Fresh Air and all that....

Matt and I headed out of Sydney late on Friday night on route to our nations capital. There we were graciously put up but Rohan and Lyndal. It was a lovely weekend catching up with Rohan, back from Canadia, Matts brother and we managed to fit in Phils 60th. It was great to see Marian and all her family once again. Had an interesting chat with Grandfather, aside from intellectual conversations involving the Pope, stem cell research and engineering he asked if Matt and I were... well... together. No. Oh well if we ever get married he would really like to know as we make a lovely couple. Thanks but... Lovely day.

Next I headed to the vineyard to visit my father and sister. It is lovely to get away from the city for a little while. That said I much prefer it in summer. It is bloody freezing, although this does mean lots of wood fires - unfortunately no marshmallow roasting. It has also rained fro 3 days out of 5, we got 30 ml, very good news indeed.

Aside from catching up with my family I also got to see my dog, Boo. She was so happy to see me, but no quite as ecstatic as in her younger days. She is getting along a bit now. I was heading to the winery to cut vines for striking and I wanted to take Boo along in the ute. She couldn't get in without help. Shes is so young, but I guess I guess its a little different in Dog years...

It is also time for pruning at the moment, but I haven't been able to help out thanks to the rain... oh well.

I grew up in country towns, but I'm still amazed when I go grocery shopping, a number of items I think of as staple ingredients are not available. I wanted to cook duck tonight, but alas there was not a duck to be found in the shops. I decided not to ask Dad to kill one of his.... he said there wasn't enough meat on them anyway. So I tried substituting with chicken.... Not a good idea, its ok, but really missed the game flavour and fattiness of the duck.

Not much else happens out here, which is lovely, but means I have nothing to tell. I would normally get some good sunset photos but not this time with all the (wonderful) rain clouds.

Open fires...

The weather was so bad that I could get my camera out so here are a few I prepared earlier...

Vineyard, I love the lines


Mel and Boo

I got an email...

From Al Gore.....

Strange but true.

Speaking of wine

Ok so we weren't but it is one of my favourite topics....

My fathers wine has just appeared in Gourmet Travelers Wine Mag. It was tasted in the "Big is Beautiful: in search of knockout Australian reds" section. It was placed 10th, only 3 point behind the winner.

Qantas have also asked to buy as much of it as they can, both the red and the white!

Not bad I say!

Thanks for your responses guys, I feel very loved

"You look gorgeous - and of course - VERY happy!!.... You truly do look radiantly happy ... you look so cute in that hat!"

"What is going to keep you busy for the next 6 years?"

"I still think you should have done your PhD in my lab. I'm very proud of you."

"Now thats out the way you can get your arse back to Samui."

"So now its time to celebrate when are we celebrating, better get back here (Samui).
Youre not going to get a JOB!!!!!! For heaven sake have you gone mad my dear."

"yippee its over!!"

"P.S. You still look hot!"

Officially a Doctor

The day before my graduation I was due to leave the house I was staying in. I was very grateful to be able to stay for as long as I had, but unfortunately - not just for me - all honeymoons have to end. House sitting is fantastic when you are homeless and house sitting for over a month is even better. Therefore as I was going I left a few bottles of wine, a bunch of flowers and the house as clean as I could make it. I then headed over to my aunt and uncles place where I am house sitting for the next week - I will then go to the farm for a week, followed by 10 house sitting in Melbourne. I'm really getting into this house sitting thing.

Thursday was Date Night but the drive across town took me 2 hours thanks to the weather, well more correctly due to everyone driving through the city because the weather was awful, so I missed the movie, but made it to the pub afterwards for a few drinks.

The boys at Date Night

I really should have gone home earlier. I had arranged to meet Steven - my fellow graduand - for breakfast before the main event. I left the house in a bit of a hurry - forgetting the tickets for my guest (although I was pretty sure tickets wouldn't be checked) but more importantly I forgot both my cameras and didn't even manage to do my hair. Breakfast without chilli is a very strange thing for me, but I enjoyed the meal just the same.

After being dressed in our gowns Steven and I found our seats. I knew we were the only two PhD candidates in the ceremony so we were in seats one and two - my surname coming earlier in the alphabet so I took the first seat. We were instructed on the procedure for receiving our degrees and it was advised to just follow the person in front. This didn't really apply to me.... The graduation went smoothly - at least for me, three girls fell up or down the steps - luckily my father and sister-in-law both arrived just in time to see me receive my doctorate. The guest speaker position suggested he would give an interesting address, however this promise was not fulfilled. Instead of motivating and congratulating us, he described to us the events that lead to this being the first graduation he had ever attended even though he had obtained several degrees... And then it was over.

So we filed out with the academic procession and into the Main Quad. It was freezing and grey, but at least it wasn't raining at that precise minute. I was congratulated by family, friends and strangers (???), had a few photos and glass of bubbly and then headed out for lunch. It was a lovely day but it was all over so quickly as my father and his partner had to catch a plane...

Finally a Doctor

Steven and I after the grad

That evening we headed out for drinks at the newly re-opened Kuletos bar for numerous cocktails before continuing the night at various bars/pubs in the area. It was a fantastic night. I even got to dance.

