Better than nothing!

I am still alive!

We have borrowed a computer from a co-worker of DH's until we get ours sorted out. I am hoping that our renter's insurance covers the repairs for the old computer. I think that we are still going to order a new laptop anyway.

The reason that we have been dragging our feet on the computer issue is that the problem happened 2 days before we left for AUSTRALIA for 2 weeks!

We are now back (came back 9-4-06) and I have to say....Australia is so fantastic! I wish that I could have stayed instead of coming back to Saipan. Not considering my allergies here are insane until I get used to it here again. Yes, I look like a puffy eyed freak for now because of allergies.

We spent a couple of days running around Cairns, Kuranda, Townsville, Magnetic Island and then took a Jetstar.com flight (so not ready for another one of those) to Melbourne. We got another rental car (DH did great driving on the opposite side of the road while figuring out how to shift and signal with the opposite hands as well...not to mention the fab roundabouts that I think should be in every city), and drove south to Bellbrae where our timeshare is. We had a great condo for a week and every day we took off to do day trips.

While down south, we went to Otways, Split Point, Loch Ard Gorge, 12 Apostles, Phillip Island to see the "Little Penguins", Victoria Market in Melbourne, Torquay (home of RipCurl, Quicksilver, etc...big surfing place), Geelong, Barwon Heads.

And let me just say that even though it sounds pathetic, one of the highlights of the trip for me was the grocery stores! Real deli's in the stores! Fresh dairy products! (I am from the midwest, y'all)

I could have lived on the fresh European style yogurt, fresh milk, Schweppes Lemon Lime & Bitters soda, lebanese bread & feta dip and greek olive mixture that we bought a couple of times. D-E-L-I-S-H! And those chocolates made by Cadbury. Time Out was my favorite, hands down. Cherry Ripe is okay...not sure what the hype is about. I also liked the Crunchy. I wanted to try a Violet Crumble but it didn't come in my mixed bag of trial sized bars and I was not about to shell out $2.75 for a regular sized candy bar. Some of the prices there are worse than Saipan! And gas...over $4 a gallon. I think that we paid on average $1.30 per litre. I did love the little ice cream cone from Happy Jacks (Burger King in the US). So rich and creamy and only 30 cents. Just the right size too! They looked at us like we were bonkers when we ordered them. It was our first day in Aus and we were starving so we stopped and got sandwiches and ice cream cones. It was probably only 15 degrees C there at the time.

We have tons of pictures to post, including one of me holding a baby Koala at the Billabong Sanctuary just south of Townsville. What a sweet baby she is! Alas, I do not risk trying to upload my pictures to this computer since it likes to freeze up and restart at any time. I will save that for later.

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4 years ago, I met the man I married and my life has forever been changed. This has been the best 4 years of my life and they seem to keep getting better!

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The baby is doing well. I had another appointment last week and really liked that doctor. I am hoping that I can stick with him for the duration. I pray that he won't be sucked into the revolving door at that hospital and disappear forever. At least not until after January 2007. I feel the baby moving around all of the time. I still think that it is a girl. My tummy has grown. Now you can tell that I am pregnant, just a little bit. About time since I am on the cusp of my 6th month. I had gained 6 pounds since my last appointment but since we have been home, I have lost 2 of them. It is just too stinking hot to eat here. I about make myself sick forcing myself to eat at least 2 meals and 2 snacks a day. Most of the time I am just plain worn out to eat anything significant for dinner. Last night's dinner for me was a bowl of Edamame (soybeans). Those things are like crack for me...too addicting.

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I haven't done any stitching for 3 weeks! I will get back into the groove soon. I need to get caught up with my commitments.

One of my goals for our trip to Australia besides seeing Koalas (check), and Kangaroos (check, even petted them), was to get a sock knitting kit. I am obsessed with learning how to knit socks, even though it is eleventy billion degrees here and I have no need to wear any. We went to the Wool Museum in Geelong and I thought for sure that they would have somthing there. Nope. We even went to "Stitchery Blue" in Geelong. It is a nice little stitchy / knitty shop in the downtown area. "Sorry, we just sold our last sock pattern book yesterday." BAH!!! So, I am going to ebay. I have heard about "socks that rock" on another blog...so I may hunt those down as well.

Off to get this posted and read up on some blogs before the computer decides it is tired and shuts down.

I've missed y'all!

:)

Peace