quick fiji update

i am here in Nadi. my resort, the smuggler's cove, is safe and clean. i think they kill drug smugglers here so the name seems a bit ironic.

the island seems pretty nice. it is 27 Celcius today and sunny.

service is quite sloooooow and casual. no one is in a hurry.

all the fijeans are are SUPER friendly which makes me think they are trying a scam or something but i think they are just like that. they won't accept tips. even when they carry your 38 kilo suitcase up two flights of stairs.

it is pretty quiet here and i think most people just come for honeymoons. i will take a tour of the outer islands tomorrow and do some snorkleing. i am glad i only have a couple of days here as there is not a ton to do in Nadi. i think Suva is where it's at, but i'm not driving or bussing to the east side of the island in the next two days.

i'll fly to nyc on friday night, arrive sat morning. i am looking forward to that.

food seems not so great so far, reminds me of puerto rico, lots of bland fried fish, but i actually think they are just trying to pander to what british tourists want. today i'll try to find some more authentic food.

just wanted to let you know that all was well.

this just in

so, the great american pack-off is complete. it nearly killed me, but most of my belongings are now en route to NYC. i do hate packing. when the movers came today, i couldn't watch. dierdre is gone baby gone. she is better traveled than most schwinns.

i only have 5 more days in melbourne. panic! panic! what have i done? i am leaving a pretty good set up here. i am telling myself i can always come back. (clicking the heels of my ugg boots...)

my good friend gil (accenture florham park) talked me off the ledge. thanks gil! i was double plus stressing about going home and didn't want to fit in a side trip. too much stress to sort out the details. hassle, i said. gil slapped me upside the head and said, "go to fiji". so i will. he's right. why not. i'll be in fiji from july 1-4 which should be long enough to figure out what is up in fiji and maybe have a fruity drink or too, but not long enough to fall into a pit of existential single traveler angst. on ontic anxiety in business class. on discordant situations. oh ennui.

what's left: leaving drinks rager, palmer's birthday. my farewell pick-up game at albert park followed by a trip to the gun island hotel to watch footy and eat 'parma' and one last day of work and league. hugs and tears and then i fly to fiji.

also, i already packed my camera, so don't expect any pics of figi from me. if you want to see figi, look on flickr for much better than i would take anyway, like this:

winding down, wind out

so, i am down to my last few days here in melbourne. everything is in fast forward. there is not enough time. i am really going to miss this place.

i'll be back in nyc on july 2. i decided to just come straight home. i am too stressed about planning the move to plan a side trip to rarotonga or figi or tahiti. i know that sounds wasteful and a pity, but it's the truth. french polynesia will just have to wait.

it's been a busy few weeks. last weekend i had folks over for a poker tournament. at least i intended to have a poker tournament, but it turns out most of my friends prefer snacking and word games. i was bummed there wasn't more poker, but it was great to see everyone. on saturday i went to an ultimate fund raising trivia night and had a blast. on sunday i took a trip to ballarat. on monday, i had the most fun i've ever had in my entire life when tim wise gave me a ride on the back of his motorbike. it was incredible. yes, mom i wore a helmet (thanks for the loaner dave!)

the work week was nuts. work is still just as hectic and now i'm also transitioning to a replacement so i need to make time for that as well.

on saturday i went 'rogaining' in country victoria (creswick) with jess, steven, diego and some other friends. despite the name of this activity, this is not anything to do with hair loss medication. this is essentially an orienteering race where you run around in the australian bush with a compass looking for checkpoints and getting points for finding stations. jess kept me from getting lost and we saw several large kangaroos. it was a 6 hour race in the rain on and off. it was a very australian way to spend one of my last saturdays here, walking around appreciating the landscape with 'good mates'.

on saturday night i had the time of my life. the boys from heads of state had challenged the jerk stores from chilly to a game. but it was not the 4th rematch of the year for these rivals in ultimate. no, this time it would be basketball. as i know several of the players on each team, this was going to be a prime time heckling opportunity. the boys did not disappoint, for as smooth as they may be on the ultimate pitch they all looked pretty uncoordinated on the hardwood, with a couple of notable exceptions. tom rogacki did actually dunk the basketball and some fool in a malone jersey and a deron williams hair style rained down several threes. sadly, chilly finished off the fourth 20 minute quarter up 94 to 35 or so, but the boys from HOS never lost heart or more importantly, willingness to talk smack.

after the game we all went to a pub followed by a little poker.

to top it all off (perhaps due to the day in the rain) i've come down with a cold and feel 'crook'. i spent today moping about the apartment, drinking tea, blowing my nose and packing. I missed a farewell gathering at Gil and Susan's.

next weekend i'll have leaving drinks with workmates around town and amanda palmer's birthday. on sunday my farewell gathering will most appropriately be pick-up followed by beers and watching the footy.

some time in all this i need to finish packing... you know how i love PACKING

oh and here's a picture of me as a bridesmaid fom jen and chip's wedding with the other maids and the bride:

and finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to lindy who turned 6 on 21 June. 6! can you believe it?!?!? look out world!

