October? Really?

I am not sure how six months have flown by since I last posted.  It seems like just yesterday I was writing that philosophical post about entering the fourth decade of this "crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life*" of mine.  But, when I think about in a more analytical way (and with a calendar in hand), I know exactly where the majority of 2013 has gone:

April -  We got the news in mid-April that the university where April worked would not be renewing her contract for 2013-2014.  It was a real disappointment because we had received mixed signals about it for months and April had been giving her all (and probably more than was healthy for her to give) to try to earn their approval and get another year on faculty to teach and finish her dissertation. After all, if not for the severe medical circumstances she encountered, she would have completed the requirements on her contract.  But, without departmental support or ADA protections, she was powerless to properly defend herself.  Ultimately, we decided that this was a blessing in disguise because it would force April to focus on recovering, allow us both to concentrate on dissertation defenses, and job market opportunities where we could both work (since there was little Sociology professorships in CO anyway).

May - In May, we knew we had 1 month to make final decisions about where we would go post-Colorado Springs.  As per usual Team Beattie moving plans, nothing worked out as planned. After much deliberation, we had decided on renting our house month-to-month so that we could continue working with April's doctors {though transferring health coverage from her job to Brett's job was a huge pain}.  But, in late-May our landlord informed us that we had until the end of June to move out because the home's owners were moving back in.  Lovely.  So, with that planned scratched we had to pick between Texas (where my parents were) and Pennsylvania (back to our PhD institution to work with our mentors and where Brett still has his job).  On the medical front, April couldn't get an appointment with the special mitochondrial specialist in Pueblo until the day before her health coverage ran out, so any answers would have to come later...on another health plan, and potentially after we lived in another state.

June - We were blessed with a miracle when Brett's Mum Lyn (Mama Beattie) volunteered to come over from Australia to help us make the move from Colorado to Texas.  We had finally arrived at the conclusion that living nearer my parents was a better idea, financially and to support my health needs, than to be back in PA where the only benefit was to be close to academic resources which may or may not really have our long-term best interests at heart.  So, for three and a half amazingly helpful and bonding weeks, Lyn traveled with us from Texas to Colorado Springs to Texas again with all of our stuff.  She helped clear out rooms of clutter, put things in storage, etc., We couldn't have done it without her.  In June we got the first results of April's test with the specialist which showed that there were indeed substantial problems and she needed a muscle biopsy.  Due to the transfer issues with health insurance, we were unable to schedule this until late July.

July - July was the month that didn't happen, lol. Lyn left after the 4th of July holiday (no one had any energy left to go to the big fireworks displays, etc., but she was at least able to see the uptick in flags and sales on picnic and BBQ fixin's).  The rest of the month, up until we drove back to CO for my biopsy on the 30th was a blur.  I can remember many trips to the storage unit to bring home boxes of things we realized we did need after all.  My Mom, Lyn, and Brett had carried so much furniture up stairs that I felt a little bad having them do it again once we cleared out the second bedroom, but it was worth it to give Brett his office space. Now we're just missing the black couch...but that is way in the back of the storage unit and I'm not hauling it out until it cools off more! I can remember a week spent in bed recuperating after the whirlwind of forcing ourselves to have done soooo much (and so much more physically than my body probably should have done).  My stepdad turned 78 in there somewhere too.

August - I was still in a lot of pain when we celebrated our 1 year anniversary in early August.  We forgot to email Brett's dad on his birthday (and we were so sure having gotten married the day before that we'd never forget again, but I think the Australia-US time/day difference thing is still not automatically clicking in my brain).  Brett got confirmation of his appointment with immigration for our interview for his green card, and also was officially re-appointed to his job at our graduate institution.  The school wanted him to go back there (instead of to the national conference) to see his boss/advisor and to re-sign his employment documents with his new status. My parents house began a slow transformation as we helped (forced?) them to faced the clutter they had been collecting for years.  While not a complete success (mostly they have just moved things into their own storage unit, the garage, and their new RV), they do finally have a cleared out bedroom to sleep in for the first time in many years. Kira and Alex went on a trip overseas this summer (was in August? September?) and it was great to hear about their adventures in Europe.  I could tell how much Brett wants to go and experience it himself (and his way), and so that really is on our bucket list for someday.

