Heading towards New Year

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and spent the day in your own special way. As for the Boxing day sales.....well I think to myself, have people not had enough of shopping??? Obviously not!

I really missed the cold weather this Christmas, I cant get over how much this Christmas was different to the many I spent in USA! I can hear my friends in USA and UK saying I must be mad (and my Australian friends mumbling under their breath....well go back to USA)! I hope you are all OK with the terrible weather that you have been experiencing, according to our news channels you are all snowed in...especially Washington DC...hope your Harley is all tucked in, warm and dry BHD!! Be safe on the roads with the terrible weather, mother nature is a hard woman to deal with sometimes!

The next big thing to celebrate is the New Year. I have so many plans for the upcoming year, so many goals to reach and excited at the thought that 2010 will be the year I buy my new motorbike, my property, plant crops, become a personal trainer and touch many people's lives.....thats going to be my new years resolution...to touch people's lives in a positive way. When I think back I remember those people who touched my life and how they mad me feel, thankyou.

May the New Year be good to you all, may new friendships be formed, old ones rekindled and present ones strengthened. Be kind to yourselves and others, live life like its your last day here to make a difference to someone, and remember you are a beautiful person and loved dearly.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well, tis the season and I am finding it very hard to get in the spirit.......it might be because it is 34C and sunny outside!

I must admit, I do find it hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it is so warm outside, it doesn't seem right!

I was just looking at one of my friend's blogs and he has photos of the snow and his beautiful house with his tree in the window and realised I am really missing the spirit of Christmas which I experienced when I was in the USA!

My sister also sent me photos of her garden covered in snow and her beautiful decorations.......then I look outside my apartment and see burnt brown grass and blinding sunshine!!! Not one Christmas tree or bauble in sight!! LOL

We had our company Christmas do last week, we went to the Summit restaurant at the top of Mount Cootha in Brisbane, fabulous view and food and wine, it was good to meet all the wives of the guys I work with. To save me driving all the way back to the Sunshine Coast I stayed in a cute little hotel in Brisbane run by a couple of guys who were absolutely delightful, the rooms were so tastefully decorated and the whole place had a really nice feel to it. I will certainly stay there again.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone, stay safe, eat wisely and drink responsibly...and remember what Christmas is all about.

Busy Day

Spent a couple of hours at the beach today, I didn't plan on spending that much time there but I couldn't stop watching the Surf Life Savers. There was a bit of a wind today with temperatures around 31C so everyone was cooling off at the beach appreciative of the cool breeze coming off the ocean. Most people don't realise when there is a bit of wind there are some severe 'rips' in the ocean...there are quite a few people who learned that today!

Everyone is advised to swim within the flags, thats where the Life Savers patrol, but of course you get a smart ass, or two, who think that the warnings dont apply to them. There was a group of people who decided they wanted to swim out of the flagged area, the Surf Life Savers attracted their attention and advised them to swim within the flags, the group reluctantly wandered over to the flagged area but it wasn't long before they decided they wanted to body surf the big waves without a board.....we can all see what's coming, can't we? Yup, one of those idiots got caught in a rip and couldn't help himself, he was constantly pulled under and swept along underwater surfacing further out to sea. The group started panicking and yelling to the Life Savers for help, the Life Savers did what they had to do.....they are such strong swimmers.....they managed to get to the guy and bring him in, he was pretty shook up when he arrived back on the beach and somewhat embarrassed....those people should have to pay a fine for that as they were already warned, but thats not the way it goes unfortunately.

The Life savers were also dealing with little kids with their body boards who were drifting out of the flagged area and unable to get back in.

There were a few stingers around today, blown in from out at sea with the wind, and the Life Savers had to administer first aid to those people with stings. They had a busy day and I just lay there watching them......and burning in the sun, which I didn't realise until I got home and jumped in the shower!!

The Life Savers are volunteers, they run classes for kids to teach them to swim, they have the 'little nippers' club which is for young kids training to be Life savers. The majority of Life Savers are teenagers and young adults who donate their weekends to patrol the beaches. I witnessed first hand today what a great job they do and what fabulous bodies they have.....I might pop back to the beach tomorrow to see if they can help me with my sunburn!!!!!!!!

just think.......

Here I am in Moree NSW following up on referrals for therapy clients. I travelled down from the Sunshine Coast on Monday morning and it was a long trip, about 8 hours.

I have seen a few clients since I have been here, there certainly is a need for the therapy in this area. These small towns seem to miss out on a lot of services which the larger towns take for granted....there isn't even a physio in the town! I visited a woman today who recently had a stroke and hasn't been able to continue with any physio since being discharged from the larger hospital which is about 100kms down the road, as a result her recovery is not progressing well. Despite the lack of facilities, this woman's spirits were high and she was very grateful for how far she has come, she had just turned 56 and said she intends on being around a while.

I did a therapy treatment for this woman and there was significant improvement in her nerve-muscle communication, her muscles relaxed enough to enable her to unclench her fist and she was so happy to be able to open her hand which has been closed into a fist during her recovery since suffering her stroke. Being able to open her hand brought this woman so much happiness and joy that it made me realise how much we take for granted about our bodies.

Just remember when you decide to go for a walk, or drink a glass of water or have something to eat or take a shower, when you sigh because you cant find a car park close to where you want, or when you have to open a closed door......remember there are people who would be so grateful to be able to open the door, to go for a walk, feed and shower themselves and be able to drink a glass of water when they are thirsty. Remember that the things we take for granted are things some people may never get the chance to experience.....be thankful.

a dip in the ocean!

Today I took myself off to the beach, its been absolutely years since I went swimming in the ocean that I forgot what fun it is. I felt like a kid........jumping over the waves, getting dumped by them, ensuring my bathers were in place before I came up for air, body surfing and all that fun stuff....next I'll be riding a board! I was having so much fun that I was laughing out loud and squealing like a girl!!!

As I lay on my towel recovering from my activity I thought to myself, how lucky am I? I live in the best place on earth, I have a great job, I'm healthy and I'm excited about life!

Its amazing what a dip in the ocean can do.......

Almost 2 months

How time flies, its been almost 2 months since I last blogged!

I have been incredibly busy, I did not realise it would take so long to get myself organised.

Here's my accomplishments:

I am in the process of a career change, a fairly major one, I am finding out. I was a nurse/midwife for over 30 years for those of you that dont know, now I am venturing into selling. I am selling this fantastic therapy which uses the concept of cycloidal vibration, in a nut shell it gets your circulation going and keeps it going! The therapy is used in a range of disciplines which include sports science, physiotherapy, orthopaedics, neonatology, occupational health, aged care etc etc. It is used by individuals that have circulatory problems, sports injuries, arthritis, major surgery, emphysema, diabetes, high blood pressure, immobility, pain, swelling...the list goes on. I have been involved with health for so many years and I have never seen anything produce such amazing results as this therapy, as you can all tell I am very excited about it.

