Day 1: Sydney Tour

                                                                                                                   Date: 27 Dec 2012

Rule #1. Always look to your Right.

This is a serious rule folks, do you know how many first time US visitor pedestrians are killed annually by vehicular accidents? Well, neither do I!! But the fact is, here, vehicles do come from the direction your muscle memory is not accustomed to!! So for your well being and health just do yourself a favor and look Right. Thank you kindly!!

Rule #2. Find a local giving a free tour!!!

                 We just happened to find this guy(I have to admit I was a little enthralled with how much his messenger bag looked like a cartoon, so I may have followed him regardless) and his shirt was inviting enough for us to hop on board!!

This local had so many gems and tidbits of information about Sydney that there is no way Ken and I could keep up with it all!!

Just bits and pieces like the tidbit about the picture to the above.... Some people rub this boars.... Er, "nether regions" for good luck!! Why? Well we missed that fact.... Something to do with the hospital at one time turned brewery(to save it financially) behind him?
Yeah, we'll just go with that.....

And in the pic to the left is the Coat Of Arms of Australia. Also the official seal of this great land, featuring a kangaroo and an emu, it is often claimed these animals were chosen because neither animal can move backwards, only forward, symbolizing steadiness and progress and the will to never back down. (In reality both animals can move backwards- though infrequently






"Forgotten Songs" was approached by going into a building, underground through a secret tunnel, into Narnia and back and out another faraway door(a few streets away) to enter this amazing alleyway that is called forgotten songs for all the bird cages suspended above your head. Bird calls from a hidden recording chortle gently all around you as you ponder this.    http://vimeo.com/46343645

This "art walk" was created to commemorate over 50 types of birds that once lived here in central Sydney, but the growing European influx of a new city created habitat loss and pushed the birds out to the suburbs and some leaning towards being on the endangered/extinct list.

              We tried to find this hidden secret again, even retracing what we thought were our exact steps.... But apparently we lost the way along with the forgotten songs!!! Looking back now, ask a local to point you toward Angel Place and you will be on the right track in finding this wonder!!!
                            http://www.cityartsydney.com.au/artwork/forgotten-songs/                                            

                10 years ago while in Oz with my brother and dad, we visited this tavern below. The Hero Of Waterloo, located in the historic "rocks" of Sydney we had a lovely drink here!

      Currently, the tour guide proceeds to tell us the story of how the exiled of the British were sent to Australia to serve time, only not having enough prisons to go around, eventually they were set free on a type of probation....some of them became barkeeps. An honest profession; unless you began rum smuggling and lured young travelers and the like that wouldn't be readily missed into the tavern with free drinks and cheap meals until they passed out. They were then dropped through a trapdoor and stored in the basement to awake in the morning shanghaied aboard a clipper and sold for profit!!

No, I'm not thirsty anymore thanks...... (at least not here- gulp!!) Also, the link that I found on this place(to verify these facts) gives ghost tours claiming the wife of a publican that was pushed down the stairwell here still frequents these walls.
        Maybe next time we will do the "ghost tour"!! Maybe....

              Ken, waiting......maybe for lunch?!

   

Can you see the people doing the bridge walk? The Sydney landmark is playfully called "the coat hanger" by locals.








*Note: the tour guide DID ask for donations/tip afterwards, but only what you thought the tour was worth. In our opinion, we would definitely recommend this tour and we "donated"(hey you gotta make a living right?!) a few coins- which Ken got a kick out of the fact that there are $1 and $2 coins!! And our guide received a bonus of an Alaskan quarter(with the grizzly bear on it) which is always a hit with locals and travelers from other countries we meet while trekking!!

Guess what rule #3 is? To enjoy Australia Day which is today!! January 26th 2015!! Cheers!!!

Australia: 2013 revisited!

Hello!!!

       And welcome back!! (or at least to me) I haven't blog-enlightened you regularly for a while- almost 2 years!!! Please excuse my extended absence. Here is where I intend to catch up!!

       Honestly, I regret NOT recording/writing while traveling as I normally do, as some of my memories of this trip are slowly drifting. Not to worry, they are still intact. Especially since my handy dandy travel partner- aka Ken- also has a fantastic memory for all those little details, so we can piece our experiences together. Not to forget to mention his memory especially of every single rare car that he saw throughout these next 4 weeks. We spent our time in 5 different states while visiting the great land of Australia 2013!!! A revisit for me- but a new place to explore for Ken!!

  

    I (with some crucial aide from Ken) will cover these 4 weeks one-by-one over the next few months. I intend to put a blog out every other week or so, and though the posted dates will be a little "off," the dates within the posts will be dated as close to or on the dates that the post/event/travel took place! 

