Yarnivorous

G'day all! This is the fourth Australia Day I've had away from home.  I've read the newspapers pontificating on what it is to be Australian, and I'm still not sure what it means, beyond being a person born with at least one parent who is an Australian citizen or a person who has migrated to Australia and become a citizen. I know some of the things that mark me as an Australian.  My accent for one, despite the best efforts of various well-meaning Americans to make me sound like them.  Nup, not happening.  I'll keep my he-yah and summa, my Powl's books, not pow-el's books, thanks all the same.   Some Americans love my accent - I have absolutely NO idea why - when I go back home, I know I sound like the people around me and oh my goodness, I sound like that?  I'll also keep my somewhat off sense of humour, even if I can only indulge it in certain company.  My attitude to health care - after all Australia is a socialist country (I can hear variou...

G'day all! It occurred to me that I didn't post on Saturday night.  I was in Portland, Oregon, escaping the Eternal Gloom that had wrapped Seattle in its ample bosom (an inversion layer trapped fog and pollutants and it was yucky!).  We took the Amtrak Cascades down there and caught the Coast Starlight back. We are happy because we didn't miss our train. Our bus takes us 100 yards from the station! Livery. Did you know that I love taking the train?  Even if it costs double or quadruple what it would if we drove? Scenery wasn't great - very foggy! I can just sit and watch the scenery go by and knit - if we drive, I have to pay attention all. the. time. because I am The Driver.  DH is The Navigator, except he has an unhandy habit of falling asleep after lunch and occasionally not telling me where I am supposed to go.  That is ok if I am headed for a big city and the signage is good but sometimes I'm headed off whoop-whoop (that's oo a...

G'day all! The weather is glorious here at the moment.  Cold - below freezing at night and if we are lucky hitting 4C at best during the day, but it is sunny with very little wind and is dry and gobsmackingly gorgeous. If I can't have warm, I'll happily have brrr! with sun :-) People are asking if I miss summer at home and given Melbourne has been hitting around 40C then dropping to 25C and then back up again, I think I'll put up with freezing and sun... given I'm a bit of a lizard and love the heat, that is saying something, isn't it? Frost!  Hoar frost! Looking east at the Ballard locks Sunset! Great bikini weather!  It's hitting 37F some days. Girls, get your gear off and into one of these little numbers.... I love the way the shops bring in such appropriate clothing whilst putting the winter clothing on clearance/sale.  (I picked up some bargains, but not in bikinis so you can live without fear of me showing them off.) A li...

G'day all! It is now a year since I (we) left Australia.  A whole year. I think I'm a whole lot more comfortable with the idea of living in Seattle now that I have been here for almost a whole year - we spent three days in Hawai'i before we came here.  We arrived in Seattle on the 7th of January last year but of course 2012 was a leap year. Sunset, Oahu, Hawai'i, Jan 2012 Is it doable?  We are still here, so it must be doable! I have to say the 2.5 sunny days we had to start the New Year certainly helped.  Ask me in another five days - the forecast says it will almost certainly rain every day until Thursday - and my opinion may change. Anyone for a picnic?  Sunbaking? Jan 2012 We came here hoping things would work out, hoping that DH had found a job that was a good fit for him.  The old job wasn't - they wanted interchangeable work units and anyone who knows my DH knows he is not interchangeable and also will not conform to the masses just...