9 Moons Ago

  

Eating an orange and having an iced coffee for breakfast. With a slice of cold pizza and a kosher dill pickle.

Playing with cars, trucks, tractors, a bunny, turtles and a stuffed wombat officially named “Brownie” with this fellow:

Good, good talks on the phone with wonderful family and friends who are welcoming me home and itchin’ to see me once again.

A blissful nap on the downstairs sofa, under a cozy blanket, while corny, but sweet, words of wisdom spouted from the mouth of Beaver’s Dad while the tv murmured in the background.

Helping my sister to set the table and my Mom to cook dinner for the family. Creating a centerpiece, getting out the candles, making dip and pouring ice cubes and water into a frosted green glass pitcher. One of the things that really feels like “home” to me is this very ritual.

Getting a round of laughter from the family, after telling my Dad, at the dinner table, that he’s “successfully raised 3 smart-alecs”, though I was censoring myself just a bit there.

A generous, and pretty, bag of gifties from “Sr. Chrissy” including a wonderful fleece blanket, red socks, lotion, bath poof and 4 pristine mad libs books! Whooo! Bring it on!

Having cinnamon stick tea out of delicate flowered china tea cups with my sister and friends, while sporting my new black and red “Optimus Prime” tattoo on the inside of my forearm. Thanks, Ike! I look so hardcore I’m thinking of making it permanent. It has flames and everything!

Playing the Charlie Brown Theme on the piano at the request of my 3 year old nephew because it’s “his favorite song” and also, conveniently, to help stall his departure for his home and bed tonight.

Stepping outside to put Isaac in his car-seat and both of us, along with my sister, Kathy, looking up at the clear crescent moon in night sky and relishing the overdue feeling of the crisp air creeping through my thin shirt into my bones once more, after a long, hot, baking summer. I love that Isaac looks for the moon just as I do, and has since he was a baby. I also love the flash of difference between feeling lovely heat on my face when outside in the daytime back in Melbourne, and the black night pressing a chill into my skin here at home in Pennsylvania.

Unloading a lot of complicated feelings and “memories and dust” to my Mother, brother and future sister-in-law and having them all be loving & supportive and offering the blessed gift of their listening, more than that of their advice.

Getting my comedy and news, rolled up into one, while watching the Daily Show and the Colbert Report. Right now, that’s where I’ll get a lot of my current events..eventually I’ll be able to work up to the newspapers.
And the comedy? Well, fellas -and ladies..who never seem to get enough credit on that show-… it’s pure comedic GOLD.
The WEEKLY cobbled-together International “Daily Show”, which was shown in Oz, pales in comparison. They need to work on that, big-time! It should be shown weekly, not WEAKLY.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow too..it’s an un-written story as of yet! I really hope my tattoo lasts for the whole week though! I may have to cover it with gauze and tape when I take a shower!

God, it’s so good to be back in the U.S.A.! I’ve missed you guys!

  

Well, got the rest of the house-sitting pictures up for y’all. Things are flying for us.. can YOU believe it’s the middle of January already?! We can’t!

No lizards in this batch, I promise, Chhavy! Just Boids.

A few weeks ago I gave meself a new look, which I’d been contemplating for at least half a year. I have not had bangs (aka a fringe) since before I was a teenager. (We won’t count that brief early-1990’s fling with the fluffed-up wispy bangs that complimented my frizzy poodle perm. Blergh.)

Better self-portraits another time. I haven’t had much of a chance for photo ops!

I need a photo opportunity. I want a shot at redemption. Don’t want to end up a cartoon, in a cartoon graveyard. Bone digger, bone digger. Dogs in the moonlight. Far away in my well-lit room…
-P Simon.

Things are very good here. It’s so nice to be located near all our dearest folk -on this half of the world, anyway!

p.s. HAPPY B-DAY SARAH! Woot-woot!

  

Things are going well with both Cameron and myself, but since I might not post anything else till November, here’s an early “Halloween Postcard” from me to you! Trick or Treat!

  

Would have posted this before Thursday, but we’ve got some (some-what) unexpected news and major projects in the works. I won’t expand on anything tonight, because I need some sleep and might otherwise be up editing this for hours. Just wanted to get this important announcement up tonight!

Our friend Adrian often participates in the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
This year he’s chosen to perform a one-man comedy act on a subject which is not traditionally viewed as humorous, but one that he has lived through and coped with over the years. Part of what keeps Adrian going through the years, is ability to find humor in the most unlikely situations. I am really looking forward to this show.

After dinner at Daniel’s place with some other friends, and possibly the star of the show himself (provided he has the time), we’ll head over to see it at the Glitch Bar downtown.

Adrian performed last night and tonight, and we’ll have to ask him how it went.
Probably gave him a good chance to warm-up for the big Saturday night gig! ;-)

The rest of his schedule is as follows:

Sat the 6th of Oct. 10:15 pm

Thurs the 11th of Oct. 10:15 pm

Sat the 13th of Oct. 10:15 pm

and

Sun the 14th of Oct. 7:45 pm

Find out more about it, and the Festival, here: Melbourne Fringe 2007! YAY! Should be a fun night tomorrow. Can’t wait.

I’ll explain more about recent events as soon as I’m able..
xo Amy