Sunday, November 19, 2006
Green Grocer
Here are a few new pictures of the house, we are making progress, hoping to be in the house before Christmas. Also one picture of the Green Grocer Cicada that Mark pulled out of a tree in our front yard…it’s still taking me some time to get used to the super-sized bugs and wildlife here in Australia. -kel 
Huskie Triumph and No Nappies for 4 weekends
Apple Cup 2006 proved to be a great win for the Huskies! (Huskies 35 Cougars 32) Mark and I have an annual bet and this year I actually won -last two years have been horrible losses
This year the bet between Mark and I was the looser had to change Nappies (Aussie for Diapers) for four weekends in a row. It was with great jubilation and excitement that I celebrated around the world the fantastic win! I called my sister, the huge Coug fan who actually witnessed the game in person, left her a few messages, danced around the house then quietly reminded Mark that our unborn baby would definitely be a Huskie fan! Your never too far away to be a Huskie Fan! Go Dawgs! - kel
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Halloween 2006
Some American friends of ours here in Australia, threw a HUGE Halloween party over the weekend. What do you dress as for a Halloween party when you are 8+ months pregnant? Britney Spears of course! There is no one else like the trashy American Pop Diva! Pics below of Mark and I dressed as Britney and Kevin Federline and my friends Julie (sailor), Felicity (Bavarian Beer Princess) and I. -kel 
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Aussie Lingo Lesson #6 – The Baby Edition
We have lived here for 1 year and 3 weeks, I thought I had mastered the language, was convinced they did speak really speak English in Australia…then we got pregnant…here are a few of my favorite baby/pregnancy terms Aussie style!
Pram – Stroller
Cot – Crib
Theater – Surgery
Cesar – Cesarean
Nappies – Diapers
Teets – Nipples
Here is a picture of my Aussie Baby Shower held this weekend with a bunch of my girlfriends. Thanks to Joann and Julie for organizing and for the terrific afternoon! - kel
Pram – Stroller
Cot – Crib
Theater – Surgery
Cesar – Cesarean
Nappies – Diapers
Teets – Nipples
Here is a picture of my Aussie Baby Shower held this weekend with a bunch of my girlfriends. Thanks to Joann and Julie for organizing and for the terrific afternoon! - kel
Monday, October 16, 2006
Meet Bluey….
Bluey is the Blue Tongue Lizard that lives in the back yard of our new house and our neighbors house. Apparently all of the construction in our back yard has had him on the move lately, Tommy and Adam (pictured below) our neighbors have been showing him good hospitality.
They carry him around the yard, watch cartoons with him inside their house, and chase him Steve Irwin style whenever he manages to find time alone! According to Tommy and Adam’s Dad this is just another one of the “joys” of living in Australia! - kel
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Aussie Lingo Lesson #5 – The Home Remodel Edition
As we have been going through the remodel I have realized there is a whole Aussie language just for construction. Here is a small sample of my favorites:
Gyprock – Dry Wall
Chippy – Carpenter
Bricky – Bricklayer/Mason
Sparky – Electrician
Latest state of the cabana and house, all going well…but maybe not done before the new Ferguson arrives…
Gyprock – Dry Wall
Chippy – Carpenter
Bricky – Bricklayer/Mason
Sparky – Electrician
Latest state of the cabana and house, all going well…but maybe not done before the new Ferguson arrives…
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Hong Kong Phooey
My last Xbox business trip so I made the most of it from the start – I managed to fit four movies into the plane ride over, (Nacho Libre, XMen 3, Solo & Kenny), and another one on the way back (11 Canoes).
I’ve been to Hong Kong half a dozen times, always with work, and I really have not had much time to look around - so although still not close to enough time I made sure I had a late flight out and had a day to explore this time around.
The MS office is a bit out of the way in Cyberport on HK Island so I jumped the Le Meridien shuttle to Central, walked to the Star Ferry terminal and caught the ferry over to Tsim Sha Tsui.
Walked up to Mong Kok mostly along Nathan Rd, I wasn’t in the market for a new fake watch or handbag or a new suit made in 24 hours and got sick of the Indian guys asking me so I took a detour through some of the back roads which was a great move – I had some awesome BBQ baby octopus skewers from a street vendor and got to check out some of the food markets the locals use.
Mong Kok was cool, of special interest was a street that had about fifty stores selling Adidas trainers, some models that I had never laid eyes on before – unfortunately they were not good value at all so I’ll save myself for the next trip to the US (I didn’t realize comparatively how great value trainers are there!). It was a day of much walking, good food, great people watching and I enjoyed being somewhere very different to Australia. By the time I got back to ferry I was beat, I rode the shuttle to the airport and enjoyed my last meal on Bill – Popeyes fried chicken.
