Hello.
Ha. I just felt like Doogie Howser. Neither of those two words made the spell checker happy. Spell checkers. What a concept.
I said, yep, what a concept, we could all use a little change.
Taught. Finished. Dinner. Bills. Clean. Laundry. Bed.
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Friday, June 29, 2018
Y10 D34
I feel horrible this morning. I woke up a while ago with massive nausea and felt like I needed to just puke right then and there. I managed to fall back to sleep but the feeling has not passed. I may be running to the bathroom without notice today. I do not feel good. I had a late night snack of some nachos and I think that's what is doing it. I am tasting the sauce in my mouth. Gross.
Taught day 2 of 3, no issues. My group all showed up early and I was able to start a little early. That's always nice. Today is the last day and I am hoping for a repeat of that.
We went to target last night and picked up some bins. I have been feeling like things are cluttered the last couple of days, especially my clothes and closet. I don't have enough room and it just seems like everything ends up in my closet. I want to pack up some stuff and put it down in the garage. This is one of my big plans while B is gone and before I go to MI. Did I mention what we're doing on that? I know I said I am going to MI for a wedding, but she is actually leaving first, spending a week there by herself, then I am joining her, we're going to the wedding, then coming home together a few days later. A good plan that makes everyone happy. She leaves late on the 11th, does an overnight flight. I leave on the 19th. We come home on the 24th.
Anyway, while she is gone I plan to tear my closet apart. Throw out old shit. Pack up some clothes. Give me something to focus my energy on.
We had spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner. I don't think that's bothering me. I do feel it's the nachos I ate three hours later. Too close to bed.
Watched some tv, went to bed. Rinse and repeat.
Taught day 2 of 3, no issues. My group all showed up early and I was able to start a little early. That's always nice. Today is the last day and I am hoping for a repeat of that.
We went to target last night and picked up some bins. I have been feeling like things are cluttered the last couple of days, especially my clothes and closet. I don't have enough room and it just seems like everything ends up in my closet. I want to pack up some stuff and put it down in the garage. This is one of my big plans while B is gone and before I go to MI. Did I mention what we're doing on that? I know I said I am going to MI for a wedding, but she is actually leaving first, spending a week there by herself, then I am joining her, we're going to the wedding, then coming home together a few days later. A good plan that makes everyone happy. She leaves late on the 11th, does an overnight flight. I leave on the 19th. We come home on the 24th.
Anyway, while she is gone I plan to tear my closet apart. Throw out old shit. Pack up some clothes. Give me something to focus my energy on.
We had spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner. I don't think that's bothering me. I do feel it's the nachos I ate three hours later. Too close to bed.
Watched some tv, went to bed. Rinse and repeat.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Y10 D33
So let's see how fucked the last 24 hours have been. Hmm. Unions are going to go away. Kennedy retiring means that Roe V Wade is probably going to be on the table. Any and all LGBT advances will be rolled back. We're meeting with Russia. We have a trade war with China on the horizon. Harley Davidson will be built outside the US. Private businesses are being threatened and protested for having opinions. Congresswomen are having their lives physically threatened. But you know
HER EMAILS
You fucking idiots. All of you. When did we get so gone? When did we move from civility to fear? Was it in the 80s when we started loosening the rules on corporations? Was it in the 90s when we were rolling in tech money and turned the other cheek? Was it in the 2000s when we were scared of anyone brown? When? AND more importantly why? Fear! It's all you have! Be afraid!
BUT!
HER!
EMAILS!
When people I know start being beaten again for who they are, when we allow people to be denied basic human rights for who they are, when women have to resort back to going in an alley for services, maybe, maybe then you'll realize how fucking stupid you were. Maybe then we can shove an email server right up your ass.
Oh you're exaggerating. Easy to say when your CIS, straight, White, and male. But I will remind you again when it's a woman you know who's been raped, pregnant, and has to carry the baby to term. I will remind you again when your child's partner is in the hospital and they're crying in your arms because they're not being allowed into the room because they're not family. I will remind you again when you get fired because your company has no representation and they can replace you on a dime. I will remind you again when your black co-worker is shot dead because they were existing.
Welcome to your GREAT America. Good fucking job.
I have to go to MI in 3 weeks. I swear if any of them at this wedding say one word about how great things are, there will be a fight.
Taught my class. Went okay. Students are okay. No major issues. Two more days. Booked a trip for August. Fucking Florida for a full week. In August.
FML.
HER EMAILS
You fucking idiots. All of you. When did we get so gone? When did we move from civility to fear? Was it in the 80s when we started loosening the rules on corporations? Was it in the 90s when we were rolling in tech money and turned the other cheek? Was it in the 2000s when we were scared of anyone brown? When? AND more importantly why? Fear! It's all you have! Be afraid!
BUT!
HER!
EMAILS!
When people I know start being beaten again for who they are, when we allow people to be denied basic human rights for who they are, when women have to resort back to going in an alley for services, maybe, maybe then you'll realize how fucking stupid you were. Maybe then we can shove an email server right up your ass.
Oh you're exaggerating. Easy to say when your CIS, straight, White, and male. But I will remind you again when it's a woman you know who's been raped, pregnant, and has to carry the baby to term. I will remind you again when your child's partner is in the hospital and they're crying in your arms because they're not being allowed into the room because they're not family. I will remind you again when you get fired because your company has no representation and they can replace you on a dime. I will remind you again when your black co-worker is shot dead because they were existing.
Welcome to your GREAT America. Good fucking job.
I have to go to MI in 3 weeks. I swear if any of them at this wedding say one word about how great things are, there will be a fight.
Taught my class. Went okay. Students are okay. No major issues. Two more days. Booked a trip for August. Fucking Florida for a full week. In August.
FML.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Y10 D32
9 days until my birthday. I think. Wait. Yeah. 9 full days plus today. We did make dinner reservations for my birthday at some italian place. It looks pretty good. We shall see.
Worked my butt off yesterday to get things done before next week. I recorded 32 demos yesterday. That's a lot of tracks to lay down. I worked non-stop until about 2. But it's all done. My boss and I talked and we both acknowledged that next week is a fucked week. Holiday is on a Wednesday which means no one will be around Thursday or Friday so it's really a two day week. He is going to put together some odds and ends he wants us to work on, but he knows.
B went to the doctor (finally!) for her stuff. Doctor gave her an injection and a prescription. Maybe this is the end of her cyst issue. We will know over the next three months. Cross your fingers for her.
I made quiches from scratch last night to use up some of the food in the house. Spinach and mushroom. Not bad.
Watched some tv and went to bed around 10:30. Had trouble falling asleep. Only got about 4 hours solid sleep last night.
Three days of three students up next. I can do it.
Worked my butt off yesterday to get things done before next week. I recorded 32 demos yesterday. That's a lot of tracks to lay down. I worked non-stop until about 2. But it's all done. My boss and I talked and we both acknowledged that next week is a fucked week. Holiday is on a Wednesday which means no one will be around Thursday or Friday so it's really a two day week. He is going to put together some odds and ends he wants us to work on, but he knows.
B went to the doctor (finally!) for her stuff. Doctor gave her an injection and a prescription. Maybe this is the end of her cyst issue. We will know over the next three months. Cross your fingers for her.
I made quiches from scratch last night to use up some of the food in the house. Spinach and mushroom. Not bad.
Watched some tv and went to bed around 10:30. Had trouble falling asleep. Only got about 4 hours solid sleep last night.
Three days of three students up next. I can do it.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Y10 D31
10 days until my birthday. I got a package from NIN yesterday. Inside were some pins. They have one word on each of them - OBSOLETE. IRRELEVANT. INSIGNIFICANT. ANTIQUATED. Perfect, eh? Couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. There was also a record in the package too, but you know, the buttons.
Laid down 21 recordings yesterday before it got too hot and too noisy for me to do any more. I should be able to finish the remaining ones this morning before the noise level rises to me wanting to strangle people and get a rifle. I want to sit in this window and shoot out the tires of all of these fuckers who think they have a really cool car or motorcycle. All of them.
Made parmesan encrusted chicken for dinner. After dinner we ran some errands including Target. I found a new pair of shorts for summer for $17. That's nice.
B is awake. She hasn't slept. What a shock. She has a doctor appointment at 11 and has to leave here by 10. She will probably fall asleep in their waiting room.
Can I go back to Australia please?
Laid down 21 recordings yesterday before it got too hot and too noisy for me to do any more. I should be able to finish the remaining ones this morning before the noise level rises to me wanting to strangle people and get a rifle. I want to sit in this window and shoot out the tires of all of these fuckers who think they have a really cool car or motorcycle. All of them.
Made parmesan encrusted chicken for dinner. After dinner we ran some errands including Target. I found a new pair of shorts for summer for $17. That's nice.
B is awake. She hasn't slept. What a shock. She has a doctor appointment at 11 and has to leave here by 10. She will probably fall asleep in their waiting room.
