Inventory, Inventory, Invenory...

Down to the final sorting.  I have everything captured in a document mostly split between Ocean, Air, Storage, Carry, and about 5 other tabs.  It won't be long now!  Just have to be finished by Wednesday!!!

It takes 5 nights

Traveling West to East apparently takes 5 nights to get back into a "normal" sleep pattern for people my age.  Last night was the first decent sleep since we returned.  I'm good to go and ready to work on the house.

Speaking of houses, once again, we bought high and looks like we will be selling low.  Oh well...can't do anything about that.  I am tired to using our stock management rules for houses.  We need to get one of these things right.  :P

I sure many of you have been waiting for a baby ducky update...We have 2 broods right now.  One mama w/ 9 babies and I saw a new brood this morning freshly hatched and scurrying around.  I am pretty sure the new mama is one that came to eat in our drive last year as a chick.  She has 15 lovely little chicks.  They are SO cute. Of course, I didn't have the camera.  Will see if I can get a snap tomorrow.

BTW - our visa has been approved.  We are good to live in Australia for the next 4 years.  We passed the Cultural Assessment yesterday (I call it the mental exam).  The only paperwork left is for our company to approve our medical tests.  I had to have a chest x-ray yesterday for TB.  The tech asked me how long had it been since I had a chest x-ray.  I went with "never".  Should have clearance by the end of the week.

Who would have thought...

As I go through papers and drawers, inventorying items, getting ready for the packers, who would have thought it would be so hard to decide what you can live without for 2-4 years.  Granted, some of it is easy,  For instance, I know I don't need ANY of the books in the library.  I have plenty of electronic books to read but will I need that coat?  Do I need my heavy hiking boots?  How many wine glasses should we take?  Do I really need 3 same sized casserole dishes?  I haven't used more than 1 at a time since I got married.  Do I really need every financial paper I've collected for the past 25 years? 

We did buy new (smaller) computer desks and an area rug this weekend.  Also made the call to put the monster 5 burner gas grill into storage and buy a small 2 burner grill to take with us. 
 
I am just about out of decisions for the day... Luckily, there are only so may days left before we have to turn the inventory in and then it will be a done deal...

AH...Shopping

I am testing the "no international transaction fee" credit card VERY thoroughly this week.  Food, mass transit cards, oh yes...appliances.

We had to purchase a fridge, washer, dryer, freezer and of course a wine cooler for the new town home.  (Yes - the wine cooler was required.)  It all went well as far as I know but hands down the toughest decision was the washer/dryer.  They sell them by kilogram capacity. 

The manager was exceptionally nice and spent well over an hour with me helping me spend Robert's money.  But I was stumped on the kg decision.  The appliances appear SO small here.  Always before, I would open the lid and look in and say - yep, it looks big enough.  Here, I had to know how many wet kilos did my king size bedding take up.  (The answer is apparently 8 but I went 8.5 just to be sure.)  And, me being the "black and white - no shades of gray - if you have 8 on this side you have to have 8 on that side" person that I am, have a devil of a time understanding that a dryer only needs to be 6 kg when the washer needs to be 8.5.  (Something to do with wet/dry.)  Still not entirely sure, I went with the 8kg dryer.  It was pretty funny. . . at one point the manager asked me how many pounds we purchased in the states.  I said we don't - we just do big. 

The dryer has a condenser.  That means it recovers the water and I can use it for watering my plants which we won't have because we won't have a yard.  Luckily, we should be able to connect it to the sink and have it drain automatically.

Space is at a premium and these are stacked units.  SO that means I will need a step stool every time I do the laundry.  (Must go update the inventory.)

Time to go walk around the mall and see if there is anything else I need to use that card on...  :)

City Life - First Impressions

While I have lived in big cities before, I have never "lived" in a city.  I have always been on the edge - pretty much suburbia.  The last few days in the Central Business District of Brisbane has been interesting. 