September -September brought lots of changes.  Brett traveled to Pennsylvania to do paperwork, meet with his dissertation committee and update them, and came back with work to do and lots of enthusiasm for finishing up this year.  I'm his #1 supporter in this goal and am doing everything I can to help.  On days/weeks that he works, I rest and cook meals and try to keep his office clean, etc.  On days that I am working, he takes care of other errands, the kitchen stuff, etc.  It's working out pretty well.  In other news, my little sister Angela had her new baby (a girl) in mid-September.  My parents babysit Angela's oldest (a boy) very often and we've always been a close family so we all see Angela and her family a lot.  My older sister Lori's baby (a girl) is due mid-October.  Lori's elder daughter Lily is very excited to be a big sister (she's been waiting 5 years!).  I am excited to give the new family additions those special baby gifts Lyn brought over from Australia!

October - So, while it feels like this month has just started, actually is is nearly half-over.  Despite the fact that US government is partially shut down, on the 1st we were able to have our immigration interview for Brett's green card.  We passed with flying colors (was there any doubt?)  We even printed out our Team Beattie blog so they could see our three years of random life and couple musings...who would want to fake that?  Anyway, it is conditional for 2 years, so we're still collecting evidence.  Then, in as early as 2016, if he wants, Brett could apply for naturalization/citizenship.  Also this month, we've been focusing on yard work around the house (digging up those awful sticker plants) and finally trying to get a doggy door installed before it gets cold.  My mom starts a new promotion as her job in two weeks, so that is exciting too.  Brett has brochintis really bad, so I am trying to take care of him and he is taking a few days off of work and house duty to just rest.  Of course, even when sick trying to get that man to rest is a challenge.  But I love him so it's worth it. 

Well, that is about as much typing as I can do for now.  Life is day-by-day as far as how we feel, what progress gets made (academically or around the house), but we always put taking care of each other first (with the furry Beatties a close second-they are doing great by the way; finally getting along 99% of the time). I do hope to post here more often (let's say I aim for 1x a month at minimum) and Brett does look forward to his Skype calls to his folks (he just really has been sick and without a voice).  I know we'll find ways to stay in touch!

Despite my online tardiness, I wanted to give y'all an update.  And, more importantly, a belated thank-you for putting up with us throughout this extended transition period.  I am sure we're in for even more ups and downs and times when it seems like things are stuck in the same place and not changing at all!  We appreciate the support of our family and friends more than we can ever express.  We couldn't have gotten from there to here without you.  Take care and you all are in our thoughts.

*Lyrics to a country song by Darryl Worley.

30, Thirty, The Big 3-0, etc.

Today is April's birthday.  She's 30.  I think we often forget the age difference between us (after much coaxing from Brett over the years because it used to be something April was a bit self-conscious about).  But, turning 30 is definitely a time for self-reflection...

On milestone birthdays...I've never done anything important on a "major" birthday.  My sweet sixteen was low-key, I was sick and friendless at 18, for my 21 Jim and I went out to dinner and I had my first (ever, really) drink, and just one at that. At 25 (which is not actually considered a major birthday), I was in D.C. and probably had more friends and freedom than ever before, but I still spent the night working, watching TV, and eating take-away.  So, lots of people asked about what I'd do for 30.  Brett was really sweet about doing anything I wanted. It depends, like everything these days, on how I feel, not by the day but literally by the hour.  I think we're planning a day together at home, no-electronic interference (my excuse for posting now is that he's still in bed, lol), and just spending time catching up on our us-time.  If it won't antagonize our migraines too much, I have an impossipuzzle, I'd like to take a crack at. :-)

On transitioning from the 20s to the 30s... I was never afraid of the 30s.  Instead, I am welcoming them with open arms.  I am disappointed that I have not finished my dissertation by 30 (something I truly believed I would have done had I not suddenly deteriorated with these new crop of neurological issues in the fall).  But, other than that, I expect the 30s to be a pretty awesome decade of my life.  The 20s were a time of learning (book-learning and life-learning and April-learning) that I desperately needed to get to the happy, settled, grateful place in my life that I am currently in.  Now, I plan on enjoying that to the best of my ability with my amazing partner who makes every day better and more wonderful.  I don't want to ever take for granted what I have because the journey to get here was a roller coaster I am glad to say I experienced but wouldn't want to get back in line for seconds.

