Poker with Dick Cheney

The Poor Man: Poker With Dick Cheney

Hah!

Tim

Tim, Judi, Gavin, Katie, Ben

Taken on Christmas Day up by Gosford, returning from a great day at Pearl Beach:

Holidays in the Land of Oz

Happy belated holidays. Sorry I have been incommunicado for the last month or so, but I have been dealing with some depression, etc. Those of you who know me will not be surprised at that news. I wish I could say that I'm past it now, but it looks like it needs to kick me in the butt for a while longer. It's ok - builds character.

Despite the miserable mood, I have still been pretty active - made easier by the presence of three early 20-somethings, two active canines, new kayaks, and a hubby who can't seem to get enough of the water. In fact, after taking Gavin to the airport this morning (we were sad to see him go!), Tim and I went boating on the Lane Cove River.

On Monday, Gavin and I went to the nearby Koala Park. It's a small animal sanctuary where you can see and pet many local animals - koalas (of course), kangaroos (of course), echidnas, wallaroos, emus, etc. As you can see, koalas are almost impossibly cute and sweet creatures.



And then there is the cute roo entertaining me....













... and here's Gavin looking pretty cute as he entertains this roo...



Cheers, Judi

Christmas Eve

We celebrated our first Christmas in Australia last night with Gavin, and Ben and Katie. Katie and I cooked some Indian food, Katie, Judi and Ben made jolly hats and a creditable Christmas tree, we opened presents, and watched one of our (T and J) favorite movies - Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Here we are with hats and tree.




Happy Holidays!

Tim

The most amazing thing about George Bush - Part 2

Yes, he can still amaze me. Even though my expectations are really, really low, he can sink below even those. Choosing to spy illegally on USA citizens when he could just as easily spy legally on the same USA citizens is mind boggling - there's no sense in it. It just goes to show a absolute contempt for the electorate and all the things that he claims the USA can export - democracy, the rule of law, open debate. And yet still people stand up for him, some simply because he claims to be a Christian. While I'm not a Christian now, I was raised as one and it's hard to reconcile what I know and respect about Christianity - love, forgiveness, turning the other cheek, "the meek shall inherit the earth" - with how the Bush government has operated. A pre-emptive, baseless, illegal war that has killed perhaps 100,000 Iraqi people? The complete indifference to suffering seen in the aftermath of Katrina? The unending tax breaks for the rich? The fear-mongering and constant lies? Surely none of this can be counted as Christian?

I guess my only hope is that people will wake up one day and be embarrassed to have supported him. I'm not holding my breath.

Tim

See George Best in action

Following up on my post from a few weeks ago, I'd like to point out that there's a music video about George Best out, written by Colin Hay from Men At Work (remember them from the eighties). It's about 6 minutes long is mostly George Best in action. The proceeds go towards supporting Donor Family Network, an organization that supports donor families and promotes organ and tissue donation.

Tim

Dudes at the Beach

Kayaking

Gavin and I have been kayaking four days in a row. It's now Christmas Eve and we're going to take the day off to rest. We've been to various places around Hornsby. There's a regional Park, Berowra Waters, within about 15 minutes drive that is superb - a quiet calm estuary running through high sandstone cliffs. Here are some pictures - not great but you get the idea.





Tim

Gavin and Capoeira

Gavin, who's visiting us at the moment, does Capoeira - a Brazilian mixture of dance and martial arts. Here are some pictures of him at his club in Dallas:







Tim

Zen master Bush

W as a Zen master.

Wonderful.

Tim

Some Photos, as requested....

Manly Beach Bums: Tim's nephew, Ben Cornwell, from the UK on the left and Gavin Cornwell, attending UTDallas, on the right. Ben is in Australia on a six month working holiday, but just arrived a week ago to spend some weeks with Tim and I. His girlfriend, Katy, will arrive on December 19. Gavin touched down Saturday, December 10, and will be staying with us over Christmas until December 28.



This is Tim and I on the deck of the Manly Ferry. What a beautiful day - sunny with perfect temps!

PADDLING

Wow. Kayaking is fun. As you paddle along, it's hard to think of anything wrong in the world. You become one with the water and the rhythm of your stroke. The beautiful, peaceful Australian countryside surrounds you and the narrow saltwater bay you move through - just gliding. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Until your solitude and peace is ruined by those bloody, crazy Ozzie birds squalking and screaming!!!
(Just kidding.)

Saturday we bought two kayaks (Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 sit on tops), life vests (aka pfd's), paddles, and gloves. Yeah, gloves - my left thumb almost fell off from being rubbed against the paddle surface. We picked up the kayaks in the morning and spent the rest of the day trying to find some water that didn't have white caps on it. It was a windy day. Our search took us up the coast from Sydney (the Spit Bridge) to Narrabeen Lake which we thought would be adequately sheltered for a calm paddle. Bad idea for us, good idea for all of the windsurfers there.

We continued up the coast past Bayview (our beloved Doggie Heaven) and saw several lovely venues for future paddling - definitely not for our maiden voyage though - too windy! So we ventured farther north to the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Akuna Bay marina. Wind, wind and more wind. Although we were frustrated that we hadn't found the perfect calm paddling spot yet, we thoroughly enjoyed the drive through the park.

At this point we debated giving up our search and trying again the next morning, but we gave it one last try and went to Bobbin Head which is also part of the Ku-ring-gai National Park system. Ahhhhhh. A breeze but certainly no deal breaker. We unloaded the boats from the top of Tim's wagon and had to wade through some really sticky mud to launch them. If you stopped long enough, you could pretty much kiss your sandal goodbye.

The rest of the afternoon was perfect weather which made for a perfect maiden voyage. Tim had obviously found his equilibrium since I found him leaning back - feet in water - a contented look on his face - lazily floating along.

Our kayaks met all of our expectations. They were stable, maneuverable, tracked well and speedy enough for us. Love at first float.

Catching up.... Ben Cornwell, Tim's 23 year old nephew from the UK called first thing Saturday morning and after a long miserable flight and a night spent in the airport arrival lounge asked if he could stay with us. Tim picked him up from the train station an hour later and after exchanging a few pleasantries, crashed and wasn't heard from again until early evening. Sunday, I spent shopping for Tim's spiffy outfit (see below), so the "boys" went kayaking at the Berowra Waters. I'll leave that story for him to tell.

Ya'll be good now, ya heah?
Judi

Check out Flickr for a few new photos.

Moving on from George Best and George Worst...

What's the Number 1 thing you thought you would never ever see?

Give up?

Answer: Tim in a suit.



Tim adds: The tie is more of a problem. When I was at Grammar School I had to wear a tie every day and I hated it! Still feels unnatural. I have to say that I like the suit. I'm giving a presentation at a CSIRO Industry day so I have to look reasonably smart, which I guess that I do :) Judi did all the shopping without me there. She did really well.

The most amazing thing about George Bush

is that when it came down to it he (and much of the right in the US), didn't believe in democracy, fairness, decency, honesty, openness, the truth, or any of the other things that I (as a transplant from the UK to the US) recognized as being key ideals in US mythology. When 9/11 happened all of that simply crumbled away. Suddenly it's ok to lie, distort, hide, incarcerate, torture. Of course, many people will say that it's always been that way for the US. I don't think I agree. Kennedy, Clinton and Carter were fundamentally decent men, quite different from W.

The last few months have been as strong an experience as seeing the Iron Curtain come down. The hold that Bushco has had over the US seems to have simply disappeared. What happened? How could the lies that once worked not now work? Very strange. But encouraging.

I hope that the US recovers after Bush is gone.

Tim

George Best

I've been reading the obituaries for George Best over the last few hours. I guess it's often this way but it's a mixed experience - sad but full of good memories. I was just a kid (10+) when he was at his peak but I remember him well. If you tried anything too special playing football, someone would say "Who do you think you are - Stanley Matthews?" (Stanley being the great player of ten years before). He was quickly replaced by George Best in that particular snarky comment.

He's obviously tied up in everyone's mind with the whole outburst of life and energy in the sixties in England. He was even called the Fifth Beatle. But more important than that was the fact that he was a fantastic football player. My favorite personal memory is of two goals he scored from corner kicks, I think playing for Man U against maybe Sheffield Wednesday. A spectacular way to score from a corner is to kick the ball directly into the near side of the net. Best did this not once by twice and from opposite sides, thus using his (slightly preferred) right foot, and also his left.