The next accomplishment is that I have found myself a nice little 2 bedroom unit within walking distance to the beach in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast....just in time for a scorcher of a summer we are about to have! The great advantage of being on the Sunshine Coast rather than Brisbane is the fact that I can be in the area where I want to buy my property and become involved with the community and do some networking.

These 2 major steps in my life seem as though they were never going to arrive, I felt it took so long and I was becoming demoralised and wondering why I had chosen the path I did. The desire to change my career is happening, after many many years of talking about it and I am gaining insights into myself as it unfolds, maybe I will stay in sales, maybe I wont but at the moment I am enjoying it and helping people get the therapy they need to maintain or improve their quality of life is very satisfying for me.

I move this weekend, it will be wonderful to set up house again and have all my personal belongings around me...my stuff which I shipped from USA has been sitting in the warehouse for a few weeks now and I am looking forward to seeing my stuff again! I am hoping that when I see all my motorcycle gear I will put that purchase high on the priority list now, it has been very low on the list I must confess!

I am continuing this post today, Novmber 1st...so it must now be 2 months since I blogged!

I have unpacked most of my stuff and so far so good...no breakages, well done Allied Pickfords! It is great to sleep in my own bed with my own linens and pillows, its also great to have some different clothes!!!! My apartment is now starting to look homely with my personal touches added.

I walked up to the beach today and it was hopping, the cafes were bustling with healthy fit looking people and the atmosphere was holiday like! I was walking along the beach as the sun was going down and I felt great.......its good to be home.

flu....

Everyone has been asking "where have you been?", well I'll tell you....I've been sick, I never get sick and what's worse is the fact that I have the flu in 30 - 32 degree heat! The house I am staying in right now, the 2 girls both had the flu and then I went to Melbourne and Peter had the flu..I guess I didn't stand a chance.

I have been taking it easy for the last few days, haven't been able to exercise and I feel really weak and exhausted just walking up the stairs!

I made some soup my dad used to make, his mother's old recipe, it is a vegetable soup with tons of white vinegar in it. I forgot about it but remembered yesterday and made myself a pot and have been having bowls of it every time I regain consciousness, I know I am getting better because I can now taste the vinegar.....it's a terrible soup to have if you are well as it is basically vinegar but when you are sick it seems to clear everything out!!

Hopefully I'll be up and about tomorrow, I have plans to visit the Sunshine Coast...my favourite spot to relax.

What a winter!

As most of you know it is winter here in Queensland and I bet what you didn't know is that the temperature has not gone below 22C which translates to about 74F for those of you who do not use celsius.

Based on the temperatures this winter it is going to be a long hot summer which a lot of people are not looking forward to....not me, I love the heat and humidity, although my friends are telling me I have forgotten what it's like. If it gets too hot then it will be a good excuse for me to take another trip to Melbourne or Sydney. I have yet to visit my friends in Sydney, might have to time that visit around Mardi Gras...if I can wait that long. The Sydney Dykes on Bikes are having a ball sometime in September, so that could be another excuse to visit Sydney, although I would certainly need my bike before then as they have a little scoot around the city before the ball.

Tomorrow will be 33C, gonna be a hot one....ummm what shall I wear??

still in Melbourne

I must say, I am loving Melbourne despite the cold!! It helps to have wonderful hosts, thank you Peter and Andrew.

My first night here we went to Boxhill and ate at a great Chinese restaurant, then we went to St Kilda......and those of you that have been to St Kilda know what I am going to say next.....the cake shops!!!!!!!!! I could not choose one, so I had 2 cakes and a coffee! The only other place I have seen so many delicious cake shops lining the streets is in Europe. The little shops have rickety old floor boards and small wooden tables and chairs to add to the ambience, there are big glass display cases full of every imaginable cake.

Tuesday we went to Brunswick Street to all the neat shops and cafes the weather was a bit cool and it was nice to wrap up in a warm scarf and a beanie that my friend in Brisbane made for me before I left for my trip. We wandered around the shops, had lunch then headed off to Smith Street in Collingwood to look at some more shops. I'm not a great shopper but just to wander the streets among the amazing shops and admiring the work of little known artists is fun for me.

Last night we went to a great Vietnamese restaurant owned and run by a young vietnamese couple on Victoria St in Richmond, the wife does the cooking and the husband serves the meals, they have only had their business for 4 months and I wish them all the best...the food was superb and very reasonably priced. The name of the restaurant is Fiafi, so if you get the opportunity, go eat there, enjoy the delicious meals and give the young couple a go. The night didn't end after our meal, we then went on to Lygone Street in Carlton for some more coffee and cakes at Brunettis, the place was pumping it was just like being in a street in Italy. People sitting outside under the heaters enjoying coffee, the inside of the place was huge with beautifully tiled floors and big display cabinets displaying...yup, you guessed it...CAKES! The whole cafe was charged with an amazing energy that made you want to stay in there all night drinking coffee and eating cakes....thankfully Andrew had to go to work the next morning otherwise I would still be in there eating cakes!

Today we went into the city, walked through all the graffitied alleys and then on to the lanes full of cafes to eat lunch, we wandered around the city a bit more and then it was time to head to the airport.

It was a fleeting visit to Melbourne but it was enough to remind me of how wonderful that city is and how much I have missed that sort of culture and atmosphere.

Melbourne here I come!

This was day 2 of my road trip to Melbourne, what a trip it's been so far. I decided to travel south by the inland route, through 'never never land' as the Aborigines call it.....I can see why, it's real Australian bush out here. The roads are long, the traffic minimal and the wildlife abundant! I've seen the roos and a huge number of different cockatoos, the most popular being the grey and pink ones that just line the road and don't move when you drive past, if they do decide to fly....just keep driving don't brake or swerve or you'll end up in the ditch! They have a habit of flying in front of your windscreen and shitting all over it.....little buggers!

As for the kangaroos they just stand at the roadside and watch you go by, some roos decide to take a closer look and.........well I don't need to elaborate, they can do alot of damage to your car. The big road trains just fly along the roads and god help anything that gets in their way, they can hit anything and not feel it (let's hope the victim doesn't feel it either!) as they have their big roo bars on the front of their truck.

I popped in to see the 'dish', the big satellite dish at Parkes, it was the satellite telescope that recorded man's first walk on the moon and there was even a movie made about it here in Australia called 'The Dish', it's quite a funny movie so if you get a chance, rent it out....all my American friends be prepared to laugh at yourselves!

The sunset was spectacular as I was pulling into Moree last night and the cloud formations during the day were also a sight to see, I'd forgotten what a show the sky can put on.

The land is so vast you can see for miles and the old houses on the cattle ranges certainly have a story to tell, some are just falling to pieces, some have been restored and some just need a lick of paint. The small towns I drove through have nothing more than a post office (if you're lucky), a pub, a cop shop and a couple of houses and thats your town, blink and you miss it! Most of the people live out on the big cattle or sheep ranches so most of the town's population is scattered around the area.

The highways don't have MacDonalds, Wendys, Motels, Petrol stations, advertising billboards or things like that, its about 100 kilometers, sometimes more, between each town and during that 100 klicks its just you and the outback......and who knows what lurks in the outback!!

