tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71713586722197070572024-02-20T01:49:43.172-08:00Time Yet for Visionsa hundred indecision, visions, and revisionsChelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-47092945028586712472012-02-01T23:03:00.000-08:002012-02-02T01:15:17.712-08:00Market Day<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I read a blog recently where the author mused about how there's always a market going on somewhere and how happy the thought of that made her. I must agree. I love a good market. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Our friends Dale and Aki told us about the Sydney Markets sometime shortly after I moved here and it's been on our list to make at least one trip while we live here. Dale and Aki have five kids, so they go pretty frequently to stock up on fruit. Early one wet Saturday morning, Dale was making just such a routine visit and invited us along. Since it's just me and Spencer and we have pretty limited fridge space, we had to keep ourselves to one or two of this or that compared to Dale's case or two of this or that. But our fridge was stuffed full of some beautiful produce for a couple of weeks. We only wished we could have accommodated more.</span></div>
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<tr style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've never eaten so many mangoes in my whole life as I have in the year I've lived here. They are around all summer, they are cheap and they are so good.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Aussies love their beetroot.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A quick lesson from the expert on picking the perfect mango.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My favorite sign of all. "Spinch," anyone?</span></td></tr>
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<br />Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-35076802356861071722012-01-23T21:04:00.000-08:002012-01-24T17:28:13.732-08:00Noodles of the Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Every year, as part
of the Sydney Food Festival (which, incidentally, was way back in October...that's how behind I am), they hold Night
Noodle Markets for a week in
Hyde Park. When we heard that this would be part of the month-long culinary celebration, we knew we must check it out and get our fill of dim sum and
noodley deliciousness. Asian street food is definitely on our list of
things we love to eat. (But then...that's a long list.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">When we could not eat even one more noodle, we walked around the city for a bit to take in the scenery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">St. James Station</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Sydney Tower </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Queen Victoria Building </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Built in 1898 to replace the Sydney markets on the same site, the QVB was later used for offices for the Sydney County Council. At one point it
was in danger of being torn down, but was instead restored and returned
to its original purpose as a shopping center--currently housing a very
posh mall. It is one of our favorite buildings in the city. We love to
walk around inside to admire the interior, although I can't say we make many (or any...)
purchases.</span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sydney Town Hall</span></span></div>
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<br />Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-60967084771141872572012-01-11T15:27:00.000-08:002012-01-11T22:25:24.783-08:00Split Personality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We live on a little neck of land between the Sydney Harbour and the Pacific Ocean, which means that when we come out of our apartment, we can go right one block and hit water or we can go left one block and hit water. The harbour side has a sort of East Coast feel--with ferries making their regularly-scheduled journeys and quaint little lighthouses in the distance and sailboats rocking back and forth in the water. The ocean side feels more West Coast--with surfers and bikini-clad sun worshipers and everything that comes with a beach culture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I love both sides equally for their different personalities. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">After living in Dallas my whole life, I struck out to the West Coast to try Los Angeles on for size. And I loved it. After a few years there, I decided to finally head to the East Coast, where I'd always envisioned myself landing. So, it was off to Washington, DC. I loved it there, too. LA and DC are completely different from one another in pretty much every way, and I have a deep love for both cities for totally different reasons. Each one awakens different parts of my soul. When I moved to DC, I missed LA terribly. But I knew that if I ever moved back to LA, I'd miss DC just as much. What do you do when you want to be in two places at the same time? Or, rather, when you want two places to be...the same place...?</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Living in Manly is a little bit like living on the West Coast and the East Coast all at once. At last, my multiple personalities are able to find simultaneous fulfillment. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Still...this place could really use a Georgetown Cupcake. Just sayin'.</span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-42358258959079989992011-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:002011-11-10T23:27:35.120-08:00Reading Room<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">"A room without books is like a body without a soul." So said Cicero.<br /><br />It could be said that my and Spencer's relationship is based on a book. Well...books (plural), actually.</span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />I moved many times as a single lady. Many. Times. In ten years, I
lived
in seven apartments. Four in Dallas, two in LA, and one in DC. Moving
for me means boxes and boxes of books to be hauled down the
stairs...only to have to be hauled back up the stairs again at my new
place (because I almost always live on the third floor somehow).</span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />Amidst one of my many moves as I was boxing up my books yet again, I
remember wondering aloud to my mom, "What if I end up with a boy who
doesn't like books?" She said she didn't think that was
possible.</span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />Spencer and I met three weeks after I arrived in DC in July 2009 and
had gone out six or eight times before he moved to Australia that
October. When he left, there was no arrangement, no understanding
between us. But we kept in touch and would chat here and there--just
small talk, mostly. And then! And <i>then</i> we had a conversation about <i>Atlas
Shrugged</i>. He'd never read it, I told him he must. He bought the book
and started reading it within the week. He loved it. He couldn't stop
talking about it. And, for the first time, I started to
think things could get serious. When he came home for the holidays he gave me a
bracelet that had reminded him of the one Hank gave Dagny, and I gave
him...another book: <i>Shop Class as Soulcraft</i>.</span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />I hadn't yet read that one, but I wanted to, and I hoped he would
want to. He did. He read it on the plane on his way back to
Australia. And he loved it.</span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />Before we were engaged, I'd given him
two more books. He began reading every book I gave him almost the minute he had it in his hands. I'd never had a boy show so much interest in what I cared about. I wasn't even sure it was
possible.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">And now, a pattern has officially developed. </span><span style="font-size: small;">A few weeks ago, when he arrived home from work, he surprised me with a book he'd picked up for me. The best part about this constant book exchange is the conversation it fuels. We talk and talk about what we are learning and about how our world views are being affected. And </span><span style="font-size: small;">we are more connected because of it.<br /><br />It seems my mom was right. It could never have been otherwise. Books<i> have to be</i> a significant part of my life with Spencer, else there would be no life with Spencer.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In every
room a stack of books and in our bodies, souls.</span>
</div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-39444109644069701662011-10-10T22:28:00.000-07:002011-10-16T03:01:18.089-07:00Manly: Up Darley Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every time I leave our apartment without a camera I regret it. There is so much to capture--so many endearing things about Manly, so many details I've grown to love. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love the sidewalk cafes and little boutiques. I love the architectural stylings of all the old buildings. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love the traditional Aussie houses with their red tile roofs and swoopy waves on the peaks. I love the chimneys. I love the doors. I love the fences. I love the gates. I love the tiled front porches and the ornate overhangs. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And I think I'll never forget what life looks like here. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But then I remember. Time moves quickly and images fade and your memory is all too soon only able to offer up very vague renderings of what life was before it became what it is.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> So. New goal. Take the camera with me <strike>everywhere I go</strike> more often. Even if I'm just walking up Darley Road to visit a friend in the hospital. Which, incidentally, is where these shots came from. </span></span><br />
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</div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-46645773392529160412011-10-06T20:36:00.000-07:002011-10-10T05:06:32.586-07:00Great Barrier Reef: Check<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3Pb382daOWi2XAabkiwC1pFMTKTND6OjnhkfCV7yaTYLfNzTfgCA0LH820rPce5TgDdZ1e8q0l5w_6x_KyK75ohOpOm4pPd3jIUHdUMiGv1VG_l6JW8eImkhOsb0-EycohdmEKZ4rsCg/s1600/IMG_2172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3Pb382daOWi2XAabkiwC1pFMTKTND6OjnhkfCV7yaTYLfNzTfgCA0LH820rPce5TgDdZ1e8q0l5w_6x_KyK75ohOpOm4pPd3jIUHdUMiGv1VG_l6JW8eImkhOsb0-EycohdmEKZ4rsCg/s640/IMG_2172.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">An anniversary is a good excuse for a little trip, don't you think? We thought it the perfect occasion to check the Great Barrier Reef off our list.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check!</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We flew into Cairns on Thursday evening and drove north on a dark, winding, 2-lane road for what felt like forever, but what was really only about an hour. We arrived at our hotel in Port Douglas at almost midnight and headed straight to bed, as we were scheduled to meet our shuttle for our snorkel tour first thing in the morning. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We spent Friday on the open seas. The Great Barrier Reef is 50 kilometers off shore (which takes about an hour and a half by boat). It was a beautiful day, so we headed to the top level of the boat and claimed a couple of lounge chairs and thought we'd get some sun since we had some time to kill. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIj4SaMyO-lN1I8d3FLKgsqwG5Y7aYqSWQG-y_4YQ3CzBV1z2HKCBZ4w2l_a_yuz6viRmAEkHRU3ob0ORYRjNstR93heNyDnjVhvFlWaGZhBYYSfEZG7da82b5-lweX2Aq2dR4KNlcMNMc/s1600/IMG_2121-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIj4SaMyO-lN1I8d3FLKgsqwG5Y7aYqSWQG-y_4YQ3CzBV1z2HKCBZ4w2l_a_yuz6viRmAEkHRU3ob0ORYRjNstR93heNyDnjVhvFlWaGZhBYYSfEZG7da82b5-lweX2Aq2dR4KNlcMNMc/s640/IMG_2121-1-1.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">The water was a mite rough, and we were getting tossed around pretty good up on the third level of the boat...but we thought, eh, we can take it! The further we got from shore, however, the less sun we seemed to have. Dark clouds were on the horizon, and the wind was blowing something fierce. (For a second I wondered if we'd boarded the USS Minnow.) We kept getting pounded by huge waves of icy water, which is fine when there's sun to dry you off and warm you up. Less so when it's just cloudy and windy and cold. Needless to say, we didn't last long "lounging in the sun" and ran for cover down below.