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:

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.

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!