Ok, well, that's all the typing these fingers can do for today. Thank you to those who read our Team Beattie blog--We appreciate y'all and having you in my life is one more thing to be grateful for on my birthday. Hugs and love, April

Cape Jervis Station

Cape Jervis Station is the current front-runner in our search for a wedding site in South Australia.  We haven't posted a deposit yet, but Brett's family (his parents and sister/brother in law) went to visit and loved the location, accommodations and atmosphere.  The pictures were hard for me to really capture the essence of where we'd get married, but I recently found this video and it helped to get me pretty excited.  Here's the link if you want to check out the place more:  http://www.capejervisstation.com.au/

Best. Husband. Ever.

I am not sure how nearly three months slipped away.  Now here it is at the end of March and there is so so much to recap about our adventures the past 11 weeks.  But, for the most part, we've been sick, seeing doctors, teaching classes, doing research, taking care of animals, taking care of each other, more doctors, making fires, doing chores, cuddling, grading papers, resting when we get a chance, and so on...

I am hoping that this coming week ("spring break" if you believe there is such a thing once you're a grown up) gives us a bit of a reprieve from the stress, busyness, and nonstop work that we've had on our plate.

Brett has been such a trooper.  Taking such good care of me despite him also being sick.  I do my best to take care of him too, and we're making it day by day. He's been helping me out a lot with my job too...now that I'm 90% caught up, it'll be time that we focus on getting him to the next level on his dissertation.

Still no news on a diagnosis for me.  We're starting a new medication regimen for him and hopefully beginning chiropractor and allergy therapy in the coming days.

Still no news about next year on any front.  I'm hoping no news might be good news...

More Team Beattie Holiday Firsts...

Well, things have been really busy around here since Brett's parents arrived.  Luckily, it has been busy and fun! My apologies for not posting more, but between all this busyness and fun, plus bouts of not feeling well and chilly chilly weather, we've had our hands full.

 Here are a few pictures from the first-ever snowman these Aussies have ever made and our holiday gingerbread house.  Details are in the captions:

It was really much harder to make a snowman with Colorado snow than PA snow.  And with the temperature in single digits that day, brrrrr...   Brett named him "Bob" (big surprise there!).  He lasted five days through serving as Baxter's potty hydrant, a bright Colorado Springs sun, and warming temperature before his head fell off.  RIP Bob the Snowman.

Front view:  I really should have read the directions on the gingerbread house sooner.  It has to be made at least a day before you try to put the frosting and candy on top.  Oops.  The front includes a Snowman, Xmas tree, door and wreath.  The candy decorations were so much harder to work with than we imagined.

Side view:  Both sides looked the same and had a lot more plain brown that we intended but it probably would have taken so much extra time and effort to cover it all up like the amazing one on the box and this was pretty enough.  I especially like the heart candy cane on the roof. <3

Well, that's everything for now.  We're heading down south at the end of the week for the great Australians meet Texans family reunion (or family introduction as the case may be).  Wish us luck!

Team Beattie 1st Christmas Tree

Now if only we could convince Baxter that the tree, ornaments, and lights are not food...

For the love of cricket (bats)...

A  long time ago, in a far away place called Adelaide, a young boy named Brett had a cricket bat.  Brett loved playing with his cricket bat and balls in his family's backyard.  He'd practice his bowling for hours on end and he would love to bat even though he couldn't play any hook shots to protect his parents' windows.  The famed Beattie pitch changed over the years but Brett always found a way to put his beloved cricket bat to use playing the all-Australian pastime.  

Brett grew up into a tall, smart, handsome young man and his family was very proud of him.  He decided to move to America to pursue a graduate degree and was sad to leave his cricket bat behind.  Even as he packed his final bags, he knew that he wasn't saying goodbye to his bat because someday they would be reunited and they would be able to be hitting boundaries together again [even if they were six-and-outs].