Can I go back to Australia please?
Monday, June 25, 2018
Y10 D30
Made more bread yesterday. Rustic Italian loaf. Came out better than the white bread in my opinion. It was hot here yesterday. Temperatures reaching into the 90s. But it's supposed to start going down today and be okay until we leave for MI. I am trying my hardest to not pull out AC units until we come back at the end of the month. It's going to be close.
B had a rough night and ended up sleeping most of the day away. When she finally woke up, we went out, ran some errands, had dinner.
Came back and she hid in the bedroom because of the heat. Went to bed around 10, but tossed and turned until midnight.
Three days of official classes this week, Weds - Fri. Have to do some recordings today and tomorrow. But that's about it.
B had a rough night and ended up sleeping most of the day away. When she finally woke up, we went out, ran some errands, had dinner.
Came back and she hid in the bedroom because of the heat. Went to bed around 10, but tossed and turned until midnight.
Three days of official classes this week, Weds - Fri. Have to do some recordings today and tomorrow. But that's about it.
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Y10 D29
I stayed up until after 1am yesterday. Why? Just wasn't tired. But now I have only had 5 hours of sleep so yeah.
Didn't do a whole lot yesterday. Cleaned the house. Got some groceries. Paid bills. Just got my phone bill from this trip. $300. I was worried about that. Sigh. It's what I budgeted, just don't like it.
I am sitting here trying to remember what we did yesterday. I made bread. B made peppers for dinner. Not much else.
I don't know. Oh well.
Didn't do a whole lot yesterday. Cleaned the house. Got some groceries. Paid bills. Just got my phone bill from this trip. $300. I was worried about that. Sigh. It's what I budgeted, just don't like it.
I am sitting here trying to remember what we did yesterday. I made bread. B made peppers for dinner. Not much else.
I don't know. Oh well.
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Y10 D28
What happens when you forget to turn your alarm off and then get out of bed not knowing what day it is? Up at 4am on a Saturday is what happens. C'est la vie. I'm awake and that's that.
BIG thank you to my friend who is going to Disneyland for me today to get a special edition Pop that is only being released in the park. I don't have any words for how grateful I am.
Did a bunch of random stuff yesterday but mostly worked on new CBT recordings because one client is too cheap to buy its employees decent monitors. I had to re-record because of resolution issues on the original recordings. Meh, whatever.
Yesterday evening we took a ride to the mall. B was so frustrated and embarrassed by what happened at the airport on our trip with her luggage that she wanted me to buy her a backpack like mine. Something that will fit under seat or overhead but has enough room in it. We found one at Macy's that was way on sale. Down to $160 from $400. When we got home we looked it up and most people sell it from $152 to $199 and $400 is the true MSRP but still. We got a really good deal on something with high reviews that should last her quite a long time. It was worth the money.
We had leftovers for dinner. Trying to minimize our eating out these days so that we can afford things like $160 backpacks.
Not much else going on. Just back in the groove of being home. It's been almost a week since we left. So strange.
BIG thank you to my friend who is going to Disneyland for me today to get a special edition Pop that is only being released in the park. I don't have any words for how grateful I am.
Did a bunch of random stuff yesterday but mostly worked on new CBT recordings because one client is too cheap to buy its employees decent monitors. I had to re-record because of resolution issues on the original recordings. Meh, whatever.
Yesterday evening we took a ride to the mall. B was so frustrated and embarrassed by what happened at the airport on our trip with her luggage that she wanted me to buy her a backpack like mine. Something that will fit under seat or overhead but has enough room in it. We found one at Macy's that was way on sale. Down to $160 from $400. When we got home we looked it up and most people sell it from $152 to $199 and $400 is the true MSRP but still. We got a really good deal on something with high reviews that should last her quite a long time. It was worth the money.
We had leftovers for dinner. Trying to minimize our eating out these days so that we can afford things like $160 backpacks.
Not much else going on. Just back in the groove of being home. It's been almost a week since we left. So strange.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Y10 D27
Last night was the 3rd night in a row where I fell asleep between 9:30 and 10, then woke up 2.5 hours later fully rested and ready to go. Deep sleep full of interesting dreams. I missed my bed and pillow it would seem. I don't get that deep or good of sleep on the road, that's for sure. No matter how nice the bed is, it doesn't beat this one I have here at home.
Got up at 3 yesterday to start the meeting and work with my contact in Ireland to make sure there were no issues. Started class at 6 and while webex isn't the best interface, I got through class. We finished around 2 as scheduled.
One thing that is REALLY pissing me off about being home is the noise. It is 4:14am and some fucker just drove down the street with their fucked up exhaust. I didn't hear that shit ONCE when I gone. Fuck these fucking fuckers. I want this state to pass an exhaust law NOW. It's insane. It depresses me because I don't want to live here and I get frustrated we're still living here. I'm working on it dammit.
Made stuffed chicken burritos for dinner, we watched some tv, B talked to her mom, went to bed. No plans for this weekend either. Going to home depot this morning for a couple of things to do some jewelry repair for B, but that's it. My boss hasn't gotten back to me on some things and I will probably do CBT work later today, but as of right now? Nothing.
Got up at 3 yesterday to start the meeting and work with my contact in Ireland to make sure there were no issues. Started class at 6 and while webex isn't the best interface, I got through class. We finished around 2 as scheduled.
One thing that is REALLY pissing me off about being home is the noise. It is 4:14am and some fucker just drove down the street with their fucked up exhaust. I didn't hear that shit ONCE when I gone. Fuck these fucking fuckers. I want this state to pass an exhaust law NOW. It's insane. It depresses me because I don't want to live here and I get frustrated we're still living here. I'm working on it dammit.
Made stuffed chicken burritos for dinner, we watched some tv, B talked to her mom, went to bed. No plans for this weekend either. Going to home depot this morning for a couple of things to do some jewelry repair for B, but that's it. My boss hasn't gotten back to me on some things and I will probably do CBT work later today, but as of right now? Nothing.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Y10 D26
Yesterday was a hot mess from start to finish. And not just because it was 90 again. No, this time it was the fault of an IT department. Went to start my 10-2 session yesterday and 9:59, I only had 1 out of 15 students. Turns out the client's IT department decided to rescind access to the meeting software we use without telling anyone. Now mind you, this has been working for YEARS and there has been no problems whatsoever. Just out of the blue they decided nope, you can't use it. What the fuck? So I had to scramble to try another software. Which is a pain for me as I have three machines this all had to be configured on, tested, etc. Then there was a problem with everyone's audio. They all wanted a dial in. I don't have a phone. Use your headset or speakers. How do I do that? WTF are you a fucking idiot? Apparently you all are. Good job. I spent the entire time troubleshooting and configuring these people's machines and not all of them were resolved. I am up at 3am because we are trying a second group today with the new software from 6-2. Let's see how that fucking goes.
Made a paella for dinner. Dealt with B's sleep schedule. Or lack thereof. She is not used to travel like this and was up all Tuesday night. It's thursday, right? So yeah. She was up all night Tuesday, slept from like 10a-5p Wednesday. She's asleep right now and hopefully this is what she needs to reset. We'll see.
Wish me luck today. I am going to seriously need it.
Made a paella for dinner. Dealt with B's sleep schedule. Or lack thereof. She is not used to travel like this and was up all Tuesday night. It's thursday, right? So yeah. She was up all night Tuesday, slept from like 10a-5p Wednesday. She's asleep right now and hopefully this is what she needs to reset. We'll see.
Wish me luck today. I am going to seriously need it.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Y10 D25
And like that, I am back in the grind of every day life.
Just a few days ago I was in a foreign country exploring the Melbourne zoo. Now I am swearing at my bosses for trying to get me to sign away my personal liberties in some stupid document that I am going to refuse to sign which is going to become an issue. It's a long story and I don't want to talk about it at this time. Trust me, it will come up again.
Spent the day going between work stuff and home stuff. My clock is still screwed up and I had to force myself to go to bed at a regular time and get up at standard work times. I have a 10am class today but tomorrow is 6am so I am using today as practice of getting my butt up early. B is still screwed up too. She took like a 5 hour sleep yesterday from 1-6 and guess who was still awake when I just got up?
The weather here isn't helping. We had beautiful cold and rainy weather in Australia only to come home to fucked up 90+ degree bullshit. It's stale and hotter than balls in this house right now. There is literally no air flow in this fucking place. Of course we have the AC on in the bedroom, but that just kills my head. Today is scheduled to be even worse than yesterday. Of course it is. BUT it's supposed to crap out around 7pm and drop 15 degrees. Just have to make it 15 more hours.
We went to the grocery store yesterday as we were seriously out of food. Made tacos for dinner last night as it was quick and easy to do in this heat. Fuck summer.