There are lots of good stories now being told, like him deliberately setting out (and succeeding in) nutmeging Johan Cruyff in an international. It was part of Best's story that coming from Northern Ireland, he didn't ever get to play in a World Cup. So he was undoubtedly the Greatest Player Never to Play in a World Cup. He would have been the Greatest Player Ever, I think, apart from the booze.

There are a few good films of him on a great run. Of course he made it look so easy that his opponents often looked foolish or just stationary. I look forward to seeing some of those clips and others today on the TV.


Tim

Nothing

I thought I would write a few words even though I haven't really got anything of much interest to say. ("That's never stopped her before!") I heard that!!

This past week I have been obsessively researching sit on top kayaks. So far, Tim is leaning toward the Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT. This is a well made, stable boat that should be able to accommodate his long legs and "bulk". I'm shooting for a Feel Free Kayak Nomad or a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100. These are both saucy little numbers that should suit me perfectly. They all get excellent reviews.

I've wanted to get into kayaking for a long time, but the easy going kind of kayaking - no whitewater or hard work. So now that we live where there is a lot of water around us - lakes, ocean, rivers.... there is no excuse not to do it. It is also getting pretty boring just working on the house, repairing, painting and cleaning. Time for a new outlet - FUN!

Speaking of fun (I'm being facetious), I just mowed the lawn with our new eBay purchased lawnmower. For an older model it did a heck of a job. I am hoping our neighbors will no longer glare at us as the lawn does look quite nice.

I took a few photos of some dog park friends that I will put on flickr. The link is to the left of this posting.

Cheers! Judi

A perfect day in Sydney

Yesterday we took full advantage of Sydney:

• We went kayaking in the morning at the Spit. 2 hours for $30 each. I fell in so I got my money's worth.


• Excellent light lunch at a pleasant cafe in Mosman.


• Drove to Mortdale to pick up a grass mower Judi had bought on eBay.


• Stopped at the local shopping centre to buy some wine (a selection of cheap whites and a more expensive Argentian Malbec - one of our favorites), and some sushi.


• Got back to the house. Judi took the dogs to the park. Our first Sulphur-crested cockatoos turned up on the balcony:
  
  
  
  
• Then I watched a little soccer - Real Madrid getting hammered by Barcelona.

Tim

We see our first wallaby

Probably not a big deal for old Australia hands but we enjoyed it. Walking down by the creek around dusk, we saw what looked like a tree stump. On closer viewing, we saw that it was a wallaby, chewing slowy on some grass and watching us (and dogs) very carefully. About 2-3 feet tall and quite dark colored, though the light wasn't that good. Perhaps a red-tailed wallaby? Here's a picture (not ours):




Once we went a little closer, s/he bounded off and the dogs belatedly paid some attention. Too late!

Tim

The Birds - Not quite Hitchcock

I know it might seem that I am a bit obsessed with Lorikeets, but come on! Are these guys cute or what? For some reason - was it the rain? the chilly weather? our charming company? Who knows? But for some reason, we were visited by 18 lorikeets on our balcony this afternoon. Tim was a bit distracted by the Pakistan/England Cricket Test Match or he would have gone for these photos.... but as I said, he was distracted. As we speak, he is spellbound by the Australia/Uruguay world cup qualifying match. He actually breaks for an occasional interlude with nature -- but usually only during halftime or if it's a cricket match - tea.

Eighteen loris was a record for us. Usually we are visited only by Romeo and Juliet (see past voyeuristic post), but for some reason, uncles, aunts, cousins, neighbors.... all decided to visit us this afternoon. Fortunately, I had plenty of grapes to entice them with, and despite the occasional squawk and grab -- they would allow other birds to gently persuade them to cough up a little extra grape and share. I'll upload some of the extra photos to Flickr, so you might enjoy checking those out.

Our nightly visitor, Ms. Possum (I'm convinced she's pregnant), will completely enjoy the bounty of fallen grapes she finds below our balcony tonight. She might have enough to eat that she won't have to endure Sammy's frantic barking and rushes toward the window.... and in fact, we might be able to sleep through the night.

Cheers, Judi

Top ten reasons to love India

10. Indian food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

9. Constant repeats of 1970's era cricket on TV

8. Sensible road rules (sorry, my mistake - there aren't any road rules)

7. Reuse that old English vocabulary (dastardly, nefarious)

6. No Bush, Blair, or Howard

5. Shake head and mean yes!

4. Get to try and compare over-the-counter medications

3. Delhi smog removes plaque and tartar from teeth

2. Autorickshaw drivers are excellent conversationalists

1. Sydney traffic is FINE!

Why bronchitis?

Judi thinks catching bronchitis in India is unexpected but she hasn't had the pleasure of inhaling the air. The first impression of India on leaving the plane is the smell - smoke, spice, sweat, sweetness, all layered on a base on something that's familiar but not quite obvious - I think this is probably the result of the widespread burning animal dung. Some days in the capital, Delhi, the visibility by noon would be down to about 500 meters at most.

I think I was probably running a slight fever most of the time there while my immune system mounted a full scale defense. Once I got back and let down my guard a bit, it all got worse. I went to see a doctor yesterday, and he prescribed an anti-asthma inhaler for me, saying "Well, if you didn't have asthma before, you have it now". The inhaler works and my system seems to be fighting the infection now.

So, ironically, I was well protected on the gastric front (though I did have a couple of minor episodes of Delhi belly) but vulnerable breathing wise. Probably just taking an inhaler in future might help to keep the airways open and functional.

I'll post more later about India once I get the energy.

Tim

He's back...

A very good friend of mine in New Mexico reminded me that neither Tim or I have posted in the last week. Tim's excuse is that he caught bronchitis on his trip and is recovering in bed at home. Of all the things a person could catch in India, bronchitis would be at the bottom of my list. Tim was very glad to be home last Saturday. Even though he has always wanted to visit India, he was overwhelmed with the pollution (especially in Delhi) and the crowds.

We've had a couple of good thunderstorms recently with plenty of rain. It is still hard for me to think in terms of a drought here. I have told people the average precipitation in Socorro was about .9 inches. Wellllll, I exaggerate. Here are the stats:

Statistics - Socorro, New Mexico USA

* Population – 9000
* Elevation – 4579 feet
* Climate - mild, dry
* Annual Average Temperature - 58 degrees
* Annual Average Rainfall - 9 inches
* Annual Average Snowfall - 6 inches
* Average Percent Relative Humidity - 42 percent
* Sunshine - 90 percent of year

Now the average annual rainfall in Sydney is about 52 inches. Hmmmm - 9" ..... 52"...... Now why doesn't this feel like a drought???? (I know that it is more complex than I am indicating. The rain isn't falling where it's needed most and isn't accumulating in the catchment area for population projections, etc.) But still!

You might consider checking out our Flickr Site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/timandjudi/. Please note that the Lorikeet photo set is meant for mature audiences only and when viewed, be sure to note the title on each. I find it interesting that the following photo has been viewed A LOT!



Cheers, Judi

YEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Phew.

-J

Here in Pune

Well, I'm here in Pune, in a good hotel, and finally have reasonable net access. As Judi said, my hotel was just to the blasts, probably right at the geometric center, come to think of it, but each was a kilometer or so away. I'd been walking around Delhi on Saturday for about 5-6 hours but returned to the hotel at 2pm. The first bomb went off at 5:30pm so I was really safe. I did talk to one guy at the conference who heard the first blast, up by Connaught Place. I think I probably heard the second one closer to my hotel. The news said that a bus conductor alertly noticed a suspicious package and stopped the bus, evacuated the passengers and then the driver threw the bomb off the bus. Unfortunately the driver was critically injured as were about 4 other people but many lives were saved by the conductor.

I say that I might have heard the second bomb because there were many large fireworks being let off at the same time because of the Diwali holiday.

The pictures of the bombed areas were truely hard to see. Some of the people died horrible deaths. Whoever your God is, I cannot believe he/she/it would want this.

Tim

New Delhi and Terrorism

When I wrote the earlier posting, I hadn't heard about the terrorist attack in New Delhi. I actually first heard about the attack when Tim sent me an email saying that he was alright. Later, I talked to him by phone and he told me that he was safe at the hotel when the bombs exploded, the nearest about one mile from his hotel.

Right now, he is supposed to be at the New Delhi airport waiting for his flight to Pune. Unfortunately, I can't get any information about flights since the airport and airline sites seem to be jammed with people looking for answers.

Needless to say, I'm nervous and scared. I will feel better when Tim is in Pune and better yet when he is back safely in Australia.