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog;

38 hours of airplanes and airports later I'm back in Melbourne. I'm tired and getting over jet lag and work is nuts. I have a lot to do before I head back to NYC on July 1.

Business class is so weird. All anyone really wants is to sleep and watch the in seat entertainment, but the airlines serve these elaborate 6 course meals of rich gourmet everything that is just ideal for preemptive air sickness. I would rather just have Pret a Manger which tastes great is high in quality and doesn't spill. The last Qantas flight I was on offered people a full icecream sunday bar. Nuts for nuts I guess.

One nice touch on the American Airlines leg from JFK to LAX was a think full sized duvet, rather than just a blanket. Other than that I think all the deluxe touches are wacko.

This time on the planes I watched The Bucket List (C), Charlie Wilson's War (B+) and likely some others that I have now forgotten. Mostly I slept.

The wedding was a blast. I didn't know many people there, but it really seems like most people didn't know many people there as Jen & Chip's friends cut a wide swath of friends from Ultimate, Amherst, Yale, New York and the West Coast. They're off on the honeymoon now so I'll be checking Chip's blog soon for updates.





Here's the bridesmaids (minus Trina who I suspect was Taking the photo) and bride on the Friday night before the Sunday wedding out at a dance club in Greensboro NC.



I'm using 'club' as loosely as possible. This is Greensboro people. There are reports that on Sunday night after the wedding I organized some running and Wheelbarrow relay races on the putting green, and I do have the bruises to corroborate this story.


The resort where the wedding was held was beautiful, but the staff were a little slack. I woke up and hour late on Monday June 2 after the wedding in part due to a wake up call that did not come. I grabbed my stuff and got out of there, but an hour later than I was supposed to get back on the road to Raleigh, which made me late to return my sister's car. It was a huge favor for her to lend me her car for the long weekend and I am a stupid jerk who returned the favor by making her late for work. Sorry Lynn. Thanks again for trying to help me.



As penance for being an irresponsible sister, I spent my entire birthday alone in airports in Raleigh, New York and LA. I read Jesse's old copy of ESPN the magazine and Kurt Vonnegut's Armageddon in Retrospect. He's produced more work post-mortem than anyone since Tupac, but I'll take it as he's still the best writer I've ever read and maybe the only voice that has ever seemed genuine enough to give me any hope.

I'm glad to be back in Melbourne for a few weeks and getting ready for July in NYC.

NBA: The Celtics got 1. Let's hope they get three more.

We on award tour with muhammad my man...

Hey. I am in North Carolina. It is good to be back in the states. I have been dealing with by overseas cravings for Strawberry Pop Tarts and Little Powdered Donuts. Thirst quenched.

One night in NYC was waaaaay to short, but it was great to see Jesse, Ben and Caitlin and Curtiss. I had a proper brunch on my way out. Look out NYC. I'll be back in July.

Then I spent some time with my family in Oak Island North Carolina. I got to see my much much much older sister (love you Lynn) have another birthday and also her now teenager-in-training daughters Kate and Lindy. It was good to sit on the beach and play in the sand.

Now I am at the Grandover Resort at Jen and Chip's wedding in Greensboro. I lived here from aged 2-4 or so and it is all coming right back to me: the nightlife, the wooden furniture...

I've had a pedicure, a back yard barbecue at Jen's parents' beautiful home and a night out on the 'town' with the bridal party where we made Jen do body shots off strange men and then we shook it all night to Bell Biv Devoe. Oh yes. That girl is poison.

We've had a rehersal brunch, and next is the rehersal and the rehersal dinner. Sunday will be the primping, photos and wedding. Look out.

I fly back to Melbourne on Monday morning but I don't arrive until Wednesday morning, so you go twice as hard on Tuesday for me, since I won't be having one.

Kobe is no Magic so don't tell me that again. Only Paul Pierce can save me now.

Bidness Class

ok. quick update here. i am flying back to the usa for jen & chip's wedding. it'll be my first time back in the usa in 16 months and i am pretty excited. my bridesmaid dress is all packed up.

i am in the quantas business class lounge where there is free internet and free food. and cnn. i could just live here maybe. if the nba playoffs were on. i am gamecasting the pistons/celtics on espn. come on chauncey!

i am hung over to the point of near death experience. that is the best way to kick off a 17 hour flight. it is morning, so i may just reject the free champagne offer. there was poker and makers mark last night after going to see my friend andy's band. i wish i could tell you more, but i can't recall. this really is an 'i am not a role model' post i guess.

i may have even lost at poker using my patented 'never fold' strategy. explain that?

my flight is delayed. boo.

see you if you will be in north carolina. fear not my nyc brethren, i will be back to see you in july and you'll get more of me than you can stand.

the hangover is amping up my normal travel paranoia so i may just forsake all this free comfort and go stand next to the gate and act impatient.

blogger spell check offers this suggestion for 'internet': 'interned'. um. okay. you are on the internet. booya.

