Exhausted

I feel like life is moving in fast forward but in slow motion too.

We are loving it though.

 < I haven't cooked dinner since last Monday. >

Seriously? Seriously.

< Most nights I'm not even at our house more than 30 minutes...or not at all. >

I'm good at fast packing. Real good.

< We've been caraze-y scared by an intense movie mini-marathon >

I think Don secretly loved freaking us out.

< The surprise party for Phil's mum went off without a hitch. >  

Now we're not walking on pins and needles wondering what we can/can't say. Phew!

< Selling our goods went entirely well. >

Yes, entirely.

< Because of the previous item, we are currently living in a shell. >

No furniture or anything on the wall = shell.

Sad but great!

< Plans for our voyage home have been finalized. >

Final.

< We're enjoying Sydney while we can! >

I will miss nights like these...

Seen

Oh Harry.  Harry Harry Potter.

*no spoilers here...promise!...although how can you "spoil" a movie when it's already a book?*

It was great. Great. Great. Great.

The night went something like this...

11pm...depart the house to deserted streets.

11:35pm...arrive at theatre.  Crazy how bustling that place was in the dead of the night.

12:05am...Harry time.

Action.

Snacks.

Hermione.

Girl crying on my right. (jeez)

Voldermort.

Slew of girls sobbing on Phil's left.

Neville.

Loud breather on my right...inhale, EXHALE (or is she still sobbing?) 

Ron.

More good movie watching.

Professor McGonagall.

Dumbledore.

Snape.

oh...and Harry.

HP.

Potter.

The boy who lived.

Harry Potter.

I felt slightly childish going to a midnight movie, but something about Harry Potter brings me back to 12 years old.

12 years old is a healthy age to love Harry Potter right?  Better than 22.

So since it started back then, it's ok.

Phil agrees.

I'd see it again. Mostly cuz I don't want it to end.

xoxo

Countdown

Nope, not our favorite Woolworths store in New Zealand.

This is real life. With numbers!

1

day until Phil's school results.

2

days until Harry Potter 7 pt2.

(Yes, I count down to Harry Potter. Judge me.)

6

days until we have {Bennallack} parents again.

19

more days of work.

30

days until Fiji.

37 

days until America.

Whoa...where has time gone?

Jeez Lahweez.

Salute

Oh 4th of July...Happy Birthday America.

This was my first 4th of July that I didn't spend in America.

Someone at work mentioned it in devotional and that was about the extent of it.

Happy 4th eh!?

We had our own little American treat to celebrate.

Chocolate pudding pie with graham cracker crust. 

Funny how valuable graham crackers are when you just don't get them at the shops.

mmmmm.

I'm proud to be American and I'm grateful for the freedoms we enjoy there.

But I have also grown to love Australia.

Sadly the while we were all celebrating at home on the 4th another Australian soldier was killed in Afghanistan.

America isn't alone...we have allies and friends that are fighting along with us.

So today I salute to Australia too.

Treasures

So recently I've been craving BBQ food.  No no, not just BBQ sauce food.

Like legit, yummy, home-made hamburger BBQ food.

I must admit, I have never had this craving before.

What is going on?

And then I figured it out.

It's summer {a.k.a BBQ weather} in America.

It's the 4th of July in America....well it is everywhere but it actually means something in America.

4th of July = BBQs galore!

So my little American body of mine figured it out, and craves it.

Voila. Oddest craving of my life.

On another note, we've sold like half our house.

Meaning: like almost everything inside it.  

Sadly it looks like a less habitable place each day.

Tis' the life of moving!

But guess what also comes with moving?

Hidden treasures...that distract us from packing and cleaning for a whole 15 minutes.

Treasures indeed!

Finished

See my boy right here?

Well that's a hunk with a degree!

Phil has completed his last semester at Macquarie Uni.

He's worked so hard and I was impressed that he kept diligently trying for the best grades in the end.

I picked him up after he finished his last exam and needless to say, he was excited!