And fuck this country too. I have avoided talking about politics for a while now, but to come home to children in cages, people in denial, racists and fucktards in charge, is a bit too much. I just want to ask all of you who didn't vote or wasted your votes - can you still idly sit by and say "Hillary would have been the same"? Would we have children in detention camps? Would we be aligned with North Fucking Korea and Russia? Really? Would we be looking at a 200b trade war with China? Open your fucking eyes. YOU elected this monster directly or indirectly and I hope you're fucking happy.
Just a few days ago I was in a foreign country exploring the Melbourne zoo. Now I am swearing at my bosses for trying to get me to sign away my personal liberties in some stupid document that I am going to refuse to sign which is going to become an issue. It's a long story and I don't want to talk about it at this time. Trust me, it will come up again.
Spent the day going between work stuff and home stuff. My clock is still screwed up and I had to force myself to go to bed at a regular time and get up at standard work times. I have a 10am class today but tomorrow is 6am so I am using today as practice of getting my butt up early. B is still screwed up too. She took like a 5 hour sleep yesterday from 1-6 and guess who was still awake when I just got up?
The weather here isn't helping. We had beautiful cold and rainy weather in Australia only to come home to fucked up 90+ degree bullshit. It's stale and hotter than balls in this house right now. There is literally no air flow in this fucking place. Of course we have the AC on in the bedroom, but that just kills my head. Today is scheduled to be even worse than yesterday. Of course it is. BUT it's supposed to crap out around 7pm and drop 15 degrees. Just have to make it 15 more hours.
We went to the grocery store yesterday as we were seriously out of food. Made tacos for dinner last night as it was quick and easy to do in this heat. Fuck summer.
And fuck this country too. I have avoided talking about politics for a while now, but to come home to children in cages, people in denial, racists and fucktards in charge, is a bit too much. I just want to ask all of you who didn't vote or wasted your votes - can you still idly sit by and say "Hillary would have been the same"? Would we have children in detention camps? Would we be aligned with North Fucking Korea and Russia? Really? Would we be looking at a 200b trade war with China? Open your fucking eyes. YOU elected this monster directly or indirectly and I hope you're fucking happy.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Y10 D24
Hello! Before I begin, let me make one thing perfectly clear - I had the time of my life in Australia. It was a whirlwind, exhausting, overwhelming, but it was also incredible, life changing, and one of the best experiences I could have ever hoped for in my life. The travel portion of it sometimes overshadowed the adventure, but I wouldn't trade the opportunity to have been there for anything.
Okay, here we go. Lots of time travel in this one kids, so stay with me. Got up 4am AEST. Left the hotel at 6am AEST. All this is Monday by the way. Traffic to the airport was hairy. They don't have a whole lot of lanes going into departures and man does it back up. I was stressing a little in the car. We got there about 6:30, found the ticket counter, and got our boarding passes. Went through the first layer of security and luckily the nice woman at the Quantas counter gave us express security passes. Don't know why, other than she liked us. No complaints. Made it through Aussie security in less than 10 minutes. We found our gate, found the lounge, and relaxed until boarding time. We boarded around 9, a little later than scheduled. We pretty much had the same seats home that we did there. Once again Quantas fed us like crazy. Lunch, mid flight snack, breakfast. About 15 hours later, we hit LAX. Or, 7am PST. On Monday. Yep. We landed two hours before we took off.
LAX was where the real headache started. Neither of us slept more than 2 hours on the long flight so we were cranky and tired already. We had to go through full customs as it was our first port of entry. First up was immigration check. That wasn't too bad, just lots of walking. Then we had to go through the bag portion and fuck the US. Four lanes of people merged into 2 lanes which then split back into three. Basically like an LA freeway. By this point it's 8:15 and we have to get to our gate by 9:55. We had to go from TBI to T6. A pretty damn good walk if you know LAX. If you don't, trust me, it's a haul, especially when you have bags.
We finally get to the Alaska counter to get new boarding passes and once again the fuckers force us to check our bags. I did get them to waive the charge at least but both of us were worried about shit breaking or being stolen. Not happy about that. Got through domestic security (yes, we had to go out of security) and found our new gate. We had a little time to stop in the board room and get a snack since they weren't going to feed us on this flight.
Finally land at PDX around 1:15. Sit in traffic after waiting for our bags, and stumble in the door at 2pm PST Monday. B crashed. I started doing stuff. Laundry, bills, unpacking, email, you name it. She woke up around 8:30pm and by then I had 90% of things done. I had moved past tired into over tired. We had a snack and then both of us made it to bed around midnight. As you can see from the time of this post, I slept hard.
Today I am taking it easy, doing email catch up, and getting my body reset. I have two days of training this week so it won't be too rough on me.
Would I go back? Yes. In coach? No. Business + 1st or not at all. It's too long a trip to suffer. But I would definitely visit the country again. See more of the countryside. I loved it there and hate being home.
Okay, here we go. Lots of time travel in this one kids, so stay with me. Got up 4am AEST. Left the hotel at 6am AEST. All this is Monday by the way. Traffic to the airport was hairy. They don't have a whole lot of lanes going into departures and man does it back up. I was stressing a little in the car. We got there about 6:30, found the ticket counter, and got our boarding passes. Went through the first layer of security and luckily the nice woman at the Quantas counter gave us express security passes. Don't know why, other than she liked us. No complaints. Made it through Aussie security in less than 10 minutes. We found our gate, found the lounge, and relaxed until boarding time. We boarded around 9, a little later than scheduled. We pretty much had the same seats home that we did there. Once again Quantas fed us like crazy. Lunch, mid flight snack, breakfast. About 15 hours later, we hit LAX. Or, 7am PST. On Monday. Yep. We landed two hours before we took off.
LAX was where the real headache started. Neither of us slept more than 2 hours on the long flight so we were cranky and tired already. We had to go through full customs as it was our first port of entry. First up was immigration check. That wasn't too bad, just lots of walking. Then we had to go through the bag portion and fuck the US. Four lanes of people merged into 2 lanes which then split back into three. Basically like an LA freeway. By this point it's 8:15 and we have to get to our gate by 9:55. We had to go from TBI to T6. A pretty damn good walk if you know LAX. If you don't, trust me, it's a haul, especially when you have bags.
We finally get to the Alaska counter to get new boarding passes and once again the fuckers force us to check our bags. I did get them to waive the charge at least but both of us were worried about shit breaking or being stolen. Not happy about that. Got through domestic security (yes, we had to go out of security) and found our new gate. We had a little time to stop in the board room and get a snack since they weren't going to feed us on this flight.
Finally land at PDX around 1:15. Sit in traffic after waiting for our bags, and stumble in the door at 2pm PST Monday. B crashed. I started doing stuff. Laundry, bills, unpacking, email, you name it. She woke up around 8:30pm and by then I had 90% of things done. I had moved past tired into over tired. We had a snack and then both of us made it to bed around midnight. As you can see from the time of this post, I slept hard.
Today I am taking it easy, doing email catch up, and getting my body reset. I have two days of training this week so it won't be too rough on me.
Would I go back? Yes. In coach? No. Business + 1st or not at all. It's too long a trip to suffer. But I would definitely visit the country again. See more of the countryside. I loved it there and hate being home.
Monday, June 18, 2018
Y10 D23
Call this my Monday morning post for Sunday. We just got to LAX and it's been a clusterfuck so far. Multiple terminal changes, customs, forced bag checks, just not happy. Still have one more flight to go. I will do a full post of everything tomorrow.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Y10 D22
It's already Sunday at home and since tomorrow is going to be screwy for us, I am posting now. We leave here at Monday 6/18 at 9am. But then we land in LA at 6:25am. So therefore I am posting now since I will post again then. Consider this your Sunday post fuckers.
Today we were sad. It was our last full day in the country. We spent the day at the Aussie Immigration Museum which was quite educational. We also spent it with B's friend and her BF. That was the hard emotional part. We had one last meal together, hung out in our hotel, and they took off around 5pm. B lost her shit having to say goodbye. I tried to get her to keep perspective that she did what most people dream of doing - spent a week in Australia and got to spend time with someone she knows who lives all the way on the other side of the world. Perspective.
We got as much packed as we could before the morning. Headed down to the restaurant for dinner to be lazy. We're just relaxing now and planning on going to bed in a couple of hours.
I can't check us in unfortunately so we will have to go to the counter. Not looking forward to that.
I am going to stop here since tomorrow's post (around 3pm Monday) will include our trip from here to LAX. I will use that as my cut-off point.
Today we were sad. It was our last full day in the country. We spent the day at the Aussie Immigration Museum which was quite educational. We also spent it with B's friend and her BF. That was the hard emotional part. We had one last meal together, hung out in our hotel, and they took off around 5pm. B lost her shit having to say goodbye. I tried to get her to keep perspective that she did what most people dream of doing - spent a week in Australia and got to spend time with someone she knows who lives all the way on the other side of the world. Perspective.
We got as much packed as we could before the morning. Headed down to the restaurant for dinner to be lazy. We're just relaxing now and planning on going to bed in a couple of hours.
