Movember...finally an update

Jeffie worked and worked at growing his mo...and here are the results:

Movember 1st

Movember 3rd

Movember 5th

Movember 8th 

Movember 11th

Movember 14th

Movember 16th

Movember 19th

Movember 22nd

Movember 25th

So proud of you for stepping out of your comfort zone and taking one for the team all in the name of Men's Health Research!

A Bushwalk for the Birds

In one of our final weekends in Melbourne, we decided to head out around the other side of the bay for a bushwalk through a bird sanctuary and a visit to Queenscliff.

The bushwalk was a beautiful 10k walk, 5k out along a trail 100m off the beach in stagnant heat and 5k back along the beach in a cool spring breeze.  I gained a new appreciation for birdwatchers and bird photographers on this trek.  Despite numerous attempts to capture several funny little birds along the way, I came away with very few clear pictures and all of them ordinary.  Nat Geo won't be ringing me up anytime soon.

We also had some interesting encounters along the beach.  See pictures below:

LT and me.

LT on the hot trail.

Funny tree.

A magpie.  Can take a picture of one of these anywhere. 

Seems like a good idea for someone who falls down a lot.

Bird.  Don't know what he is, but he was stationary.

Trail out to the left, beach back to the right.

Birds.  Think they're pelicans.  The last bird picture.

This shell looked like it was born in 1637.

Pretty shell with a renter.

A branch standing vertical on the beach.

This appears to be a heart out of a large animal, but it's
likely some sea creature we're not familiar with.

It squirts when you squish it.

 First washed up stingray either of have ever seen.  LT has noted it in her
calendar of our firsts.  First date, first kiss, first washed up deceased stingray.

LT did some fancy footwork through these tight spots along
 the beach.  You'd be rolling if I could have taken video.

Interesting.  Salt and algae.

Melbourne CBD across the bay.

Kaboom!

"The rip" from the Queenscliff side.  The entrance
to Phillip Bay with Fort Napean in the distance.

Queenscliff lighthouse.

Green Moon Over Melbourne - Cup Day Round 2

We had such a good time at Cup Day our first year in Australia, we decided to make a return trip to "the race that stops a nation".  It's true.  Victorians don't work on Cup Day, a Tuesday, and every other state goes to work to watch the Cup Day races.

Not sure if this was conveyed previously, but horse racing is huge in Australia.  The Melbourne Cup Carnival is comprised of 4 days of racing spread over a week culminating the Spring Racing Carnival, three months of marquee horse racing events across the nation.

Despite inter mitten downpours, longer lines at the bar, a fuzzy thing on my upper lip, and only one winning ticket, we still had an awesome time.

I take full responsibility for the poor betting strategy, and am still kicking myself over the Cup Race bet.  Last year we bet "either way" on one horse each in every race.  That means you "win" if the horse finishes anywhere in the top three.  Thinking "I got this", we only bet on the horse to win the race this year.  The winnings were directly proportional to the research these two horse racing "fans" had done ... essentially nil. But the decision I regret most is failing to put anything on Green Moon, the winner of the 2012 Melbourne Cup.  Green Moon also happened to be the winner of the Turnbull Stakes, a 2000m race run on the same track just several weeks prior.  Though an early favorite, his odds had increased due to a rigorous schedule and a poor run two weeks prior.  Just a small wager on the horse carrying the trophy bearing our name would have covered the rest of our bets for the day.  What kind of pork chop passes up that bet?

Gotta dress up for this thing.  Bets were placed on when LT would
fall down due to lack of depth perception from fascinator interference.

Race 1.  Scored some decent seats across from the finish line.

The Cup crew.  Matt, LT, me, and Mel enjoying some bubbly to start the day.

LT and Mel sporting fascinators, apparently
required female apparel for any horse race.

These two came prepared to sub in if a horse
was scratched.  Unfortunately they never ran.

Keeping it classy.

That's Prince Charles and Camilla in the white
car.  Love them some royalty round these parts.

Melbourne Cup finish.  Green Moon wins!

Passed this fellow on our way home.  Kinda
felt like we were in an Adam Sandler movie.

Gold Coast 600.

A couple of weekends ago, I had to once again leave Jeff to his own devices and head north to the beach town of Surfer's Paradise for the Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercars Race.

Once again, it was a weekend full of fun for our customers, and maybe just a bit for us, too...check it out!

David and I with our driver, Lee (right) and his co-driver, Simon (left).

Our group at the top of the Skypoint Climb.

Just hangin off the side of the Skypoint Climb.

Our jet-boating experience.  No idea why it's in black & white.

Infiltrating an Ally - Warramunga

LT and I took a stroll down by the water several weekends ago and happened upon an Australian battleship docked at Station Pier.  The HMAS Warramunga, officially an Anzac class frigate.  I don't know what that means.

In passing, we were surprised to find the ship open to the public for walkthroughs ... and even more surprised when they let us take pictures.  This could have been the opening I needed to start a new career as a spook.  Yes I'm aware Australia is an ally, but you never know when the temperature Australia stores their onboard Beryllium at might be of the utmost importance to US government.  Turns out Wikipedia has a shocking amount of information on the specifications of the ship and the technology it's equipped with.  It was a fruitless endeavor, I'm virtually incapable of lying without cracking.  I'd fold like a cheap tent under enemy interrogation.

The HMAS Warramunga.  HMAS stands for Her Majesty's
 Australian Ship.  It's always about the queen.

Somebody had a bingle.

The entire ship is painted to blend in with the ocean, then you
put a red kangaroo with a neon light on it's highest feature.

"Top secret" Beryllium storage ... I've kept the temperature to myself.

Kudos to the captain, seems to have made a smooth approach to the pier.

The Captain's chair with cup holder.

They must have suspected an impostor, you would have heard
about them on the news if they took the course I plotted.

You call that a gun?

LT nearly took a bath taking this picture.