Katie's Adventures

It's been a while

2011-11-19T01:20:00.004+11:00

So, I've been trucking along - enjoying life in Atlanta.

The seasons have changed now, the trees, after their riotous color, have started to lose their leaves, and it's in the 30s to 40s (F) regularly when I wake up. I didn't ride to work this morning because it was 34F. Call me a wuss, but I didn't feel like trying to unfreeze at my desk all morning.

I've been riding a lot lately - I pulled my mountain bike out of storage, and now prefer riding it to work - I feel more solid and stable in Atlanta traffic on a mountain bike. And with rain every now and then, it's nicer to be on mountain bike tires rather than slicks. I"m now almost exclusively riding for transportation on the weekends - to festivals, to the grocery store, to lunch... it's great. I made a compost bin last weekend (with help that made me smile!) - my re-emergence as a full blown hippie is almost complete!

I've been reading about the Vietnam war ('Vietnam: A History'). It's fascinating, troubling, depressing, engaging, sad... I love history, and this is particular close to home (my dad was there in 68) and my brother is active army now. I've had some great discussions with both of them about the hows and whys of war. It's a continuing dialogue, and there's no easy answer.

I like the world to be in black and white - one of the things I"ve been focusing on over the last year (my adventures with depression! (see Hyperbole and a Half for an excellent description)) is being comfortable in the gray (or the grey - depending on how I'm feeling). It's not necessarily an easy thing to be in the gray zone - to be okay with the world as it happens, to not try to CONTROL everything. Because, for me, that's the crux - CONTROL.

At work I'm a coordinator. I coordinate and control things. (this is no surprise to anyone who has spent time with me). I'm good at it.

But I feel like it sometimes is too much and it seeps into my outside work life. This is why I stopped training for the half ironman - I needed to not be controlled by a training plan. This is why I dropped out of the book club I started - I needed to not feel obligated to read something every month and to not feel responsible for the logistics of the club.

All of these things have helped me to focus on living in the present moment. But I've become aware of other things in the process. I am truly uncomfortable when I'm not in control. I was in the cafeteria yesterday getting lunch (something I rarely do, partly because of my reaction) - my reaction to being in the cafeteria, with its inefficient lines for the grill and the sandwich bar and the hot dinner bar is increasing agitation. I waited for 15 minutes for a garden burger yesterday, and I couldn't even keep up a conversation with my co-worker because I was too distracted by the chaos. Literally had to keep myself from running out and just eating chips from the vending machine.

Work has been stressful this week - there are a lot of things out of my control right now - we are relying on a lot of other people to help us do things and bring projects to fruition/completion - and that means that when I get home I need to CONTROL something. So I watch Friends over and over. I know the episodes so well, and it's really comforting to me to have it on in the background. I rarely sit and actually watch - I'm doing other things - but I like the predictability of it. The other night I sorted out a large bag of trail mix. I made a one gallon bag of trail mix into 6 quart bags of almonds, mixed nuts, raisins, pretzels, chocolate granola, and mixed fruit pieces. It was about 40 minutes of targeted work, with a satisfying result.

Why share this particular brand of crazy with you?

Because it makes me feel better to put it out there.

Also, holiday ads have been making me cry and the thought of my brother becoming a dad, while exciting and incredibly awesome, makes me a bit sad too. I guess I'm reacting to the passing time - my baby brother (who will probably always be about 15 to me) is having his first kid! Maggie's daughters are growing so fast - I have conversations with Bridget on the phone now (well - they are mostly one-sided, but sometimes she sings for me)! I think some good family time over Christmas will cure this maudlin-ness I'm feeling.

A bruiser of a week

2010-10-16T00:18:00.002+11:00

I've been playing softball on Monday nights with a neighborhood team (since I don't live in an 'official' neighborhood, I've adopted Kirkwood, which is a mile north of me). The last time I played softball was in middle school, and I don't even own a mitt, but I thought I'd give something new a try. On my first at bat I hit the ball and started running for first base, but I never got there, because, somehow, I tripped over myself and crashed to the ground about halfway between home plate and first base, right in front of my team's dugout. There was silence until I got up, made a joke, and started laughing. It was certainly a way to break the ice - teammates now know who I am! I think I was trying to go to fast; in my head I had the sprinting ability from middle school, but in reality I have the legs of a 35 year old who just doesn't sprint anymore! I've got somoe great knee bruises and scrapes galore, as well as a jammed middle finger on my right hand - that must have been how I fell.

I've also been riding my bike to work (7 miles each way) at least 2 times a week (3 if I can manage it). Yesterday, as I was riding through Emory campus, I stopped at a stop sign and fell over onto the curb. I come to complete stops at stop signs, expecially if there are cars around, but I don't usually clip out unless it's a red light and I know I'll be waiting my turn. For this stop sign there was only one other car going cross-ways, so I didn't think to clip out; however, the car stopped extra long - longer than I'd anticipated, and longer than I can balance for - so over I toppled. I landed directly on my hip (the fleshy part, thank goodness for padding). Today I've got a pretty bruise developing and also can't lift my right arm above my shoulder - I must have landed on my shoulder as well.

On top of all that, last night after I got home from my ride I went for a run and today my calves and knees are feeling it.

All in all I'm feeling a little beat up this week, so I drove to work today.

More Christmas list items

2010-09-22T00:19:00.000+10:00

4. waffle iron
5. Seasons 1-8 of Spooks (MI-5 in the US) on DVD

Christmas Wish List

2010-09-18T10:59:00.003+10:00

My first Christmas wish is to be with my family.

Here are some other things I'm thinking of...
1. new head lamp
2. commuter bike backpack with either the aircomfort system (deuter) or air suspension system (black wolf)
3. 3-ring gearing for my bike (I'm sure that's not what it's actually called, but I want more gears)

True Blue

2010-09-16T00:36:00.002+10:00

True Blue is playing on my work music mix right now. It makes me stop and remember my Australian life. I know as time goes by it'll just feel more and more like a dream - farther and farther away. But it was mine, once.

Freezing Peaches

2010-09-05T08:45:00.011+10:00

I spent yesterday afternoon freezing delicious Georgia peaches, to be enjoyed in the middle of winter as evidence that there was a summer this year!

The peaches this year have been so good that I decided to try to freeze some, something I've never done before. I found directions on PickYourOwn.org and bought about 10 pounds of peaches.

1. Wash peaches

2. Boil for 45 seconds

3. Put in cold water for 1 minute

4. Peel skin off (I was amazed at how easy this was!)

5. Cut as desired and put in sweetener (4:1 ratio water/sugar with 1/4 cup lemon juice)

Oliver was very intrigued by what I was doing, but wasn't a fan of the peach skins I gave him.

6. Spoon into freezer storage (ziplocs)

To be enjoyed in January and February!

Bran Nue Dae

2010-08-25T23:55:00.001+10:00

Can't wait to see this!
http://www.brannuedaemovie.com/

"a charming new Australian-based, music-driven road movie/romantic comedy"

Wonder how it played in Australia?

Loaded

2010-08-09T12:12:00.002+10:00

What a day.

Started with brunch at Chateau Elan (fancy!) for a dear friend.

Then my friend Sharon and I went to see Restrepo. We got out 5 hours ago and I'm still recovering. Intense documentary about one platoon's deployment in Afghanistan. Which is where my brother is, on deployment. Halfway through the movie, as the climactic operation was being described and shown, I just started crying and trembling uncontrollably. Tears rolling down my face. It was a lot to take in. But I recommend the movie to anyone and everyone. I sat in my car for about 10 minutes just staring blindly out the window before I could drive home.

I came home and watched an hour or so of Friends - just to escape from my head.

Then I made dinner - a new meal for me - quinoa with chickpeas, tomatoes, green onions and a fingerhot pepper. I also tried to make roasted kale like my friend Elizabeth made a few weeks ago, but I burned it to a crisp. Oops.

Then I watched No Impact Man. Which makes me think, in a whole different way from the earlier movie.

Now I"m listening to EmmyLou Harris (Wrecking Ball) and Willie Nelson (Teatro) and thinking of the guy who introduced me to these albums, and wondering where he is and what might have been.

All in all a satisfying day, but full of loaded emotions.

Unrelated to this... my goals for the coming week:
1. Ride my bike to work at least 3 days this week (I'd like to do all 5, but I'm trying to be realistic). And for the record, this was a goal before I watched No Impact Man tonight.
2. Swim at least twice.
3. Eat out only once (lunch). (I'll work on dinner habits next week...)
4. Remove tree limbs from the backyard and put them on the curb for pickup.

Moscow in review

2010-06-07T06:58:00.003+10:00

I'm back in Atlanta, hanging out with Oliver and catching up on my missed TV shows, and reflecting on having spent the last 2 weeks in Moscow. The Metro is my biggest memory - commuting two hours each day with 10 million other Muscovites certainly made an impression and made me feel part of the city. We never had to wait more than 45 seconds (maybe a minute) for a train to arrive, and people were so orderly getting out of the stations, up these long escalators - the Moscow Metro is deep underground apparently! Also, the heels! Moscow women wear heels all the time, I've never seen so many stilettos - and traipsing all over the metro system Wow. The food was great - I can't remember the last time I ate so much lamb! We had uzbeki, georgian, and russian food - even some italian on the one night we couldn't do more meat! The breakfast place next door was so great - every day for 2 weeks I had great bread, coffee, and youghurt Yummo. I got to see Swan Lake at the Moscow Music Theatre, I got to eat pancakes/crepes whenever I wanted, I got to view the armory and see Catherine the Great's wedding dress, Ivan the Terrible's crown and throne, old armour and the most amazing carriages and jewel encrusted bible covers. I hung out in Red Square. I can read some Russian letters now.

It was a pretty good 2 weeks!

Day 1, Moscow

2010-05-26T03:03:00.002+10:00

So, it's 9pm in Moscow and I am about 15 minutes from falling asleep. Left Atlanta at 9am Monday morning, flew to NY and then to Moscow, landed here at 10am Tuesday (today). Then 3 hours in transit to the hotel, negotiating the Metro. Thank god we have a Russian speaker and expereinced navigator with us - it's very intimidating. We took an express train from the airport to the metro in the city (35 minute ride), and walking out onto the train tracks was awesome - there were 4 red trains lined up across the paltforms, all said MOCKBA on the front. If I'd had my wits about me I would have taken a picture; it was pretty iconic. While waiting for the train we had coffee (a cappucino is a cappucino, very convenient!) and a potato/mushroom crepe, with sour cream.