I got wheels!

Progress has been made! I bought a car and now feel much more independent. I met this guy, called Nick, by chance and found out that he attends car auctions looking for cars for his clients....what a stroke of luck, the universe works in mysterious ways! He took me to the auctions last week and we looked at and test drove some cars, he got me a really good deal on a 2004 Mazda 3 maxx in this really nice green colour called nordic green with a mica finish, the colour subtly changes depending on the light reflecting on it...sometimes it looks black and sometimes it looks like the colour of dark seaweed, I love looking at the colour. If you want Nick to help you get a car his website is www.automotiveconsultants.com.au he charges an admin fee but he does all the running around, you can just give him your order and sit and wait at home, he will deliver your car all ready to drive. Nick gets the car mechanically checked out as part of his service, he's also a mechanic so he can spot a dud when he sees one. I am very happy with his service...oh and guess what......he knows a Harley mechanic who can check out a bike when I get one!!....I am so lucky to have met this guy, he is going to be a brilliant contact for me as I find my way around Brisbane again!

priorities

Had a good time last night at my friend's birthday bash! Had a few drinks at the Fox pub, met some new people and caught up with some old friends. I must be getting old 'cos almost everyone in that bar looked like under age drinkers! Brisbane is a fairly young city, the average age being 33yrs according to statistics.....I'm a little above average!

We then went on to a nice Punjabi restaurant and got the banquet, I always get worried when people want to order the banquet because the vegetarian selection isn't always great but last night there were a few vegetarians in the group so it worked out perfectly.

This morning we went to the local market to get our veggies for the week and I decided to pop in to the Yamaha dealer across the road and sitting outside was this really nice Dyna Super Glide 1998 with only 46,000ks on it, there were wonderful Harley details, the saddle was a Harley custom made as were the saddle bags...it was a gorgeous black with just enough chrome to get it noticed. I wandered inside to see if I could get a glimpse of the owner but there was no one around, I spoke to the Yamaha guy and he said the Harley was for sale for $15,500....I was so tempted. I had a good look at it and he started it up, it had that distinctive Harley sound that stops everyone in their tracks and sends a shiver down my spine...I so wanted to buy it there and then but the voice of reason came into my head.....you have no job yet, there is no money coming in and there is a puddle of oil under the bike! I backed away slowly trying to convince myself that the fluid dripping from the bike and collecting on the floor was not a good sign!

I have to prioritize things and unfortunately my bike is not very high on my necessities list! When the time is right the bike will appear....and there will be no puddle of oil under it!

For those of you riding, have fun and ride for those of us who are currently bikeless!!

One week....

OK..been home for a week, I am now ready to get a job and 'get on with things', I know I should take advantage of this beautiful weather and not having to work but there is something stirring in me that wont let me be idle for a few weeks.

I have been searching for a car, firstly I can't decide what type of car I want to buy, I am quite interested in the VW Golf, its a cute sporty little number and good on gas and I think VW is a good make, might be a little bit more expensive to maintain being a European car but its worth it for the reliability and comfort. The other type of car I was interested in was the Subaru Outback, I saw a very nice one at a dealer the other day when I was car shopping but something in the back of my mind was telling me I don't really want such a big car yet. When it is time for a big car it will be some kind of ute, which will prove to be very practical around the property when I get it.

Now...my motorcycle....I know exactly what type of bike I am looking for, there aren't as many to choose from here than there is in the States so the search may take a while. Saw a nice 2003 Dyna Superglide online and it had done 16,739kms which I think is about 10,000 miles the guy who is selling it is almost 2 hours drive away..I don't have a car yet so it would be a very long walk!!!

I feel so dependent on my friends right now which is so out of my character, it is amazing how we take our independence for granted when we don't rely on anyone for anything.....but if you think about it really hard we are all dependent on each other for our everyday necessities.

I am reading my favourite book again, Shantaram, and the advice one of the guys is given about living in India (he is an escaped convict from Australia and took off to India - true story) is... sometimes you have to surrender before you win....I guess that is how I am feeling right now, I am surrendering to the help of my friends.

Anyway....I am off to the cop shop to get fingerprinted so I can send them to USA to get a criminal check....got every other bit of paper I could have thought of before I left California, but I never thought for one minute to get a record of my criminal activities, now I have to deal with getting it from over here.

Its my friend's birthday this weekend and we are off for drinks and dinner tonight...one thing about relying on friends for rides is that I can have a couple of beers and not worry about it!

Cheers from Australia!

Honey, I'm home!

I made it back to Brissie with no problems, it wasn't too bad a trip, the thought of travelling for 14 hours on a plane is worse than actually doing it!

I must say that Qantas really do look after their customers. The food and the entertainment was fabulous on the plane, being a vegetarian I order a veggie meal and it's always a gamble what I will end up with but on Qantas I very much enjoyed their food. After they served the food and before they turned the lights out for a nap they offered us hot chocolate or mint tea....how civil I thought and I ordered another wine!

I have been home for 3 days now and its doesn't appear I am suffering from jet lag, I've been awake during the day and sleeping soundly at night. The temperature has been around 20 - 22C or 70 - 74F, not bad for the middle of winter! Today I sat on the balcony and think I even got a tan!

I polished off a six pack of my favourite Aussie Beer......Victoria Bitter or VB, they went down a treat! We went around the supermarket and it was so nice to see all the old favourites and some new exciting stuff that I can't wait to try!

My friends have been great and it is so good to catch up with them and see the changes in their lives. The girls I am staying with bought a beautiful old Queenlander home a couple of years ago and are slowly doing it up, it has all the original features in it and its a real beauty.

It still feels like I am here on a holiday but I am sure when it comes time to starting a job and all that 'reality' stuff kicks in it wont feel like a holiday anymore!

I am still trying to decide what kind of car I am going to buy, I would love another Audi but they are very expensive here I think it is out of the question for now. I haven't seen a Harley on the road yet, I am told they are not very popular here as they are so expensive, we will be visiting the Harley showroom soon! There was one Harley for sale in the newspaper for $13,500, it was a superglide 2004 with 66,000ks on the clock, a wideglide front end and new paint job......might have to go take a look at it.

Anyway, we're staying in tonight, ordering Thai food for delivery and going to laugh and cry about times gone by!

End of a chapter.

Whoa what a few weeks I've had, it has been non stop sorting, donating, cleaning, selling, packing.....you get the picture! I can't believe the shippers are coming tomorrow to take my stuff away ready for the trip to Australia!

Tomorrow night I'll spend in a hotel in the city, then Tuesday I'll head off to the airport to catch my flight to LA then on to Brisbane, Australia!

I'm looking forward to rekindling old friendships and making new ones and exploring a changed city! I'm excited to look for a property and spending time getting down and dirty on the land, thats something I have missed since living in an apartment, I have been lucky living in Sonoma though, it's been wonderful, its a great little town and the vineyards and farms are spectacular, I just love the open space, I'm not really a city girl.