-Judi

Shelter from the Storm

I heard the beautiful song of a Magpie, looked out the window, and there he/she was. This is the second time I've seen a magpie take refuge from the rain on our balcony. This bird is larger than it appears in the photo. Magpies are quite striking looking and can strike physically while guarding their territory. I mentioned before in this blog that one bird had to be relocated after sending 15 people to the hospital! Moments after I took this photo, the magpie was chased off by a much smaller bird.

Tim flies to Pune this afternoon. It seems that everyone at the conference got sick very likely from the lunch served at the conference. Two brave explorers went forth to investigate the kitchen and reported filthy conditions. I think I would rather not know. I hope they have a smooth flight to Pune.

A rainy Sunday. Too humid to paint. Hmmmm.

Cheers, Judi

Tim's Travel

Tim is in New Delhi, India at an URSI convention. On Sunday, he'll travel to Pune for a SKA conference. If you don't understand these acronyms - don't worry - I usually don't.

He would be posting regularly about his adventures in India if he had decent internet access, but he doesn't. Hopefully when he reaches Pune, he'll have more options to getting online.

Some notes on India:

Don't pack shorts for the trip. No one in India wears them. The convention is to stay modestly covered.

Despite the excellent insect repellent I packed for the trip, Tim says he hasn't seen any mosquitos.

Bring enough anti-diarrhea medicine with you for when you get traveler's revenge, and then when you get it again. (Tim hasn't gotten it "again" yet, that I know of.)

Hire a guide to show you around - best tourist sites, best food, best roads (if there are any - must be like New Mexico!).

As for Sammy, Karma and I -- well, nothing of much interest going on. I had to get the dogs re-microchipped since the US chip couldn't be read here. Any more chips and these little guys are going to be picking up the Aussie radio stations!

I went to Randwick to visit my friend, Michelle, yesterday. It took me an hour to get there and over two hours to get home. I got a little bit lost - but saw more of NSW. If you're not in too big of a hurry, getting lost can be kind of fun.

Cheers, Judi

Hope you all feel free to leave us comments - it's fun to get them.

More Wildlife Tails... oops, I mean Tales

So many creatures and so little time... actually, plenty of time, just lazy. Let me retrace my steps and tell you about my most recent walk in the little bush area down the street from our house. Karma, Sammy and I were walking back and getting pretty close to home. I'm very glad the dogs were uncharacteristically behind me, because 3 meters ahead and crossing our path was a red-bellied black snake. We'll call this snake, "Cheney." These are dangerous, venomous snakes which are fortunately timid. If they hear you (so make a lot of noise when you're walking) they will move away from you. This is a good thing. This "sighting" occurred two days after a colleague of Tim's told me that in 13 years he had only seen one snake. I assume this means I'm done for the next 13 years. One more note regarding these snakes, Sammy's vet told me that her clinic hardly ever sees snake-bitten dogs. That statement can be interpreted two ways... Anyway, a nine year old at the dog park this morning volunteered that his friend's dog had been bitten by a red bellied black snake recently. I asked if the dog was alright, and he answered, "Yeah, he's fine! ... Well, he lost some muscle control, but...."

On to my most recent echidna sighting. After being told that echidnas were shy, nocturnal creatures who are rarely seen in the wild, I couldn't help but wonder about the spiny little guy in the street just down from our house. At noon, I was driving down our street and in front of me was an echidna doodling around a gutter for a while until he crossed the street to doodle around that gutter. During his doodling, I was trying to take his photo with my camera phone. I mean, he was just 5 feet away from me! Just when I finally figured out how to snap a shot, off into a rock wall did the little echidna walk. Ugh. I had stopped in the road to watch the little guy and he seemed to care less if I was there or not. I can see why they are easy targets for evil minded predators - and I was totally determined to throw myself in front of any car should one threaten my little bud.

Tim is gone right now, and I am usually comfortable staying by myself. I am, that is, unless the dogs keep rushing to the balcony window in our bedroom barking and carrying on. The first five times I used my flashlight (I.e., "torch" here) and saw nothing outside. After that, besides waking up, I opted to go right back to sleep and let fate have its way.

Last night, however, I discovered the source of their discontent. At approximately 7:30 PM, I was watching TV in the "lounge" room. Suddenly, the dogs started barking and ran out to the balcony (I keep the door open). I figured it was a person or a dog until I flashed my torch up into the tree and saw a small bushy tailed possum! I was so glad to see one since the untimely demise of our last possum friend. We spent several minutes staring at each other and then Karma spent several more minutes staring with him. Finally, the possum slowly eased down the tree and was gone. Oh, and I forgot to mention his noise! Definitely, the "snorer." And when she/he wasn't making the snoring sound the pitch got higher. All the night cries now make sense.



The King Parrot. What a beautiful and friendly bird. He landed on the rail of our balcony this afternoon and hopped along checking things out. I offered some grapes (the Lory's favorite), but he showed no interest. When I brought out the bag of bird seed - alas, he was gone. At least I got the photo above - through the glass so as not to spook him.

An interesting place this OZ. So many creatures that can kill you, but so many charming and friendly creatures as well. It's fascinating.

Cheers, Judi

Travel to India

I will be attending a couple of scientific meetings: URSI and SKA 2005. My itinerary is:

Oct 21 - Travel to Mumbai, then New Delhi. Staying at the Ashok hotel. TripAdvisor.Com says:

"This surely must be the worst hotel of this grade, not only in the world, but in the entire Galaxy. I endorse every complaint that has been aired on Tripadvisor. The rooms are a disgrace and the staff's only aim is to prise as much money as possible from the guests by whatever devious means available. Please will tour operators stop sending their customers to this overpriced, unsavory establishment. Given the choice of the Ashok or Norman Bates Motel Motel I think I would choose the latter."

Update: Not true - it's not great but it's not as bad as he/she says.

Oct 30 - Travel to Pune. Staying at Hotel Pride. TripAdvisor.Com says:

"My first room was next to the generator and to be woken up in the early hours (3 am) by the sound of hammering was not welcome. Coupled with the smell of diesel in the corridor I found this too much to take. On request I moved to a higher room and this was far better. The food in the hotel is variable and I would not recommend the meat dishes in the main or italian restaurant. The punjabi restaurant was better though naturally the food is spiced to Indian tastes. I will not be staying at this hotel again."

Update: Well, I just checked in and it seems wonderful to me. We'll see.

Nov 4, return to Sydney, arrive Nov 5. Staying at Hotel Cornwell-Lowell. TripAdvisor.Com says:

"Be glad to be here, be very glad."

Tim

Harriet Beecher Stowe and Turquoise Sneakers

"So much has been said and sung of beautiful young girls, why don't somebody wake up to the beauty of old women?"

I love this quote - particularly on this eve of my 54th birthday (the "day before the eve" in the States). If you live with a leg in one country and a couple of toes in another - does that mean you can celebrate your birthday twice - one day after the other?

I like Ms. Stowe's quote because she indicates a beauty that can be found in all ages. I might be beauty-challenged as I grow older, but there is freedom in not caring so much anymore. After fifty, you get to sign a release form that frees you from all the silly inhibitions of chronological youth. For example, I just bought some turquoise sneakers, and they are sooooo cool. I pair these shoes with pink and blue and yellow polka dot socks. If I had a purple hat, I'd wear it too. And best of all, I don't care what people think of me. Or, if they think I'm eccentric - all the better!


When you look out at the world, do you feel your age? Most of the people I've discussed this with lately don't at all. They still feel like a younger version of themselves - I know I do. When I talk to people, I expect them to feel like they are talking to someone in their thirties. Only when accosted with a mirror does that feeling slide away, and the dreaded "age reality" strikes. Personally, I find mirrors a lot less important than I used to.

Another idea is that everyone is a mixture of many or all ages. Now, my good friends can tell you that is especially true for me (but I'm a special case). I really do have kids inside of me. But who out there can say they don't feel or act like a kid sometimes? If you're healthy, you will keep your inner kid active; and if you're not, then you better run out and buy some crayons - quick - because you're missing out. One of Tim's best features is that he can be a total kid sometimes.

I was talking to my good friend, Vicky, the other day (she lives in Tucson, Arizona USA) who is a couple of years older than I am. We have shared a lot of LIFE together. She mentioned that she doesn't feel the highs and lows of her younger years.... I.e., the DRAMA is gone. I agree! My life was a carousel (sappy metaphor!) for many years. I must have pumped enough adrenaline for thirty people. (Come to think of it, that's probably true, but make it sixty.) There's a peacefulness that comes from passing 50.

