Blue Heelers and Orange Juice

To celebrate our return from Australia I have started downloading old Blue Heelers (an Australian cop drama that started in 1994) episodes to show April. While we were there I had wanted to show her some good Australian TV shows, but our choices were somewhat limited by the fact that they do not really make good Australian TV shows anymore. So I decided to go back to the classic shows and I thought Blue Heelers would be an excellent place to start.

April thinks the show is great, especially since 1) she loves "cop shows" and 2) she now understands so many of the references and landmarks of the show after having been to Australia and having seen small town country life (Australian style) for herself. One of my regrets is that I did not get to take her in to an authentic small town pub while we were there; we only went to fancier pubs. Watching Blue Heelers also helps explain my overuse of the word 'bloody' although I don't use the word 'bum' anywhere near as much as they do!

The other aspect of Australian culture it helps explains is my constant consumption of orange juice. In America it seems to be something you will have at breakfast but not really an all day drink. On the show they are always drinking it (along with multiple cuppas), so it is apparently an Australian thing and not just a Brett thing.

In addition to Blue Heelers, I've been paying close attention to the Tour de France, though I have to miss the ending tomorrow because of a meeting with a faculty member.  April doesn't quite understand my obsession with cycling, but she is willing to listen to me ramble on and on about the finer details of the sport and the daily race update regardless.

Finally, to Lyn and Brian a.k.a. Mom and Dad (and to a lesser extent Kira):  We want to thank you for all the effort both of you put in while we were there. Although we were in and out quite quickly sometimes and exhausted at others, there is no way the holiday would have gone as well without all of your help!

How long is that airplane ride again???

I was asking Brett yesterday if he had any ideas for what he would like to do while we were on all those flights (some short, some super-long) to Australia.  Well, unfortunately he didn't have that many ideas since he hasn't traveled with anybody on such a long trip before.  We talked about maybe a couple of crossword or suduko puzzles, or maybe pick a book that we both would like to read so we could discuss it.  Plus we have a South Australia travel guide that I know I want to go through together.  But, for those of you who have gone on long trips with your significant other, we are looking for ideas!! :-)

One thing I wanted to make sure that we did before leaving was get Brett some sort of travel pillow.  He is always so uncomfortable on airplanes and has never been able to sleep on them.  We've been looking for a while in stores and online and he picked this one (except his is plain navy!).


Hopefully it will help his neck and back pain and let him get some much needed rest on the plane.

18 days to takeoff...

So, my dissertation proposal is due today.  Brett has been a lifesaver the past week going above and beyond the call of duty helping me.  I am still sick (seriously, am I ever going to be well again??), so it's a struggle to just keep moving and to try my best to meet the deadline (it is for turning it in to my advisor so he can give me feedback before it is sent to my committee prior to the oral defense on June 10th). 

I know that once I finish it though I will be SO ready for a break. Of course, I don't get one.  I immediately have to finish all my cramming for sitting for my comprehensive exams this Thursay and Friday.  But in 96 hours, we might be able to get a bit of a breath.  Just until I start stressing about how to prep best for my oral defense of the proposal and my comps answers.

In other, happier, news.  We have exactly 18 days until we get on a plane bound for the land down under.  I am super excited.  I was hoping to get some shopping and stuff done before we go, but at this rate, I think I'll be satisfied with just getting on the plane in one piece. 

P.S.--> So, Brett tells me this week about the immigration paperwork that needs to be filled out for him to be allowed back in the country after visiting home.  I PROMISE to make sure this happens...(though from what he tells me, Lyn wouldn't be that disappointed if there was a mix-up and he had to stay in Australia a few extra weeks/months). :-)

Kangaroo Island Days (fun details)

So what do you do when it is 2:30am and you still have 1/2 your grading left and 12 hours to go and feel like crying?  You go and look at all the pretty pictures of Australia as inspiration to keep going. 
Just over a month left before our trip.  I'm looking forward to it all, but esp. the Kangaroo Island Days.  Maybe because Brett has talked it up so much.

*Map of KI

We are staying at Waves and Wildlife Cottages: "The cottages are set on 80 acres behind the cliff directly surrounding Stokes Bay Beach with no roads in between. Much of the property remains natural bush land which is home to large mobs of the Kangaroo Island Kangaroo which graze around the cottages every evening. At the beach penguins, dolphin pods pass by and occasionally we spot a seal or two."   Not sure how much of this is true in Aussie Winter. 

But I bet the views really are this beautiful year round...



A.B.D. or Bust (but Australia one way or the other!)

So, it looks like I have my dates (almost) finalized for my written comprehensive exam and my oral defense of said writtens and my dissertation proposal.  I will spend two whole days in a tiny room writing like crazy during the week of May 23rd, and then four hours talking circles around said answers and my proposal sometime between Jun 6-9.  About the only thing keeping me going at this point is knowing that once I finish those hurdles, I will officially get to be A.B.D. (all but dissertation) and more importantly I will be just hours away from hopping a plane to head to Australia. :-) 

Doctors, Cooking, and Weight

So, while my day has been less than productive, I am very happy to say that I did the near-impossible--I got Brett to go to the doctor!!  After being sick for over a week, I was glad that he was able to get some professional help.  The doctor wasn't able to give a ton of advice, but did say that we need to change Brett's diet to what doctors call a "bland diet".  For a foodie like him, this was probably worse than a death sentence!  But, we are taking the news in stride and doing our best to figure out the new food requirements (though I had to keep reminding him to focus on what he CAN eat and not on the CAN'T eat side of the list.) Considering I want to lose weight too (so I look better in all those awesome Australia pics!), being so conscious about what we're putting in our bodies can't hurt.  Hopefully it will settle Brett's stomach issues enough that he can be taken off the bland diet before our trip (esp. since tomatos are a no-no and he would be miserable to be home and still not get that yummy tomato paste he craves and raves about!). 

April's Visa

My visa has been approved!  Apparently Australia is willing to let me in!  What were they thinking? ;-)

 ~April


 

Penguin Parade

Brett and I were going through the South Australia visitors guidebook today and there was a mention of a "Parade of Penguins" listed under Must-Do's.  I LOVE the idea of a penguin parade and am imagining little penguins marching in step to a candence with some very talented little penguin baton twirler leading the line.  Probably not what actually happens, but until I am proven wrong, that's what I'm hoping for. :-)