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The sun didn't really come out all day, but luckily, our snorkel guides were fully prepared and provided wetsuits to help make our adventures in the water a little less chilly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Great Barrier Reef is amazing. Its sheer size alone is almost unfathomable. The water is crystal clear and there is plenty of sea life to hang out with, of course. Our favorite sightings of the day would have to be the reef shark and the giant clam. (Oh, and Angus--the huge blue groper who was hanging out under the boat at every stop. How did he know where to find us every time?) The red, blue, orange and yellow coral just goes on forever. We didn't have an underwater camera, but our snorkel tour peeps had a photographer in the water with us so we got this amazing shot of us in action. Christmas card material? Hmmmm, perhaps not.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Other than adventuring "way far away from the dock" to see the reef, we spent the rest of our time totally relaxing and enjoying the scenery of Port Douglas. Oh, and eating. Lots of eating.</span></span></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We loved getting to see such different terrain from what we're used to in our </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">neck of the woods. Much more tropical and mountainous </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">in that part of the country.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqklDcTqj9501DnWuqXafpq-7j8HG4d_m5tC8bEa73MCvkGH5e3Rp4FOHK0BuEpk_UFFIV6tgyIS85xLKoyTE4xW4y5fdLVBecYX16ob9HyCSSGAD19myOgqY_g8wr3cHH7wVa2K5PXS2/s1600/IMG_2144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqklDcTqj9501DnWuqXafpq-7j8HG4d_m5tC8bEa73MCvkGH5e3Rp4FOHK0BuEpk_UFFIV6tgyIS85xLKoyTE4xW4y5fdLVBecYX16ob9HyCSSGAD19myOgqY_g8wr3cHH7wVa2K5PXS2/s640/IMG_2144.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLleLUiKpPzKAuklQZaB1zkZ1hC10Q-a0bq5qkPJDqvxctXp79hXGok7YhHGeZ8iOiYNzeALLeIWp5VhZjCvMbn47Pd62pFutiEVaaA8K-6ZBEZmVF0a_TT_2vvrEx1xFVLMX7BMjJGk86/s1600/IMG_2175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLleLUiKpPzKAuklQZaB1zkZ1hC10Q-a0bq5qkPJDqvxctXp79hXGok7YhHGeZ8iOiYNzeALLeIWp5VhZjCvMbn47Pd62pFutiEVaaA8K-6ZBEZmVF0a_TT_2vvrEx1xFVLMX7BMjJGk86/s640/IMG_2175.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzC7BR9-IG-LMWOp0v2Ww3uBDhBd-4xZmAkToQJi8aXWFrmH4wgF7m-3DN5weYv3DcuACodF7z3jAbg6WZybBjFgPQDsYcsQE9B7Cd_rECH1PZP9tL20XRZYOFgCHZcDRuynkBJ9pZ7z9/s1600/Chelsea-44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzC7BR9-IG-LMWOp0v2Ww3uBDhBd-4xZmAkToQJi8aXWFrmH4wgF7m-3DN5weYv3DcuACodF7z3jAbg6WZybBjFgPQDsYcsQE9B7Cd_rECH1PZP9tL20XRZYOFgCHZcDRuynkBJ9pZ7z9/s640/Chelsea-44.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rock oysters and a bottle of Pellegrino equals one happy husband.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2H_FAL4GyrknYT03b56ZFHb1lve1p064IISWW-dvrcTvKsMNhSycBAzmBeDunupYPC4u98_b0Rf3pqcJbFM4IecHydKiK8ozmFUIuycjqwGgxGCP-h4PVWxXTkL9CeHX3m3iW4JFD9C1/s1600/IMG_2127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2H_FAL4GyrknYT03b56ZFHb1lve1p064IISWW-dvrcTvKsMNhSycBAzmBeDunupYPC4u98_b0Rf3pqcJbFM4IecHydKiK8ozmFUIuycjqwGgxGCP-h4PVWxXTkL9CeHX3m3iW4JFD9C1/s640/IMG_2127.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> The view from our table for our anniversary breakfast.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8O-ceNwS5ogJZdx9BljCy9T1wtuo2oEmh6KX2N4oX6QWJn6s1xDBwA8d2UFshi2X8wsiqmsBIXT5VqNPULMv-l0qwVmwRgYEp3BYleOSijLP76Xh12neRAcDI6Jn9YXBpQ7l6leF3DAP/s1600/Chelsea-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8O-ceNwS5ogJZdx9BljCy9T1wtuo2oEmh6KX2N4oX6QWJn6s1xDBwA8d2UFshi2X8wsiqmsBIXT5VqNPULMv-l0qwVmwRgYEp3BYleOSijLP76Xh12neRAcDI6Jn9YXBpQ7l6leF3DAP/s640/Chelsea-28.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Mmmm.... A delicious brekkie.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Please, could someone </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">make me stuffed french toast for breakfast every morning? Thank you.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGp7kROK7MJl-9hAnrtQrEFmmg8YHKJfh4rj_-jf4Ty0YNPIjWXav-Obb7S0jyTouervDDf4Z7mfim_7elFdbt4qZ_-IAdWqs-nyTK6IQhJskJ8JKsB28LeSnW4r46w1oQqEknbsb8TcD/s1600/Chelsea-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGp7kROK7MJl-9hAnrtQrEFmmg8YHKJfh4rj_-jf4Ty0YNPIjWXav-Obb7S0jyTouervDDf4Z7mfim_7elFdbt4qZ_-IAdWqs-nyTK6IQhJskJ8JKsB28LeSnW4r46w1oQqEknbsb8TcD/s640/Chelsea-29.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I may or may not have snagged some protein off the </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">mister's plate. Really. Who needs that much meat in one meal? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1S1E24TFwFhVEjn1T4S5sI1vKt1l6hE7Q7P5vDInXlSBZj9vcEZttOAUVDzyxikhpQI7qXOjZaPlFtZLXvZMBa9ohVvgyjZq9ALyGl3dPwk8xgJI3vJm1PojbuG-ewZExToguK0xt3muS/s1600/Chelsea-31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="499" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1S1E24TFwFhVEjn1T4S5sI1vKt1l6hE7Q7P5vDInXlSBZj9vcEZttOAUVDzyxikhpQI7qXOjZaPlFtZLXvZMBa9ohVvgyjZq9ALyGl3dPwk8xgJI3vJm1PojbuG-ewZExToguK0xt3muS/s640/Chelsea-31.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And the most interesting part of breakfast was this guy hanging out in the water. Spencer was</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> less intrigued than I. He forged ahead with his meatlover's special while I grabbed the camera every time </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">the croc came close and went running to the edge of the dock trying to get a shot. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaKJL90Fpunt20K0tim3VAW7nS0u4jgmTnhbWKP4ENWanJXFGAdQZGifF7LIscw78KMNC_5UfqTS47z6tjgXsUx9bw7FiCiVdgd9m4vEaUulLPyhvqcKD6fwWX9RldI1WSxIVS8TJwkr-/s1600/Chelsea-36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaKJL90Fpunt20K0tim3VAW7nS0u4jgmTnhbWKP4ENWanJXFGAdQZGifF7LIscw78KMNC_5UfqTS47z6tjgXsUx9bw7FiCiVdgd9m4vEaUulLPyhvqcKD6fwWX9RldI1WSxIVS8TJwkr-/s640/Chelsea-36.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I sang, "Don't ever smile at a crocodile," the rest of the day. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Obviously. I mean, wouldn't you?</span></span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-76599728891305711482011-09-27T19:49:00.000-07:002011-09-29T02:46:26.850-07:00As the Shadows Fall<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGba5HDlkdbbMLbzJthCGRXJq8z0SgY-kCH35jbUZAHhIvGC9Xhav29mKpcSWOZLkXUX-MRyg6O4DNqyUydx5Z2XxkNv3VCVkKaaMDzE8vaFz5RIMXNcqyVj4T46Z9DX46kHObLaY5UaIu/s1600/IMG_2176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGba5HDlkdbbMLbzJthCGRXJq8z0SgY-kCH35jbUZAHhIvGC9Xhav29mKpcSWOZLkXUX-MRyg6O4DNqyUydx5Z2XxkNv3VCVkKaaMDzE8vaFz5RIMXNcqyVj4T46Z9DX46kHObLaY5UaIu/s640/IMG_2176.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took this picture from my window as we flew back from Cairns last Sunday night. I had become rather involved with my book as we flew, but looked up just in time to see this golden ribbon of sunlight momentarily resting on Australia before the indigo sky gently pressed it down into the shadows.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In that moment, I became very aware of the space our silver airplane occupied as it moved through the sky in what suddenly felt like slow motion.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> I thought</span><span style="font-size: small;"> about all the life that was being lived on the ground below as the darkness gathered--life that is rich and satisfying at times, cruel and heartbreaking at others--and how none of it ends just because night comes. </span><span style="font-size: small;">I wondered at what God must see from above that ribbon of light. How many</span><span style="font-size: small;"> individual circumstances and struggles. How many tragedies, how many triumphs. How many loves and hurts and joys and fears.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> And how He knows them all. And feels them all. And holds them all in His hands.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"And [my] heart swelled wide as eternity." Because I have a part in that great scene playing out below. And, tiny as my role may be, I am tied to the whole of it.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>As the shadows fall, O Savior,</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Turn our thoughts and minds to thee.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Help us, Lord, that we may strive for </i></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Peace, and find our rest in thee.</i></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-69125111849237591672011-09-19T07:44:00.000-07:002011-09-29T00:20:22.605-07:00Grass So Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LSPuIgbmQHbNeljH1PDv0tmsGuV11EovbCQaUmPDR6ia1sxIzjr7Z8fxMzrbUbbWKE9PrBJ0mGF6pRvKaOr8yJed6HCM1X026A1STasftyneCD4e_BEB_hEI245XM4cqQpQq28Kafs9i/s1600/Chelsea-48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LSPuIgbmQHbNeljH1PDv0tmsGuV11EovbCQaUmPDR6ia1sxIzjr7Z8fxMzrbUbbWKE9PrBJ0mGF6pRvKaOr8yJed6HCM1X026A1STasftyneCD4e_BEB_hEI245XM4cqQpQq28Kafs9i/s640/Chelsea-48.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We took this picture when we visited Kangaroo Valley last Christmas, and I think it's so pretty. And so green!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You know that thing about how the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence from wherever it is you’re standing? Well, I’m here to tell you it’s true. The grass <i>is</i> greener.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A year ago yesterday, Spencer and I tied the knot. Before finding him, I had moments here and there (slash everyday) where I wondered if he was ever going to turn up. Sometimes, in such moments, people would tell me that marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be anyway, so not to worry about it--to enjoy my single life while it lasted 'cause, you know, the grass is always greener. But a year ago, I hopped the fence to inspect the grass myself. All I can say is this grass is so dang green! Greenest grass I’ve ever seen, I tell ya. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maybe I'm still experiencing a bit of a honeymoon phase...? Perhaps it's that I was single into my 30s and had plenty of time (not to mention reason) to wonder if there was ever going to be an end to that chapter of my life--so, now I can look back on my single days and know for sure what I'm missing (or rather, not missing...). Whatever the case may be, I'm not worrying too much about what's making the grass look this way. I'm just enjoying the view. </span> </div><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Green. As far as the eye can see. </span></span>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-46857528707647820822011-09-08T17:17:00.000-07:002011-09-08T21:08:45.234-07:00One Day More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionrXC2Q6_7bxMOf_iKpio85iEDnQIMMs_THcgdSw3OSiJawcNn0ys5nIxrwB8eDFs8IAfyrRM_SuicQ8ZB6tnYm85a7qlySwFNvtsvZymq9vVE6mzTvwIWuT29gf34csBifnoLCdE_0B2/s1600/IMG_1986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionrXC2Q6_7bxMOf_iKpio85iEDnQIMMs_THcgdSw3OSiJawcNn0ys5nIxrwB8eDFs8IAfyrRM_SuicQ8ZB6tnYm85a7qlySwFNvtsvZymq9vVE6mzTvwIWuT29gf34csBifnoLCdE_0B2/s640/IMG_1986.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everyday we spend living here, I can’t help but think about how we're one day closer to returning back to a life in the States, which is to say, everyday here brings us one day closer to leaving this adventure behind. Every time I take a run to Shelly Beach, I think about the day I’ll be running on sidewalks on regular streets in a regular neighborhood in regular America. Every time I see the Sydney Harbor bridge and the Opera House, I think about the day we’ll only be able to say, “Oh, we’ve been there,” instead of, “Yeah, we live there.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We often talk about how our lives will never again be the way they are right now. And we know that there will be days where we will long for this life when we no longer have it. Still, we feel drawn to what our lives will become on one of those regular streets in a regular neighborhood in regular America.<br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">But right now, we have this life. For at least one day more. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-58183594389158051942011-08-23T23:51:00.000-07:002011-09-09T05:46:17.118-07:00Home, Sweet Home<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We got to go home to the States a couple of weeks ago. Spencer's sister was getting married, so that gave us an excuse (thanks, Katie!) to make the trip across the pond and spend some time with family and friends. (And stock up on all the items we can't get over here in Australia. Hauling one empty suitcase home to fill with goodies is just SOP these days.)