Views from the esplanade

Monday July 4th we admittedly did not celebrate America's Independence Day.  Not that we didn't want to, because we really, really did. It's just kind of hard to when you're stuck in a country that doesn't celebrate the birthday of the best country ever.  Yes, I said it.  My opinion is the only one that counts here (and Clark's, too).  America RULES!

Instead we took a nice long walk down along the esplanade in Cronulla.  Afterward we satiated our hunger with kebabs and fries.  We'll be sure to celebrate America's birthday the right way, next summer. 

At least our walk was really nice and relaxing.

I have yet to swim in one of these pools.  The water is just too cold now.

Outstanding location for a bench.  Exceptional views.

Loving the cotton candy colored skies.

You can't really tell, but it was a father (or a father figure.  Must be politically correct. Is father figure even politically correct?) teaching his children to fish.  

How I love our walks along the esplanade.  I think this will be one of the things I miss most when we leave early next month.

Night Shots

Monday evening my friend Joanne and I met up with her "meet up" group to learn some picture takin' skills.   Due to a rainy afternoon, we were the only ones who showed up.  So, we had plenty of opportunities to ask the organizer of the meet up questions about our cameras.  Stu, as the organizer likes to be called, taught us the proper setting to use for night time shots.  I am so stoked despite the fact that only a fourth of my photos turned out.  

I will master this art, someday.  I would really like to be proficient at using our DSLR.  What's the point of having an advanced camera if you only use the automatic setting?  Canon T2i, I will learn you, and learn you good.  After a year of owning you, it's now time to get serious.

We were up on an overpass to take these first few.  It was windy and our tripod isn't the most stable, so these didn't turn out quite as crisp as I hoped.  Next time I'll opt to stay on ground level.

I'm kind of proud of this one.

I never knew taking photos at night could be such a blast.  I guess using the right setting and having a tripod really do make a difference after all. Hhmmmppphh.

Lovely loves + the exact opposite

Not much happening here as of late.  Clark hasn't joined the cool kids club and become a part-time nurse like his wife.  Part-time work is sweet.  I don't feel like I want to shoot myself after my last shift of the week anymore.  I even had a patient die on me last week and it didn't ruin my work week (he was on palliative care).  Yes, being part-time rules.  I don't envy Clark's decision to remain full time.  Just last evening he had a confused guy take off his soiled (i.e. poopy) brief and put it IN the tiolet, getting feces all over the inside and outside of the bowl.  And guess who had to clean it up?  Clark.

In the spirit of being narcissistic, here are some things I totally love lately:

• My freaking awesome, delish stuffed green peppers.  Part-time work is allowing me to expand my cooking horizons and become more domesticated.  These green peppers, or capsicums as Aussies refer to them, are just about to be sent into the oven.

• Official start of training for either the Baltimore Marathon or the Philadelphia Marathon.  I so look forward to using weights again to train when we get back to the states.  
• Tim Tams.  Ahhh, these cookies are so tasty it isn't even funny.
•  Pillow talk with my Clark before bed and when we wake up.  
• Standing over our upright heater together to warm ourselves on cold winter days and evenings.
• Doing our 9 minute core/cardio workout together after our runs.
• Watching Band of Brothers or I Love You, Man, almost every day.  Seriously, we've been through BoB twice in the past month and I think we watch I Love You, Man once a week at least.  They never get old.
• Walks along the Esplanade at Cronulla Beach. 

And here's a list of terrible things that be plaguing my life:

• My weird eye condition.  In Melbourne a few weeks ago I woke up two days in a row with extremely puffy eyes.  In addition, the skin on my upper and lower eyelids was so, so dry.  I thought it might just be a bug bite or something at the time.  The puffiness went away but now it's back.  And it is not cute. I have an appointment with the opthamologist Friday.  I don't want to have old lady eyes anymore.
• All the paperwork and documentation necessary for grad school.  Seriously, I am this close to backing out due to all the requirements set forth by Penn.  And now I have to get two or three extra vaccinations just because clinical sites require them?  Screw the clinical sites, I don't want any more vaccinations injected into my body!  I think it's a scam for the university health center to make money on all incoming students.  No doubt in my mind.  

I look forward to a long weekend of filling out paperwork and spending loads of money at the post office to have everything shipped overseas.  Dear Penn, I kind of hate you already.  

Coastal Walk

The other weekend we drove out to the Royal National Park to do a coastal walk/hike with our friend Ivan.  Nothing better than a beautiful, sunny, Sunday afternoon hike. 

I love how Clark often dares the ocean to 'get him'.  It often does.

The hike led us up through some sort of coastal community of like 6 homes.  Showers separate.  

Man, I'll definitely miss these sights when we leave in (gasp!) 35 days.  I can't believe our Australian adventure is drawing to a close.  I don't know if I'm ready to move on with my life.  Graduate school?  Psshhhhh...

I'm In.

