chunkytoast

Revolver-esque breakfast

2010-10-19T10:20:00.004+11:00

breakfast 2
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Thanks to my mother's group, I have discovered a wonderful cafe called Revolver. It's in an old general store in Annandale. It's not in a strip of cafes or shops, it just regally sits on a corner on a residential street. And oh what wonderment it holds!

I have neglected taking a pic of the breakfast I love there. I think I am too excited when it arrives to do so. The breakfast is a bunch of things, which is why I love it. I still don't particularly like eggs, so there needs to be much there to hide it. This breakfast includes scrambled eggs, sourdough toast, roast tomatoes, rocket (arugula), something called Danish feta (more creamy texture than regular feta)...and half of an avocado. But not just any avocado. The hollow from the seed is filled with pesto. So simple, but such an extra special little touch.

A couple weekends ago, Haydn came up with his own spin on the Revolver breakfast. Scrambled eggs on toast, chili beans simmered in crushed tomatoes, bacon and...that lovely little avocado + pesto combo.

- chunkytoast

Thursday morning

2010-10-07T09:30:00.001+11:00

reach for the toes
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

A quiet morning here on Carlisle Street. It is soupy humid out. The kind of humid where I put sheets to hang on the line and they just don't dry but stay sort of damp. Georgie seems to have discovered the wonder of her toes recently and is happy to grab them and have her own conversation of gibberish, so I'm perched on the couch and letting her entertain herself.

We might head out to the movies later because I am afraid we could get a bit housebound otherwise. The 'Babes in Arms' session is Eat, Pray, Love, which I don't really have much interest in due to the quasi--not-quite-new-age-self-help nature of the book. It was one of those everyone gushed about because the author went on such a soul searching journey when her marriage broke up. It all sounds rather indulgent if you ask me. But James Franco is in it, so there is that.

I remember Elizabeth Gilbert as a writer for SPIN when I used to subscribe to that in high school and college, before it shrunk and shrunk in size.

We'll see where the day takes us...
- chunkytoast

Reuben bagel at Bagel House, Rozelle

2010-08-23T22:16:00.004+10:00

reuben bagel at bagel house
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

As any chunkytoast reader knows, upon my initial arrival in Australia, I was fixated on finding Mexican food. Without a substantial Mexican population, it turns out a country probably doesn't really have an established Mexican restaurant scene. While there still isn't anything of the more casual sitdown dining ilk like Madison's La Hacienda, Chicago's El Tapatio, or Manhattan's El Rey Del Sol (RIP) -- there is a movement in the more Qdoba part of the Mexican spectrum with Guzman and Gomez and a couple of places in Surry Hills that are always jam packed with hipsters/burrito enthusiasts on their way to somehere else..

But I digress...because the point of this post is that I have started to yearn for American diner food instead. Grilled cheese, Club sandwiches, crinkle fries, salads with glugs of Ranch dressing, little runny scoops of coleslaw, and the DILL PICKLE SPEAR. Alas, it is not a garnish here. So sad.

I got my Club sandwich fix (with battered fries!) a month ago at The Olive Cafe in little quaint Tamborine, Queensland. It was glorious. It got me thinking about another great sandwich: the Reuben. I have never been a huge Reuben enthusiast but have from time to time been compelled to order one. I'm not sure if it's the Swiss cheese or the sauerkraut that is the main drawcard but it's usually because of those fixings more than the pastrami.

After Georgie and I hit Monday 'mum and bub' yoga in Balmain, we usually go strolling down Darling Street to try a different coffee place and take a peak in at St Vinnie's and the Salvation Army shop. I have been eying Bagel House for a few weeks and decided to try it today. It's very basic, all take away but with a few tables inside. There are a number of bagel options (sesame, onion, everything) but it seems like there aren't flavored cream cheeses - just plain.

Interestingly, Bagel House has a Reuben 'bagelwich' on the menu. I mulled over the menu options and decided to go for it. And it was a treat. Of course it's not really true deli / diner style but who cares - there are pickles that aren't Gerkins finally! And the Swiss cheese was so melty. The sauerkraut did what it is suppose to do and add a little zing. And the pastrami was good without being piled on too thick. The 'everything' aspect of the bagel was very much to my liking too.

I had Georgie asleep in the Baby Bjorn so I put a napkin over her head so that it wasn't covered in poppy and sesame seeds by the time Mama finished her lunch!

-- chunkytoast

Flat White in Surry Hills and sunshine in Leichhardt

2010-08-19T14:42:00.001+10:00

flat white, gnome, surry hills
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Just enjoying a bit of quiet time here on a Thursday afternoon. Trying to get nap times carved into the day. It's not very easy if Georgie isn't in her pram or in the Baby Bjorn, but we're getting there.

I'm having a listen to Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. Haven't listened to it in forever and heard it playing at the cinema this afternoon as we left after seeing Cairo Time. While I think of the album as a winter album because it was recorded in a cabin in Northern Wisconsin during the coldest of months, it is really hitting the spot on a warm, windy afternoon. The doors to the backyard are open and the sun is coming in.

I'm not actually having the pictured flat white as I write, it was a coffee Haydn had on Saturday at a cafe in Surry Hills. I just love it when they do the little flourish in the coffee. I take it to mean there is a genuine barista at the the helm of the espresso machine. Sometimes it might just mean they have that little stenicil/motif tool to pour milk over. I'll go with the former.

Hoping that if nap time gets instituted in increments of longer than 20 minutes, I can get a bit back into the blogging more regularly too. Time to flex some creative muscles, write down some thoughts and put it out there.

-- chunkytoast

First time at Straddie

2010-08-05T20:23:00.001+10:00

walk on the beach
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Georgie and I have been in Queensland for almost two weeks now while Haydn went to work on the Splendour in the Grass Festival. Haydn's parents have been taking very good care of me and Georgie. We headed to our beloved Stradbroke Island on Monday and Haydn joined us on Tuesday for a few precious days of leisure for him.

I took this picture this afternoon on a nearly deserted beach. In the summer, this stretch of beach is full of walkers, dogs, runners, swimmers, and sand castle builders but in the off-season, it's pretty quiet. The days have been sunny, low 20s C / 70s F and pretty mild. Yesterday we spotted whales in the distance and pairs of dolphins doing summersaults in the waves.

For the pic, Georgie is sporting her "Paris Hilton traveling tracksuit," as a Qantas flight attendant noted, and cuddled up with her Daddy. She falls asleep in the Baby Bjorn on average in 10 minutes. But maybe this time it was the fresh ocean air that lulled her to sleep.

-chunkytoast

pooped out

2010-07-17T19:01:00.002+10:00

pooped out
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

This photo was so funny. We were checking out the old wares at Doug Up On Bourke and Georgie was very well behaved while perusing the library card catalogue cabinets, old school desks, and kitchen bric a brac. As we headed down the stairs to leave, I was behind Haydn and could watch as her eyes went droopy and more droopy til they were closed. Asleep.

This little way she likes to be held we call her Koala or Koalie pose. At 11+ weeks it's the new way to hold her when she needs a cuddle. Works wonders.

-chunkytoast

she seems to like the sling!

2010-06-23T15:11:00.001+10:00

she seems to like the sling!
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

It's a rainy day. The plan was to do some housework - I kept her in the sling and plugged in the vacuum and voila! she snoozed away - eat lunch, afternoon feed, a bit of time to be restless and then plop her in the pram and head down Norton Street.

But wow, it's really raining. So I'm watching Relocation Relocation with the space heater cranked. Georgie is sleeping in the vibrating chair. Oops, Georgie is waking up from the vibrating chair.

It's nice to have these rainy days though. How often when it rains and you're at work do you go thru the whole "I want to be at home with my remote control and a blanket,"? And here we are, comfy and dry at home. Now, we just need to stay content. It's all hour by hour these days...

- chunkytoast

at mums group

2010-06-16T14:07:00.001+10:00

at mums group
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

All the babies!

big enough to wear some new clothes

2010-05-13T10:00:00.001+10:00

big enough to wear some new clothes
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Georgie Frances Johnston in her new onesie and generally enjoying life at 2 weeks old.

Chicken and Leek Pie

2010-04-26T18:43:00.003+10:00

DSC01927
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

I have officially become a housewife for the next 9 months. But as I'm also nearly 9 months pregnant, I'm not really fulfilling my job description unless you count the whole bon bons and daytime tv part of it. In other words, Haydn is doing a the majority of cooking and cleaning and various furniture assembly duties.

On Saturday night, he made this chicken and leek pie from a Curtis Stone recipe. There's nothing quite like something savory baking in the oven on an autumn evening. It gets dark early and the anticipation for dinner sets in. The leeks, grain mustard and tarragon are what make it flavorful and comforting. Delicious.

Baby indie cred thx to Kara

2010-04-13T22:53:00.001+10:00

Baby indie cred thx to @KaraTM
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

The smaller Converse All Stars to be found in New South Wales. Sourced by the lovely Kara.

Flat white artistry!

2010-01-30T13:03:00.002+11:00

Flat white artistry!
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

I've been apartment hunting the last 4 weekends...the last three on my own while Haydn has been on Big Day Out. For the most part, it's been a series of mild disappointments. You are ready to pay more for more space, more amenities and yet there are many a cruddy apartment out there masquerading as something special based on the online real estate photos.

Well, this morning I nearly hit a wall when I found a beautiful apartment, in a really nice location, with closets and a dishwasher and a car spot and...up on a 5th floor building with no elevator.

I asked the realtor if I missed an elevator by chance and he said no, but I could quit my gym membership if I moved in. I told him I'll be pushing a pram (stroller) around in a few months so the stairs make things a bit hard. Then some old broad who had been gabbing away to him said the stairs were all the more reason to get the kid walking early.

And with that, I said thank you and sought a bit of peace and quiet at the lovely little Bondi Junction cafe, Sugar. Peaceful, friendly and a menu with many options. I ordered a BLAT and a coffee. When the coffee arrived, I couldn't help but feel very thankful for that little bit of beauty the barista gave it.

Polly's taco dip

2010-01-26T13:22:00.001+11:00

Polly's taco dip
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

It's Australia Day, a nice hot sunny day and there is a helicopter circling Bondi Beach with an enormous Australian flag. I keep thinking there must be shark patrol, but nope, it's just a huge flag. The upstairs neighbors are playing crappy 90s music, singing loudly and it smells like an ashtrash has been dumped on my front step.

And it's only 1:20 pm. Happy Australia Day!

I think getting out of this neck of the woods and heading to Liesl's party in Paddington will save the day. As will my mom's blue ribbon taco dip.

- chunkytoast

Olde Stoney at Olde Straddie

2009-12-31T18:46:00.002+11:00

Olde Stoney
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

It's New Year's Eve at Point Lookout, Stradbroke Island, Queensland. Haydn and I will be heading to the Point Lookout Bowls club shortly for a pub meal and some 'classic rock' tunes from a cover band. And...we'll likely be in bed by 11, I'd say.

We've been moving at the leisurely island pace, getting into a nice routine of wake up > raisin bran > morning chat shows > run on the beach (tara) > morning swim > lunch > Black Books DVDs > afternoon swim > shower > snacks > dinner > early to bed.

Haydn has been the dinner chef and meals have included spicy, blackened chicken wings on the grill and a mushroom and asparagus risotto.

As we are the only two here, there is not the usual Bruce Johnston curated 5pm happy hour, nor of course am I on the NZ Sav Blanc this year with baby due in May. So instead, I have turned to a classic, Kirks Old Stoney Ginger Beer.

I love this brand of soft drinks. The graphic design is quaint and there is plenty of olde timey flavours - cream soda, ginger beer, ginger ale, passion fruit. It's an Australian original (now owned by Coca Cola, but what can ya do?) and the Ginger Beer is such a nice happy medium between ginger ale and root beer. Refreshing, mild and not too soda poppy.

We start our road trip back to Sydney tomorrow and I'm a bit melancholy about it. Just when you start to really get into the groove of island life, it's time to head back to the real world.

Happy 2010.

- chunkytoast

Christmas day in the hot sun

2009-12-26T19:08:00.002+11:00

Christmas day cricket in the madras shorts
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Merry Christmas, actually Happy Boxing Day as it's the evening of the 26th. It was a hot and humid Christmas in Queensland, but really there is something to be said for a post-Christmas lunch swim. I did a bit of Sing Star with my niece Ainsley, and then we took a cool down in the pool.

Meanwhile, in the front yard, Haydn and Ryan were playing a bit of cricket. Haydn donned his madras shorts that I gave him that morning. And, there he is in action.

Tomorrow...we head to Straddie for a bit of rancho relaxo!

- chunkytoast

Need sprinkles stat!

