Saturday, March 31, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Off To Uluru – More Later!

I have no idea if I will have time or capability to post pictures this weekend, I will be a bit rushed, as it is a long flight to the center of Australia and Back. To put it in perspective, based on my limited understand of the area – by which I mean I have looked at a map and have a general idea of where things are and how big the place I am visiting is – it is a bit like being on a business trip to Tallahassee, FL, and then taking a side-trip to Cheyenne, WY for the weekend.
Happy birthday to my friend Diana

Friday, March 30, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Murramarang National Park (Part 5: Perfect Ending!)

This weekend’s side trip is to Murramarang National Park, on Australia’s eastern coast in New South Wales. But all good things come to an end, and the day we were having was no exception.
Happy birthday to my friend Anna

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Murramarang National Park (Part 4: Perfect Seclusion!)

This weekend’s side trip is to Murramarang National Park, on Australia’s eastern coast in New South Wales. Our last stop of the day was Depot Beach, only a mile-or-so down the beach from Pebbly Beach. We were told that this was a beach where the kangaroos came down to sun themselves in the early morning and the late afternoon.
Happy birthday to my friend Jill
Happy birthday to my cousin Kristen

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Happy birthday to my cousin Shawn

Travelogue: Australia – Murramarang National Park (Part 3: Perfect Scenery!)

This weekend’s side trip is to Murramarang National Park, on Australia’s eastern coast in New South Wales. The plan had been to head over to Bateman’s Bay, and then turn to the right and go down the coast through the scenic loop that included a bunch of little towns with all sorts of interesting shops to poke through. I don’t know why, but we both decided to head straight to the beach. What a great choice!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Murramarang National Park (Part 2: Perfect Food!)


This weekend’s side trip is to Murramarang National Park, on Australia’s eastern coast in New South Wales. A colleague of mine and I headed out for a day of adventure to the coast. I played the part of driver and planner, he filled-in in the role of navigator and spotter. On the way, we stopped for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat at an amazing little boulangerie in a town called Bungendore.
Happy birthday to my friend Karen

Monday, March 26, 2012

Shameless Pandering

Look to the right. Right there, look at the world coverage map...

Travelogue: Australia – Murramarang National Park (Part 1: Perfect Weather!)


This weekend’s side trip is to Murramarang National Park, on Australia’s eastern coast in New South Wales. I rented a car and, after taking a day to practice and get my left-hand-lane driving skills back, I set off for the coast on Sunday morning.

Accompanying me on this side trip was one of my colleagues here from the London office. We loaded the car and set-out on our trip at about half-ten which is late for me to start on a road trip, but was about perfect for the day we had!
Happy birthday to my friend John

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Plans Made


How many times have I got to learn the lesson? NEVER MAKE PLANS! Perhaps I should have it tattooed onto the inside of my eye lids in fluorescent paint so that I can see it as I sleep.
Happy birthday to my friend Linda

Friday, March 23, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Tidbinbilla V (Aussie Action Film)

In the spirit of those puzzles you see at the movies these days, name the Aussie Action film:























Thursday, March 22, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Tidbinbilla IV (Getting Home)

The trip home was much less eventful than the trip there, but then, with no choice on road and having just been down the path a couple hours ago, we had no real opportunity for adventure on the return trip.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Tidbinbilla III (Getting Into Trouble)

Thump      -      Thump      -       Thump      -      Thump      -       Thump

“What is that drumming sound?” I asked

Monday, March 19, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Tidbinbilla I (Getting There)

The last time I was here I showed this picture of a Kangaroo Crossing sign. You see them everywhere over here along the roads. They are ubiquitous and I opined in that piece that seeing them is a bit like seeing a Deer Crossing back home. You see the signs, you occasionally see the road kill, you rarely see the animals.
Happy birthday to my friend Deneen

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Sunday Morning

Perhaps it is a function of getting older, but going out and to a noisy bar where there are scads of twenty-somethings over-indulging, sloshing their drinks on each other, dancing – by which I mean falling over, and generally making total prats of themselves, doesn’t have the allure it once did.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – St. Patrick’s Day Down Under


It’s Saturday and the plans are all made; the day’s agenda calls for some sightseeing, some wilderness and exercise in the fresh air, and an evening at an Irish Pub.
St. Patrick's Day
Happy birthday to my friend Amy

Friday, March 16, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Sunset

By the time we left the client yesterday, the sunset was down to the gloaming. It was lovely to see the outskirts of Canberra stretching up the hills to the west.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Traveling Again


It takes less time to fly to Canberra than it take to get to and from the airport for the flight. The plane was crowded, and there was a bit of a delay as they waited for the connections to transfer, but 35 minutes after takeoff, we landed in Canberra.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Walkabout (Part III)

What an AMAZING weekend! Lovely weather, time in a beautiful city and time to explore it all! I have to remember to stop by the concierge desk as I am leaving today to thank Andrew for all his advice and guidance on putting together my itinerary!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Walkabout (Part II)

Today the plan is to make it over across Darling Harbour to the fish markets. According to the concierge who has been helping me with my itinerary for the weekend, they can be interesting early in the morning as they are setting-up for the day and having their auction for the restaurants. I also want to walk across the Harbour Bride to Manning and climb the bridge pylon. There is a museum there that has info about the building of the bridge which Andrew recommended as an interesting stop.
Daylight Saving Time Begins In The US

Friday, March 09, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Arrival


The hotel is nice. The people are nice. The town is nice. I am so DARN tired!

Travelogue: Australia – Sleep (?)


This is the typical mid-flight screed about how I find it next-to-impossible to sleep on flights. What a bummer! The one time I have ever slept on a plane was that one time my friends had me visit a quack in South Africa that would prescribe anything to anyone.
Happy birthday to my friend Mickey

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – No Such Day Exists…


I wish that this trip had gone forward when it was initially scheduled. Had it, this column would be being written about the 16th of February 2012 instead of the 08th of March! This may not seem a big deal to you, but as that was my fiftieth birthday, it is a big deal to me!
Nametag Day

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Waiting


Well, that wasn’t so bad!

Travelogue: Australia – More Waiting


This is getting old!

Travelogue: Australia – Departure


It is a cold and miserable day here in Lakewood; it is cold and we are experiencing freezing drizzle. The forecast calls for snow today if the front that started moving through last night should finish its transit. But by then, I should be comfortably ensconced on a plane. By Friday mid-morning, that’s tomorrow from my perspective, I should be happily basking in the warmth of the late summer of Australia!

Social Discourse

It is truly interesting to me that there are actually people who are supporting the mean-spirited and unsupported personal attack recently launched by a radio talk show host on a witness testifying on women’s healthcare. Mr. Limbaugh issued the opinion that Ms. Fluke was a slut and a whore. This is such a ridiculous error in logic and lapse in decorum that I could not let it pass.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Travelogue: Australia – Preparations


Well, THAT was fun!

Stubborn Indecision


C’mon, people, what’re you waiting for!? I hate to say it but this year the Republicans are out-Democrating the Democrats!
Kiki Dee's Birthday

Monday, March 05, 2012

Saturday, March 03, 2012

A Touchy Subject


Perhaps it is more than a semantic argument; but if so, someone is going to have to explain it to me. I know that I have railed against it before but I still do not understand why the phrase “Illegal Immigrant” is considered so bad!

Happy birthday to my friend Angie