A little update

Hola everyone! I've been a bit quiet, mostly because I've been sick for the last 2 weeks - something that really knocked me out. I've only been feeling like me again since last Friday.

But, it didn't keep me from doing some pretty fun stuff... some very iconic Aussie things. Midnight Oil reunited to play for a charity concert/festival in benefit of the Victorian bushfire and Queensland flood victims. FOr those that don't know, the front man for Midnight Oil is a currently sitting member of Parliament for the Labour Party (the party in power) - he's the Minister for Environment. So, last Thursday, after a day siting in Parliament, Peter Garrett MP, got on stage at the convention centre and ROCKED. Literally, for 2 hours. It was one of the most amazing shows I've seen. I don't go to that much live music, epecially not big acts, but this was so awesome. He has such a presece on stage and I actually knew more of the songs than I thought I would. And he was up there for 2 hours! They were rehearsing for SoundRelief, the charity concert, in Melbourne. And, ven though I was feeling a bit crook, I flew down to Melbourne for the day to go to the concert - it just had the most amazing lineup - so many Aussie classics... Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers, Neil and Tim Finn (I know they're Kiwi!), Crowded House, Split Enz, Hunters and Collectors, Midnight Oil... and others like Kings of Leon, Jack Johnson... it was just a great day, despite the rain and the storminess. Oh yeah, and that my bag got stolen :( That was not fun. I lost my camera (all pictures from Christmas onwards - hadn't downloaded yet!), my phone, and my wallet with everything in it. No cash, and no weird charges on my now cancelled cards, but still such a PAIN in the ARSE. Especially at a flipping charity concert!!!

ANyway - it was such an amazing day, and to hear so many classic Aussie songs live was just great. My favorite memory is when the stars started to come out and Midnight Oil was on stage and just over the horizon of the stadium was the southern cross. So cool.

Oher than that... I"ve moved house - sort of a pre-move for July. I'm housesitting for some friends, just around the corner from my old place. And, to show how smal Canberra is, the woman that moved into my room (picked my by housemates without my inut) is someone I know from triathlon stuff and the book club I never go to. How random! Well, not really after being in Canberra for 2 and a half years. I'll be in this house till June, then I'll move in with my friend Frances... and my then I'm hoping to be back down to a few suitcases worth of acoutrment... 4 car loads is a lot!!! And there's no way it's going to all get back to Atlanta. Well, I guess it could, but for someone who moved over here in 3 suitcases, I've certainly aquired a lot. Surprised?

I'm feeling a bit more settled about my move back. I just need to get on the ball about finding gainful employment in the ATL and I'll be fine. For those keeping track, I plan to be back in my house in Atlanta in September. I'll be in California from mid-July, with my sister as she ad her husband start their family. I stil can't believe there's a little Maggie/Jed in the makes... it's overwhelming. And I'm halfway around the world - must be pretty intense for them. Hehe. That's probably putting it mildly. I'm so excited to be and aunt (or an uncle... thanks Joey!...) but the most overwhelming bit for me is thinking of my sister as a mother - while I gain a new family person, I feel like I lose a little of my sister who wll love this new person in such a different way than she loves me. I know she has room for both of us (oh yes, and her husband, and the rest of my family, ehem...) but that bit makes my throat catch a little.

And I can't wait to see their new house and car. There's a lot happening on the little island of Alameda lately.

Now that I'm in some new digs I'm hoping to pop out of the rut I've been in... need to get back to training and back to actually feeding myself (rather than relying on takeaway... !) I feel like now I have some of my own space with no roommates tha tI can get back to me a bit. And start taking work a little less seriously. I know there's a lot of responsibility, but I need to pull my head out and remember that I'm more than just my job... and that someone will be able to do whatever I can't finish. I think my being sick the last 2 weeks was sort of enhanced by how stressed I've been feeling at work - just needed a few days in bed to get some space.