</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">First stop was Salt Lake City for the wedding. Our first night in town we went into the city for dinner and, while there, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">took an obligatory picture on the wedding pedestal and wondered if we'd made a mistake getting married in Dallas. (I think I'll always be torn on that one.)</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04X3iO05LsLa22A7TPOa5DmtfGacH5A_qgaZ28brSlSqYc45CwP_yCIUfd0MrPzhopkt0cIJOfVt52QhIqCtDhLw-53hHXZU29ZHlvJsUEr7I1VCRreN3IgypJLmhbJXkbYLcpfqCG42G/s1600/IMG_2076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04X3iO05LsLa22A7TPOa5DmtfGacH5A_qgaZ28brSlSqYc45CwP_yCIUfd0MrPzhopkt0cIJOfVt52QhIqCtDhLw-53hHXZU29ZHlvJsUEr7I1VCRreN3IgypJLmhbJXkbYLcpfqCG42G/s640/IMG_2076.jpg" width="440" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How could I not feel a little bit that way when we see this as we're coming up the sidewalk? Really.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharYx1WOtmlynFyFhQrF_9qNdlsvp4xUi2NO4L2PkI-5khmaWBdh8lDoI14NowLxxSBFuNWz-LTL5uSYxZ1qMPQ2h7_3BeQh_tUvk-y4nC6awXrMTMaFFPg1wfEb4PaEgKupfLvjXTF56T/s1600/IMG_2080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharYx1WOtmlynFyFhQrF_9qNdlsvp4xUi2NO4L2PkI-5khmaWBdh8lDoI14NowLxxSBFuNWz-LTL5uSYxZ1qMPQ2h7_3BeQh_tUvk-y4nC6awXrMTMaFFPg1wfEb4PaEgKupfLvjXTF56T/s400/IMG_2080.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Before leaving Utah, we took a day and drove down to BYU. I haven't been back since I graduated and wanted to see what had changed. The "Y" is still up there on the side of the mountain. (Whew.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbQDCG-gq3L6ThwyROBJMCwRVWuugm_r7PhOnIVlF3XM8e1kZvfbV5bfc6fXdDY8na4s_d1ns25RAQdYVV4Dx3EAM3fh-5URYX-6RQ_Jq6ka4gHh56lpad9ft4l6YQUYdOojgJtiJi83b/s1600/IMG_2084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbQDCG-gq3L6ThwyROBJMCwRVWuugm_r7PhOnIVlF3XM8e1kZvfbV5bfc6fXdDY8na4s_d1ns25RAQdYVV4Dx3EAM3fh-5URYX-6RQ_Jq6ka4gHh56lpad9ft4l6YQUYdOojgJtiJi83b/s400/IMG_2084.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While the new Joseph Smith Building is beautiful...I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty sad to see so much concrete between the SWKT and what was once the SFLC, where there used to be a nice grassy quad. So many sunny afternoons spent lounging on that green with friends, then heading to class (on those rare occasions when we actually chose to <i>go</i> to class) only to come back to find a whole new group of friends spread out on the grass with books open and notes out. (Who were they kidding? None of us ever got any studying done like that.</span></span>)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDisLw63NJWY8p756WGLtVym_7DJXe9pf4mzE7CT1Vtz7NEjmgEtPnfbXgRmC0wG3ndPa6FsMRVW3I4FHFiLirDSihUkFJQbLBtYpr_dtyEfN04nIiC9diXR46RqY18uA3S505xcRV7FXX/s1600/IMG_2082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDisLw63NJWY8p756WGLtVym_7DJXe9pf4mzE7CT1Vtz7NEjmgEtPnfbXgRmC0wG3ndPa6FsMRVW3I4FHFiLirDSihUkFJQbLBtYpr_dtyEfN04nIiC9diXR46RqY18uA3S505xcRV7FXX/s400/IMG_2082.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We hit up the BYU Bookstore. I think we spent almost as much at the candy counter as we did on books. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdz33_YZ1zdwAJLC_ZPaBQ6PTY88kq9QH5wRSLyY5Wuy3_w6Lq-RmtbrtDpfrTAKkg-VWnJX9t8xNPRnWsUqPC8DAX41pb0ni-oktY_P957EPtdWnWFxO-UWZ3geIRuO-3wyugrsSckFZ/s1600/IMG_2086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdz33_YZ1zdwAJLC_ZPaBQ6PTY88kq9QH5wRSLyY5Wuy3_w6Lq-RmtbrtDpfrTAKkg-VWnJX9t8xNPRnWsUqPC8DAX41pb0ni-oktY_P957EPtdWnWFxO-UWZ3geIRuO-3wyugrsSckFZ/s400/IMG_2086.JPG" width="362" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">On to Dallas, where it was ridiculously hot and humid. I think they were on day 26 of over-100-degree-temps when we got there, and we didn't have a day with a high below that our whole trip. </span><span style="font-size: small;">(Last time I was in Dallas they had the ice storm that threatened to shut down the Super Bowl. I seem to always be there for the extremes in weather.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">We got to attend the baby blessing of my newest niece, Reese. We got our Tex-Mex fix at Chuy's. Two words: shrimp taquitos. Oh, man. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">We also hit Wild About Harry's for some hot dogs and our favorite banana pudding shake...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_up1Od3NXjr0cEaCfexbSkpjlGNA-AKNc-HdhfbentExtOGH-WrmJXAjMiEnSCbcPnNrn7B6CEUDukeGThzWV7r5muUgmyhvzV4NKg64JhG0T2dM2CIh_Aum4CBkmruKvRcqDZcYYohf/s1600/IMG_2100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_up1Od3NXjr0cEaCfexbSkpjlGNA-AKNc-HdhfbentExtOGH-WrmJXAjMiEnSCbcPnNrn7B6CEUDukeGThzWV7r5muUgmyhvzV4NKg64JhG0T2dM2CIh_Aum4CBkmruKvRcqDZcYYohf/s400/IMG_2100.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">...and some wedding day deja vu.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTuzO0SptHd18O_LAgUWagJ5sd_6wnhPLh0rao2quFsvyUJoNX6rlkhVKyUG-kqEhHtjSfAgMe56ggzSTKoDVItB250vzhHpkOV9i6MZT_Tu_Z9SUtgNjK1SifexgLp-iZowd-FC3EX2U/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-24+at+4.31.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTuzO0SptHd18O_LAgUWagJ5sd_6wnhPLh0rao2quFsvyUJoNX6rlkhVKyUG-kqEhHtjSfAgMe56ggzSTKoDVItB250vzhHpkOV9i6MZT_Tu_Z9SUtgNjK1SifexgLp-iZowd-FC3EX2U/s640/Screen+shot+2011-08-24+at+4.31.43+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">And speaking of wedding day deja vu...seeing as how we're almost at our one-year mark, and how we will be far away from home when we actually hit it, and how there was wedding cake waiting in the freezer for the traditional first anniversary commemoration, we dug in a little early.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-D8LeSFPMfputRL-weCppZ9kM5rW6-dCX4cOyifi7pdcXebD343JrSr-6GhmSiExBhHy9MT-p_wgFc-e1rO45VYWv5fi6icOuDaRgLAfFDGjYW9InI1GQSKwN2L8lN3MKCA70xzYqCoK/s1600/IMG_2107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-D8LeSFPMfputRL-weCppZ9kM5rW6-dCX4cOyifi7pdcXebD343JrSr-6GhmSiExBhHy9MT-p_wgFc-e1rO45VYWv5fi6icOuDaRgLAfFDGjYW9InI1GQSKwN2L8lN3MKCA70xzYqCoK/s400/IMG_2107.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm pretty sure this bite never made it into Spencer's mouth...but some icing may or may not have made it onto his chin. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Hnk8Y-tdZmvfV-SnRY2gfQHQGUDsKXT-Yk_PAVq02LHLcmscKTt9_SyHN1xO3CEYys7JkjxE0SEqfwA-rfGMjeQ0ZioMJFsEDhFnf_3qZ38-NueItHUXBJ_ihX7jSTPe8JIY6mEqn-rJ/s1600/IMG_2109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Hnk8Y-tdZmvfV-SnRY2gfQHQGUDsKXT-Yk_PAVq02LHLcmscKTt9_SyHN1xO3CEYys7JkjxE0SEqfwA-rfGMjeQ0ZioMJFsEDhFnf_3qZ38-NueItHUXBJ_ihX7jSTPe8JIY6mEqn-rJ/s400/IMG_2109.JPG" width="400" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take 2. Success! Mmmm, tasty. Freezer-burned cake! It actually survived pretty well, considering.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QhKA-sbti0p1Woj1ElbXzClVNmrvD1whqf3_lkei7LMuSv6K_ThZznVCmJwiL_5S8rcpc7Gjn8QEffpWaMi3XidTLxu-t2KUPcifCL4FROY2ZanoW1LNrHHiQXu-LnWulzkAyjORwt8g/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QhKA-sbti0p1Woj1ElbXzClVNmrvD1whqf3_lkei7LMuSv6K_ThZznVCmJwiL_5S8rcpc7Gjn8QEffpWaMi3XidTLxu-t2KUPcifCL4FROY2ZanoW1LNrHHiQXu-LnWulzkAyjORwt8g/s400/IMG_2113.JPG" width="353" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-14014341414344383272011-08-16T23:29:00.000-07:002011-08-23T15:51:58.352-07:00Birthday Boy<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once upon a time (a month and a half ago, to be exact), there was boy who had a birthday to celebrate. The boy whose birthday it was had to be in Singapore for the week leading up to the big day, of course, arriving back in Sydney the very morning of the birthday bash. (And when I say "bash" I mean a quiet day spent just the two of us.) So the night before, I stayed up late decorating the apartment and making a big fat cake and writing sappy cards and other such birthday-related silliness which silliness is exactly what make birthdays so much fun. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When Spencer arrived home, he found that our apartment number had been changed to 35 in honor of his new age.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-bdjM3ahnlN6BDE2yk8kMacr_49292mLENLO0tt7QVuYZB91Gqxhs3d-IhRviJLiDDW1pBeDk4AHE-BlLw3-G73v5gMvu-ixFu0gpD9C9nZWYei0EUnXmi7uG5AZBYh2Dr3Lih6Onz5_/s1600/aptnumber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-bdjM3ahnlN6BDE2yk8kMacr_49292mLENLO0tt7QVuYZB91Gqxhs3d-IhRviJLiDDW1pBeDk4AHE-BlLw3-G73v5gMvu-ixFu0gpD9C9nZWYei0EUnXmi7uG5AZBYh2Dr3Lih6Onz5_/s400/aptnumber.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He received a series of less-than-life-altering, but very thoughtful (if I do say so myself) gifts. You know it's a good birthday when you get the all-about-China issue of"The Economist." </span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT465Uzw96sIrodbHr3-ggxQr0IKqg8wVRVzOFZ7oAQDSLddxFNs-p9iwPNGRyD-vPNGqF9P8t6JULVq0biCXRY3lfds_VZwEjVExuHr4p5lWbWuN_eB982Qgxr8opB0FqrRBv-S9Pz0A/s1600/IMG_2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcT465Uzw96sIrodbHr3-ggxQr0IKqg8wVRVzOFZ7oAQDSLddxFNs-p9iwPNGRyD-vPNGqF9P8t6JULVq0biCXRY3lfds_VZwEjVExuHr4p5lWbWuN_eB982Qgxr8opB0FqrRBv-S9Pz0A/s400/IMG_2015.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We took a ferry to Watsons Bay to hike to the two lighthouses there--something we've been meaning to do for a while now. (I had hiked to the red and white one before, but he never had.) The weather was crisp and cool and windy, but sunny and beautiful. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuyiO8zVeRfU60-c3Xfr2VLwZyoZFrhJy9L2s5Q3tkWqlXPei28OzFxn8AVjUikZ5JjaFwuwG2lFjxUg5dNRGeEeeOJSFAgM7Yy8TM0nKh9LJXcrwVx1lv34MkZ8D5s27IUDvAlKA3HBQ/s1600/IMG_2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuyiO8zVeRfU60-c3Xfr2VLwZyoZFrhJy9L2s5Q3tkWqlXPei28OzFxn8AVjUikZ5JjaFwuwG2lFjxUg5dNRGeEeeOJSFAgM7Yy8TM0nKh9LJXcrwVx1lv34MkZ8D5s27IUDvAlKA3HBQ/s400/IMG_2019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXgqKv3907RaZi5E2twvvPO5GZxa3I0EqOs6UG-A9Vocx6uzbtRKHnatJck29GS6sBv4j1bbM_W3RPztpWUN0ifpIzIZQR65W-r3C0i05-rvE1Ermyhc7_g1GCouLLmDqaZwqNS3LNHdJ/s1600/IMG_2046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXgqKv3907RaZi5E2twvvPO5GZxa3I0EqOs6UG-A9Vocx6uzbtRKHnatJck29GS6sBv4j1bbM_W3RPztpWUN0ifpIzIZQR65W-r3C0i05-rvE1Ermyhc7_g1GCouLLmDqaZwqNS3LNHdJ/s400/IMG_2046.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">After a yummy seafood dinner, we headed back home for birthday cake. Quite the inferno, no?</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SUT6CkN1j3FAb3grd2wlDAy8hTAy4JMQOrT6wReKIODMxsSRNPhwxtb75puG2gVBAzZr76-AZMum9EaYn2DlaZDF5HjoR_kjHpNDths0JClDiYEC9Rf5ARyCPxWytWbS7hWkxXEs3_0j/s1600/IMG_2051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SUT6CkN1j3FAb3grd2wlDAy8hTAy4JMQOrT6wReKIODMxsSRNPhwxtb75puG2gVBAzZr76-AZMum9EaYn2DlaZDF5HjoR_kjHpNDths0JClDiYEC9Rf5ARyCPxWytWbS7hWkxXEs3_0j/s400/IMG_2051.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">I had whipped up a <a href="http://guiltykitchen.com/2011/02/10/chocolate-peanut-butter-layer-cake/#more-3324">Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake</a> that was waiting in the fridge. <span style="font-size: small;">(Although, since I'm not a coffee drinker, I actually only used this recipe for the peanut butter mousse and the frosting. For the cake, I used a recipe for Velvet Chocolate Cake that I pulled out of one of my mom's "Southern Living" magazines a million years ago.) </span>It was a huge hit, as the birthday boy is a chocolate/peanut butter lover. Seriously. LUV-er. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTyis9wGKdQNUeUGzSW64dDpthp1DvYQXk8VFwtCWLxlClvawImiahAYpEaxx_53z5aFRbs1YMvdrC5mE54epxe1emdx61JjhQjoHd_ygmkV24EN9LuBnOIGIZOuMBsZfglmPmOg0LgGl/s1600/IMG_2064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTyis9wGKdQNUeUGzSW64dDpthp1DvYQXk8VFwtCWLxlClvawImiahAYpEaxx_53z5aFRbs1YMvdrC5mE54epxe1emdx61JjhQjoHd_ygmkV24EN9LuBnOIGIZOuMBsZfglmPmOg0LgGl/s400/IMG_2064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Happy birthday to the Hubs. </span></span><br />