Pulling into the Moscow train station, I was reminded of train stations in Paris, London, and Sydney - there is just something about the apartment buildings/flats/tenements and graffiti around train stations that is the same no matter the country. Our intrepid leader procured metro passes for us (including an extra single pass for our luggage becuause it was large) and away we went, into the mass of humanity that is the Moscow metro. Old escalators, of varying speeds, people EVERYWHERE, lots of Russian with no english, a maze of tunnels, a train transfer, and then we were out. Whew. Again - so glad we have an experienced person with us!!

The hotel is great - pretty standard. Because I'm here for 2 weeks I got a handwritten welcome card (4 paragraphs of welcome and good luck for success in my business) and a bowl of fresh fruit and a chocolate bar (85% cocoa!). Awesome. And internet is free. Double awesome. I went to the fitness room since sitting for that long is hard to do for me, and then we met with our Russian colleagues in the lobby. Then we went to dinner across the way, an Uzbekistan cafe - DELICIOUS. Of course, it was the most food I've had since breakfast Monday, but I would have thought it delicious even if I wasn't starving. Lamb in many forms - soup, sausage, kebobs, pilaf, dumplings... yummo.

Now for a bite of chocolate and off to dreamland.

John Tanner Sprint Tri

2010-04-26T12:14:00.002+10:00

My first tri back in the States was really only part of a tri, since my friend Sharon ran the run leg for me, since I'm still not able to run. I go to the orthopedist tomorrow to see what the dealio is - I'm pretty sure this is a stress fracture - so that'll mean no running for a while. But I really wanted to do this race so Sharon stepped up for me, which was awesome, especially considering the race conditions... far from ideal!

The race was held a the John Tanner State Park, in Carollton, GA, which is about an hour away (directly west) from Atlanta. The race was at 8 am and we were meant to register by 7 am, so we left Atlanta at 5am to get there by 6 - 6:30. It's good that we left a little time, cause it was thunderstorming like crazy the whole way west. There was a crazy storm heading towards Atlanta yesterday morning and we got all of it on the drive out. THer was also a heap of lightening (hard to have a thunderstorm without lightening,,,) and I was worried we were going to drive all that way and have the race called for the weather, since the swim was in a lake. Sharon listened to my early morning inanities and ramblings (well, at least she pretended to listen) on the way out and was supportive when we hit the stormiest part at about 5:45 - couldn't see more than 5 feet in front of the car! The bikes were nice and clean by the time we got to the park.

The race was really well organized and smoothly run, despite the rain and terrible conditions! I'd switched from my individual registration to the team registration only this week, so had to do some last monute paperwork, but it all worked out and we were getting ready to go.

The weird thing about this tri (and probably all US tris) is that there is a weight class (Clydesdales for the men, and Athenas for the women). There was actually a scale at the registration to check their weight (200+ for males, 145+ for females). I just find that strange, and technically that makes me an Athena, but I'll be damned if I ever weigh in for a 'fun' triathlon. What the heck? The little research I've done makes me think that this is just a separate category, but that most people actually register in their AG (age group) category and race against everyone else, rather than just against the other Clydesdales/Athenas. And for USAT (USA Triathlon) Nationals, you have to qualify in AG, and then there are awards for Clydesdales/Athenas within the AG categories, so why would you race in that category anyway? All very strange to me... and such a thing so does not exist in Australia! (at least as far as I know!)

The other stand-out thing to me was the national anthem and the prayer before the race started. WHile hearing the national anthem was great, I'm just not sure it needs to be before every event ever done. Is it sung before youth soccer games on the weekend? This was just a fun tri, not a qualifier, or a regional, or something on a larger stage.. where you might expect the national anthem. This was followed by a prayer for the christian athletes. Yes, you read correctly. What the heck? I don't mind people praying on their own (obviously), but to lead the whole crowd in a prayer seemed inappropriate to me. I'd bet the crowd is not as homogenous as one might think, even in rural Georgia. My liberal sensibilites were tweaked by the prayer, just because it was exclusionary even while pretending to be inclusive.

The swim went weel (600m) - the lake was warm, so I didn't wear a wetsuit, and even though I was in the last wave to go (all teams and novices), I still had a good swim. The water was really nice actually, and my watch said just over 12 minutes, although my chop time was 13:13. On to T1, through the rain and up a muddy hill. Got on the bike (11.2 miles) after having to re-poke a new hole in my race number which I stepped on as I was putting on y race belt and tore the existing hole. The bike was good, I felt really strong - 37 minutes by my bike computer (the timing system for the bike wasn't working cause of the rain, so no official split time for that leg). Came flying back into T2 (I remembered how to dismount out of my shoes like I used to do!) and quickly put the chip and race belt on Sharon who kicked ass and took names on the run (3.1 miles, 23:58) for a total race time of 1:19:11). Not too shabby! I don't run anywhere near as fast as Sharon, even on a good day, so I'm glad she was doing that leg.

We stuffed our faces with bananas, oranges and chocolate chip cookies, I iced my knee, and then we headed back to Atlanta, just in time to catch the next thunderstorm cell as it rolled through and took out the power at my house! It rained all day long. Today (Sunday) was gorgeous, of course!

Spring musings

2010-03-15T16:11:00.002+11:00

So, it's March, my favorite month - for a couple of reasons - it's my birthday month and its the start of spring. Except for the last 3 years when it was the start of autumn, which just always felt weird to me.

My birthday is in 2 weeks and I am sort of bummed out about not being in Canberra to share it with my people there. This week also marks the 2 year anniversary of my friend Louise's passing. It's crazy to me that tears can still flow so freely 2 years later. I still haven't been able to watch "The Man from Snowy River"; it's the last thing we did together about a month before she died. Even though I'd only known her for a little over a year, she was amazingly open and generous... very special. But this week also marks the 2 year birthdays of some pretty cool little girls - in both hemispheres. So it's crazy circle of life type thoughts in my head.

It's times like these, when I can clearly remember things and events in the Berra that I get really 'homesick'. It just feels like a dream, but I have some very tangible memories.

Anywhoo... it's a monumental bday this year, 35. Holy moley. I'm excited to see what tis year will bring!

Winter Storm Feb 2010

2010-02-14T03:18:00.005+11:00

This is what causes Delta to cancel 1000 flights out of Hartsfield (including my flight to CA!)

"Black Fingernails, Red Wine"

2010-02-06T08:07:00.003+11:00

This song is by Eskimo Joe, a group from Perth. Hearing it this afternoon took me from my desk in Atlanta up to Cairns, Queensland, over St. Patrick's Day weekend 2007. (Nice that I can take these little trips to Oz whenever I need to!) I was up there for the weekend visiting a dive instructor/triathlete I'd met over Christmas. This song was playing in the car while we drove to a clinic to pick up x-rays from his broken foot (broken while sky diving). Can anyone say adrenaline junkie? I wised up soon enough and ran!

The only good thing about that weekend was meeting a couple from North Carolina that were on their honeymoon. I think I actually spent more time with them that weekend than with the guy. Typical.

Week 9

2010-02-03T10:46:00.002+11:00

Well, things have gone a bit pear-shaped with my training. I took weeks 6 and 7 off for my left leg shin splints. Week 8 I started running again, with new shoes. The first couple of runs were okay, but after the long run on Sunday (11 - it was supposed to be 14) I now have even more painful shin splints in my right leg. It is VERY frustrating. I've continued icing and stretching, and wearing the compression calf socks from Olga. I went to Kaiser this morning and got a referral for a physical therapist - my appt is on Thursday morning. I"m pretty sure the answer is going to be stopping running altogether (goodbye marathon) for a while, and hopefully some massage.

I know I should be okay with just doing the half, but I really want to do the full. Aside from my shin splints, I feel great! (I know, that doesn't really make sense...) Group swim sessions started for ATC on Monday and I did a run over lunch and then the swim session, which was great - I love swimming, and I love working out twice a day. But I really need to listen to my body - which right now says to stop walking, let alone running. :(

So I may have to shift focus to a fall marathon rather than a spring marathon. (October in SF is good, I hear!)

But seriously, mentally I'm a more than a bit bummed about my running being impaired. Last week once I started running again I realised how much I missed it in the previous 2 weeks - spin and rowing and swimming just don't take the place of a good run outside. So, I need to get these legs in fighting shape again!

Shin Splints!

2010-01-16T13:47:00.002+11:00

The best laid plans....

I've got a shin splint in my left leg - should have bought those new shoes a while ago!

I'm taking 2 weeks off from running (leaving me biking and swimming) and icing every chance I get, along with stretching, toe-tapping, and calf raises. I hope that'll be enough to cure!

I'm headed to CA this weekend to see Bridget and Doug (and Maggie and Jed and Mom). Yay!!

Week 5

2010-01-08T13:51:00.003+11:00

So, I've registered for a marathon in March (a week before my birthday). I know, I'm not sure what I was thinking either... I'm training with some girls from work, so at least there are others suffering along with me!

So, we are almost done with week 5 now - this weekend's long run is 10 miles - the first one in double digits. We've found a 16 week training program online and sticking to it, for the most part. I'm motivated more by the fear of pain than anything else... I know that consistency is the key.

Atlanta is super hilly and looking at the race course for the marathon - OUCH. So while last week in Alameda was good cause the runs were flat and relatively easy - I've got to do the hills. And they are kicking my butt. Usually after 4 weeks of training I can feel myself getting stronger up hills, but not this time around. The only thing I can note as improvement is that I recover quickly form the runs - especially the long ones. No residual soreness the day after. I'm also to talk on the flats now... I'm running with 2 talkers. They know that I don't talk, but I do sometimes feel obligated to talk a little bit, but it's always a struggle for me. I know I'm supposed to be running at conversation pace, but in the last few years no pace but walking is conversation pace (ack... I'm getting older!!)

I currently have 2 niggles - a semi shin splint in my left leg and a very tight right hip that doesn't seem to want to loosen up despite my stretching (IT band stretching, quad and hip flexor stretching - nothing's quite getting it). I've scheduled a sports massage for this Sunday (Christmas present from my brother and his wife, awesome!!), so I'm hoping that will help a bit. I've also noticed that my left ankle is super weak in the mornings - I an't put full weight on it with the first step, so Im trying to focus on ankle exercises and calf raises to strengthen that general area. I fell like that may be related to my shin splint as well.

My target for the race is 10-11 minute miles, so between 4 1/2 to 5 hours. I really want to be closer to 4 1/2 than to 5, if its all the same to anyone else.

New equipment I've bought since I started training: a fuel belt (Amphipod, 2 bottle) and 2 sports bras (still trying to find one that doesn't chafe after mile 8!) That's a pretty modest consumption pattern for me actually - however - with the 2 half marathons that I did in October and November I also bought a running skirt (not convinced on it, especially in the WINTER!), 2 pairs shorts (still looking for the holy grail of shorts), 3 tech t-shirts, and a hand held amphipod water bottle (which I liked a lot more than I anticipated).