My work mates took me out for a gorgeous East Indian meal at a restaurant in Petaluma called the 'Himalayan Kabob & Curry House' on Western Avenue. The place has only been opened for a few months, the food was absolutely delicious, the service was efficient and friendly. We enjoyed a few bottles of the Kenwood Old Vine Zinfandel...highly recommend that drop! They got me a beautiful gift for the Harley I will buy when I get home, they gave me a bell in the shape of a bunch of grapes with the Harley Davidson emblem on it....it almost looked custom made and will remind me of Sonoma, it's beautiful and so special.

I sold my bike to a new rider, she had recently taken the MC course and was looking for a learner bike and my riding buddy introduced us, she was so excited about the bike. After she made the purchase the bike was still sitting at my place 3 days later and she kept making excuses for not being able to pick it up. It reminded me of when I first got the bike how nervous I was at the thought of riding it home that I asked one of the guys in the shop to ride it home for me, I wondered if the girl who bought the bike felt that way too so I offered to ride it to her place for her.....she was so happy! I was also happy that I could help her, I remember how grateful I was, and still am, to all the people who helped me out when I was a new rider, it felt good to help a new rider. I have seen her since I sold the bike and she is a changed woman, she explained that having the bike and riding it even a little bit has made her feel so alive and free and she just loves riding.......her husband is still getting used to the idea, although she said to me he gets this look in his eye when he looks at her on the bike and she knows he is thinking....she's one hot mama!!!!!! You go girl!

Well another chapter in my life comes to a close and a new one will begin 'down under'.

how many miles did you clock today?

Today was Million Mile Monday, the day we all get on our bikes and rack up some riding miles. I managed to put 68 miles on the clock today.

It was a perfect day for riding, couldn't ask for better weather.

My riding buddy and I headed for St. Helena, a small community in Sonoma county with some well known wineries. The town is quaint and the people friendly. We wandered around the town and got ourselves an iced coffee and spoke about how we are going to miss each other, I promised her I would have a bike ready and waiting for her when she visits me in Australia and that it would be my honor to show her my beautiful country and what better way to see it than on a motorcycle!

I am excited to see what the total number of miles ridden by everyone today was, I'm guessing it will be close to 5 million, that was the aim.

I read a really negative comment about HOG's Million Mile Monday, the writer wrote that Harley has created this day so that Harley owners increased the miles on their bikes which means they need a service/maintenance more frequently...why would someone write something like that? I guess he does have a point and maybe it is a marketing ploy for Harley, perhaps Harley should match so many miles to a dollar and donate it to charity, that way everyone benefits from the ride...the riders, Harley and the charity!

great fun had by all....

I had a great visit with my sister and my niece despite the time going by so quickly.

We booked a night at the Hyatt in San Francisco, which was beautiful, our room had a fantastic view of the city and the harbor......absolutely gorgeous, the hotel staff were wonderful and we all felt like princesses for a couple of days! We did lots of shopping, sight seeing and eating!

There is a Thai restaurant on Post Street which I have eaten at a couple of times and each time the food and service is spot on. The name of the restaurant is 'Modern Thai' and you should try it whenever you are in San Francisco.....you wont be disappointed, the crispy tofu salad is delicious!

Our tour around the wineries was very enjoyable, we picked out 5 wineries to visit in the Sonoma area. The properties are magnificent, I love the vastness of the land, the scenery over the vineyards is something I will have ingrained in my memory forever. My sister spends a lot of time in her little village home in France and commented that the area around Sonoma was very similar to that. We didn't buy any wine, we stopped tasting after the first winery as my sister had had enough! I didn't have any wine as I was driving and my niece isn't really a wine drinker, so we just wandered around the grounds of the beautiful estates.

The weather for their visit was great, we had a couple of really hot days which we all loved, spent some time by the pool and got a little bit of color and a healthy glow.

It was sad to see them go, I miss them already, I love my family and feel very blessed in having such a great family who love and accept each other.

They made the trip back to London with minimal disruptions, my sister works for the Premium Services of an airline so she flies stand by and has to wait for empty seats on a flight to get home, I don't know how she does it I have to have everything organized and confirmed, I couldn't bear not knowing when I will get home......guess you would call that control issues!!

My niece is back at work and my sister and her husband are now in France preparing their little village house for any visitors that want to rent the place over the summer.

Me? Well I'm packing, donating, cleaning, selling, working and wondering how I am going to get everything done before I leave for Australia in 17 days!

Don't go to the Cattlemans, Santa Rosa

Tonight my sister, my niece and I went out for dinner, they fancied steak so I called a few friends to find out he best place to eat around town, a place called 'The Cattlemans' was recommended to me. The restaurant is located in Santa Rosa at Maxwell Village off Farmer's Lane.

When we entered the restaurant there was a musty unpleasant smell which was a bit off putting, but as the place was recommended we seated ourselves and perused the menu. My sister ordered the sirloin steak and my niece ordered the house specialty...can't remember the name of the cut, think it was rib eye, being a vegetarian I am not too familiar with the meat cuts. We ordered appetizers and I ordered a caesar salad.

My niece and I ordered cokes and my sister ordered a mojito, several minutes later the waitress returned to inform us that they didn't have mint for the mojito so my sister ordered a red wine. It a was Kenwood old vine zinfendel....very nice.

The appetizers arrived, we ordered an onion nest which was lightly battered fried onions, when the waitress placed it on our table it was falling all over the side of the small pan they had brought it to the table in, before long the table was covered in battered onion. We also ordered the artichoke and cheese dip, this arrived with broken pieces of dried up bread around the edge of the bowl that held the dip. Both dishes were distasteful and tasted as though they had been cooked in old fat, the dip was floating in grease from the cheese and the bread was inedible.

The steaks and the salad arrived......were shall I start....my caesar salad was made with clumps of old cheddar cheese instead of shaved parmesan, the cheese tasted as if it had been sweating somewhere before being thrown onto the salad, I'm not quite sure what kind of lettuce it was but it was not romaine.....how can you mess up a caesar salad? Oh I know...by not putting any of the ingredients in the bowl that are supposed to be in there!

My sister's steak was satisfactory to her, however the mashed potato and baked beans that came with it left a lot to be desired. My niece's steak was the place's special, she asked for it well done and it initially arrived raw...literally raw so she asked if they could cook it and make it well done, the poor girl waited about 15 mins for her steak and we were joking that they were going to burn it to a crisp because she sent it back! Well it arrived....exactly the same as how she sent it back except this time it was cold! We sent back the steak and the caesar salad and let the waitress know how we felt, she was very gracious. Our evening out to dinner was spoiled by the horridness of the food and the environment of The Cattlemans.

My recommendation to my friends, visitors and anyone I know coming to this area will be to STAY AWAY FROM THE CATTLEMANS in Santa Rosa CA, it is disgusting!

Big sister is coming for a visit!