I can't check us in unfortunately so we will have to go to the counter. Not looking forward to that.
I am going to stop here since tomorrow's post (around 3pm Monday) will include our trip from here to LAX. I will use that as my cut-off point.
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Y10 D21
Went to the beach yesterday. Wasn't very exciting to be honest. But we needed a down day. We did walk a lot. The people we have been visiting with here are big time outdoors kind of people. They have a dog and walk all over the place. I was dying after a while. It was fun, but man did my back hurt. We got to the beach around 10:30, walked around until 1, then B and her friend went to see the play (the theater is a couple of blocks from the beach) and I took the train back to the hotel.
We got so very lucky with this hotel and the fact that in the cities, Aussie public transportation is so good. I have had no issues getting around places, finding schedules, etc. I am very pleased with their system.
Got back to the hotel around 1:40 and took a nap. They got back to the hotel around 5. I found an Indian place for us to have dinner that was really good. We were all happy with it. It had something for everyone.
Came back to the hotel and visited until about 9, then off to bed at 10.
Today is our last full day. We are going to do a couple of museums and pack shit up. We leave tomorrow at 6am and will be back in Portland around 1pm Monday. I did take care of car service at least. We will have someone waiting for us at the airport. It's going to be rough. We leave here officially at 9am AEST Monday, then arrive LAX 6am PST Monday. Then we have 4 hours to clear customs and get to our LAX to PDX flight at 10. Wish us luck on that.
We got so very lucky with this hotel and the fact that in the cities, Aussie public transportation is so good. I have had no issues getting around places, finding schedules, etc. I am very pleased with their system.
Got back to the hotel around 1:40 and took a nap. They got back to the hotel around 5. I found an Indian place for us to have dinner that was really good. We were all happy with it. It had something for everyone.
Came back to the hotel and visited until about 9, then off to bed at 10.
Today is our last full day. We are going to do a couple of museums and pack shit up. We leave tomorrow at 6am and will be back in Portland around 1pm Monday. I did take care of car service at least. We will have someone waiting for us at the airport. It's going to be rough. We leave here officially at 9am AEST Monday, then arrive LAX 6am PST Monday. Then we have 4 hours to clear customs and get to our LAX to PDX flight at 10. Wish us luck on that.
Friday, June 15, 2018
Y10 D20
We had a laid back morning followed by a calm day. I have done really well at making sure we alternate between activity days and play it by ear days. It keeps B from getting too overwhelmed and it keeps both of us from getting too exhausted. Yesterday started out with our normal breakfast. I am really loving the staff here. They are so attentive and they remember. The one guy knows exactly what I want to drink, where we like to sit, etc. It's that kind of attention to detail that I find refreshing. This is why DoubleTree brand is one I really like. Whether it's London, Melbourne, Canada, or even Tennessee, I really do have the best experiences at this brand.
After breakfast I went for a little explore specifically to find AC/DC Lane. Wow, that was cool. From the graffiti to the tributes to Malcolm Young, it was fucking neat! I took so many pictures. We ended up going back that night to the Cherry Bar when they were open for me to take more pictures.
We headed out around noon to meet B's friend and do some exploring in the 'suburbs'. We went to a nice outdoor mall where they got these things from a book called the Lost Forest. It's a whole shop/experience kind of thing. It's all based on a series of children's books and they have translated it into stores. Like if Fraggle Rock had a store with events and stories. It was pretty cool especially since it was a weekday in winter and there were no children there. That was the best part.
We were at this mall until a good 4pm then headed back to the hotel where B's friend's bf met us. The four of us then went out for burgers for dinner. They headed back home around 8 and we relaxed in the room.
I got paid around 8pm last night since you know, the future and all, and I did bills. Just because I am on the road, doesn't mean I can slack off.
Two more full days to go then we head home. Today we are going to the beach and then B is off to see a play. It's about HP and she's very excited. I am just going to hang out while she does that. No definite plans but I am sure I can find something to do.
After breakfast I went for a little explore specifically to find AC/DC Lane. Wow, that was cool. From the graffiti to the tributes to Malcolm Young, it was fucking neat! I took so many pictures. We ended up going back that night to the Cherry Bar when they were open for me to take more pictures.
We headed out around noon to meet B's friend and do some exploring in the 'suburbs'. We went to a nice outdoor mall where they got these things from a book called the Lost Forest. It's a whole shop/experience kind of thing. It's all based on a series of children's books and they have translated it into stores. Like if Fraggle Rock had a store with events and stories. It was pretty cool especially since it was a weekday in winter and there were no children there. That was the best part.
We were at this mall until a good 4pm then headed back to the hotel where B's friend's bf met us. The four of us then went out for burgers for dinner. They headed back home around 8 and we relaxed in the room.
I got paid around 8pm last night since you know, the future and all, and I did bills. Just because I am on the road, doesn't mean I can slack off.
Two more full days to go then we head home. Today we are going to the beach and then B is off to see a play. It's about HP and she's very excited. I am just going to hang out while she does that. No definite plans but I am sure I can find something to do.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Y10 D19
We had a really good time yesterday. Got up, had another lovely free breakfast, then waited for B's friend to arrive. She is about 45-50 minutes away by train but she doesn't seem to mind it. It feels like a lot of people are used to that kind of commute every day. Similar to the way people who work in DC and live in VA deal with it every day. No thank you. Regardless, I am grateful she is making the trip as it makes B happy.
She arrived around 10:30 and we all headed off to the Melbourne Aquarium. It's about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We meandered our way over and got inside around 10:45. Nice aquarium! As one would expect in Australia, lots of coral reef exhibits and fish. Not complaining, just pointing out that what would be more exotic to me, is their natural fauna. We saw all types of fish, alligators, lizards, turtles, and jellies. We had a nice lunch there in the aquarium. Overpriced just like every zoo and aquarium I have ever been to of course. But the quality was worth it. I have been watching what we spend carefully and trying to balance the cash usage against the card. So far we're doing okay. Nothing crazy.
Left the aquarium around 2. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a straight up Aussie tourist shop for stuff for everyone back home. Little things, but we managed to get everyone take care of for about $100. Now, when I saw 'we' I really mean B. The stuff we got was primarily for her family. I got the kid something but the majority was for the 900 people B decided to shop for. Whatever. The chance of them ever going to Australia is pretty low, so let them get the stuff.
Came back to the hotel and they watched a movie and relaxed. For dinner we went to Nandos. An excellent peri-peri (kinda like jerk) chicken place. We ate it on the hotel room floor like a picnic. Around 7, B's friend headed home and we collapsed. We were in bed once again by 9:30.
Today we are headed out of the city and into the suburbs. Mostly just to check out the area. Today is a relaxing day. Trying to alternate those and Saturday is our beach day and B's day to see a play. There's a Harry Potter off broadway play going on right now and they bought tickets. While they're seeing the play I am going to wander the area. But that's tomorrow. Nothing so exciting today. A nice train ride out into the country and some picture taking. This morning I am planning on taking a walk down to AC/DC lane where the Cherry Bar is located. The Cherry is the Australian equivalent of the Whiskey or CBGB. There should be some cool graffiti on the walls he says hopefully.
Off to adventure!
She arrived around 10:30 and we all headed off to the Melbourne Aquarium. It's about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We meandered our way over and got inside around 10:45. Nice aquarium! As one would expect in Australia, lots of coral reef exhibits and fish. Not complaining, just pointing out that what would be more exotic to me, is their natural fauna. We saw all types of fish, alligators, lizards, turtles, and jellies. We had a nice lunch there in the aquarium. Overpriced just like every zoo and aquarium I have ever been to of course. But the quality was worth it. I have been watching what we spend carefully and trying to balance the cash usage against the card. So far we're doing okay. Nothing crazy.
Left the aquarium around 2. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a straight up Aussie tourist shop for stuff for everyone back home. Little things, but we managed to get everyone take care of for about $100. Now, when I saw 'we' I really mean B. The stuff we got was primarily for her family. I got the kid something but the majority was for the 900 people B decided to shop for. Whatever. The chance of them ever going to Australia is pretty low, so let them get the stuff.
Came back to the hotel and they watched a movie and relaxed. For dinner we went to Nandos. An excellent peri-peri (kinda like jerk) chicken place. We ate it on the hotel room floor like a picnic. Around 7, B's friend headed home and we collapsed. We were in bed once again by 9:30.
Today we are headed out of the city and into the suburbs. Mostly just to check out the area. Today is a relaxing day. Trying to alternate those and Saturday is our beach day and B's day to see a play. There's a Harry Potter off broadway play going on right now and they bought tickets. While they're seeing the play I am going to wander the area. But that's tomorrow. Nothing so exciting today. A nice train ride out into the country and some picture taking. This morning I am planning on taking a walk down to AC/DC lane where the Cherry Bar is located. The Cherry is the Australian equivalent of the Whiskey or CBGB. There should be some cool graffiti on the walls he says hopefully.