I joined the Atlanta Triathlon Club this week as well, but haven't started training with them yet. The swimming and spinning will be good cross-training for sure.

Spilled Milk

2010-01-08T13:38:00.003+11:00

Is it Spilt or Spilled?

Oliver really wanted some of my milk tonight. As I was clearing my dinner, he waited till I was in the kitchen, and knocked over my glass...

Christmas!

2010-01-08T12:48:00.007+11:00

Mom, Maggie, Bridget, and me

Santa Bridget!

Puzzles and "Meet me in St. Louis"

Cousins' Gingerbread House Building

homesick

2009-12-24T02:27:00.002+11:00

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

2009-12-16T01:26:00.002+11:00

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

2009-12-16T01:17:00.002+11:00

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...

2009-12-15T15:44:00.006+11:00

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

2009-12-15T14:09:00.007+11:00

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

2009-12-15T01:30:00.003+11:00

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

2009-12-01T07:17:00.003+11:00

With a cheese quesadilla. Every night.

Goodbye November

2009-12-01T06:41:00.002+11:00

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.

A new virus

2009-11-07T10:33:00.002+11:00

I've caught a cold! My first American rhinovirus in 3 years... it's having fun with my immune system, that's for sure.

I'm fairly certain it's just a cold - not the dreaded flu or H1N1 - oh no!

I have a new hard-drive in my computer and new memory... and no photos from my last 3 years, except those I posted on here or Facebook. :( My previous hard drive had a physical failure 1 month after its warranty died and the local shop couldn't recover anything... but I'll send it out and see how much it might cost to try. I just can't have lost all my photos from Oz!!

I needsz a hug...

2009-10-15T13:38:00.003+11:00

Things that make me pause

2009-10-06T00:17:00.002+11:00

Finding two one dollar coins in a bag I brought to work.

Watching a bit on the 2006 Ironman and seeing the winner training in front of the Sydney Opera House.

Seeing a roo bar on a car and thinking it was for all the kangaroos (and that it was a roo bar, not a bull bar, which is what they are called here - I think.) - and then remembering that there aren't actually kangaroos running around Atlanta.

Waking up to a leaking ceiling in my kitchen and remembering that I am the landlord.

Running a race and not knowing every 5th person, not knowing the winners of the age groups (KV and FM!) and not having my people there at the end.

Singing "I'm here with all of my people..." and people looking at me strange. (Okay - that would probably happen anywhere except around the A-team).

Lost in Transition

2009-09-30T01:02:00.002+10:00

Not an original title - in fact I stole it from a triathlon t-shirt website I was browsing yesterday. But it aptly describes me at the moment... and I'd prefer to be lost in a tri transition than a life transition, although they are very similar. End of metaphor.

It's been 4 weeks back in Atlanta now. I'm finding it tough to get going at work, and tough to find a connection somewhere. My initial momentum carried me through to now and I sense I'm stalling. While it's been great to see old friends, they all have lives that have existed sans Katie for a while now, so I don't actually just slip back into those lives. It'll take some effort.

It doesn't matter what I did before, who I knew before... I am here and now, so I need to focus on that. Be open to different atlanta experiences. Which sort of means I need to be pro-active. Which takes effort.

I'm focusing on just relaxing and going with the flow, trying to be gentle (there's a concept) in my expectations of myself. It's to be expected that there is culture shock and I can definitely see that. Work culture is so different, more isolating here. It is only the first month, but in a cubicle world there are no morning teas, no morning or afternoon coffees. I'm finding it hard to focus on work when that's all there is from 9-6.

I'm feeling a bit whiny. More whiny than I probably actually feel...but it's what I feel like expressing right now.

Ack.

NEVER USE SPRINT

2009-09-21T23:31:00.000+10:00

Holy crap. When I came back to the States I signed up for a Sprint phone and mobile internet card, with a 2 year contract. After a few days, I decided I was paying too much for the service and I really didn't want to be in a 2 year contract. So I returned the products and cencelled my service, 5 days after I started. According to my contract, I have 30 days to make this decision.

I have now spent more time ont he phone with stupid Sprint customer service, account services, and finance department, than I actually used the damn phone! I've been charged $500+ for the services and now my account is being sent to a collection agency. I have 2 claims in to dispute the charges and to correct my account back to 5 days worth of service, with no termination fee and no activation fee. On each call I've had with them I've been transferred at least 3 times, have had to tell my story at least that many times and keep getting promises that it will be fixed. I'll believe that when I see it. ANd apparently there's nothing I can do about it going to collection because the adjustments have to be approved before it can be called back from collections. Could we all just not talk to each other?

SPRINT SUCKS.

2009-09-16T05:51:00.001+10:00

So, I'm in my temporary office, listening to the CD I had on heavy repeat my last couple of months alone in Canberra - Bushfire Aid. Hearing "Holy Grail", "One Country", "True Blue", and "Great Southern Land" while in a cubicle in Atlanta is totally different to hearing them while driving around Canberra or on safari in Kakadu or on my way to the coast.

What a strange trip it's been.

Was it a dream?

2009-09-11T09:18:00.002+10:00

So, I'm back in Atlanta. I"m back with FoodNet. I'm back in my house, and back with all my stuff. And I gotta tell you, I'm happy. It's nice to be welcomed back warmly to work and the neighborhood, and so many of my friends are in Atlanta now, it's awesome. My local YMCA (a 10 minute walk) has a pool, so I can swim after work; there's a new sidewalk on the main road near me, so I can run without fighting the Escalades roaring past. The grocery store is so big and it has all my favourite (can't get rid of the u!) cereals and sandwiches and fruit and crackers and cookies; and it's a 5 minute walk from me (not so different from Canberra in that respect, but still a plus). My family is close(er). I can call my sister at most hours f my day and check in on my niece (who's flipping perfect, in case you wanted to know!)

Which all makes Canberra feel like a distant, underwater dream. Sort of. It's an odd feeling for sure. I see a red subey impreza here and it sort of makes me skip a beat, and then I try to get in my car (the good old beast of an explorer, still kicking!) on the right hand side to drive!! Luckily I haven't driven on the left hand side of he road. Yet.

The hardest right now is right before I go to sleep, when it's quiet and I can take a breath and realise how much I do miss my peeps in Canberra. And the fact that I have no ticket in hand to go back anytime soon definitely makes me freak a little. Tears are certainly shed for missing my close relationships there. But I'm here. And you all are there. Which is sort of just how it goes.

I do know that the Katie that left Canberra is different from the Katie that arrived there 3 years ago. And thank you for that. I like me now and am excited to be back here as me now. (ok - a bit existential... but you get the idea, yeah?)

And thank god for facebook and iternational texting- makes the distance a little shorter.

tick tock tick tock

2009-06-22T23:33:00.004+10:00

It's all getting closer. 6 days of work left. Then 2 months of holiday before I'm back in Atlanta. In my house, with all my stuff - as if none of this adventure ever happened. Ha. Bloody likely.

How can these last 3 years not be part of my life forever?

I'm trying to remember this time 3 years ago, packing up the house in Atlanta and getting ready to jump into the void. I can't. This feels much harder, but I'm sure it's just as emotionally wearing as the reverse trip. This is only harder cause it's my current reality. And that reality is keeping me awake at night - unable to sleep because when I close my eyes and don't fall asleep immediately I break down. Which is okay, there's a lot to let go of here, but it makes it hard to fall asleep!!!

This Friday is my work farewell lunch, next Tuesday is my last day. The following Saturday is my farewell party. Then I go to NZ with Allie (btw Allie - I'll get stuff booked soon, don't worry!!). Then I go up to Darwin with Kate and spend 3 days on a safari in Kakadu. Then I come back to Canberra to leave on 25 July.

Whew. I honestly can't even imagine getting on that plane right now. So it's a good thing I'm not getting on the plane right now. Ha Ha. :)

Big pieces of my heart will never get off the ground on the 25th. They are going to stay right here.

2009-05-31T19:13:00.003+10:00

This afternoon I sealed my 11th box shut. All my STUFF will be picked up on Tuesday morning, packed on a palette, and put on a ship from Sydney to San Francisco - arriving in the middle of July sometime.

I'm sitting here looking at the boxes (oh, so can you!) and thinking about the next time I see them and open the boxes I'll be not here. Profound. I know. What's crazier is that I moved here with just the three suitcases you see in the picture. That would be the least amount of stuff I've ever possessed (never mind the house and stuff in storage in Atlanta and at my mom's house, and at other people's houses n Atlanta...) and when I moved into my last place here I had 5 car loads of stuff. And a car! And now I'm back to this amount of stuff. Not quite fighting weight - but pretty damn close. And not bad for 3 years of living.

Anyhoo... it's weird to have everything packed up. I move into my friend Frances' house this week and then I'm on the countdown... 4 weeks till work finishes, then some holiday, and then I leave.

At this exact moment I"m okay with it all. But in the next moment I'll be very sad. It's a roller coaster for sure. Especially cause things are feeling very settled at the moment; my life seems to have decided to work itself out right before I leave.

Yummy!

2009-05-31T18:31:00.005+10:00

I found A&W Root Beer in the IGA in the city... so I had a Root Beer Float. For the first time in 3 years! YUM.

This IGA also sold Diet Dr. Pepper. Of course. In the last 2 months here I find my favorites.

And the store had JujyFruits! Double Yum!

Running on a whim

2009-05-26T16:16:00.003+10:00

Well, I did the Canberra half marathon two weekends ago, but it wasn't pretty. Not at all. Having run twice in the previous 5 weeks, each time for 30 minutes - I knew I was in for a world of hurt... but I figured I had enough gumption and base fitness (ha!) to go for it.

It was a beautiful fall day in Canberra, and the route of the race is one of my favorites - around the lake, through the west basin, and almost everyone I knew was doing it too. Peer pressure anyone?

It went really well, considering! My 'race plan' (more like survival plan) was to run 5K and walk for 5min after each one. That worked for the first 10K and then that third 5K just blew out on me. THe last 5K + 1.1K I don't really remember. It was such a beautiful day thought, and everyone else (who'd finished WAY ahead of me) was waiting for me at the finish line. And I got a groovy medal, cause it was the 40th running of the race. That's probably the farthest I'd run without proper training, and even that was pushing it.

I'm know trying to focus on getting a training routine going again, which is tough at the best of times, let alone when I'm trying to coordinate outbreaks at work, prepare to handover my job in 4 weeks, pack up my life, plan a trip to NZ and Darwin, start dating a new guy (!), sell my car, and not lose my brain along the way. So my goal is a 20 minute run each night this week. Baby steps people. It's a matter of urgency now that I only fit into my 2 pairs of 'big' pants. Oy.

