this new ticket number here is actually a booking for a flight to Durban." Huh? So, there came the first heart attack. So the guy says, you have to go over to the other counter (where of course, there is another long and equally slow moving line) to have a new ticket number issued. Ok.

So we did it. We lined up over there, got the new number very easily once we actually got to the counter, and headed back to the check in line, where luckily, we were allowed to jump right back to the check in counter, instead of lining up again.

So the guy tries to check us in again. I also ask him to make sure that my meals are listed as vegetarian, which I am sure they will not be, because that is always the way it goes. At this point we got a mean lady into the mix who was all, "It's not my fault we don't have your meal, if you didn't pre-order it for THIS flight." Bullshit. I fought that one, and I won. I got my meal.

But the guy is trying to check us in, and even though the ticket number is good now, it's still not working. Grr. There happened to be a manager standing by talking to us at the same time, and our check in guy then turned to him and was like, "I don't understand why this isn't working..." Never a good sign... The guy knew I was American, because he had asked to look at my passport before, because it was the first new American passport he'd ever seen. So then he puts forth the question, "Do you have a visa?" My jaw dropped. Ummm....no. Heart attack number 2. He adds, "Everyone who is not an Australian citizen needs a visa to go to Australia!" Groan. Why hasn't anyone mentioned this? Not when we booked our flights, not when we checked in for the first leg of our flight- no one ever mentioned it. And honestly, we just figured, since Aussies don't need a visa to get into the States, surely we don't need a visa to get into Oz. Wrong. Well anyway, we were lucky, I was lucky- and it was possible, because I was American, to purchase a visa at the airport through the airline. But of course, it meant having to go back to that other counter, line up there again, pay, and come back. So we did it. And finally, finally, finally we got our boarding passes, assurance that our bags had been entered into the system, and would be on the flight, and that I would have my veg meal. We got through security quickly, and went straight to the first restaurant we saw, where we happened to find people from school again. It was about 4pm now, we'd spent just about three hours jumping back and forth between those two lines, and hadn't eaten since 9am. So we ate.

Finally our flight was called to board, and we went and did that. We got on board, and proceeded to sit there for quite a long time as well, as the flight was again more than an hour late, maybe two, departing. The good news is that the flight itself was not exciting. We got seats right behind all the babies, who were well behaved, and when they weren't had parents who were at least actively doing something about it. But, mostly, everyone, babies included, slept.

We finally arrived to Sydney around 4pm on Monday (instead of 10:30pm Sunday). We caught a cab, and came to Mere's house. After a warm welcome, hot showers, finally a totally clean change of clothes and being able to brush our teeth, we headed out for dinner. We had Thai, which was fabulous. :) Then we bar hopped, met celebrities :), and finally came home again. Joel, who had slept much less on the plane, was exhausted, and went to bed. Mere and I, girls with lots to talk about, stayed up until 2, drinking wine and chatting. :)

Then came yesterday- first things first, we were off to the hair salon. I have been desperate for a cut and color for a while now. Final product came out ok- as long as I wear my hair down, and not pulled back, when it looks stripey, because of the poor way the lady did the highlights. Oh well. Then, we shopped a bit. Joel had bought some Phantom comics while we were getting our hair done, and just trailed us, reading his comics. Finally, after I made a few purchases, we headed into the city, to Sydney Harbour. We walked around, had lunch, and then headed for the classic tourist pics. And, cue pictures.

Me, new hair, and famous Opera

Mara and Joel, Sydney skyline

Mara and Mere, Harbour Bridge, Opera

And me again.

And us again.

After walking around Sydney for a while, we got ice creams, and then got a ferry, to to see everything from a different perspective. Nice ride. We ended up coming home, and crashing on the couches (not just us jet-lagged ones, but Mere as well- we'd had a long day of lots of walking!). Eventually we walked up the road to get take-away for dinner- Joel got a pizza, I got Thai again. Oh it's lovely to have restaurants to choose from. :)

Today, we leave Sydney, and head for Melbourne. It's just a short domestic flight, but believe you me, we're getting to the airport with time to spare, just in case. In any case, we should be in Melbourne with Joel's parents by late afternoon. :)

Finally in Oz...

After quite a trip... delayed, missed flights, turned away, let known at the last minute that I needed a visa... my goodness, it felt like we would never get here...but finally, here we are.

No time to post too much now...but a few piccies....

Here I am with beautiful, beautiful Mere!!! She's putting us up for two days (instead of three because we missed our dang flight!) here in Sydney, before we fly off to Melbourne....

(Isn't she cute>?!?!?!?)

And now....how lucky am I to meet one of Australia's premiere actors on my first night here?!?!? One of the stars of the new movie, "Australia"!!!!! Who are you thinking of? Nicole...yeah, she's a Sydney girl... not her... Hugh Jackman? No, no, it wasn't either of them...

Bill Hunter!!!!

(In case you don't recognize him...he was in Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom and many more... and yes, we met him at the bar tonight. )

So, here we are... safe and sound in AUSTRALIA!!!! Whooohoooo!!!!!