Off to adventure!
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Y10 D18
Yesterday started off a little rough, but managed to finish okay. Basically it all caught up with B and overwhelmed her. We got up, had breakfast, and planned on going to a mall nearby for some shopping. She had said at breakfast she wanted to "take it slow" so I thought she meant move slowly physically. Just kind of meander. She meant that she didn't want to leave until like noon. Big miscommunication there. We ended up leaving at 8am which was right in the middle of morning tram commute. We had to run to the tram as it was leaving when we got to the station, it was packed with people, and just not pleasant. The ride to the mall was a good 25+ minutes. The malls here open at 9 so we did arrive like right when it opened, but she was already flustered. We only managed to walk around a little bit before it all hit her like a tidal wave. We ended up having to walk a half a mile as the train back was in a different area. That didn't help. By the time we got back around 11, she was beat. I ended up calming her down, getting her to rest, and I went out to find us some lunch. At 12:15, downtown, on a weekday. Not fun. I finally decided on some Persian street food which was really good, but it was just an exhausting morning.
After a nap for her, we both got our bearings back and felt better. She slept for over 4 hours. The night was much better. We hopped on the tram and went to the Queen Vic Winter Market. Basically a night market with stalls and food. Imagine Portland Saturday Street Fair booths combined with food trucks. Good food trucks too, not shitty ones. I had BBQ lamb ribs with a normandy potato salad and she had an apple crumble plus chips with gravy (no not from the same place dork). We ended up doing some shopping and she got a cool handmade leather bag, a notebook, and a candle.
Overall, the night really put us back on track. We took the tram back, but stopped a few stops early to do some touristy shopping before the hotel. We got things for the kid, her sisters, a t-shirt for me, etc. Just some odds and ends so people know we love them. Maybe. We'll see.
Today is the aquarium with B's friend. We are taking it slow today and heading out around 11. No other plans than that right now, but it should be a fun day.
After a nap for her, we both got our bearings back and felt better. She slept for over 4 hours. The night was much better. We hopped on the tram and went to the Queen Vic Winter Market. Basically a night market with stalls and food. Imagine Portland Saturday Street Fair booths combined with food trucks. Good food trucks too, not shitty ones. I had BBQ lamb ribs with a normandy potato salad and she had an apple crumble plus chips with gravy (no not from the same place dork). We ended up doing some shopping and she got a cool handmade leather bag, a notebook, and a candle.
Overall, the night really put us back on track. We took the tram back, but stopped a few stops early to do some touristy shopping before the hotel. We got things for the kid, her sisters, a t-shirt for me, etc. Just some odds and ends so people know we love them. Maybe. We'll see.
Today is the aquarium with B's friend. We are taking it slow today and heading out around 11. No other plans than that right now, but it should be a fun day.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Y10 D17
Good afternoon! It's about 6am Wednesday here so 1pm on Tuesday for all of you. I had another nice long sleep. Managed to get a good 7.5 hours this time. I may finally come home rested.
We got up yesterday and started the day with one of the best breakfast buffets I have seen in a while. Because this is an international hotel, the variety was pretty damn good. Beans on toast, poached eggs to order, rice, congee, bircher, 17 different types of breads, salmon, cold meats, back bacon - oh my. It was a real smorgasbord of food. I was very happy with the options presented.
After breakfast B went back to the room to get ready and I took an early morning walk along the Yarra river taking pictures. Got some very nice early morning shots of the river, the alleys with graffiti, the morning people taking the train. (BTO's Taking Care of Business playing in my head the whole time.) Got back to the hotel and waited for B's friend.
She arrived around 9:30 and we all left for the zoo. We took the train which was quite easy and logical. It took about 20 minutes to get from the hotel station to the zoo station. The station we're at is a major hub and is very crowded. The one for the zoo was much more relaxed. It felt like we were waiting for public transportation at home. We arrived at the zoo a little after 10 and spent the next 4 hours walking around. Much larger than it appears for sure. Well laid out, great exhibits, and really friendly people. It was evident that we are here off season as it wasn't overly crowded or packed with school children on field trips. We were able to enjoy ourselves and see everything, including the coolest platypus ever! We even lunch with the giraffes.
We headed back around 2 or so, and B decided to go back with her friend to her house. I opted to have a personal evening to myself and used the time to have a dinner that worked for me. I also walked to the cigar shop. I was excited because you can get real cuban cigars here BUT I didn't realize how much tax there is on tobacco. Let me put it this way, a single pack of cigarettes here can cost as much as $33. You read that right. The cheapest was $20 PER PACK. That's $1 per smoke. Cigars aren't much better. I paid $34 for a single cigar that was on sale for 50% off. I also learned it's illegal to sell e-juice with nicotine. Yeah. So when the bottle I brought is gone, I am screwed. I either have to switch to 0 nicotine and just use it for the mental habit, or be done for good. Either option sucks monkey balls.
For dinner I walked up and down the river until I found something truly unique to me. I went to this place called Pure Southern. I spent two hours having a six course tour of Southern Australia and Tasmania. Here:
Course 1 - Oysters paired with a sparkling (5/10, 6/10) - It's hard to impress me with oysters given where I live ya know?
Course 2 - Jerusalem artichoke with goat curd, honey, and walnut paired with a 2016 Arneis (9/10, 8/10) - This was the surprise course of the night. Look up Jerusalem artichokes if you've never seen them. Much different than your standard variety. This was well presented, well flavored, and just a joy to eat.
Course 3 - Scallops with pork jowl and a Chardonnay (8/10, 9/10) - another well executed dish. The scallops were cooked quite well and they were served in a seaweed bisque that gave them incredible depth.
Course 4 - Wallaby! Yep. I got to eat an 'exotic' meat. Served with a Pinot (9/10, 1/10) - I really disliked the pairing on this one unfortunately. It was way too young. I talked with the GM about it and it's one of those things he told me where Aussies like it, but he gets the same comments I made from Europeans and Americans. The wallaby however was kick ass. Surprisingly solid and bold flavor. Similar to venison.
Course 5 - Lamb with a Shiraz (9/10, 8/10) - a standard entree course but still well presented, well cooked, and flavored nicely. Served with a rabe, it was bold without being overpowering. Same thing goes for the wine.
Course 6 - And finally a creme brulee for dessert served with a Tasmanian ice wine (6/10, 8/10) - while the brulee had good flavor, it was a little soft for my tastes. The ice wine paired perfectly and they wrote happy birthday on it, so no complaints here.
All in all, a really good time even if I was by myself. I am really okay with having all that alone because let's be honest, B would have eaten one course, the dessert. So yeah, I am grateful we got to have some alone time. She and her friend had pizza (which she said was awful), and spend time hanging out. She had a wonderful time herself.
I got back to the hotel around 7:30 and relaxed. B got back about 10. We both crawled into bed around 10:30 and that was that.
Today is a shopping day. We're off to see a Kmart!
We got up yesterday and started the day with one of the best breakfast buffets I have seen in a while. Because this is an international hotel, the variety was pretty damn good. Beans on toast, poached eggs to order, rice, congee, bircher, 17 different types of breads, salmon, cold meats, back bacon - oh my. It was a real smorgasbord of food. I was very happy with the options presented.
After breakfast B went back to the room to get ready and I took an early morning walk along the Yarra river taking pictures. Got some very nice early morning shots of the river, the alleys with graffiti, the morning people taking the train. (BTO's Taking Care of Business playing in my head the whole time.) Got back to the hotel and waited for B's friend.
She arrived around 9:30 and we all left for the zoo. We took the train which was quite easy and logical. It took about 20 minutes to get from the hotel station to the zoo station. The station we're at is a major hub and is very crowded. The one for the zoo was much more relaxed. It felt like we were waiting for public transportation at home. We arrived at the zoo a little after 10 and spent the next 4 hours walking around. Much larger than it appears for sure. Well laid out, great exhibits, and really friendly people. It was evident that we are here off season as it wasn't overly crowded or packed with school children on field trips. We were able to enjoy ourselves and see everything, including the coolest platypus ever! We even lunch with the giraffes.
We headed back around 2 or so, and B decided to go back with her friend to her house. I opted to have a personal evening to myself and used the time to have a dinner that worked for me. I also walked to the cigar shop. I was excited because you can get real cuban cigars here BUT I didn't realize how much tax there is on tobacco. Let me put it this way, a single pack of cigarettes here can cost as much as $33. You read that right. The cheapest was $20 PER PACK. That's $1 per smoke. Cigars aren't much better. I paid $34 for a single cigar that was on sale for 50% off. I also learned it's illegal to sell e-juice with nicotine. Yeah. So when the bottle I brought is gone, I am screwed. I either have to switch to 0 nicotine and just use it for the mental habit, or be done for good. Either option sucks monkey balls.