Cheers - Mark
I’ve been to Hong Kong half a dozen times, always with work, and I really have not had much time to look around - so although still not close to enough time I made sure I had a late flight out and had a day to explore this time around.
The MS office is a bit out of the way in Cyberport on HK Island so I jumped the Le Meridien shuttle to Central, walked to the Star Ferry terminal and caught the ferry over to Tsim Sha Tsui.Walked up to Mong Kok mostly along Nathan Rd, I wasn’t in the market for a new fake watch or handbag or a new suit made in 24 hours and got sick of the Indian guys asking me so I took a detour through some of the back roads which was a great move – I had some awesome BBQ baby octopus skewers from a street vendor and got to check out some of the food markets the locals use.
Mong Kok was cool, of special interest was a street that had about fifty stores selling Adidas trainers, some models that I had never laid eyes on before – unfortunately they were not good value at all so I’ll save myself for the next trip to the US (I didn’t realize comparatively how great value trainers are there!). It was a day of much walking, good food, great people watching and I enjoyed being somewhere very different to Australia. By the time I got back to ferry I was beat, I rode the shuttle to the airport and enjoyed my last meal on Bill – Popeyes fried chicken.
Cheers - Mark
The name is ... William Wallace
September is going, going, gone and not a single blog entry – it’s not that we have been doing nothing it has actually been a crazy, crazy month.
Kelly returned from the U.S. where she was a bridesmaid in her friend Christy’s wedding at Lake Tahoe, she also brought lot’s of great presents back from the U.S. – so I was glad that she made it home :-)
We both graduated from ante-natal (pre-natal) classes at the Mater Hospital (I was about to say we graduated unscathed but the crowning video wasn’t so easy to forget). I received warnings from nearly all of my friends about how bad the classes could be, especially some of the other guys in the class asking stupid questions – we must have lucked out as the two days went pretty smoothly. Kel left her mark on the class by scaring every other mum-to-be out of any thought of taking the gas for assistance during birthing telling them all that there is no way any credible hospital would let you have gas in the US – never one to shy away from voicing her opinion this girl!
Everything with the baby is going well – a couple of really hot days have made life hard for Kel so hopefully we can get into the water for a swim soon.
The first Kelly pregnancy photo on the blog – taken in Balmain after a stop in at the William Wallace for a few cold ones.
The house is moving full steam ahead – Kelly gets much pleasure out of telling people we are off to water our kitchen and living room (it helps the durability of the concrete slab to keep it moist so that it can cure slowly). I’ve been trying to put in a day a week to help out, my hole digging skills have improved measurably, my belly has decreased in size and the palms of my hands now have the texture of dog paws. The office hag on the building site!
And while on the subject of the office I also have decided to change jobs – saying good bye to Xbox definitely means I lose any credibility I had with my friends kids and now I can listen to everybody whinge about how bad their mobile phone reception is and how slow their broadband connections are.
Movie line of the month :- “Chancho, when you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room... Just for fun.” (Nacho Libre)
Cheers - Mark
P.S. Cougs are off to a great start and I see the Huskies have also had a couple of lucky wins.
Kelly returned from the U.S. where she was a bridesmaid in her friend Christy’s wedding at Lake Tahoe, she also brought lot’s of great presents back from the U.S. – so I was glad that she made it home :-)
We both graduated from ante-natal (pre-natal) classes at the Mater Hospital (I was about to say we graduated unscathed but the crowning video wasn’t so easy to forget). I received warnings from nearly all of my friends about how bad the classes could be, especially some of the other guys in the class asking stupid questions – we must have lucked out as the two days went pretty smoothly. Kel left her mark on the class by scaring every other mum-to-be out of any thought of taking the gas for assistance during birthing telling them all that there is no way any credible hospital would let you have gas in the US – never one to shy away from voicing her opinion this girl!
Everything with the baby is going well – a couple of really hot days have made life hard for Kel so hopefully we can get into the water for a swim soon.
The first Kelly pregnancy photo on the blog – taken in Balmain after a stop in at the William Wallace for a few cold ones.
The house is moving full steam ahead – Kelly gets much pleasure out of telling people we are off to water our kitchen and living room (it helps the durability of the concrete slab to keep it moist so that it can cure slowly). I’ve been trying to put in a day a week to help out, my hole digging skills have improved measurably, my belly has decreased in size and the palms of my hands now have the texture of dog paws. The office hag on the building site!
And while on the subject of the office I also have decided to change jobs – saying good bye to Xbox definitely means I lose any credibility I had with my friends kids and now I can listen to everybody whinge about how bad their mobile phone reception is and how slow their broadband connections are.