       Though I myself have been to Australia once before(winter 2004/2005); this is the first trip not only out of the country for Ken, but that Ken and I took as an official "couple." With the clear communication that expectations would be low(as any travel can be stressful and difficult even with friends traveling together in the best of circumstances) and that we were just going to enjoy each others company and we would thoroughly investigate this "test" once we got back home and see if there could be a future in this "relationship thing."

        Needless to say(pretend as though it were not 2 years later...) Turns out our personalities travel almost "too well" together. I am more than blessed to have this playful, sincere, well balanced love enter into my life. I would travel to the ends of the earth for this guy- and with this guy :)

       Whats more is that my family loves him- and the same goes out to his family who are irreplaceable souls in both of our lives!!!
 
 
       Besides, its not often you get to experience a        first timer on a big airliner-
                 "They gave me my own remote- MY VERY OWN!!!"

            A very impressive plane indeed, not only our very own movie channels, games, route tracker and how many miles flown/remaining, but this particular aircraft actually had a camera off the back of the aircraft- wow!!

       Only, for those of you that have read any of my blogs before.... may remember that I am not a huge fan of flying, so I didn't look much at said camera during travel. Instead I try to use this time to unwind, catch up on book reading, and sleep- if I can :(

      Ken stayed up most of the flight watching 3.5 hours of top gear, 4 full length movies and the remainder of the time playing video games :)

                     Yes, I do believe there will be more travels to come in our future!!

Why books are better than boys

I haven't written for quite a while, let me tell you, I knew that buying a house keeps you busy but PHEW!! But, in the next few months I have some fun upcoming blogs for those of you that have stuck around and periodically poke me and ask me, "Hey! What happened to that blog of yours."

So, a very close -yet currently far away-friend came up with the title for this blog post, and at times it has been very true, I have been known to say sentences similar to this statement....

Boys. Boys are a lot of work.

They take attention, that in some opinions could be spent on reading. 

They don't always understand those nights that all you want to do is curl up in comfy pj's with a cup of hot peppermint tea and lose yourself into another realm. To be interrupted....is, well.... distracting. To say the least.

This year, its true, I have found me a distraction. One that I am quite fond of really, but it (he) does butt into my solo reading time quite a bit....but, more often he also entices me to curl up next to him, in my frumpy pj's, messy hair, bowl of pistachio's in reach. What can I say, I'm in love with this one of a kind guy. 

Disclaimer, *he will be showing up in more of these blog posts as though it weren't 2 years later, and I'm just now getting around to updating my life. Dear reader, you and I have LOTS of catching up to do- I do believe :)*

This particular winter I borrowed 2 "hot off the press" books for myself from the library, along with 3 more books for my guy to read(as I knew he wanted my 2 books to read) by the time I was half way through my second one; he had read ALL 3 of a separate series AND the first of the books I had rented.... 4 books to my 1.5.... I would say this guy enjoys good books just as much as I do. Or even MORE THAN I DO!!

And I am just a tad envious that he sets time aside for himself more readily than I do for reading. He reads in the morning after he has gotten ready for the day and work. Me, well... my mornings are hectic and rushed and the snooze button hit as many times as I can before bolting breakfast and a slosh of coffee and here's to hoping I am fully dressed.... (In my defense, I have never arrived at work in this latter state) but I for sure do not think about reading in between my "snoozes" and the few times I have tried to read in the A.M. all it does for me is ease me gently back into slumber mode.

So while I perhaps don't think books are altogether "better" than boys, I do think that finding a boy that enjoys books as much (or in this case more)and learning how to to balance with books is always a good thing ;)

I'm off to stick my nose in a GREAT book written by Patrick Rothfuss called "The name of the Wind" my guy has recommended it to me, and I highly recommend it to you!!! That should keep me out of trouble for a while. At least until my boy gets home. Turns out he also likes peppermint tea ALMOST as much as I do :)

Merry Christmas!!

My very first visitor!!!

Its true, I had my very first visitor last week.

But..... its probably NOT who you would think!

A mischievous type of visitor in fact. I walk down my new hallway into my empty extra room only to find.... "It smells like urine in here!!!!" Excessively. I turn and look at the dog. Who looks at me as if saying, "my pee doesn't smell this bad biped mom."

I walk outside and look about my yard surrounding my house. Well, look at that- something has been digging under my foundation! I feel like goldilocks has been present. In fact there are many 6"- 1' gaps all around. Tunnels. It had dug and sprayed and ripped out insullation under my floor!!

