homesick

Man, I am missing Canberra this week. Which is weird because last year at this time, I was in Alameda. Go figure.

I miss the house on Lindsay street, the bright sunshine, the cockatoos screaming in the morning, even the koel at 4 in the morning! I miss being loved by the people around me for who I am. It's just a nicer world down under.

I really miss Australia, and I'm really questioning my returning this week. It may just be a bit if "the grass is greener" thing going on, combined with regular holiday emotions. But it can't be normal to cry on the drive into work every day.

I'm really counting on the tri club I'm joining in January to help shake these blues. Running on my own just isn't doing it.

noosa

Now that I've started talking about memories, I can't keep this one from flooding back... last November a group of us went up to Noosa (Sunshine Coast, Queensland) for a triathlon - an olympic distance, which was the first at this distance for most of us. I wasn't racing because I'd dislocated my shoulder in August, but I went along as team 'mom' and cheerleader.

We flew into Brisbane and piled 5 people and 3 bikes (the 4th bike had alternate transportation) into a Toyota Tarago (the minivan) and drove the hour or so up to Noosa, a gorgeous resort town on the coast. The weather was perfect. We had rented a 3 bedroom apartment for the 5 (me, KV, FM, CD, and C) of us and other teammates had the apratment across the hall. Shortly after our arrival, the apartment was covered in bike parts, grease, and food. We went to the race expo, walked around and mingled with all the other triathletes (such a good looking and fun bunch!) and relaxed. This is my strongest memory of Noosa, driving into town that afternoon, all the windows down, radio cranked, singing along to Gloria! I think dinner that night was a sushi place down the street.

Race day was good - waking up at seriously O-dark 30 (I think the alarm went off at 4) - bleary-eyed, I drove the racers to the start line and held various pieces of clothing as it got closer to start and as transition and bikes were set up. For the next 3 hours I alternated between the beach for the various wave starts, the transition area to watch people go out and come back on the bike and the run, and in the grandstands at the end to watch the finishes.

After the racing we went back to the apartment and we climbed into the pool with beers and just goofed off. I remember eating burgers and fries down the street and then pizza in town, after dark, on a picnic table by the beach, with wine in plastic cups (we roll the classy way). Then we partied - the first place we went to was empty, even after waiting in line! But we had fun. Then we went to a bar down the street and we acted like cattle being herded around for a few hours - heaps of people smashed together celebrating. It was great fun. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention JW, who I met at that bar and started a long distance fling with - long story short, it didn't last.

We left the next morning, a little more bleary-eyed but happy as clams.

My memories of that weekend are so tinged in gold (how cheesy, right?) - but they are... it was just awesome - perfect weather, good food, good friends, gorgeous scenery, a fun little apartment, not a care in the world other than checking out the biclists (not a mis-spelling there, that's what I call cyclists). Wish I could bottle up the feeling of that weekend.

song memory

I know it's not news to anyone that songs, like smells, can trigger strong memories.

I'm listening to 'Sex on Fire' this morning, and I swear that I can stand up and turn around and be by the lake in Yarralumlma on a warm sunny day, just lazing on a towel with a sausage sandwich, or driving around Canberra with the radio cranked and the windows open, singing at the top of my lungs. I can see the trees, the leaves, feel the grass, smell the air, feel the brightness of the sun, hear the magpies, hear the laughter of KV and re-capture that feeling of absolute freedom and love. It's crazy to know that in reality, when I open my eyes, it's a drizzly and grey day in Atlanta, and I'm at a desk writing.

I don't want to lose the memories and the strong feelings associated with this song. So do I just not play it anymore?

I'm so happy to have these memories and I wouldn't trade them for anything, but it's bittersweet that they are just that now. Memories. Not my daily life.

It's beginning to look (a lot) like Christmas...

I pulled down a box in my attic, marked Christmas. It's a box I haven't seen in 3 years, but lo and behold, it was full of Christmas! (well, sort of full - it's not like there was a tree in there or anything!).

I unpacked my old ornaments (all zoo animals) and my ornaments from Oz (a few kangaroos...) and have put up some Christmas in my house.

My little fake tree (with giant microbes behind) and my favorite Oz ornaments - posing on my Oz books


My Canberra calendar, reminding me of warm Canberra


What I'm missing this summer (winter... whatever...)... my toes on an Australian beach...

Holiday Cookies and Oliver

We are having a Holiday Cookie Extravaganza after work tomorrow, and these are my entries:

Russian Tea Cakes


Molasses Cookies (how perfect do these look!!! YUM!)



And here are some recent pics of my rotund kitty - he obviously doesn't need more cookies! His favorite place, now that it's winter, is behind the sofa, on top of the heat vent.

A different type of random

I'm listening to my songs in a new way - by the first word in the title. A few weeks ago I listened to all the songs with "Sweet" and today am starting with "Where" (maybe a bit plaintive for a Monday morning, but we'll give it a shot). It's just a different way to listen to the music that doesn't use up to much battery like the random shuffle setting.

Where are You Tonight?
Where do Broken Hearts Go
Where I Stood
Where is Your Heart
Where the Blacktop Ends
Where the Green Grass Grows
WHere the River Flows
Where the Streets Have No Name
WHere White Boys Dance
Where Will I Be
Wherer You Are
Where's the Love
Where's the Party

all I want to eat

With a cheese quesadilla. Every night.

Goodbye November

I am glad to be saying good-bye to November. I was sick at the beginning of the month and have spent the rest of the month recovering!!!...through the cough, the sinusitis and the reaction to amoxicillin I have not felt myself.

However, in looking back, I did some fun stuff in November, despite being sick... visitied my brother and his wife, went to a UGA football game in Athens, ran a half-marathon, enjoyed Thanksgiving with a brunch and an awesome dinner. No pumpkin pie though, so I'm making one tonight.