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Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-61789522945721762632011-07-15T16:49:00.000-07:002011-08-23T15:56:00.575-07:00Gargoyles. Apostles. But No Kangaroos.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A friend of mine came to visit a few weeks ago. She's a PoliSci professor and was doing some research in New Zealand and here in Australia. She stayed with us for a few days in Sydney and then went on to Melbourne and Canberra. The Hubs was traveling, as usual, so I tagged along for the adventure. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Melbourne </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Melbourne is such a cool city. It has a totally different vibe from Sydney. Like LA is to San Francisco as Sydney is to Melbourne. That kind of different. It has a fantastic art and food scene. The architecture is so interesting--a ton of Gothic Revival and Art Deco style. (My fav.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I was obsessed with the <span style="color: #3d85c6;">gargoyles</span>, of course.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEw5q89R13tXCWVf3GZmsJrsyytoVjIkV3NXaUW7PCSetPRSReus5wcJbHCXg_R16zQCk9iJGUBJkdjXlJKSAhtU219ZN9hKrFDyxYBKix3WAeaUriPNwBzmXCGQfoCw0AbPo7N-lPyk_/s1600/Chelsea-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEw5q89R13tXCWVf3GZmsJrsyytoVjIkV3NXaUW7PCSetPRSReus5wcJbHCXg_R16zQCk9iJGUBJkdjXlJKSAhtU219ZN9hKrFDyxYBKix3WAeaUriPNwBzmXCGQfoCw0AbPo7N-lPyk_/s640/Chelsea-8.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLde6qNHhZGP9plBBLvS_UMGMhUNn6EsMGem7P4Qqj_XzmzD34XlFAqzmU-uf5tlz6RuMd6wxF8lKCxJfGdtRSVrzApQg39ykN-4eqh7QTyttZNLZ8LyUGoS0T-1tqopld7ZGKV0kJtUQ-/s1600/Chelsea-4-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLde6qNHhZGP9plBBLvS_UMGMhUNn6EsMGem7P4Qqj_XzmzD34XlFAqzmU-uf5tlz6RuMd6wxF8lKCxJfGdtRSVrzApQg39ykN-4eqh7QTyttZNLZ8LyUGoS0T-1tqopld7ZGKV0kJtUQ-/s640/Chelsea-4-2.jpg" width="424" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The streets are the broadest I've ever seen in a large, metropolitan city. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes up to four lanes on either side, with wide medians where the trolleys run. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oh, and traffic turns right f</span>rom from the <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">far left lane. Because of the trolleys, we think.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">(In the States, that would be like making a left turn from the far right lane. What the?) </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhXGiTxE58-uxjqd3KzQiorPugji3Ousc0A8SxSlPo3XSnoHVNum2ka9W-mfIavXw2eiLvkq8pJCmtSpjksLCUnGLMvE868MGxb8cuixOZM3supq0Na_BvWo0sceDomhoknplRvVsytVF/s1600/Chelsea-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZhXGiTxE58-uxjqd3KzQiorPugji3Ousc0A8SxSlPo3XSnoHVNum2ka9W-mfIavXw2eiLvkq8pJCmtSpjksLCUnGLMvE868MGxb8cuixOZM3supq0Na_BvWo0sceDomhoknplRvVsytVF/s640/Chelsea-18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">We loved all the old homes that look like spooky haunted houses. So lacy and ornate!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcE580ZtlhW9wbPwZ16RNpbrjCDpSKsn67FwVz_5YZimnjDvYU7nvdJLESD1P9q6wZok7mxiZZO37wHndZNyp3qIKmtjLQB5mNmhko9v8m-jXlm818QoaJxRZ17M7EklvOTchZH_Kpvqn/s1600/Chelsea-37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcE580ZtlhW9wbPwZ16RNpbrjCDpSKsn67FwVz_5YZimnjDvYU7nvdJLESD1P9q6wZok7mxiZZO37wHndZNyp3qIKmtjLQB5mNmhko9v8m-jXlm818QoaJxRZ17M7EklvOTchZH_Kpvqn/s640/Chelsea-37.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">The Great Ocean Road</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Jessica had it on her list to drive out to see The Twelve Apostles, so she rented a sporty little </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">Mini Cooper and we made the trek. (I was happy to join her, as that's been on my list, too.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">The Great Ocean Road is comparable to the Pacific Coast Highway. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">It's a 151-mile stretch of road along the southeastern coast. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">(The arctic winds were definitely not comparable to the Pacific breezes of the PCH. Oh my brrrrr!) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbg_IKfHjKClWyia1KEVzC7wpGefJWf6jZEdVzLJRUKE7NJBtNgReIZa-hzkIebB9HZPYDS_xYakTPl3VCSM6___v27sLkd6D_Rsrqhm5nXPSENfre7S8xzS0xt67DzV2bBQtw78gKdcx/s1600/Chelsea-49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbg_IKfHjKClWyia1KEVzC7wpGefJWf6jZEdVzLJRUKE7NJBtNgReIZa-hzkIebB9HZPYDS_xYakTPl3VCSM6___v27sLkd6D_Rsrqhm5nXPSENfre7S8xzS0xt67DzV2bBQtw78gKdcx/s640/Chelsea-49.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We pulled off at several lookout points to take in the view. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Or at least what we could see of it through the mist.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkPWXnlKW7TzFAY0Qm2fLKdZfzCIwV1pTDU3Z2ivaE2VCTW-i74ETuNtMYrKp3qfCF4jhkmkFu9rIWWmyJvHl2vokRXVw1qEffKdTMyKsqkeRynB1Nj_IDyz_1z0ZskhL9VBf3ECxJ209/s1600/Chelsea-44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkPWXnlKW7TzFAY0Qm2fLKdZfzCIwV1pTDU3Z2ivaE2VCTW-i74ETuNtMYrKp3qfCF4jhkmkFu9rIWWmyJvHl2vokRXVw1qEffKdTMyKsqkeRynB1Nj_IDyz_1z0ZskhL9VBf3ECxJ209/s640/Chelsea-44.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We appreciated this reminder getting back on the road. Really. We did.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuL2xHI9vNYTT4JnFoCrC05DOD0PinzFNYjKmrs8YZXEhboU_G6Xb-M3w-FJ0CKjikFVTAlm8ngU3_3VF9AmwCZ534EQY4ENGHoPlJu09qcJNCeE2phf_NsRjpdVRYeBoNPUR3R_UYarM5/s1600/Chelsea-42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuL2xHI9vNYTT4JnFoCrC05DOD0PinzFNYjKmrs8YZXEhboU_G6Xb-M3w-FJ0CKjikFVTAlm8ngU3_3VF9AmwCZ534EQY4ENGHoPlJu09qcJNCeE2phf_NsRjpdVRYeBoNPUR3R_UYarM5/s640/Chelsea-42.jpg" width="486" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We saw many a "<span style="color: #3d85c6;">kangaroo crossing</span>" sign...but never any actual kangaroos. We actually would have preferred to see many of the latter and none of the former. I mean, if we could've had our druthers.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyj9fwEGBmey32MdQZp-exxxAdqpqAXhkeFV1cEOp7-zRtA4IWX82MEUP9bympLT0D2tTisblVgkUpHhXsuJK3JcA7kEtqV8bEW4nw9Jfo2y0F_xKNsRbfqsQK4rvm_P6NAgaEqbgKfcu/s1600/Chelsea-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyj9fwEGBmey32MdQZp-exxxAdqpqAXhkeFV1cEOp7-zRtA4IWX82MEUP9bympLT0D2tTisblVgkUpHhXsuJK3JcA7kEtqV8bEW4nw9Jfo2y0F_xKNsRbfqsQK4rvm_P6NAgaEqbgKfcu/s640/Chelsea-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Twelve Apostles</span> are a collection of limestone stacks just off the coast, about a four-hour drive outside of Melbourne. There are actually only eight "apostles." </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">There were nine until one collapsed. Never twelve. So why the name? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Apparently the rock formations were originally known as The Sow and Piglets. But it was decided that something named after swine wasn't going to draw the tourists. And so.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Apostles.... Piglets.... Whatever you call them, they sure are beautiful.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NGzHkyWMk9hGJtWd2wfWIW_1fzY8bi1VntF81NWtl-sq1Z-x6cg4iScG2WIiDKp4_xgCDsrbO1wUx-Yyctc_InTV_1l14JCJEfd9rVvsHZuy1yRJ0zb07ABF6DoLbtKjmF7DaWP6tCnR/s1600/Chelsea-39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NGzHkyWMk9hGJtWd2wfWIW_1fzY8bi1VntF81NWtl-sq1Z-x6cg4iScG2WIiDKp4_xgCDsrbO1wUx-Yyctc_InTV_1l14JCJEfd9rVvsHZuy1yRJ0zb07ABF6DoLbtKjmF7DaWP6tCnR/s640/Chelsea-39.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Canberra</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">On to the capital city of Australia. Since Jess was doing research for her PoliSci-ness, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Canberra was kind of an important stop. When she wasn't in interviews, we poked around a few of the government buildings.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We toured the <span style="color: #3d85c6;">Parliament House</span>.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQlH61zvOZzgY7Ev3UWjtqRXVKSGzSG-BJSEidPELkrRBZTWX0_ny80MBCZsg3MG48KAhWQDL14aEZJUdpQACzT5Bh9V4scXpXbAqbtLrUwhXusl_5hYeGRNSparKfv6TOCmzLQam6Pt8/s1600/Chelsea-19-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQlH61zvOZzgY7Ev3UWjtqRXVKSGzSG-BJSEidPELkrRBZTWX0_ny80MBCZsg3MG48KAhWQDL14aEZJUdpQACzT5Bh9V4scXpXbAqbtLrUwhXusl_5hYeGRNSparKfv6TOCmzLQam6Pt8/s640/Chelsea-19-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The grass on that side slope goes all the way up onto the </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">roof of the building. The idea here is that the elected officials are not above the people, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">but rather beneath them. Get it?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3sE5dLIXZrhgZc3jj9feC-Gt2_WjmWv_DXvmCj7Gavg46_HiDV7Vd8edANJw2FOFVtflO9mewaoqubXassPkdCL0p6SA3dh6vB00AEa3VtzjLYUZpWppPCoUZkf-ywe7d7zBG122csM0/s1600/Chelsea-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3sE5dLIXZrhgZc3jj9feC-Gt2_WjmWv_DXvmCj7Gavg46_HiDV7Vd8edANJw2FOFVtflO9mewaoqubXassPkdCL0p6SA3dh6vB00AEa3VtzjLYUZpWppPCoUZkf-ywe7d7zBG122csM0/s640/Chelsea-13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">We visited the <span style="color: #3d85c6;">Old Parliament House</span>. It was in use until 1988 and is now a museum </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">where you can roam around freely. Many of the rooms and offices are set up very much the way they would have looked when the representatives moved to the new building. Retro office furniture, early desktop computers, rotary phones, the whole bit. Kind of fun.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2mD31eZZJ1DrOU1P-h_ruWZXaTDDKkcGhLJSOG2dNPzgXUA-60iGNr4GBHFHeVbPk8bZjVRBvL6xyinHhTNzE4kMmWLZIEzW0qgzxhUVV4n2BY4Nxmi_MQj0DRGAs2QSy0_Qua152Ai3/s1600/Chelsea-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2mD31eZZJ1DrOU1P-h_ruWZXaTDDKkcGhLJSOG2dNPzgXUA-60iGNr4GBHFHeVbPk8bZjVRBvL6xyinHhTNzE4kMmWLZIEzW0qgzxhUVV4n2BY4Nxmi_MQj0DRGAs2QSy0_Qua152Ai3/s640/Chelsea-20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We visited the <span style="color: #3d85c6;">Australian War Memorial</span>, which is a museum dedicated to Australia's veterans. It is huge. H.U.G.E. (I think I actually spent six years in the WWII wing.) </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The interior is divided by each war Australian soldiers have ever fought in. It was fascinating to view the wars of history through eyes other than my usual American ones. Never done that before....</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4poVSZsn28BPwNchM3u2XgnufhDbnEBbsZcZP9dqRdeEHJf3FbdIlaI8fYUh-aM4WDaDBINmIvqg13DvKLIw_ykZ-MpO2iRKkM7gayCQECadU7T2DspRlA2c7u-8xnPFSCncGqa0W5s66/s1600/Chelsea-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4poVSZsn28BPwNchM3u2XgnufhDbnEBbsZcZP9dqRdeEHJf3FbdIlaI8fYUh-aM4WDaDBINmIvqg13DvKLIw_ykZ-MpO2iRKkM7gayCQECadU7T2DspRlA2c7u-8xnPFSCncGqa0W5s66/s640/Chelsea-15.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun1zKDrcqYF4tge7wzuOdy2P3lwuSAhMK3547rA9Z8f3UTeZlsmqMJeltqTJ0vKXmqdYH9Jk1GPTAE1_O4Uij07Ei0TqNAousNfwU7nyEn1yN-SF-I1dNUOGju74FRefWBSMg-OumCoJd/s1600/Chelsea-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun1zKDrcqYF4tge7wzuOdy2P3lwuSAhMK3547rA9Z8f3UTeZlsmqMJeltqTJ0vKXmqdYH9Jk1GPTAE1_O4Uij07Ei0TqNAousNfwU7nyEn1yN-SF-I1dNUOGju74FRefWBSMg-OumCoJd/s640/Chelsea-4.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-71620905936697672372011-06-21T04:30:00.000-07:002011-06-30T18:14:43.616-07:00¡Viva México!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3TowScxGckn5OlxQxY5MXTFUzJnUjCOAggrei35ugtmxufZMJ12EZgwCta0smeOiEDPkj4zBmeBF8pneIEYFd3Ne3yAwBMW4CKHofcy5YV36eHg9CyBQZ5uOZhi7u1fV-e1iURTBetKH/s1600/IMG_1923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3TowScxGckn5OlxQxY5MXTFUzJnUjCOAggrei35ugtmxufZMJ12EZgwCta0smeOiEDPkj4zBmeBF8pneIEYFd3Ne3yAwBMW4CKHofcy5YV36eHg9CyBQZ5uOZhi7u1fV-e1iURTBetKH/s400/IMG_1923.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Exactly how far <i>is</i> the outback from Mexico?? Coming to Sydney, I knew Mexican food wasn't the most popular cuisine over here, but I figured I'd be able to get the basic ingredients I needed.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enter Australia and its unfortunate placement clear on the other side of the world from Mexico. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Turns out, Mexican influence hasn't infiltrated Australian culture like it has American culture. I know, I know. Hard to imagine such a place. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most Mexican ingredients are either not easily obtained or not available at all. I can't get corn tortillas at my grocery store—I have to go to the one across town to find them. (Corn Tortillas!! I think you can buy those at any corner store in the States, can't you? (Yes, I'm exaggerating.)) It took me weeks to track down black beans. Tortilla chips cost a fortune. I think my grocery store has one brand of salsa and it's not a good one. Definitely nothing of the verde variety. Want to make anything that calls for a can of green chilies or chipotle peppers? Forget it. No queso fresco to be had. And at first I thought they didn't even have cilantro. (Gasp!) Then I found out they do have it, but they call it coriander here. (Whew!)</span><style>
