Many of you may have noticed the extremely long gap in the blogging. Well, as recent events have unfolded, there's been barely time to think and make decisions, let alone blog about it.
On July 13, Nicole and I boarded a plane to return to Sydney after a 2 week visit to CT. Bad weather in DC delayed our flight so long that we would have missed the San Fran-Sydney connection. Rather than be stuck in San Francisco waiting for two seats on a Sydney flight, we opted to re-ticket and stay in CT an extra night. We got off the plane, claimed our checked bags, and headed back to Larry's parents' house.
The next morning, I said to Larry, "What if we didn't go back right away?" We were planning on putting Nicole in school in the US in September, so returning to school in Sydney wasn't absolutely required. Since I telecommuted into a company in CT, there was no pressing reason for me to be back. So, brainstorming ensued, and Nicole and I stayed. I re-ticketed for August 22, giving me enough time to get Nicole ready for school and settled with her "host family."
Just two weeks later, Larry had a meeting with Microsoft where they officially informed him that they would not be renewing our 1-year contract. And, in fact, they were making wide-scale changes in the Microsoft organization and would be ending his contract early - as of August 31.
You could have knocked us over with a feather! Really? Not entirely bad or unwelcomed news, as we are happy to be returning home, but still.
So, rather than fly on August 22 and then turn around and fly again a week or so later, I canceled my return to Sydney. I'm living in the spare room at my parents' once again, with my daughter in the other twin bed. Larry is overseeing the packing and shipping of our worldly goods once again for a second trans-oceanic voyage. We've bought a car, and I've gotten a full-time job in Hartford. And we are in search of some sort of temporary housing until our Farmington house is available.
(And we're planning on meeting in Hawaii when Larry leaves Sydney.)
I wish I could have said "bye bye Sydney" in person. There are so many people I wish I could have hugged. Friends who opened their homes and helped us make our house a home. A church family who welcomed us in January, to whom I would like to say "thank you" - you have no idea how very very much we needed that welcome upon our arrival. Restaurants to eat in one last time. Kookaburras to hear on a final morning. (I am in search of a stuffed kookaburra...)
The reception back in CT has been wonderful. The joyful hugs and exclamations are truly gratifying. So although I am sad to have cut our stay in Sydney short, it is nice to be home again!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Guest Post (by Larry)
Carla and Nicole are vacationing in the US, so I'm taking a stab at the blog this week.
On Sunday, I drove them to the airport where we were met by Nicole's friend (who happens to be a boy...). The rest of the family is very nice and it was thoughtful of them to drive all the way to the airport to send Nicole off and acknowledge her birthday.
With my newfound freedom, I headed toward the best frozen yoghurt on the plant: Igloo Zoo.
Nicole introduced me to this delight (Pomegrante with Chocolate bits on top) and I try to visit every time I'm near Bondi (or south of the Sydney Bridge). Sadly, there was a traffic jam so I aborted the mission and drove home for some Ravioli Bolognese.
It took me about 2 minutes to find the stuffed Wombat Nicole (don't let the redeye flash freak you out). It still sits in its hiding spot out of respect (since it was after all the birthday present I just gave her the day before...)
On Monday, it was off to work. Here is a shot of our work area, featuring the ever-witty Sarah Vaughan.
That night, Michael Kordahi (Developer Evangelist) hosted a poker game. GP and I (the only managers) were the big losers for the night (go figure...).
On Tuesday, we had a bit of EOFY (= end of fiscal year) fun by going out as a team to eat teppanyaki (=hibatchi). It was a great show with eggs & rice flying.
While we were eating, a taxi clipped my car, knocking the side mirror completely off. I was ablet to pull a McGyver that evening and reattached the components no problem.
We had some fun in the office today (Wednesday) when one of the DEs walked away with his machine unlocked. "Someone" went onto his Facebook account and had some fun with him. He hasn't figured out who yet, so I won't be a spoiler :)
After work, I visited my favorite place to eat: Sushi Train. Fast service, fresh wasabi, organic Cola, and taking only the food you want to eat is what makes it terrific.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
What I Love About the House
So we've been living in the rental house for 6 months now. It's very contemporary, clean (stark) lines, tile floors, high ceilings. I was reflecting today, as I got ready for Chili Night, that there are a lot of things I like about this house - and a few things I don't.
I find that I really like the "great room." Essentially, the kitchen, dining room, and main living area are all open and one room. The kitchen is just part of the living space, with a long benchtop where we put stools for informal eating. The huge glass windows open up to the backyard, which I also really, really like. If I were to do anything to improve, I would add electric outlets. Living in the US, you take for granted the building code that requires outlets every 10-12 feet. In this kitchen, there are only two outlets. All mixing, toasting, blending must be done within about 2 feet of the "appliance garage" (I like the appliance garage).