By the way: When it's your birthday you get to chat on about whatever comes to mind. When you have a blog you get to publish it. When you're the reader of the blog - you get to ignore it!

Parting thought:
"Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts." ~Martin Buxbaum

Cheers! Judi

The Phillip Glass bird

In our continuing series....

We've noticed a bird that has only one note - a whistle repeated every second without pause. This goes on and on and on. On waking up in the night, one can think that it's gone but then it's back again. The note does seem to change occasionally - perhaps every few hours - but only by the smallest amount. Hence the name - the Phillip Glass bird.

And we do so look forward to those pitch changes.

Tim

Good guests, bad food

Well, the food wasn't bad exactly.... it just wasn't very good. So went our first dinner party in our new kitchen. I cooked Barramundi, which has become one of our all time favorite fish(es?) - the Barramundi tasted great - it just wasn't very, well you know .... attractive. I had also made a lentil and rice salad dish -- that somehow came out in an amount to easily feed one of the local footy teams (rather than six as stated in the recipe). I broke the golden rule of serving an untried dish to guests. Bottom line is that there was a lot of not very good salad. Even the dessert which I had high hopes for - a chocolate mousse layered with whipped cream - had stayed too long in the freezer and came out.... hard. Needless to say I had to encourage conversation during this part of the meal hoping to give the dessert time to thaw. Now, you're probably sick of hearing this from me.... but our breadmaker saved the day. It produced a lovely lightly herbed loaf that everyone enjoyed. Phew.

We invited a lovely young German couple who just got married and were nice enough to invite us to their wedding a couple months ago. Our other guest was from South Africa - one of those "good at everything he does" kind of guys. Sheesh. Before he left for S. Africa, he bought Tim and I each a gift. Tim's was a DVD about Bob Dylan, and my gift was a great veggie recipe book. Considering the dinner, his gift was both thoughtful and appropriate. I'll be sure to try out recipes before I inflict them on my guests.

Do you remember those plastic flute things you used to have as a kid? It had a metal stick in it and it would toot up or down depending on which way the stick was moved. Now think of one of those sounds - either up or down. Now think of that sound playing over and over and over and over and over..... such is the sound a new bird in our neighborhood makes... and it's not a "white noise" kind of sound.... if only I had a bb gun....

Cheers, Judi
PS: Just kidding about the bb gun - a slingshot would be better.

Go figure...

Ten years ago I accepted a job in Socorro, New Mexico, assuming my social life would officially be claimed dead. After a life of pretty much loser relationships (abusive, alcoholic, sociopathic, almost sociopathic), I figured that I had given my best shot at finding someone who was both a good guy but who could also put up with "me" (we can discuss this later). I figured going to work at NRAO would keep me safe from finding anyone I might have the least bit of interest in. A radioastronomy observatory, the staff is primarily comprised of geeks and nerds. (Of course I mean that in the kindest way!) Being left handed and strongly of the right brain persuasion, there wasn't a chance of finding a "soul" mate.

Well, God Dang, then Tim Cornwell entered my life. Tim has a combination of deep analytical skills, an incredible memory, a lust for reading about most anything, and a streak of total silly and crazy-ness. To make a long story short, we celebrated our eighth anniversary last week on October 6. That was two days after we decided to get married, scurried around to find rings and a judge and arrange for a couple hours off from work (no kidding!).

WARNING! Gushy stuff coming... I found my life partner in this crazy and wonderful person. He still amazes me with his intelligence and continues to crack me up with his incredible goofy sense of humor. I love the way he loves his kids. I love the way he loves me and has supported me in so many ways. Tim and I aren't "big" into celebrations, so as usual, our anniversary almost passed unnoticed. So I just wanted to post this little note, because I want everyone to know how much I am still in love with this big, crazy dude.

Judi

Osama bin Bush

The last couple of months in American politics have been very interesting. It appears that the emperor is now being seen to be quite naked. This morning in my daily quotes from quotation.com, I got the following quotation which seems quite apt:


Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.

Charles Mackay

I hope the country recovers from the Bush/Rove madness. I hope to go back one day. One measure of how bad things are is to ask if OBL could be any happier with Osama bin Bush?




Tim

The ass bush

Ask Woogle to show you the ass Bush

Tim

A water hole in Botswana

This is just wonderful: Pete's Pond in Botswana. Make sure you turn your sound up.

Tim

Protective Gear

You are probably getting sick of my worrying and complaining about the deadly creatures here in the land of Oz - but the dog park is a hotbed of animal rumors! Yesterday, a man was there with his Dingo, named Ruby. Ruby was the sweetest creature ever, and her owner said that Dingos are just misunderstood. Anyway, Ruby's owner told me about how he takes Ruby out to the bush for runs, but that he is careful now because of the snakes. "Snakes?" I query. He said that he recently saw up to six snakes on a nearby grassy ridge. He said, "Don't worry, I'm 31 now and I've probably only seen 20 or so snakes total." ....20?

And then there's the woman who found a snake rolled up comfortably in her patio umbrella. Now wouldn't that be a shocker at her first "barbie" of the year?

Anyway, I decided to outfit Sammy for the dangerous wild things here in Oz. Behold! These boots are made for stompin'!

Sammy Well Prepared
Originally uploaded by Judi Blue.

A favorite song

"Alexandra Leaving" is a song that I'm listening to a few times a day driving to and from work. It's by Leonard Cohen and was evidently inspired by this poem by a Greek Poet, Constantine P. Cavafy

"The God Forsakes Antony"

When suddenly, at the midnight hour,
An invisible troupe is heard passing
With exquisite music, with shouts --
Your fortune that fails you now, your works
That have failed, the plans of your life
That have all turned out to be illusions, do not mourn in vain.
As if long prepared, as if courageous,
Bid her farewell, the Alexandria that is leaving.
Above all do not be fooled, do not tell yourself
It was a dream, that your ears deceived you;
Do not stoop to such vain hopes.
As if long prepared, as if courageous,
As it becomes you who have been worthy of such a city,
Approach the window with firm step,
And with emotion, but not
With the entreaties and complaints of the coward,
As a last enjoyment listen to the sounds,
The exquisite instruments of the mystical troupe,
And bid her farewell, the Alexandria you are losing.

Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)

And here are the lyrics to Leonard Cohen's song, which I read to be quite different - a song about the end of life or the end of love or perhaps both:

"Alexandra Leaving"

Suddenly the night has grown colder.
The god of love preparing to depart.
Alexandra hoisted on his shoulder,
They slip between the sentries of the heart.

Upheld by the simplicities of pleasure,
They gain the light, they formlessly entwine;
And radiant beyond your widest measure
They fall among the voices and the wine.

It’s not a trick, your senses all deceiving,
A fitful dream, the morning will exhaust –
Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving.
Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost.

Even though she sleeps upon your satin;
Even though she wakes you with a kiss.
Do not say the moment was imagined;
Do not stoop to strategies like this.

As someone long prepared for this to happen,
Go firmly to the window. Drink it in.
Exquisite music. Alexandra laughing.
Your firm commitments tangible again.

And you who had the honor of her evening,
And by the honor had your own restored –
Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving;
Alexandra leaving with her lord.

Even though she sleeps upon your satin;
Even though she wakes you with a kiss.
Do not say the moment was imagined;
Do not stoop to strategies like this.

As someone long prepared for the occasion;
In full command of every plan you wrecked –
Do not choose a coward’s explanation
that hides behind the cause and the effect.

And you who were bewildered by a meaning;
Whose code was broken, crucifix uncrossed –
Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving.
Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost.

Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving.
Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost.

Tim

Update: See this version of the Cavafy poem for some helpful historical background.

He's not Jesus but he ain't Judas either.

So a guy in the audience shouts "Judas", and some other mad man stuff. The man on the stage pauses and says "I don't believe you" and then after another perfect pause "You're a liar". Then the band rips in "Like a Rolling Stone". It's Bob Dylan going and being electric. Totally amazing rock and roll. You can hear it on the soundtrack from the new Scorsese documentary. I haven't seen the film yet but the choice of music is perfect.

Tim

TA TA!!! The kitchen is done.

It's a great kitchen. It looks good. It works well. It's done. Yayyyyy!

BEFORE and AFTER:

KitchenWayBEFORE.JPG
Originally uploaded by Judi Blue.

NewKitchen5.JPG
Originally uploaded by Judi Blue.