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I did find chipotle peppers at the import store, finally. Eight dollars for one of those little tiny cans! Some of the cheapest items on my grocery list back in the States are like gold here.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's taken a little time and a little adjusting, but I've figured out how to get by. And "getting by" has called for learning how to do things from scratch, which I've always wanted to do with Mexican food, but it was so easy to just buy stuff like sauces and mixes and canned chilies. I have learned how to roast my own chilies and make my own enchilada sauces. And, as you know, fresh pico de gallo beats a jarred salsa any day of the week. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And while Australia doesn't have a love for Mexican food, they <i>do</i> have the internet. And I'm finding more amazing Mexican-inspired recipes than you can shake a maraca at on the <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/">Homesick Texan</a>. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Not sure I'll ever go back to my old pre-prepared ways. (Hopefully not....)</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Try the <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/10/sour-cream-chicken-enchiladas-recipe.html">sour cream chicken enchiladas</a>. They're uh-mazing.</span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-72671487019872587232011-05-24T06:43:00.000-07:002011-05-24T16:27:08.664-07:00Straight-Up Hong Kong<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rqPjHyl9korBF5N3G7WnFTMIG2NGzj1KoqTGs80LbiO79XIpegW-Q7rNb7kC-bOKNUMuPqf_T4fIurKpK8-Ousmp8AW3w0Ead69qpOJpMfhdfC6ipfl17ZEMesvmUlM4x26DspQUYJWF/s1600/IMG_1899.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rqPjHyl9korBF5N3G7WnFTMIG2NGzj1KoqTGs80LbiO79XIpegW-Q7rNb7kC-bOKNUMuPqf_T4fIurKpK8-Ousmp8AW3w0Ead69qpOJpMfhdfC6ipfl17ZEMesvmUlM4x26DspQUYJWF/s400/IMG_1899.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mmmmm. Just look at that air quality. There's a reason many residents wear white masks everywhere they go.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Hubs had to go to Hong Kong a few weeks ago for work </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">and asked if I wanted to come along. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Duh.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I didn’t even know what to do with that city. It’s not like any place I’ve ever been before. So many people occupying so few square feet. I mean, I’d heard, you know—</span><style>
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</style> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">how </span><span style="font-size: small;">they ran out of space on the ground, so they just went up. And up and up. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> And up. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">But I didn't know. Until I'd seen it with my own eyeballs, I just didn't know.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It was a quick trip, but we managed to fit a few things in. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We went up to The Peak for what we'd heard was the best view of the city. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We went to the temple. We were asked to be the witness couple, which was funny,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> considering the session was in Cantonese. Not a big deal. Until the prayer…. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And then...well...and then it's too late, isn't it?</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYFfClademcKRYL6CVHqsWPFRsyNvQLO8zO6Tbvl4dcFD7ePCsTeB3-vObNW9ajWJUBucyH-LwwQwxt4VbR1px_AVzwz_6NAtvKspO6UE8FXxtYHQNKdFZlDPLkFhWvFu3u9-1HVDqeAW/s1600/IMG_1847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYFfClademcKRYL6CVHqsWPFRsyNvQLO8zO6Tbvl4dcFD7ePCsTeB3-vObNW9ajWJUBucyH-LwwQwxt4VbR1px_AVzwz_6NAtvKspO6UE8FXxtYHQNKdFZlDPLkFhWvFu3u9-1HVDqeAW/s400/IMG_1847.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We took the escalators up to the Mid-levels.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks9Vm72ODmS3AgDWplPYf2G4Taml2MqdJEMj8jDYLILPSIyolz5O5_5zZ6zZJQnkJ8Gw6fm0Ma29PujUjvI5D2XoOQLZ-z8LpseihbC8rI_m_tWsy_vIlaxI8XKP3oN5XCOzJ6in9zZyq/s1600/IMG_1873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks9Vm72ODmS3AgDWplPYf2G4Taml2MqdJEMj8jDYLILPSIyolz5O5_5zZ6zZJQnkJ8Gw6fm0Ma29PujUjvI5D2XoOQLZ-z8LpseihbC8rI_m_tWsy_vIlaxI8XKP3oN5XCOzJ6in9zZyq/s400/IMG_1873.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyYgcGTUL56CYT-jUb0Hr_poNFq_yv-1l8DtD3VQbKKeUeGnqARhFIEGSp_YC_L836PQ8G9Vj5LXe-LzhF7VMAZzEVkaAExwA1iB9mdPB6gsAJRI_MBSG21nhq8ZW5UJoUvxLjhTiHnp_/s1600/IMG_1872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyYgcGTUL56CYT-jUb0Hr_poNFq_yv-1l8DtD3VQbKKeUeGnqARhFIEGSp_YC_L836PQ8G9Vj5LXe-LzhF7VMAZzEVkaAExwA1iB9mdPB6gsAJRI_MBSG21nhq8ZW5UJoUvxLjhTiHnp_/s400/IMG_1872.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rQJoeGeliqItYcNkRHGYOeCJSu_aGadRk0LVBt6xFbfwLb4MNo38vVKKktlHtC51gpHuVRWPmNAHxGjI-UPB4uvX2Lyvri0yh8VRXmXAGlATfmV5WJk07L2oEWXhiEjeHqbkXSk8xEDs/s1600/IMG_1864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_rQJoeGeliqItYcNkRHGYOeCJSu_aGadRk0LVBt6xFbfwLb4MNo38vVKKktlHtC51gpHuVRWPmNAHxGjI-UPB4uvX2Lyvri0yh8VRXmXAGlATfmV5WJk07L2oEWXhiEjeHqbkXSk8xEDs/s640/IMG_1864.jpg" width="419" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hLYiSwYsfV_1U3KVJ1O-g_BNWIteYo66I3y8zibsk0_4K4-Iwr2Eg9Q45cMB09UsbaInpfnR9ct980gvJVsnV5LypffwadiHw03FOztA9iRCQO88yV8KccufOJUbqZxGjDlMAOdO2wDu/s1600/HongKong9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hLYiSwYsfV_1U3KVJ1O-g_BNWIteYo66I3y8zibsk0_4K4-Iwr2Eg9Q45cMB09UsbaInpfnR9ct980gvJVsnV5LypffwadiHw03FOztA9iRCQO88yV8KccufOJUbqZxGjDlMAOdO2wDu/s400/HongKong9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> And then we had dinner and walked around SoHo taking pictures. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">That was our favorite night.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyFbsfm_8LzGbMa6p_suVmj1Amnelq9Ehxyyvn7RaalAsFcA0dmVuJDHjkS-Ho-vdB7y48g-Jhp9BhZLvqM-21-zareAyc2z4fcq4m5jnBcAFj6CB8uyTgSboDY_OHjaoRZSFYGwPZNVp/s1600/HongKong1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyFbsfm_8LzGbMa6p_suVmj1Amnelq9Ehxyyvn7RaalAsFcA0dmVuJDHjkS-Ho-vdB7y48g-Jhp9BhZLvqM-21-zareAyc2z4fcq4m5jnBcAFj6CB8uyTgSboDY_OHjaoRZSFYGwPZNVp/s400/HongKong1.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMhYeyUdnjwFrW2EZk_QEkfUlwHGMaWdAPEPmiKj4xPxb0yaW8lauY9nqDc67W5GDokViV867a2aQ5AT3UNtEuwEMlLJihoIRUXHZ4yFvEpxP-A2g8okA27Lb5rZIymmHlFThwObWMJDJ/s1600/IMG_1888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMhYeyUdnjwFrW2EZk_QEkfUlwHGMaWdAPEPmiKj4xPxb0yaW8lauY9nqDc67W5GDokViV867a2aQ5AT3UNtEuwEMlLJihoIRUXHZ4yFvEpxP-A2g8okA27Lb5rZIymmHlFThwObWMJDJ/s400/IMG_1888.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnDZjwxcgZBZuiTnOz-2Ttzz1NhnL3EgLMOGd6QeFUqIJK4kxW72FtuANGYDP69ptFWWlzPD7kP8QhGp6S-dzGhCyzPEb4i89nP8QXmnLzy2qeIGpNRbtONa_EKoP_qVMdHMMV4or6Klu/s1600/HongKong10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnDZjwxcgZBZuiTnOz-2Ttzz1NhnL3EgLMOGd6QeFUqIJK4kxW72FtuANGYDP69ptFWWlzPD7kP8QhGp6S-dzGhCyzPEb4i89nP8QXmnLzy2qeIGpNRbtONa_EKoP_qVMdHMMV4or6Klu/s400/HongKong10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZNaQeZKnpWUprXZYP7MKMbJ_PsNA9vLSvBzjlTbSkrVeZbFs4p38bx4aGxHHn8r_t_1wUHB8mdc1YJ1OR90auiGWlZYP4O0hPYO39kvNlaPCEutX0D-lwGnxjSw8Pni1ScHFydL7KK6z/s1600/HongKong7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhZNaQeZKnpWUprXZYP7MKMbJ_PsNA9vLSvBzjlTbSkrVeZbFs4p38bx4aGxHHn8r_t_1wUHB8mdc1YJ1OR90auiGWlZYP4O0hPYO39kvNlaPCEutX0D-lwGnxjSw8Pni1ScHFydL7KK6z/s400/HongKong7.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We went to church. Which was not in Cantonese, even though the sign is.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQHYJx9-dyPaKijGQpN3yNuzEV6qaKVX-vOQyU5lg_m69yETWyzgC0tbouhRI6CghZ2edT4GdWSE1FoUo12Nvdt0FTnAzdqt5w3vTpPLnoqJ5uE6xdUMmlFR0GH8VouSPapWvX5ae5-sJ/s1600/HongKong3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQHYJx9-dyPaKijGQpN3yNuzEV6qaKVX-vOQyU5lg_m69yETWyzgC0tbouhRI6CghZ2edT4GdWSE1FoUo12Nvdt0FTnAzdqt5w3vTpPLnoqJ5uE6xdUMmlFR0GH8VouSPapWvX5ae5-sJ/s400/HongKong3.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We ate some pretty legit Chinese food, although deciphering the menu was no small task.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXNiS3lJNtRQ9Ngu_95t7DjOLx2c1I48QouGdO4STV7S9016uOngDIvpCZh9wCbuuz9c5PQAsWkF9i2MSobdEbJNeMIKwfOtiOuVRBY-T6ze8-e_dTw91Z0HJZSTEUC-hCTN8GIJlOtDe/s1600/IMG_1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXNiS3lJNtRQ9Ngu_95t7DjOLx2c1I48QouGdO4STV7S9016uOngDIvpCZh9wCbuuz9c5PQAsWkF9i2MSobdEbJNeMIKwfOtiOuVRBY-T6ze8-e_dTw91Z0HJZSTEUC-hCTN8GIJlOtDe/s400/IMG_1910.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOx9Zyxaj9JtXdXZ2za8C5NekKv09RQSxaxL0382rKm7chB1k6QyZdchi2909Nruv1LPo2fXJpTZgnvILRn9_YdNz6g1DYWC7SrmV81-UX8iWa1NinYtPVHCqh9cPNomBlpJMMCfsZpyp/s1600/IMG_1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOx9Zyxaj9JtXdXZ2za8C5NekKv09RQSxaxL0382rKm7chB1k6QyZdchi2909Nruv1LPo2fXJpTZgnvILRn9_YdNz6g1DYWC7SrmV81-UX8iWa1NinYtPVHCqh9cPNomBlpJMMCfsZpyp/s400/IMG_1909.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And we just enjoyed seeing another part of this amazing world we live in.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Good times, they were.</span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-52597344323650312302011-05-08T04:55:00.000-07:002011-06-21T05:55:33.049-07:00Mom, can you please hold my wand?<style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mYblpLKXgLFLzALzui-OlM2z22mvIkUFFgjiAJRkN5fExK60G998hCTnYo8CCEhD8PHm9Ob3ZGtFdYvehjpOwpug4TjouV8CCwWZ2PREtda5jptIFpnecjFyNsd2fMFfg4zbGqX6vqXe/s1600/Fairy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mYblpLKXgLFLzALzui-OlM2z22mvIkUFFgjiAJRkN5fExK60G998hCTnYo8CCEhD8PHm9Ob3ZGtFdYvehjpOwpug4TjouV8CCwWZ2PREtda5jptIFpnecjFyNsd2fMFfg4zbGqX6vqXe/s400/Fairy.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I heard a little girl say this to her mother as I passed them on the street the other day and couldn't help but laugh to myself. The child was wearing a poofy pink skirt and clearly had something important she needed to do that would require both hands, which meant parting with her wand for a moment. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It made me think—even when we don’t need our moms, we still need our moms. There are those days where we just don’t feel like we can do it alone and need someone to help us through<span style="font-style: normal;">. Or days when we just don’t know if we can deal with all it means to be an adult. Or days when we just need someone to prop us up a bit until the rough times pass and we can pick back up where we left off. To lend us strength when we feel like we’ve run out of our own. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It seems that no matter how “grown up” we get, Mom is still the one we run to for advice, comfort, encouragement, validation…or just to hold our wands for a bit. And what would we do without her?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms. Especially my own. Heaven knows she's held my wand more times than I can count. </span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-50970219202494773052011-05-02T05:04:00.000-07:002011-06-21T05:57:32.181-07:00There's Nobody Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Actually wrote this a few months ago...but never posted it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">J-dub left for Shanghai again this morning...and it mostly still applies. Except it's fall now.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsU5_8eY2ihFrQkGpaymXIFZEDqScnxjp-gHwveUaTK7SgPIua6lGRAqIzejGpoTQi2gwvr7VNDr1iLs78O2pi3XHyQ20z7Mn7yvAugrMKH1bjlXSKH7Kq4ogmqvbWRuAUjT79GJlJVz3/s1600/IMG_1243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsU5_8eY2ihFrQkGpaymXIFZEDqScnxjp-gHwveUaTK7SgPIua6lGRAqIzejGpoTQi2gwvr7VNDr1iLs78O2pi3XHyQ20z7Mn7yvAugrMKH1bjlXSKH7Kq4ogmqvbWRuAUjT79GJlJVz3/s400/IMG_1243.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><style>