My sister and niece arrive from overseas in a couple of days for a week or so, I am really looking foward to spending time with them, it's going to be a 'girlie' week. The weather should be good enough for us to spend some time enjoying the countryside, beach and pool.....oh yeah, and Walmart! Neither my sister nor my niece have been to this part of the country before and I am excited to show them around. I have to research some of the wineries so we can do some tasting, I'll organise to do some things in the city and I'll get some fresh ingredients from the farmer's market so I can cook some fabulous meals to go with our newly discovered wines!

Today I went to the store to stock up on things I know they like, my sister drinks instant coffee and loves cashews and my niece loves junk food, so I am stocked up on all that. Last week I also did a bit of stocking up on those things and ended up eating the junk food which I regret big time....my metabolism is not like my niece's 29 year old system! My advice is if you are trying to lose weight, or don't want to put on any weight, don't have ANY junk food in the house, having it easily accessible is too tempting! The stuff I bought today for the girls is stashed waaaaaaay back in the cupboard.....I hope it doesn't start knocking on the door to get out!!!!

I had a great clean up the last couple of days, it feels so good to get rid of stuff, don't know why I collect so much rubbish! I seem to accumulate a ton of paper despite most of my business, social, work and photographic dealings are done on the computer..I just don't get it!

With lots of the stuff I had now gone I can feel the 'Chi' flowing a bit better through the place, it feels lighter and cleaner. I will not accumulate so much stuff in my next home, it is totally unnecessary.

My sister visiting has given me a head start on organizing for my relocation back to Australia, the cleaning and packing will be less now and I wont feel so rushed next month when it is time to go! Can you believe it is only a month away? I am getting very nervous about it, but I don't know why, I've been planning to return home for years but 'something' always came up which made me postpone my trip......now it's time.

Can you hear something? KNOCK, KNOCK....who's there?....JUNK FOOD!

H.O.G Million Mile Monday

Remember June 29th!

Click on the title to get details of the Million Mile Monday!

Vegas

Well I just got back from Las Vegas, we had a great time.

My first stop in Vegas is always the New York New York hotel where I get myself a slice..or 2...of the best pizza with a beer and start to chill out and get ready for Vegas! I can't remember the name of the pizza place but it is just opposite the Times Square pub, its good pizza.

We went to see 'Zumanity' at the New York New York Hotel, it's a Cirque Du Soleil production with fantastic acrobats, and yummy bodies, that was the 2nd time I had seen it and I enjoyed it just as much. The show prompted me to go to the gym the next morning!

We went to Fremont Street for the 'Summer of 69' festival where some really nice restored vintage cars were on show with fabulous music being played by some talented bands, the crowd was enjoying themselves and everyone was chillin' and making new friends. The cars were beautiful, the owners spoke about them with so much pride, telling the story of how they happened to come in possession of them. There was this really nice old Ford Poplar which reminded me of the days when I was child and my family were living in England. We would drive down to Brighton beach in that old jalopy with our sandwiches and flask of tea that mum had prepared. We looked out the window at the cows in the fields and hoped they were standing up, which our dad told us meant it wasn't going to rain. If it rained by the time we got to Brighton dad would park the car facing the ocean and we would eat our sandwiches and drink our tea with the windshield wipers going so we could see the ocean through the rain......how British is that! What I would do now to get my hands on that car!

While in Vegas we also visited Freezone, one of the gay bars off Paradise Road, the barman was a cute Aussie guy now living in Vegas, we had fun talking to him and hearing his story, everyone has a story of how they ended up in Vegas....some funny, some sad. We went back there on Saturday night to see the drag show, it wasn't too bad, it was a pity the audience were so loud talking amongst themselves and some not paying any attention to the Queens, they did a good job despite the fact that the MC made some derogatory remarks about lesbians....well, women in general, really.......she was trying to be funny I guess, but it didn't go down too well with myself and a few of the lesbians in the house!

I didn't get much pool time in which is unusual for me as I love lying by the pool burning to a crisp! We did a lot of walking up and down the strip, there is a ton of construction visible and we were told that the construction has been halted due to the economy so there is a lot of unfinished buildings along the strip....unsightly.

The big luxurious hotels are still a delight to visit and walk around, some of the lobbies are beautiful. The Bellagio still has it's lobby decorated with Dale Chihuly glass works, great big poppies tower over you as you walk through....did you know that the Bellagio has 3933 rooms which is more than the number of residents living in Bellagio, Italy?

I always enjoy visiting the Paris hotel, its quaint and has a personal feel to it, I love the little bakeries, their nic nac shops and everything written in French along the cobble stoned roads.

The Luxor hotel has a great display of Chris Angel's motorbikes, I am not sure if they are his personal collection but they are absolutely gorgeous. I tried to get some photos but they were encased in glass causing alot of reflections on the photos. There is a light beam shooting up into the sky from the top of the Luxor which can be seen for 250 miles from an aeroplane on a clear night....don't know much about Egyptian history so I don't know if that beam is just a Vegas thing or something to do with Egypt....don't know why I was compelled to write that little fact about the beam!!??

We stayed in one of the older hotels, Excalibur, because we got a great deal and it was a spur of the moment decision to go on the trip. I had never stayed there before and I would not recommend staying in an older hotel, which the Excalibur is, if you get irritated by the smell of smoke, the older ventilation systems can't keep up with the amount of circulating smoke from the 'smoking' rooms and casino. By the end of our trip my chest hurt, my eyes were puffy and irritated and I just needed to be on top of a mountain somewhere breathing in fresh air! One of my friends, who is a smoker, also commented on the smoke, so it must have been bad 'cos he smokes like a trooper!....well I guess that is what Vegas is all about...smoke, booze and gambling....and you can't forget 'girls direct to your door'! Yes, they are still 'flicking' those cards of semi naked women and shoving them in your face as you walk by! The streets are paved with buxom blondes staring up at you as you walk along the strip!

While we were in Vegas Mike Tyson got married at the Hilton Wedding Chapel, we didn't see him but heard about it when we returned home. We were told that there is 361 marriage licenses issued in Vegas daily!!!!!!!!! I can't believe that......well maybe I can, there were so many drunks proposing to each other and falling in love!

Anyway, its good to be back home...sober, unmarried and broke....no matter where you live or where you go...there's no place like home and home is where you make it aint that right Toto?

Which wolf are you feeding?

Wow its been over a week since I posted anything on my blog!  The days seem to be going so fast, I have 45 days to go before I leave for Australia!

The past week has been mostly work and sleep, not much time for anything else.  I've been riding my motorbike to work just to get a bit of time in the saddle, the more experience I get with traffic and intersections the better, the same intersection can pose many different challenges each time I encounter it!

Work has been a bit tiresome, there seems to be some serious negativity around, nobody seems to be happy with anything!  We have recently employed a whole heap of new people who have all come from the same place and they have brought their negativity with them!  Most of the people I work with have 2 or 3 other jobs....one person has 4 other jobs!  No wonder they are negative, they're exhausted and it shows in their work performance!  They blame it on the economy, I say the economy cant be that bad for you if you manage to have 3 jobs.....some people can't get one!  My personal opinion is that they need a lifestyle change.  Every minute of their waking hour is at work, they have no time for leisure, family time or personal growth.  There should be a limit on the number of jobs people have, these people are taking jobs away from people who have none...isn't it better for everyone to have one job rather than one person having 3 and 2 people having none?