I'd also add a fireplace.
We've been using the heating system, since the temperature has been dropping overnight. I like that the thermostat has a timer - unfortunately it's not a timer where you can set a specific time for the heat to click on or click off. Instead, if the heat is on, you can set it to go off in a certain number of hours. If the heat is off, you can set it to go on. My new approach is to really heat up the bedrooms before going to bed, then turn off the heat and set it to go back on at 5:30 or so. I'm the only one who has bought into this approach, though...
I like that you can turn off the electricity at the source. Every outlet has a little button. Even if something is plugged in, it won't work unless you flip the little switch at the outlet. This cuts down on the "vampire" effect of appliances. It's also fun to play tricks on family members.
The master bedroom closet is a walk in - no door - and it is California Closet designed. I really, really like having the shelves and drawers and the double rung hanging areas. I find that I'm neater and put my clothes away in Australia than I was in the US. I attribute that to the closet. Also, I wear a lot fewer clothes. I don't think I've "dressed up" at all since arriving. One of the benefits of working from home for a company 10,000 miles away!
I'm not thrilled with the all-tile floors in the house. Makes everything seem colder. And the lighting in the bathrooms is DARK. And there's no heating vents in the bathrooms, so they never seem to warm up. But I love the shower - it's a dream shower.
In 6 months we have to move house because the house's owners will return from Hong Kong. I hope to find a place we like as much or more than this house. It's been a great first home in Australia.
I find that I really like the "great room." Essentially, the kitchen, dining room, and main living area are all open and one room. The kitchen is just part of the living space, with a long benchtop where we put stools for informal eating. The huge glass windows open up to the backyard, which I also really, really like. If I were to do anything to improve, I would add electric outlets. Living in the US, you take for granted the building code that requires outlets every 10-12 feet. In this kitchen, there are only two outlets. All mixing, toasting, blending must be done within about 2 feet of the "appliance garage" (I like the appliance garage).
I'd also add a fireplace.
We've been using the heating system, since the temperature has been dropping overnight. I like that the thermostat has a timer - unfortunately it's not a timer where you can set a specific time for the heat to click on or click off. Instead, if the heat is on, you can set it to go off in a certain number of hours. If the heat is off, you can set it to go on. My new approach is to really heat up the bedrooms before going to bed, then turn off the heat and set it to go back on at 5:30 or so. I'm the only one who has bought into this approach, though...
I like that you can turn off the electricity at the source. Every outlet has a little button. Even if something is plugged in, it won't work unless you flip the little switch at the outlet. This cuts down on the "vampire" effect of appliances. It's also fun to play tricks on family members.
The master bedroom closet is a walk in - no door - and it is California Closet designed. I really, really like having the shelves and drawers and the double rung hanging areas. I find that I'm neater and put my clothes away in Australia than I was in the US. I attribute that to the closet. Also, I wear a lot fewer clothes. I don't think I've "dressed up" at all since arriving. One of the benefits of working from home for a company 10,000 miles away!
I'm not thrilled with the all-tile floors in the house. Makes everything seem colder. And the lighting in the bathrooms is DARK. And there's no heating vents in the bathrooms, so they never seem to warm up. But I love the shower - it's a dream shower.
In 6 months we have to move house because the house's owners will return from Hong Kong. I hope to find a place we like as much or more than this house. It's been a great first home in Australia.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
First Day of Winter / What Does Roseville Look Like?
Winter has officially arrived in Australia. June 1 is the First Day of Winter. No snow in the forecast, but it has been the rainiest autumn in 8 years - over 530mm of rain. Of course, I have no idea how much rain that is unless I use the internet to convert to inches (20.9 inches). The trees are still green, the bamboo in the neighbor's yard is still growing, and the kookaburras still wake me up at 6:15 every morning.
There are two trees changing colors on our street. They are maple trees (thanks 9th grade biology) with sharp, pointed leaves, and they are turning into golden yellow balls of light. The picture really doesn't do the view justice, although you can also see the white van that is permanently parked in front of the neighbor's house. In addition to the white van, they also have a white pickup truck, which is frequently parked right across the street from our driveway (makes backing out a challenge.)
The Rifleway is a short cut that involves a few sets of stairs and an elevated pathway through a few backyards. Nicole walks the Rifleway every day on her way home from school.
At the end of the walk from train station, through Rifleway, to home, you arrive at our front door:
There are two trees changing colors on our street. They are maple trees (thanks 9th grade biology) with sharp, pointed leaves, and they are turning into golden yellow balls of light. The picture really doesn't do the view justice, although you can also see the white van that is permanently parked in front of the neighbor's house. In addition to the white van, they also have a white pickup truck, which is frequently parked right across the street from our driveway (makes backing out a challenge.)