For dinner I walked up and down the river until I found something truly unique to me. I went to this place called Pure Southern. I spent two hours having a six course tour of Southern Australia and Tasmania. Here:
Course 1 - Oysters paired with a sparkling (5/10, 6/10) - It's hard to impress me with oysters given where I live ya know?
Course 2 - Jerusalem artichoke with goat curd, honey, and walnut paired with a 2016 Arneis (9/10, 8/10) - This was the surprise course of the night. Look up Jerusalem artichokes if you've never seen them. Much different than your standard variety. This was well presented, well flavored, and just a joy to eat.
Course 3 - Scallops with pork jowl and a Chardonnay (8/10, 9/10) - another well executed dish. The scallops were cooked quite well and they were served in a seaweed bisque that gave them incredible depth.
Course 4 - Wallaby! Yep. I got to eat an 'exotic' meat. Served with a Pinot (9/10, 1/10) - I really disliked the pairing on this one unfortunately. It was way too young. I talked with the GM about it and it's one of those things he told me where Aussies like it, but he gets the same comments I made from Europeans and Americans. The wallaby however was kick ass. Surprisingly solid and bold flavor. Similar to venison.
Course 5 - Lamb with a Shiraz (9/10, 8/10) - a standard entree course but still well presented, well cooked, and flavored nicely. Served with a rabe, it was bold without being overpowering. Same thing goes for the wine.
Course 6 - And finally a creme brulee for dessert served with a Tasmanian ice wine (6/10, 8/10) - while the brulee had good flavor, it was a little soft for my tastes. The ice wine paired perfectly and they wrote happy birthday on it, so no complaints here.
All in all, a really good time even if I was by myself. I am really okay with having all that alone because let's be honest, B would have eaten one course, the dessert. So yeah, I am grateful we got to have some alone time. She and her friend had pizza (which she said was awful), and spend time hanging out. She had a wonderful time herself.
I got back to the hotel around 7:30 and relaxed. B got back about 10. We both crawled into bed around 10:30 and that was that.
Today is a shopping day. We're off to see a Kmart!
Monday, June 11, 2018
Y10 D16
When we last saw our heroes, they were somewhere over the ocean! What has become of them? Did they make it safely? Stay tuned to find out!!
Fair warning - I have just had the most contiguous sleep like ever. I slept at least 7.5 hours without waking up once! For me that usually involves drugs, but in this case it's just serious travel. First off, welcome to the FUTURE! That's right dear reader, this message comes to you from tomorrow! Spooooky! It's 4:19am AET. I don't know if that's the right designator, but it works for me. Australian Eastern Time. It make sense to me and it's what we shall use to mark local time for the purpose of these posts.
We landed at Melbourne around 9am AET. Unfortunately since we were 2.5 hours late, the gate was full. Of course it was. We ended up sitting on the tarmac for almost 40 minutes. Finally reached the gate and got off. Felt good to be off a plane for sure. That was the longest non-stop flight I have ever been on. B did great. She got lots of sleep and she has been compartmentalizing her anxiety by just focusing on one task at time. Get on the plane. Get across the ocean. Get through customs. Like that. It's working for her and she is doing great with a massive amount of sensory data. I am so proud to be her husband right now. She is doing better than most of the old white men from business class who were being pissy about being late. Twats.
Once we got off we did some suitcase rearranging. The couple next to us on the plane were wonderful and we had a conversation about what's allowed and what isn't. As a result we tossed a lot of our unsealed stuff (dried fruit, snack mix) and put all of our sealed stuff in a separate bag to make it easier. I also fully declared it on the arrival form to avoid issues. I will admit it did help. We got to the first line, passport control, and sailed through. No issues or questions. Then off to customs. The lines moved smoothly and again, since I declared everything and had it in plain sight, we had no issues. We made it through all of customs in less than 30 minutes. Compared to other places I have been that was a breeze. I was happy that for B's first international experience it went well.
Found our driver and headed off to the hotel. He was wonderful. It was about a 30 minute drive and he pointed out different sites of interest on the way. B even saw a kangaroo on the side of the road grazing! Pretty cool stuff. Got to the hotel, got checked in, and took a much needed shower. B laid down to rest, not sleep, just recharge. I went and found us some food. It's a mix of Amsterdam shop fronts with London streets here. Since I didn't want her first meal to be too crazy, I found a KFC. When I brought that plus some snacks from 7-11 back, she was so excited. The food tasted a thousand times fresher than anything we have at home. We ate, napped, and then waited for B's friend to arrive with her fiancee.
Right before we napped, there was a knock on the door. The GM here at the hotel sent up a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, and a birthday card. Rock on Doubletree.
When B finally met her in person, she lost it for the first time. But in a good way. They got to the hotel around 4:30 and we hung out with them until about 9. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, my treat, and then walked the streets. They pointed out places we should check out, things we need to see in the daylight, oriented us to where good stuff is, how to deal with the train, etc. It was very useful information for me especially. This morning while B is sleeping, I plan to go get our train pass cards and now I know exactly where to go.
After they left, the day caught up to us and we both crashed. We were both out before 9:30. Today we are off to the Melbourne zoo. That should take up a good chunk of the day. From there, B may go over to her friend's house. I haven't decided if I want to go our not. I may just to see it and keep her company. I am going to leave that up to her. But first, BREAKFAST!
Fair warning - I have just had the most contiguous sleep like ever. I slept at least 7.5 hours without waking up once! For me that usually involves drugs, but in this case it's just serious travel. First off, welcome to the FUTURE! That's right dear reader, this message comes to you from tomorrow! Spooooky! It's 4:19am AET. I don't know if that's the right designator, but it works for me. Australian Eastern Time. It make sense to me and it's what we shall use to mark local time for the purpose of these posts.
We landed at Melbourne around 9am AET. Unfortunately since we were 2.5 hours late, the gate was full. Of course it was. We ended up sitting on the tarmac for almost 40 minutes. Finally reached the gate and got off. Felt good to be off a plane for sure. That was the longest non-stop flight I have ever been on. B did great. She got lots of sleep and she has been compartmentalizing her anxiety by just focusing on one task at time. Get on the plane. Get across the ocean. Get through customs. Like that. It's working for her and she is doing great with a massive amount of sensory data. I am so proud to be her husband right now. She is doing better than most of the old white men from business class who were being pissy about being late. Twats.
Once we got off we did some suitcase rearranging. The couple next to us on the plane were wonderful and we had a conversation about what's allowed and what isn't. As a result we tossed a lot of our unsealed stuff (dried fruit, snack mix) and put all of our sealed stuff in a separate bag to make it easier. I also fully declared it on the arrival form to avoid issues. I will admit it did help. We got to the first line, passport control, and sailed through. No issues or questions. Then off to customs. The lines moved smoothly and again, since I declared everything and had it in plain sight, we had no issues. We made it through all of customs in less than 30 minutes. Compared to other places I have been that was a breeze. I was happy that for B's first international experience it went well.
Found our driver and headed off to the hotel. He was wonderful. It was about a 30 minute drive and he pointed out different sites of interest on the way. B even saw a kangaroo on the side of the road grazing! Pretty cool stuff. Got to the hotel, got checked in, and took a much needed shower. B laid down to rest, not sleep, just recharge. I went and found us some food. It's a mix of Amsterdam shop fronts with London streets here. Since I didn't want her first meal to be too crazy, I found a KFC. When I brought that plus some snacks from 7-11 back, she was so excited. The food tasted a thousand times fresher than anything we have at home. We ate, napped, and then waited for B's friend to arrive with her fiancee.
Right before we napped, there was a knock on the door. The GM here at the hotel sent up a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, and a birthday card. Rock on Doubletree.
When B finally met her in person, she lost it for the first time. But in a good way. They got to the hotel around 4:30 and we hung out with them until about 9. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant, my treat, and then walked the streets. They pointed out places we should check out, things we need to see in the daylight, oriented us to where good stuff is, how to deal with the train, etc. It was very useful information for me especially. This morning while B is sleeping, I plan to go get our train pass cards and now I know exactly where to go.
After they left, the day caught up to us and we both crashed. We were both out before 9:30. Today we are off to the Melbourne zoo. That should take up a good chunk of the day. From there, B may go over to her friend's house. I haven't decided if I want to go our not. I may just to see it and keep her company. I am going to leave that up to her. But first, BREAKFAST!
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Y10 D15
This post should be hitting around 7pm Sunday for all of you. HA! No missed days. It's about noon on Monday here. We had a hell of a journey. From the time we left the house until getting to the hotel, it took us 28 hours.