2009-12-20T22:26:00.002+11:00

need sprinkles stat!
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Baking cookies can take it out of you. At least it can when you have an oven heated up to 350 F/ 176 C on a balmy Sunday night. This is not a hardship that Martha Stewart has to face at her Connecticut estate, I imagine.

The cookies are yummy if not overly 'food styled'. I think they'll taste just as good bc of the key ingredients of butter and sugar.

It's a first time recipe I am trying from over at Better Homes and Gardens.

All that's left now is some gift wrapping, a couple days of work, and some packing and we are in the car and heading north...

Merry Christmas!

Tacos on a stormy night

2009-11-16T21:28:00.001+11:00

Tacos on a stormy night
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

It's Monday, about 6pm. Time to think about dinner. Haydn IMs me and asks the question married couples have been asking each other for thousands of years, 'What do you feel like for dinner?'

Both of us stumped. It's just easier to sit at your desk sometimes and eat pre-packaged cheese and crackers. But I needed to call it a day. So I headed to my trusty IGA across the road and wandered the aisles a bit, going in the wrong direction of grocery shopping traffic til it struck me. Chicken soft tacos -- but keep it simple. No rice, no beans, just lots of lettuce and tomatoes and sour cream.

So that's what we did. As I pulled the car out of the parking garage, drops of rain started to splatter down. Brilliant cracks of lightning flashed in the distance. Driving into the cross-city tunnel, I could see a lightning bolt off to my left over the harbour and it reflected in a tall, glass building on my right.

I made it home safe and sound, and H and I resumed the business at hand. He was on the chicken cooking duty, and I was on prep work.

Monday comes to a close...

-chunkytoast

Mushroom & spinach pasta

2009-09-23T07:43:00.003+10:00

Mushroom & spinach pasta
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

I cooked this up on a solo night at home a couple of weeks back. Was in the mood for a creamy pasta, but of course not overly creamy. This would be a test for me.

I went to the wonderful recipe site Taste.com.au and did a search on spinach AND pasta.

I came up with this:

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/20523/mushroom+herb+and+spinach+fettuccine

Highly recommended. Not overly complicated.

- chunkytoast

Wisconsin and beyond

2009-08-25T21:04:00.007+10:00

Back in Sydney for about 36 hours now and with a big sleep last night, we're feeling a bit more like our normal selves.

Haydn and I covered a lot of territory in our 2 week sojourn: Chicago for some Lollapalooza and South Loop deluxe living with Ann; Wisconsin for many things including canoeing, golfing, Memorial Terrace-ing and lots of dining out; Tara in NYC for some heartwarming reunions with friends from grad school, Nonesuch, and Lincoln Center.

But a definite highlight was also the main reason we came back at this specific time: the nuptials of Laura and Andy, a couple that has always been great friends to us. Laura and I go back to 4th grade and in coupleville, L & A have known Haydn about as long as I have. We've had good times in Sydney and Chicago.

Their wedding was a blast and had all the ingredients for perfect celebration: honest sentiment, a couple of tears of emotion, a family singalong, funny speeches, plenty of wine and beverages and some major action on the dancefloor.

The following day Haydn declared it a Category 10 hangover. All for a good cause!

As for the all important culinary delights, true to chunkytoast's mission, here'a rundown:
+ Iced coffee - hallelujah! I love flat whites, but sometimes a girl in summer just needs a good old iced coffee with lots of milk.
+ The taco plate at a hole in the wall Mexican place in Chicago. Massive and so love the 'orange' rice on these meals.
+ Bunyan Burger at the Memorial Terrace. So much melted chese always remains on the wrapper!
+ Brat at Miller Park with Secret Stadium Sauce, Mustard, relish, sauerkrat.
+ Mom's Baked Spaghetti. What a meal to come home to -- oven baked goodness.
+ Jiang Chang take away. Broccoli and chicken and lots of garlic sauce.
+ Boca Chica in lower east side NYC. A beautiful plate of Latin American food with a beautiful group of friends.
+ Murray's Bagels -- everything with scallion cream cheese.
+ Jolly Bob's -- the avocat. Pecan crusted catfish with a delectable avocado sauce drizzled on it. And oh the crab cakes were yummy too.
+ Culver's in Beloit -- a burger on the way to O'Hare has become something of a tradition.

But, much to my own surprise, my favorite meal was at the Hawk's Landing Golf Club. My dad is working there this summer and wanted to take us to check out the joint. I love a golf club meal (North Bondi Golf Club is a weekly event for me) but mostly for the dependability. The special at Hawk's Landing was indeed special and I went for it -- blackened catfish on a bed of linguine in a cream sauce. It could be heavy-handed but this was done with a light touch. The sauce included grilled shrimp and it wasn't too cream-laden but instead was a nice contrast to the blackened seasoning.

Here tis:

Many more photos are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13809222@N00/sets/72157622139054180/

Happy trails...
Chunkytoast

Haydn's Mexican breakfast

2009-07-06T22:04:00.001+10:00

Haydn's mexican breakfast
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

After our Newtown Mexicana breakfast, Haydn decided to create his own version. Because of my well-documented aversion to eggs, he did left them out this time. And he added in peppers/capsicum and made guacamole.

If I were to be true critic, I'd say this mix could do with some beans. But then again, that could just weigh it all down.

H's version was better than the Newtown one, I think they probably haven't had as much practice as Haydn in creating signature Mexican breakfast dishes.

Dog at IGA

2009-07-06T21:24:00.001+10:00

Dog at IGA
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Adventures in breakfasting

2009-06-21T14:51:00.002+10:00

12 pancakes!
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

We headed all the way to Newtown this morning for breakfast and retro furniture shopping. I love this chalkboard: 12 pancakes! No matter how mini they are, I dont know how one person could handle a DOZEN pancakes. I am glad, however, to see Organic Maple Syrup being touted as the stuff in the supermarket here is decidedly non-natural.

This wasn't our final destination though...

We opted for Corelli's in the old High School for the Performing Arts (this of course, makes me think 'FAME' which I just watched an episode of). Our table was tiny and I had to sit on what is basically a glorified footstool, but great food and efficient if not overly warm service made up for it.

Haydn and I both ordered the Tortilla Breakfast. I thought it would be served like a buritto but as you can see it was something slightly different: bacon, spinach, tomato, cheese and mushroom on a crisp tortilla topped with a fried egg. The only think missing was jalapenos.

It was a nice way to re-think the Mexican breakfast. So glad to see this kind of option increasingly more prevalent on Sydney breakfast menus.

- chunkytoast

Sunday midday pie

2009-06-07T17:20:00.002+10:00

Mmm pie
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Where there used to a bike shop and then a surf shop, there is now a pie shop on Glenayr Avenue. It's called Funky Pies and the 'funky' must be in be in part because the pies use imitation meat. In other words, it's traditional food with slightly non-traditional ingredients. We both had the signature 'Funky Pie' with mushrooms, mash and vege-sausage. There was a nice sprinkling of some kind of very brown seasame seeds on top that were quite disntictive too. The mushy peas were nice and thick and the brown gravy was rich and hearty. I didn't really need the faux sausage in it - mushrooms and mash would have been enough.

To note -- you get mushy peas AND mash on the side, but that would have put me over the edge for noon. You get pie + peas + mash + gravy for $8. That's good eatin'!

I think I'll go back for the soya chicken, cheese and broccoli pie too.

- chunkytoast

Autumn Chicken Dish

2009-05-11T22:13:00.002+10:00

Fwd:
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

I recently trawled through NPR's feature on meals under US$10. NPR nerds (like myself) posted recipes that are easy on the budget, which is very important in these trying economic times.

There were lots of hearty, bean and rice Latin dishes. There was a very bizarre tuna + brown rice + gravy recipe that a couple posted saying they still eat it 30 years after they made it one night when they were young, poor and a'courting.

But the Autumn Chicken Dish seemed like a nice combination of flavour, substance and simplicity. I endeavored to do this one myself. The first challenge arose with the very crucial ingredient of herbs de provence -- pretty much the flavor component of the dish. H insisted it must be a spice that Americans give a French sounding name, but I think it's just one that you either find at the cornershop or end up searching all over town for. We opted for Italian Herbs instead.

It is definitely a dish for autumn. It cooks for good long while, filling the house with a nice aroma on a dark Saturday night. And with the sweet potatoes and garlic cloves, you sort of just feel like sitting on the couch afterward and not venturing too far. That's just what we did.

Here's the recipe in full:
Autumn Chicken Dish

4 chicken legs, w/ bone, skin
2 yams, peeled, cut 1/4" slices
1 eggplant, cut in 1/4" slices
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 garlic cloves (or to taste), peeled, cut in 1/2
2 tbs herbes de provence
salt & pepper to taste

(All baking temps & times are approx. depending on your oven.)
Pre-heat oven to 425 deg F. Place oven rack in middle position.

Lightly coat roasting pan with olive oil. In pan, mix yams, eggplant, garlic, 1-2 tbs of herbs de provence, & 2-3 pinches of salt & pepper with 1-2 tbs of olive oil. All the yam & eggplant slices should be coated. Next, as best you can lie slices down flat.

Lightly season both sides of each leg w/ salt, pepper, & herbs de provence. Place each seasoned leg, skin side down, on top of the veggies in the roasting pan.

Bake for 20 mins, then turn over each leg & veggies over. Bake for 15 more mins or until juices run clear. Then increase oven temp to 500 deg & bake for 5-10 mins or until chicken skin is golden brown. Keep an eye on your chicken so it won't burn.
When done, place chicken & veggies on separate plate to rest for 5-10 mins, then serve.

-------
I'm not sure the picture does the dish justice, but it really was good home cookin'.

--tc

Greyhound looking for a good home

2009-04-18T13:57:00.004+10:00

At the Surry Hills Festival today, you had your petting zoo ($5 entry, no kidding), your choice of 'stop animal cruelty' booths, shetland pony rides, dudes with goats on leashes, and the friendly, docile retired greyhounds looking for a good home. I stopped and petted these guys for a while...if only I had a big yard with a fence.

--tc

Nostalgia alert: Holly Hobbie

2009-04-04T20:48:00.001+11:00

Holly Hobbie
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

I was perusing the 'Misses shop' at Myer today and did a double take on this cute little top. As someone who had Holly Hobbie curtains, pajamas and a doll as a little girl, I was really excited to spot this. But then it struck me that Gen X nostalgia is very really and aimed at people like me. I didn't buy it basically because of that...and because I might be too old for calico and ruffles (at the same time at least).

That said, I kind of want to go back and buy it.

- tc

Hello, Sven

2009-03-22T17:28:00.003+11:00

Oh my, I've become a car owner! Or more accurately, a lease-to-owner of a 2008 Volvo C30 called Sven. Below is the pictorial evidence and I can confidently say after a day of cruising and negotiating the streets of Sydney, I'm liking it! Surprised by how much I'm taking to it in fact (having a GPS helps). Never thought the first car I purchased would have a steering wheel on the right side, but I guess I shouldn't be shocked after being in Aus for 3+ years...

As I drove home today, I was pleasantly reminded that one of life's simplest pleasures is definitely driving with windows down and good tunes. Especially with these two tunes in particular:

Half Full Glass of Wine by Tame Impala
Coca Cola by Little Red

Meet Sven (named for his Swedish lineage):

-- tc

Katoomba and environs

2009-03-01T10:44:00.008+11:00

Haydn and I headed to the Blue Mountains a couple of weeks back to celebrate the end of a hectic January, oh, and my 32nd bday. It's a 2 hour drive but took me 3 1/2 years to get there! Better late than never, and even better to stay at Echoes Boutique Hotel.

We were in super relaxo mode on Saturday but hiked way down down on Sunday, started out at the Three Sisters and going down the Grand Staircase. Or was it just called The Really, Big Steep Staircase? No matter, since I lived in the Grand Canyon and learned it was the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps that initially carved out the trails to get to the bottom, I find it intriguing and admirable that the trails are there for us weekend explorers.

And thankfully, there is a cable car to get us back to the top. It took us by Katoomba Falls, which sadly is a falls without the water. It's very dry up that way and we only saw creeks that probably were gushing rapids a few years ago.

Beautiful area of the world with lots of funny old antique/junk shops. I bought a book at a place called Mr Pickwicks.

Here are our photos:

- chunkytoast

A message from the Bondi Beach Burrito Company

2009-02-05T23:22:00.001+11:00

IMG00006.jpg
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Caption: Please don't throw paper towel into toilet...
Amazing we even have to ask.

True words surely written by the person who cleans up at the end of the night.

H and I had a great meal from BBBC tonight. I went with the green chili roasted pork quesadilla and H the burrito version of the same thing. On his burrito wrapper it said 'oink.' And it was delicious, especially went well with an episode of Mad Men.