Years past and Brett flourished in America.  He did well in his graduate studies, fell in love with a beautiful girl, and explored the world.  Every time he visited Australia or his family and friends came to visit him, his heart tugged at him to be reunited with that special old friend--his cricket bat.  He would meet new friends who suggested he just buy a new one, after all, it would be about the same cost as having the old one sent from half way across the world.  But, Brett knew that just wouldn't do.  If he couldn't have HIS cricket bat, he didn't want any cricket bat.  It was only HIS cricket bat, that held so many memories, that felt just right in his hands, and that loved him just as much as he loved it that belonged in his garage. It was his cricket bat that he wanted most of all...

UPDATE:  Brett's parents were very generous and brought his beloved cricket bat to him.  We were able to go outside in the afternoon on Christmas eve and play.  I learned a few of the rules of backyard cricket (I am not very good at it, sad to say), and we found out that Baxter really enjoys going after the balls. If only we could properly train him to bring it back to the pitch! :-)  I'll try to take a picture of the bat soon and post it for those who are interested in what a cricket bat looks like-it wasn't anything like I imagined, and really heavy too!

Snow day!

It snowed a few inches last night and this morning Brett and I went out with the dog to play in the snow.  It is definitely a different type of snow than we got in Pennsylvania and now that it is colder, it didn't "all melt before noon" like the native Coloradoans have been claiming since we moved here.  The dog, having probably lived in Colorado his whole life didn't mind the snow a bit but Princess wasn't having any of it, preferring to sit at the window and watch. 

We were supposed to go to a holiday party this afternoon hosted by one of my colleagues but we were feeling sick (it hasn't been a great week-headaches, fibro, Brett's broken toe and my falling down the stairs!) so we had to cancel.  I give my first final tomorrow--I cannot believe how fast the semester has flown by!  Students also turn in their final papers so I will be busy grading (same thing happens Wednesday with my second section) for the next week or so.

Team Beattie has been slowly preparing for the arrival of our Aussie parents/in-laws (9 days to go).  Brett keeps looking for a real pine Xmas tree, which apparently is pretty hard to find in Colorado where 99.9% of all of the trees are firs of one type or another.  But, our tree will be up and decorated (hopefully) before they get here.

Ok, well, Baxter the Beattie Beagle is being bad (how's that for alliteration?), so I need to run and save the day.

Telling time...

I've been able to tell time for nearly 25 years.  I've lived in a different time zone from my parents for nearly 7 years.  But every time we enter/leave daylight savings time, I have an abnormally long adjustment period.  Add in the fact that we've recently moved from being an hour ahead of Texas (where my folks live) to an hour behind them, and I can't make heads nor tails of when is the right time to try to call home.

Of course, I shouldn't be complaining too bad.  My husband Brett has even more complicated add/subtract mental math when trying to adjust for the time zone differences between our Colorado home (in Mountain Time, US) to his parents in Adelaide (South Australia, Australia).  I used to have it figured out and I knew that late Friday nights (which are Saturday mornings down under), Brett would be up late to talk to his folks.  But, now that we've moved (which put us two hours earlier) and the time changed both here and there, it is hard to figure our when he's supposed to be online (I usually try to be the one to remind him to do these keep-in-touch things).

I found a very useful website online (World Clock Converter) that I can use to find out what time it is in Adelaide.  For instance, right now:

Colorado Springs (U.S.A. - Colorado) 

Saturday, November 24, 2012 at 6:30:00 PM  MST UTC-7 hours 

Adelaide (Australia - South Australia) 

Sunday, November 25, 2012 at 12:00:00 Noon CDT UTC+10:30 hours 

So, while we usually try to call Brett's parents early Saturday mornings before they start their weekend, the fact that he is just now talking to his Mom (and pleading for her to post his cricket bat as an Xmas present or bring it with them when they come visit) means that we will need to remember to call them mid-afternoon on Fridays rather than waiting until after dinner.  Good to know (harder to remember, but we'll try!)

A new addition to Team Beattie

Say hi to the newest Beattie! He's a beagle, 5 years old, and very energetic. Plus, April says he's much cuter in real life than the picture.  :-)

Today we went back to the animal shelter for the Nth time and found a puppy love match with this adorable dog.   Here is the description they had for him:  Well, howdy. I'm Buford. I'm a-searching for a home that will love me just as much as I love them. I'm the energetic sort, ya see. I love to play, and I love to explore new places. I'm just a good ole boy who is friendlier than apple pie. If you want a southern gentleman who will love you forever, I'm your dawg!