Was in Thredbo last weekend with Kate and Frances - Kate won a weekend package at the last triahlon we did earlier this year. It was very fun, even if we were among only 9 non-workers that were there! The winter opening season is in 2 weekends, so to say that it was dead is the understatement of the year. But I reckon it's one of the best times to go - there was a little bit of snow around, so you got to see a bit of summer alpine with a bit of winter alpine. We walked to Mt. Koziosko (13K return, and spelling is totally off there!) and about 10% of the mesh walkway was covered in snow. It was gorgeous! And I've got a nice bruise on my left knee from slipping on the walkway... I'm such a flipping clutz.

2009-05-08T19:48:00.001+10:00

Where am I in all this work work work work?????

Warm Tinny

2009-04-26T20:46:00.002+10:00

This new ad for Campbell's Chunky soup is hilarious!! Tinned soup in a stubby holder. Classic. And the tune is so Australian!

My brain's starting the move

2009-04-26T20:03:00.003+10:00

So. In 3 months I'll be getting an a plane out of Canberra for the last time. I'm anxious, sad, and happy all in one. Makes for very peaceful moments, I must tell you.

Ha.

I've been housesitting for some friends for the last month - have another 4 weeks. It's so nice to be in a house on my own - it's similar to my house in Atlanta, so that's sort of fun. But all my stuff is in piles, and in various states of packing-ness. Yes, that's a good word, no? Once this coming week at work is done, well, once it's the 7th of May, I can start to focus on the next step for all this stuff and for me... I'm just hoping for lots of energy to get me through the next week or so of meetings, dinners, and talks. I can do it.

On the sly, though, my brain is starting to remember Atlanta. It's weird how the brain starts to let things back in. I'll randomly remember my drive to work in the middle of the day. I'll see the restaurant in Cabbagetown where we'd eat after running club. While waiting at a stoplight I'll picture an intersection in Morningside. Walking to work from my car I'll picture the parking garage on the Clifton campus and the walk to the office. I know once I'm back there it'll feel as if I was never really here.

It makes me excited to go back, cause there are things I miss; things I haven't thought about in nearly 3 years. I know I've changed a lot, and I'm hoping that going back to the same place won't dampen any of that and that I can be as dynamic in Atlanta as I feel here.

I know I'm going to really miss being here. It's already making me wistful to think about my time here! I just need to make the nest 3 months still count - and not spend them reminiscing about the past or being anxious about the future - I need to focus on today.

I can't even imagine what it's going to feel like to get on the plane for the last time from Canberra airport. I can still remember how weird it all felt when I landed here. But, okay, enough of the pre-maudlin-ness. I'll deal with that when it gets here. Cause before then I have a lot to do! After I finish work (30 June!) I'm going to New Zealand for a week and then to Darwin for a few days. I'd like to do another weekend in Sydney - travel up by bus or even train - to really soak in the scenery. Need to go to the National Portrait Gallery. I've registered for the Canberra Half Marathon on 17 May, but am not sure how that will go - I am really so inconsistent in my training. There should be a prize for that! I'd totally win it. If I showed up... The Bilby's end of season cocktail party, a weekend in Thredbo with my girls. Lots to look forward to!

2009-04-09T03:11:00.002+10:00

I know I'm an adult (witness age of the recent birthday) but sometimes I just can't deal with remembering everything and taking care of myself all the time. Especially when I'm sick. :(

A little update

2009-03-22T21:07:00.003+11:00

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.

2009-02-25T08:45:00.000+11:00

I re-made my decision to move back to the States a couple weeks ago. And since then, I’ve been more homesick than ever. Maybe not more homesick than I was when I first got here, but definitely homesick in a different way. I need to be home. I want to be home. I miss home. I miss the ease of being in America. The comfort of friends that know a me I think I’ve forgotten sometimes. The easiness of hanging out and not having to explain, or analyze, or think. It’s overwhelming sometimes, the need to be at home. To live in my house again, with my things, which are waiting patiently for me in storage. To not just exist in this room, in this town, in this country.

But I’m torn, because I’m also spending everyday thinking about all that I’ll miss when I leave here. Each trip I take now is bittersweet. Is this the last time I’ll be on a South Coast beach? The last time I’ll have takeaway fish and chips by the crashing waves? The last time I’ll drive over Clyde Mountain? The last time I’ll arrive in Brisbane airport? The last time I’ll set up this tent in this hemisphere? The last road trip I’ll take. I feel like I’m trying even more to soak it all in, to make sure that this song, this view, and this feeling gets emeshed somehow in my subconscious, so that, when I’m back in Atlanta, I can recall what it felt like to be living in this country and to be doing what I get to do. Even though I’m overwhelmed by work and even though when I sit still for even a minute without a book or a movie or the TV or a friend with me, I collapse into tears… despite needing to be home, I have fallen in love with Canberra and Australia.

I’ve been here for two and a half years now. In that time I’ve dislocated a shoulder and torn the tendons in my right ankle. I’ve also learned to be a goalie and how to score a goal again, how to ride a bike in a bunch. I’ve completed triathlons of every distance up to Olympic. I’ve gotten fit. I’ve discovered that I love swimming. I’ve bought more sporting gear for my three sports than I ever thought I’d own.

I’ve learned to like the screeching of the cockatoos. I’ve been swooped by a magpie in spring. I’ve identified birds by their calls, especially those that wake me up at 5am in the summer. I’ve been awakened by the laughing of the kookaburra. I look to the Southern Cross winking at me from the night sky for comfort. The 26 of January isn’t just another day in winter, but a day for a sausage sizzle, the radio set on Triple J, and lilos. I know what a lilo is. I drive on the left hand side of the road. Even though I still occasionally try to get into the passenger side of the car to drive, I prefer shifting gears with my left hand. I like sausage sandwiches, I like Carlton, I like Boags. I like schnitzel and sweet chilli and sour cream crisps. I will never like beetroot and egg on my hamburger. I know how to cut a mango.

I’ve cried on the shoulders of some very strong and inspiring women… on my front porch in the dead of winter, on the phone by the dumpster behind work. I’ve been so happy I honestly thought I could fly, and I’ve been so lonely, that I’ve not been able to see. I’ve been to the funeral of a friend I knew for a year, and think about her almost every day.

I know what it means to frock up; how to set a pretty good morning tea; how to serve pavlova; how to pick olives; how to help alpacas breed. I’ve walked the Overland track in the World Heritage Area of Tasmania. I’ve walked through the rainforest in the Daitree; snorkeled on the Great Barrier reef. I’ve walked around Uluru, seen the sun rise and set on her, and stared at her for hours. I’ve been to southernmost lighthouse in NSW; I’ve been to the most gorgeous beaches on the Southern Ocean in Margaret River. I’ve been to every capital city in Australia, some more then three times. I’ve seen a show in Sydney, watched fireworks from the Opera House. I’ve shopped in Brisbane. I’ve swum in an outdoor pool in downtown Toowoomba.

I’ve held a wombat. I’ve held a koala. I’ve seen a wild camel in the desert between Alice Springs and Yulara. I still get excited to see kangaroos less than a kilometer from my house in Canberra. I think in kilometers now, rather than miles. I think in liters rather than gallons. I like the colorful, plastic-y money. I love the $2 coin.

I’ve lived in another country. Full stop.

And now it’s time to go home. Even though I will probably miss every bit of this place every day when I am home.

whew!

2009-02-08T13:50:00.002+11:00

So it hit 40 degrees in Canberra this weekend... well, that was what was predicted, and even though I didn't see a thermometer at any point yesterday, I'm willing to bet we hit 40. It's hot. So I spent yesterday afternoon in a kiddie pool at a friend's barbecue... in my dress. Very classy. :) I felt a bit like the koala in the previous post - just relieved to not be actually melting away.

Today I'm indoors, hanging out at the mall... luckily it's a very nice mall. I'm going to be here all afternoon and with luck I won't go home with too much stuff!

Heatwave!

2009-02-04T13:20:00.007+11:00

It's been over 40 degrees celsius (104 F) in South Australia and Victoria the last couple of weeks, with lots of records being broken.

This is a kangaroo's solution (Adelaide, SA):

I think he's going all the way to Tassie - he's clearly had it!

And a koala that found refuge in a bucket of water put out by a kind family in Victoria:

And another way to keep cool (SA):

Race Recovery BBQ

2009-01-27T16:40:00.005+11:00

correction

2009-01-27T13:07:00.000+11:00

Official time: 3:03:11.

Canberra Challenge 2009

2009-01-27T09:37:00.004+11:00

I did my first Olypmic Distance Triathlon this weekend, at the Canberra Challenge, which was held in conjunction with Australia Day (26 January) celebrations and the A-team reunion. Whew, what a weekend!

The race was on Sunday morning, which was slightly overcast and on the chilly side, which was a good thing, given the previous morning of 25ish (C) and strong winds. It was prefect race weather! As I was falling asleep on Saturday night I was worried that I wasn't scared enough for this race, but I was actually looking forward to the challenge. I knew I could do each piece individually and was anxious about how it would all fit together, and just how painful it would be.

The swim was good - 35 minutes of the opaque green that is Lake Burley-Griffin - only one moment of panic that I had to quell... there are kayalers and swimmers all around, and I'm a strong swimmer, so it was just my brain playing tricks on me. I felt good in the swim, trying to push it a little, cause while I'm relatively strong in the water, I'm not super fast. The exit was interesting, since the lake at the point of entrance and exit is just a sheer wall, Triathlon ACT has custom made exit steps that go into the water, so as you approach, your outstretched hand is grabbed by a volunteer who hauls you up onto the steps and off you go to transition.

So not a problem to find my bike in transition - the racks that held all 800-900 bikes were nearly empty, so finding mine was a breeze. :) This was my first race transition with the cleats, which I had already attached to the bike. So I put on my socks (with baby powder in them to absorb the leftover lake) and ran out of transition to the mount line. And, like I'd practiced the day before, I was able to get on the bike and velcro into the shoes as they were attached, with little difficulty. How cool! Then I was on the bike for an hour 20ish. Ouch. Not too bad a time for the 40K, but long. I know I can pick up some time on the bike. Back into transition, I successfully removed my feet from the shoes (leaving them attached) and dismounted well, almost gracefully. At least in my head.