-chunkytoast

a little christmas

2008-12-23T00:16:00.001+11:00

a little christmas
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

Merry Christmas from Australia! We keep the tree miniature although it does have quite a formidable collection of ornaments.

Haydn and I depart for Queensland the night of the 23rd, so our presents have been opened and we ordered some Thai food. A quiet family Christmas before all the festivities begin.

We don't have windchills and huge drifts of snow, but we could have some traditional Queensland humidity and shark warnings.

Decking the halls...
chunkytoast

Ralph, on the Blair Street beat

2008-12-11T23:05:00.001+11:00

11122008.jpg
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

As I was walking up the street to meet a friend for a lift to work, trotting along towards me about 6 houses away from his residence, was my little neighbor dog Ralph. It had been drizzling out a bit earlier and ol' Ralphie was a bit wet and matted. He really is a great dog to have around to take a moment and say hello to.

And what do you know, when I got dropped off at home tonight, there he was on out the front of place just hangin' out and came over for a little pet.

Our 4th Annual Thanksgiving Down Under

2008-11-30T21:38:00.010+11:00

For me, November 27th this year was merely 'Thursday.' But I do not miss out on Thanksgiving whatsoever in Australia, we just roll it to the weekend and use it as an oppotune way to introduce others to the wonders of this feast. I do always enjoy giving the little historical overview of the holiday, I must admit.

This year was slightly different from past ones...we started a bit earlier, eating at 5. This allowed our friends who lingered (ie, those of us who wanted to keep drinking wine and watch videos) to go for round 2 at about 10pm.

I have always relied on cans of Libby's Pumpkin Pie puree to help me make the pies, and this year I brought back a big can of it from the US. I thought it was so big as to make two pies, but instead it was just all ingredients for one pie in a big can. So I had a bit of a panic and thought I'd challenge myself to make one by scratch.

I did some googling and decided on this recipe from what looks like a now-defunct online mag about all things Iowa. I liked the simplicity of it and the ingredient that gives it a bit of a kick: bourbon! I also found it rather fitting that it was by a chef at a restaurant in Iowa City called Devotay that I used to walk by daily during my junior year at college when I lived on Linn Street. It was too posh for college students, but I did like to glance at the menu once in awhile.

As it turns out, it's a recipe I can highly recommend. We served the pies up as a taste test and the 'from scratch' version was the crowd favouite, which I will attribute to less preservatives/chemicals and things in my recipe. It was lighter and maybe a tad sweeter. Much more labor intensive tho -- cutting up a pumpkin is hard work.

This year's meal:

The pumpkin becomes puree

About to get to work

Jimmy and Matt ready the bird

How to Make Gravy

Ta da!

Emilie

Kitchen Mistress

Dan, Jimmy, Lisa

Matt, Emilie, Tara

Trouble: Joeley & Lisa

Fresh air post-meal

And, with that, another Thanksgiving comes and goes. We will have to wait another year for stuffing.

- chunkytoast

Way back on vacation

2008-11-12T21:35:00.013+11:00

Haydn and I have been back for a full week now and of course, like most good vacations, it seems like eons ago. Like, we were in a paralell universe. I guess we kind of were -- the states during election fever! Since the Brewers couldn't time my visit with a world series appearance, it was good to be around during the buzz and blows of the campaign.

But really, it was about time with family and dear friends. Reunited with family I haven't seen in years, seeing Tom and the wonderful Jen tie the knot and throw a great bash. Taking a couple of day trips to get some small town flavor. And catching up with friends from all eras -- old school, college, grad school...

Let's go to the pics, shall we?

Amazing dinner in Narita, Japan. We thought we'd be at the airport Holiday Inn, but ended up in a really nice town that gave us a good 24 hours in Japan with great sights, wonderful food.

And on to Wisconsin...Mineral Point to be exact. But oddly enough, we can't recommend the pasty at the Red Rooster Cafe (open at 5 am in case you're up early or out late) the Reuben however was diner perfection.

Scenes from the wedding:

The old stomping grounds on campus

The little school house in Fall River, dating back to the 1860s when kids really walked 5 miles barefoot in the snow!

A visit to Chicago, complete with the view from Laura's...

Chicago was good times around the northside with old friends and all night-Mexican -- thank you Lazlo's and everyone who made time to accommodate our random windows of visiting.

There are many, many more photos and you can check them on my Flickr:

Fun times with friends and fam

More wedding pics

-- chunkytoast

Meet Frankie

2008-11-09T21:17:00.003+11:00

We've been back in Sydney nearly a week now and I have pics and trip updates to post but the weekend has gotten away. A portion of the weekend went to a couple of drinks at the Annandale Hotel with friends. We were fortunate enough to meet a friend's new Kelty puppy, Frankie. He's all paws, floppy ears, and blue eyes. Adorable and definitely worthy of a Daily Puppy headline!

Sydney Harbour Bridge of Hope

2008-08-30T23:22:00.001+10:00

Sydney Harbour Bridge of Hope
Originally uploaded by Meredith Wheeler

A few months back I went to the Opera House steps to meet up with a bunch of expat democrats for this photo. It is part of a Democrats Abroad project in support of Barack Obama.

I purchased my very popular Barack Obama badge that day, which has garnered loads of compliments and lots of words of encouragement -- from a perky shop girl at the Body Shop to a Scottish dude at The Kooks gig, it even gave the grumbly, stern fellow at the corner store reason to smile! The world wants to vote for Obama if reaction to my badge is any indication.

Check out the photos from all around the world.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bridgesforobama/pool/

tc

Golly gee, modernist design!

2008-08-24T21:48:00.006+10:00

We took a little field trip to the northern suburbs today, where the topography changes to tall leafy trees and majestic pines and foothills in the distance. Our destination was the landmark modernist design Rose Seidler House for the the 50s Fair. The house is very much in the vein of a Frank Lloyd Wright in terms of simplicity, smart design, natural touches. It is nestled down from the road amid the trees and kookaburras, engulfed in greenery.

There were plenty of pompadours, puffy dresses, cinched waists, and classic cars for the event. There are still many people steeped in the 50s who are not old enough to have been there for the first time around. Always an interesting phenomenon.

Here are some pics I took on my phone when my digital camera battery went kaput.

Also check out the pics on this site: www.twentieth.org.au/rose_seidler_3.html

Love that fireplace.

tc

Baked Spaghetti, more than a meal

2008-08-17T21:07:00.004+10:00

Before Haydn heads off into a new busy busy job, I thought I'd take advantage of house husband's time and request baked spaghetti for dinner. My mom makes this often when I return for a visit and it's a hearty favorite. We had not taken it upon ourselves to make it here, mostly bc of the numerous steps involved (frying, boiling, AND baking) but the time invested is worth many meals. In fact, 5 meals with more to spare...

Comprised of hamburger, green pepper, tomato, onion and black olives, mixed with noodles and held together with good ol' cream of mushroom, H added a bit of tomato paste and tobasco for his own signature version. Then smothered and covered in cheese.

We were really excited for this meal and it did not disappoint. A Wisconsin State Journal classic recipe!

The family that runs together...

2008-08-11T22:28:00.004+10:00

Well, actually, Haydn and I don't run together but we did run the same race yesterday. I completed my third City 2 Surf, Sydney's 14k 'fun' run from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach. And, after a dozen or so years in Sydney, Haydn completed his very first! We didn't train together due to the novice being a wee bit intimidated by the season pro, but I have a feeling the final result will be pretty close to the same. The official times will be posted tomorrow.

As for songs that got me up that hill this year, I'd like to salute Supergrass' 'Moving,' Doves 'Pounding,' and just-as-anthemic-as-you'd-expect Coldplay's 'Viva la Vida.' Very Brit-influenced.

My work had a pretty good showing this year too and we had an ample amount of team spirit. We definitely didn't have one of fancy marquees with organic sausage sizzles, Cooper's Green and complimentary massages (then again is Goldman Sachs really do that anymore, either?!), but having an ice cold Toohey's and a sausage on white bread was a fine reward at the finish line.

Here's some post-race action, or lack thereof...

Amigo Jim's, worth the wait

2008-04-16T21:59:00.002+10:00

DSC01343
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

It was sooooo long ago that I wrote about "Mexican Coming Soon." Happily it finally did come, I would wager to say it was maybe 8 or so months ago and in the form of Amigo Jim's, a small little shop with not much more but a kitchen, counter, communal table and seemingly one CD - Buena Vista Social Club as I've heard it on all three occasions I've been in there. It's essentially a take-away place. And it is somehow related to Jim's Pizza two doors down. Now, this should be cause for alarm, why should a pizza place open a Mexican place? Well, Jim obviously knows the answer because the enchiladas are incredible!

The pictorial proof isn't pretty, but I think it shows all that is going on. It's not overload, it's a full enchilada atop brown rice and smothered and covered in lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and hot chili. I go with the "Bandito" degree of hotness which is mid-level. It's fresh, flavorful and very filling.

Haydn and I stopped in tonight on the way home to pick up enchiladas, it's fall here now and completely dark out by 5:15pm, so starting dinner at 7 or so just sounds like hard work. Tis the time of year to put on Ugg boots, turn on an old episode of Law & Order, and settle in for the night.

-chunkytoast

Wedding Bells

2008-03-10T21:50:00.006+11:00

My dear friend Jacqui got married on Saturday, and while it made the news because of who else was there, it was most remarkable because of the sincerity, joy, and laughter that permeated the event. Louis and Jacqui are truly meant for each other!

It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday at a little inlet of the harbour...here are some highlights...

...and here's to happily ever after...

Codename: Quicksilver

2008-02-17T21:04:00.007+11:00

Haydn presented me with a bike a couple of weeks back for my birthday. Not just any bike mind you, but a Trek bike -- embossed with a "Designed in Waterloo, Wisconsin" logo and a "Made in China" sticker. It's a lovely shade of pewter grey and I think that qualifies it for the nickname of "Quicksilver" in honor of my vague memory of a mid-80s Kevin Bacon film of the same name in which Mr Six Degrees himself gave bike messengers their due glory for maneuvering city streets with no fear whilst wearing cool satchels.

My bike hasn't really met with much glory yet -- a ride around Bondi and a journey to Bondi Junction yesterday to get a basket and water bottle affixed. Man, it's hilly around these parts with lots of cars going everywhere, even when you think you're on a quiet backstreet all of a sudden there's a car or three. I have some more biking detective work to do so I can find quiet, tree-lined streets that won't cause my heart rate to go off the charts due to extreme altitude. I bet Kevin Bacon didn't concern himself with such dilemmas. He just rode to where the next job was.

From a distance

2008-01-29T22:28:00.001+11:00

ratm
Originally uploaded by haydnfj

No, the subject head is not a reference to the Bette Midler ballad but I suppose it could be. I took this picture on Friday night at the Big Day Out when Rage Against the Machine took the stage. This is a view from the relatively safe confines of the industry area known as the Lizard Lounge. Aptly named? Yeah, probably. But hey, there's a bar and seats in there. Sign me up!

I for one, would not have been able to breathe down in the midst of that testosterone-fueled, Southern Cross-tattooed mob. But this scene in Sydney was more civilized than the crowd in Melbourne.

I think I'm more of a sit-in-the-grass festival person these days...

back to the beach

2008-01-10T22:11:00.000+11:00

We've been back from our Christmas journey nearly a week now. It's a sort of distant memory because we've entered into another completely different environment (like Fiji to Wisconsin, wow). So, it's summer, really sunny and warm but not quite muggy. Lucky me, with a meeting in the city and straight home after, I was able to join the few thousand others still at the beach at 6pm. A weekday, early evening dip was beyond refreshing. Looks like lots of folks do it for good reason.

I found it fitting to continue with the beachy theme of today, and Haydn and I got fish and chips and sat hillside at bondi near the beach. Lots of other people do the same thing, grab some food, sit on the hill, throw the ball around to the dog and so on. Looks to be a popular spot for couples a'courting as well.

But one last time before really getting back into real life with backed-up sinks, tiring commutes, and the amex to pay, I've posted our holiday photos to flickr for all to see. Here's one of my faves, with Ann and Laura, in Chicago on the last night:

-tc

Fiji time

2007-12-23T03:34:00.000+11:00

Bula! That's the one word that pretty much sums up our stay in Fiji, because it was the most oft-used word. It's a great word and the Fijians use it all the time as a greeting, acknowledgment, welcome, and attention-getter like "hey you." Basically, you don't walk by anyone without saying Bula, it would be rude not to.

