The day the city turned orange!

We had a freakishly hot day and at looming storm following...it went from 95 to like 65 is a few hours, monosooned...

Then I woke up in the morning to strong winds, got up to ensure I had no washing on the deck...it was BRIGHT orange, like Armageddon out there. .
very pretty but strange. the winds brought sand/dust in from central australia. everything is covered in dust - when i took the first photo I couldnt see anything as the flash was reflecting..weird!

Happy 2 years to me!!!

I cant not believe how fast time goes - this morning 2 years ago I felw into Sydney Australia. What an adventure it has been and still will be.
The best decision I ever made, not an easy one but gez it is a great life :)

Their last few days.....

Tuesday night - after a day of cooking for my dad and relaxing for uncle john the boys headed into town for a night of poker!

$10 - pretty good steak dinner and an in for the texas hold em tourney!









Lizzy, Kristen and Dieke were there...we had a BLAST.

Dad was out fast, the chips didnt have amounts on them so it was hard for him too see the colors to know the amt he was betting.

John was in the top 20. AND I GOT 2nd!! out of 82. Whoo hoo $250 in winning.






Becky deep in thought - dad and the girls played on a side table...dad ended up 2nd on one with $20 in winnings.














$$$ holler











Wed Lunch - guys came into town for lunch and go up in the AMP tower (like the seattle space needle but much taller!). Dad got the flu - so he was not feeling well.

It was a bit high, i was whoozie up there....un nerving
A little cloudy but still was fun.
















Pizza low key night, dad wasnt feeling so good









































































Thursday - last night dad was tired, went to bed early. John showed me how to steam fish and veggies. Great cheap and healthy dinner options. Was fun! we went for a walk for Gelato, sat on the beach for a sad last night :(


Bitter Sweet - I was sick and home for the day. Sad good bye to dad, was hard with the silent house but also good to know i will be sleeping in my own bed!











look how big Dingo Spidie Jarvis is getting :) he has enough flies in there to last a looong time...

Fam Videos - Featherdale Animals

Christmas in September....

Monday - back to work...

Uncle John went back to the blue mountains and did some amazing hiking!!
Dad did some cooking for me, lots of good food in the freezer now, meals for months...yeah :)
without access to the luxury of nice cooking pans, knifes, grocery stores that are stocked...welcome to my expat world :)

I got home and christmas dinner was served! presents in the living room - santa came early for me!!!!






Dumplings, corn of the cob....oh home cook meals, how i miss and enjoyed every bit! thanks dad!








yeah!!! slowly i opened my gifts...that i didnt need or expect...but LOVED














New luggage...which my mom spend so much time finding, after 5 different sets she chose the best one :) love the wheels...can easily move in all directions, will work great in all my travels!!


And I have enough candles to burn a bunch every night until i leave..




AND an orange ipod!!!!!!!!!!! i lost mine my last trip home for those that dont keep up on Tracy Times :) they got my name inscribed just like the last....also "we love you". Very special and appreciated. thanks!!










Look wes I made a mess as I always do!!! dad had the garbage back out and cleaned up...miss u bro!

Sunday - Naked Beaches, Ferry Rides, Free Champers, New Food

After a looong morning walk from Bondi to Coogie cemetery with John, and breakie...we headed up to Watson Bay (15 minute bus ride up north from bondi).


Great view of the city! another jumping phone gone wrong











me and a big tree









Hot day- in the 90s













chillin at the wharf bar, a few glasses of wine

john and i went for an hour walk, dad watched the tennis

Spring is here, birds, smells and flowers are out...and people

what a view - i stood almost 2 years to the date

watson bay candy cane light house, the "heads" in the back ground, this is where the ocean mets the harbor.

Pointy Pete - lovin the pipe, his wine cooler, waving at tourist boats that go by... look closely yuck!

got on a fast ferry, dad liked the different ferry boat

what a ride into the city! opera house behind us

aboriginals always playin in circular quay!

Opera Bar - nothing like an arvo here!

look at all those cups and wine glasses hooked to this guy!

free champers accidentally - good talks, and laughs as the sun set...

*que music* chicago is my kind of town

Indian Dinner! yummy...another first food experience for the guys

Saturday - Relaxing, Beach, Beers, and Bondi Bar Hops

After a beach run, meditation clean, the guys and I headed out to a relaxing beach day, 85/90's this weekend. Festival of the winds was on in bondi.





Check out all the kites!