Jess is Rad

Hey there. I went to see Architecture in Helsinki in St. Kilda with Jess. It was great to see her and we had a fantastic time. AIH was awesome. Kellie Sutherland might just be the next Neko Case, (at least when she tours with the New Pornographers) in that she's the most talented person on the stage, but relegated to back up singer for half the set, so when she does sing her lead songs the crowd goes nuts from the anticipation.

Jess bought me heaps of beers and I had a bad headache the next day at work. First time for everything.

Work is double plus nuts and I missed league again which makes me sad. I fly home on Friday morning for Jen & Chip's wedding. Looking forward to business class champagne and watching 10 movies.

the prodigal blogger

hey. sorry it's been ages. things are nuts. peanuts. brazil nuts. pecans. hazelnuts. even pistachios. i'm naming nuts.


nationals was pretty fun, although sporting team box athletico united came 6th. we had hoped to do better. coffs harbor was a small town and it rained on us. we had some injuries. (crime box, whale, huswald) we lost a huge game to the national team from new zealand. we won two great games in the stadium on the nicest grass i've ever played on. then we lost two games in a row to sydney's wildcard to get bounced out of the semi's bracket. we ended up 6th, and the 5/6 game was lost on universe point. here's a write up of the overall tournament. here's heaps of pictures if you've got the time to dig around (mom).






i had a great time playing with team box and i have some truly great friends on that team. i'll miss playing with them heaps.






mama and i had a great road trip down. we celebrated her birthday in byron bay and i had a lot of fun returning to some of the places jesse and i saw last july. we swam on the rocky beach, had some dinner, some sleep, a great massage and a great brunch. we are adorable:

and mama shares my respect for oral hygiene.

here's me at the major coff's harbour tourist attraction, the big banana

now on to other huge news. fatten your calves. i'm coming home. first for just a few days, and then for longer.


first off i'm coming back to north carolina to be in chip and jen's wedding. it should be great. i'll be in the great state of NC from may 25 or so until june 1. i'll get to see my parents at their beach house and my sister and my nieces. then, i'll head to greensborough for the wedding. once i've supervised the nuptials and partied with the best dancing couple i've ever known i'll fly back to melbourne.







then i'm rolling off my Telstra account on June 30. i'll be throwing a hella holla send off out of 301 in late june. book your fancy dress now. stay tuned.





I'll be back in NYC on July 2 or so. back in 29. i am getting amped. book out blue and gold for a week. who wants great jones? who wants veselka? who wants boca chica? bring it. i think i'll take some PTO to get re-acclimated to the northern hemisphere. i am looking forward to the subway and playing some disc with my ambush girls. and eating some gastronautical cuisine. i'll miss melbourne heaps, but right now, i am psyched about coming home. see you soon.



p.s. happy mother's day mom. you're the best mom i've ever had!

frantic

I'm frantic. Work is completely insane. There could be no worse time to be heading out for a few days off, but there's never a good time.

I'm off to coffs Harbour for Nationals in a few hours.

I am super psyched to be going with my team.

I have not packed. You know how I feel about packing.

Will there be live scoring again this year? I do not know.

If so, it might be here:

http://nationals.ultimatefrisbee.org.au/email.php

If not, i'll tell you all about it when I get home next week.

Happy Anzac Day!

i am still here

in australia. for a time.

all persists. work is still work. i am busy. laaaaate nights.

also, as usual there is some disc. i played in a co-ed tournament this weekend in ballarat. as they say here, we came second. the fields were crap.

tonight i won the division two league finals with the magic mushrooms and my team box teammate cat 'litter box' phillips and snail 'spring box' phillips. the phillips sisters and i then won the division one finals with twelve cheers for and more team box teammates: joy 'human beat' box and hussey 'this is not a' box. yeah league. twelve cheers for is the coolest coed team i have ever played with and it almost makes you consider co-ed. as an option. then again, all of our guys are open players, which i think is what made it so fun. they are also all 19 and the fastest MFs you have ever seen.

i watched the nuggets game cast today on a conference call. AI was huge in the victory over houston. i think the 8 spot is locked in now.

next up is nationals in coff's harbor with sporting team box althetico united. i cannot wait. it will be rad, assuredly. i'll be road tripping to nationals with mama, raging on the gold coast and then four days at the tourney with my St. Bau boxes. Might just be the best time ever.