I do some voluntary work at the local horse stables and my work colleagues think I am crazy to 'work' for no money!  That is a very SAD state of mind!  My voluntary work is not work for me, it is an absolute pleasure being around the horses and I look forward to going as often as I can. 

There was a story someone once told me about a Cherokee Elder talking to his grandson and it goes something like this....

The Elder told his grandson that within each of us there is a battle going on between 2 wolves. One wolf is evil, he is full of anger, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, self pity, arrogance, resentment, lies, false pride, ego....

The other wolf is good, he is full of joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion.....

The grandson asked his grandfather which wolf wins.  The grandfather replied....the one you feed.

That little story is a great way of explaining life and I think of it often when I have 'choices' to make in how I act in certain situations. 

Harvey Milk 5/22/30 - 11/27/78

Today would have been Harvey Milk's 79th birthday.

 Happy Birthday, Harvey.

 Harvey was born in Woodmere, Long Island, New York and settled in San Francisco with his partner, Scott Smith, in 1972, they opened 'Castro Camera' at 575 Castro Street and they lived in the apartment above the store. Early in the year 2000 the board of supervisors assigned a 'Historic Building' status to Harvey and Scott's old camera store, which is now a gift store called 'given'. Above the store is a painting by Josef Norris, of Harvey looking down on Castro Street.

On Harvey's birthday in 2006 a permanent photographic tribute was unveiled at Harvey Milk Plaza at Market & Castro Streets.

It was the world premier of the movie 'Milk' on October 28th 2008, it was also the day that one of the historical street cars in San Francisco was dedicated to Harvey as a museum on wheels, the car # is 1051.

In May 2009 the California Senate passed legislation to create 'Harvey Milk Day' in honor of Harvey, this day will be celebrated every year on Harvey's birthday.......May 22nd.

Harvey may remain frozen in time but his memory is still very much alive in San Francisco.  

weather report

A fabulous 95 degrees today........I'm loving it!

The California Senate has just passed legislation that creates Harvey Milk Day in California in honor of the state's first openly gay elected official.

The slain civil rights leader will be honored yearly on May 22nd, his birthday.

“Harvey Milk is an inspiration to Californians who believe in fairness and equality,” says Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who authored the bill. “He fought for many of the issues we value today, including access to education, public transportation, affordable housing and protecting the environment. Harvey Milk gave his life for what he believed in, and with that courage and sacrifice he gave hope to an entire generation of gay and lesbian people whose basic humanity and freedom had been denied and dishonored."

Harvey Milk settled in the Castro district of San Francisco in 1972, where he and his partner opened a camera store. Fives years later, Milk became the first openly gay man elected to public office in California and only the third openly gay elected official in the nation.

During his short political career, Milk fought for social change and championed many issues, including access to education, affordable public transportation, low-income housing and civil rights. His fundamental belief that all people should be treated with respect paved the way for the populist movement he pioneered for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. His legacy continues to inspire the LGBT community to this day.

Milk, who was a San Francisco Supervisor, and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated on November 27, 1978.

May 22, 2009 marks what would have been Harvey Milk’s 79th birthday

Thank you Perez Hilton website for this article.

was that a kangaroo that just went by?

I read this article in the Aussie newspaper today and watched the video.
What the heck is this guy doing with a kangaroo anyway and where did he get it from?
The question they asked was 'why did he run away in the first place?' My answer....because he belongs in bloody Australia mate!
Click on the title for the article & video.

Mother's Day

Did you celebrate Mother's Day today?

Do you know the origin of this day?

Mother's Day in USA is not the same as Mothering Sunday in the UK. Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the 4th Sunday of lent in honour of Mary, the mother of Christ, it was initially a Christian holiday until another religious order included all mothers in this celebration and that's how it was called Mothering Sunday.

Mother's Day in USA was officially proclaimed a national holiday by president Woodrow Wilson in 1914 in honour of mothers.  This resulted from a movement by Anna Jarvis (1864 - 1948), a school teacher from Philadelphia, who wanted to set up a national mother's day in honour of her mother.

Here's something interesting about Mother's Day in the US.......

It is one of the most commercially successful US occasions.

It is the most popular day for dining out in the US according to the National Restaurant Association.  Telephone lines are the busiest on this day.  Business research shows Americans will spend about $2.6 billion on flowers, $1.53 billion on gifts like spa treatments and $68 million on greetings cards!  Mother's Day will generate 7.8% of the US jewelry industry's annual income.  Not bad eh?  

image

Wow, just over 2 months....8 weeks........60 something days......to go before I return to Brisbane!  

So today I thought I would start the clearing out process, getting rid of some stuff to charity and throwing away clothes that should have been thrown away a VERY long time ago.  I looked around my apartment and walked over to the closet, put on my leather jacket and went for a fabulous bike ride!! 

The weather was gorgeous today, it hasn't been like this in a long while, so I couldn't resist the urge to go for a ride, the sun was shining, lawn mowers were mowing and people were smiling! It's amazing how a little sunshine can totally change some people's personalities.

I took myself off to a few country roads which wind around the smaller towns of Sonoma county, it was........what was it, cant find the words.....but anyway I had a smile on my face all through the ride, I was so happy....just me, my bike and my thoughts.  It was a bit warm for my leather jacket but I wont ride without it, it's a comfort to me and it's all part of the gear....... jacket, helmet, boots, gloves and attitude!

I think you need a certain attitude when you are riding, the road is as much yours as it is the cars, SUVs, minivans, trucks etc and they need to know that you know that.  As I look back to the days when I first started riding I recall myself being very meek on the road, like I don't belong there and not claiming my lane, cars would squeeze into the same lane as me and I would move over to give them room.....how nice of me!  I used to rush off at the traffic lights so I wouldn't hold up the cars behind me, at 4 way stops I would let everyone go before me, I would speed up if someone was on my tail......the list goes on! But now I know my place on the road and I have every right to be there as the next person.  You have to have a 'presence' and let the cars know you are there, don't let any asshole in some jacked up Honda terrorize you, go at a speed you are comfortable with and be cautious at junctions, don't take off from the traffic lights until you are ready.....'matey' behind you can rev his little motor as much as he wants, he will just have to wait.  Some drivers are just plain rude and inconsiderate to motorcycle riders and when I encounter this I wonder if they are this rude to the badass looking bikers, the ones with skulls tattooed on their knuckles, chains hanging from their hips and throaty loud bikes, so I tried a little experiment..........I put a skull and bones sticker on my helmet.........I think it's working!!!