Then off on the run. Put on my runners with elastic laces, grabbed a bite of Odwalla bar (strawberry pomegranate, yummy) and was off for 10K. It felt good, considering. It was painful for sure, my bum was used to sitting on the bike, my hammies were tight, my feet were slightly numb, but I felt remarkably strong. It certainly wasn't fast, but was at the pace I normally do a 10K, which is good considering what had preceded it! I can certainly pick up time on the run, especially since I didn't feel nearly as uncomfortable as I'd anticipated, given my prep. Crossed the finish line with a smile, at 3 hours, 11 minutes (3 hours, 5 minutes by my watch, but officially, 3:11). Not too shabby for Katie.

Then had a nap, a recovery bbq at the park, floated in the lake on lilos (water floats) and a beer (okay, beers), and then slept like a baby!

Yesterday was Australia Day, so a public holiday and the Top 100 songs of 2008, as voted by listeners of Triple J. Went back to the park for the last 50 and then watched fireworks. So awesome! We had front row seats on the lake for the fireworks and it was really fun. A perfect summer weekend.

Come see me - cheap!!

2009-01-23T11:39:00.001+11:00

Qantas is having a sale on tickets to Oz and NZ, here.

$380 each way valid for travel from 1 Feb to 21 Sep.
Expires 26 January.

Racing this weekend

2009-01-23T09:37:00.000+11:00

The Canberra Challenge is this weekend and it's my first Olympic Distance tri (1500m swim/40K bike/10K run). I"m excited and more than a little nervous for the pain. I know I can do the race, but it's going to be a long time out there, cause I'm just not as fit as I should be. Ha. Like anyone ever really is for something like this. Especially after a month at home with family and Mexican food. Doh!

It's summertime!

2009-01-20T08:28:00.002+11:00

I'm back in Canberra and it's summertime! How awesome is that? It's so nice.

Got in on Sunday, welcomed back by Steve, Wendy, Kate, and Frances - I felt quite overwhelmed at their excitment to have me back. It's nice to be loved. I managed to stay up till 8pm that night so I've successfully staved off jetlag - and am right back into training mode, which helps get my sleep back to normal. Swam last night, trying not to think about the fact that I'll be swimming in the lake on Sunday morning and then have to ride and then have to bike! Ought to be a good time!!

I had a great holiday. I can't remember the last time I had a month off, let alone a month at home in Alameda, with no obligations. :)

----------------------
Favorite bits:
The new movie theatre in Alameda, which is done in art deco and is a 10 minute walk from my mom's house.

The red afghan in the front room, just perfect for curling up under with a book in the front window with Ichabod, my mom's cat.

Ichabod, the best lap cat ever!

Burritos from Taqueria and ice cream from Tucker's, both a 10 minute walk from the house.

American grocery stores - Trader Joe's and Safeway, and American pharmacies - Long's and Walgreen's and CVS (in Atlanta). Nothing compares.

There's a Borders in Alameda!!!

Bike rides with my brother in law - the man who got me to ride with my cleats in about 5 minutes!

Seeing my sister EVERY day. Wish that happened all the time.

Eating breakfast with my mom - usually homemade waffles. Yummo! And I don't even regret having a 'waffle' belly now - it was worth it!!

A welcome home party for my brother and his wife; spending time with them, marvelling at their strength over the last year.

New Year's with Maggie and Jed.

Shopping at REI, Target, Nordstrom Rack, Nine West Outlet. Too much good stuff, but when my running shoes cost 1/3 the price over here, how can I not buy 2 pairs?

----------------------------

I've decided to come home this year, back to Atlanta, aiming to be back in Atlanta in September. As much as I love the people in Canberra, it's time to go home.

So, that leaves 7 months to do all I can, and for any of you out there thinking of visiting - you better get a move on!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-27T18:58:00.003+11:00

Note to self - I should really spell check these posts... that last post is chock-a-block with spelling mistakes. Oops. Good thing no one really cares.

Christmas is so nice at home. Different when my brother isn't here. But he and his wife will be here on Sunday, so we get to open presents then too! Spent Christmas brunch and morning with my brother-in-law's family - a good new tradition. Then we came back to Lincoln Ave and did presents here. Then we watched Elf while we had dinner and my mom and sister did the puzzle I gave them.

I've been spending time with people from high school - all reconnected through Facebook - and it's been really fun to catch up. It's nice to be back home for awhile. :)

I've caught a cold, but that's par for the course after a transcontinental flight I reckon. Trying to remember I have a tri on 25 Jan... gotta keep training, but the bed here is so comfy, and the movies are too numerous, and there are too many books, and the food is so yummy, and the beers are so good.... excuses excuses excuses.

Hope you all have had spectacular Chrsitmases/holiday celebrations!!

It's winter!

2008-12-22T06:49:00.003+11:00

Went for a ride this morning and wore all my winter clothes that I didn't wear in Cnaberra... and it's some good stuff, kept me warm and dry! And guess what... I wore my cleats and didn't fall off, didn't dislocate anything!

I'm home now and it's pretty good... nice to have homemade french toast and waffles the last 2 mornings!! And nice to have central heating in the house. And nice to see Maggie and Jed!

I won't go into too much deail... but I spent 2.5 hours at the San Francisco airport waiting for my mom on Friday after I landed... she had a hair appt that couldn't be moved. No comment. Since I'd been anticipating being picked up my head wasn't in the space to figure out how to deal with the situation, so after 4 credit card calls on the pay phone to my sister's cell (mom wasn't answering hers...) I completely lost it because Westpac turned off my credit card and it turns out that my back up credit card (US) had expired last week. Good times for the Katie-miester with 5 bags of luggage and no real way to get in contact with anyone or get cash to feed herslef... so I ate the food I brought home for my family. Finally mom showed up and it's over now.

Harumph.

Heading home

2008-12-18T17:00:00.002+11:00

This is it - I'm leaving my office for a month! It's a great feeling. Enhanced by the glass of bubbly I just had with our section Chrsitmas party. :)

I'll be in the other hemisphere when I reach out through the blog lines...

Wombat in the office!!!!

2008-12-17T13:15:00.004+11:00

We just got a visit from a baby wombat named Bertie! The daughter of one of my co-workers is a wildlife rescue coordinator and she's foster parenting 2 wombats, a male and female. This is the female, she weighs about 4kilos and was sooooooooo cute. I'm surprised you didn't hear my squeals from there. :)

Trying to escape (I know the feeling!!):

Who would've thunk it?

2008-12-17T12:31:00.003+11:00

Apparently watching too many romantic comedies gives you unrealistic expectations for real realtionships. Hmmm....

And by the by... this Poll on The Australian Broadcasting Corporation website doesn't even include my favorite Christmas movie* as an option!!!

Poll
What's your favourite Christmas film?

The Muppet Christmas Carol
Bad Santa
Love Actually
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Home Alone
Miracle On 34th Street
It's A Wonderful Life

*well - it's a tie between Meet me in St. Louis and A Christmas Story.

I better pack my woolies and a raincoat!!

2008-12-16T12:08:00.009+11:00

This is Canberra this week:

Today: 24° | 9°

Wed: 21° | 9°

Thu: 25° | 10°

Fri: 23° | 6°

This is Alameda this week:

Today: 9° | 3°
Tue: 9° | 0°

Wed: 7° | 3°

Thu: 10° | 6°

Time is a weird and wily phenomenon

2008-12-16T09:36:00.002+11:00

Only 3 more days.

And so much to do, and time seems to be going so slowly and so quickly at the same time... sort of like light, with the physical properties of a particle and a wave. Or something like that.

Three more work days and SO much to do it's ridiculous. Three more nights with training and christmas parties and oh yeah, I better pack too!

If my head doesn't explode before Friday morning 10am, I'll count my lucky stars.

2008-12-10T08:36:00.003+11:00

things that make me happy:
*knowing my brother is back from Iraq with his wife and that I'll see him in about 18 days
*the prospect of having lunch with my sister every day starting in 10 days
*sunny days and summertime
*running a sub 8 minute mile (YAY!)
*the picture of Spencer and the jack-o-lanterns up by my computer
*my pants are fitting better :)
*my car is fun to drive
*the dang koel didn't wake me up at 3:30 this morning (the koel is a bird with the MOST annoying call that he likes to do around 4 in the morning, right outside my window)

I decided to make this list because I needed to remind myself that even though I've had a crap morning (and it's only 8:30!) it's not all bleak.

It's grey today, my bike ride this moning sucked cause I got dropped off the back of the novice group (the fast novices, but still - the novices!), I seemed to hit every weird bone while putting my bike in the garage when I got home (the ankle bone, the wrist bone), I was covered in grease, I couldn't get my front door open. I'm confused in my heart, I'm stressed about work and how much I have to do before next Friday, and I'm going to miss summertime while I'm in Cali.

But I do have much to be happy for, if I could pull my head out.

Katie in action

2008-12-04T15:33:00.006+11:00

At the triathlon a couple weeks back there was a professional photographer, and he took some awesome shots. My favorite is the finish line - cause I was so happy to be there and he definitely captured that!

Now I know you all love the oh-so-sexy tri-suit I'm wearing! It's so great for racing though. Not so good in high-def pictures, but that's allright. However - when I know there's a photog around, I don't think I'll be using the pockets on the thighs for storgae - not the place I need to be wider, thank you very much!! :)

wise decision

2008-12-02T10:58:00.000+11:00

This Sunday I was going to be getting on a plane to Bangkok for a week long training course, but the course has now been postponed to next year, probably March. So, I'll have to wait for my Thai experience till then.

I'm okay with waiting. And now I have an extra week in Canberra before I head back to California for the holidays... maybe I'll go down to the beach one last time before my winter Christmas!

I've made it!

2008-11-26T12:11:00.002+11:00

At work we are in the middle of the annual Staff Survey. In the glossary at the beginning, I've discovered that I'm officially categorised as 'middle management'.

Sounds like success in the 1950s, doesn't it?

before the race

2008-11-25T09:35:00.002+11:00

do I look ready to go???

2008-11-24T14:04:00.002+11:00

I've just realiaed that I'm not going to be home for the next 7 weekends...

This weekend I'm in Perth, the following weekend I leave for Thailand for a week (so that includes the following weekend) and then the weekend after that I head back to California for 4 weekends (including one weekend in Atlanta!).

I'm going to start the daily Berocca now.

Triathletes are insane

2008-11-24T09:17:00.002+11:00

I can say that cause I'm one. Woke up Sunday morning to constant rain and very cold conditions - don't know the temp, but it was cold. Especially since the end of Nevember is the start of summer. Hello?!

I put all my gear in the car and drove down to the course at 7 (for an 8am race), fully expecting there to be noone... and far out if every single triathlete in Canberra was there, keen as. Sheesh. It was ridiculous. I stood my ground and until 7:35 was not going to race, but decided at the last minute that since I"d already paid, and everyone I knew was out there, about to race or volunteering for the race is some form, I should really just harden up and do it. So I did.