I never pictured a downtown area in the US with many non-business people.  Of course, I have also never spent a lot of time in big city "downtowns".  Here, the CBD is lively with families and shoppers from when the stores open until closing time at 5 pm or so.  It reminds me of going to a festival that only occurs on a weekend and happens to be in a downtown precinct.  Or maybe a better description is just the local US mall only outdoors. It is even busier on the weekends and as the day grows long (especially on the weekends), the more eclectic the outfits. 

This last weekend was Palm Sunday.  There were several areas for kids to meet and greet not only the EB (Easter Bunny) but other spring time (I guess - fall time here) characters.  There were balloon animal creators, story tellers and several street performers.  There was a flea market in one of the plazas, a rally for nuclear disarmament and of course the regular South Bank craft vendors. And it continues this week. Street performers from jazz bands to tap dancers are all up an down the Queen Street area and a rally / fund raiser for autistic children yesterday.

Today was appliance shopping day and I haven't been able to spend much time in the area.  I guess I'll head downstairs to sit in one of the cafes, have a glass of wine and read a book. Well - after I check out the new part of the mall that just opened. :)

 I could get used to this. 

New Home???

Not finalized yet, but this is the one we chose! Three bedroom, 2 1/4 bath, one living, area/dining area combined.  It will be cozy!

NOPE - You can never have enough pictures of cute Koalas!

Can everyone spot him?  He actually ran across the ground in front of us.  They can move right along when they want to!

Australian Zoo Day

Yes - once again - we go house hunting and end up doing something touristy!  But it just doesn't get any better than this!!!

We visited the Australia Zoo yesterday.  This is the one made famous by Steve Irwin (Crikey Mate) and his family (Terri, Bindi and Robert) still participates in the shows every day.  It is one of the best zoo's I have been to for animal interaction.  They had a Tasmanian Devil on a leash, the Cheetah, the Dingos, a couple of lizards (OK - they weren't on a leash).  The shows were interesting and the animals VERY active.  We either hit the right day or they work with the animals more than any other zoo I have been to in order to make it interesting and to keep people coming back.  If you ever make it to Brisbane - this is a must do!!!

An Echnidna.  While no relation (to my knowledge) to a hedgehog, they sure look like one!

 Big Salty Crocodile.  Terri Irwin is standing just on the left.  They are trying to get the croc to strike.  They have several in tanks behind the stadium (The Croceseum) and I believe they use a different croc each day of the week.  That way they can control their diet and make sure they stay a little peckish.

 Dingos!

 A wombat.

 And should my Koala Hugging Career fail, I can always feed the Roos!

 Check out their claws (yes, I got a tiny bruise).

What I want to do when I grow up...

Bad news...

The owner's of the property we want to rent turned down our small pet request.   Housing is hard to come by here.  This means another couple of years w/o a puppy.  I'll have to take up a new hobby - such as travelling EVERYWHERE with RLT.  (He will be SO glad to hear this.)

Cost of living...

Apparently is pretty high in Brisbane.  For example, a 24 pack of diet coke in the local discount store is $25 AUD.  Guess I'll go back to drinking water - it's better for me anyway.  However, that price is better than the $4 you pay in a restaurant for a can.  A lot of the grocery store prices seem very similar to Alaska.  Regardless, I am going back to the US and stocking up on things like sunscreen, ziplocks, etc. so don't be surprised when there is an article in the Houston news about the run on dry goods at the local Wal-marts.

We have not yet heard if we have been accepted for the town house we put an application in for.  If we do get it, it is approximately 2 blocks from the path along the river, 4 blocks to a water taxi stop and about 4 miles from Robert's office.  He will have to drive through the city to get there.  It has rooftop access and you can see some of the city.  There is an SPCA close by for me to volunteer at along with lots of shops and cafes.  No yard though.  We will have to bring some AstroTurf in case we get a dog. :)

It is about 1/3 of the size of our current house.  MOST of our stuff will go into storage for the next couple of years.  We need to choose wisely on what we bring. and when we move again, it will be like having 2 different Christmas celebrations in one year.  :)  We go in a few minutes to measure the new space.  I should have pictures to post tomorrow. 