Cheers! Judi

RIP

HERE HE LIES OUR POSSUM FRIEND
HE FINALLY REACHED HIS JOURNEY'S END
WHEN I RETURN FOR MY NEXT LIFE'S FEATURE
I WANT TO COME AS THIS BUSHY-TAILED CREATURE



During my short walk through our neighborhood "bush" this morning, I came across the carcass of a bushy-tailed possum. I don't know if it's OUR OFFICIAL POSSUM (of our balcony fame), but it is sad when any of these lovely animals die. Since he was near the back of someone's home, I worry that he might have been poisoned or attacked by their dogs (two whippets). I read that possums are frequently killed by household pets. The only living being that Sammy is proficient at killing is the fly. He will go to all lengths (even as I type) to track down these buzzing nuisances, maim them, and then throw them into the air with his mouth. There are fly carcasses all around our house. I think Sammy is performing a useful service, certainly until our new flyscreens are installed next week.

Along with death, there is of course new life. On this same morning's bushwalk in the little creek that runs along the trail, I spied a mom and dad duck with three tiny baby ducks!

Cheers, Judi

Brad Pitt as Achilles

Not bad, actually.

We watched "Troy" last night. Brad is not very sympathetic on the screen and is therefore a fine Achilles. Eric Bana is and is a really first rate Hector. Paris (Orlando Bloom) is wimpy, as required. The movie takes some liberties with the story, it has to be said. Most importantly there are no gods in this version of the IIiad. And Helen is not what one would hope for. If I couldn't persuade Judi to take the role, my vote would be Angelina Jolie, which may be what Brad thought as well. Brian Cox is a wonderful Agamemnon, and Peter O'Toole, wrecked face and all (when young he would have been a fine Paris), is perfect as Priam. There are many other fine actors as well. Sean Bean as Odysseus for example.

While I'm talking Achilles, the great novel by Elizabeth Cook is a must. Either I gave this to Zoe or she to me. In any event, we both love it. It's the story of Achilles life, imagined by a great poet.

Achilles: a novel

An astute Amazon reviewer singled out this beautiful passage as representing the quality of this wonderful book.

"His hair has grown again. The thick auburn lock he cut off and laid on Patroclus' corpse. (The other Myrmidons did the same till Patroclus looked like a great tawny eagle covered with soft plumes.)"


Tim

Update: After some thought, the only worthy Helen would be the young Elizabeth Taylor. No contest.

Sounds of down under...

The birds in Australia create 95% of the noise (more than cars, trains, airplanes....) I have not been able to identify all of the birds I hear, but Tim and I are beginning to identify certain bird sounds. For example, as I sit in bed this morning, outside the window I can hear the lesser "rubber sole on tile" bird. The sound this bird makes is squeak, squeak, squeak as if you are walking across the floor with your tennies on. Here are a couple more examples:

1. The "Ambulance Bird" - doo dah doo dah doo dah....
2. The "Which electronic device has a low battery bird" - beep beep beep (I have actually walked around the house looking for the dying and "beeping" electronic device: mobile phone, telephone, computer....)
3. The "Backing Up Truck warning" bird - dahh dahh dahh dahh............. dahh dahh dahh dahh.............
4. The 'Child-like "Oh No!" Bird' - I've mentioned this bird before -- the Australian Crow -- loudly whining OHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, OHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....
5. The "Come Fido" Whistle Bird" - description unavailable at present
6. There are the "1500 Women Waiting to enter a Filene's basement sale" birds - These are the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos - Achkkkkkkksheto#######@%^& Achkkkkkkksheto#######@%^& Achkkkkkkksheto#######@%^& Achkkkkkkksheto#######@%^& Achkkkkkkksheto#######@%^& Achkkkkkkksheto#######@%^& Achkkkkkkksheto#######@%^& (a deafening sound every afternoon at around 3:30)

I guess that's all the science I have to impart to you at this time. Although, I heard a story on TV the other day (speaking of birds). It seems some rangers had to trap a female magpie after she sent 12 people to hospital for head wounds. They lured her into a trap using a handsome male magpie and relocated her to a place with less humans to hit on (so to speak). I don't think she was nesting, so what was she so mad about? Hmmmmmm, makes you wonder.

Cheers, Judi

Oh my gosh! How could I forget the "Tree Full of Monkeys" bird? The Kookaburra - OOOOO OOOOOO AHHHH AHHH OOO OOO AHH AHH OOH AHH OOH OOO AHH OOOOO OOOOOO AHHHH AHHH OOO OOO AHH AHH OOH AHH OOH OOO AHH

It actually works!

God loves the English

At least this week. Probably the greatest cricket test series between England and Australia finished this week with a close but convincing victory by the English. It's been 18 years England won a series and by now the inferiority complex was so deeply ingrained that it was hard for the English let alone the Australians to believe this could happen. However, due to some really great play by some new stars, England did win though not without a huge amount of drama. The best place to read about the test series is the Guardian. In fact it's a great place to read about sport in general.

The test series lasts for about 5-6 weeks and consists of 5 separate matches. The winner of a test series in cricket between England and Australia takes custody of the Ashes. This headline partially explains the origin of the Ashes.



As you can see, cricket is not taken lightly in England, or in Australia.

Nothing sweeter than to be an Englishman in Australia right now.

Tim

The Echidna Mating Dance

Tim found the following in LiveJournal. I think it's worth a read - if not for the information, at least for a good laugh.

Wind Chime of the Apocalypse ([info]eyeteeth) wrote,
@ 2005-09-10 01:52:00

Their cousin called monotreme...
Something the author just said about the romantic lead in this awful book made him seem to be a platypus. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say that he appears to have ankle spurs. The male platypus has these, and they are hollow and can inject poison, much like the fangs of a viper. Platypus poison usually isn't fatal to humans, though it can kill smaller animals, like dogs; the pain it causes, however, is excruciating, and not even morphine can dull it.

The platypus is one of two surviving types of creature called monotremes, which, in case you were unaware, are kind of marsupials plus, or maybe minus. They have fur, and some of them sometimes have pouches in which their young develop, but they also lay eggs and have bills, sort of like birds, and in the case of male platypuses poisonous ankles also. They also have teeth, but only when young. The platypus is the famous monotreme; less well known for some reason (though even weirder in my opinion) is the echidna, also known more descriptively as the spiny anteater. Together, they are the only surviving examples of the oldest mammals ever to exist. Echidnas and platypuses, as well as several extinct species of monotreme, shared the Earth with the dinosaurs.

Monotremes are really weird. Everything about them seems to have been thought up past some kind of deadline. Take the method by which they reproduce: after mating, the female lays an egg (echidna) or two (platypus). Then she carries them around until they hatch. Monotremes are mammalian, even if what they have is a kind of free demo version of mammalianism without the really useful features like live birth, so they lactate. But they have no nipples. The milk just leaks right out of glands in their skin, and the baby monotreme laps it up with sweeps of its tiny bill. (A baby echidna is called a puggle. There is no official name for a baby platypus, though "platypup" has been suggested.) The platypus doesn't even have a pouch, so after the eggs hatch -- after the female has incubated them by pressing them to her belly with her tail -- the babies must lap up these rivulets of milk while clinging to her fur for dear life.

Not that having a pouch simplifies the process any. The echidna (which comes in three varieties, short-beaked, long-beaked, and cyclops long-beaked) doesn't usually have a pouch but grows one as necessary. After mating there is a gestation period of about three weeks, and then the female lies down on her back, doubles over, and lays her egg right into her own temporary pouch. After a while the egg hatches in the pouch. And echidnas are covered with aggressive spines, which adds a new wrinkle, as the mother cannot carry her puggle once these start to develop. So she buries it. (Echidnas are good diggers; if you startle one it will sink as if by magic into the ground until only its spines are exposed. In this position it is all but unassailable.) Alternately, she hides it under a bush. Every five to ten days she unburies it and lets it nurse for a while before burying it again. Keep in mind that the puggle, like a joey, is still somewhat fetal while this is going on. It's a half-fetus half-baby thing buried in the dirt.

The echidna is therefore "born" three times -- once as an egg, once when the egg hatches, and once when the puggle is evicted from the pouch and hidden by its mother. It's a good thing placentalism came along, or we'd all have to go through something like this.