The swim (in the lake) was okay - it was freezing, but I felt strong and my shoulder didn't give me any grief. Coming out of the water I had no idea where in the standings I might be, the entire bike transistion looked empty to me, so I was convinced I was last out of the water. (Not entirely true). In my rush to set up transisiton before the race I forgot to leave out a pair of socks (they would've been soaked in any event cause of the rain) so I had to put my shoes on with no socks for the ride and the run (but no blisters, which is good!).

Headed out on the ride (18K) and it was okay, but freezing in my tri-suit. Had a gu at the start of the ride and it went okay - felt like I was slogging through most of it (a 4 lap course can get repetitive). As I started out on the run, my toes, which had been frozen in the lake, were still numb having not participated much in the cycling portion, and they stayed frozen for the entire 4K! Usually there is pain off the bike, but it eases as the Ks tick by, but my feet were ice blocks the entire time! Not such a fun feeling, but I think my last 2Ks were faster than my first 2, which is a good sign.

All in all, a good race in crap conditions. I got home, cleaned the bike, cleaned me, fed me, and went to sleep. Went to an indoor soccer game - usually I can back up a soccer game to a race, but not yesterday - I was dead. When I went to sleep last night even my ankles were exhausted. I slept very well! :)

Next race is the Olympic Distance (1K swim/40K bike/10K run) at the end of January. Luckily I have a 4 week training camp in CA leading up to that... so all should be good!! (yes, I just called my holidays a training camp...)

official Katie

2008-11-20T15:52:00.001+11:00

This is at the launch of an egg safety campaign in Victoria last week. I was the MC for the event.

So nice!

2008-11-13T16:02:00.003+11:00

Look at this pretty cactus flower in my front yard! It smells divine too!

I found my heart in Noosa

2008-11-12T13:04:00.006+11:00

A couple of weekends ago I did some travelling that wasn't for work! It was a novel experience - one I'd like to repeat!

I went up to Noosa (on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland) for the Noosa Triathlon festival - the largest triathlon in the southren hemisphere and the start of the racing season in Australia. It's an olympic distance (1K swim/40K bike/10K run) and it was the olympic distance debut of a bunch of novices from last year. I didn't compete because of my shoulder injury but went up as team mom - drove the Tarago and 5 nervous athletes around all weekend. I loved it!!!!

Here's me and Kate and Frances - the core of the A-Team - and my best mates in Canberra:

Transistion before:

Transition after (with about 4000 bikes!!!):

Frances with Emma Snowsill (Australian gold medalist in triathlon in Bejing - she's TINY and so impressive!):

We had heaps of fun and I'd love to tell you more, but what happens in Noosa...

My first tri of the season is in 2 weeks - 23 Nov - 400m swim/16K bike/4K run. Should be fun!

And I thought Christmas came early in the States!

2008-11-12T12:48:00.005+11:00

I was in the mall last week and guess who's coming to town this Saturday?

At least in the States there's Thanksgiving to give some sort of a limit to commercial Christmas exposure!

Unrelated... I got to watch the election returns coverage from a party hosted by the US Embassy at the National Press Club. I got to take the afternoon off work and have mini hotdogs, mini hamburgers, and red/white/blue m&ms and jelly beans. Yummy. Although a bit sad that this is the defintition of 'American fare' (plus donuts and pretzels).

Anywhoo... the room was decked out and they had a CNN feed so I was content. There was a lot of schmoozing by these second tier (my presumption) diplomats - none of whom I needed to schmooze so I dis work in the corner and watched it all. THe US Ambassador to Australia (I know - you were thinking it'd be the Ambassador to Chile?) spoke - he's from Georgia and it was cool to hear a Georgia accent again. Reminded me of the last time I talked to RYW on the phone - I miss that accent!!!

see how I captured the bald (sorry, balding with a combover) head right in front of me - that's so you can feel like you're right there with me!

Me time???

2008-10-27T10:44:00.003+11:00

It can't be good, when, after 1 hour at my desk on a Monday morning, I already feel like I've been in the office for a week and need a weekend.

There is just too much to do at work, too many training opportunities, too many social things, and not enough me time. I'd like to learn to say no gracefully. And I'd love to learn to recognise an overwhelming situation BEFORE I'm in the midst of it.

And yes, I realise that in this post I've used an 's' instead of a 'z'... 2 years of spell-checker correcting me has left its mark...

Flabbergastation

2008-10-22T13:46:00.002+11:00

hmm... I'm pretty sure that's NOT a real word, but I'll add it to the Katie dictionary.

This flabbergasts me.

And this flabbergasts me.

The first because she's just so painful and if she gets into office I am seriously not returning.

The second because it's on such a ridiculously small scale as to literally blow my mind.

Musings

2008-10-16T08:38:00.002+11:00

This morning I got to use a fresh towel. Not in itself a unique experience, but the smell of a towel dried in the sunshine and the stiffness associated with it always takes me back to poolside in Tucson at my grandparents' pool on summer vacation (I almost said holiday! - this aussie english is creeping in I tell you!) When I first moved here and did not have a drier I didn't really like sun-dried towels. Now I do.

Do some people just not see the dirty? Or smell the smell? Not a characteristic I like in a flatmate, as it turns out.

I love that I can see kangaroos in my daily life! Last night I was driving back from a soccer game (where I scored the winning goal in the last 15 seconds, thank you very much!) down in Tuggeranong valley and on the drive home I pass a lot of open fields (the bush is right here in Canberra!) and there were heaps of kangaroos isnce it was dusk. So cool!!!

How many musings does it take to have a quorum of musings? Is there such a thing?

Wally the Wombat video

2008-10-10T09:49:00.004+11:00

Long Weekend!

2008-10-07T10:48:00.007+11:00

Yesterday was Labour Day (ie, a public holiday!) so, for the long weekend, I went down to Merimbula ("Magical Merimbula, the capital of the Sapphire Coast"), which is about 3 hours away on the south coast. It's such a gorgeous drive from here to the coast. I stayed at a B&B on Merimbula Lake and had no plans. I ate good food and finished season 3 of Spooks on DVD (it was grey - as long weekends on the coast have a tendency to be!) I did do some exploring - went off-road to the southern most tip of NSW to see the Green Cape lighthouse, took a nap on Merimbula Beach, had fish and chips, was pampered with homemade breakfast in the guesthouse each morning, and I finally saw a live wombat. Wally the wombat is a resident at Robyn's Nest (the B&B I was at) and he was so freaking cute. I realize the video is super shaky, but I was pretty excited!!! An example of the country between Canberra and the coast: Disaster Bay: Green Cape lighthouse. In operation from 1883 to 1996. A little lizard! Merimbula Beach The guesthouse at Robyn's Nest

2008-10-03T09:23:00.001+10:00

The act of crying has been defined as "a complex secretomotor phenomenon characterized by the shedding of tears from the lacrimal apparatus, without any irritation of the ocular structures"

There's nothing like the sleep you have after performing this complex secretomotor phenomenon.

LOVE/hate

2008-09-30T08:49:00.002+10:00

There's a new ad showing here, I think from Nike, or maybe Asics, that draws attention to the love/hate relationship that is running.

This morning I LOVED my run. Which is good, because for the last couple of weeks, as I've been getting back into it after rehabbing my shoulder, I've HATED my run.

The weather was perfect, my legs weren't tired, and the shuffle on my iPod was going great guns (thanks to Maggie and Jed's wedding soundtrack and Fred's Sing-Along and Travel BeatBuzz for Katie).

Bye Bye Flannel Sheets!

2008-09-29T09:21:00.002+10:00

Hello cotton sheets and a new spring-themed doona!

And hello to spending afternoons by the window, reading in my most favorite IKEA purchase ever.

Flower time

2008-09-29T09:05:00.007+10:00

I spent yesterday afternoon at Floraide, Canberra's flower festival that takes place every spring - the theme this year was Australian Films. Basically it's a riot of color and flowers in Commonwealth Park, and the flower displays are set up to represent whatever the theme is. Hard to really tell unless you can get above the displays, which you can't.

I went last year with Maggie and Jed - hard to believe that was a year ago that they were here! I went my first weekend in Canberra too, back in 2006 - it was a yucky, grey, rainy day then - yesterday was gorgeous - even hot. Although, I'd just come back from Darwin, so it wasn't that hot! But it was hot for Canberra.

The Captain Cook Memorial fountain in Lake Burley-Griffin

Sunset in Darwin

Since I was only in Darwin for 2 nights (well, one and a half, given the red-eye flight back on Friday, I didn't do too much. Thursday night I went to the Mindil Beach Markets and had the best 3-chilli paw-paw salad (papaya salad) I've ever had and the most gorgeous mango for dessert. Yummy! On Friday night I went to their outdoor cinema (The Deckchair Cinema) and watched Death-Proof - a Quentin Tarantino grindhouse film. First grindhouse movie I've seen - I liked it.

Red eyes

2008-09-27T01:57:00.002+10:00

It's 1:30 in the morning and I'm in the Qanta Club in Darwin, waiting to fly back to Canberra. This is the definition of bleary eyed. Far out man.

I arrived here about 30 minutes ago, only to be told that I was on an 8am flight, not the 1:40 am flight I'd been told by my travel person. Excuse me, what? Not the best time to be toying with me Qantas man. But it turns out someone had changed my flight (to a more reasonable hour, mind you) without telling me.

I've been able to change to another ridiculously early flight and will get back to Canberra at 11 am rather than 9:30 am, but that's infinitely better than 4pm, which the changed flight would do for me. I've got a grand final bbq to get to this afternoon. (Go the Cats!)

Ah, the sadness of my over-privileged, spoiled, jet-setting lifestyle.

Not that I need another reason to vote Obama

2008-09-22T14:38:00.003+10:00

I just read my first ever senate bill.

On 29 July this year, Obama introduced Senate Bill 3358 - "A bill to provide for enhanced food-borne illness surveillance and food safety capacity" AKA the "Improving Food-borne Illness Surveillance and Response Act of 2008"

You can get the full text here, if you're as dorky as me.

I like reading about things I try to get happening every day in my job.

Some Katie Context

2008-09-22T10:58:00.006+10:00

Here are some random pictures:

A couple shots of my room in my share house.

This shows off a recent IKEA purchase - the strips of postcards hanging on the wall - my mom sends me a postcard a week so I rotate them in and out of the hanging frames. ANd there's a picture of Spencer in his Uluru shirt!