We definitely want to change his name (Buford Beattie...um, no!).  And getting the cat and dog to play nice is a high high priority. We have a busy next few days with teaching, meetings, data work and writing for Brett, and an Aussie/Kiwi Club meeting Saturday, but we hope to get the dog acclimated. 

P.S.-->  Brett has decided that we should name the dog Baxter the Beagle. 

Visit from the Texas Gang

This past weekend, Brett and I were lucky to have my mom, sister and 6 month old nephew come visit us.  It was a whirlwind three day adventure trying to balance rest, work, and family time.  It went by so fast, but we had a lot of fun.  Thanks for coming y'all and we look forward to seeing you again soon.  Here's the short version of the weekend:

The Texas gang drove all through the night Wednesday to arrive in Colorado Thursday mid-morning (it is about a 14 hour drive if you don't stop except for gas!).  This would have been ideal except that Brett and I thought that they were going to show up FRIDAY morning.  So, imagine our surprise when we got a text message from them on Thursday at 9am saying that they were 30 minutes away. Panic attack time (note: we were the ones who had gotten the arrival date wrong, oops!!).  We had worked like crazy for two days straight Tuesday-Wednesday on grading papers and being on campus for teaching, office hours and meetings, so our house was a mess.  We spent those 30 minutes trying to run around and do everything we could to make it more presentable.  Mom insisted that it didn't matter, but we cared plenty! Our new vacuum (bought because my 13-year old one finally died this fall) was still in the box from the store, but we put that together and got the floor clean by evening so the baby could play without "Aunt April" freaking out about him licking the carpet.

Thursday was a rest day for the Texas travelers while we cleaned a bit more.  We had an easy lunch and dinner (since we still hadn't gone to the grocery store yet-we really thought we had another day to get ready!). Friday, my Mom and Brett went grocery shopping and everyone pitched in to make an early Thanksgiving dinner.  It was nice, though there was the inevitable question to Brett about Australian Thanksgiving traditions (the answer, for those who are wondering, is that they don't do Thanksgiving outside America, it is an America-only thing!).  Saturday we went and drove around Garden of the Gods and toured the UCCS campus where April works.  Then we came back home for a quiet evening to rest before the Texas gang headed home.  Everyone (well, not Brett) got up about 5am on Sunday for goodbyes before they headed back to Dallas.

We wouldn't have traded the visit for anything (well, perhaps a longer visit that included my step-dad and brother-in-law Brian), and we had a wonderful time.  The rest of the weekend was spent grading more papers (it never ends!!!) and preparing for another week. Luckily we only have a few more weeks of the semester.  And we have a visit from Brett's parents coming up (and we won't mix up their arrival dates!) to look forward to too.

Homemade Chicken Salt

Well, I bought Brett a fryer as an early Xmas present.  So, today he is busy watching college football and wanted to make a proper Aussie burger (with the lot except NO BEETROOT) with those special, work-intensive thrice-cooked chips (fries to us Yanks). Of course, chips aren't the same without chicken salt just like they use in the corner fish and chips shop, so we went on a mission to find some.

Now, some of you know the terrible sad story of our last attempt to acquire Chicken Salt.  Brett packed it in our suitcase on the trip home from visiting his family in Adelaide and (I am sure you can tell where this is going...), the bottles exploded somewhere over the between South Australia and Pennsylvania and we ruined the luggage, but worst, we lost the precious chicken salt.  :-(

So this time, we were going to leave the shipping to professionals.  We tried our trusty new international food store find, World Market, but they don't carry it.  It wasn't on the shelves at the local British Shoppe, and while we could order from a couple online places, it was WAY overpriced for 4-6 oz. of salt and misc. seasonings.