Echidna mating is mysterious and primordial. It is also rarely observed, but the following seem to be the basics. It begins when the female goes into estrus. Males, usually three or four of them, but sometimes as many as eleven, start following her around in a long single-file line called an "echidna train" (or even "echidna love train"). It seems very civilized, though it can go on for as long as six weeks, during which time the otherwise solitary animals eat and sleep in each other's company, and the males nip the female's tail, which seems to be a kind of foreplay. Eventually the female echidna climbs partway up a tree, or buries part of herself in the dirt, leaving the males to walk around and around her until they have created a circular rut in the ground. (Sometimes there's only one male, in which case, nothing daunted, he kind of walks back and forth by himself until he has created a little ditch.) Then they engage in a shoving contest. The males that get shoved out of the ditch acknowledge defeat and leave peacefully until only one, the best shover, is left. He gets to mate with the female -- very carefully, because they are both covered with spines. (Understandably, echidnas do it face to face, so don't listen to anyone who tells you that this is a uniquely human behavior.) The male's four-headed penis, which he does not use to urinate, emerges only during the act of mating; the rest of the time he is indistinguishable from a female echidna, as his testicles are also inside his body.

Basically what I'm trying to say is HOLY CRAP MONOTREMES ARE WEIRD WHY DO THEY EVEN EXIST. Also that I really admire them, these life-forms that seem to be built out of spare parts, that refuse to be daunted by the convoluted systems they must use to propagate themselves, that seem as if by rights they really ought to have died out millions of years ago but haven't. Life just won't give up! Life has webbed feet, a bill, a pouch that comes and goes, waterproof fur, spines, poisonous ankles -- whatever it takes. And life is a lot more interesting than the book I have to edit right now, but then so is string cheese. I only wish the male lead really were a platypus.

Cheers, Judi

Look

By virtue of watching a lot of cricket and cricket commentary this last few months, the penny dropped about a strange Australian phrase "Look". People here say "Look" where an "er" would do quite well. The result is an inappropriate emphasis. I had trouble with someone at work alway saying "Look..." at the beginning of any sentence. My immediate reaction was that I must have said something especially dumb or offensive. I now realize that it's just one of those verbal tics like "I guess" for an Amurican. Allan Border, the great Australian cricket ex-captain says "Look" all the bloody time so I finally caught on. Needless to say, I feel much better, right?

Tim

The original Doggy Heaven

Doggy Heaven was a place on the Rio Grande where I used to take the dogs. Here's a great picture of Karma and Sammy and a much younger Gavin (my son - not a dog!) with me there, probably in early Fall so the water was cold. The dogs didn't mind but Gavin and I used to get really chilled. We'd hardly ever see anyone there except for a few duck hunters.



Tim

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Sammy!

and then again... we can't forget Karma - "Shake, shake, shake..."



or, The Big Guy... doing a favorite thing - wading.



Cheers, Judi

The news

I ain't echidna'ing you!

Yes yes. Another of Australia's wonderful little creatures has crossed our property lines and entered our new Ozzie lives. Last night, Sammy woke Tim up by indicating he heard a sound outside our bedroom door. Tim said it sounded like someone or something snoring, but he couldn't see anything with the "torch" (that's "flashlight" to you US folks!).

This afternoon I was painting in our bedroom -- white if you can imagine me painting anything that isn't outrageous! Sammy was sitting on the balcony outside our bedroom and every now and then would bark. I kept looking to see what attracted his attention, and hoped it wasn't our neighbor trying to enjoy the quiet of his backyard. After five or six episodes of seeing nothing -- I viewed something moving around a tree trunk just up the hill. I ran to get the binoculars, and then I saw it, "a porcupine!" Hmmmm, but this porcupine's nose must have been 8 inches long! I asked Ian (our kitchen cabinetry guy) if he knew of any kind of animal like this. His guess was a wombat. I looked wombat up on my handy little laptop, but nope - wombats have cute little guinea pig noses. Searching Australia and NSW mammals, I finally saw it. AN ECHIDNA!



I'll let you know if "the snorer" returns!

Hugs, Judi

Us and Them

Us and Them.

No more words necessary.

Tim

Great commencement speech

Normally they suck but here's a great one by David Foster Wallace.

Tim

Listen to this....

Stories like this make me want to go back to the US and kick some presidential ass.

Interview with the President of Jefferson Parrish

I didn't vote for the idiot that runs the country (or appears to). The US Government should be ashamed.

Stepping off of soapbox, I remain ....
Judi

Rain and Hurricanes

The lories might be wet and miserable, but I for one am VERY GLAD for the rain. I have heard and read all kinds of scary stories about bush fires, and since this has been an exceptionally warm and dry winter, there is cause to worry. Even knowing that rain encourages funnel web spiders to seek shelter in people's homes -- I think I'd rather deal with them than a huge roaring fire at my doorstep. There are always vacuums to deal with spiders!

Freedom Kitchens is removing our kitchen tomorrow and then the plumber and electrician will do their thing. Our new kitchen arrives on Thursday and I think Friday is install day (?) I cleaned out the cupboards and took off the cabinet doors. Now the kitchen looks a bit like it did when we first got our "stuff." Before and after photos are forthcoming.

One more thing. A POX on the idiots that are allowing the people in Mississippi and Louisiana to suffer more than needed. A POX on President Bush for his political dribble and good old boy assignments (e.g., FEMA Head, Michael "Hey Brownie!" Brown). A POX on those who siphoned money away from needed repairs of an area that was deemed high risk for disaster. Good Show for those people who are sending money, offers of help, and homes to shelter. Best of luck to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Hugs, Judi

Wet Sunday

I think it rained all night. Everything is soaked. The Lori's are a sight. Not their normal colorful selves.



Other birds are coming to the balcony for shelter. Here's a big magpie:



Tim

Two web sites

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/

Tim

Dust devils on Mars

This is very cool. Reminds me of the New Mexico - Mexico border around Deming in July. Seriously.

Tim

Smoking!

Big bush fires around Sydney today. Driving up to Newport this afternoon we could see the smoke from around West Head. Back at our house, the air is full of smoke. Here's the view from our balcony.



Update: It was probably a controlled burn. There's one today close to Thorneligh. Seems like snow but it's just ash.

Tim

...Able to carry off small children....

The gigantic spider, that is. The one on my bathroom wall yesterday morning. The spider who now resides in my vacuum (with very strong suction). The vacuum that is now residing in my bathtub with the hose hanging out the bathroom window (just in case!). I was comfortable thinking that the creepy crawlies were not going to emerge for at least another month or so, until I was informed otherwise at the dog park yesterday. The dog park (the place from where all knowledge comes). One woman said she almost stepped on the female funnelweb that was lounging on her kitchen floor. I understand they will appear to "lounge" only to rear up and expose their fangs when threatened (I'm not making this up folks!). Her spider now resides under a large vase.

The kitchen wreck crew are coming on Sept. 5th to take our old kitchen. The new kitchen arrives on the 7th and is installed on the 8th until.... well, a few days until it's completely finished. The last of our appliances have arrived; i.e., the rangehood and the dishwasher I found on eBay (that only uses 12 - 17 liters of water per wash!) arrived recently. I forgot to mention that I sold my first item on eBay. Our futon that we would have paid someone to take, captured 33 big ones.

I heard that Don Giovanni, the opera we went to, got rave reviews in the media. Special focus was on Mr. Don G, himself, a tall, sinewy man who appears almost naked as the curtain opens. I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed. Oh yes, he had an outstanding voice as well. The opera was incredible and too bad it was Zoë's first. Future operas are likely to pale in comparison.

Cheers, Judi

Book recommendation

Cormac McCarthy writes beautifully but his world is not for everyone. "No country for old men" is probably the best of his that I've read. It's a contemporary crime story set in the border country of west Texas, tremendously exciting and involving but also finally quite haunting. Quite unlike anything I've read for a long while. Recommended.

Tim

Missing New Mexico

It's the end of summer in New Mexico - beginning to be my favorite time of the year there. Labor Day (the traditional end of summer) is approaching. There's always lots of interesting stuff to do on Labor Day weekend - the Socorro County Fair and the Hillsboro Apple Festival being a couple of favorites. Actually now I think about it, that's two events in about 10,000 square miles but it is New Mexico after all.

The Hatch Chile Festival is an experience, though we've only been once. It seemed a cross between New Mexico and Old Mexico (about 100 miles away). Dust, pickups, loud music, lots of spicy food, strange religious items, hot sun...

Here's a picture of Judi and me at Lake Valley on a trip with our friends Sanjay and Urvashi:



Lake Valley is a ghost town near Hillsboro. In the early eighties I used to go dancing there with some friends. Once a month on a Saturday night, the local ranch families used to gather in the old school house for an old fashioned dance - guitar, fiddle, western two-step, pies and coffee at midnight. I can still hear the strains of "Faded Love".

