LOVE THE PONCHO!

I am very much looking forward to the premere of the show "Ugly Betty". As the summer began, I read more and more about the Coloumbian version, thinking that no American TV station would pick it up for the fall. Looks like I was wrong... and I am happy for it. My Mom and my Aunts have always been more into their Novelas then they would like to admit, so I cheering this show on. And, I do love America Ferrara.

The leg has got another 2 1/2 weeks before it heals (or technically when the cast comes off). I am doing some serious cheating and putting weight on it even though I am not supposed to. But, come on! TWO MONTHS without using the leg? That just sucks!

Ben Folds and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra... rocked this b*tch!


My broken ankle and I went to see Ben Folds perform with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra last night. It rocked. I have always had a facination with Symphony Orchestras, the sheer talent is astounding, but to see them with Ben was, for lack of a better word, breathtaking. The arrangements, which were done by Ben and some talented musicians from Perth took his songs and really did a great job translating them into something wonderful. He performed Brick, One angry Dwarf, Gracie, Zack and Sara.... I could go on for ages about how good it was, but I think you get it. During his encore, he did a quick arrangement of his song Rock this Bitch, and rearranged the words and dedicated it to Steve Irwin, requested by the audience, ON THE SPOT. It was a sight!

I finally got to see the inside of the Opera House. It wasn't as glam as I envisioned, but it was a stunning view of the Harbour and Bridge. I have heard that they are going to redo everything inside in the next couple of years. Right now, its very period (wood panel, plastic sculptures).

The service was excellent. I was crazy nervous about going because of my leg. There are loads of steps, and even if they let me in through the elevator area, I knew I would have about 50 more steps to our seats. I was sweating bullets, because its very hard to go up ANYTHING with crutches, but I called ahead and they told me where to go and what to do. It was brillant. They found me a ticket on the lower level, so I wouldn't have to climb the stairs and treated me SO well, it felt VIP. I don't want to give too many deets, lest someone use them for evil and not good, but they let me sit in the stage door, and who goes by but Mr. Folds himself. I should have asked him to sign my cast! Oh well, it was a great concert anyways....

And on the other side of the ocean...

My sister Lydia had her baby, welcome to Caleb James- my new bubbas! August 27th, the same birthday as my Dad (hence the "James"). He was two months premature, but he's doing well and looking cute.

Farewell, Steve!



Well, I got a new cast today. And while I was doing the epic wait at the hospital with all the other unwashed masses I heard that Steve Irwin died! I was so sad! Ry and I spent forever trying to figure out how a Stingray could have done it, then we heard it was with his stinger, through the heart. How sad. At least he died doing something he loved. (The waters off the coast of Queensland are beautiful, but deadly.) So, in honor of Steve, 'CRIKEY!' Peace be with you...

ps- I know its a badly pixelated photo. But it's so cute, I had to post it!

Laguna Beach season 3 is HORRIBLE!

Yes, LB is my guilty pleasure. I have to download it to keep up, and I feel like I am wasting my gigs. I saw a few interviews with this year's featured players, and they all made comments alluding to the fact that they were more 'real' than the cast of the first two seasons. I beg to differ! If you have ever watched an ep, you know what I am talking about...maybe the editing is different (aka more biased), but I think the new kids are just more vapid. Why is Tessa so secretive about her disease? I might like her more if I heard more about her struggle with said disease. So far, I have only seen a bunch of parties and tit-for-tat arguments. Three episodes, and the deepest conversation I have seen is when Rocky's parents ask her about her upcoming date. (And, I have loads of innner monologue about the hair weave that happens in that show. DANG! There is loads of it, and some it of is really BAD!)

I miss Kristin and Stephen!

Cairns, Queensland.
3 hours, 15 minutes North of Sydney.
Climate: Muy Tropical!

Well, I finally got to spread my wings and check out another part of Australia. My first trip was to Cairns. Queensland is pretty much known as being the very tropical north of Aus. You can holiday there while it is cold in Sydney and catch some rays (which I did, thankyouverymuch. I am ROCKING a nice tan). It serves as a starting point for most divers want to go to the Great Barrier Reef and also a very popular place for Japanese tourists and backpackers. It is probably the most backpacker friendly city I have ever been to. Most of the hostels are located on the Esplanade, facing the ocean. How many cities do that? Not many...

We found out very early on, that most everything is walkable in Cairns. Our hotel (like most) was only 8 minutes away from most of the action. Once you get to the airport, you can just take a $15 cab or $8 shuttle to your hotel. There are loads of options for almost anything that you want to do- I even saw a zip-line water skiing place! We took a few days to find a place that we wanted to scuba dive with, and I realized that most people do not have this luxury, but if you want to go with a professional company that takes smaller groups of no more than 28 people, I highly reccomend TUSA dives. They are awesome and really nice! The morning we went diving, at the docks, you could see the larger boats loading on tons and tons of tourists. We were happy to go with the "smaller guy". Also, our instructor was really nice and patient. I took ages to get my passages to equalize, and he waited with and encouraged me the whole time.

Food wise, I wasn't particularly impressed with any of the restaurants there. There are heaps of options, but in the end, the dinner we made at the hotel was much more satisfying. There is a centrally located grocery store, so it's easy to pick up staples and cook at the beach (they had a lot of picnic areas near the esplanade) or back at your hotel.

The Zoo and Daintree Rainforest are all a significant distance from the city center. So, just plan on booking with a company that shuttles you out to these places (unless you plan on renting a car). Most of these packages are pretty good deals, and you get tea out of it, too. But, once again, you have to do your research once you get there.

Overall, it was a cool place to see. I would recommend not going more than 5 days though. You have pretty much seen everything by then!

Cairns has loads of fascinating architecture and unfortunately this picture doesn't do it justice. But it was really cool to check out the older buildings.

While at the Cairns Tropical Zoo, i was more facinated by this preying mantis than by the animals.

These Native birds are a familar sight. It amazes me the wealth of exotic birds that Aus has, and they just hang out everywhere. You don't need to go to a special zoo to see them, they are right outside of your window. Making Noise. All the time. (Kookaburra, lorrakeets)

These bad boys love to sleep, A LOT!

Just like me, the crocs sit with their mouths open for more food oportunities!

They get so close

We got to feed the Kangaroos at the Cairns Tropical Zoo. The roos are obviously used to human interaction. While we were there we saw some lady KICK one. I was SO mad at her, if you don't want them to hop over to you, then don't go near them! Sheesh!

This is why I hate zoos, this poor albino 'roo was in a area with aggresive birds. Made me sad...

The coastal view on the Captain Cook Highway

@ Hartley's Croc Adventure. This brave soul was giving a deathroll show. Couldn't pay me to what this guy did.

Haha. Ya think? This is why you can't just jump into the water in Cairns. On the way to Mount whatever...

The view from the top of the Mountain Ry climbed.

Michaelmas Cay- the largest bird breeding area in Queensland.

What the coral looks like from above (the brown area), kind of mysterious....

ey, ey! Ry in his dive gear. Fancy, huh? He froze his arse off out there!

Me diving! Wierd, huh? Look at the colorful coral! I blame the instructor for the lack of fish around me, he was kind of in front and off to the side.

How the trip ended. I FREAKIN' fractured my ankle. The view for the last 3 days I was there.