My Mac

Today I went for my weekly Mac session and as always it was most beneficial.  When I bought my Mac computer I was offered this 'one to one' package for $99, which includes an hours lesson every week for 52 weeks from the date I bought my Mac.  These lessons have been the best thing for me and I really enjoy them, I can choose the topic I want to cover or there is a guide list that I can pick from.  I am now able to make slide shows from my photos, make videos, create wonderful presentations and so much more.

I was a PC girl before I got my Mac and I have no regrets in making the switch, initially I was dubious because I had heard stories that a lot of stuff was not compatible with Macs but I have not encountered that problem.  There's so much cool stuff on my Mac to explore and the possibilities are endless, it's really easy to use, most things are drag and drop....its all so brilliant and simple that I am excited about using my computer.  When I had a PC I found it incredibly difficult that I dreaded trying to learn anything, despite courses I had taken, I just ended up sending emails and doing a bit of word processing.

Now, thanks to my Mac, I have made little movies, created fabulous presentations, arranged my photos beautifully and even made some slide shows.  I would recommend a Mac to anyone, being on the computer is exciting and enjoyable now and the stuff that I am creating is fantastic, I look at my productions and think.....who the hell am I?

Drag Kings

Well my BFF in Brisbane has recently joined a Drag King troupe and did their first show last week. The photos are very convincing, she could easily pass as a guy....infact I have no problem seeing her as a wee Irish man down the pub flirting with the girls!
For those of you that aren't familiar with Drag Kings, let me explain. 

Drag Kings are female performance artists who dress in masculine clothing and embody male gender stereo types often performing as exaggerated macho male characters.
The making of a Drag King.....first of all we need to hide those breasts, this can be one of the most challenging pieces of gender illusions to accomplish.  Small breasted women can get away with wearing a tight fitting sports bra, but our well endowed sisters may have to resort to duct tape....ouch......and double ouch when removing....or tightly wrapped bandages.  Creating facial hair aids greatly as a visual aid in the gender transformation.  Drag Kings use cosmetic shadowing or loose hair, which they have saved from their hair cuts, or piece applications to produce beards, goatees, mustache or side burns.  The eyebrows are usually darken and thickened and their hair is styled in a masculine way.  Masculine gestures and movements need to be practiced and maybe some anatomical props added to complete the gender 'package'.
The oldest and possibly largest Drag King contest in the world takes place in San Francisco, California.  The San Francisco Drag King contest is known to have been called 'A parade of gender bending eye candy'.  Another yearly gathering is the 'Great Big International Drag King Show' and that takes place in Washington DC.

Well Kell, you did a great job and I can't wait to see a live performance!

Guess what I'm playing at my next party!

First of all...go empty your bladder.  Make sure your sound is turned on, and enjoy this hilarious video clip!  It took me a couple of runs to work out what they were doing!

Where did I come from?

I was just having a read of the Aussie newspaper and I came across this article.  I have not read the book but I think the idea of letting kids know there is more to families and having babies than a man and a woman and heterosexual sex.  It would be interesting to read, but believe me it is not high on my list of 'to read' books!  I don't plan on having any kids so thankfully I wont be faced with the dilemma of telling the kids where they came from.

Well, we all came from a womb but the real question is...how did I get in the womb in the first place......guess I could always tell them "go ask your father" and give them the catalogue number!

Click on the title to get to the article.

International Female Ride Day

The first Friday in May is designated 'International Female Ride Day' and today is that day. This is the 3rd year of this annual event which originated in Canada by its founder, Vicky Gray. Its aim is to encourage women to get out there and 'just ride', to increase awareness of women riders by increasing visibility.  There is not an organized 'International Female Ride Day' ride, although some clubs do organize a ride or charity event to coincide with this day, the day is for women to have the freedom to enjoy riding how ever they please. 

Harley Davidson has gone one step further and declared the whole month of May 'Women Riders Month'....thank god for that because it is freezing and pouring down with rain today and I am NOT going out in that weather.....call me whatever you like but I am not going out there! Now if the sun was shining, I would have absolutely no problem.  I am sure there will be plenty of time in May for me to get some nice long rides in and be visible and there is no doubt when I get back to Queensland we will have perfect dry autumn weather on the first Friday of May 2010 with a temperature sitting around 68 - 72, so next year I WILL RIDE!  

For all you women that did get out there today, especially if was cold and freezing in your part of town, I applaud you!

San Francisco

What a day I had, it was an early start as I decided to get the bus into the city instead of drive.  It was nice to be on the bus and enjoy the scenery around me instead of concentrating on driving or riding.

The bus was full of commuters on their way to work, I love to people watch.  They all had their routines, a couple of girls....and guys...gave themselves total make overs during the trip and by the time we got to the city they looked absolutely fabulous, I would have loved to have taken before and after photos!  Others were reading books, newspapers or workstuff and the rest had earphones in or staring out the window.

Its great being on the bus, you can see right into people's cars!  My god there are some messy cars out there and its amazing what people have on their laps!

Anyway I get into the city and its pretty windy but the sun is trying to shine between the tall buildings, I walk on the sunny side of the streets to keep warm.  I head down to the Castro from Union Square and on my way I stop at City Hall, outside there are some farmer's markets and at one particular stall there is an extremely long line so I walk over to see what they are selling.  I hear chickens squawking and initially I think they are selling fresh eggs as I see some cartons thrown around the stall, then I realize there are hundreds of live chickens crammed into plastic crates.  There are about 5 people working this stall, as I look more closely I see a chicken taken out of a crate then stuffed into a brown paper bag and given to someone in line!  This guy must have seen the shock and confusion on my face, he wandered over and told me its fresh meat! I was appalled! How could this be happening, dont we have laws against this?  Are these chickens going to be given a humane death? Where are they going to get killed....in someone's kitchen?  Will this stall be selling pigs and cows next month?  I had to stop my thought process before I got too upset.  The guy who kindly informed me of what was going on thought it was animal cruelty and I had to agree with him!  Does Gavin Newsom, the mayor, know about this?  How could he not, its happening right outside his office!  I bought a veggie samosa and continued moving.

I went into City Hall, checked out Harvey and the area where everyone was getting married until prop 8 put a stop to that .......for now.  I tried to find Gavin's office so I could tell him about the chickens but I was out of luck.

I walked around the Castro, had a coffee and looked across the street at Harvey's old camera shop, now a gift shop called 'given'.  My mind wandered back to the time Harvey was alive and what it must have been like around the shop and the little apartment upstairs where he lived, there was always some activity going on....but that's another story in itself.

I went into Stompers, the boot store, I wanted to buy some new motorcycle boots but couldn't decide between the engineer style or the harness style.  I was disappointed that they didn't carry women's sizes and the men's size that fit me were a bit wide around the heel so I will try to find a place where I can actually try on a women's size as they come in a slimmer fit. 

I looked and looked and touched and stroked the police officer's boots.....my god they are beautiful, I asked to try them on but they didn't have my size, I told the guy just to give me the smallest size he had......out came a mens size 11!  Who cares, I slipped my foot into them and it was like...........Lord have Mercy!  I just sat there with those boots on, my eyes rolling back into my head....I'm surprised the guy didn't tell me to 'get a room', he must have thought I was bonkers!  I reluctantly removed the boots, peeling them off gently like silk stockings, thanked the guy for his time and continued on my way. 

