Personal Ass.

My dad was kind enough to hire a personal ass. for me while I am working for him.  She will be happy to assist you if you need to make an appointment with me.  She also guards my desk from any intruders.

Scat!

For those of you that don't know, my family's tradition is to cut down a tree from my parents' property. Since Ben and my dad were ill, my mom and I were left with the task of hunting for the Christmas tree. We had many adventures on our journey, but the most exiting was when we ran across an exiting find; bobcat scat!




The trip was successful except for when the tree fell on my mom because I didn't yell "timber" in time. Now, it is beautifully decorated and standing proudly in the living room.

It's a Good Day to be a Beaver.

Go Beavs!!!!!

Dear Loyal Fans,

Please accept my sincerest apologies for my absence. I have been caught up in the whirlwind that is the second semester of a three semester master program. Whew! Glad it is over. Since I have been "tagged" by one of my fellow "bloggers" JJ, http://traumathedrama.blogspot.com/, I am required to "divulge" no less than eight random items about myself, then provide links to no less than eight more bloggers that will have officially been tagged. So,

1. There is currently a spider that looks like this living by my recycling bin. Although nothing can stop me from recycling, this spider sure comes close. According to the Spiders of Australia website: “These are the common garden spiders that make that familiar vertical orb-web usually at face level. During the day the spiders remain in hiding nearby.



2. Ben's mom and her friend came to visit a few weeks ago, and we had a great time. That is her, Ben's brother, and I. This is not what they always look like.



3. A few weeks ago, I was riding my bike home, when I noticed a magpie on a wire, looking at me. I rode under the wire, and could hear it coming at me from behind. So, I quickly turned around to face it (if you remember from previous posts, they never attack if you are facing them), and it stopped mid-air. Thinking I had avoided attack, I kept riding. But, when I turned back around, it was coming at me again. So, I had to ride for half of a block, turned around. Luckily, I lived to tell the tale.

4. One time Jeff Gianola asked me what time it was on the MAX. It was 9:46.

5. I share a birthday with Joey Lawrence, of Blossom fame.

6. I really enjoy pulling weeds.

7. I can make my mouth look like Beaker from the Muppets’ mouth.



8. I can parallell park like a champ.

Whew. That was almost as hard as my exam last week.

These are the only other bloggers I know personally:

1. http://381broadst.blogspot.com/
2. http://extendedadventure.blogspot.com/

Bye for now!

Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady

Three exiting things have happened recently:

1. Beer. On tap. In the house.
2. Ben turned into a giant.
3. It's raining! All those containers (except the one with the yellow lid) are filled with life-giving water!

When Birds Attack: Round Three

0900 hours: Attacked by butcher bird.

Modus Operandi: Same as attack #1. See previous post, "More Bird News" (Not to be confused with the swooping Magpie in "Even More Bird News".)

Even More Bird News

I got swooped by a magpie today. Swooping is a very common practice during breeding season, where a bird will rush at you from behind, as if it is going to attack. Usually they just get close enough to scare you, but the really agro ones will actually attack. The creepiest part is the clicking noise they make by smacking their beak. It sounds like doom. They won't attack if you are looking at them, so people have been known to put sunglasses on the back of their head to fool the birds. This reminds me of that underground world in Mario Brothers where the ghost won't attack you if you are facing him. Da na na na na na.

Can Openers

Can openers in Australia are strange and difficult to function.

Also, you can't get Kraft mac and cheese in spirals, or Dr. Pepper.

More Bird News

I was attacked by a bird yesterday! I was riding my bike, when something hit my helmet from behind. I thought someone had thrown something at me, but then I saw the bird, flying away! Luckily, my helmet protected me. Sometimes people get gashes from bird attacks during mating season. The best part was that guy on another bike saw it, and was trying not to laugh.

Don't Forget

Wednesday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Please access these resources if you need help getting into the spirit:
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Talk_Like_a_Pirate_Day

Fun and Games

Dear Loyal Fans,

So many exciting and non-exciting things have been happening lately, I haven’t had time to blog. My wish is for you to enjoy this assortment of photographs from recent goings-on.

The most exiting news first. The dilligent magpie-lark that regularly attacks our house has recently increased the intensity and frequency of the attacks. This is because him and his mate have built a nest in the backyard. Stay tuned for updates.

Garden Update

In an attempt to increase the productivity of the garden, I relocated the plants to a couple new plots. Unfortunately, last night a sneaky possum decided to take advantage of the new location, and munched on my first (almost) ripe tomato of the season. Such is life down under. Luckily, there are more tomatoes on the way.

They Say It's Your Birthday

We celebrated the 25th year of Ben’s existence on 1 September. This year, his birthday coincided with a city festival called Riverfire. The main attraction of said festival is a super spectacular fireworks display coming off barges in the river, bridges, and buildings. This is the mother of all fireworks displays. The photos don’t do it justice, so you will just have to come next year to see it in person.

And You Though Vegemite was Gross...

Newb

Hi Friends,
Please enjoy these photos of the newborn beer (in the green jug), and the toddlers (bottles). The newborn is currently swaddled, in its own nursery, with a heater. The bottles will be reach maturity in a few weeks, and the newb will be another six weeks or so. Yum!

The Ekka

The Ekka is very similar to a county fair. It is held in Brisbane every year. The highlights were the baby animals, and the Meat Hall. Plus the delicious treats; Dagwood Dogs, and strawberry sundaes.

Pretty Sand by Moreton Island

This is a photo from a plane going to Cairns, looking down on a sandbar.

Huntsman

Not an optical illusion. This spider is as big as it appears.

Perisher

We got to ski this weekend! The snow was somewhat slushy, but we had so much fun.



We stayed with Graham in the Catholic church, which is a couple minutes from skiing and the medical center where he works.





Graham plays the mandolin at a local restaurant, which serves the most delicious food in the land.

SYTYCD!!!

So You Think You Can Dance season three will be airing in Australia in a few weeks. My heart will go on.

Mom and Dad's Excellent Adventure

Dear All My Loyal Fans,

Many apologies for not updating the blog sooner. I was busy having fun while my parents were visiting. Please enjoy these photos from the trip.

For all of you ‘in the know’ I just created an account on Facebook. I already have about one thousand or more friends on it, but maybe I’ll add you. If you ask nicely.

Next week Ben and I are headed for the “mountains” of Australia to visit Ben’s dad. Stay tuned...

Art Project

Guess whose idea it was to high-five our brushes.

Flora/Fauna