I surprised him with dinner at Tony Romas in the city to celebrate.

YUM! 

Congrats Phil.  You medical scientist you!

Lights

Is it possible to be lazy while sitting in front of a computer?

I submit that it is.

And thus, the reason that I have not blogged lately.

Oh sure I'm in front of my computer at work all day...

Told you.

Laziness. 

On the not so lazy side, we had a 3 day weekend this past week.

Minus the car.

(2 weeks without a car will really humble you. Don't try it. Just trust me)

But I wasn't going to just sit in the house and watch the hubs study for final exams.

No sir.

So we trudged our way through the wintery cold to the bus stop to head into the city.

That makes it sound so horrible.

Yes, it was cold...but a jumper did the job.

We went to the city to see the VIVID Light Festival and boy did it not disappoint.

The Opera House looked like this...

and then this...

And the Customs Building looked like this...

and then like this...

There were a lot of cool things to see/do.

And I do mean DO!

This little gadget had people put on sensors and then dance away which then in turn splattered "paint" all over the Contemporary Art Museum's wall.  

We didn't want to wait in line for such a dance, but needless to say it was a hoot to watch people bust a move.

We just walked all over the harbour from one cool thing to the next.

(that dark figure is Phil, not a dementor)

Giant jelly fish?

Check!

There were about 34 stops total.  

So much to see and do.

Here's a small animated smidgen of our night.

The beginning is the Opera House, to the staircase to the Customs House.

How cool was the Customs House?  Looked like it was all being rearranged hey!

Amazing!

And a few photos that wrapped up our night. 

Ah, I love the city!

ps. no study time for the hubs was harmed during this outing. He still got plenty!

Potty mouth

So apparently I'm a potty mouth.

Apparently.

Take for instance yesterday.  I was talking to a co-worker and I used the word "prick" to refer to someone. 

Other than being a word which I normally hear out of a senior-aged person, nothing too special about it.

Right?

Well then I'm talking to the hubs during lunch, telling him about the convo and voila:

"prick" = cuss word in Australia.

Oh dear.

I promptly apologized to my co-worker, who luckily just laughed. 

Imagine if I'd really offended someone.

Oh dear.

Potty mouth indeed.

(ps. They don't say "potty" in Australia either.  I asked a little girl the other day if she "needed to go potty".  All I got in return was a blank stare.)

See this happens quite often.  Well to me at least.

I'm not going to list the different words (for fear that I'll scare readers away with my potty mouth) but really.  

I'll say something that is innocent in America but heaven forbid I say it in Australia.

I'm beginning to forget what words I can/can't say in which place.

So now I'm a confused potty mouth.

Lovely.

Another America/Australia difference?

Movie release dates.

Usually they don't work out in Australia's favor but I think all those can be dismissed for this one triumph.

Harry Potter.

Coming out here on the 13th....meaning America's 12th.

Doesn't come out in America til the 15th.

Bonus.
Yes I'll be rubbing that one in, thank you very much!

And don't even worry, we've bought our tickets already.

And we're not even ashamed.

July 13th. Midnight.

We'll be there.

Potty mouth and all.

Fin de la semaine

Weekends are the best.

Seriously.

I mean, I know Wednesday brought Origin, Thursday means late night shopping...

psh, they got nothin'. 

Weekends rule.

(Whoa. Am I 12 years old or what?)

Phil and I had a special treat this weekend.  

We had a special deal voucher for Firefly Restaurant near the city.

We were certainly not disappointed.  

First of all the ambiance was amazing.

I loved everything about the restaurant.

From the basket lights to the vintage feel, it was perfect.

The food was fabulous as well  And each course was so so different.  

I think we had about 7 courses come out. 

(picture small what I like to call {celebrity sized courses} mind you)

Corn Fritters with Prosciutto and Pesto...

Pinos Churrizo, Haloumi with Sauce Romesco...

Lamb Backstrap...

Chocolate Mousse...

etc. etc. etc.

One of my faves had to be the Zuchinni Fries.

