Honorary Queenslander

NUFL 2 was this past weekend in Albert Park. The fields there are a bit like Red Hook with big dirt and dust patches. I ended up an honorary Queenslander for the weekend. Sultry, the team coming down from Brisbane lost a number of their free agents and players who couldn’t afford to fly down to Melbourne and were showing up with a skeleton crew. VOS was already the largest team in the national competition and everyone was coming this weekend since it was in town. As I’m not too deeply enmeshed in my Victorian roots, and I gave up state pride when I moved to Texas in 6th grade, I was happy to volunteer to play with Sultry. The girls were all really nice and I had fun. Our team was out matched and lost all 4 of our games. It was a really windy weekend in Melbourne and the teams played zone all weekend. We just didn’t have the handlers to hang in. We had adequate D and were getting turns, but just couldn’t turn them in to scores. I played pretty well except for a throw away to the dump that is still eating at me and a drop while handling in the axis. I was only thinking about swinging the disc to the other handler ASAP to beat the cup and didn’t wait until I caught the disc first. Arrrgh! So frustrating.

Biking to NUFL2 on Sunday in Albert Park I saw one of the coolest things I’ve seen since I arrived here. I’ve mentioned the huge black swans with red beaks before. (Is a black Swan just a goose? I don’t know. These are some of the most beautiful and incredible birds I’ve ever seen. I’ll go with black swan until proven elsewise.) Apparently it’s swanling (cygnet) time because I saw several tiny baby swans. They are light grey and look like a duckling that was dipped in egg batter and then in snow. They waddle unsteadily. They are the cutest thing I have ever seen. It’s thanks only to the fact that I had to get to a game that I didn’t stay there all day and maybe try to take one home with me.

I lived through week one in my NFL survival pool. Sure it’s easy to do that when you pick the Colts. Maybe that’s automatic and maybe I wasted a get out of jail free I’ll need later on in the season but I’ve already finished ahead of than 5 people in the pool so we’ll see how it goes. What happened to my Eagles? How did we lose to that geriatric wash up? I bet I am glad to be on the wrong side of the world for the NFL this season.

Don’t be frightened, but I’ve been cooking again. Dinner tonight and lunch for the rest of the week is this recipe that I sort of improvised. Boil a cup of brown rice with two cups of water and simmer for 25 minutes. Yes, I know that’s just the recipe for rice. There’s more. Then add a cup of frozen peas, a cup of mushrooms that they cut up for you at and prepackaged at the grocery store, a cup of frozen cauliflower, four servings of tofu, cubed and a whole jar of curry sauce. Makes 1 dinner and 3 lunches. I’m eating it now. It’s pretty good. Would be better if I hadn’t accidentally purchased something that I never knew existed before which are ‘mint flavored’ frozen peas. Who would do this to peas? Why? Are people clamoring for refreshing gum flavored peas? What’s the extension of this aberration? Mint flavored carrots? Tomatoes? Mint flavored orange juice.? Let’s band together to fight this mint invasion. Are you with me?

I haven’t really been too homesick for NYC since I got here, but lately has been the worst so far. Ambush is getting ready for the fall series and just had their famously wild fundraiser and I missed it! Killer. I’m sure you girls had fun. Go Bush!

As Warren G said in 1994, “What’s Next? What’s Next? What’s N-X-E-T?”

Well, my parents will be here to visit soon. I’m steeling myself for that.

The footy finals are in full swing here and I’m having folks over on Saturday night to watch the Hawthorn Hawks vs. the North Melbourne Kangaroos (Dad, that’s the shirt you got for Father’s day). Go Roos!

With NUFL over there should be a little break in ultimate. I was going to play Mixed Nationals with Gary, but that’s in Sydney the same weekend I’ll be in the Yarra Wine Valley with my parents and Aunt and Uncle. It’s okay. You may have noticed I’ve been to a few tournaments before.

I am thinking about playing with the Australian national team in Taiwan in December. More on that in future posts.

Here’s wishing you a good week and reminding you the escape key will not save you in the event of a fire.

Day 2

I went for a run this morning before work along the Yarra river. All of the guide books harsh on the river for being dirty, but I think it seemed just fine. I bet those complainers have never seen the Hudson. The Yarra was crowded with Crew teams and black swans with bright red bills. It was a gorgeous morning: sunny (which the weather report calls “fine” here, so the forecast for tomorrow is “partially fine” which cracks me up) and 18C. There were tons of people out running or cycling. The sky was crowded too, with hot air balloons. I think it’s a popular tourist attraction to take a balloon ride over the city. I ran past the Rod Laver tennis center, where the Australian open was held just weeks ago. Getting ready for work I watched a morning show that I can assure you was just as inane as all the American ones, but with better accents. It was a great morning.

Fantasy fun camp was put on hold shortly thereafter when I started work. First days on projects are all the same. You don’t have a badge. You don’t have a log in. You don’t have a phone. You hear tons of new jargon and acronyms. You learn that the role as it was described to you is nothing like the role you will perform. You get locked in the elevator. You get locked out of the bathroom. (Anyway, that’s what my first days are like.) Everyone I met seems great. The role seems pretty complex. I am hoping I can fake it until I figure it out. More on my role and work once I figure out what the hell is going on. (Expect an update in this in ~ 3 months.)

I have a lot more to tell you, but a ton of work to do as well, so I leave a couple of cliffhangers to keep you coming back: In future posts I’ll be detailing my plans to try out for a Women’s ultimate team here and also explaining a distinctive regional driving maneuver that I’m sure Mad Mike will enjoy.