I'm writing this missive from our little balcony at the wonderful Warwick Resort and Spa, overlooking a pool, a red hibiscus tree, and a very calm pocket of the Pacific Ocean. We've been here since late Saturday night after a rather long, hot day of travel that included a drunk dad in customs (Haydn and I wonder how that poor kid's vacation is going with drunk dad and loud uncle) and a somewhat dangerous hour and a half bus ride to the bucolic Warwick. We were greeted with a "Bula!" and a lovely fruity drink at check in. Vinaka (thanks).

From there, Haydn and I quickly settled into a little vacation routine that pretty much revolved around buffets (heretofore referred to as "Jimmy" because we're on a first name basis with our Buffet, according to Haydn), reading, Bloody Marys, and Gilmore Girls DVDs. Our three meals are inclusive with a Jimmy at breakfast and dinner and an Al (a la carte) in between for lunch. Jimmy and Al are here with us on our holiday, great companions those two!

Jimmy 1 is one of those amazing hot breakfasts that blends the best of Aussie, English, and American breakfasts. The bacon is decidedly American in style, but the beans are a great English touch, and the yogurt and muesli makes me think Aussie.

On our first day the sun was out and it was hot. We were poolside and enjoyed the inaugural holiday cocktail around noontime. Haydn excitedly started in on the final Harry Potter, which he has been saving for this very trip, and I started in on The Sisters, a great early 20th century non-fiction historical escape about the six vaguely aristocratic English sisters, the Mitfords, who got into all sorts of romantic and political trouble.

After a bit of sun, it was time for Al beachside -- the pool grill at the more "activities" based pool on the other side of the resort (read: more kids and organised games, bar in the pool, hot tub, etc). It can be light fare if you so choose.

Following Al is a good time for a siesta or in-room reading, then another swim at our more mature (read: quiet and couples vacationing on their own) pool, a check of the clock, a shower, a cocktail, and then back to see Jimmy. Each night Jimmy is a themed dinner -- Mediterranean, American BBQ, Italian, etc.

By then we're pretty tired from the day and retire to the room for a few episodes of the Gilmore Girls DVDs which arrived in the mail just prior to our departure. Perfect timing.

So, that's the general schedule we've followed for Sunday, Monday, and today, Wednesday. Unfortunately, the sun hasn't really come out since that Sunday, with various spells of showers. It hasn't stopped our Jimmy and Al schedule or really the swimming and pool schedule. We're on vacation, we've got our books, we just need a comfy spot to read.

But, Tuesday was our day away from the confines of the Warwick and we went on a tour to a Fijian village, the "Jewel of Fiji" tour. This included an hour or so ride near to the capital, Suva, on the main island's one highway. In one direction it is Prince's Highway and the other direction King's Highway. It was a hilly ride through villages made up of little shantys, shacks, and cinderblock homes, sprinkled in with the occasional more contemporary dwelling, like the rugby star Lotte's place in his home village.

It was a really interesting ride filled with waves to anyone we pass on the road and a Bula!

The tour was an all-day affair led by our guide William, who took 16 us in two little speedboats up to his village. It's a traditional, functioning village, seven generations old that started with an English fellow named Danford who came to Fiji in the early 1800s, visited a village and didn't get eaten, but ended up chief of his own village. Not bad.

We were welcomed with dances, kava, a song from the adorable school kids, a wonderful homemade lunch of curry and kovo-cooked food, and more dancing. While, it seems a bit odd to be tourists visiting what is essentially someone's normal way of life, it was enlightening and really wonderful to learn a little bit of the history and culture of Fiji. From the village we sped up the river to a series of waterfalls, passing grazing cows, little villages, and kids swimming in groups. Lots of Bulas on the ride. We adventured up the waterfalls and went swimming underneath a thundering falls about six or seven stories high. It was the vacation moment of being very far away from everyday life.

The day concluded with a short, peaceful ride down part of the river on a bamboo boat, very Fijian Huck Finn style.

It was a Bula of a day and required that we drink our happy hour bloody mary's in-room to have a bit of a relax before the Jimmy.

Speaking of Bloody Mary's, it's about that time on our final night in Fiji.

The inaugural listen

2007-12-04T23:05:00.000+11:00

Almost 11pm on Tuesday, December 4, and I'm listening to A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio for the first time of the yuletide season. It was one of the very first CDs I got when I signed up to the BMG record club back in the early 90s. I could probably listen to it year-round, but I hold off for the time it's truly intended for. The quiet beauty, expectation, and bit of melancholy that comes with Christmas is all there, like it is every year. "Christmas Time Is Here" could be a big, jubilant, sleigh-ride sing-a-long, but good ol' Vince channels Charlie to add that bit of sadness, thoughtfulness.

When I searched for it on iTunes to make sure I spelled "Guaraldi" correctly, I saw that that A Very Special Christmas is also in the top 10 of US iTunes...that's a classic in itself. And while the artists on that brilliant compilation were stars at the time of the album they could have easily become a bit relegated to that era, yet, they aren't. The Pretenders "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," U2's take on "Christmas (Please Come Home)," and of course "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC. Classics were still being made in the 80s! I'm not sure if they are these days in this genre.

In the meantime, I feel a splurge coming on of Christmas music..."Do They Know It's Christmastime?" Or maybe some King's College Choir carols, Wham's "Last Christmas," The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping." I could go on as nostalgia kicks in. So instead, here's a list to check out -- complete with the genius, somehow timeless pairing of David Bowie and Bing Crosby -- banter included.

merry xmas!

Thanksgiving 4th Annual

2007-11-26T22:08:00.000+11:00

Haydn and I had our 4th Thanksgiving together this year. The first was in snowy Cambridge, MA, this year was in North Bondi with the balcony door open, a calm early summer night, and rather exciting federal election to provide the conversation piece. Change is afoot in Australia, or at least the long-term incumbent was voted out after 11 years and there is new Prime Minister from the left-leaning Labor party. We shall what comes of Kevin Rudd's tenure.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Haydn's tenure as Thanksgiving chef is becoming the stuff of legend. The food tells it all. Oh and I baked the pies and would like to thank Gregg for bringing me Libby's canned pumpkin a year ago. That stuff still had a year of shelf life left.

Twas wonderful to introduce more people to Thanksgiving, for such a rather elaborate meal it's about a pretty simple sentiment.

And, Haydn, colour coordinating with the pumpkin pie.

Happy Holidays,
tc

Home Improvement

2007-11-12T21:52:00.000+11:00

I've really not been too in to TV lately, as in I haven't really developed any must-see weekly TV. Maybe it's a withering attention span, maybe it's resentment for Channel 9 taking off ER (a show that is very hard to find to download), maybe it's because I'm just waiting for my Gilmore Girls season 7 DVD that I just pre-ordered from Amazon.

However, I realized this past weekend, there is one show I tune in to regularly and even know the various broadcast times it is shown on the Lifetyle channel. This show is Grand Designs, a UK program hosted by building/design guru Kevin McCloud. He finds a couple with varying degrees of building and renovation knowledge but armed with a dream to renovate some kind of really old house or buildling. Often, the build goes overbudget and into overtime. Somewhat often, ol' Kev doesn't really care for the end result. It might be environmentally wasteful, too ostentatious, or it just didn't end up as it was envisioned. Other times, he's profoundly moved by the structure and what it can do for the landscape, local history and the family.

I've become riveted by this show. I think it's the British-ness, the history, and Kevin's astute and thoughtful commentary. And, I think it's just a bit of voyeurism. It's like going on walks at night and seeing in to different kinds of homes. It's maybe a bit of growing older, as I find myself tuning in to This Old House or Location, Location, Location as well. Maybe it comes from watching a lot TV shows based in homes of impeccable settings - the Cosby's comfortable brownstone, Friends' spacious West Village flat (an oxymoron!), the Gilmore's idyllic Stars Hollow, and wanting to see an actual "set" at those standards and beyond, with a dash of Little House on the Prairie's rustic-ness.

Sigh...I do know it's good TV with a narrative structure that doesn't really change, but the contents do with each episode. And there's something to be said for employing that successfully. I know I find myself making Haydn put up gingham curtains and I have bought two eBay items recently -- an old gold reading chair, and a red fiesta ware gravy boat. Maybe I'm embracing a new home or craving creature comforts.. Regardless, if you can tune in to this gem, especially on a rainy Saturday afternoon, I highly recommend.

Weather with you

2007-11-06T00:34:00.000+11:00

Just got home from seeing Crowded House at the Entertainment Centre with maybe 7,500 other people. Yes, it's that Crowded House as in Neil Finn and co. and their collection of songs that inspire cross-generational sing-a-longs.

While Crowded House were superstars and pretty much remain legends in Australia (tho, technically the Finns are Kiwis), before I moved to here I always associated them with a certain bygone era -- the early days of MTV in the Carter household, when it was Channel 23. I think it's safe to say I had a crush on Neil Finn but I might not have been totally aware. If anything, I really liked him and Crowded House hits like Something So Strong and Don't Dream Its Over bc they were sang by this well-scrubbed, rosy-cheeked guy. Boy George was confusing, Neil Finn wasn't.

And still isn't. The man has energy, a full head of hair, and can craft a song like no other.

But, I better wrap up my stroll down memory lane and will just leave you with bit of a Then and Now for pondering.

Enjoy!

Something So Strong - 1986

Don't Stop Now - 2007

Creepy crawly

2007-10-14T21:28:00.000+10:00

I just logged onto the Hallmark site to send my parents an anniversary ecard and was reminded it's nearly Halloween when I saw decorative jack o'lanterns and "creepy craft ideas." Last year I dedicated some blog space to my missing Halloween as it's a non-event in Australia. On the night of I did see a few stray trick-or-treaters but figure they were either ex-pats or very lolly (candy) saavy youngsters. Or maybe they're starting a trend?

If I were to dress up for Halloween this year, it would be very hard to resist going as Feist, which may sound a bit try-hard, but really I would love a night to dress up in the blue sequined pantsuit she wears in the ubiquitous "1234."

What other costume ideas are floating around out there?

In the meantime, things have gotten a bit creepy and downright annoying here with the massive influx of bogong moths that have descended upon Sydney. High winds sent them here from their usual residence of Canberra -- and alive or dead, they're ubiquitous in their own way...

tc

Sydney: A City Under Lockdown

2007-09-07T18:39:00.000+10:00

The Asian-Pacific Economic Co-Operation (APEC) is in full swing in Sydney with Dubya, Putin and pretty much everyone else from this part of the world in town. It's brought the place to a standstill and portions of the city are essentially under lockdown for all the delegates to bustle around in motorcades (both real and fake). Bush brought a contingent of 650, for goodness sake.

However, silver lining to all the media brouhaha, overkill of Bush coverage, and temporary barbed-wire fences is a day off work. A bizarro public holiday of sorts. But while going too far out of our Bondi bubble was not advised, we got to Surry Hills, had a wander, and got some pub grub. But all was quiet, as seen in the picture below of Oxford Street at about 3:30 on a Friday afternoon. Quiet, minimal traffic, clouds overhead.

It's a good night to stay in with the space heater on, have a glass of wine, and sit down for a roast dinner. Haydn's working on that as I write...

Happy weekend,
chunkytoast

City 2 Sore

2007-08-12T17:27:00.000+10:00

The day started bright and early with a few butterflies in the stomach and 65,000 other Sydney-siders lining up for the 37th running of the City 2 Surf, the southern hemisphere's largest fun-run. It's a 14k run from Hyde Park in the city to the finishing line at Bondi, which thankfully is like 2 blocks from our apartment.

I made it up heartbreak hill, I ran the whole thing, it was pretty hot out, and I improved my time by a bit with a finish just under 90 minutes. I think for the last 45 minutes my left knee pretty much hated me and the asphalt. But thankfully the likes of Kanye West's "Stronger" and Fall Out Boy's "This Ain't a Scene..." on my iShuffle helped me power through. Yes, the iShuffle is a saccharine playlist filled with hits to run up hills to, it is a thing unto itself.

I was joined at the start by my running buddy Kristy who finished in amazing time just over 80 minutes. We met up afterwards to come back for a world famous Haydn breakfast. Joeley and Jimmy joined in for what was pretty much a Greatest Hits of breakfast with spicy home fries, salsa, toast, scrambled eggs, flat whites and a celebratory glass of rose (I can't find the accent mark in blogspot settings so read it as rose-aye).

Kristy and Tara asking, "Why did we do this to ourselves again?"

"Oh right because we're crazy and we like endorphins."