I mean really? Who would've thought?

Mmmmm.

Did not disappoint. 

We'd go back, if the prices were reasonable minus the voucher.

In another life maybe...

Then it was a surprise jaunt to where we got engaged.

That's us.  Just engaged.

November 2009.

:)

Oh Philip, you are the best.

Weekends Rule.

Nothing much

Life is plugging along here down under.

This weekend we spent Friday enjoying some much needed down time.

Saturday we spent with Caylee & Dan...visiting and reminiscing of Phil and Caylee's youth years.

Then it was onto the Stake Talent Night.

Oh jeez.

Where to begin?

Maybe I just won't...

Let's just say that at one moment (or many moments) we felt like we were at a Born Again Christian church.

"STAND UP! PUMP YOUR FISTS! REALLY LOUD MUSIC! RAPPING!"

Yup.

Just won't begin.

On another note, our niece Pacey is 1 yr old.

Maybe her birthday was back in April but here's a dress and some hair accessories I made for her.

I'm working on my crafting skills.

There's at least some improvement right? :)

And that's all for now.

FIST PUMP! STAND UP! RAPPING!

Ba Ba Ba Bowling

Rainy & cold days make the best bowling days.

We've experience a weekend or two like that lately in this Australian Autumn so what did we do?

Bowling.

Andrew and Alex are such good sports.  

We called them up to see if the wanted join and the agreed without hesitation.

At least I think they did.  Hmm...

Phil did super.

Compared to this sad lassie...


He tripled my score.
Yes I said tripled.
I've never thought of myself as a bad bowler, but boy was I wrong!
Bowled a 35.
Yes-definite bad bowler.
S'okay though.  It was still fun.
35.
ugh.

LOTR

So ummm- A couple weeks ago Phil and I went here...

and saw this...

Let me just tell you about this.  

It was amazing.

Yes, we went to see Lord of the Rings, at the Opera House.

But this time it was a step up...the Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra and Choirs provided the music.

Live.

See told you, amazing.

Those of you that know me, I'm kinda music freak. 

Like orchestras and bands and symphonies and such.  

Spending my high school years engulfed in it, who wouldn't be?

So I loved it. Every.bit.of.it.

And Phil loved it too.  I mean, let's be honest: music for me, movie for him.

But he enjoyed the music too.  He told me. Out loud.  And he wasn't lying.  

He loved it too.

The acoustics in the Opera House are to die for.

Seriously.

When the audience was clapping at the end, I had to cover my ears.

When the percussionist was brushing the drum with his hand, I heard it. From the back row.

(ps. Back row seats in the Opera House are not bad at all. Perfect view from anywhere you sit)

And who doesn't love a view like this during intermission?

I was gushing over everything.

The acoustical music cylinders hanging from the ceiling.

The choir's voices.

How the conductor kept right in time with the movie.

I even said "COOL" or "WOW" a couple hundred times out loud.

On accident.

I couldn't help it.

And Phil just laughed at me.

Seriously, one of the best things I have done/seen.

So Good.

xoxo

The Best!

Phil is special.

Like a good special. Not the elementary school kind where no-one wants to be special.

He's the good special.

The good kind that surprises his wife {aka me!} for no reason.

Yes. Good special.

Well Thursday at lunch, he arrived at my work to share a lovely lunch with me.  

And he shared something else. 

Tickets!

To see Mary Poppins the Musical. In the city. That night. In a few hours!

What the?!

He listened. I'd said I wanted to go but wasn't sure we could cough up the bones for tickets.  Well good thing he just kept his eyes & ears open cuz good prices came our way and he snatched them.

So that's where we spent our Thursday night.

All of it.

And we loved it.

All of it.

It was so good!

The Capitol Theatre in the city is beautiful.  

My favorite was the lobby with decorated with umbrellas...

And another little surprise came when we were there.

Alyce and Eric (Phil's sister & husband) had tickets for that night as well and without any prior communication between us, our seats were ended up being 2 away from each other. 