The rain held out during the day but later in the evening Newtown flooded.
These cars were parked.

Bloody weather

I'm finally graduating tomorrow. Final step in my personal saga which has been my PhD. It will be fantastic to be finally finished. My family are converging on the Great Hall tomorrow, those not in Greece, Edinburgh or Sussex Inlet anyway. The ceremony can be a little boring, but I'm just thankful they managed to squeeze Steven and I into the grad, initially there weren't going to be any PhD students. After the ceremony its a little more exciting, bubbly, photos, congratulations and all that in the Main Quad. Unfortunately the weather is putting a dampener on my day, quite literally. I could say I have dreamt of this day for years, but the real dream was just getting my thesis done - and that seemed more life a fairytale at times. But if I had dreamt of it, the quad would be beautiful, the deep green grass, wonderful yellow sandstone and the sky a beautiful deep blue, with or without a few fluffy white clouds. At no time did I imagine grey skies, slippery grass, dull sandstone, rain falling and freezing cold temperatures....

Oh well you cant have it all, at least I did finish!

Have you been wrestling boys again?

The response I received when asking for the name of a tailor.

OK so I needed a tailor who could repair my leather jacket which I managed to rip before I left for Thailand last year.

Got to love a long weekend

Even though everyday is a holiday for me, on a long weekend I get to spend more time with friends..... A lot more time.... I went out on Saturday afternoon and I returned this morning, 3 days later.... it was one of those weekends.

I attended a farewell for a guy I didn't know who is hoping to get to Paris soon, but may need to delay his departure to get his tonsils removed. I also attended a 30th birthday of someone I had never met. Why not. I finally made it to a club, but by the time we were ready to dance the placed closed. It then took a very long time to get a cab as the weather was terrible, so I think we got home at 4:30am. The following afternoon we had breakfast in Newtown and then surprise, surprise we went to a pub. My dinner date was canceled as Mim was feeling unwell, so we moved the party to Maroubra. Brett had decided to host a BBQ on Monday to celebrate the long weekend, but we decided to start the party a little early. We picked up 2 cases of beer and 4 bottles of wine - between 4 of us. On the way home Brett drove us to the beach to show us the mess the storm had made, there was sand everywhere and no Im not talking about sand on the beach, it was everywhere, all over the road, up to the shops, quite a distance from the beach, it looked a little like snow. It was a fun evening.

The following day we walked to the beach as the weather had produced some great waves. But then we had to head home as the first guests were arriving. We had a lovely BBQ, the kangaroo was cooked so well.... mmmm.... I depleted Brett's chilli stocks, but made brownies in exchange... I don't think I have eaten so much meat since Mike gave me a huge steak at Out of Africa in Samui - I wish I had taken a photo of that particular piece, it was huge! Unfortunately today my stomach isn't too happy.






NB Rock salt does not help life red wine from carpet, but bicarb soda in the morning works really well...

Google Street View

There I was thinking Google would help me stalk someone. But no....

Thats ok, I didn't have anyone I really wanted to stalk anyway....

Tip for the day

I you have fresh scare tissue on your knee don't kneel down to dig a hole. If you do decide to kneel down, stop if it hurts.....

I have a blister on the scar on my knee which wasn't there before the weekend...

One day I will learn to take care of myself. Maybe.

Fresh air

Last weekend I was given the opportunity to get out of the city, while this isn't quite up there with leaving the country it was an enjoyable break anyway.

Matt and I headed out of Sydney on Friday night headed from Leonay. I had no idea such a suburb existed. We arrived at Andrew and Michelle's place a little later for dinner but just in time for some drinks. Well Matt and I were drinking, Michelle had to get up at 4:30am for work as she had that day....

Andrew and Michelle have a gorgeous puppy named Missy. She is 5 months old, a collie/blue healer cross. She has a gorgeous personality, naughty but fun.

The next morning over breakfast Andrew noted how quickly we had corrupted Missy, she was taking all the empties from the recycling to play with. She then discovered the dregs of the wonderful nectar and licked it up. She also tried to carry a wine bottle out of the bin without luck.

After breakfast the work began. The reason Matt and I ventured to the hills, apart from visiting Andrew and Michelle was to work in the garden, namely - finish off a retaining wall and put a few posts in for a new fence. 5 hours later, numerous blisters and noticing muscles that hadn't been used in a very long time, the retaining wall looked beautiful and the fence had begun. Michelle conveniently arrived home just as we had finished....

In the evening we were taught the Swiss/French game of Ligertto - I think - a lovely meal a few DVDs and the odd well deserved drink.

After a delicious Sunday fry up we headed to a go-cart track for a couple of laps. I haven't partaken in go-carting except the kind which you, your siblings or your Dad has built. It was a very different experience but very enjoyable. I then returned to Sydney in time to catch up with my cousin and his gorgeous kids.

The boys and Missy at work

The retaining wall.... doesnt it look good!


And this was the room I stayed in.... was a little scary when I first saw it very late on the first night....