Whatever is visiting me this week is NOT welcome!! So here I go off to collect some rocks!! I block off the gaps as best as I can.

Then, a couple hundred bucks later I'm shoveling bucket fulls of gravel between the cracks of the rocks. No way in or out now, looking good! Now I just hope whatever critter visited isn't stuck under there!!

My coworker identified some poo, turns out it was a (cute) pesky mink. No goldilocks at all. On a side note I am 200 feet above sea level, but, it is not uncommon for mink to travel far and wide in their territory(especially if there is a food source). The neighbor has poultry, and though I did warn her of the one had recently been around, she happily reported no unusual activity.

I must admit I did resort to putting a trap under my crawl space, but of course didnt want to cause it harm so I was happy to find I caught nothing after a few days ;)

Update: critter has not revisited, at least if it has, it didnt stick around= success!!!

 

Now onto hosting my next "real" visitors! Ones that are welcome!!!

Living big in a small space

So as only some of you know, I have recently traded up my cozy little trailer for a moderately bigger (by comparison) house!

(Note, this is NOT a picture of real trailer)

Well, I was running out of bookshelf space anyhow.....Thats right, no more organizing by arranging items like a real life puzzle piece. Cramming dishware behind applicances in the cabinets that is out of reach when you actually need it, fighting over limited counter space when you have a friend over to "cook dinner". And living out of totes that were stored under my specially designed bedframe for added storage space.

The tiny bathroom that you could literally reach everything from standing (or sitting)in one spot. Where you could only stock 4 rolls of toilet paper at a time. Where you had to step up into the tub and hunker down to the catch the stream of water while showering. That you had to keep your towels out in the hall closet with kitchen appliances, just out of reach if you needed a fresh one.

Low ceilings and doorways where when my dad and brother come to visit had to duck their way in less they knock their noggins upon entry. The smaller than average door that you couldnt get a couch or fridge through if your life depended on it. Which that reminds me, when I first moved in 10 years ago,(Yes I lived here for over 10 years!) nowhere- even online, could I find a toilet seat replacement to fit the trailer size model that I considered "quaint". But was just my size at the time!

   

I really was living big in a small space.

 Sigh. Im going to miss that cozy little place. My first ever "home" on my own.

But, times change and I have quite happily moved up in the world. I bought a house!! A 63 year old 3 bed(room) "cottage in the trees" is what the flyer said when I went to look at the house. Thats totally what got me. The trees and the land the house sat on. Images of gardening and bonfires danced crazily through my mind as I also quickly thought about how much work a 1950's home was going to take.

 Good thing I have good friends and family ;)

And a bunch of fun ideas!!

Stay tuned!

southeast Alaska soundtrack

When I was a little girl I had a black purse filled to the brim with coins. Sure, it was mostly pennies, but still it was worth loads to me. I was lollygagging down in the harbor, stepping over the cracks in the dock. It was a warm breezy day, Im sure I was daydreaming about what I could buy with my current fortune. Talking with some of the fisherman my dad knew. I liked the way the fisherman tipped their caps to say "hows it going little lady". When suddenly, the strap broke on the purse and before I could grab it, it tumbled into the cold, unforgiving water which snatched it right up. I watched it twirl quickly down to the shallow bottom, spilling copper the entire way.

Those sea stars sure are rich now. I think that was when I decided to be tomboyish. No more silly purses for me. From now on Im gonna live in blue jeans and keep my money at home!

I practically grew up on the beaches and woods surrounding my home. It sure was misleading when the summer clouds didnt tell you it was almost dusk and past the time to go home. I would stay out until I could hear my mother yelling at me to come inside. Oh, and could I ever hear her. I was the kind of child that craved wholeness. Reality. Gravity. Logic. However hard you look; these traits you cannot find in shredded wheat.

Walking the neighborhood dogs to earn honest dollars. Fishing for salmonberries. Erecting forts up in the forest. And little lean tos on the beach. Building places where I could travel to when my heart needed a home. A place where troubles came, and troubles also passed. Where you could find peace, and hide from it as well.

It is happily similar these days too, only now I am allowed to go farther and stay out as long as I like. Searching for my aurora borealis while still I find time to play and be young as well. Being born, rooted, raised, grown and not to mention disciplined here. I like to believe that the people who live in Alaska know all they need is in their soul. For the remainder of you, there is always Walmart.

Feel fortunate if you meet the people who will invite you in, and offer you fresh baked bread, dandelion tea, pickled fish, venison, huckleberry jam, and sit you down with plenty of attention to the woes in your life. And maybe some devils club salve to rub on the delicate bruises. Try to feel here where the air here is thick with friendly. Almost as thick as the herring eggs on that chunk of seaweed they are attempting to get you to taste test.