In this one you can see another IKEA purcahse - a very comfy chair to sit by the window and read. Very civilised. You can also see that it's still winter in this shot - 2 doonas (a down and a wool one) and the stand alone oil heater in the middle of the room. Those and my uggs helped me survive this winter. Of course, now that spring is here I can't remember ever being cold. So fickle!

A shot of me in my office, with my new haircut. (It's looking better each day - it was a bit flippy on this day.)

At the Sydney Running Festival yesterday - ran 9K across the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House. Tough run since I've only just got back into running after my shoulder, but a gorgeous day in beautiful Sydney. The second one is with my friend Wendy who did a personal best in the marathon, in very warm conditions!

Feeling Settled

2008-09-19T17:27:00.002+10:00

I wonder if 2 years was the magic moment.

I've been feeling settled the last couple of weeks. It also helps that winter seems to be over and there is more sunshine in our days - always guaranteed to make me feel perky. And I got a new haircut that I'm loving, which also helps (pictures soon).

But I do feel like there has been a shift in me - my job seems to fit me now and I have more days where I feel on top of things. I'm grateful for the great friends I've made over the last 2 years that make Canberra feel like home.

I was lucky enough to catch up with some Atlanta friends in the UK a few weeks back and it was so wonderful to see them. It was like no time had passed. And despite my feeling homesick for my Atlanta people - I know they'll always be there for me (even if they aren't necessarily in Atlanta) and that real friendships stand the test of distance.

I'm happy and feeling a little sentimental.

Two Years!

2008-09-10T08:27:00.001+10:00

Well, 2 years ago tonight, I landed in Canberra, was met at the airport by Martyn, handed a box of food, dropped off at the serviced apartments in Kingston, and started this adventure in Oz.

Hard to believe it's been 2 years.

Not quite sure how to feel.

48 hours in the life

2008-08-25T10:38:00.002+10:00

Man I love weekends.

SInce my shoulder is cactus I didn't have anything planned this weekend, in particular, nothing sporty. Which was sort of a nice change! Usually I play soccer on Sat morning and Sun night, and sometimes do a long run on Sun morning as well.

Not this weekend! I slept in. There is nothing better than being in nmy bed until the room is full of sunshine and the night chill has gone away. I can tell spring is getting closer, cause it's sunny earlier, which is such a good thing. I love spring. Even though it probably won't be warm in Canberra for another 2 months.

I did some cleaning, watched the olympics, read (currently reading 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' by John le Carre), went to the movies (THe Bank Job - so good!), went to a 1 year old's bday party, and cheered on my sun night soccer team in the semifinals for this season.

All in all a good weekend.

Which is good - cause next weekend I'll be travelling to Scotland for work and the following weekend I'll be recovering from my trip to Scotland.

Did I mention I was going to Scotland? :) I'll be in Aberdeen from 31 August to 2 Sep. The flight from Melbourne to London is 23 hours, 40 minutes. Holy guacamole. That ought to be a good time.

Stupid bike!

2008-08-20T12:37:00.002+10:00

I'm sure the title of this post should actually be Stupid Katie... but I'm preferring to blame my current ills on the bike.

On Saturday morning I dislocated my left shoulder.

OUCH. OUCH. OUCH. OUCH. OUCH.

I was trying out my new cleats and pedals (racing cleats, that are attached to the bike) and lost my balance. I stopped my fall with my left arm, in the locked position, which dislocated my shoulder.

I've been drugged up the last few days since the doctor popped it back in. It is just like the movies - the doctor distracting me so that he can put me into a ridiculous amount of pain to get the shoulder back in place.

Luckily the olympics are on, so I've not ben bored on the couch, however 2 days straight is all I can take of Seven's coverage. Not comparable to NBC's repackaging of the olympics, and we're only 2 hours ahead of Beijing! I miss Bob Costas, Bart Conner's insightful gymnastics commentary, and John William's olympic music. In fact, I miss commentators that actually know what they are talking about. Aussies are good at swimming, and sailing, and traiathlon... but the commentators for the other sports sound like me - clueless.

Anyway, what is it they say about falling off a horse??? Not sure I'll be on the bike anytime soon though.

Syd-a-ney for the weekend

2008-08-15T15:27:00.008+10:00

Last weekend I took a road trip up to Sydney. No one here actually just says Sydney though - it's Syderney, Sydainey, , Sydnay, or something equally mocking.

I drove up in my new car. Isn't it pretty and red? (Apologies to Toyota..."oh what a feeling!")

I went up to Sydney with 2 friends to run in the City 2 Surf, a 14K road race with 70,000 people - it's run each year from Hyde Park in the City to Bondi Beach. F and I stayed in Bondi and I can't tell you how great it was to reach the finish line and know that my hotel room was literally 500 feet away! It was a bloody hard race, but I ran the whole thing, even crazy Heartbreak Hill, which is about 2X as long as Cardiac Hill in the Peachtree. Oy. After the run we had fish and chips and beer and then coffee and mudcake. Just about the most perfect race recovery food I can imagine.

The race was on a Sunday so we took Monday off and we just bummed around Sydney - had breakfast on the beach in Bondi, went to the Australian Museum, and had lunch at a vegetarian yum cha place called Bodhi. Yummo!

The drive back to Canberra was okay - aside from legs cramping from sitting still for 3 hours, about an hour out of Canberra the temperature plummeted back to its normal freezing-ness. That weekend we were away, the high in Sydney was 15C (which was a cold spell for them) and the high in Canberra was 7C with sleet. So much fun in freezing arse Canberra.

Some of the crazy animals that used to exist in Australia...

The marsupial lion (most closely related to a kangaroo):

The Diprotodon (most closely related to a wombat and a koala):

And here is a wombat(stuffed for your viewing pleasure) I still haven't seen a live one in real life!:

grumble grumble grumble, mutiny mutiny mutiny

2008-07-29T14:58:00.002+10:00

I've just about had it with this week. And it's only Tuesday.

I'm not sure I like being in the big boss' shoes. Not at all sure this move up was the right one for me. What's wrong with the status quo?

Why can't I still be in San Diego - never having moved on from college? Why can't I still be in CA, content to have stayed at Berkeley after my master's? WHy can't I still be in Atlanta (where everyone and their flipping brother are moving to), content to be in the house I bought with my cat and my life?

WHY am I here today?

I know that I feel like this because work is pressure filled and different and scary, and I know that I won't always feel like this. But today I DO feel like this and I really want to crawl under the covers. But, I spent all weekend in bed sleeping - hiding out - so I need to be an adult and deal.

But I don't have to like it.

Just a little niggly feeling....

2008-07-01T15:02:00.003+10:00

Winter is here and it's cold and windy.

But, I have a car now! So it's a bit easier to face the cold, rain, and wind from inside my own little bubble. Oh the joy of setting my own temperature! Oh the joy of having my own timetable! Oh the joy of only smelling my own smells! Oh the joy of singing outloud to the radio! I could go on and on... I'll post a picture soon.

I now have no excuse to not go to swim or run training since I can get there in about 20 minutes in the car compared to an hour on the bus - other than the fact that it's 10 degrees, rainy, and windy outside - not really conducive to running around an oval at 6pm, if you ask me.

Work has gone topsy-turvy again, with my boss and my team member being moved in a recent restructure that includes losing our branch head as well. Literally nothing is the same except that I'm still doing my job. A bit unsettling to say the least.

I've been here for 21 months now, with 2 trips home. It's been almost a year since my last trip home last August. I think I'm way overdue for some quality time in the US of A. I've been having twinges each night recently - sometimes just a feeling, sometimes a longer moment... what am I still doing here? Is this right? Is it okay to be happy so far away from home? Is this home now? Am I supposed to go back? Am I supposed to know now what I want to do? I feel guilty about being happy here. Like I've turned my back on my real home and am living an imposter life out here. A life that I like, but an imposter one none the less. My new work contract is through April 2009, so I've got more than enough time to decide what to do at the end of that contract... but I think I need a good couple of months at home. Like one month in CA and one month in Atlanta. I need to re-root (not the aussie 'root'!!!!) and see where my heart says I'm supposed to be.

So, we'll see if I can make that happen.

As much as I hate to admit it, I still feel like I won't be totally settled until I meet someone - that one guy that I seem to be optimistically assuming will be just around the corner. Not necessarily someone here, but since I haven't lived in Atlanta or CA for the last year and a half, odds are NOT very high that I'll meet someone there...so I guess I do mean someone here. I feel like Charlotte York - "I've been dating since I was 15. I'm tired. Where is he???!!!" I know it sounds a bit melodramatic, but it's truly how I feel sometimes. Everything else is ticked off...work, friends, family, sports/outside interests....

HHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMM..............

Well, if you must date someone else...

2008-05-21T10:09:00.001+10:00

Now this is a pairing that I can (reluctantly) approve of for Lance - him and Kate Hudson.

Cause he needs my approval.

Obviously.

Hello!

2008-04-25T13:23:00.010+10:00

Good gosh - it's been awhile!

It's been busy down here... so a quick summary...

I'm staying longer. I got a promotion at work and will be here to at least April 2009. So those of you who haven't made it down here yet, you've got time!

I've been exploring more of Oz. I've been to Tasmania, where I spent a week walking the Overland Track with 2 friends. 65K, 20 kilo pack, more dehydrated meals than I care to remember, 7 days, 6 nights.

The second to last day on the track!

After the trek we were in Hobart for 5 days, where I found a store that imports US and UK foods/candies. I actually had tears in my eyes when I took the first sip of a cold Diet Dr. Pepper in about a year. Yum. Didn't know I could spend $90 on comfort food.

I just got back from a week in Central Australia, with my mom. Yep, my mom's here! She braved the long flight and is here for another week. We spent 4 days at Uluru-Kata-Tjuta National Park. I could spend days watching Uluru, it was flipping amazing. Kata-Tjuta (also known as the Olgas), was pretty cool too. We did a 10K walk around the base of Uluru and an 8 K walk trough KT. So much red sand! Then we spent a day in Alice Springs before boarding The Ghan for an overnight train trip to Adelaide. That was cool!

Sunrise at Uluru

Champagne Sunset

The triathon season ended successfully - I completed the long race in the last competition (the only novice to do so - 1K swim, 37K bike, 8K run). I'm looking to do an Olympic distance (1.5/40/10) in the spring.

Longest Tri yet!

I also competed in an all-day multi-sport event in Jindabyne, which is about 2 hours from here, up in the mountains. I did a swim (1.5K) and the long run (12.5K, cross-country in Koziusko National Park)). It was great fun and during the LONG run I just kept thanking Brian Lodge for instilling in me a love for cross-country running.