If we are turned down for a house, we have #2 and #3 picked out.  One is near the gov'ner's mansion and the other is an apartment on the river with beautiful city views.  The hard part will be which one to apply for.  I have a favorite but I am not certain RLT does...

More to come!

Aaaahhh - Spiders

As you are probably aware, Australia has some rather poisonous critters here.  I haven't done all of the necessary research to be able to recognize the venomous spiders and deadly snakes - that will come while sitting in the park after we move. 

Regardless, I saw some REALLY BIG spiders yesterday.  The golden orb spider can have a leg span of over 7 inches and a body almost 2 inches long.  They have gold bands on their legs. http://www.learningspark.com.au/shop/nt/gospider/index.html

Then there's the Huntsman...they like living in flat spaces such as under your sun visor in the car.  That will be tons of fun the first time I flip the visor down while driving on the left side of the road in Brisbane traffic and a (REALLY BIG) spider falls in my lap.  I believe we only saw dead Huntsman spiders yesterday - inside the houses.  http://www.mdavid.com.au/spiders/huntsmanspiders.shtml

The capper though was the GIANT spider on the deck of one of the Queenslander houses that had a huge web with a dead mouse in it.  I wasn't thinking or I would have taken a picture of it.  Luckily it was outside of the house and the agent assured us the house would be cleaned once a lease was signed. 

Btw - most of these homes don't have screens on the windows and many don't have air conditioning where you must open the windows to get a breeze. 

Day #3....

Now...where is that perfect house???

Somewhere in a city of 4 million, you would think we could find a place to live.  The leasing process is different here.  As a potential renter, you make an appointment with the manager, review the property, and if you think it is one you are interested in, you put in an application.  The owner then reivews all of the applications and picks who they think will be the most stable renters. I view it as a credit check on steroids.

Most of the houses here have hardwood floors.  At least the rent houses.  They are beautiful. 

On a different note, coffee here is VERY strong.  I get mine with 2 sugars and can't taste it what-so-ever.  I'm afraid to try it straight.  It is also expensive, but I figure in the long run, I will save money as it only takes 1 cup to make up for the 6-8 cups I drink at home.  :P

House Learings...

Houses in Brisbane are smaller and more expensive than Houston. I'm not that surprised about either item, except they are expensive enough they rent by the week.  For example, one of the houses was fairly new construction, 3 bedroom, 3 bath and 2 car garage.  They are asking 1300 AUD / per week.  That will be close to $70,000 US for 1 year.  Amazing!

We also discoverred there is no need to bring the oven roaster or the cookie sheets.  They won't fit in the ovens.  It is also good we came prior to packing to at least view the houses.  Even if we don't find a place this trip, I now know better what to pack and what to leave home.  Basic rule - leave most in storage.

I have been saying, we have too much stuff.  I have now confirmed it!!!

There is great public transportation here.  Busses, ferries, water taxis, trains, etc.   I hope to become a master at using the system so I don't have to drive much.

Still trying to find that perfect location where the commute will be short and groceries close (see driving comment from earlier :P).

The Next Adventure Begins...

Yes - WE ARE MOVING TO BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA!!!!

I have only one word for that -

YEA!

Robert is being transferred on his project and I am going to take a break and NOT work in an office for a couple of years to see if I will be able to survive in retirement.

I don't think that will be a problem.

Our house hunting trip will be the first time I have ever been to the continent.  Hope I like it.  :)

Anyway - this should give me time to start blogging again.  I hope you stop by to check it out periodically!

EGAG - Trying to change email addresses

WHAT A NIGHTMARE!

Hum...I must be taking the summer off...

OK - Maybe the middle 6 months of the year.

To everyone who has encouraged me to keep writing, I expect to return to creativeness in a few months...until then...thanks for the thoughts and have a great summer!

In Preparation for Vacation

This morning, we decided to go to a kolache restaurant for breakfast. Unfortunately, it was closed for Easter. SO, we decided to try the Colombian bakery right next door.

You know, the best way to learn a language is total immersion which is what we found this morning. With the clouds, drippy-ness of the day and the uncomfortably high humidity, I am sure this is what it will be like when we head to Columbia later this summer.