It was lovely and sunny now so I walked up to North Beach and had a delicious lunch and a glass of red wine then walked through China town....fascinating what you find there!

Had a couple of beers at Lefty O'Doules then caught the bus home, it was nice to be able to doze on the bus listening to my music and thinking what a great day I had.

I always try to do something extremely physically challenging on my birthday, it helps me appreciate the physical challenge my mother was enduring as she was labouring and giving birth to me on this day. 

Today I calculated I walked about 14.5 miles around the city and quite a few arm lifts at O'Doules!!  I certainly did have a physical workout as I had a wee bit of trouble getting up out of my seat at the end of the bus journey!  I soaked in a warm bath with essential oils and started to feel better, thank you mum for getting us both through labour.........I love you.

Happy Birthday

Yup, it's my birthday tomorrow and I'm looking down the barrel at.......mmm......can't quite see those numbers, where's my specs? Oh, there they are, Oo my knees!  Be a darlin' bring my walker over and help me up.

I'm going to head off into San Francisco, one of my favourite cities. It's going to be my last visit for a while so I'm going to be a real tourist, I'm going to forget I've ever been there before and I'll soak up all it has to offer.

I'll walk over the bridge, wander through Chinatown, browse through the nic nac shops and have a chat with the girls in the Castro over lunch, have a beer at O'Doules, pop up to Ghirardelli square and have some ice cream smothered in warm chocolate sauce, of course I have to check out Harvey Milk at City hall and pay my respects to him, see what the SF MoMA store has to offer, so much to see.......oh what a city, I love it.

in the saddle

I've had a fantastic day.  I went out for a gorgeous motorcycle ride through the wine country around Sonoma County, it's spectacular, even more so on my bike!  The vines are looking nice, lush green with beautifully forming leaves, the uniform and precise layout of the vineyards over the rolling hills is a sight to see, I will never tire of it.

I love riding my bike, there is a feeling of such camaraderie among bikers on the roads and there were heaps of us out there today enjoying the weather.  I've only been riding for a couple of years, I bought my bike when I was in LA but didn't ride it much down there, the traffic was horrendous and the drivers rude and inconsiderate, always in a rush so I just pottered around the side streets, sometimes even those little trips were life threatening and confidence shattering!  Since I moved up to Northern California I have spent alot more time on my bike venturing out further than the side streets!!  I have a great riding buddy and my riding skills have improved so much since we've been riding together, she's a great mate!

I've always had a fascination with motorcycles so a few years ago I completed the motorcycling course which I really enjoyed, I got my motorcycle licence and couldn't wait to buy my first bike, I was hooked!  Well the purchase didn't happen until a couple of years ago. I decided I had waited long enough and life was too short to watch the bikers go by without me so I went and bought a bike!  It's has been one of the best things I've done for myself.  I can't describe the feeling when I am on my bike, I could say all the usual things like it gives me a sense of freedom, I love to feel the wind in my face, it gives me independence blah, blah, blah, but they're not the words that really describe it for me, I guess I'll just have to keep on riding and maybe one day the words will come to me and if they don't then only I will know how I feel.

So if anyone is thinking of getting a bike then go get one, its a whole new world when you're in the saddle and if you, or anyone, is telling you you're too old, it's unsafe, it's not for women, you're too short, you're too tall, you're not strong enough...then tell those voices to 'go stick it' and take yourself off to do the motorcycle course and on the way home after the course get yourself a bike!

The time is right

Its not long until July 14th, the day I return home to Brisbane, Australia.  I have been planning this move for 5 years and there was always 'something' that delayed the trip...guess the time wasn't right until now.

Me and my dog, Elbert, left Brisbane in 1996 to live in Vancouver, Canada.  I had this notion in my head that I was going to marry k.d. Lang.....to this date I still haven't met her!  That's funny. 

I enjoyed Vancouver alot, Bert was so funny experiencing snow for the first time, he adapted very well and was tunneling with his nose and having a ball in no time, but I couldn't work out why I felt so 'down', that's when I discovered seasonal affective disorder, not something that is common in Australia!!  So Bert and I took frequent trips down south to be in the sunshine and absorb the warmth!  We travelled around the Southwest of America in our lime green VW camper van who I named 'Dolores'.  We visited some spectacular areas on our travels, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Idaho to name a few.  The most memorable for me was Yellowstone National Park, I had never been so close to that kind of wildlife before, it was amazing.  Bert was very curious of his 4 legged mates that were roaming around the vast park.  We appreciated the safety of Dolores, especially when we woke in the morning surrounded by huge moose, or bison wandering aimlessly pass the window or the howl of wolves or coyotes in the night!  I am truly grateful for that opportunity, we had a great time and I am so glad I got to experience it with my best mate.  Bert had to be put to sleep on July 6th  2003, 4 weeks before his 13th birthday.  That was the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life so far, it broke my heart.  I often wonder if he enjoyed our travels as much as I did, he never said much but he was always by my side with his unconditional love, a love I had never experienced before and have never experienced since.....and not once did he ever say 'I love you'.  When I get sad about missing him I remind myself that I had the luxury of a wonderful best friend that many never get the chance to experience, and I feel very privileged.

So, after Bert passed away I decided I would go live in California for a while, save some money and return home shortly afterwards........time flies, that was nearly 6 years ago!  I lived in LA for almost 4 years when I realised how unhappy I was, so I decided to head up to the San Francisco area where everything felt much better.  It is amazing what you can tolerate without knowing and its not until 'its' gone that you ask yourself how you ever put up with that. 

Well the time is now right for me to return to Australia.  I am excited about the move and apprehensive too, its been a long time since I lived in Brisbane, friends have moved on, got different interests, married, had kids, government has changed, population is up, the city is bigger etc etc.  I've made some great friends in Canada and America who I will miss dearly but will never forget, they know they are always welcome in my home in Australia and I would love for them to visit so I can show them my beautiful country as they have shown me theirs.

So the countdown is on........2 months and 19 days to go

Woolly Breasts

This is for all my 'midwifery and nursey mates', those that have just had a baby and anyone else who might get a kick from this!

I had a laugh imagining how someone came up with this idea.....it appears it originated in Australia.....there must have been alot of beer drinking that night!  How can anyone keep a straight face when using these to demonstrate breast feeding?  It is very considerate that they come in all sizes and colours.......for more life like demos!

Click on the title to get the link to the article. 

Progress

I'm happy I've made some progress on my blog. I've been playing around with links, gadgets and photos and rearranged everything a million times......and I'm not done yet!

Let's get started

Well here I am, blogging.....I'm bloody blogging. This is all new to me so hang in there with me while I arrange this site, post blogs and upload photos and stuff. Its never too late to try something new and I'm going to have a blast figuring it all out!

Happy Birthday to my blog.