Sun comes out so do 10k people in bondi!












soakin in the rays





























feet in the water, not for long....brrrr. need a few more months before ill go in!

















Nicks for Lunch














Nice little spot and a great bar menus, best fish and Chips ive ever had!













Onto North Bondi RSL for afternoon beers...













kind of loud in here, the footie was on but we toughed it out and watched the sun set here...



























RSL is the army retired club, at sun set everyone silent, lights out and the speech for the soldiers, pretty cool!

walked around a few bars in bondi, back to the house for games and pizza. Little drama with Dough Boys pizza, after 2 hours, we got some good and free pizza.

Stage fright anyone

the guys love the bathrooms here, always takin pics, they went in to take pics a few times and i think some people got a little curious what they were up to :)

in jail?

or a stripers cage, one will never know...

Friday - Train Trip, gettin outside the city...animals and moutains

We decided to do day trips vs renting a car and going away. If i havent mentioned it already the guys and I found a senior ticket that is only $2.50 all you want public transport Train, Bus, Ferry.

We hoped a bus, a train and got on the western train line. Stopped in Blacktown, bussed it out to Featherdale park, I have been waiting to go here!


Overall so impressed and loved this place. So many more animals, lots of them just out with you, very fun afternoon.




The get to see kangaroos and wallabies!












Peacocks and albanio kangaroos!









so many cool birds! this one talks and scared the heck out of us. Video to come soon












so many active koalas, it was feeding time, they were hoping and jumpin everywhere!















dad liked the snakes and spiders













the male wallaby was aggressive and wanted some action! see video action of them fighting, they can jump like 7 feet high!











cute zoo guy talked to us, very nice and informative
































beautiful!












so many species of owls, VERY COOL
































finally got to see a wombat!! big ole hamster, thing

enchilda, tasmanian devils, dingos, alligator, ever aussie animal.

dad wasnt getting much closer - didnt want one to jump on him. they were pretty crazy active, jumping in and out of their areas...

this crazy bird didnt seem right to be just walking around!

this one was caged

this bird was super tall, you cant tell in this pic, hard to give it perspective, but its leg had to be 4 feet alone.

crazy owl bird just out and about, look at those human eyes...like the one i saw in bali

they blend right in with the log, there is 3 there

The train ride was another 1.5 hours up to Katoomba in the blue mountains. Had a late lunch in town and made it to the 3 sisters look out for sunset. Super chilly in the mountains, unlike the 80s in the city!

had to do it - JUMP

the 3 sisters!

u can see why they call it the blue mountains!

john came back up on Monday to hike, what a great time!!

2 hour train home went by fast as we play a Cho Cha Tee tourney (amazing card game)!

The mice will play when the cat is away (at work)...

I worked during the week Mon - Thur. I posted pics below from the week.

Monday: day in bondi, shopping, cleaning and flooding my house! did laundry and didnt take the plug out of my sink...my floor is super clean now! AND this is the day Uncle John helped me get clean :) he noticed I was using Fabric Softener NOT soap!! YUCK. you live and you learn right :) Dad made a nice home cooked meal, watch tv and relaxed!

Tuesday dad work up with a horrible jaw ache, as in cant open his mouth! i had a spare RX which I filled and got him on pain pills. he was bed ridden all day while uncle john road the ferrys around. He made a pork chop dinner but couldnt eat :(

Wed - thank god, dad woke up feeling a bit better. They went to the butchers for steaks, had some afternoon drinks at their locals (tiki bar and the Tucker). Made their way into town for a YUMMY twainese dumpling dinner, followed by some Sake shots and beers. More firsts...i had to celebrate after a big presentation!

Thursday - beside having a headache and learning that I lost my client (as expected)....the guys came into the city for a Vietnamese lunch in china town, drinks at their spot in the cross, then a steak/potatoe/corn on the cob dinner. YUM! Lizzy came over to meet the guys and play some sequence. I had Friday off - weekend post to come next....





The local bartender at the Tiki Bar - new zealander. They enjoyed talking to the locals...












Harry's Cafe!! famous meat pie spot - jumping photo





































first aussie meat pie


















our less than appetizing Vietnamese lunch and horrible service :( cant win all of them! just leaves a bad taste in the tummy..


















Had a fun time at lunch anyway



















dad loved it!! all the gross body parts in the soup, including Bull Balls.















took them for some shopping in paddies market - lots of cheap tourist stuff














this was the restaurant - wouldnt recommend it however some peeps still swear by it












No pics from our quiet tuesday...but this is the end of our crazy Wed City adventure...