Masterful Chef and Jimmy enjoying the 14k breakfast special

And pretty much after that it has been recovery time on the couch with the Sunday afternoon classic, Sleepless in Seattle. And perhaps some hot chips and a diet coke.

tc

scenes from the toasty apartment

2007-07-30T21:36:00.000+10:00

Because I haven't posted in awhile on the actual blogspot, it doesn't mean that I haven't written completely eloquent, witty, insightful blogs in my head while out and about. Then I'd come home, sit in front of my new totally energy inefficient space heater, put on flannel pajamas and watch Ugly Betty or The Hills. And I didn't really blog. So it's the winter + space heater factor, and for those who have known me since growing up at the Carter homestead, you know my love for space heaters at not overly heated houses.

Here is the $29.95 heater:

We've been staying in a fair bit and keeping a low profile...but one night after seeing the amazing Sarah Blasko, I meant to write it right away and how one of the musician's dad was at the pub singing along and then during one of the most beautiful, sad, clear songs I looked over and he had tears streaming down his face as he sang every word.

But then I came home to space heater and didn't share.

The other night we went to see Gotye and his "mini-orchestra," another great artist doing incredible, new things. Plus he's a drummer who sings, always exciting. And I meant to write about it more fully, but came home to the space heater.

In more chunkytoast-related news, I recently made spaghetti and meatballs, a new culinary attempt for me. I did get a pic of the fruit of my labors. And in true housewife spirit, I sported the apron Ann gave me for Christmas. Aprons are really handy, I might add. I predict a comeback.

But, lastly, for those of you who have stayed at Chez Carter Johnston/Johnston Carter, we have gotten rid of the wonderfully tacky futon. It served quite the purpose during our influx of visitors - Tom & Jen, Lucy & Ann, and our prodigal son Baggar Hadley who took up part-time residence during The Ashes. But the spare room is going the way of the home office and Haydn's accomplished ebay skills found a great desk and chair set. The futon, with yellow throw included so as to not induce nauseau from the actual pattern of the futon cover, is on to the home of some British friends with a round of visitors arriving in the coming months.

Here is Haydn, writing his great Australian novel at the great Australian desk.

And the desk, with more office re-decorating to come. It's all a process here as can be seen by the corner of the other desk that is still in the room.

And that, in a rather scattered fashion, pretty much covers the recent Blair Street highlights.

tc

give me some of that old time popping corn

2007-06-16T17:33:00.000+10:00

I realize "winter in Sydney" sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, but there is such a thing and it can be pretty dramatic and make a recluse out of someone on a weekend. This is the case at our house today. I ventured to yoga and Haydn to the store this morning, only to both return wet and rather windblown. So here in the apartment we have stayed.

We found the movie Singles on tv this afternoon and took a little wander down early 90s grunge nostalgia lane. In the span of watching the last 45 minutes or so, there were THREE scenes featuring popcorn. In one scene, Bridget Fonda's character is eating from a bowl of popcorn as she talks to the camera (there is an actual film term for that, right?). Shortly after Kyra Sedgwick and Campbell Scott's characters are at a movie drinking a coke and eating popcorn. And then we have the guy from thirtysomething, Peter Horton, with a small role, making popcorn in the kitchen of the woman he was suppose to meet for a date. They have a missed connection, he ends up knowing her roommate, and, well, at this point I'm like "Can we make some popcorn and get a bottle coke?"

Haydn to the rescue! He dashes to the corner shop and comes back and makes honest to goodness popcorn on the stove in a big pot, just like Grampa Carter did with all that oil and real butter.

So, here is your own visual cue to crave popcorn. Plus you can see the somewhat wild weather out the window.

Happily indoors,
tc

comfort food, literally

2007-05-31T21:58:00.000+10:00

Staying well-fed as ever in Bondi, and what with a bit of a wintery chill setting in and the days growing dark by five o'clock, we come home at night, plug in the radiator, and get cookin' in the kitchen. Tonight it was all about the truly good comfort of bangers and mash, enjoyed couchside because the lure of the tv was too much to bypass in the name of sitting at a table and eating properly. We threw in some brussel sprouts to change up the greens, and they were so tasty it made is wonder why they get such a bad rap? Hmm, must have something to do with all that butter...

Haydn was at the helm of the stove, and, as always, he made the culinary magic happen.

Then he enjoyed the fruits of his labor....

good night,
tc

Puppy time

2007-05-13T21:45:00.000+10:00

Yesterday after Haydn and I finished breakfast at Sun Cafe, I communed with this little puppy who was enjoying the scene. Awhile ago a friend directed me to The Daily Puppy and let me tell you it will undoubtedly put a smile on your face no matter what else is going on. Another friend shared her happiness distraction of going to YouTube and typing in "puppies" in the search. Voila, instant entertainment and higher spirits.

What an adorable pooch:

The more I think about it, the more I know it's true

2007-04-22T21:56:00.000+10:00

Wilco is my all-time forever favorite band -- hardly a news flash -- and I have been a very lucky girl to work at their record label, to have met my husband through our shared Wilco experiences, and... to have seen them THREE times this week in Australia. Yes, indeedy, it was a long wait for their triumphant return to Oz since their 2003 tour, so the folks here have not had the great fortune to hear all the new tunes since then. Unlike some of us, ahem.

That changed with a heaping helping of 2 hour+ shows this week. I headed to Melbourne for the Weds and Thurs shows and enjoyed the sidestage view. I also enjoyed this amazing pizza on my Thursday strolling through St. Kilda.

(Obligatory Chunkytoast food mention)

Saturday, the lovely Joeley B accompanied me to the Enmore for an incredible show -- the room was filled with big songs, grand noise, and the audience showed enthusiasm, reverence, and thankfulness. (The Melbs peeps were probably all these things too, just not as demonstrative). And per always, I can't take a picture at a concert to save my life. So my pictorial includes one crappy shot from Enmore and then the random goodness of having an all access pass.

The kind of pic that Haydn and I will look back at in 20 years and reminisce about when we were cool:

Dueling tour managers, Jason and Haydn:

Stage awaits in Melbs:

Aforementioned poorly executed pic from Enmore show:

Wilco friends:

Ahhh, good times. Lucky people you are in Eur and N America when the band comes your way very soon.

xo tc

go back a bit

2007-04-22T21:19:00.000+10:00

Time to catch up on the life and times...

Headed up to Brisbane and Straddie for the long Easter weekend. It wasn't as spectacularly sunny as one might think if you haven't spent the last 80 some years in that neck of the woods. Sooo, we had some sun, some wind, some sideways rain and lots of home cookin' and time with the kids.

Johnston kids with their Easter loot

Jack and Ella, before the rain came down and we raced back to the car. Ella runs fast, lemme tell ya

The green house next to the Jetson's-esque pad is the Johnston place

Ominous skies

2007-04-04T22:44:00.000+10:00

The first time I ever heard the word "ominous" was when I took an advance level spelling test in 5th grade. For some reason that word really stuck with me andI remember it was used in the context of "the dark clouds made for ominous skies," or something to that effect.

Well, here are ominous skies in full effect:

I walked out the door this morning with sunny skies to the east and nearly black skies to the west. I headed towards the bus stop in the sun and snapped this pic as light and dark met (sounds like an English class motif!). Thankfully, the sky waited about 2 minutes before it opened up with pouring rain and pebble-sized hail and I had been able to get onto the bus without getting drenched. An adventorous commute today, indeed.

xo tara

The kitchen is now closed

2007-03-18T20:38:00.000+11:00

There's been an abundance of home cooking this weekend, mostly because we were around, it was overcast and a bit rainy, and because we had good ideas, a bit of culinary inspiration.

Haydn, on his continuous mission to make me an unabashed egg-eater, got up early Saturday and headed to the Friendly Grocer and our neighborhood butcher for the goods. We had a cheese and veggie omelet with fresh salsa and bacon. Mmm, bacon. And the flat whites come from the kitchen too, with Haydn doubling up as chef and barista. And, yes I nearly ate it all.

Breakfast #1

Sunday morning was American-themed breakfast with pancakes, real maple syrup (thanks to Gregg!), and, hmm, maybe some more bacon. And flat whites. Weekends are for breakfast. Haydn made a tall stack of flap jacks, so we summoned Jimmy over to help out and we all sat around looking at the social pages of the newspaper. As it should be...

Breakfast #2

So tonight, I thought I should give my husband a break from slaving over a hot stove and I tried a little taste of home, or at least my most favorite soup from Der Rathskeller, Chicken Tortilla Soup. And I'd like to thank Joan Lunden for shaing her recipe, it's quite the popular one when Googling "chicken tortilla soup." Delicious, and definitely has some fire to it. Highly recommended.

And, scene: dinner

It's Grey's Anatomy time and then the weekend comes to a close.

Go Badgers!
tc

Letter from Melbourne

2007-03-11T21:14:00.000+11:00

...written from home at Bondi on Sunday evening.

We went down to Melbourne this weekend, me for leisurely Melbourne times and Haydn for tour managing. However, we did a mighty fine job of both clocking in some good leisure. For starters, it helps to stay at the Sofitel to put you at ease. Check. Two, it helps to be pretty much within walking distance of all that Italian food. Check. And some cafe time is crucial. Check. Check.

I did some wandering on Saturday and found the recommended Flinders Lane -- there are streets and there are lanes in Melb, and the streets have corresponding lanes. Hence, Flinders St and Flinders Lane. Haydn and I rendezvous'd off of Flinders Lane (a Lane of a Lane?) and I might have had a Chicken Parmigiana as big as my head. Here is Desgraves, lane of lane.

The only downside to Melbourne would be the rather alarming amount of pigeons who really aren't afraid of people, for instance landing on cafe tables, flying at your head, and hogging the sidewalks. Tradeoffs.

More Melbs:

Wilco in Melbs, soon:

Cheers,
tc

new look

2007-02-03T23:01:00.000+11:00

hey y'all, as you can see it's been a blog-tastic day, and as I have recently hit my 100th post, I thought it might be a good time for a new coat of paint around here. Still working out a few kinks and not sure what the "565" thing is in the header, but it came with the template. There ya go.

The Big Winner, part 2

2007-02-03T20:50:00.000+11:00

And, now for part deux of the post...I visited the Beach Burrito Company for a fourth time and found a real winner. After a mix of good enough (burritos) and disappointing (no-melt nachos) , I went back for the quesadillas. After a highly leisurely day and an afternoon swim, I found a menu in my beach bag and couldn't resist the lure of my dear friends chipotle, guacamole, and three cheeses.

After ordering, the guy at the counter said "Amy, right?" because they call out your name when an order is ready. I corrected him, but I think I might now be a regular, or else I have a Bondi doppleganger named Amy who likes Mexican food, too.

But the BBQ chipotle chicken quesadilla was sublime. The chicken had a great grilled taste, and the three cheeses did a fine job of melting. Plus, this is a lovely, filling meal because it includes chips, salsa (very fresh with coriander(AU)/cilantro(USA)), and guac. The chips, which I did give due credit to in my earlier post, are sooo good there - thick, crispy, salty, seemingly made on premises. Well done, and I quite enjoyed the dining music of The Smiths Best of.

Beach Burrito Company gets it right.

Pictorial proof:

The Big Winner, part 1

2007-02-03T19:52:00.000+11:00

Darn Interweb. I just composed a sparkling, witty post detailing my birthday party Pub Trivia glory, only to have the new version of Blogger not save my draft even though I clicked "Save as Draft."

So, abridged version -- we came, we saw, we named the Golden Girls theme song. It was the big 3-0 and I thought I'd put to use my 30 years accumulated knowledge of tv, music, pop culture, sports, and some history and geography for good measure. My friends/revelers split into two teams, and after round 2, my team comprised of EMI colleagues (marketeers, no less) emerged triumphantly beating nearby clans of Lawyers and Accountants - this assumption based on crisp blue and white shirts and trendy eyewear. The jeans and tshirts record company peeps brought it. Who says it's a dying industry?

And to the victor, the spoils (cheap champagne, jugs of Carlton...)

Thanks to all for coming and for the happy birthday wishes from near and far.

Here are the pics:

The question was: How many (lawn) bowling clubs are there in the Sydney Area? Our answer below, was about 100 under the correct answer.

Foreground: Winner; background: looks like a sore loser

It's the winning pen!

enjoying the view

2007-01-26T16:47:00.000+11:00

Skipped out of work yesterday a wee bit early and headed to the Big Day Out and enjoyed this primo spot to watch The Killers. Their songs are great stadium anthems, that's for sure and it got the kids a bit riled up. Hence, side stage is the place to be, esp when you have an in with the tour manager...

Going to see them again tonight in their own proper show at Hordern Pavillion.

Happy Australia Day!
tc

haydn's diner, coming soon

2007-01-23T21:45:00.000+11:00

I think June and Ward Cleaver have moved into Bondi, with the arrival of our ebay-tastic kitchen table today, coinciding with our greatly-anticipated shipment of Fiestaware (it literally came on the slow boat to australia), plus the classic Johnston family line-up of cannisters. We're very circa 1957. Check it! So how did we celebrate? Why, with ordering Thai food and eating on our respective couches. June and Ward would frown upon this I'm sure.