Car service picked us up at home at about 1:45 and we got to the airport around 2:20. We had to go to the counter because this was an international flight and they had to verify our passports. Luckily they were able to check us in for both flights. We got to the club, had some lunch, then headed to our gate at 5pm. The gate agent almost got a beat down. For whatever reason he decided B's bag was too big for overhead and embarrassed her in front of everyone because we had to hold up the line while we rearranged all of our fucking luggage. I ripped him up on twitter. I was extremely pissed beyond belief. We also had a bulkhead seat so everything had to go up above anyway. We got to LA around 8, and then had 2 hours to go from Terminal 4 to the international terminal. WHAT A HAUL. B was dying by the time we go there. We had time to kill and ended up in the OneWorld Quantas lounge. NICE LOUNGE. We had good food, charged everything, and then headed to our gate.
As a OneWorld Sapphire, we were amongst the first to board. There were about 100 on board when they pulled us because of oh, a FIRE ON THE RUNWAY. A Korean Air plane was being towed in when the tug caught on fire. It was right behind our plane. Off we go back to the gate.
For three hours.
We finally got situated around 1am and took off. Our seats were nice. B had a full three seats to herself and was able to lay down. She got quite a bit of sleep on the flight. I was in front of her in an exit with lots of room but no way to lay down. Oh well. They fed us three times on the flight and it was pretty damn good food too.
I will stop there and pick up tomorrow from us arriving at Melbourne Airport.
Car service picked us up at home at about 1:45 and we got to the airport around 2:20. We had to go to the counter because this was an international flight and they had to verify our passports. Luckily they were able to check us in for both flights. We got to the club, had some lunch, then headed to our gate at 5pm. The gate agent almost got a beat down. For whatever reason he decided B's bag was too big for overhead and embarrassed her in front of everyone because we had to hold up the line while we rearranged all of our fucking luggage. I ripped him up on twitter. I was extremely pissed beyond belief. We also had a bulkhead seat so everything had to go up above anyway. We got to LA around 8, and then had 2 hours to go from Terminal 4 to the international terminal. WHAT A HAUL. B was dying by the time we go there. We had time to kill and ended up in the OneWorld Quantas lounge. NICE LOUNGE. We had good food, charged everything, and then headed to our gate.
As a OneWorld Sapphire, we were amongst the first to board. There were about 100 on board when they pulled us because of oh, a FIRE ON THE RUNWAY. A Korean Air plane was being towed in when the tug caught on fire. It was right behind our plane. Off we go back to the gate.
For three hours.
We finally got situated around 1am and took off. Our seats were nice. B had a full three seats to herself and was able to lay down. She got quite a bit of sleep on the flight. I was in front of her in an exit with lots of room but no way to lay down. Oh well. They fed us three times on the flight and it was pretty damn good food too.
I will stop there and pick up tomorrow from us arriving at Melbourne Airport.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Y10 D14
Let's talk about something serious first this morning. Anthony Bourdain is dead. By suicide. He follows Kate Spade earlier in the week. Also suicide. What the fuck is wrong with our generation? How much of a number did our parents do (or not do as it may be) on us?So much mental illness lying undiscovered, untreated, unrecognized. Why? Because when we were kids they told us "it's in your head" (No fucking shit) or 'just think happy', or 'walk it off'. Never 'let's get you some help'. Nope. Too much stigma. "No child of mine is going to see a shrink!". No insurance coverage for mental health issues back then. Is it any wonder we have drug problems? Booze issues? Holes in our head to end it all?
It's a fucked up world, what do you get from it? Sex and love and guns. Light up a cigarette.
Well, today's the day. Off to see the wizard in the land of Oz. Get what I did there? Huh? Huh? Fucking laugh it's funny.
We started stressing about last minute things last night. I can't get our boarding passes until we get to the airport because it's international and they need to zee our papers. That's stressing me out. I will relax in 34 hours when we get off the plane and the fully relax when I am at my hotel in about 36 hours from now. Almost 18 hours of the next 38 will be spent in a tin can 38,000 feet in the air.
Next post from Australia. It will be around 4pm Sunday which will be 9am Monday for me. It's going to feel like I missed a day, but not for real.
Catch you on the flipside.
It's a fucked up world, what do you get from it? Sex and love and guns. Light up a cigarette.
Well, today's the day. Off to see the wizard in the land of Oz. Get what I did there? Huh? Huh? Fucking laugh it's funny.
We started stressing about last minute things last night. I can't get our boarding passes until we get to the airport because it's international and they need to zee our papers. That's stressing me out. I will relax in 34 hours when we get off the plane and the fully relax when I am at my hotel in about 36 hours from now. Almost 18 hours of the next 38 will be spent in a tin can 38,000 feet in the air.
Next post from Australia. It will be around 4pm Sunday which will be 9am Monday for me. It's going to feel like I missed a day, but not for real.
Catch you on the flipside.
Friday, June 8, 2018
Y10 D13
Very tired. When am I not though? I just want to take one day and sleep all the way through. Make up a good 16 hours of sleep. Never going to happen.
Taught day one of my one person class. He's alright. He's asking good questions, paying attention, etc. It's more me being bored with teaching the material and having to teach a single student. Not to mention I do have short-timer's disease. I leave tomorrow. It's hard to pay attention to anything right now. Let alone a bunch of stuff I don't even care about. I figure we can finish today by around 2 which will be okay. I have a few errands to run before we leave, need to get some good sleeping in, and clean some minor stuff.
Slightly overwhelmed.
Taught day one of my one person class. He's alright. He's asking good questions, paying attention, etc. It's more me being bored with teaching the material and having to teach a single student. Not to mention I do have short-timer's disease. I leave tomorrow. It's hard to pay attention to anything right now. Let alone a bunch of stuff I don't even care about. I figure we can finish today by around 2 which will be okay. I have a few errands to run before we leave, need to get some good sleeping in, and clean some minor stuff.
Slightly overwhelmed.
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Y10 D12
The late start of class yesterday took its toll on me for sure. Plus four of the students were internal and one kept me after class until 4:45. Just shut up and let me go home you boo boo head. I am tired! Class itself went fine, but it was just a long tiring day.
The cat is walking into walls with her cone on trying to function. I gave her pain meds before class yesterday and that seemed to help. She spent most of the day just laying on the couch. The other cat is very confused by the cone. She is keeping her distance for once. Good.
Made shrimp with pesto and linguine last night for dinner. Made sure there's enough for leftovers. Trying to minimize the amount of food we leave behind so nothing goes bad. On Saturday morning I will go to the store to make sure there are fresh staples in there for my niece but otherwise, minimal food.
Went to bed around 10:30. Today is one student day. Whee.
The cat is walking into walls with her cone on trying to function. I gave her pain meds before class yesterday and that seemed to help. She spent most of the day just laying on the couch. The other cat is very confused by the cone. She is keeping her distance for once. Good.
Made shrimp with pesto and linguine last night for dinner. Made sure there's enough for leftovers. Trying to minimize the amount of food we leave behind so nothing goes bad. On Saturday morning I will go to the store to make sure there are fresh staples in there for my niece but otherwise, minimal food.
Went to bed around 10:30. Today is one student day. Whee.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Y10 D11
We had a major adventure yesterday. Unwanted one at that. We spent most of the afternoon/early evening at the Vet Emergency room. One of the cats is now walking around with a cone on her head and I am out a nice chunk of money. We will return to this topic in a moment.
I got up early, did my recordings, and was feeling pretty good that I had everything done and put to bed by noon. I was very pleased with myself. I then did some emails in prep of today's class which oh boy, what a pain in the ass that was. 4 of my six students today are internal and they were being just fucking annoying. That kept up until after 8pm. I am not looking forward to deal with them today. I am worried I will get snappy and short with them.
On top of that, my boss starts asking me if I can go straight from MI to NH to FL in July. WTF? Whatever. You're paying for it.
Around 3, B (who didn't get up until 1pm because she had gone to bed at 5am, but that's another story) decided to bathe the cats. One went without a hitch. But the other she noticed some blood coming out of her ear. A lot of blood. Turns out the two idiots must have gotten into a fight earlier in the day and good cat got part of her inner ear torn off. She ended up having to have sedation, stitches, and is now wearing a stupid cone. Every few seconds I am hearing her run into walls. The real issue was dealing with B who thought she had some how torn the ear while bathing. I had the vet reassure her that there was no way for that to have happened.
I finally got home and made dinner. I had something planned all day and was not going to give up on it. We had a nice apricot and honey chicken for dinner. I was completely exhausted by 9pm and was just in a trance until I went to bed an hour later. It was a long, rough day.
Three more days and I can get the fuck out of here.
I got up early, did my recordings, and was feeling pretty good that I had everything done and put to bed by noon. I was very pleased with myself. I then did some emails in prep of today's class which oh boy, what a pain in the ass that was. 4 of my six students today are internal and they were being just fucking annoying. That kept up until after 8pm. I am not looking forward to deal with them today. I am worried I will get snappy and short with them.
On top of that, my boss starts asking me if I can go straight from MI to NH to FL in July. WTF? Whatever. You're paying for it.