At last, we decided we would just make our own.  This was easier said than done however because it appears that the recipe for chicken salt is practically an Australian national secret.  It isn't listed anywhere! We found two random blogs that had recipes and Brett decided he wanted to try the one based on Aussie KFC's version of chicken salt. Here it is:

Chicken Salt Recipe

6 Tbsps Salt
2 Tbsps MSG (Use Salt if one is averse to this ingredient)
3 tsp Sugar (Superfine, or Castor variety)
3 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Cornstarch (i.e. Cornflour: Yellow variety)
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1/4 tsp Citric Acid (Crystals: This creates that zesty flavor!)
1/4 tsp Turmeric (For that "nuclear" yellow color!)
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/8 tsp Celery Seed (Finely Ground)

Mix it all up, use immediately, or allow to meld for a few hours before use...  
THE VERDICT:
 Well, first, I'll note the few issues we had with the recipe listed.  1) We didn't have MSG, but substituted salt as suggested.  2) Celery seed is incredibly hard to actually grind up. 3) We use regular white cornstarch instead of yellow so ours didn't have the typically coloring of Aussie chicken salt.  4) The recipe makes enough to fill an entire spice bottle (we bought a new empty one from the spice store, but you could save an empty one to refill with this new mix).

Overall, the recipe as listed wasn't too bad.  The onion powder and garlic powder were overpowering though, so we would definitely reduce the amounts to 2tsp and 1/2tsp the next time we make it.  Because we already had the mix, to fix it, we added 1 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp salt to counteract the onion/garlic and it immensely improved it. 

I don't see myself using chicken salt all that much (to me, it has limited applications), but Brett assures me that he is going to be using it plenty.  Makes me happy that we went the extra mile...

P.S.-->  In case Lyn reads this, know that I am probably never going to attempt trying to recreate Brett's favorite tomato paste from scratch.  He'll have to go home (Aus) for that.

First Snow!!

Well, we have had our first bit of snow here in Colorado Springs.  It was the best snow experience I think we've ever had-MUCH better than out in Pennsylvania.  While it was cold (in the low 30s--that's in F...sorry, I still can't convert temperature to C in my head for my aussie readers!), and there was a nice snow-covered effect over the cars, yard, roofs, etc., there was NO snow on the driveway or roads. Today we're getting the sprinkler company to come and winterize the in-ground sprinkler system, getting Brett's car fixed, and we're enjoying a nice fire in the fireplace. 

We've been sick and taking care of one another and also slowly putting together the final little things around the house.  April's mom and sister (with not-so-little nephew Andrew) are visiting us in November and Brett's parents are coming to see us for Christmas. We are so excited for both families to see how our new life is coming together and excited to introduce so many people to the wonders of Colorado.

Gotta Love Ginger Beer

Brett loves ginger beer.  In particular, Bundaberg ginger beer.  It is an Aussie product that we've been trying to find in the States for months.  We finally found it at a local store called World Market and he let me buy him a whole case of it!!!  I love spoiling my husband! 

Bathurst

I am so excited that Brett was able to find the Bathurst race on TV today.  He worked so hard all day on his job application stuff and so this is a well-deserved break for him.  Time to get him another beer and learn something about Aussie car racing.

Aussie/Kiwi club

So, last week, Brett and I went with some friends (a couple of physicists from Perth-the wife teaches at the same university as me) to the Aussie/Kiwi club dinner.  It is a really interesting group of people, a lot of older war brides and couples who have been in the States for decades plus a few younger people in their 30s. There are more Kiwis than Aussies. Apparently the club is trying to become a bit more diverse in the variety of members. 

The food (which is prepared by the pair of hosts so it varies each month) was not as good as we had hoped, but our friends also said that it was usually better.  So, we have high hopes for next month (it will be hosted by a professor at the Air Force Academy who is part of the "young crowd" in the group).

I think I liked it a bit more than Brett did...something about it feeling like a family reunion with old people sorta turned him off.  But, it is at least worth going again.  It costs $10 per person per year with the obligation to host the party once a year (with another member, apparently to reduce the cooking workload and costs).  I think we'll try again before paying/committing-at the very least we've made a couple new friends and talked a lot about things like where to get Aussie-like foods and stuff (still no progress on trying to find out where we can buy a cricket bat though!).

Home alone

Well, just when I was adjusting to the Aussie invasion (er, I mean Evan visiting), the boys left for a long two-week tour of the Southwestern US.  I wish I had made Brett post their itinerary (or at least send me a copy) prior to their leaving since I can barely remember where they are supposed to be everyday.  I know in the first week, they're hitting 4 corners, the grand canyon, and Las Vegas. Week 2 has them in northern California and Yosemite National Park prior to driving back over the Rocky Mountains on their way home.