This new, stylish kitchen seems perfect for Haydn's legendary breakfasts and flat whites, so I'm dubbying it Haydn's Diner on weekends. However, there are rumours circulating that Haydn's Diner might have a soft opening on Friday morning, Australia Day. But due to other work commitments, this means he will close the kitchen at 9:30am. So, it's the early bird special or nothing. I haven't confirmed if Moons Over My-Hammy will be on the menu. Stay tuned.

tc

Nachos, take 1

2007-01-19T20:42:00.000+11:00

So with a lovely summer evening before me and a work week behind me, I thought it a good time to try Beach Burrito Co. again. The place was pretty busy, but not annoyingly so for a Friday. I went for the design your own nachos and put on rice, cheese, green chili salsa, and roja salsa. Chips: salty, thick, fresh. Roja salsa: good quality. Green salsa: thick, and a real treat to have the green kind. Rice: orange, but not clumpy. Cheese: hmm....this is where things went awry. They didn't melt it. Nachos, cheese not melted. I was tempted to ask them to throw it into the microwave, but couldn't be bothered. And then I started to get jealous of the quesadillas of the girl at the table next to me. So...here's what I'm thinking: stick with the burritos, maybe even the tacos and then add on some green salsa.

I just don't get the non-melting of the cheese. It was a ton of food tho and it looked lovely and my tummy is full.

And here you go:

happy weekend,
tara

back to back

2007-01-17T23:00:00.000+11:00

The last two evenings were spag bol, and I must say it's pretty nice and easy to come home and take contents out of fridge and dump in pan. Heat. Stir. Serve. Kind of makes me understand those people who prepare dinners for a week on a Sunday. Kind of. Was even better night number two, tonight. Though last night was accompanied by the Golden Globes and a sourpuss Angelina and leathery Brad, a disheveled Renee Zellwegger, a misguided Sienna Miller. Helen Mirren was the babe of the night!

Leftovers in action!

later
tc

stocking up

2007-01-14T22:12:00.000+11:00

It's been a pretty quiet weekend around here, in fact I did not leave Bondi nor did I get in a car or on a bus. So nice! We even went to the beach today with approx 20,000 other people.

But it's that time of year, almost time for another Big Day Out tour for Haydn. He's taking off on Tuesday to meet up with The Killers in Auckland, but first and foremost he had to make sure I was well-fed in his absence. So last night he made a massive quantity of bolognese sauce. We had some spag bol for dinner (thanks for bowls, dave!) and then I put the rest of the sauce into 3 tupperware containers for reserve. Here is the sauce in progress:

So I'm well looked after. And there are rumors that there could be a burrito fund left for me as well, so as to carry out further research at the new Beach Burrito Bar at North Bondi. Yes, folks, that's right there is a burrito place a mere 10 minute walk from the apartment. This is terribly exciting, but the burritos so far seem somewhat adequate, which is ok considering there are no other burrito places. I did quite enjoy a mole chicken burrito the other night, but I think the key to this place may be the build your nachos option. Further analysis to come...

tc

We're all 2007

2007-01-01T19:53:00.000+11:00

Well, I think everyone is pretty much in 2007 now, except for maybe Hawaii. But I'm at the end of Jan 1 2007 and it's back to the routine tomorrow and work and all that, so here are some pics from the last week or so. Haydn and I headed north to Queensland and got some major quality time in at Straddie. This was when Haydn still liked Straddie and we ate big meals at night and fell asleep at 9pm (well at least I did, it must be the sea air...).

We headed to Brisbane for Christmas day, which was not nearly as hot this year as last when I thought I might melt away before dessert. But dip in the pool and a new baby, Avah, at the fesitivities made it quite a lovely day.

Boxing Day it was back to Straddie with Haydn's family and pretty much most of Brisbane, but oddly enough it rained Tues, Weds, and Thurs. Cabin fever didn't get the best of us and we soldiered on through our daily routine, fearlessly never missing a 5pm happy hour on the veranda.

The sun did come out on Friday and it was beach and sun and SPF. I was sad to leave on Saturday, with the kids still at Straddie for a few more days, but alas it was back to the big smoke of Sydney for us. And Haydn had already fired off a letter to the editor of the Stradbroke Island News about lack of friendly service and lack of services, so it was time to get back to the land where things stay open past 3pm and you can buy a steak from the butcher because 1) he isn't the only one and 2) it's not under renovation. But I do love dear Straddie for all it's quirks, but mostly for the time with our fam. I'm glad to say we made it up to Dover Heights for a spectacular view of the city (but not very spectacular photos, sorry) of the fireworks. Biggest fireworks display in the world they say, and I believe it.

And now our photo recap...

Haydn on one of our overcast days

Newest niece, Avah. Her brother Jack took the picture.

Haydn, Ella and Jack dancing to the Blues Brothers Soundtrack

Jack & Ella, enjoying the sunshine and its icy treats

Jack & Tara

Happy New Year!
tc

keepin it real

2006-12-10T16:24:00.000+11:00

These pics are too good to not post. It was Amy and Leesa's "gangsta stylee" fancy-dress (love that term for any costume party) birthday party last night upstairs at the annandale, and i must say the effort put forth by party-goers was highly commendable. Everyone pretty much went to Paddy's Markets to find the appropriate gear. Check it out...

I tried to channel J Lo's MTV awards hair style from a few years ago when she attended with P Diddy/Puff Daddy/Sean Combs during that whole era.

I think Leesa and Amy had a great time, they looked hawt!

xo

the visitors from o'er there

2006-11-27T21:13:00.000+11:00

The highlights are so many, beginning with ann, lucy, gregg, laura, and andy all coming over for beer and wine and segueing into a night in Bondi (re: Thai Ploy and BBs), with my bro and the incredible Jen announcing their engagement. There was makeup shopping at the Jungga, Target shopping at the Jungga, the big wedding day and the incredible dancing Johnston kids (my nieces and nephews). There was the Hunter Valley trek with my parents (and 2 Kiwis, and 6 Finns) and some very generous wineries. The Opera House tour was another highlight, as was the adorable, happy Norwegian baby in our tour group.

The afternoon at Manly brought the first ocean dip of the season as well as a delicious $5 ice cream cone -- makes me think of the $5 milkshake in Pulp Fiction. We trekked across the Harbour Bridge to Luna Park and its amusements. Laura, Andy, and I took in the Convict Museum and Laura and I tried out the hammocks the cons used to sleep in. (And we looked up our own last names in the convict data base).

There was a most spectular, elaborate cornucopia of Thanksgiving on Thursday at the beautiful Beach House. Three kitchens, 2 sweet potato dishes, and a table for 13 made for a glorious night in Bondi. All present: Mom, Dad, Tara, Haydn, Ann, Lucy, Gregg, Uz, Kathie, Sophie, Joeley, Andy, Laura. We didn't have football action, but we had Kath & Kim DVDs for post-turkey.

Oh, I'm so wistful now about it all, I can't believe my family and friends were here on my street, in my corner of the world, enjoying the breakfast spots of Bondi (Sun Cafe, Skinny Dip, Bondi Cafe, Baristas...). Most memorable times...

it looks like they're discussing world peace, but the topic was actually how to glue on fake eyelashes.

Ella and Ainsley

Tara and Laura striking a Young Hollywood Starlet pose

Either my dad can look pretty cool watching my mom's purse, or it was the shot of Dragon's Bite that we just sampled

Backdrop: Harbour Bridge

Backdrop: Opera House

Tara & Andy (nice shirt!)

Kathie & Gregg

Pa & the husband

The gang's all here

Ann in the warm glow of candlelight

Laura & I love to tour anything spooky and sordid: convict residence, check!

Much love!
tara

best day. ever.

2006-11-25T09:45:00.000+11:00

It was a most lovely, perfect day and and a total ball at night at the beach.

ARIAs a bit late

2006-11-04T20:10:00.001+11:00

Haydn and I went to the ARIAs last Sunday (Australian version of Grammys), and it was fun to get dressed up and gawk (one of the guys from Savage Garden sat at a table near us and he drinks beer and text messages just like the rest of us!). One of my faves, "Bob Evans won an award and Wolfmother won a bunch of awards of course. Gosh the pressure will be on for the "sophomore effort" so to speak.

But anyway, it was like 6 hours long and of course the dessert was the best course. And I guess the Veronicas are really short. And I need a best of Midnight Oil album bc so many of those songs are soooo good and they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame by Silverchair, who was introduced by the man, Bono.

And I just really like this pic of me and Haydn. His lips are probably a little purple from a few glasses of red. Hee hee.

tara

Jack O'Lantern

2006-10-31T22:28:00.001+11:00

Happy Halloween and here is my dear little pumpkin, all come to life. I didn't have any trick or treaters, but saw a scattering of them in the 'hood as I walked home from Bondi Road tonight.

I wish this picture included my little favorite neighbor dog, who I have decided to call Reggie. He's an old dog who just hangs out in his yard and is docile and reliable, and I think he was sniffing things out when I took this pic.

I'm making my little playlist for the upcoming nuptials, so if you're coming this is your chance to make a request. And if you're not coming, this is your time to make your long distance dedication! Just remember, I have veto power. And so does our friend Adam who is DJing/curating the evening's music.

Happy Halloween,
tc

The Great Pumpkin

2006-10-24T22:43:00.000+10:00

So, as I realized last year, Halloween is decidedly American. There are a few down here who get excited, some shop windows filled with fake cobwebs and whatnot. When I lamented that I miss Halloween, my Mom suggested that I just go out and find a pumpkin to carve so that I can have my own little observance. Good idea, Mom.

Haydn and I swung by the Fruitologist to check out the produce and while I thought I might have to carve a butternut squash, we spotted the Halloween Pumpkins and took the chosen one to the check out. Now, I think I found the Great Pumpkin that little Linus waited all through the night for...because this seemingly average pumpkin cost $18. Wow, that's some pumpkin! Can anyone share with me the going pumpkin rates in the U.S? Is this outlandish? Or am I just thinking in pumpkin rates of 1992?

Regardless, I'm so happy to have my pumpkin and will reserve next Monday for a carving session, then put it out on the balcony Tuesday night to let alert any random kids possibly trick-or-treating that there are fun size Snickers to be had at this residence.

Me and the pumpkin:

boo,
tara

on the green, nearly

2006-10-16T22:11:00.000+10:00

After Friday and Saturday's heatwave, a wind blew in Saturday night and gave us a cool, overcast, sort of questionable Sunday. But not questionable enough to rain on Langer's birthday party at the Bronte Bowls Club. Yes, Bowls as in lawn bowling, as in the civilized pasttime of cold midis (half size beers), framed pictures of Queen Elizabeth II in the clubhouse, manicured lawns (not very green, I imagine bc of the DROUGHT), and good ol' friendly competition. Except don't ask Geoff (pictured below) about friendly competition bc the closest my bowl got all day to the jack and it was smacked aside on the last bowl of the game by the ruthless Geoff (in action, below).

I wonder if that is how good ol' TK Shakespeare, who dedicated the club in the 1950s would have played? I imagine so.

So, we grilled out sausages, little kids ran through the green as an added level of difficulty, and fun was had by all on a Sunday afternoon.

tc

New frontiers

2006-10-11T22:12:00.000+10:00

It's late, I'm tired, my belly is full, but I thought it very important to report that we have joined the ranks of maybe a few thousand other people in Australia with our broadband hook up. We're a wireless family and when anyone comes to visit, feel free to logon to our network, the Johnstons, and I'll give you the password.

So, with the wifi in effect, we feasted on roasted chicken, potatoes and pumpkin tonight, thanks to Haydn's never-ending culinary talents.

Wow, this pic uploaded fast!

Good night,
tc

Inaugural

2006-09-26T22:08:00.000+10:00

Hurrah hurrah, we ushered in the first bbq of the almost here summer. Sunday was a big blast of heat, the dissonace of a trip to Ikea way out in Homebush (only for the selected dresser drawers to be out of stock, 2nd choice please bc we were not coming back), and finally an evening of cooking out with Jimmy, Michelle, Emily, and Geoff.

Haydn manned the grill and there was so much meat one might think it was sponsored by Sam the Organic Butcher. Chicken wings, sausage, steak, hamburgers. Seriously. But Haydn was in his element, a true multi-tasker. We even capped off the meal with Moet and apple pie. Style, class, wholesomeness.

And for good measure...in addition to the dresser, we figured since we made the Burke & Wills trek, we might as well get a butcher block while we were at it.

(ok, slightly staged...)

