One Year Anniversary

The last few days have been good to us.  We've been creating great food to eat and share, we've been on walks and we've seen our friends.  On Saturday we helped Sarah and Simon clean out the carport.  After the storm, the city sends big trucks around to pick up fallen branches, ruined patio furniture, etc.  Brisbane takes advantage of this service each year.  Piles of books, suitcases, chairs, beds, radiators, and even kitchen sinks line the streets for a week.  Meanwhile other people walk along picking through for treasures.  We had piles of wood, nets, wire, baskets, an old heater, and old rusty broke-down bike, and other useless items all taken by folks.  Now there sits a small pile of wet planks outside our fence and the city will collect it soon.  It is tempting to look at what people have thrown out.

After that bit of cleaning, Daniel and I walked to Carolyn's house for another group toning, meditation gathering.  Along the way we gazed at the crap and even thought about taking one or two things.  Luckily we understand that we have no need for things; it is a strange urge to want something just because it's there.  And free, no less.

At Carolyn's house we were taught how to throat sing.  Daniel is pretty good at it.  The man who was teaching us, Byron, is American.  We have not met many Americans since living here in Australia.  It was a good group of people and afterward they invited us to a party out in Samford.  Since Daniel and I do almost everything together, I suggested he go to make new friends.  I think it's important to have separate experiences, and this "pyramid party" sounded slightly more up his alley anyway.  We parted and I walked home to have some dinner and hang out with Churchill for the evening.  Sarah was at a birthday party, so the dog and I had the house to ourselves.

Here is a photo Daniel took with his phone

from the Pyramid Party

(the name comes from the shape of the house)

Daniel also swam in a creek nearby this amazing place and

ate home made pizzas.  He had a great time.

Sunday morning Simon brought over croissants and pain au chocolat for breakfast.  I had to ask him if he knew we were eating French food.  As an English man, he's trained to dislike both France and Ireland.  It's a true wonder that we get along at all!  He said that French pastries were the only part he could get on board with.  Sarah, Daniel and myself do our best to speak as much French in front of him as possible.  Sarah, by the way, loves France.  She has visited a couple times and even has an Eiffel Tower bedspread and huge painting on her bedroom wall.

Early that afternoon, Daniel and I went back up to Carolyn's house for lunch and a meeting with a few people from our church.  We were specifically asked to be a part of a small marketing and promotions group.  I suspected they wanted Daniel's creative technical support, and I have expressed ideas about being more involved in the community.  It was a nice time and we got to meet a few new people as well.  Some good connections were made and we're continually excited by our future.

Back at home we rested a bit.  Carolyn's daughter is moving to Northern Queensland, so she gave me three bags of clothes that she didn't want to take with her.  I waited for Sarah to get home so we could go through them together and have a mini fashion show in my room.  Then I got to Skype with my folks a bit who brought to my attention that the Super Bowl was happening the following day.  I'd practically forgotten all about American football!  I remember watching the highlights of last years game with Daniel at a pub in Fortitude Valley.

February third marked our one year anniversary of living in Australia.  Earlier that morning I had asked Sarah and Simon to have dinner with us to celebrate.  We decided to order food to go from Bengal Kitchen, which is a place Daniel and I went often before we moved away from Brisbane.  The people running the restaurant are always so kind to us.  While we waited for our food to be cooked we walked down the street to the pub on the corner where Daniel and I went the first week we arrived here.  Simon treated us to a drink and we talked and laughed at the music from our high school days.  We didn't stay up late that night since Sarah had work the next morning, but we did have a wonderful evening.

Yummy food; happy company

For some reason Daniel thought it would be hilarious

if I wore his flipflops along with my own.

This is a coat that I got from Alisha.

I was happy to see it because I only have

one sweater here and I remember being cold

last July. She also gifted me a black one; I'm set!

Yesterday morning Daniel had a meeting in West End, so Simon and I planned to watch the beginning of the football game together.  Sarah was happy to let me know we could watch it on our TV.  Since we don't usually watch TV. I had forgotten that we had one.  I called my mom and friend, Lindsay in the states who were watching together to let them know I'd be cheering along.  My television feed was about forty minutes behind them and they were not sounding positive about the first half of the game.  I had decided to cheer for the 49-ers because Ray Lewis is gross.  (That's all I'm going to say about that.)  The first half was not pleasant to watch, though finally half time came, Daniel arrived back home and he and Beyonce had me in tears with their dancing.  More so I believe I was laughing at Daniel.  He can sway his hips better than I can.

All the married Dannys, all the married Dannys!

Put your hands up, up up, up!!

(he's already got a ring on it)

We decided to watch the second half of the game at Simon's since his TV is so big and fancy.  We grabbed some chips, home made hummus and walked around the block with Churchill.  When the three dogs get together, mayhem ensues.  Since Cesar, the great dane is almost as tall as I am on his four legs, I got whipped in the middle of my back with his tail.  I actually have a small bruise.  Why anyone wants a horse in the house, I'll never know.  Simon fell asleep near the end of the game so Daniel and I silently cheered and high fived each other.  

The dogs finally exhausted themselves. 

It's hard to see how big they are. 

Cesar is all angles, as he's still a skinny pup.

That evening we made sushi for dinner.  I had emailed with Sarah earlier in the day telling her about Daniel's awesome dancing.  She said she wanted to see it and I promised her that if she played the "Single Ladies" song when she got home, he would dance.  He simply cannot help himself.  Daniel is a dancing moth to a music flame.  She and I stayed at the dinner table talking while Daniel moseyed into the living room to get on his computer.  After a while, Sarah played the song on her phone and Daniel began bobbing his head a bit.  Sarah looked at me and I said, "Wait for it."  Not a minute later he was on his feet and yelled, "Come dance with me!"  So the three of us had a mini dance party and laughed until our sides hurt.