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</style> </div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m the loneliest girl in the world. No, really.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay. Not really. But I’m PRETTY lonely. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But how can this be?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I lived alone for four of the six years before I got married. I KNEW how to live alone. And what’s more…I liked it. Not that I didn’t love the roommates I had when I didn’t live alone, ‘cause I <i>did</i> love them. I still love them. But I also loved living alone. In my very own apartment. With my very own front door. And my very own refrigerator. And my very own everything. Knowing that the whole place was the way it was because I alone had caused it to be that way. Having every speck of floor space and air space to do with it whatever I pleased.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Hubs left for Shanghai this morning. From Shanghai, he will go to Tokyo. And I won’t see him again until the end of next week. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a short trip compared to his last one, which lasted over 2 weeks. But he hasn’t even been gone 24 hours yet and I’m already going crazy. I’ve been married now just over four months. Four months! I lived totally and completely alone for FOUR YEARS. Have I really forgotten how to be alone so quickly?? And I only spend an average of three and a half hours a day with the boy anyway (awake, that is…).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So I find myself needing to do a little self-evaluation to see if I can identify the reasons I might be suddenly feeling THIS lonely. And the results are in: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1- It’s summer, which means it’s spider season. And in Australia, the spiders are the size of my hand. And I spotted one in our building yesterday. And I just KNOW there’s one lurking somewhere in our apartment. And if it shows itself sometime before next Thursday, I will have to deal with it. Alone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2- I have no access to American television. No Fox News to fill the void. No Candice Olson or Ina Garten or Glenn Beck to keep me company.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3- My family and 99.9% of my friends live approximately 8,000 miles away. I can’t imagine how far away that would actually feel if it weren’t for g-chat and skype.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4- It’s raining. Hard. And rain always makes me lonely. Even when I’m not alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">5- While I used to love living alone, that was before I had ever lived with a boy, which I always suspected I would rather like. Now I live with a boy. Which I <i>do</i> rather like.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And now I feel better. ‘Cause it turns out that I’m not such a miserable failure at being alone, after all. It’s just that being alone has gotten lonelier. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But mostly, I just miss The Hubs. </span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-20590592476108344742011-04-26T04:10:00.000-07:002011-05-04T06:31:48.653-07:00Newtown + the Stephens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-T4gr2_C-EjSg9cVMt2V_DfGwOQh4KS1LtfM280CRHNFxcYL_EqiYfxI_85tPrCHLhph4DlxdSyEInl-5Pa0HKfCsgxFC-gZ1Jm3yeA9fOciod_O-ADRLQ38h_aQoIQ_tZXcnRd9h_Jjm/s1600/IMG_1682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-T4gr2_C-EjSg9cVMt2V_DfGwOQh4KS1LtfM280CRHNFxcYL_EqiYfxI_85tPrCHLhph4DlxdSyEInl-5Pa0HKfCsgxFC-gZ1Jm3yeA9fOciod_O-ADRLQ38h_aQoIQ_tZXcnRd9h_Jjm/s400/IMG_1682.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So, we told our friends, Dale and Aki Stephens, about <a href="http://timeyetforvisions.blogspot.com/2011/04/thai-is-to-indian.html">our search for really good Indian food</a>, that ended in really good Thai food and Dale’s eyes lit up like a little kid’s on Christmas. Said he, “There’s this place. In Newtown. BEST Tandoori Chicken.” Said we, “Let’s do it.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That weekend he and Aki picked us up for the adventure. We drove over the <strike>river</strike> Harbor Bridge and through the <strike>woods</strike> the city to Newtown, which is a happening little part of town right by the university. Everyone’s all edgy and alternative and hip there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dale told us the restaurant was kind of a hole in the wall. We told him we weren’t scared, as holes in the wall often have the best fare. When we arrived, a quick glance around informed us that every Indian cabby in the city had beat us there, so we knew it was gonna be good. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9LgfbWdLFqviNdV4e_QAi04PEFwi3Nigg9soZ-Dmu930OizxwUYTIbYTliBRwjnZtjoSTi8BRMzHwWp9_FvZDbaJ1G695nZ4yl1xjkDEGjzZ1Yd2bbSgGIYPPVtiQQpS-Yx83JPAr29s/s1600/IMG_1664-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9LgfbWdLFqviNdV4e_QAi04PEFwi3Nigg9soZ-Dmu930OizxwUYTIbYTliBRwjnZtjoSTi8BRMzHwWp9_FvZDbaJ1G695nZ4yl1xjkDEGjzZ1Yd2bbSgGIYPPVtiQQpS-Yx83JPAr29s/s640/IMG_1664-2.jpg" width="422" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And it was. Tandoori chicken like no other. Seriously. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And to finish off the night, we sang loudly with the windows down on the drive home. Proclaimers. Crash Test Dummies. Good times.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3y5inLTrPcYbDfarYtFuaRhyphenhyphenqiUfDk2WhJVDLZK7w-s3i-JO5-SFEMtBQ9SyaFqkPiG3q0e-PfwHboqUBcQk8iizxMmjof68thlCk-DbAtOvPqastrjwKMynA-k_tovknLUtwXPTaJkAk/s1600/IMG_1678-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3y5inLTrPcYbDfarYtFuaRhyphenhyphenqiUfDk2WhJVDLZK7w-s3i-JO5-SFEMtBQ9SyaFqkPiG3q0e-PfwHboqUBcQk8iizxMmjof68thlCk-DbAtOvPqastrjwKMynA-k_tovknLUtwXPTaJkAk/s640/IMG_1678-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-75537624413634043512011-04-17T20:50:00.000-07:002011-04-17T23:04:47.708-07:00Stuff We See Sometimes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO727_TLrCv7-TSBV0MUN09cYCPjRDXkQRot_l98Qr6zv6QJ7ovNILiqLJoVs5bGMPzybpsswa6YHW570WDrdaQEdWeCgAoKS25YLKMeZy1F9QL-1ulyPEyDSmaJhewEM0kIZ7rUfyCQGO/s1600/IMG_1220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO727_TLrCv7-TSBV0MUN09cYCPjRDXkQRot_l98Qr6zv6QJ7ovNILiqLJoVs5bGMPzybpsswa6YHW570WDrdaQEdWeCgAoKS25YLKMeZy1F9QL-1ulyPEyDSmaJhewEM0kIZ7rUfyCQGO/s400/IMG_1220.jpg" width="286" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Hornby Lighthouse at South Head. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(I always get that "Candle on the Water" song in my head when I look at it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">You know. The one from Pete's Dragon...? Anyone?)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4ZN6KglPjBdh0Kk50Bd5RWERDEtusk7JaWUfAULkzR5e7QqU7EyGjD3dN-2vzxfkyK7Afe5hgNoKDy6FU_RhnA9zQyh1dz_9IM3POv7NUYhinnISecMA0VGdpYnt5Z2bklQwDsgYubwR/s1600/IMG_1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4ZN6KglPjBdh0Kk50Bd5RWERDEtusk7JaWUfAULkzR5e7QqU7EyGjD3dN-2vzxfkyK7Afe5hgNoKDy6FU_RhnA9zQyh1dz_9IM3POv7NUYhinnISecMA0VGdpYnt5Z2bklQwDsgYubwR/s400/IMG_1221.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Fountain in Hyde Park with St. Mary's Cathedral behind. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One of our favorite spots in the city.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOL2AfgChTLElw4AzUqvB4jbpUFtAikqaxb4p21Q_eEVTaqYCv2dwW08r_kwfYiVzF0Y0Iq4m1Ue9FUzAHrJEbi2dPBynGYIIfPn4qNVLQoDgSk7Bo_6IcPYLyyRbwO4aANR73sGp1LUi/s1600/IMG_1603-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOL2AfgChTLElw4AzUqvB4jbpUFtAikqaxb4p21Q_eEVTaqYCv2dwW08r_kwfYiVzF0Y0Iq4m1Ue9FUzAHrJEbi2dPBynGYIIfPn4qNVLQoDgSk7Bo_6IcPYLyyRbwO4aANR73sGp1LUi/s640/IMG_1603-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">View from one of my newfound stair runs. Not bad....</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS7nZyFI2M1ZDZp82_lvFQZ4IUHaTIr-5i2TUQjjqgfaaMyw1Fk39zOjZXP0QIFCUU-cZxT4KqvUiCADGrrkSrCfSwtS30eVC5rW-kjGaaqspWvTn-482WcqtmTJ127Rl7ieFCPt1ky0U/s1600/IMG_1616-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS7nZyFI2M1ZDZp82_lvFQZ4IUHaTIr-5i2TUQjjqgfaaMyw1Fk39zOjZXP0QIFCUU-cZxT4KqvUiCADGrrkSrCfSwtS30eVC5rW-kjGaaqspWvTn-482WcqtmTJ127Rl7ieFCPt1ky0U/s640/IMG_1616-1.jpg" width="420" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">5-0 in the <strike>house</strike> Harbor. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Saw this boat get "pulled over" the other day. Not sure what they did wrong, </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">but they did <i>not</i> get away with it.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW-Sm3CvxltZBoUoaO_yu38W87hOcTalAp75ONp_u7dDuXGDQBusgR8KUv4UiBInh91hsg4ZtYk6ywkY0FCx4HkI_WYF3BJmD0bvt-hlLz35CiF0C7xzYtacr0zosGTKdH4b87N_qNzV_/s1600/IMG_1479-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYW-Sm3CvxltZBoUoaO_yu38W87hOcTalAp75ONp_u7dDuXGDQBusgR8KUv4UiBInh91hsg4ZtYk6ywkY0FCx4HkI_WYF3BJmD0bvt-hlLz35CiF0C7xzYtacr0zosGTKdH4b87N_qNzV_/s640/IMG_1479-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Birdy friends. Rainbow Lorikeets and Cockatoos are regular visitors to our balcony ledge. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Especially when I'm providing the grapes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8R-XY4tkJ_fw-5GUdzuZTuF5ybzKTxi0vPdLyJRdrmeY6PAT2NT1ejZWxv4TUSt2rFf3ukZTuJ_V-bNxDEH8QVtAmHH8fNU5wYvFbpoiBUbsmgx0fVMkYWEpjWJGkyPHtlUI5SirXAqo/s1600/IMG_0997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8R-XY4tkJ_fw-5GUdzuZTuF5ybzKTxi0vPdLyJRdrmeY6PAT2NT1ejZWxv4TUSt2rFf3ukZTuJ_V-bNxDEH8QVtAmHH8fNU5wYvFbpoiBUbsmgx0fVMkYWEpjWJGkyPHtlUI5SirXAqo/s400/IMG_0997.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An unexpected glimpse of the bridge from inside the city.</span></span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-29768063170358376412011-04-14T06:45:00.000-07:002011-04-14T19:50:52.832-07:00Thai is to Indian<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1569806642"></span><span id="goog_1569806643"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcKnqzoGl56fgOuElJ3FgWgUtFWSU6ribOqCracrRAxa7ywf9OdVUwJtJ7uinr7IqMO8GRfenjlZANO72QNPuhEiN2Gzi71FuqluwY3g_Pf-zvCPEkl8f6HFnCfXoLgkjuoXeKxED2Ym1/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcKnqzoGl56fgOuElJ3FgWgUtFWSU6ribOqCracrRAxa7ywf9OdVUwJtJ7uinr7IqMO8GRfenjlZANO72QNPuhEiN2Gzi71FuqluwY3g_Pf-zvCPEkl8f6HFnCfXoLgkjuoXeKxED2Ym1/s400/IMG_1586.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We’ve been hankering for some good Indian food. The Hubs has been telling me about this place in Potts Point that he went to way back when having me as his wife was only a hope and dream in his little heart. Potts Point equals not easy to get to. But it also equals a chic little part of the city I haven’t seen before. Aaaand…if it also equals really good Indian food, count me in. And so. To Potts Point! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ferry across the harbor, pleasant walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens, lovely meander past Elizabeth Bay, and a quick detour through just a corner of Kings Cross. And we found ourselves at the Opium Den in Potts Point...which, you should know, does not serve Indian food, but rather Thai food. Which was very good for Thai food. But not very good for Indian food. In case you were wondering. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Hubs couldn’t quite figure how all this time he’d thought it was Indian he’d eaten in Potts Point when it was clearly Thai. He was on a date with some girl, who he had very little interest in, of course, because he had already met me, of course, and meeting me was the end of his interest in any other girl on the planet. Of course. So, perhaps he was so distracted by the fact that the girl was not me and preoccupied by having to make conversation with someone he wished was me…. And that could make anyone forget whether the food was of the Thai or Indian persuasion, I suppose.</span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-25825555072608558642011-04-07T04:55:00.000-07:002011-04-14T19:19:54.069-07:00Rear Window<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3MrvmSEqwmfA5VcwwkE7LbdvspiD2osQt5xWPypKT_Lu2guuDYr_MbbwwPBNrikDYepFKvKnxskcX30H7dw08TNOEMNc15mX7kfFRxXut6wSmgrqMW9IMxvw-nwYlEU_YgrOqsdxEfLx/s1600/IMG_1487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3MrvmSEqwmfA5VcwwkE7LbdvspiD2osQt5xWPypKT_Lu2guuDYr_MbbwwPBNrikDYepFKvKnxskcX30H7dw08TNOEMNc15mX7kfFRxXut6wSmgrqMW9IMxvw-nwYlEU_YgrOqsdxEfLx/s400/IMG_1487.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV73S9stlZxCiUJWMamd4vg1dUfsWW6eh7c7BVbg4lhtyDr70oKOGSDob_zvgG3DTCYBZ5tWRLl7lxO7aEFvhTsurqbArZdHKwcPYGcXSODFfyLRtmE9nIvx6JqNSz5YPj5_7CGRvc3saU/s1600/IMG_1489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV73S9stlZxCiUJWMamd4vg1dUfsWW6eh7c7BVbg4lhtyDr70oKOGSDob_zvgG3DTCYBZ5tWRLl7lxO7aEFvhTsurqbArZdHKwcPYGcXSODFfyLRtmE9nIvx6JqNSz5YPj5_7CGRvc3saU/s400/IMG_1489.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is what we see outside our windows on the back side of our apartment. How "Rear Window" is that? </span><span style="font-size: small;">Some days I half expect to see Raymond Burr tying up a trunk in one of the apartments across the way or burying something in the flower bed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We're like Jimmy and Grace--</span><span style="font-size: small;">getting glimpses of our neighbors' worlds just by looking outside of our own. