Birthday with a Hot Italian

Hello everyone .... it has been a very long time since I posted here. I have been truly preoccupied with work drama but now am able to come out of the depths to post something :)

Sunday was my birthday here in Melbourne. I invited my close network of friends to a wonderful Italian restaurant (well, the waiter is a hot Italian) called Terra Rosa. This is my second time there and for the eye candy...check it out! Meet Andreas. He is from Milan and has a beautiful thick Italian accent.


I came out of the rest room and he accidentally ran into me - wow! I have to have that happen to me more often. The "boys" that were with me at this dinner were jealous that it didn't happen to them :) I enjoyed the lovely kisses that Andreas gave me. Mamma Mia!


In the end we all had a great time. Ronda got a phone number from another young Aussie blond waiter so that truly made her night. Success for us cougars!! Even Darren snuck in a kiss from Andreas as we left the restaurant.

Clockwise: Darren, Ronda, John, Steve, Erica and Stephen

Clare the Bogan

Clare Werbeloff and the phrase "Chk Chk Boom" have become famous since this interview a couple weekends ago. The shooting really did happen in Sydney; her interview was all made up. She and this interview, along with other youtube mixes, are all over the internet; "Chk Chk Boom" on T-shirts, coffee mugs and other paraphenelia since this interview. She was interviewed in Aussie's "A Current Affair" and said she did not mean to be racist ("Wog") and that Aussie poke fun at the media all the time so she made up that story in the interview.

Great for the papperatzis (sp?); maybe the celebrities should follow her methods if they are angry with the media frenzy: make it all up.

Arrival of Wordly Possessions

Mid January was when my belongings were picked up in Ventura; just received them this past Monday here in Melbourne! So much for overseas shipping. Good thing I didn't pack actual furniture.

Now I can stop buying more yarn here in Albert Park - my stash has arrived! All bins: cashmere, wool and wool blends, silks, cottons, sock yarns galore! My other things e.g. jewelry, CD's, videos and DVD's are all in as well. Haven't checked out the quality of this medium yet since I dont have a DVD and CD player. Photo albums - when I was still taking 35mm....one album has my collection of photos for when I was first here in Melbourne, Sydney, the Outback and New Zealand. I was facinated in the old Victorian buildings here in Melbourne back then. What also is creepy that my hairstyle was the same back then - bobbed with bangs. Just my body is wider. Wow! Anyway, the stuff is now tucked away in my second bedroom. A comforter was immediately taken out for my bed since I am freezing at night: winter now. Took out Flo's quilt that she made me and I have that for my couch and comfy chair in the living room.

Was a bit apprehensive to receive this stuff in a way since I have gotten used to living without all those items. But I am glad the memories are here with me especially my 2 flutes. Thinking of joining a community concert group in Melbourne; if this job ever lets me out enough. The balance of isolation and want to be isolated is a challenge with this job. Also tough when I can't contact people in the US as much as I would hope. There is always a 2-way street of communcations! :)

Ta for now.

The Best Video Clip

Stand by Me

Something that I can relate to no matter where I am in this world.

Perimenopause and Winter in June Ahead!

Ok..almost a month since I posted something here. Still struggling on getting all my safari photos in facebook. Ravelry....well, where can one find the damn time to get on the internet with the work that I am doing all f#$%*g day on the computer? I have started other knitting projects and the novelty of taking photos and spending time to upload and update Ravelry, facebook, personal email and this blog...drudgery.

Saw in the news that a guy won the 'best job in the world'; blogging while living on Hamilton Island here in Queensland. I would not qualify if I had diarrhea every day in Africa. As you can see my mood about computer time will not work for me. Can you see how perimenopause is now affecting me? Now winter is coming into my world again!!! I just got out of it. AAAAHHH!

Btw, here is a great photo...this poor guy was trying to make the moves on a special lady but we spoiled it for him shortly afterwards - got a photos before complete shrinkage.


