Random Summer Happenings Post

Because I still haven't sorted through my pictures from our time in Byron Bay, or when my parents and aunt and uncle were here, or the Australian Open, today you get a random blog post with some phone photos of things we've been doing this summer. In no particular order, here's some of what we've been up to in January and February...

I met up with Zack one day in the city for a run and lunch on Degraves Street afterward. These camera-wielding dogs are in Federation Square. I'm not sure why they're there, but I thought I'd better get a picture with them.

We have salmon for dinner nearly every week, because it's so delicious fresh from the market. Here's one of my salmon creations...pan fried salmon with homemade pesto sauce atop quinoa. Yum!

We watched the National Championship Game for college football at our friends' place. While we enjoyed cuddling their dog Roo, we didn't enjoy Notre Dame's performance in the game and the resulting score. Let's not talk about it!

I had a celebrity sighting at the South Melbourne Market. The girl with the skirt in the back is Ellie from MasterChef 2011. You may recall that this was the show we watched religiously when we first moved here, and Ellie was one of our favorites. I just had to snap this stalker phone photo to show Zack while pretending I was looking at potatoes!

Speaking of potatoes, these potato swirls, which are found at the Queen Victoria Suzuki Night Market, are delicious. The sangria is tasty too. This night market runs every Wednesday night during the summer, and it's a great place to go to try all sorts of delicious food (I even got an American pulled pork sandwich one night) and listen to some fun live music. We've gone a couple of times, and it's been a great way to spend a summer evening.

And last but not least, I decorated our house a little bit for Australia Day (which was January 26). I'm not sure if you can even see the little flags strung across the top, but they are there. Yes, even though I'm American, I've got some Australian spirit!

Anyway, that's a little glimpse into our summer so far. The weather has been incredible (which is rare for Melbourne), so we've been soaking up the sun and making the most of it while we can. That's probably why I've been slacking on keeping up with the blog!

Canang Sari in Bali

In Bali, you see these little offering baskets everywhere...in front of restaurants, on sidewalks, on the beach, along the street...everywhere! They are called coconut leaf trays called "canang sari," and they hold rice, flowers, incense, and small food items. The Balinese offer them every morning to their gods in thankfulness and gratitude. They are quite beautiful; the effort required to make one adds to the meaning of the sacrifice.

I must admit that when we first arrived in Bali and went to the money changer, I accidentally stepped on one when we got out of the car and headed toward the counter. I felt so bad! I have since read that it's not a huge deal if you step on one by accident, but I still felt terrible for committing such a cultural blunder within hours of arriving in Indonesia!

Remember how I said there are lots of stray dogs in Bali? Well, apparently they like to get into the food part of the canang sari left on the beach!

Beautiful Bali Beaches

We didn't do much in Bali for the three days we were there. Hanging out on the beach, shopping, and eating were the main activities of choice. Once we learned to ignore the people selling every item imaginable on the beach, we fit in lots of great relaxation time there. Compared to Thailand, Bali was sunnier and less humid and had darker-colored sand and chillier water.

"You want massage? Fresh coconut? Pretty necklace? How about watch? Good deal for you!"

We spent one afternoon boogie boarding. The waves were pretty fun. The next day, we rented surfboards. Bali is known for its awesome surfing, and it didn't disappoint. Even as beginners, we had a blast trying to conquer the waves!

This wave got the better of Zack and his boogie board!

I like the colors in this picture. Notice the stray dogs-they are everywhere on Bali's beaches!

One evening, we had a (very expensive) drink at the trendy Ku De Ta bar on the beach. It was a great place to watch the sunset, though I'm not sure we were cool enough to hang out there! I'll have a couple more entries about Bali over the next few days, but I'll leave you with a sunset picture including a stray dog!

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty=view of last night's sunset from our balcony...

Beast=jellyfish found on the beach while walking the neighbor's dog this morning...

Have a good day!

More Keys in Australia

For a couple of weeks in January, we weren't the only Keys in Australia! Zack's dad and stepmom came to visit and go to the Australian Open, and we had fun showing them around our new home. The picture to the left is the welcome table I had ready for them at our place when they arrived. You can see their personalized Cokes. I also made an Aussie themed dinner with kangaroo kebobs, lamb cutlets, chips with sour cream and chili sauce, salad, rolls, and vanilla slice for dessert. Yummy.