So while it may seem to be all BBQs and power tools with Haydn around...whilst I write we're wrapping up an evening of Gilmore Girls and Project Runway...staying true!

--tc

Work in progress

2006-09-17T20:11:00.000+10:00

It's been hard to write lately with all this nesting going on. We've moved a few streets over and now find ourselves in North Bondi -- upmarket as Haydn says. But I'm sure the southsiders might beg to differ. In the meantime, there's been lotsa boxes, suitcases, more boxes (thanks Love Police, they make great nightstands!), a hot water heater with a mind of it's own, 5 channels on a very small tv followed by 5 channels on a big tv, and as of Thursday Foxtel digital cable on a big tv! Yay! Up next -- the guy comes to hook up broadband. There will be a dance of joy on the newly acquired floor rug on that day.

Oh and that whole Pacific Ocean deal is still like 2 blocks away and the weather has been beautiful and that's why you throw open the door on your verrrranda.

The rug, the tv (E! News), the framed Wilco poster awaiting its place on a wall. We're still a work in progress...

--tc

34th Street Friends

2006-08-31T22:30:00.001+10:00

Either the world is reassuringly small, or Australian men have a way of wooing women on an international scale, or perhaps my friend Katrine and I are just on similar paths -- no matter, I was so happy to be reunited with her last night after 2 years since our last visit.

Katrine and I spent summer 2002 interning in NYC and both ended up residing at the genteel, well-mannered, lady-like (read: clean, safe, and strict) all-female residence straight-out-of-1933, The Webster. (Or maybe straight out of 1993 if you look at the pics on the Webster website). What a summer it was! After our summer, I was back in Wisconsin and Katrine in Copenhagen.

But last night we were both in Bondi, as Katrine is in town visiting the very charming Ben, and the three of us had a wonderful evening of tapas and conversation -- loved the haloumi and lamb especially -- and discussed the intricacies of chunkytoast (the food, not the blog) and flat whites. And here are some pics from the evening...safe travels Katrine and hope you make it back this way soon...

--tc

How soon is soon?

2006-08-23T21:32:00.000+10:00

The Smiths asked "How Soon is Now?" I ask, "How Soon is Soon?" I was walking home tonight and went past a store window I have been keeping my eye on for some time but with nary an indication that "Mexican Opening Here Soon" is indeed occuring in the near future. (Granted, this is if said Mexican is actually referring to Mexican cuisine...)

This poster went up probably 8 weeks ago or something and Haydn and I agreed that we don't care if it is merely mediocre -- maybe even not that good -- we just want a close, easy Mexican take-away place as an option. That doesn't seem to be too much to ask.

And you go and you stand on your own
and you leave on your own
and you go home and you just want to stop for a taco...

--tc

At the footy

2006-08-07T22:27:00.000+10:00

I attended my first Australian sporting event the other night, Australian Rules Football. The Sydney Swans vs Essendon Bulldogs. Swans owned the game!

It's relatively simple game, but I'm sure there are details and things I missed out on...not always sure whey the game stops, why someone gets a free kick, if the ball bounces thru the goalposts does it still count (yes it does). So on and so forth. It's not cricket, in other words.

Here is what I liked about it:
1) no nets on the goalposts, so when they kick the ball thru the uprights it flies into the crowd
2) that in the section we sat, men had to wear collars (downside, haydn didn't have one on so a friend had to bring one over)
3) meat pies! pretty good little snack for rainy weather

But mostly, eating a meat pie, drinking a VB, when the ball gets kicked thru the posts and lands one row in front of me, is pretty priceless. Haydn said immigration should have instantly appeared and given me an Australian passport at that moment.

Me and my meat pie:

Second-half action:

go swans
--tc

Put on yer glad rags

2006-07-30T21:04:00.000+10:00

A bit more pictorial action...as we got all dolled up Friday for a good cause, The Red Cross Gala, that our friend Joe is on the planning committee for. There were some top notch Australian celebs and notables, we had former Prime Minister and champion beer guzzler Bob Hawke in all white, former Midnight Oil lead singer/current member of Parliament Peter Garrett , model Michelle Leslie of Bali prison fame, and then a bunch of people I didn't really know were famous but sort of are here.

And then...there was our table of good times and much champagne. It goes down as a historical even merely bc it was the first time I ever saw Haydn in a suit. He cleans up well!

Keynote address by he of "Beds are Burning" fame

Lovely couple Cass and Tom

Champagne whoo hoo!

Table #28 in its glory

Haydn and Tara, on the town

Dessert, including a mini pumpkin pie/torte!

and that wraps up the evening...

Migrating north

2006-07-26T22:26:00.000+10:00

Finally settling back into the normal routine after the Byron Bay sojourn to the Splendour in the Grass festival. While it only really rained on the festival right at the end Sunday night, there was plenty of rain beforehand to set the stage for much mud and many gumboot fashion statements. Myself, I sported bright blue gumboots that Haydn picked out for me for $23 at a hardware store. For those who packed the usual Converse or flip flops, they could purchase boots for a whopping $100 onsite!

But enough with the mud, the festival was grand. Highlights included... all the way from NYC, TV on the Radio and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- who when they ate dinner together in catering, Haydn dubbed it the fashionable hair table. Death Cab for Cutie made for a rather buoyant show Saturday afternoon and Brian Wilson wrapped it all up on Sunday playing his Greatest Hits Medley for the Ages: California Girls, Wouldn't It Be Nice, Surfer Girl, etc. The Big Fella seems to be sensitive to smoke as he turned to the sidestage a number of times during his performance to yell at people to stop smoking.

So, without further adieu, here is my little Byron pictorial.

The boots worth their weight in gold:

These concert-goers sported the same boots as me. Unfortunately, I did not partake in the Mexican food harkening in the background but stuck with the rather vague variety of stir fry meals at catering (tho the coconut chili prawns were a highlight...)

Sydney goes north: Leesa and Joeley

I met this handsome dude backstage...

I swear I had red eye reduction set on my camera...Emily and Jeff

And from sunny Southern California...Brian Wilson!

--tc

Pre-show prix fixe

2006-07-17T22:17:00.000+10:00

Sunday evening...usually a time for winding down, maybe fighting a bit of the Monday Dreads as my friend Rosi calls 'em, folding the laundry finally, finishing the paper. Oh but not last night. I mustered a different kind of motivation from saturday morning yoga, and put on my Converse All Stars and headed out for some Death Cab for Cutie down at Rebel Rebel at Cockel Bay -- a bay I never knew existed til I had to find the club.

I met up with arguably the most passionate Death Cab fan this side of Seth Cohen from The OC, the lovely Stellaand we grabbed dinner at Black Bird Cafe and soon found ourselves in some pizza deja vu. Just a couple of weeks back we grabbed pizza and vino pre-Sleepy Jackson and now we were doing the same thing pre-Death Cab. Continuity can be good, so can friends who love to share a pizza with lotsa cheeze, mushrooms and onions. Rocket and parmesan for cleansing and a simple bottle of house white. Then onto the show, sold out, all the kids knew all the words and the new songs sounded great. But I was about to turn into a pumpkin before 11, so I grabbed a cab and back to Bondi I went.

But an important fashion footnote from my Sunday Bondi market outing with Michelle...will I or won't I succumb to wearing a one piece shorts combo this summer? Yikes. There was a whole slew of them at one stand and at first I thought these get ups are from another era that maybe doesn't need to be re-visited. And then I thought, wow that'd look cool my with pair of lime green Dr Scholls. Are these being sported in North America this summer or is this one of those Sydney fugly things?

And with that, I'm out.
--tc

The motivated few

2006-07-15T13:40:00.000+10:00

It's Saturday in Bondi and grey, blustery, rainy. But I motivated to get to a yoga class and walked by the beach, and my motivation pales in comparison to the people SWIMMING across Bondi, the gaggle of surfers, and the surf life savers practicing their life-saving in rafts crashing against the waves. Who are these people? They are either crazy or they are my heroes, I'm not sure.

But I thought I'd snap a pic of the winter beach on the phone and put it up on chunkytoast. It looks to be a good day to hibernate and start in on my DVDs of series 1 of "Love My Way" and drink coffee and begin my reign of queen of the castle as I am holding down the fort on Francis Street for the next few days.

Enjoy the weekend,
tc

Austria meets Australia

2006-07-08T12:42:00.001+10:00

Been awhile since the last post what with the ailment of last week and the start of a new gig and new commute this week. The new gig is marketing at EMI/Capitol and I'm totally digging it and the much more user-friendly accounting system than the lumbering Oracle I use to work in. But mostly, I love the roster and am hoping to stick around EMI for awhile...even tho it is out in the 'burbs or as one colleague said "in Desperate Housewives land."

And after wrapping up week 1, I met Haydn at his office for a couple of glasses of wine with office folk and then he and I headed to Una's Cafe. It was a new culinary experience, while I usually crave Chinese, Thai or Indian, I wanted something of the hearty, European type fare. So we headed to Una's, which Haydn said was Polish, but we were corrected that it is Austrian. And by the number of schnitzel options on the menu, yes it is Austrian if it is anything!

So we didn't mess around and ordered the deep-fried camembert! Oh man, this was like fancy deep fried cheese curds from, very creamy and a lovely coating, served with cranberry sauce.

For mains, Haydn went for the Jaeger Schnitzel -- veal schnitzel with a mushroom sauce, and I had the bratwurst with sauerkraut, to which the waitress replied "beautiful," when I ordered. My picture of my meal is a big shaky as I was in anticipation of more sauerkraut than I have ever seen on one plate! Haydn said if I ate the whole thing he'd walk home on his hands. It was all served with a side of spaetzle/rosti, which made me think of my friend Gregg who can live on the stuff! Oh if only there was Spotted Cow in Australia...

Now I don't think I need to eat again for about 2 days. Thanks, Una!

Happy weekend,
tc

And it was all yellow

2006-06-27T19:04:00.000+10:00

Sadly, the yellow and gold didn't advance in the World Cup. I tried to watch, but have been knocked off my feet with a flu-type illness and became very weary about the 60th minute. But luckily I still had some life in me early in the evening so that I could go to see Coldplay. I must say, it was an exhilarating performance. Chris Martin's energy is completely boundless, and a big ol'd concert singalong is always special, no matter what. Plus, I got to meet Will (drummer) and Guy (bassist) afterwards thanks to friend-to-the stars, Haydn. And glad to say they're lovely blokes!

So...I just wanted to share this pic that Haydn took during "Yellow," which was dedicated to the Socceroos...

Meet me at Arthur's

2006-06-25T20:52:00.000+10:00

It was a convergence of Big Day Out pals...and fellow blogspotters, when Stella and I met up at Arthur's in Paddington pre-show Sleepy Jackson. Her man, Hugh, was the lighting maesto and my man, Haydn, was production manager extraordinaire. Which meant we got to go to dinner ahead a time and skip on across the street and enjoy our guest list spot. Enjoyed the show too, sorta art rock, not too much angst even tho there could have been, and some Robert Smith-inspired make-up. All good things. And time with Stella and Emilie, who joined us at the show. The Big Day Out site office reunited -- if only there was a Silent Disco...ha!

But back to Arthur's, a classic brick oven pizza place. We got a bottle of Penfold's Shiraz from the bottle shop next door, -- served in champagne glasses cuz we're classy like that -- a rocket (arugula) and parmesan salad, a margherita pizza, and an eggplant/artichoke/other stuff pizza. Such tasty thin crust, garlicky pizza. We polished it off just as we realized the show had started and it was time to split.

Good times indeed to catch up on a rainy night over pizza at the end of the 9-5:30 week.

And a bonus photo for the Socceroos and for fans of public typos. We'll be watching at 1am tomorrow night. Very happy to still have the Aussies in the World Cup, but as Haydn said, if they would have lost at least he would have been able to get some sleep.

happy monday,
tc

This ain't no foodcourt

2006-06-19T23:23:00.000+10:00

A quick post before heading to bed...it was a busy day at the gossip rag today, phew! What with Nic and Keith landing in Sydney for the big wedding. Well not really, as I'm in the advertising department, but a Monday nonetheless.

However, after my little woeful post about lunch at the foodcourt, one loyal reader wrote to me suggesting I go find a park. Well, now that we've switched back to some nice, mild weather instead of rain everyday, I can do just that. Especially because I currently work right across from Hyde Park. And here it is...

later
tc

Maple Flavoured

2006-06-18T15:20:00.000+10:00

The obligatory Sunday morning breakfast post, coming at ya. Saturday breakfast is becoming pretty good too, with the last two Saturday's at Barista's across from the beach, home of actual "chunky toast" the inspiration for the very name of this here blog. So, next Saturday I'll bring along my camera there.