I miss Brett like crazy, but I am so glad that he's taking this opportunity to have fun with his best friend.  Plus, he's figuring out the best places to go for when he and I (and his family from Australia) can get to have a fabulous vacation too.

I'm outnumbed by Australians!

Brett has arrived back from ASA with Evan.  Now I'm the lone Yankee in the house (unless you count Princess). 

Unfortunately, both boys are under the weather (Evan from altitude sickness and Brett from Denver food/drink/hotel issues). 

Luckily it appears that we all will get a day to rest before returning to real life tomorrow.  If anybody needs anything from us, we'll be on the couch watching television.

New blog or change this one??

So, April got rid of her "Distracted Dissertator" blog as she started her new professor job and didn't want anything coming back to bite her (not that she said anything bad, but just in case) and because she was just HAPPY to be done with that part of her life.

Now, we're contemplating starting a "Team Beattie" blog that follows our crazy adventures as we start our new (married! real job! grown-up!) lives in Colorado.  Not sure if we'd just start a brand new blog, rename and revamp this one (after all, I am not sure Brett is so 'displaced' anymore).  Thoughts/opinions/ideas?

Either way, we're awfully busy these days between finishing dissertations, teaching, and just enjoying the newlywed life.  Blogging is secondary!

100 Foods to Eat Before you Die

Ran across this today and Brett and I went through the list to see what we had eaten.  Turns out he has a much more adventurous palette than mine.

1. Abalone  Brett
2. Absinthe Brett
3. Alligator April Brett
4. Baba Ghanoush Brett  
5. Bagel and lox April
6. Baklava April Brett
7. Barbecue ribs April Brett
8. Bellini April Brett
9. Bird’s Nest Soup
10. Biscuits and gravy April Brett
11. Black Pudding
12. Black Truffle
13. Borscht April Brett
14. Calamari April Brett
15. Carp Brett
16. Caviar
17. Cheese fondue April
18. Chicken and waffles
19. Chicken Tikka Masala April Brett
20. Chile Relleno
21. Chitterlings/Chitlins
22. Churros April
23. Clam Chowder April Brett
24. Cognac
25. Crabcake April Brett
26. Crickets
27. Currywurst
28. Dandelion wine
29. Dulce de leche
30. Durian
31. Eel April Brett
32. Eggs benedict Brett
33. Fish Tacos
34. Foie Gras April Brett
35. Fresh Spring Rolls April Brett
36. Fried Catfish April Brett
37. Fried Green Tomatoes
38. Fried Plaintain
39. Frito Pie April
40. Frog’s Legs
41. Fugu
42. Funnel Cake April
43. Gazpacho
44. Goat Brett
45. Goat’s milk April Brett
46. Goulash Brett  
47. Gumbo April Brett
48. Haggis
49. Head Cheese
50. Heirloom Tomatoes April Brett
51. Honeycomb Brett  
52. Hostess Fruit Pie April
53. Huevos Rancheros
54. Jerk Chicken Brett  
55. Kangaroo April Brett
56. Key Lime Pie April
57. Kobe Beef
58. Lassi Brett
59. Lobster April Brett
60. Mimosa April Brett
61. MoonPie April Brett
62. Morel Mushrooms
63. Nettle Tea
64. Octopus April Brett
65. Oxtail Soup
66. Paella
67. Paneer
68. Pastrami on Rye Brett  
69. Pavlova April Brett
70. Phaal
71. Philly Cheesesteak April Brett
72. Pho Brett  
73. Pineapple and cottage cheese April
74. Pistachio Ice Cream
75. Po’ boy April Brett
76. Pocky April
77. Polenta
78. Prickly Pear Brett
79. Rabbit Stew
80. Raw Oysters Brett
81. Root Beer Float April
82. S’mores April Brett
83. Sauerkraut Brett
84. Sea Urchin
85. Shark Brett  
86. Snail Brett
87. Snake Brett
88. Soft Shell Crab April Brett
89. Som Tam
90. Spaetzle April Brett
91. Spam April Brett
92. Squirrel
93. Steak Tartare
94. Sweet Potato Fries April Brett
95. Sweetbreads
96. Tom Yum
97. Umeboshi
98. Venison April Brett
99. Wasabi Peas
100. Zucchini Flowers Brett

Brett's Total is 48
April's Total is 41

And now we have an entire list of new foods to try!