Later in the fall, the smoke from the wood fires greets you in the morning, roasting green chile scents the air, and the nights are cold and crisp. Then at the end of October, the cottonwood leaves turn color. Here's an old photo from the Bosque del Apache
widelife refuge.





Tim

Zoë's Visit From Colorado USA

Hey all, Zoë here. I’ve been in Australia for a week now, and I leave on Saturday. It’s been a lot of fun.

Let’s see. On Saturday we went to Manly via the Manly Ferry. I didn’t get a postcard, which I’m still kicking myself for. I mean, a postcard from Manly? How cool is that? Anyway, despite the fact that I was jetlagged to hell, we still had fun. The harbor was beautiful, the Opera House even more amazing than its pictures, and the ocean itself was tres cool. On the way back from Manly, we sat with this Ozzie and his Kiwi friend. The Ozzie was drunk and extremely friendly, and his friend took some glorious pictures of the three of us in front of the bridge.

On Tuesday we saw Don Giovanni at the Opera House. It was my first opera, and it was glorious! The singing was wonderful, the music just perfect, and the singer playing Don Giovanni looked like a total cad. It was a perfect evening.

Then today, Judi-san and I went shopping. My god, Australian grocery stores are frigging amazing. The fruit! The cheese! The veggies! The fish counters! The sweets! The crappy bread is a minor annoyance, but one I could live with. Seriously, glorious stores.

And tomorrow it looks like I’ll be braving Sydney by myself to go to a museum. I’m quite looking forward to it, to tell the truth. I’m going by train, so I can spend as much time as I want. Yay!

Werewolf at the beach

London town was too hot for this werewolf so he hit the beach. It's true that his hair was perfect.

LIVING ON THE EDGE...

Have you ever seen a Spur-Winged Plover? Until this morning, I had seen these birds but didn't know much about them. Plovers are shore/wading birds, but for some reason you see them all around NSW - specifically our local dog park. The other day, one of the plovers swooped down at a dog and a dog buddy mentioned the name of the bird and the fact that they lay their eggs in the open grass. I've heard of women having babies in strange places (e.g., taxis, elevators), but on the lawn? It gets worse.

Well, this morning there were two plovers swooping down around one entrance to the park. A nice man and his dalmation, Julia, were unquestionably the object of the birds' fury. Once inside the park, "Julia's Dad" (I forget "his" name!) told us there was a plover nest right next to the gutter on the road -- on the pavement! He said that one of the chicks had already been killed by a passing car. At this point I was imagining a tiny, just-hatched chick in a nest. There was another man coming towards the park with his dog, so I warned him and mentioned why the birds were swooping and screeching. My information was not needed, because he told me about the black spurs on the wings that can hurt you if the plover feels you are too threatening. I think I was talking to a "plover expert". Anyway, while standing there watching the plovers swooping and walking around on the street, a plover chick starting running out into the street! Talk about cute .... and funny - all legs! It was clear now what happened to the dead chick, and it looked like it was going to be a likely ending to this little guy as well. The street isn't busy, but one car went directly over the chick - fortunately straddling the little guy. I couldn't watch anymore!!! You can't help without wearing anti-plover mother protective gear! And if you rescued the chick... then what?

And so it is... another example of "Life on the Edge."

--Judi

Possum comes calling

Our possum showed up early tonight. Sammy did some highly commendable growling to let us know something was going on so we looked out in the tree just by the balcony and saw this:

I managed to get within a couple of feet to get these pictures.

Tim

The Iliad

I finished the audio version of the Iliad a few weeks ago. The end came as rather a shock - Hector dies and is buried and then the story stops before the final battle in which the Greeks take Troy.

It's a curious story. Wonderfully entertaining in a way close to movies. Lots of blood and gore that must have excited and engaged listeners down the years but with elements of a comedy.

The strangest aspect about the Iliad is the lack of an interior voice - there's only one scene when a protagonist reflects on his actions. That's when Agamemnon reconsiders the bad way that he treated Achilles. Apart from that, stuff happens because the gods will it that way. There's a wonderful book call "The Origin of Conciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" by a Harvard psychologist called Julian Jaynes putting forth the notion that the Greeks actually thought differently that we in the modern world do - that their actions were at the prompting of an internal voice which could be taken to be a god. Jaynes argues that the origin of language and metaphor in particular led to a breakdown of this bicameral mind. It's an interesting read even if you don't accept the thesis.

Leaving that aside, the reason to read or listen to the Iliad is that it's a great story - perhaps the first great story in the Western world. Recommended.

Tim

Possums and other cute critters

I forgot to tell you about our possum. Wellllll, she/he isn't necessarily "our" possum, but he visits us so that counts for something! "Our" possum, "Paul", realized that the "paw paws" that I put out for the lorikeets are much to his liking. Usually ten minutes after Tim and I go to bed, we will hear noises on the balcony. Of course, Sammy hears them too, which tends to make the possum's visit brief.

These guys are really cute -- sort of like a cat with a longer, bushy tail and pointy nose. I think this is a brushtail possum, which are the most common in NSW, but I'm not totally sure. If one of these cute guys takes residence in your attic, you are not allowed to "relocate him/her." It is actually against the law, since the little guys will die if moved elsewhere. You can find instructions on how to build your very own possum house as well as how to get the little guys to move out of your attic for good.

I'm amazed at how neat our little friend is. I don't think he would make any mess at all if Sammy didn't scare him off. Usually, the paw paw will stay right on the plate and have lots of claw/teeth marks in it. The seeds will be scattered - it seems no one likes the seeds. The little guy even got into the garbage bag in our carport. You would hardly know, except for the two items that had been licked clean and laid neatly aside.

Female possums usually bear their young in May - June each year. The young develop in the mother's pouch until they are robust enough to rough it on the outside - at their mother's tit. They will ride around with Mom for about 6 months before setting out on their own. I didn't see any "attached" baby, so I suspect our Paul is a male -- but you never know - it could be "Paula"!

Hugs, Judi

Catching Up...

Is it proper for a woman to fall in love with a bread machine? Welllll, I don't care - it happened. We told you about our frustration with the boring and unhealthy selection of bread here in Oz. Thanks to good ol' eBay (more about eBay later) we purchased a Breville Breadmaker. What a great machine. What a great invention. I've never been a "kneady" person, so a machine that will do it for me is a gift from above. All we do is add the ingredients - of which there are endless varieties - press a button - and voila!.... three hours later the bread that dreams are made of. Unhealthy bread problem solved.

You want to know how we are settling in? We have discovered the house has timber (read "wood") floors under all the "stuff." Slowly but surely things are getting put away wherever there might be an extra inch of space. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that we still have way too much "stuff." After four yard sales you might think we had whittled down to the bare necessities. Well, think again, my friends. It is embarrassing - I knew I had trouble getting rid of things, but this is ridiculous! Anyway - we are filling more boxes with unwanted and unneeded items. An interesting practice the Ozzie's have is to leave things on the street curbs in front of their homes. One person's junk is another person's treasure.

Freedom Kitchens is doing our kitchen renovation. Jelena, our designer, came up with the best price and the best plan so it's all systems go. She came up with a great and affordable appliance package for us, but I am having fun finding my own on the Ozzy eBay. So far I have found a high end wall oven and ceramic cooktop, a stainless steel sink and a tap/mixer that has a pull-out spray. Now if I can only find a great (read "cheap") dishwasher, we'll be all set. Collecting our eBay treasures allows us to visit areas in NSW that we might not otherwise get to. Yesterday we drove an hour to Caringbah (south of Sydney) for the cooktop. The oven is in another direction. I only used eBay once in the States, but Oz has very poor and limited on-line shopping, so eBay Oz is a great alternative - and the deals - let me tell you about the deals!! Just kidding - well, you really do get great deals. :)

Hugs, Judi

Dark night

I woke up at 4am the other night and looked out from the balcony. It was still dark but there was mist in between the trees. I tried to capture the scene with the camera but only ended up with this slightly spooky picture:



Tim

Judi and Tim at the Black Dog

I found this wonderful picture that I mentioned before - our wedding day at Martha's Black Dog.



Tim

Wow!

.... My word just now when a huge black crow or raven landed on the railing outside our living room window. I'm used to the Lorikeets and Starlings - but this was a bird of a different color. I still think that the cry of the Australian Raven proves that God (whatever that term means to you) has a sense of humor. The sound is a lot like someone yelling loudly - OH NOOOOOOO! ... in a whiny voice. How would you describe it?