Here is what I am looking for these days but haven't found the opportunity to seek this potential:



Mood swings and abdominal cramps galore.....definately hormone changes happening. Meanwhile work is heating up. I frankly am experiencing my dream of living here in Oz but what timing in my life. I met a very nice lesbian (sexual preference is very open down here) who localized from Canada earlier this week. She made me miss my kitties since she transported 3 cats into quarrantine when she moved here. She lives in Sydney but travels for her work as well. We shared cat stories, she shared her experience of localizing with her partner and now filing for citizenship. I am still not sure if I would stay here permanently or else my kitties would be down here in a heartbeat. The apartment that I am living in now is across the street from a night club. They have extremely loud and vibrating live music on the weekends. One week they also woke me up on a Wednesday night with the howling maniacs in front. Now am looking for another place to live in the "city suburbs" instead of the CBD (central business district). I can tell I am definately getting old when the noise factor is bothering me. Living in tall city buildings = sound filter magnified.

Here is one last note for this posting....it's May and I have my shipment of stuff finally in Sydney port - quarrantined. Dont' know when it will be shipped to my location in Melbourne. January > May - good timing to get my comforters and sweaters! I am freezing at night with my bathrobe, first knitted cardigan as my blanket at night and wooley socks on my feet. Therefore I am not having a very good month thus far. One good note, my house was rented end of March. Still bleeding money out of every orifice but I don't notice it if I don't have time to know any difference. A nice meal in the evening cost $50 Aussie dollars; translates to ~$35 USD.

Enough of the Babylon for now.....Cheers and Ta!

Photo Safari

Here are my highlight photos from Tanzania. We went to Tangerie National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and then the Seregeti National Park for 4 nights of camping; to view the wildlife. I woke up 2 nights in Seregenti by lion noises; they were that close in our camp. Learned the animals in Swahili. All a terrific experience for the adventurous. These photos are from Tangerie National Park...there were more animals (e.g. lionesses) that we saw but these photos were the closest and the best from my little sure-shot Olympus camera.

Yes, they get that close to us in the jeeps.









This is the smallest antelope in Africa called 'dikdik'.




Sunrise at the Berunge Camp site where are permanent luxurious tents were pitched on wooden platforms.

More animal pics to follow...only can upload so much a day.

Entry from a Globe Trotter

In case anyone is wondering and still reading here....I am home in Melbourne from a month-long sabbatical. The trip entailed flying to California for the Jane Thornley workshop in San Juan Capistrano, Oxnard condo stay, to flying to Tanzania via Amsterdam to start my African safari. Then I flew back via Amserdam to LAX, stayed overnight then flew back the next evening to Melbourne. It's not world travel; it's globe trotting! I did this before when I lived in the UK: flew back to US to fly to New Zealand only to return back to the States to get back to the UK for work in 2005.

I kept a paper journal of the daily events while in Africa so I will not be rewriting the details here. My photos are not great since I ony have a small Olympus shure-shot camera with just a 3x zoom. Others in my travel group had a 10x zoom or a 200x lens on their digitals. I am not worthy for technology this time around; I used to be queen of technology on such trips. I am loosing my touch or probably more pre-occupied for such priorities. Once I have my photos and others' available, I will be posting them here in another entry. The winner of imagery is between seeing lion cubs in a pride or watching a newborn gazelle takes it first steps, slimy with the birthing on it still. Now I see how the Lion King story was created. There is the 'circle of life' while in the Ngorongoro Crater.

Here is what I have to say about Africa: everyone should take the opportunity to see this developing country to understand how we take EVERYTHING for granted in life. Yes, I know some of you wouldn't want to take such a trip because it's uncomfortable or inconvenient to your king and queen lifestyles. It is a life changing experience to visit with the local African tribe and learn about the differences of our cultures.

As for now...I am very jet lagged and I imagine it will take a full week before I am really back to normal.