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Like the lady who does her cleaning in a t-shirt and her underwear (which, incidentally, we choose not to look at very long...). Or the woman who cuts her tiny patch of grass with one of those old-timey lawn mowers that gives a high-pitched squeak with every push. Or the guys across the way who appear to have nothing in their apartment except for a couple of chairs and some surf boards. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Strange to think that we live right next to people we never interact with. People we never know. And yet, we are connected. The human experience connects us. Or is it the fact that there is more to the human experience than...the human experience?</span></span>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-37626863058233824862011-03-26T06:40:00.000-07:002011-04-05T17:16:54.158-07:00How to Attend the Temple: In 37 Easy-to-Follow Steps<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>1- </b></span>Leave your apartment at 3:05. Yes, I know that’s <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">FOUR hours before the session starts</span>, but trust me on this.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2-</span> </b>Run to catch the 3:15 ferry.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">3-</span></b> Get nailed by a seagull somewhere between your apartment and the wharf...<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">for the second time in a week</span>. (The seagulls, they love me.)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAA8SZHkoLnGojLH6hwCGhYTW8ZYLlBFoZhexgkXjLUrqQZK8eqJ-f3VaXfp3tXBROmNMm5xxPwIYLeTubAqUgqgEHI9_9vWFGYziLfGgsniYCUlOvYhiydg4R6ndvWt_xccjhQY9xCDH/s1600/IMG_1520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAA8SZHkoLnGojLH6hwCGhYTW8ZYLlBFoZhexgkXjLUrqQZK8eqJ-f3VaXfp3tXBROmNMm5xxPwIYLeTubAqUgqgEHI9_9vWFGYziLfGgsniYCUlOvYhiydg4R6ndvWt_xccjhQY9xCDH/s400/IMG_1520.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">4-</span></b> Try not to <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">curse at the bird and your misfortune</span>. (You are going to the temple, after all.)<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">5-</span></b> When you arrive in the city, duck into a McDonald's and <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">steal some napkins</span>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">6- </span></b>Moisten the stolen napkins at <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">an obliging fountain</span> and use them </span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><span style="font-size: small;">to <span style="font-size: small;">wipe away the seagull excrement</span> from your soiled bag.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">7-</span></b> Continue walking the ten blocks to your hubsy’s place of business. Only, <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">you should probably</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;">half-walk/half-run</span> </span>as you've lost a good deal of time messing with napkins and fountains and seagull poo.<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">8-</span></b> Retrieve your hubs and half-run/half-walk with him another few blocks to the train station.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8T2bc2OVoRArjfXDwWcAHX2fPA8FqNM_Yh9vEWBCFORZ69A-2Y_bLemkQSXJAUiXEzKIDXg-e5oJiGd_Ui6boBrneE-vfYQwyg-sn_J10BX917m2w5xEeV3CqY5Y2SEVGc4TqM4E3qur/s1600/IMG_1530-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8T2bc2OVoRArjfXDwWcAHX2fPA8FqNM_Yh9vEWBCFORZ69A-2Y_bLemkQSXJAUiXEzKIDXg-e5oJiGd_Ui6boBrneE-vfYQwyg-sn_J10BX917m2w5xEeV3CqY5Y2SEVGc4TqM4E3qur/s400/IMG_1530-1-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;">9-</span></b> Take the train to Epping station, about a 45-minute ride. <span style="font-size: small;"></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoO_AR8Pws6_EbubT5nHDmqgLoMo2-vMbX54itMRoR05zZi1NbHTUoiWA4XPtH2mfg-OQ4Kzq4pDDbDJTa1aES6zEhH_4n3F7iWq8WICy8D4E6iyewtiGdSxXIkpnu7MkmrFRzRRQBwYX/s1600/IMG_1521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoO_AR8Pws6_EbubT5nHDmqgLoMo2-vMbX54itMRoR05zZi1NbHTUoiWA4XPtH2mfg-OQ4Kzq4pDDbDJTa1aES6zEhH_4n3F7iWq8WICy8D4E6iyewtiGdSxXIkpnu7MkmrFRzRRQBwYX/s400/IMG_1521.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">10-</span></b> Walk a couple of blocks to a bus stop, which you hope is for the right bus.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">11-</span></b> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Misread the route information</span> at the stop and start walking the other direction to see if you can identify the “correct” bus stop. <br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">12-</span></b> When you see what actually <i>is</i> your bus coming up the street, run back toward the original stop to see if you can catch it.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">13-</span></b> Try not to curse when you don't make it. (You are going to the temple, after all.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1<span style="font-size: large;">4</span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;">-</span> Sit at the bus stop <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">in a disgruntled manner</span> because getting to the temple is so hard.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>15-</b></span> Reminisce about the good old days when you lived just down the street from the temple in LA. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc8i5B_GoDM-F62oDmwGG4FhMLQbeQDq3mRLsT20UnxUcOYjcWcHkXk7mN13fTnxfUgbhsgBDOUpasTTOltzw7I9AOk6HPT2CNHFh93dv3wKsifSSa7jaQYuVI8lG_Dp2C6ANuFn8Q4Tj/s1600/IMG_1533-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbc8i5B_GoDM-F62oDmwGG4FhMLQbeQDq3mRLsT20UnxUcOYjcWcHkXk7mN13fTnxfUgbhsgBDOUpasTTOltzw7I9AOk6HPT2CNHFh93dv3wKsifSSa7jaQYuVI8lG_Dp2C6ANuFn8Q4Tj/s640/IMG_1533-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>16-</b></span> Get on the next bus when it arrives, and take it to the stop a few blocks from the temple.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">17-</span> </b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Take a shortcut</span> through the nearby shopping center.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>18- </b></span> Purchase some interesting/not entirely appetizing items from the Asian bakery because you don’t have the time to sit and enjoy a legitimate dinner (if you can call a meal at KFC “a legitimate dinner”) as you had originally planned.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGqmDE6KGw5FROL1zbil2nEiDnXrG9dopN2wjfpagNVEoQdRu4xCjkKNthPZJXOkIGeDQmslKnfCuz3ChEmrKiLCs-z2xeeee_zlvbt9IGRy2sMfQ-1bIvvJvK8HKCoBDd_wTo7w_ZC3L/s1600/IMG_1537-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGqmDE6KGw5FROL1zbil2nEiDnXrG9dopN2wjfpagNVEoQdRu4xCjkKNthPZJXOkIGeDQmslKnfCuz3ChEmrKiLCs-z2xeeee_zlvbt9IGRy2sMfQ-1bIvvJvK8HKCoBDd_wTo7w_ZC3L/s400/IMG_1537-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">19-</span></b> Eat a couple bites of the worst excuse for a chocolate croissant you've ever laid taste buds on while you simultaneously <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">dodge eight lanes of traffic</span> to cross the street to the temple. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">20-</span></b> Make a mental note to <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">never trust an Asian-owned bakery</span> chain with your French pastries.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>21-</b></span> Hand the rest of the thing masquerading as a chocolate pastry to the hubs to finish off as you exchange your flip-flops for heels.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7zB7RELmsNPikPSz9WlNd_W_StlesSF9pci9b182xx8i5aKXcrIXfznGBb77tiXYuA2tzqCkJoFqVs3909X-JedFzJMR1WCciJTzZf6WNx8fGDcIvLQ-yjbW0ck0H56ZWDakiz4JWr6C/s1600/IMG_1538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7zB7RELmsNPikPSz9WlNd_W_StlesSF9pci9b182xx8i5aKXcrIXfznGBb77tiXYuA2tzqCkJoFqVs3909X-JedFzJMR1WCciJTzZf6WNx8fGDcIvLQ-yjbW0ck0H56ZWDakiz4JWr6C/s400/IMG_1538.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">22-</span></b> Walk calmly, coolly and collectedly into the temple as if <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">coming to the temple is a breeze</span> and you are in the perfect frame of mind for a session.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">23-</span></b> When you come out of the temple after your session, do another quick wardrobe change, this time switching your heels for flip-flops so you're <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">appropriately outfitted</span> for the journey back home.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlFr6pr02F6hA1J-YmUp_uDsdvho1u3gPFGyqvoM9eW_fA60JeafuN1VSqYHDk3as0tDQgn-JtyWFqJhmMvS63KfhAs97B_NRRIqvc5Pf0H70xFDp5iwxz47FMxbsrJXS-f9-ZXP5mDVq/s1600/IMG_1539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlFr6pr02F6hA1J-YmUp_uDsdvho1u3gPFGyqvoM9eW_fA60JeafuN1VSqYHDk3as0tDQgn-JtyWFqJhmMvS63KfhAs97B_NRRIqvc5Pf0H70xFDp5iwxz47FMxbsrJXS-f9-ZXP5mDVq/s400/IMG_1539.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">24-</span></b> Hope against all hope, as you’re leaving the temple grounds, that someone leaving in a car might notice that you are leaving on foot and think to stop and ask you if you need a ride somewhere.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">25-</span></b> When no one does, <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">make a pact with the Hubs</span> that someday when you have a car again, you will offer rides where possible. Especially to temple-goers.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">26-</span></b> Make the 15-minute walk down the hill to the Carlingford train station. <br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">27-</span></b> Buy a <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">ridiculously overpriced Sprite</span> to sip/inhale as you wait for the train.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuRCeZkGgeueDtIlwv77trDWDn1Ih_LOqoleUwZ5RLYOG0dYFqqx9g7VP2oC_8XtnBUj4KxLTqJCbiBotv9FnTBFKlOHdgkbGH-DfyTpB__gTJBon5L1ets_lgyLCkFyBnYRfO7tbT9vI/s1600/IMG_1544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuRCeZkGgeueDtIlwv77trDWDn1Ih_LOqoleUwZ5RLYOG0dYFqqx9g7VP2oC_8XtnBUj4KxLTqJCbiBotv9FnTBFKlOHdgkbGH-DfyTpB__gTJBon5L1ets_lgyLCkFyBnYRfO7tbT9vI/s400/IMG_1544.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">28-</span></b> When the train arrives, <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">choose your seat carefully</span> as it is the end of the day and the end of the line and the whole car smells of urine and there are unidentifiable substances smeared on all surfaces. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXMy_Sr3tQAEdVbRZBfHDvQj0Gg73Cw48RgNTkdNEK16OkRTYugYRq9Yfl8h1APnoHw4V0FpXS84cwUJA4KwXoCuLlbu8JwSqmIHvChN9jvkuFcdFy4bGCGfjOderxA0Ft7gskHEK6Ncw/s1600/IMG_1546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXMy_Sr3tQAEdVbRZBfHDvQj0Gg73Cw48RgNTkdNEK16OkRTYugYRq9Yfl8h1APnoHw4V0FpXS84cwUJA4KwXoCuLlbu8JwSqmIHvChN9jvkuFcdFy4bGCGfjOderxA0Ft7gskHEK6Ncw/s400/IMG_1546.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">29-</span></b> Try not to <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">curse humanity</span> as you settle in for the ride. (You did just come from the temple, after all.)<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">30-</span></b> Share your mister’s headphones to <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">watch an episode of the Office</span> to take your mind off the condition of the train car and make the trip go faster. Choose the one that was the hour-long special, 'cause you will be on trains that long.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4cDL5HdCEkrfLkWek3PPJ_QHbp1hrwtrbSWqj-NBtgJY4kMSXTJBzEv07Rger3PxGlqL7ydhGt94bsnCtRC4sqbO_phLayvJdoEenlKfMnu-CKUUA4E4wFaGC2z5_hkwsbD4YAkmsvR7/s1600/IMG_1564-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4cDL5HdCEkrfLkWek3PPJ_QHbp1hrwtrbSWqj-NBtgJY4kMSXTJBzEv07Rger3PxGlqL7ydhGt94bsnCtRC4sqbO_phLayvJdoEenlKfMnu-CKUUA4E4wFaGC2z5_hkwsbD4YAkmsvR7/s640/IMG_1564-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">31-</span></b> Get off the train at Clyde to <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">transfer to the red line</span> to get you back to the city.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjyHJKz9JPfTEzIOw51Oe7sfHJZWGOIFTXM3b4IopzNho0zrhayT6G-xao7T_UEeCc_wNlJEoNGybNmhEMkkYGhDK4M-FBSNYEyX5ncnLjZpfDEihvwj-o0AGdvHPNIzJbasX7lO9otXJ/s1600/IMG_1555-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjyHJKz9JPfTEzIOw51Oe7sfHJZWGOIFTXM3b4IopzNho0zrhayT6G-xao7T_UEeCc_wNlJEoNGybNmhEMkkYGhDK4M-FBSNYEyX5ncnLjZpfDEihvwj-o0AGdvHPNIzJbasX7lO9otXJ/s640/IMG_1555-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">32-</span></b> Fight the Friday night bar mob for 10 blocks back to Circular Quay. You should probably try to <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">hold your breath</span> most of the way because the cigarette smoke is so thick.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">33-</span></b> Arrive at Circular Quay only to learn you've <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">just missed the ferry</span>.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">34-</span></b> Wait 30 minutes for the next one.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">35-</span></b> Drag your filthy, disheveled and beat-down self off the ferry and across the street to your apartment building.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">36-</span></b> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Test your mister’s patience</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span>in the elevator as you take one final picture to document the journey.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk45gv2kmPZRm9tD8w5wlcT56R2TQq4YuT1TEXafNQ7Kyv_BQcLmG0lWeay-yzVmFeSeQXt1wGOa3su4ifcJT0mVXqH6rJ-017858Hg0vK6ZS4o9HozjPC5lr-WtnvqGUsDgG4Xg3UfKlS/s1600/IMG_1571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk45gv2kmPZRm9tD8w5wlcT56R2TQq4YuT1TEXafNQ7Kyv_BQcLmG0lWeay-yzVmFeSeQXt1wGOa3su4ifcJT0mVXqH6rJ-017858Hg0vK6ZS4o9HozjPC5lr-WtnvqGUsDgG4Xg3UfKlS/s400/IMG_1571.jpg" width="298" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">37-</span></b> Collapse on the sofa and swear to yourself you will <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">never leave your apartment again</span>.<br />