But today, it was American style breakfast with pancakes and bacon...and, um, Maple Flavoured Syrup. Not Maple Syrup, mind you, but maple-flavoured. Haydn contends there isn't really such a thing as Maple Syrup despite our spending an entire weekend in Vermont a couple of years back. Silly! So I must say while the pancakes were right on and the bacon from Sam the Organic Butcher as bacon-y as ever, the syrup was a tad runny. But we soldiered on in the name of breaky.

And now, the next challenge for us here in Oz is staying up to watch the Socceroos take on Brazil at 2am local time! Go Aussies Go!

The aforementioned syrup in foreground, Haydn in background:

Breakfast at my recently acquired desk from St Vinnie's, in the sunny spot:

--tc

The Chocolate Dog by day...

2006-06-10T13:57:00.000+10:00

...Mexican by Nite! This was the sign hanging outside the coffee place in Newtown that was recommended to us for some honest to goodness authentic Mexican food. The Chocolate Dog is a cafe by day on a corner in Newtown with lots of windows facing out the busy street. And at night a family -- someone said from Chile -- runs it as a Mexican restaurant. And it was so delicious! We had Chili con Queso which was no Velveeta, lemme tell you, but hot chili and melted cheese and jalapenos. Haydn and I both got enchilads, he opted for two chicken enchiladas at "medium" heat, as we could specify how spicy we wanted it. I got one beef, one chicken enchilada and turned it up a notch to "medium to hot."

It was so fresh and flavorful and mine definitely had some heat, just as it should. Served with guac, sour cream, brown rice, and some greens. Lots of stuff. This wasn't any Old El Paso kit, which is what the section of Mexican food comprises at the grocery stores here. So, I highly recommend The Chocolate Dog...Mexican by Nite. The place was packed by 7:15pm on Thursday and we were in food coma by 8pm...

In other news...it's a cloudy Saturday, there's a marathon of "Fame" on tv and I'm going to try a new yoga place this afternoon. I love my dear Tamarama Surf Club, but it's getting too cold there at the old ramshackle surf club. Makes for too much meditation pondering the greatness of space heaters.

...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT TO ANNIE working her bootie off at Wellesley reunion weekend. I salute ye!

...also, Haydn kindly shared Dave's Pumpkin Soup recipe on the comments page on the posting The Good Orange.

--tc

Lunchtime realizations

2006-06-07T21:23:00.000+10:00

Yes, indeed, post #2 of today. Sometimes you're at a temp job and you have time to write...

So, the past 8 months or so for me have been about change. Ok, understatement of the year, really. And when I was back in the States, a few people asked if it was strange to be back. And my answer was that nothing feels all that strange anymore, It's all sort of relative in the sense of cultural things, celebrity gossip, climate, or accents. You go to a city, there's coffee shops, bars, and Thai food, right?

But lately something has struck me as a bit different or a tad uneasy, especially as I make these baby steps back into working world. It is the office worker's food court that gets me more than anything. I take buses, go shopping, order food, browse bookshops, and it doesn't feel strange. Maybe, I even feel a bit exotic -- imagine that, a girl from Wisconsin. Then I make my way into some worker realm and the respective lunchtime digs and that's where I feel different, on my own, and sorta lonely. A bit of the kid-in-the-cafeteria-alone complex.

I get struck by how my life has changed when I'm sitting in some food court filled with crisp, tailored shirts, trendy pumps, and messenger bags, whilst eating a Tandoori Chicken Wrap from Boost Juice, as you do. I kind of look around at the buildings and co-workers eating together and that is when it strikes me: I'm in Sydney and I'm on my lunch break.

Foodcourts of the world, unite.

--tc

The good orange

2006-06-07T20:51:00.000+10:00

Oh it may be cliche, but when life hands you pumpkins, make pumpkin soup. Must dole out some mad props to Haydn for a most autumnal batch of pumpkin soup. No, it's not October, but here in the Southern hemisphere we call it June. So, a rainy day, a downpour when your pedi turns into a mani/pedi simply bc you can't go outside when you're done, and a bit of warmth is needed. I still have to remind myself that the squash family here falls under the umbrella of pumpkin. So maybe it was squash and potato soup, I don't really know. All I know is a blender was used to make it all smooth and good.

With a spoonful of sour cream, so positively good. As the credits roll, Hadyn's friend Dave gets Executive Producer credit because it was his recipe that Haydn used. Thanks, Dave - do the peeps of Byron Bay get to sample the hearty goodness of your pumpkin soup?

And here is the pictorial portion:

bundle up,
tara

The breakfast campaign

2006-06-05T16:24:00.000+10:00

Haydn's tireless efforts to get me to eat eggs for breakfast and like them, really came to fruition yesterday. I just don't really like eggs, mostly because of the consistency. I like them as a conduit to other things, like a breakfast burrito, home fries, stuff in omelets, but they just kinda gross me out in general.

And Mr. Indefatigable sets out most weekends to win me over to the egg side. Yesterday's breakfast was highly commendable and disgused eggs like never before. My breakfast suggestion was "spicy." I set off for a run, Haydn to the grocery store and I came back to a major scramble up going on -- sans eggs, which he forgot to buy. So I volunteered to participate in this full-on effort and went and got some organic eggs. And from the kitchen emerged a vaguely Spanish-inspired breakfast of sorts: eggs, bacon, new potatoes, tobasco, oregano, and, of course melted cheese on top. Because when you're from Wisconsin, you feel the need to melt cheese on top.

And ta da! Clean plate club just a few minutes following this pic:

But out adventures continued thru the day, including a trip to Bondi Junction mega mall (the Jungga) for Haydn to buy a big ol' pasta pot with built in strainer and steamer and all that jazz. This was in part so he could make a big spaghetti bolognese dinner for Jimmy and Michelle...it wasn't BBQ weather really yesterday, so time to have them over to Francis Street for some comfort food. And Joeley and Jimmy look pretty comfortable after...the other pics didn't really come out due to lighting problems and post-pasta laziness.

And lucky us, there looks to be enough sauce to keep the dinner party going tonight...it's so dreary, rainy, wet, cold, that spag bol is just what the doctor ordered.

xo
tc

Early to bed and all that

2006-05-29T22:28:00.000+10:00

Temp girl here, weary from a day of more data entry. And more data entry. Not entirely rewarding is the world of a data entry queen. I know my stateside counterpart Ann can second that emotion. More rewarding are my girls, as in "the girls" as we were often referred to at Big Day Out, Emilie and Stella.

Emilie and Dan hosted a Sunday evening soiree of wine from her dad's winery, Idol Hands and hors d'oeuvres extraordinaire. I had not seen Stella, aka blogger Shiny Ruby, since my return, so it was one of those nights of high pitched laughter and big ideas, while the guys kept themselves entertained.

We needed a little Red Eye Reduction in this pic (and this morning at work), but otherwise it was a pretty glorious reunion!

Oh and a modest feather in my own cap...my Sunday morning assignment was breakfast, so I trudged to the store with green grocery totes in tow and decided to do BLTs with Aussie flair -- on big Turkish Rolls with a chili mayonnaise I concocted. I do love the chilis.

And now...past my bedtime and it's not even 11pm!

--tc

School night

2006-05-22T20:28:00.000+10:00

Monday evening, wind blowing, flashes of lighting, a storm brewing...and I'm wiped out from my foray back into the commuter working life of a data entry temp. I'm out there in the trenches, bravely updating client databases for a media sales company for a few days. My train ride to North Sydney includes crossing along the Harbour Bridge, not bad. And sorta reassuring to get the free daily train newspaper complete with snatches of celeb gossip, like my AM NY from the 1/9 train, except this daily comes at the end of the day.

But I digress...I'm tired and just want to put up a few pics from the weekend.

Friday night Haydn and I headed to a seafood/fish place, Doyle's, with some friends. It was pretty quiet for a Friday night at a fish place, but kinda fun to have it to ourselves and some elderly diners, and a great view across the harbour to see the lights of the city. Plus check out that tuna steak and mashed potates. I totally ordered it for the mashed potatoes and gravy. Yum.

Sunday oftentimes means dinner at Michelle and Jimmy's...but Michelle threw us for a curve and hosted a girls only BBQ -- ok there were a couple of male stragglers, but really it was about the ladies. And it was all about Michelle "maning" the grill. An array of meatstuffs, including skewers, sausages, burgers. Right on. Looks like KC Masterpiece himself, Haydn, might be out of job on Sundays! I'm thinking there should be a grilling showdown in the near future...

Ok, time for Cold Case and a night on the couch before tomorrow and my new anthem "My baby takes the morning train."

tc

Ya take the good, ya take the bad

2006-05-16T16:48:00.000+10:00

Well, well, well, my wonderful sunny climes have led me astray in thinking that one cannot fall ill or get a cold here. Wrong. But, after a weekend of major sore throat and congestion and some thoughtful caretaking from my man, I'm back in the swing of things. Hit yoga today so that Icould breath again and am kicking it at my favorite hangout, the venerable State Library of New South Wales.

But don't you fret, this blasted head cold could not keep me away from a BBQ at Jimmy and Michelle's on Sunday. Granted, I faded fast, but the chicken wings from the grill were worth it. Oh goodness they were. And Michelle even whipped up some cupcakes in honor of my return.

Here the gang is, about to dig in. They're like "Take the picture already, we wanna eat, sister."

And, I snapped this pic today after yoga. Very good class, very funny moment when a dog all of a sudden ran in from the path outside and did a big circle thru the room and then was gone as fast as he appeared.

The Bondi to Bronte walk, featured above, is really one of my all time favorite things in life. So, maybe if you're on the fence about coming down here in November, or just need a gentle nudge, remember: this is how we live here!

love
tara

Back way o'er yonder

2006-05-10T15:26:00.000+10:00

I made it back to Sydney last week, and there's not a whole lot to report except that the weather is pretty near perfect, avocadoes are forever in season, flat whites are as good as always, and Haydn got a great new haircut! I thought to myself "Who is that dashing young man?" when I spotted him at the airport.

So, now I have to figure what to do with my life and make some money and stuff. Trying to make sense of why every single job seems to go through recruitment agencies. I applied for a short-term job to do some copywriting and the reply email was titled Application Unsuccessful. I didn't meet the criteria. So I will keep my writing to the blogosphere for now.

Haydn and I were at the Annandale on Sunday for the engagement party of our friends Bob and Anna. Bob proposed at the Grand Canyon, little did I know when he asked me for advice on points of interest was he going to be popping the question. Good on ya, man!

And the feature at the party was a pig roast. As in a pig on the spit. I took a photo for the sake of the blog, but have to say that when I took another look at it, I thought it might even offend some of my more carnivorous friends. So instead, here is a pic of me and Haydn from the very same day...after enjoying the roast pork.

cheers
tc

p.s. to sam -- I think my new hit single is Crazy by Gnarles Barkley. Going to have put that on the ipod.

Making the rounds

2006-05-01T05:19:00.000+10:00

I have a few days left in the US, I'm heading back to Australia with fancy new Australian visa in my passport, so I've been filling the social calendar in the last couple of days. On Friday, I met up with Kathie, Julie and her little 2-year old, Devon. We had lunch at Bluephies -- I carbo loaded for the Crazylegs race -- and then went to the park next door. It's really pretty enlightening to see how a cute little green sweat suit on a little one can be ready for the laundry after a few hours of ranch dressing, M & Ms, the sandbox, the slide, and the sidewalks in general. She's a fun one, young Devon.

Devon and Jules:

Devon enjoying the double swing push:

Me and Devon, playing with the barkchips.

Saturday was the annual running of the Crazylegs race, along with about 15,000 other people. By the time Uz and Chris and I crossed the start line, the winner had already crossed the finish at the 50 yard line at Camp Randall Stadium. It was a great 5-mile/8k run through campus and lots of zig zagging around the runners. I'd like to thank my iShuffle for playing "Gold Digger" at the very crucial 4 mile mark, giving me the boost to finish strong. And in true Crazylegs fashion, we celebrated with our 2 complimentary beers. Or if you're Uz, you enjoyed your 3rd complimentary beer as well. Bud Lite is the new Gatorade.

Chris, Uz and Tara, upon completion:

Jenny and Kathie, fatigued (in jest!) after the 2-mile walk:

Uz and Kat forevs:

Me, imbibing post-race, as you do;

The evening held the goodness of margaritas and Mexican food with family and friends at a little pre-departure fete at Pedro's. My college roommate, Amanda, made the trek from Illinois for the occassion and a photo from our U. of Iowa era reminded us of our strange, oversized fashion choices of the '90s.

Group photo:

Amanda and Tara, in current fashion:

Tomorrow, the official packing for return to Oz commences...

--tc