Movie line of the month :- “Chancho, when you are a man, sometimes you wear stretchy pants in your room... Just for fun.” (Nacho Libre)
Cheers - Mark
P.S. Cougs are off to a great start and I see the Huskies have also had a couple of lucky wins.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Singapore & KL
Lobbed up to Singapore and Malaysia for the week - dropped off a bunch of meat pies to some Aussie friends in the MS Singapore office - only fare given the food experieinces I get in return. Singapore has great food. This trip I ventured out to Arab St. for some middle eastern and Malay food - awesome and only S$4 a meal (approx. USD$2) - crazy.
The Arab St. area is centered around the Sultan Mosque , it has lots of older style buildings mostly containing shops selling fabric, carpets, food and crafts. All up pretty interesting and only a $5 cab ride from town.
A couple of days in KL - I travelled with a guy who likens KL to Bedrock (Flinstones) with lots of seemingly hi-tech/modern stuff on the surface but if you peek behind the facade it is all run by 500 guys going hell for leather on a tread mill. Staying at a brand new Hilton insulates you from that so I am yet to form an opinion. Staying at a new Hilton also offers swimming opportunities, the best reason to travel to S-E Asia this time of year (Sydney is still 2 months away from swimming weather for me). I shared the pool with a couple of people including two women who swam in full burka's - seriously.
After days of laksa, beers, pigs feet, various forms of offal soup and some great Australia wine (link below) I headed back home to cheer on Mark (our builder) to finish our house in world record time!
The Arab St. area is centered around the Sultan Mosque , it has lots of older style buildings mostly containing shops selling fabric, carpets, food and crafts. All up pretty interesting and only a $5 cab ride from town.
A couple of days in KL - I travelled with a guy who likens KL to Bedrock (Flinstones) with lots of seemingly hi-tech/modern stuff on the surface but if you peek behind the facade it is all run by 500 guys going hell for leather on a tread mill. Staying at a brand new Hilton insulates you from that so I am yet to form an opinion. Staying at a new Hilton also offers swimming opportunities, the best reason to travel to S-E Asia this time of year (Sydney is still 2 months away from swimming weather for me). I shared the pool with a couple of people including two women who swam in full burka's - seriously.
After days of laksa, beers, pigs feet, various forms of offal soup and some great Australia wine (link below) I headed back home to cheer on Mark (our builder) to finish our house in world record time!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
45 Bennett - the demo cont.
Week 2 and the house is in pieces...Here are some pictures for the cabana. This is where Mark and I keep telling all of our overseas friends and family they will be able to stay when they come to visit. Also one pic of the front of the house, after hearing from the builder today that our walls were full cockroaches and cockroach poo, I could not have been more overjoyed to see all the walls gone! - kel
Monday, August 14, 2006
Demolition
The work on the house is officially in full
swing! Walls are coming down, a hole is being dug for the pool and I am finally convinced we might someday actually move in! Last week Mark took a day off work to help our builder with the demolition, here are some pics of the house and Mark playing carpenter for the day (boys will be boys!) First photo is Mark dismantling the old water heater, second photo is Mark removing some of the old ceiling joists. More updates soon! -kel
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Bangalore India
This week I’ve been in Bangalore India 
for a Quarterly Business review. The weather hasn’t been too hot and for the most part I’ve been stuck in meetings (aka death by powerpoint). 
In the past I have experience staring and pointing on my trips to India, this time the staring and pointing has been particularly noticeable as my big pregnant belly seems to also be a point of interest. Looking forward to getting home to Mark and Australia…here are a few pictures from my trip. -kel
for a Quarterly Business review. The weather hasn’t been too hot and for the most part I’ve been stuck in meetings (aka death by powerpoint). 
In the past I have experience staring and pointing on my trips to India, this time the staring and pointing has been particularly noticeable as my big pregnant belly seems to also be a point of interest. Looking forward to getting home to Mark and Australia…here are a few pictures from my trip. -kel
Sunday, July 23, 2006
At last the work has begun!
Our house plans finally made it through the council system and we have full 
approval! This is great news and something we waited 6 moths for! This weekend Mark and his dad began the demo, in the next two weeks a huge excavator will be there to tear the house in 2! Mark escaped the weekend with one small crow-bar to the head wound, trust me the house looks much worse than Mark!