<br />
See? Nothin' to it. The whole trip only takes about 8 hours. And I figure the Pioneers’ trip from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley was probably almost as hard. I mean, they didn’t have to figure out the stupid public transportation system. </span><span style="font-size: small;">But still….</span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-42260766538733987992011-03-21T15:17:00.000-07:002011-03-21T18:45:02.175-07:00Corned Beef Love<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dY3e_P2wYAjuyal99dUs8lzerJwXrZdDlUCVbsWtKdes4kkyXDun03JyXKdAaeV4GIhMTSE9Sc-Zo_z6hR-Bmi8uowcL7bjr5X1c9zTmdeCIkUZpR9AXczkBQ8nMxSs7bAZ-SLnANMxf/s1600/CBDHotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dY3e_P2wYAjuyal99dUs8lzerJwXrZdDlUCVbsWtKdes4kkyXDun03JyXKdAaeV4GIhMTSE9Sc-Zo_z6hR-Bmi8uowcL7bjr5X1c9zTmdeCIkUZpR9AXczkBQ8nMxSs7bAZ-SLnANMxf/s400/CBDHotel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBenNGimpoWEtcYf6ahyphenhyphenbkMs1lY_beOsFdlL8qMufhw5ndiGsn0Qxe9vKO-YqqgR3eRfka4RDv623nqaz6ChGeEodEfufXJKoS9UojtiEnJRMsKyJkAbq3nvgxh2kMQmEDMjdcZL5o3-gU/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBenNGimpoWEtcYf6ahyphenhyphenbkMs1lY_beOsFdlL8qMufhw5ndiGsn0Qxe9vKO-YqqgR3eRfka4RDv623nqaz6ChGeEodEfufXJKoS9UojtiEnJRMsKyJkAbq3nvgxh2kMQmEDMjdcZL5o3-gU/s400/IMG_1704.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This past Friday marked our six-month anniversary. "How is that possible?!" you ask. I have no explanation. I told the Hubs that in some ways it feels way shorter, and in other ways it feels way longer. Like we got married yesterday and also we've been married forever. New and old. Inhabiting the same space in time. Like something out of the Twilight Zone.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">And, as everyone knows, nothing says love like corned beef. Am I right or am I right? With our six-month anniversary falling the day after St. Patty's Day...it seemed the only appropriate way to celebrate was probably with a big slab of corned beef (minus the cabbage). So I went into the city and met the Hubs after work for dinner at <a href="http://www.merivale.com/#/cbd/bistrodecbd">Bistrode CBD</a>. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">He's been raving about the corned beef here since he first partook of its deliciousness some time ago. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">The Hubs is not one to exaggerate, but having never experienced truly phenomenal corned beef, I must admit, I was not duly prepared. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">After devouring, I decided maybe I never wanted to eat anything else. Ever again. Maybe it's just my teeny-tiny sliver of Irish blood talking, but that CBD chef knows something about corning beef.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">And to think it didn't even make our waiter's top recommendations. Probably because he was French. And really, what does a Frenchman know about traditional Irish fare? As for me and my fair Irish ancestors (and my Hubs of English descent), we know that corned beef love is indeed the truest of all loves. (Believe me. It is.)</span>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-10418473051355388762011-03-06T05:16:00.000-08:002011-03-07T04:30:40.289-08:00Longest Ladies in All the Land<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Z69HtKxVUhzpyl7ugBohtYeaYOEeyslI7a0Zjbg3mmjSjfzJaeCOE8KAwo2xmaHTA4Gb0aBZTT366W6Y_FjynEhKCGhKZjPwPCDWWyw4J1qM2Rt1f9d_evZXQ8knnkXmhUpL90J2UmaZ/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Z69HtKxVUhzpyl7ugBohtYeaYOEeyslI7a0Zjbg3mmjSjfzJaeCOE8KAwo2xmaHTA4Gb0aBZTT366W6Y_FjynEhKCGhKZjPwPCDWWyw4J1qM2Rt1f9d_evZXQ8knnkXmhUpL90J2UmaZ/s400/IMG_1447.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvHtzCD9vs2YmoJBb31q40GorpFN-Z3yOYadRUqRgcw_IK-4lDgUqLz951gwpmbU00uwz4Z9kyGfsWemLZMmmk_kIThcwiDETM8USxGELuSrXCB4qtvVG_ipTOs8_kTsuKTNbFbTI4y6c/s1600/IMG_1449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvHtzCD9vs2YmoJBb31q40GorpFN-Z3yOYadRUqRgcw_IK-4lDgUqLz951gwpmbU00uwz4Z9kyGfsWemLZMmmk_kIThcwiDETM8USxGELuSrXCB4qtvVG_ipTOs8_kTsuKTNbFbTI4y6c/s400/IMG_1449.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRjOvkdNTiLM1EISNMrM0pFaVSjhvb_DIL_GHHcdlRhIIQne-HbGCA-AJMSUj-qyJ8ARjR-EmMArTvhjxGMkA-QJyKG6PcH5Mjt5PVkFJbQkoC4Gv3Bb8a5jSxMKE3SoE1ZMC94U60C8f/s1600/IMG_1452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRjOvkdNTiLM1EISNMrM0pFaVSjhvb_DIL_GHHcdlRhIIQne-HbGCA-AJMSUj-qyJ8ARjR-EmMArTvhjxGMkA-QJyKG6PcH5Mjt5PVkFJbQkoC4Gv3Bb8a5jSxMKE3SoE1ZMC94U60C8f/s400/IMG_1452.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary 2 were in Sydney a couple of weeks ago. I hopped the ferry into the city just to give them a gawk. Can you blame me? These are two ladies you ought to get a good look at if ever you have the chance. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Definitely not your average cruise ships.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was Mary's first time to Sydney. She had parked herself over in Woolloomooloo Bay, making it hard for anyone to get a good look. (Such an elitist!) But Queen Elizabeth was hanging out right there for all to see, so my fellow ferriers and I got our fill of pics as we pulled up alongside her. Felt like she went on for miles.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">I honestly could not get over how massive she is. So much bigger than I'd imagined. Astonishingly, staggeringly, larger-than-life big.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> It was almost as if someone had gone and plucked one of the skyscrapers out of the Sydney skyline and just laid it there on the water. With the city as her backdrop, she seemed to blend right in, although, it was certainly a tight fit in the cove that day. </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the skinny on her royal highness.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Queen Elizabeth:</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Length: 964.5 feet </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Width: 106 feet </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Guest capacity: 2,068. </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">She is second only to her sister, who is the largest cruise ship in the world.</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Queen Mary 2: </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Length: 1,132 feet </span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Width: 131 feet wide</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Guest capacity: 2,620.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Wowza. </span></span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJI25OLDhreRgy1dLBXYItoiRiBB20uonE_1JNlCXc0aJbuBg-ASy33VbY24INq-nu5bm16-QYBhm05lI66mehXmHJzW0Xtl7sbXsMrKpDRmVufksfOSqsSTEqUQJcWI6veypBhhMjt7x/s1600/IMG_1445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJI25OLDhreRgy1dLBXYItoiRiBB20uonE_1JNlCXc0aJbuBg-ASy33VbY24INq-nu5bm16-QYBhm05lI66mehXmHJzW0Xtl7sbXsMrKpDRmVufksfOSqsSTEqUQJcWI6veypBhhMjt7x/s400/IMG_1445.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-42406973015716524112011-03-02T16:37:00.000-08:002011-03-09T03:57:56.319-08:00Ode to an Etude<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfXphOCdef8IwNT2EnQozkSKmPjlo8sA9P30uHWrfFFWY3BYi8rJdP3GnLsHZnpT6YDZ8eEA71F3jj8EQC5C5QG6FwBhGfdJFya7Gf25gPfaThi6sHl_OGUfSd2pT75jE7lka40m8RSIB/s1600/Etude+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfXphOCdef8IwNT2EnQozkSKmPjlo8sA9P30uHWrfFFWY3BYi8rJdP3GnLsHZnpT6YDZ8eEA71F3jj8EQC5C5QG6FwBhGfdJFya7Gf25gPfaThi6sHl_OGUfSd2pT75jE7lka40m8RSIB/s400/Etude+Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">I've had an etude by Czerny in my head for over a week. <br />
<br />
Here's the thing. I used to play the piano. A lot. Then I stopped. Not because I didn't want to play anymore, rather because in order to play the piano, one must have a piano to play. Granted there were always pianos I could have played, if I were the disciplined type who did what it took to fit that into my life. But I'm not and I didn't. I'm the type who wants a piano in the next room that I can play in my pajamas and bare feet, all lackadaisical like, whenever I want. I'm sure you understand.<br />
<br />
Enter the J-dubhub and his 88 keys. Don't tell him I said so, but I might have married him for his piano. </span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
A piano! In the living room! That I can shuffle over to and play any ol' time. Like when I should be going for a run. Or when I should be doing the grocery shopping. Or when I should be looking for a job. Or when I should be doing laundry. Or when I should be making dinner. You get the idea.<br />
<br />
So, that's the long and short of it. I'm getting squishy. I still don't have a job. And the Hubs never has any clean clothes to wear or food to eat. Because I'm playing the piano.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">When I was at home in Texas last month I rummaged through the music cupboard to see if I could find any of my old piano books. Lo and behold. So many! It felt like an amazing discovery, the likes of which I had not known since maybe the day I found black beans in Australia. (But that's a story in and of itself.) I brought that whole stack of books back with me...which is mostly why my suitcase weighed as much as a small car. (But just a small one. A smart car, probably. That's not <i>so</i> bad.)<br />
<br />
And my world is full of sonatinas and bourres and waltzes again. </span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
How happily they're all back in my head. Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Haydn, Kuhlau. Like old friends who have been away for a very long time. I catch myself singing their melodies everywhere I go.<br />
<br />
And Czerny. He'll probably hang around for a while still. With his etude and his octaves.</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><br />
<br />
Welcome back, sir.</span>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171358672219707057.post-17649678000229532542011-02-28T18:47:00.000-08:002011-03-07T00:14:13.558-08:00Surfer Dude<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaa-XlPzzMnraHiVJ5jZJG01PPb-i18A9RCHtHL4t5w6ndrmvzSAe1OMYZ3yVF8usdHTb6-ebsb1YItYGs0mtEYU3IUEuKLeiXKHUWeHwnqUJIxb5NKmVJSHeS5pB8iq__DY_7Pcl9NJLF/s1600/IMG_1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaa-XlPzzMnraHiVJ5jZJG01PPb-i18A9RCHtHL4t5w6ndrmvzSAe1OMYZ3yVF8usdHTb6-ebsb1YItYGs0mtEYU3IUEuKLeiXKHUWeHwnqUJIxb5NKmVJSHeS5pB8iq__DY_7Pcl9NJLF/s400/IMG_1137.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; overflow: hidden; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Somebody cue the Beach Boys.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Summer's still on in Australia. But not for long.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We're doing our best to soak up </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">every </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">last </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">drop.</span></div>Chelsea Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08764217379424732122noreply@blogger.com0