Good beers














Ravisis at midnight on a school night?! the guys are troopers, we dragged uncle john...he was dying to get on facebook













our sake shots - first time for the guys. They wont let us buy the cute containers used to drinks them..i knew mom would have slide it in her purse!













ruckus in the city!



















john loved the sushi train action

in world square - dad loved all the big buildings around, surreal to him

great vibe in this place, i go weekly! love it!

YUM

Uncle John loved the steamers...he uses alot at home to cook with

my fav

lots of food, dad was able to eat finally!

The Guys and their First Four Days in Sydney

I posted below Thursday - Sunday of the guy's trip...it is backwards so it goes from Sunday night to Thur :) oops.

They have been having a blast, way more than I ever imagined. Thursday they ventured on the bus and train, a first experience as my dad has not been on public transport. They got off in the cross, found a cheap pub which they got on TV (a news crew was taping a story, they were in the background and they thought that was pretty darn cool).

It was a rainy day so they didnt come to the city to meet me, I just worked a bit late and meet them in Bondi. They were not asleep the second night :) I had friday off so it was exciting, vacation long weekend...whoo hoo! we had a few beers and went out to Thai for dinner...another first! John loved it, dad thought it was good but prefers simpler tastes.

Friday took them into the city, showed them my work, hyde park, took the double decker bus around Sydney, ended with my dad and I getting Chinese Din in Bondi, uncle john wanted to get to his facebook :) closed the night with some sequence and taught my dad my fav card game, cho tai tee!

Saturday we got frocked up for the true aussie racing experience, follow by dinner over looking bondi at icebergs RSL, beers at the Bondi Hotel to watch the rugby game. Closed the night we sequence of course...

BBQ at bronte on Sunday, all my friends made it out. Beers and sequence at the Bavarian Beer cafe...

Sunday Night - 10pm finish

Lots of good beers, sequence and laughs. Becks and dad were a good opponents...

we are pooping uncle john out

Elodie and Ross came by...

Bronte Beach - weather was nice!

Good burgers and hot dogs - american style BBQ

Jodes and kai made it. Dad really liked meeting them, putting a face to the names..

Dad got right up in the mix and took over cooking. met a nice irish guy

a little paddle ball was played

Sunday

morning hit the market after a walk on the beach

Enjoying the sunset after the races

what a view

all the peeps frocked up, the guys loved seeing all the fashion, fancy dresses, crazy people

my facinator - compliments of Jodes and my craft day...i dont know about you but $2 vs $100 is a pretty good deal

Dad and I lost a little bit of $$ but had fun

The horses ran the wrong way?!

sequence history - my first 8 chips = 2 sequences, too bad dad had a jack :(

This is Dingo Spidie my pet spider - we had fun catching flies for him, some good laughs. I decided to face all my fears in australia, so how else to do that with bugs then to keep them as a pet ;)

Our fortunes at Chinese Din - dad likes Chinese better than thai...

saw the iconic coke sign

dad loved all the tall buildings, blown away by the size of sydney, city center is prob 5 seattles..

opera house!!!

Historic Rocks - oldest part of the city

Just ask google...this has been a constant theme of the trip...whatever, whenever we just ask Google. Been learning lots of useless facts as well as some important directional things..

Roo pizza!!

Nice afternoon beers

their first pic with the opera house - on top of the bus

DUCK - some low hanging tree were a potential danger

they see the harbor bridge!

some random sights and art along the way

on the double decker bus - john said he wouldnt ride one of these on a vacation in LA cause only dorks/nerds do this...well lookie here!

Dad on the bus!

went into St Mary's Cathedral, cool building, mass was on..

the AMP tower, we hope to go up this week

the fountain in hyde park

hype park walk...dad is going great getting around. his feet and legs hurt a bit

Anzac memorial

my office!! friday afternoon and NO ONE was there, i swear we work :)

the brothel next to my work, everyone gets a kick out of this. the whole legal prostitution thing is strange! there is an EFPOS only and open sign right there, John only has visa so it was a huge disapointment (only joking).

Me in front of work - the day started to heat up

got off the bus in front of where i lived for a year...behind the guys in this pic

Morning breakie at Brown Sugar

Drinks at the Bondi Tucker by my house after dinner - talked and laughed the night away

YUMMY Thai dinner... so much fun!

we are together - yeah!!

The guys urinal in the cross - they got a kick out of the stanless steal, waterfall action...

my dad getting on his first bus!!