More before and after pics coming soon, here is a pic of Mark starting on the kitchen work, don’t you just love the wallpaper! -kel
approval! This is great news and something we waited 6 moths for! This weekend Mark and his dad began the demo, in the next two weeks a huge excavator will be there to tear the house in 2! Mark escaped the weekend with one small crow-bar to the head wound, trust me the house looks much worse than Mark!More before and after pics coming soon, here is a pic of Mark starting on the kitchen work, don’t you just love the wallpaper! -kel
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
19+ weeks and counting
Yesterday was our 19 week ultrasound, everything looks great. The baby is healthy and no problems were detected. Here is a picture from the ultrasound.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Manly
A lot to take in at the moment with a new baby on the way and the house still a dream with no DA - a kebab at the beach and a few hours to chill and take in a beautiful Sydney winter day at Manly - a perfect Saturday afternoon.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Midnight Snack
Pregnant food cravings, I thought they were somewhat mythical, until recently…I am growing more and more frustrated (literally) as I am craving all of the food that I can’t send Mark out to get in the middle of the night…let’s just say it’s a long flight to Seattle just for a snack. Mark and I now regularly talk about foods we wish we were eating in Seattle, the conversations sound like we are stranded on a deserted island with nothing to eat but coconuts, not driving through a city of 3 million people with more food choices than you can imagine…Here is my top 10 list of foods I can’t wait to have in August on my last US visit before the baby arrives…these aren’t my favorite Seattle foods, just the ones I am craving like crazy… -kel
Paseo – Midnight Cuban Sandwich
Malenas – 2 Chicken Tacos Meal (with extra salsa)
Red Mill – Chicken Club Sandwich w/Onion Rings
Cactus – Navaho Fry Bread with Honey
Cactus – Carne Asada Tacos
Petes – Tall Iced Single Shot Decaf Vanilla Late with a Blackberry Lemon Scone
Pagallici’s – Pepperoni Pizza
Mediterranean Kitchen – Chicken meal w/Pita
Nordies Coffee Bar – Venti Orange Cream Fizz
Kid Valley – Onion Rings with extra Tarter Sauce
Paseo – Midnight Cuban Sandwich
Malenas – 2 Chicken Tacos Meal (with extra salsa)
Red Mill – Chicken Club Sandwich w/Onion Rings
Cactus – Navaho Fry Bread with Honey
Cactus – Carne Asada Tacos
Petes – Tall Iced Single Shot Decaf Vanilla Late with a Blackberry Lemon Scone
Pagallici’s – Pepperoni Pizza
Mediterranean Kitchen – Chicken meal w/Pita
Nordies Coffee Bar – Venti Orange Cream Fizz
Kid Valley – Onion Rings with extra Tarter Sauce
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Baby Husky Fan Arriving November 26
Just for the record, as I know many of you have
been wondering, the baby will be a Husky supporter and life long fan. Mark is attempting through sly tactics, to have Cougar baby gear sent to Australia in an empty effort at influencing our baby toward becoming a Coug fan. He is so worried about the Husky fan to be, that he even suggested this year’s Mark vs. Kelly Apple Cup bet should result in the winner choosing the baby’s allegiance. However in the time honored tradition of the Huskies (passing loyalty though the best team and the team of the University a parent actually attended), our baby will be a Dwag fan through and through. -kel
been wondering, the baby will be a Husky supporter and life long fan. Mark is attempting through sly tactics, to have Cougar baby gear sent to Australia in an empty effort at influencing our baby toward becoming a Coug fan. He is so worried about the Husky fan to be, that he even suggested this year’s Mark vs. Kelly Apple Cup bet should result in the winner choosing the baby’s allegiance. However in the time honored tradition of the Huskies (passing loyalty though the best team and the team of the University a parent actually attended), our baby will be a Dwag fan through and through. -kel
Monday, June 05, 2006
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Windy Winter Weekend: South 2 Sussex
Kelly's first trip to the NSW South Coast - a fine long weekend away with our pals Sam, Christy and Jemima at Sussex Inlet.
The driving this time of year is traffic free and at times beautiful - rugged coastlines, rough seas and rolling green hills. We made food stops at Berry in either direction and if you follow in our footsteps eat at Stone Sourdough Bakery and avoid the main drag.
Heavy rain greeted us in Sussex on Friday afternoon and although it stopped for the weekend the clouds never really broke - perfect weather for long
walks, lot's of great food (courtesy of Kel and Christy), beer drinking and cards. We took a side trip to Ulladulla and drive along G-G-G-G-G-Government Drive to the beach.
Although passe for Kelly these days we said g'day to six large grey kangaroos chilling in the front yard of a house just down the street from where we stayed.
Much thanks to Barry & Helen Taylor for use of their town house!
The driving this time of year is traffic free and at times beautiful - rugged coastlines, rough seas and rolling green hills. We made food stops at Berry in either direction and if you follow in our footsteps eat at Stone Sourdough Bakery and avoid the main drag.
Heavy rain greeted us in Sussex on Friday afternoon and although it stopped for the weekend the clouds never really broke - perfect weather for long
walks, lot's of great food (courtesy of Kel and Christy), beer drinking and cards. We took a side trip to Ulladulla and drive along G-G-G-G-G-Government Drive to the beach.Although passe for Kelly these days we said g'day to six large grey kangaroos chilling in the front yard of a house just down the street from where we stayed.
Much thanks to Barry & Helen Taylor for use of their town house!
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