Take some time to hear the rain reverberating upon a tin roof. We have all heard about the songs that state how you will miss out if you've never kissed in the rain. This aspect is the true southeast Alaska soundtrack, one slow long passionate kiss in the ceaseless rain that exposes you down to your damp, saturated skin.

If you tend to think the dark rainy winter days dismal and expressionless. I have empathy. Leaving great impressions on anyone who has ever witnessed them. Hate it or love it. Im hungry for the ulterior motive of its soppy moisture. There is no need to go outside. Look around you. Curl up and devour a book. Find anything to do that will keep you from doing what you are supposed to do. However keep in mind, imagination is required to become a local in southeast Alaska. They must have somehow forgotten to put that on the permanent fund filing application.

A time comes where you get the urge to tell everyone to just shut their red chapped lips, because somehow, we have gotten to the point of an over articulated existence. Yep. You may not realize it at first. But to someone who knows, those are the times when some precious solitude can be set aside specifically for you. Dont forget to take it.

A mildly comforting sensation invades my bones when I pretend there is no world outside our island. Unless I so choose to crawl out into it. We all want to experience more sometimes. I for one need a vacation now and again. But be wary and tread slow, would not want an overdose of big city civilization. The end result may turn you more solitary than when you started your venture.

Whats best about moving up from the lower 48 is that no one you know lives here. You will hear plenty of these anecdotes depending on which southeast town you are frequenting with a tidbit of bad or otherwise twisted humor thrown in for good measure.

A huge thank you to all the friends I've met who live here. Who chose to make Sitka their home. Without them it would be much much more boring on those mediocre rainy days. And who make the sunny days that much more valuable. Another thank you to the friends who do not wish to make Sitka their home- to whom I go calling on when I need to GET OUT.

I still reminisce about my change on that one summer day that I fed to ANB harbor. Just laying on the bottom somewhere. Maybe I'll go find them and just look at the coins dwindling lazily on the bottom. Because that is what I think about when I think about being Alaskan. Sometimes you have to give up things which are valuable to reside here.

And I must be committed, as I have bought a house!!!!

Stay tuned!!

A promise.

Once again,my life has been overtaken by health and medical related issues. Hence the no posting.

Time and energy is ever consuming, and Ive been busy, but I'll be back shortly. I promise. :)

Unhinged

Did you know that there is no such thing as a right hinged microwave? Really, companies only make microwaves that open from the right side.

I have a space in my kitchen. I've pondered it for a while and decided this space is just right for a microwave! But, what would be even better, is to buy a microwave that opens from the opposite direction so myself(or guests) do not need to lean over the counter(as the space is pushed back into the corner) to warm up some leftover chicken taco casserole.

So I go to my local hardware store to look. Now, I know this will not be the cheapest place, nor have many options to choose from, so I am not surprised when they do not have what I am looking for. My next stop is amazon.com. Because they have free shipping of course!!

Do you believe it? I can't find a residential right hinged microwave at all! So I venture farther to google.... Okay, so I find a stainless steel 750 watt opposite door 5 cubic foot commercial microwave for just a little under $2000.00. Um.... Plus I don't think I will be needing 5 cubic feet, unless I start dating a crab fisherman and need to melt a lot of butter, and I mean ALOT of butter!! There are a few options(also commercial) manufactured in Britain, but the power standards are different than our US voltage but cost and shipping ain't cheap from there either!

This begins a discussion at work, causing everyone to go home that same night and analyze their own micro directional alignment of the feng shui of their cooking station. Now that we are aware of it, it seems none of us has ever seen a microwave of this caliber. A discussion that turns into a rant, a rant that turns into an obsession. Dangit!! I can't help but want a microwave that opens the other way!!

Plus I am left handed, where is the mastermind that patented the left handed scissors, or the left handed rotary cutter, or how about the left handed can opener? Don't they know that a left side opening microwave could possibly help life of left handers around the world easier!?!

Okay maybe not easier but happier.

And forever more I will be looking at every microwave I run across just see if maybe, just maybe one time there will be one little microwave that is different. That stands out from the rest.

For now, that space in my kitchen will be designated for my crock pot. Winter is around the corner and I will need it for soups and stews and maybe even some of that yummy chicken taco casserole. Who needs a microwave anyway?

I know I have not blogged for a bit. I have been busier than usual and have some medical issues going on, but Im back- This one is for you mom, and your coworkers too ;)



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