On the same row!

And what did the 2 kind ladies in between us do?  

Oh they just moved right over so we could all sit together.

It was perfect!

Good special Phil.

Good surprise Phil.

Good husband phil.

Thanks!

always want what you can't have

I want to eat whatever I want...

but I want to lose weight.

I want it to be warm...

but I don't want it to be sweaty hot.

I want it to be fall weather too...

but only until I want it to be warm again.

I want to live in Australia...

but I want to live in America.

I want to travel the world...

but I want to have savings.

I want to be perfect...

but I want to aim higher and improve.

I want to rolling waves at the beach...

but I want beautiful snow capped mountains.

I want to get a college degree...

but I want to never do homework again.

I want a giant lovely home with picture perfect furnishings,

but I want a cozy place that is within my means.

I want to have all the time in the world...

but sometimes time can't pass quick enough.

I want to be responsible...
but I don't want too many responsibilities.

I want everyone to be loving and understanding towards me,

but sometimes I'm quick to judge.

I want to be everywhere, every minute, everyday...

but I am content.

Right here.  Right now.

at least until the next verse comes along... :) 


xoxo

I love

I love April Fools.

Mostly cuz of an airline website claiming they were going to charge people by their weight.

"To encourage people to watch their waist bands"

Loved it.

And ps...my last post wasn't April Fools.

Just bad timing on my part.

But it was funny.

Good joke kaylee jo...but not.

I love today.

It's 11:00am and I already have more calls than I had total on Friday.

Yes. Busy is good.  When boredom is the other option.

I love this past weekend.

Alright: so this weekend was simply sublime.

It included home. food. family. Grey's. crafts. sewing. home. home. home.

Yeah- I think we left our home a total of 2 times.

Once for a 20 min jot to the grocery store.

Once for the family dinner.  And that was at the end of the weekend.  So I disclude (new word!) it.

So once.

But it was beautiful. 

Wouldn't have had it any other way.

The family dinner was amazing.  

Thanks Andrew and Alex!

I love family.  Specially ones that make fun of how I say bananas.

Come on. Come to America, then we'll see how you go hey!

:)

Nah, I'm working on it.

Working on it.

I'll leave you with a little treat.

I made this last night for family dinner...well dessert.

Told you.

Treat.

Yum.

To the markets we go!

Yup. 5am again.  We loved it that much.

I mean who doesn't love 

- a head of lettuce for $1

- strawberries (later to be chocolate dipped!)

- apple-sized plums

- our fruit and veg for the next 2 weeks-or-so for under $15

?

I knew it.

You love it too.

I managed to snap a few pics this time.  

Blimey it was awkward.  

Picture dear Philip purchasing our goods and me snapping photos while the stall keepers all glare at me like:

"why is this crazy woman taking photos of my produce?"

Yup. I'm the crazy woman with a camera.

Hello.

There literally is fruit and veg (and nuts and herbs I might add) as far as the eye can see.  

Literally.

See?

Aaaaalll the way down that warehouse baby.

And there were four more lanes on either side of me.

Literally.

mmmm!

The market produce is so fresh compared to the supermarket.  

Crisp & clean lettuce.  

Crisp fresh grapes.

Yummy cilantro.

Oh guys...I'm just bragging now.  I'll stop.

Of course we stopped in at the flower market too.  

Flowers at 5:30am will really brighten your day...er morning.

$5 a bushel?  

Yes please!

This time I opted for some white beauties.

I'm in love.

(and married- I know, news flash!)

But really...my goal is to find some fakies just like this in America for my living room.

They're fresh and simple.

Love.

And these white beauties were only $4 for a huge bunch so I put some up in my vase on the bookshelf too...

and some even ended up in the rubbish bin.

Yes I just said rubbish.

Sorry flowers.

And that was our Saturday morning adventure.

Autumn is teasing us into thinking we won't be going in the future.

But we'll conquer those cold temps and dark mornings.

It's worth it!

Thanks Sydney Markets.