Going trekking

2008-02-10T14:59:00.000+11:00

I'm headed out of town today - to do the Overland Track, one of the great bushwalks in Oz. Its down in Tasmania, 65K from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair.

http://www.overlandtrack.com.au/

Should be good fun! I'll be out of town for 2 weeks, doing this walk and then a work meeting in Hobart. I'm excited to go check out Tassie, I've heard it's gorgeous!

Did my 3rd tri this morning, short and sweet (200/7.5/2). I like the longer ones for sure, but had a good time.

What a choice

2008-01-25T21:45:00.000+11:00

So, I got a place. It really wasn't that stressful at all. It was the third place I looked at. It's a house in a neighboring suburb with 2 other public servant types. I'm looking forward to a change. I know I'll miss my own bathroom, new kitchen, and a housemate who's hardly here, but I think I'm ready for something different. And it's 2 guys. I haven't lived with guys since early days in Atlanta. Ought to be interesting!

I was watching the local news the other night and they were doing a viewer poll for peoples opinions on late night shopping. Now, those of you in the US of A, where things are open ALL the time, may be shaking your heads in puzzlement. Late-night shopping? Is this a new consept? Is this something worth having an opinion on?

Well, let me assure you, it is.

In Oz, almost everything closes at 5p. On the dot. Making it REALLY hard to do errands after work, unless you're a shift worker. There are a few 24 hour grocery stores around and if somethings going to be open late, it's a groery store. But everything else closes at 5. Hence, late-night shopping. Stores stay open to 9, malls are open late... it feels like, well, home.

In Canberra, late-night shoping is Friday night. Everywhere else in Oz, it's Thursday night. So, there are movements afoot to switch Canberra late-night to Thursday too.

Enthralling, isn't it? I wonder how they'll ever make the decision?

I'm sure there are good reasons for and against Thursday versus Friday late-night shopping, but it just makes me laugh.

Home Sweet Home

2008-01-21T17:05:00.000+11:00

Right now I'm wishing I could be unpacking my storage unit in Atlanta back into my own house, with my central air and heating, my yellow kitchen, my own gardens, my library.

Basically I'm just feeling sorry for myself that I'm moving again, because it's FRUSTRATING as heck to find a place to live in Canberra. The combination of high rents and low vacancy mean that it's just insane. And I don't want to deal with it right now.

I'd rather be in the house I own already.

Any chance I could get that moved over here?

Solution: go home (ha, what does that even mean?!), eat tacos and chocolate chip cookies and deal with it tomorrow, to quote another unflappable woman from Georgia.

"I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Did you know that her real first name is Katy? That's right, Katy Scarlett O'Hara.

In action

2008-01-16T18:48:00.000+11:00

From the duathlon this weekend. 5 of 7 in my age group, 126 of 154 total.

An idle brain...

2008-01-16T16:19:00.000+11:00

So, I've been on holiday this week and I've spent the first 3 days in Canberra. I've done all the normal traiing that I normally do, but other than that I'm just hanging out. I spent Monday at home reading, watching movies, doing laundry - typical weekend day, but on a Monday. It feels even better knowing that, doesn't it? On Tuesday I went to the National Museum of Australia. One of my friends works there, and we had coffee while she told me about a telescope from the 1700s that sailed with Captain Cook on the Endeavour that she's working on for an exhibition n October. The telescpoe is in pieces in a box and is her job to figure out how to put it all back together, refurbish it appropriately, and display it. How cool is that? Today, I hung out around the house again. I had lunch with a friend who's looking for a new place to live - as am I... I have to move by the 5th of Feb, so I'll start that process when Im back from the rest of my holiday. [If you're thinking of mailing me anything in the next week or so - hold off and email me for my new address. I know you all have something waiting to be posted to me! :)]

Tonight I'm driving up to Thredbo with another friend for the end of a Bilby's training camp. I'm pretty stoked to spend 4 nights in the mountains just working out and eating. (Sounds perfect, huh?)

HOWEVER, in between all my lounging around and training, I've been secretly (or not so secretly) playing texting games and mind games with the boy from point one in my last post. And, each time I say I'm not going to text him back, he texts again. Seriously - the male species has some innate knowledge of when we've finally decided to let them go, and they weasel right back again. It is so frustrating. The most frustrating bit to me in the last week with this guy has been the establishment of hope and the oh so quick extinguishing of hope in the next instant. Thinking back, I can see that he's actually done nothing to establish the illusion of hope, just the bare minimum for me to interpret and justify and explain and make i into what we want. But I am a girl, it's impossible for us not to think that way. I just hate having to learn this AGAIN.

So, I was browsing the web this afternoon while not wanting to apear as though I'm waiting for the next text, and decided to do some online reading of 'He's Just Not That Into You", which is what another friend told me was his problem over dinner last night. And you know what, it's so true. She's so right, the book is so right, and it's so true. It makes me laugh.

This was my favorite bit - after all the stories and explanations, there is an exercise:

"Grab a pen and list five reasons why you think you have every right or good reason to call him.

Put the book aside and wait an hour. Or at least ten minutes. Then ask yourself: Do I seem pathetic? Do I sound like someone who doesn't trust my own innate hotness? Yes,you do! Now put your dialing finger away, get out of the house, and go find some fun.

P.S.: You just did a workbook exercise about a guy who hasn't even extended to you the energy of a phone call. Why would you want to chase that down?"

That's the part tha made me laugh out loud. Because over the last 5 days I've just sent texts or made phone calls with only the minimum appearance of thinking it through. Partly because I knew that if I thought it through, or waited a day, I wouldn't go through with it and then I'd 'lose my chance' to get him.

WHATEVER.

It's true - if he had wanted to see me, he'd have figured out a way to do it. He's not calling because he's not into me.

And to be honest, that's the bit that sucks. (Obviously!). Since I met him through training and my 'new' life, and I was totally me with him, and there was no alcohol involved (!), I sort of thought that would make a difference. And I know it will, apparently he's not the guy though. (Too bad, cause he was really hot!) [Not that he was an object to me.... now, maybe that was the problem!?!]

Ah well. As my friend last night said - "Onwards & Upwards!"

I think I've been here too long...

2008-01-14T21:26:00.000+11:00

When I got home from swimming tonight, I made myself a vegemite sandwich. Because I actually was CRAVING it.

Weird, huh?

Here's the secret - just about equal parts butter and vegemite. :)

I'm blown away that that's what I was craving when I got home tonight. It's the first one I've had while down here, and I reckon it's the first of many. I actually had a small jar in my cupboard; when I arrived here my boss and his family had made a welcome package with food for my first week, including a small jar of Vegemite. I was sure I was never going to open it!!

Duathlon and soccer

2008-01-14T09:22:00.000+11:00

Yesterday was the second triathlon of the summer series. But, since the lake was closed due to pollution with blue-green algae (ick!) the triathlon became a duathlon, which means the first swim leg is replaced with a run. I decided to do the long course, for more of a challenge. It was a 2.5K run, a 20K ride, then a 5K run.

I gotta be honest, I LOVED it.

It took me an hour, 23 minutes, which I was stoked with - I'd predicted 1:30 or 1:45. I felt like I was just hitting my stride at 1:20 - that I could keep going. I'm glad I didn't have to, but I felt like I could have! The bike leg is my least favorite, but it wasnt too bad. I'm borrowing a bike from some friends, and I've been trying to ride more, so that I don't hate it as much as I did. Im just stoked that my 5K time was around 25 minutes, and that's after the first run and ride - interval work really does make a difference in speed, even in longer distances. The transition from bike to run is hard, and it took almost 1K until my legs felt normal again on the run - gotta practice that transition a bit more!

And, technically, this distance is still considered a sprint, because the regular, or Olympic distance, for a tri is 1.5K swim, 40K ride, 10K run. Maybe by the end of the summer I'll do that. :)

After the race I chilled out, went to a birthday bbq, and then layed indoor soccer. I haven't played soccer in ages because of my training for tri, but yesterday I was around and so played. Needless to say I was a bit exhausted afterwards, but it was good to get on the field again - I do miss the soccer!

Here's my indoor team (the Spit Rods) [pics of the duathlon to come]:

Postcards from home

2008-01-14T09:19:00.000+11:00

My mom sends me a postcard every Monday. She and a friend go into the city every Monday for a walk, and she usually writes the pscard on the bus over to the city from Alameda.

I feel like flying

2008-01-09T15:10:00.001+11:00

Man, if ever there was a day I wished to be a bird, this is it. I want to fly around the stratosphere exclaiming to everyone!

So, why so happy today? It's a good set of things I tell you. As I'm listening to my favorite album of the moment (Enjoy the Ride, byt Sugarland) and each song is bringing good tears to my eyes, you may have some glimpse into my mood... sentimental and happy.

In no particular order:
(well, okay, the first listed has a lot to do with my mood right now, but they are all feeding my buzz at the moment)
*I had dinner with a guy from training on Monday night and it was so easy and comfortable and fun and exciting. Yay!

*Training is going really well and I have so much energy. Each session is really hard and I'm exhausted after each one, but that's part of the buzz.

*The people I have in my life in Canberra right now really rock my world. My friends through Bilbys are some of the most dynamic and amazing people I've met here. And they like me for me - as dorky, enthusiastic, cheesy, and silly as I am - they get me. And there's nothing like feeling like people get you.

*Even though I'm physically farther from my immediate family than I've ever been, I'm closer to each of them now than I ever have been before

*Work is going pretty well right now and I'm riding a wave of motivation and productivity, which is good.

*So many of my friends (here and in the US) have such good things happening for them right now - babies being born and babies growing up, weddings, new houses, fulfillment of dreams and long fought after goals - that it just makes me smile

*I'm taking next week off work to go to Thredbo for a week for Bilbys training camp. Thredbo is a ski resort about 2 hours south of Canberra and it's supposed to be beautiful in the summertime. And it's a week of training and relaxing. Sounds perfect to me.

*In February I'm doing the Overland Track in Tasmania with a friend and her husband. This is a 65ish km walk done over 5 days from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair in Tassie. I've heard it's beautiful and I've never done anything like it before so I'm really looking forward to that.

I do have to say, though, there is not a day that goes by when I don't think about my impending DECISION. Do I stay or do I go?

I know, can you even believe that I'm considering staying here? I don't feel like I can make a decision right now, partly because a lot depends on the job situation back in Atlanta, which I haven't broached yet. I can extend my job here which is a comfort, but I just don't know.

All I know is that with each day that goes by lately I feel more and more like the ME I'm supposed to be (and that I want to be) and that's just addictive.

"It's my life so it's mine to make. I ain't settlin'.
I've had enough so-so for the rest of my life.
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high.
I ain't settlin' for anything less than everything."
(from the song Settlin', by Sugarland)