Gotta say, I envisioned this becoming a major Hollywood production before I even opened the book a year ago.  I'm not saying this in a bad way, I'm totally stoked for the movie release in 2012.  Bring on the blood, guts and carnage of the Hunger Games.  Stanley Tucci and Woody Harrelson, I will see you at the theatre next year. Count me in.  

A casualty of overuse

We were hoping that our two camping chairs would last the duration of our stay in Australia.  Welp, this one's out of commission.  

Dang it.

The amazing city of Melbourne

Right after our return from NZ we flew down to Melbourne with our good friends Joanne and Ivan.  We had a blast.  We had such a good time eating out at fabulous restaurants for every meal, shopping at the Queen Victoria Market, strolling through the city streets taking in the awesome architecture, and visiting St. Kilda.  We absolutely LOVED this city.  We would liken it to San Francisco, our favorite city in the world.  And we would liken Sydney to L.A. Sydney is a big city with lots of things to do and see, but it just doesn't have as much personality as Melbourne, just as L.A. doesn't have as much personality as San Francisco.  Don't get me wrong, Sydney's still a cool place.  (But Melbourne is cooler.)

Our first night out we opted for Chinese.  We ate like royalty on this trip, whereas in NZ we "roughed it" and typically made our food, ate cup-o-noodles or ate at Subway.

The next day Joanne and I kind of went into a shopping frenzy.  From our hotel we walked to the Queen Victoria Market where we purchased an absurd amount of Nashi pears.  How can you not when they are $1 per kilogram!?  They're so good once they hit your lips.

Avocados were just about as big as Joanne's face.  Seriously, these were monstrous.  And so, so tasty.

Clark enjoying a Nashi pear after making fun of me for buying 2 kilograms worth.

I love cheap, fresh produce.  It makes my heart happy.  Literally, in fact.

Not only did the market have produce, but it had art, clothing, etc, and leather jackets we came so close to purchasing.  But we didn't give in to our lust for leather, even though the leather jackets were made in Australia and not China. My arms were just too long to fit the sleeves properly and I'm not sure what Clark's excuse was, but he didn't get one in the end.  Instead we found ourselves scarves and I couldn't help but purchase these shoes.  Too cute.

Joanne went crazy at the market.  She is one great shopper, let's just put it that way.  Here we are modeling her new dresses/tunics/whatever they are.  You are never too old to play dress up.

Clark got cuddly with Joanne and Ivan's newly purchased wool rug.

No, don't jump to conclusions. Totally NOT pregnant.  The dress just makes me appear as if I'm with child.  Clark will make such a sophisticated father in the future.

 Later that same day we took the tram to downtown.

Joanne and I couldn't figure out how to open this massive purse.

We loved the architecture of nearly every building.

Finders Railway Station.

A downtown street at night.

We did not eat at Gingerboy, but the name of the restaurant made it hard to pass up!

We chose a Greek restaurant instead.  Their hot cocoa looked so pretty and tasted so good.  Portions are just too small here.

Later that evening we decided to go to the movies.  Most movies were sold out but for $20 a piece the boys were able to see X-Men and the girls were able to see Bridesmaids.  That was the last time I will ever see a movie in Australia.  I look forward to the dollar theatres back in the States.  Cannot wait. In this particular mall there was this tower, and a huge cone that covered it as a roof.  This is the clearest shot we could get, and you can't even tell the roof is cone-shaped.

The next day we decided to take a tram out to St. Kilda.  Here is part of Melbourne's downtown during daylight hours. This is either the Anglican or Catholic church.

I feel like we ate nonstop.  But everything was so tasty.  Once night I had pumpkin and feta pasta dish.  I don't even know the name of the noodle but they looked like little oval beads.  Anywho, it was unbelievable.

St. Kilda harbor.

My Clark.

Downtown Melbourne from the wharf.

Joanne and I on one of the older trams.

Joanne and Ivan.

More of Melbourne.

Later that night we went on a Ghost Tour walk of the city.  The tour ended at the Queen Victoria Market, which is actually built over cemeteries. Our tour guide was one interesting dude, and I think he had vampire teeth.  And he talked with his fingers a lot. Clark does great impressions of him.

The next morning we ate a spectacular breakfast near the Queen Vic Market.

And within the hour we ate again at a pastry shop.  We don't hold back, obviously.

Our food provided the nourishment needed to walk to this beautiful church.  I am not sure if this is the Anglican or Catholic church.

Hanging out on these weird shapes.

Melbourne Park.

Shortly after we arrived to the airport, our flight was cancelled--along with every other flight out of Melbourne.  The volcanic dust from Chile had made it's way over the ocean and I guess if ash gets in airplane engines, it's a bad thing.  So right away Ivan booked us all first class train tickets out of Melbourne to Sydney that same night.

First class on a train wasn't all it was cracked up to be.  Sleeping in any seat just sucks, regardless of how far back it reclines.  It was an exhausting 13 hour overnight train ride, but we made it home in one piece.

I so wish we would have had more time to spend in Melbourne.  There was so much left to do and see.  Thanks, Joanne and Ivan, for joining us in Melbourne.  You made our trip to Victoria extra fun!