Around 3, B (who didn't get up until 1pm because she had gone to bed at 5am, but that's another story) decided to bathe the cats. One went without a hitch. But the other she noticed some blood coming out of her ear. A lot of blood. Turns out the two idiots must have gotten into a fight earlier in the day and good cat got part of her inner ear torn off. She ended up having to have sedation, stitches, and is now wearing a stupid cone. Every few seconds I am hearing her run into walls. The real issue was dealing with B who thought she had some how torn the ear while bathing. I had the vet reassure her that there was no way for that to have happened.
I finally got home and made dinner. I had something planned all day and was not going to give up on it. We had a nice apricot and honey chicken for dinner. I was completely exhausted by 9pm and was just in a trance until I went to bed an hour later. It was a long, rough day.
Three more days and I can get the fuck out of here.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Y10 D10
My co-worker frustrates me sometimes. She is supposed to be teaching a class on Wednesday but she hasn't taught it before and she is nervous about it. She wants me to teach it so she can take it one more time. She over prepares in my mind. She is not an ad-libber like me. I don't mind taking her class, but hers are from 8:30 - 4:30. Mine are normally 7-3 or earlier. It just makes for a long ass day when I take her classes. Oy.
Managed to get one of the two recording sessions done yesterday. I should finish the second today. The classes luckily are not that long. This will definitely give me a full billable week. That's a positive.
Finished around 2, made burgers on the grill for dinner. There was a paper wasp starting to build a next under my BBQ cover. Luckily I zapped him and the next before it could get any traction. I fucking hate wasps. I have come to tolerate bees, but not wasps. They are just pure evil.
B is doing a book edit right now and locked herself away to get it read. Hopefully she finished last night. I honestly don't know yet.
The concierge at the hotel really delivered on all my questions. I am looking forward to checking into a 4-star accommodation after my last hotel stay at the kid corral inn. According to him, they are around 70% occupancy, and their M-Th clientele is business people. Good. Silence. We did start to plan out last night each day as I wanted to figure out our budget. We are doing the zoo, the aquarium, a beach day, and at least one shopping day. B and her friend are going to a play one day. We picked out a few shops we want to check out, like a chocolate shop, and the remainder of the time is flex. About 100 hours until we leave for the airport!
Managed to get one of the two recording sessions done yesterday. I should finish the second today. The classes luckily are not that long. This will definitely give me a full billable week. That's a positive.
Finished around 2, made burgers on the grill for dinner. There was a paper wasp starting to build a next under my BBQ cover. Luckily I zapped him and the next before it could get any traction. I fucking hate wasps. I have come to tolerate bees, but not wasps. They are just pure evil.
B is doing a book edit right now and locked herself away to get it read. Hopefully she finished last night. I honestly don't know yet.
The concierge at the hotel really delivered on all my questions. I am looking forward to checking into a 4-star accommodation after my last hotel stay at the kid corral inn. According to him, they are around 70% occupancy, and their M-Th clientele is business people. Good. Silence. We did start to plan out last night each day as I wanted to figure out our budget. We are doing the zoo, the aquarium, a beach day, and at least one shopping day. B and her friend are going to a play one day. We picked out a few shops we want to check out, like a chocolate shop, and the remainder of the time is flex. About 100 hours until we leave for the airport!
Monday, June 4, 2018
Y10 D9
I tried getting up an hour ago, but I was just too tired. I sat down on the couch and fell back to sleep. Oops.
Talked to the hotel yesterday to arrange some stuff. I ended up emailing with their concierge and got a bunch of questions answered as well as a car booked to pick us up at the airport. One less thing to worry about. The concierge took care of the car, recommended restaurants, and was genuinely a pleasure to deal with, even remotely. No matter how much I bitch, this is why I stay loyal. Especially to the Doubletree brand.
That was my big accomplishment yesterday. Not much else going on. We stayed in the house most of the day. I am trying to be frugal this week in an effort to maximize how much we have next week available to us. We have the $500 in cash, but then I am budgeting another $500 for spending. That translates to about $700 AUD which should be fine. $1200 total for the week. We have three main things planned while we are there - dinner, zoo, penguin island - and then some smaller stuff like the aquarium and the botanical gardens. Add shopping to that and it should all be good.
The rough part will be time changes. I am probably going to miss a day for the first time since my last big international trip, but I will try my best. Be patient with me.
This week I have three days of CBT work and then two days of teaching ONE student. Whee. I am praying he just fails to show up. I can dream.
Talked to the hotel yesterday to arrange some stuff. I ended up emailing with their concierge and got a bunch of questions answered as well as a car booked to pick us up at the airport. One less thing to worry about. The concierge took care of the car, recommended restaurants, and was genuinely a pleasure to deal with, even remotely. No matter how much I bitch, this is why I stay loyal. Especially to the Doubletree brand.
That was my big accomplishment yesterday. Not much else going on. We stayed in the house most of the day. I am trying to be frugal this week in an effort to maximize how much we have next week available to us. We have the $500 in cash, but then I am budgeting another $500 for spending. That translates to about $700 AUD which should be fine. $1200 total for the week. We have three main things planned while we are there - dinner, zoo, penguin island - and then some smaller stuff like the aquarium and the botanical gardens. Add shopping to that and it should all be good.
The rough part will be time changes. I am probably going to miss a day for the first time since my last big international trip, but I will try my best. Be patient with me.
This week I have three days of CBT work and then two days of teaching ONE student. Whee. I am praying he just fails to show up. I can dream.
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Y10 D8
Final trip preparations are underway. Yesterday I emailed my niece who will be staying here, let the office know about her, talked to the neighbors, copied files to bring with us, made car reservations to get to the airport, cleaned the house, final packing checklists, etc. A busy, busy morning followed by a quiet stay home day. B was craving her bi-weekly taco bell so we indulged. The rest of the day was spent binge watching Hotel Hell. We are two hotels into season 3. Only a few more to go.
Today I have to arrange Australia things. Car pickup from the airport to be specific. Plus I have some questions for them about the property. Nothing major, just need to plan. Otherwise, it will be another do nothing day. I do want to go wash the car this morning. Look out!
So close to being gone.
Today I have to arrange Australia things. Car pickup from the airport to be specific. Plus I have some questions for them about the property. Nothing major, just need to plan. Otherwise, it will be another do nothing day. I do want to go wash the car this morning. Look out!
So close to being gone.
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Y10 D7
One more week to go and we are off to AUS. Can't believe it's so close. It seems so long ago we booked everything. Just booked car service for the day of the trip. One step closer.
Had a good meeting with my boss yesterday. He shed some light on some things happening behind the scenes. He also put my mind at ease as to the revenue streams coming into the company. I am still not 100% convinced everything is okay, but I feel better. It helped to talk to him.
Worked on CBT stuff yesterday morning then relaxed in the afternoon. I made a Oaxaca style brisket for dinner with elote street corn. Came out REALLY good. Slow cooked for 4 hours with so many herbs and spices. We have some left which will go great as a burrito.
We started watching a 'new' to us show last night - Hotel Hell. We made it through the entire first season. It was a fun watch. I am having trouble getting parts of the 3rd season, but we still have season 2 to get through. Good binge watching kind of show. I also spent time yesterday copying a bunch of stuff to my machine to watch on the plane. We need to be ready.
My thumb is healing okay. Still not fully healed but hey, it's not bleeding or infected and that's all that counts sometimes.
Going to get the car washed this morning, clean the house in prep for our leaving, and that's about it for weekend plans.
Had a good meeting with my boss yesterday. He shed some light on some things happening behind the scenes. He also put my mind at ease as to the revenue streams coming into the company. I am still not 100% convinced everything is okay, but I feel better. It helped to talk to him.
Worked on CBT stuff yesterday morning then relaxed in the afternoon. I made a Oaxaca style brisket for dinner with elote street corn. Came out REALLY good. Slow cooked for 4 hours with so many herbs and spices. We have some left which will go great as a burrito.
We started watching a 'new' to us show last night - Hotel Hell. We made it through the entire first season. It was a fun watch. I am having trouble getting parts of the 3rd season, but we still have season 2 to get through. Good binge watching kind of show. I also spent time yesterday copying a bunch of stuff to my machine to watch on the plane. We need to be ready.
My thumb is healing okay. Still not fully healed but hey, it's not bleeding or infected and that's all that counts sometimes.
Going to get the car washed this morning, clean the house in prep for our leaving, and that's about it for weekend plans.
Friday, June 1, 2018
Y10 D6
Yesterday was a bit stressful. I am worried about work. My boss isn't doing anything to help reduce those fears. We have a 10am meeting today, hopefully I will learn something new. Not holding my breath.
Did have a nice evening though. Met my friend downtown, had a leisurely dinner, good conversation, and a pleasant train ride.
Looks like I am back to doing CBT work. Oh boy.
Just one more week. I can do it.
Did have a nice evening though. Met my friend downtown, had a leisurely dinner, good conversation, and a pleasant train ride.
Looks like I am back to doing CBT work. Oh boy.
Just one more week. I can do it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)