So, that's the view from our spare room window. It occurs to me that I haven't posted many (any) shots of our village. Here is a virtual tour of Roseville.
When you arrive in Roseville by train, your first visit is to the Roseville train station.
From the train station, you can walk to our house by crossing Pacific Highway and walking along the Rifleway.
In the center of Roseville, on the other side of the train station, is our new church, St. Andrews Anglican church. During the summer, after the service, "supper" is served outside the main doors.
At the end of the walk from train station, through Rifleway, to home, you arrive at our front door:
Saturday, April 30, 2011
What I Did Today
Since we arrived back in December, there's one thing I've really, really wanted to do. Today, I finally got to do it. I got to PET A WALLABY AND A KANGAROO!!!
Larry and I headed to Featherdale Wilderness Park where the wallabies and kangaroos (at least the not endangered ones) hop around freely. What a sight to see! We of course purchased the food, served in ice cream cones, and braved the compound.
Wallabies are simply adorable. And the Koalas....! Well, take a gander at these shots. Yes, the Koalas in the picture are real. And yes, my husband is rabbit-earing the Koala.
As adorable as the wallabies, kangaroos, and koalas were, the Cassowary was aggressive. I leaned on the fence to take its picture, and it lunged for the park map in my hand. Yes, it lunged, as you can see from this picture:
After it grabbed the map, it pecked at it a bit then swooped it up from the ground, folded it in half with its beak, and swallowed it down whole. Couldn't believe my eyes. Hope it doesn't get sick from it.
The Tasmanian Devil ran around in circles, over and over again, lap after lap, in the track it had been working on for quite a while, judging from the track.
We admired the dingoes, the dozens of birds, and the reptiles. We saw some of the most poisonous snakes in the world, safely behind glass. I hope I never see them anywhere else!
Larry and I headed to Featherdale Wilderness Park where the wallabies and kangaroos (at least the not endangered ones) hop around freely. What a sight to see! We of course purchased the food, served in ice cream cones, and braved the compound.
Wallabies are simply adorable. And the Koalas....! Well, take a gander at these shots. Yes, the Koalas in the picture are real. And yes, my husband is rabbit-earing the Koala.
As adorable as the wallabies, kangaroos, and koalas were, the Cassowary was aggressive. I leaned on the fence to take its picture, and it lunged for the park map in my hand. Yes, it lunged, as you can see from this picture:
After it grabbed the map, it pecked at it a bit then swooped it up from the ground, folded it in half with its beak, and swallowed it down whole. Couldn't believe my eyes. Hope it doesn't get sick from it.
The Tasmanian Devil ran around in circles, over and over again, lap after lap, in the track it had been working on for quite a while, judging from the track.
We admired the dingoes, the dozens of birds, and the reptiles. We saw some of the most poisonous snakes in the world, safely behind glass. I hope I never see them anywhere else!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Club Med and The Whitsundays
After 5 days in Airlie Beach with an exciting excursion out to the Great Barrier Reef, we headed out into the Whitsunday Islands for a stay at a Club Med Resort. We love the all-inclusive vacations: plenty of games and activities for Larry; lots of teens for Nicole; and a supply of beach chairs for me. Club Med Lindeman Island did not disappoint.
From arrival to departure, we caught only glimpses of Nicole as she spent most of her time with the Teen Club. Larry hiked the island paths. They both tried their hands at the trapeze. We sailed one morning and played bocce. We taste tested the cocktails and mocktails of the day. At night, we enjoyed the evening's entertainment, put on by the resort staff. The best show was their take on Cirque du Soleil - truly amazing to see the tricks up close.
The Whitsunday Islands are gorgeous, stunning scenery. There are 74 islands, only 8 are inhabited, and they are part of the Great Barrier Reef protected area. If you get a chance to visit the area, be sure to choose an Island resort as your base to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.
From arrival to departure, we caught only glimpses of Nicole as she spent most of her time with the Teen Club. Larry hiked the island paths. They both tried their hands at the trapeze. We sailed one morning and played bocce. We taste tested the cocktails and mocktails of the day. At night, we enjoyed the evening's entertainment, put on by the resort staff. The best show was their take on Cirque du Soleil - truly amazing to see the tricks up close.
The Whitsunday Islands are gorgeous, stunning scenery. There are 74 islands, only 8 are inhabited, and they are part of the Great Barrier Reef protected area. If you get a chance to visit the area, be sure to choose an Island resort as your base to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Vacation Critters
We continue to enjoy the wildlife Australia has to offer. Our holiday in Queensland brought us into contact with a few new critters.
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