The food was excellent and everything we tried, regardless of size, was $1.10.

And we never did find anything but baked goods.

Happy Easter everyone!

We have Squirrels

When we lived in Houston in 2004, our yard was never visited by a single squirrel.

We are covered with them now and of course, we have a squirrel feeder for corn cobs. Not a fancy one mind you...this one is 2 pieces of 1X4 nailed together at a right angle with a nail to hold the cob. It is on one of the palm trees by the pool.

They still like bird seed better. We have a bird feeder hanging on a shepherd's hook. It initially started by the palm trees also but then we saw the squirrels use the sago fronds to get on the feeder. So we moved it. Then they used the patio chairs. So we moved it. Then they used the table. So we moved it. (Notice a pattern - the squirrel was winning!) The last location we caught them climbing the shepherd's hook itself. Now we have a lovely green circle of plastic designed to keep the squirrels from getting to the bird feed.

They can still get to it somehow (we haven't seen how yet) but at least they aren't on it so much now. The birds actually get food and the squirrels are eating the corn like they are supposed to.

Besides, when they really want bird seed, they can always go to the duck food in the driveway. I looked out the other day and there was a squirrel, lounging on his belly, back feet turned up and eating right along with the ducks. It's a wonder he didn't get stepped on or nipped.

One busy little squirrel is building a nest in the neighbor's yard. He is building his condo at the very top of a tree and should have a lovely view. Interestingly enough, he runs down to the bottom branches, breaks a branch off and then carries it back to the building site and weaves it in. (Of course to see all of this, I had to get the binoculars out. Wonder what the neighbor's thought...) Apparently nest building is very tiring as he would lay down on a lower branch periodically and just relax. But not for long and then it's back to building.

Can't wait to see the little ones!

Houston Rodeo Excursion

I had forgotten how big Rodeo is here. We had the opportunity to go to the Houston Rodeo a couple of weeks ago. I had never been. It reminded me a lot of a county or state fair with the carnival, food vendors and exhibits only it was WAY more crowded and I could walk around drinking wine as long as I didn't leave the grounds.

For the Rodeo part, we saw Tie-down roping, Bareback Riding, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Barrel Racing and Bull Riding. Those cowboys are crazy doing some of those events. If I remember right, the top three places in each event received money. In the Bull Riding event, of the 10 cowboys, only three stayed on the bull long enough to have the ride count which made it easy to see who the winners were.

I really enjoyed those events. However, the best was yet to come!

Chuck Wagon Races look like fun. I view it a lot like NASCAR or the Texas Highways. Hop on, wait for the gun and go as fast as you can in a circle!

The there was the Calf Scramble. This recipe calls for 28 FFA (Future Farmer of America) students, 14 calves, 14 rope bridles and 1 square drawn in the center of the arena covering about 1/3 of the floor. When the gun goes off, the students chase the calves around the arena and the first 14 that catch, put a bridle on and (sometimes) drag a calf back into the square, win a prize. (Unfortunately, I missed what the prize was.) The trick to this is the calves don't necessarily see the fun in this event. They had their own ideas about where they wanted to stand and look at the crowd and it wasn't necessarily from the middle of the arena in a chalk square.

But the best was yet to come.

What really ROCKS at the Rodeo is...

MUTTON BUSTIN'!!!

This event is SO much better viewed than described but I'll try.

All you need is several full grown sheep and 10-12 kids that weigh between 35 and 60 pounds. (I'm sure there is a release or two involved also.) Wrap the kids up in padding and helmets with face guards. Put one sheep at the far end of the pen (all the other sheep will follow the lead sheep). Place one child on top of a sheep and turn them loose. The kids are laying on the back of the sheep holding on to sheep's wool with the object being how far can they go without falling off. The winner this evening went almost the length of the pen but I think that was because he was too scared to jump off. He received a slightly bigger belt buckle than the other participants and can now proudly say he is a top mutton buster!

The Houston Rodeo is a great event as it is mostly done to raise money for scholarships. They have raised millions over the years and I am really glad I was able to attend. Next year we may have to get more tickets!