On one of the weekends, we headed out to the Yarra Valley region to visit some wineries. Instead of doing the major big ones, we hit up some of the smaller ones in Seville. It was nice to get personalized attention and not fight the crowds, and we enjoyed a platter of cheese and meats in the sunshine after our wine tasting at Seville Estate.

Zack's dad and Vickie posing with the Wine Dogs book-open to a page that looks like Molly!

This dog lives at the winery, and she's featured in a book of other winery dogs. I had fun playing with her and practicing taking pictures with my new lens (a Christmas present from the Keys-thanks!).

Lots more blog posts to come...check back daily!

Fog, Jog, and a Dog

How was your weekend? This was the view from one of our balconies on Friday afternoon. The fog rolled in big-time; it was almost kind of scary! At one point, all I could see was white out the windows. Anyway, on Friday night we ordered in some pizza and watched Back to the Future Part II (I had never seen it).

On Saturday, we had cappuccinos and lattes with Heath and Isabelle on Acland Street. Then Zack and I walked around St. Kilda and enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather. We have never seen so many people out and about! I guess this is a hint of what's to come this summer. Anyway, we ended up on Fitzroy Street where we used a Groupon-type deal that I had for a rum tasting at a place called 29th Apartment. We got to try six different rums with accompanying desserts as we sat outside in the sunshine. Yummy! This restaurant had fun games to play, and we ended up playing a Connect Four tournament with two Australian guys. Then we ended up doing shouts with them for the next few hours. A "shout" is when someone buys drinks for everyone else; you take turns "shouting" the round. When it started getting cold, Zack and I got some pasta for dinner and went home for an early bedtime.

Sunday morning came quickly, and Zack headed off for a 110km bike ride with Adam and Heath and Isabelle. I met up with Emily for a ten mile run. She's training for a half marathon, and I try to join her for some training runs for the heck of it. Later that afternoon, we had lunch at a Japanese place with Adam and Emily and two other couples from a Meetup group and got some frozen yogurt on Fitzroy Street.

Because I was missing my dog Molly, I posted an ad on Gumtree offering to walk dogs in the area. I got a response from a lady who lives nearby, and now I get to walk her family's dog a few times a week. I can bring Emmey to the beach, take her on a run, or whatever I want...and I get paid! This morning was my first time, and I took a picture down at St. Kilda Beach. Isn't she cute (though not nearly as cute as Molly!)? She's a mix between a beagle and a lab. Emmey is my pseudo-dog here in Australia-yay! So that's what's going on with us lately. Hope you had a good weekend too!

T-3 Days = Easter/Goodbye Molly

Today is Easter...Happy Easter everyone! Actually it's technically the day after Easter since I'm up past midnight again. That's kind of what happens when you don't have to work the next day. You could say I'm getting ready to adjust to the Aussie time zone.

We spent Easter at Aubree's parents' house. Her extended family came in to say the goodbyes. The food and company were great, and we dominated in ladder golf.

Then came the time to leave our beloved dog Molly. Molly is staying with Aubree's brother/sister-in-law/dog-in-law (Mascot), who will take great care of her. But leaving Molly behind was one (of several) very difficult parts of going to Australia. Molly has been there for us every day since our wedding, and we love her so much. Aubree says Molly is that one special dog you find once in a lifetime and compare all your other pets against. I agree. Life will be quite different without Molly. Plus, I wouln't be half as funny, since most of my jokes come at Molly's expense.

We took Molly for a walk around the park in Aubree's brother's neighborhood and stopped to play by the lake. We played the usual games (hide and seek, fetch) and ran through her arsenal of tricks; then I took Molly inside to her new family and managed to quickly muster a 'Thank You' and 'Bye' before heading out the door. I'm sure Molly will be much happier where she is than if she was living in an Australian quarantine and our little Australian apartment, and we look forward to joining her in a couple years.

Speaking of our apartment, we got a place right on the beach in St. Kilda. It is a fully furnished studio where we'll stay for 1-3 months before finding long-term housing. The apartment is right on the St. Kilda beach strip, and if our room is facing the right direction, we'll be able to watch the kite surfers on the beach.

We (Aubree) also signed up online for 15 or so clubs in the Melbourne area, so we hope to meet some nice folks there for surfing, biking, and having fun.