Yesterday, in order to escape our still disorganized house, Tim and I drove up to Berowra Waters and took the Ferry. This ferry has to be the world's fastest. How fast is it you ask? It was so fast that I didn't even know we had crossed when we started unloading on the other side. It's a winch pulled ferry and obviously the crossing is not very wide. We stopped for fish n' chips on the other side and picnicked by the water. It was a beautiful day boasting the bluest of skies.

Last evening, we dined out with visiting friends, Juan and Rosa, at the Royal Oak Hotel in Balmain. The company was excellent, but the restaurant was definitely forgettable. Tim and I are "fishing-eating vegetarians" and the menu had a limited selection of entrees/mains we could eat. Tim selected the Salmon and my choice was the Barramundi - neither outstanding in any way. The antipasto appetizer and BBQ'd baby octopus (yes, I said "baby" :( ) were both delicious, and we should have made our meal of those items. The service was marginal at best and the staff lacked "personality." Furthermore, noone explained to us that a salad bar was included with our meal. For dessert, Tim and Juan had the Creme Brulee, which was tasteless and forgettable. My sticky fig pudding with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce, however, was hhhhmmmmmmmmmm good - definitely memorable! All in all, I wouldn't recommend the Royal Oak Hotel Restaurant and give it a C+.

Cheers, Judi

Martha's Black Dog is closing

The first coffee shop in Socorro is evidently closing, according to my old friend Brian. It's too bad. Martha's cafe was a big advance in the liveability of Socorro - somewhere to go for a capuccino. The coffee was of variable quality (her staff changed a fair amount) but just being there was good enough. And her desserts were usually excellent.

Before I knew Judi, I used to go there in the evening for a late night coffee and dessert (I was running a lot in those days and could afford the calories). I remember sitting there with Paul Harden discussing Comet Hale-Bopp. We cruelly told a nearby eavesdropper that we couldn'd discuss what we knew.

The day Judi and I got married we went there for our reception (the four of us). Gavin had a great vanilla shake, I remember. The photo of Judi and me is still on the wall - she looks just gorgeous.

Thanks Martha.

Tim

Mermaid Avenue

I just noticed that we don't write about music. Strange because we both listen all the time to various stuff. So... currently we're really enjoying Billy Bragg and Wilco, Mermaid Avenue. The lyrics were evidently written by Woody Guthrie and music provided by BB and Wilco (separately and together). So the sensibility of Woody with the beautiful music of Wilco.

A shoutout to my new friend Joel who introduced me to this great music.

Tim

One more thing....

Judi forgot to say that the beaches in Australia are really great. A few too many sunbathers, though.

Tim

The Good, The Bad, The OK

At the risk of incurring the wrath of our Australia friends, I would like to comment on some of our findings in this new home...

For example.... Like what's the deal with the bread here? The fanciest and healthiest bread we've found is white bread with some seeds on it. When I've been to the bakery and ask the worker what each kind is, the response is:

That's white bread in a round form. Oh, that one is white bread that is baked in a square pan. That one is white bread with a crispy top, and so on....and each shape has a different name (e.g., Tiger Bread, Farmer Bread, etc.). Even the whole grain bread here looks white.

Haven't they heard about bread that you can eat three bites from and the resulting nutrition will last you for the next three months? Actually, we found the same thing in France - sort of tasteless, white bread. Can someone tell me where we can find bread that'll put hair on your chest? One friend suggested a bakery near the CBD, but what about us folks in "Suburbia?"

Australia offers some wonderful things, but I miss The Great Harvest Bread Co. in Albuquerque, NM (and real robust bread!).

Speaking of eating, the restaurants here in OZ are wonderful - and we've been eating out mostly in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney. The restaurants tend to be intimate with excellent service. Very often you will find yourself being served by a member of the owner's family. And you want to talk about variety??? If you want to eat Gado Gado that might be the main dish from some obscure Indonesian Island, you could probably find it here. We have eaten Sri Lankan, Singapore food, Japanese, various types of Chinese - you name it - OH, and the gourmet pizzas! What they lack in bread here, they make up in varieties of pizza.

And on the road.... that is, roads that are narrow and not particularly efficient for a city the size of Sydney, are the drivers. Growing up in Boston, I remember that driving can be stressful - dangerous in fact. I thought Boston drivers were the meanest until I drove in New Jersey. New Jersey drivers aren't just mean - they actually try to kill you. I was almost run off a busy freeway by a crazed semi-truck driver. Then, if you drive in New Mexico you can witness another type of bad driver - NM drivers aren't mean - they're just dumb! They have no sense.

So far, I have found Australian drivers to be mostly proficient and polite drivers, unless you hesitate for a moment prior to entering a round-a-bout or making a turn - then you get the proverbial "BEEP!" Australian drivers like to use their car horns, so if you're new in the area or trying to learn how to drive on "the other" side of the road, you can expect to get beeped at a lot. I have beep marks all over!

I have probably bored you enough with my remarks, so I'll sign off for now. I will continue the pros and cons list in a later posting.

Judi
(PS: Tim and I really like it here - honest! An amazing experience we have had here is the deliveries are made on time by professional, efficient and polite workers who take pride in their jobs. It's great and something we weren't used to in NM! Oops, here I go again.... )

See the comet

As you probably know, NASA is going to crash a spacecraft into a comet tonight (July 4). You can see it live on the Charles Sturt University (Bathhurst, NSW) remote telescope:

http://black-hole-net.mit.csu.edu.au/telescope/resources/deepimpact.asp

Note also the archive of images of the comet taken on previous nights.

Tim

Evening in the northern woods

I was in the northern Netherlands last week for a scientific meeting. Our hotel and the meeting place were in the Dwingerveld - an old forest. We were fortunate to be able ride bicycles to and from the meeting. The cycle paths there are superb, of course. The ride in the morning was a good way to wake up, and that in the evening was a preparation for sleep - very peaceful with extraordinary dusk lighting even at 9 and 10 o'clock.

Compared to Australia, the woods in the Netherlands are quite boring - no strange trees losing their skin and no shrieking brightly coloured birds. But there were big mosquitos, quick to converge from all around.

I got back here on Sunday. The next day I went for a (mountain) bike ride along the fire trail. I couldn't find my helmet so I went without it - strictly illegal here. It wasn't a good idea, either, because I fell off my bike at the end of a steep ride down to a stream, falling most satisfyingly onto the ground and then down across a big slab of rock and into the stream. A nice welcome back to Australia :)

Tim

Goodbye to a Special Lady

Claire Hughes was in her late 80's I think and still very sharp. She died recently after a lengthy and painful illness. She had told me several times that she wanted to die - that it was time to die - that she was tired of living with pain.

I met Claire when I lived in Phoenix, Arizona (USA). She lived with her friend Marcy, another wonderful woman. Claire and Marcy were nuns for many years until they decided it was time to start a different kind of life. They started their new life with few belongings and little money because the Catholic church requires that you donate all of your personal belongings to the church. Claire had an MS in Library Science and Marcy was a teacher (mostly English as a second language). As nuns, they traveled and lived in interesting places that included Hawaii and Bolivia. They moved to Globe, Arizona and worked there, then moved to the Phoenix area and then up to Prescott, Arizona.

I met Claire at a vulnerable time in my life. I had just separated from my "ex-husband" and moved to Mesa, Arizona to start my new life. I met Claire because she was my second cousin (my mother's cousin). I loved her because she was warm, and caring, intelligent and wise. Despite her connection to the church, she was open to all kinds of ideas and beliefs. It truly surprised me; I didn't expect such openness. It was a comfort to me just to know that she and Marcy lived nearby.

I only lived in Phoenix for 2 1/2 years, so I didn't get to spend a lot of time with Claire and Marcy, and subsequent visits were from a long distance and brief. When Tim and I were getting ready for our move to Oz, I would liked to have driven over to Prescott to say goodbye. I talked to her by phone on several occasions in those last months, so at least we had some contact. However, my car was in the shop for hail damage for two months and the last couple of weeks were frantic to prepare for our move. I didn't say goodbye to Claire, even though I knew she was dying. I wish I had. I wish I had taken the time and the effort to go to Prescott.

I feel blessed that I got to know Claire. She was a cool old lady. I'm not sorry she died - I hate to think of her living with such pain and she said she was ready to go. I will miss her though. Even though I didn't see or talk to her very often, it felt good just to know she was there.

So goodbye Claire - I know you will keep them in line up there! My love to you.

Judi

Our home in the trees

P6190229.JPG
Originally uploaded by Judi Blue.

I want to show you the huge and beautiful trees that surround our new home. The tall trees are gum trees, but there are many other types I haven't been able to identify... yet.

Judi