Luna Park at Last

A few weeks ago, I finally went to Luna Park! We used to have a view over this Melbourne area icon when we lived in St Kilda, but we had never been inside or rode any of the rides. It was time to change that, so we met up with Kristy and Nigel on a nice Friday night and finally went inside Luna Park.

Kristy and I got the unlimited rides pass (not cheap at $45 apiece!), and the boys got single ride passes and then played a few games. Here's Zack trying to get tennis balls into the jugs. He got one in and won the awesome blow-up bat pictured below. Nigel did the same, and the boys had fun hitting each other (and us) all night with them. 

After a bit, the boys headed off to the bar, and Kristy and I stuck around to get our money's worth by riding every ride possible.

Some rides were surprisingly fun; others were kind of lame. I did enjoy the sunset view from atop the ferris wheel; we couldn't have timed that ride more perfectly!

The Great Scenic Railway, which is the 100-year-old wooden roller coaster that goes around the outside of the park, was the one ride we just HAD to try. They were closing it on and off throughout the night due to high winds, but it finally seemed open and we waited in line for our turn. We finally got to ride it, and it was TERRIBLE. I mean seriously awful. If you're American and have been to Cedar Point, you know how rickety some of those old wooden roller coasters can be. Well, multiply that times 100. It honestly hurt, and I wanted off almost as soon as it started. It jostled you and banged you and shook you beyond belief. I would never never never ride it again, though I'm glad I can say I did it once. Anyway, we can cross Luna Park off of our bucket list, which is a good thing, because we may not be in Australia much longer! More about that in a future post...

Red, Red Wine

Yesterday at an extended brunch with Adam and Emily, we made plans for a fun night of eating fajitas with a guacamole cook-off and a red wine tasting. So last night, Nigel and Kristy joined us in heading over to Adam and Emily's place in Elwood for the evening. Each person brought a different type of red wine, and each couple brought guacamole. Every wine bottle was wrapped in foil and numbered, so we didn't know which was which.

We enjoyed cheese and crackers and chips and three great guacamole recipes while trying each type of wine. We all had paper and wrote down our guesses as to which type of wine we were tasting. Our choices were Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Shiraz, and Sangiovese. Some were easy (Cabernet), but others were impossible (who knows what Sangiovese tastes like?!).

After trying all six and making our best guesses, we revealed each wine and saw if we were right. Out of the six types, Zack and I both guessed three correctly (not the same three), and that was the best score!

Then Adam and Emily introduced us to an entertaining game called "Celebrity." It's kind of a mix between Catch Phrase and Charades, with a twist. In one of the rounds, you act out the word you're trying to get your team to guess while under a sheet. It was hilarious! I think I'm acting out "leg" in the picture to the left.

Later, as we drank more wine and laughed about how many types we didn't know, we enjoyed a delicious dessert made using Emily's now famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. Yum!

It was an awesome night of good food and wine shared with friends, and a great way to kick off the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend.

Rebels Playing Rugby

On Saturday night, we met up with Kristy and Nigel at AAMI Park to watch a rugby game. The Melbourne Rebels played the Crusaders from New Zealand, and they won 28-19! I guess this was a big deal, because the Crusaders were heavily favored. Zack and I had been to one rugby game back in Denver (the Glendale Raptors were the national champions), but we didn't really understand the game. So it was good to have an Australian (Kristy) and a Brit (Nigel) with us this time to explain the rules to us.

AAMI Park is a neat venue. From the outside, it looks like a bunch of joined golf balls with lights. Inside, it is smaller than expected, and with general admission seats, we were able to sit pretty close to the action. It was a cold night, so we bundled up to stay warm. Note the hat and scarf I am wearing. I made (knit) those all by myself! Go ahead and feel free to be impressed now. :)






I was surprised that the game was over so quickly. There were two forty minute halves, and the clock never stopped (other than at halftime). I'm used to American football with tons of breaks and four long quarters! It was also interesting to realize once again that Australian sporting events do not have cheerleaders. In America, there is no way that you'd go to a game like this and not have hot girls in skimpy clothes on the sidelines shaking their butts to dance music at every pause and break in the action. In fact, the entire focus in Australia is truly on the game. There are no flashy lights, fireworks, songs being blasted through the loudspeakers, organized cheers, etc. In some ways, this is good (you end up actually watching the game!), but the American part of me can get a bit bored with no distractions to keep me entertained. I'm cool with no cheerleaders though (no offense to any cheerleaders intended!). I'm not sure we'll become hardcore rugby fans, but it was a fun way to spend a chilly fall evening with friends.

Words With Friends

I love the app called Words With Friends. It's basically Scrabble, but you can play with anyone in the world. You just take your turn when you have time, so the games take at least a few days, especially when you're playing against someone who's awake while you're asleep (everyone in the US!). Anyway, I'm addicted. I usually have at least five games going at once, and if I'm on my phone, that's probably what I'm playing. Some people put up a good fight (namely my dad). And some people cheat (there are websites to do this-so unfair!). Apparently most of my cousins refuse to play me because I'm "too good"?! I'm pretty decent, but I definitely don't always win. A lot of it depends on what letters you're given. Anyway, below are screen shots of two moves in recent games. I'm rather proud of these; anything over 100 is pretty rare (at least from my experience). If you want to play against me, my username is AubreeK...if you dare! :)

Highest one word score of my career.

How ya like that Daddy-o?