Yeah...We Didn't Get Out of the City This Morning

Well, we both made it back to Sydney safe and sound yesterday morning. Phil in from India and me in 2 hours later, from the states. And I woke up at my usual 4:00 am this morning to confirm my changing of a bazillion time zones. My week of weird sleeping hours has once again begun. I would've been up, nice and early ready to leave for church, but as stated above...we didn't get out of the city this morning. Literally.

Today was the day for the annual Sydney Running Festival. 25,300 runners descended on the city for their choice of races- the marathon, the 1/2 marathon, 9km Bridge run, or 4 km Family Fun Run. 25,300 runners...seriously. Take a look.

Obviously the roads around our apartment were closed as well as the Harbour Bridge so we were city-bound for the morning. I'm happy to report that in the spirit of the day Phil and I did run...across the street to avoid the bus coming around the corner on our way to McDonald's for Egg McMuffins for breakfast. You can check out http://www.runthebridge.com.au/ for info on the day, see how much was raised for charity, and even see our apartment building next to the Opera House in the first picture on the web page.

On a different note...you know you're back in Australia when you pay this much for a can of hairspray.

Yes. That's right. The price was $7.95. I was forced to buy this last night at the drugstore (or chemist as they call them here) because I had taken my last can back with me to the states and forgot to buy some and bring them back with me. I literally felt pain to hand over almost $8 stinkin' dollars for a lousy can of hairspray. And it's not even a big can. You could almost call it travel size! So this afternoon (after the roads opened up and we could drive out of the city) we went to the mall to buy some groceries and get something to eat. I went to Big W (their version of Walmart) thinking I could buy my usual can of Suave at a much more reasonable price. Right.

First of all...no Suave on the shelf. I ended up with Schwarzkopf Hair Styling Hairspray. Yeah...what? In my mind I pictured the general from the Persian Gulf War dabbling in hair care products. But...the sticker of Heidi Klum on the can recommending this brand convinced me. I mean, really...if it's good enough for Heidi, it's good enough for me. And well it should be, at $6.96 a can. Pain, literal pain to pay that much...

Heading Back...Really, I Am This Time

That's right. On Thursday I step on the plane (then get off in Toronto, wait a couple of hours, and then step on another one and then step off in Vancouver, wait a couple of hours, and then step on another one and finally step off in Sydney. Thirty or so hours later. Sigh) to head back to Australia. With mixed feelings.
One the one hand...I've really gotten used to being back in the states these last six weeks. (Sheesh, has it really been six weeks?) I zip around town driving without the sweaty palms. Calm, cool, relaxed. And yes, singing loudly. Hanging out with great friends....talking, laughing, watching movies, catching up. Being with Sox. Seeing family...and just when did my oldest nephew grow taller than I am?? Sitting in church thinking I just love this place. And yes, eating Chick-Fil-A. (I need to admit though, with head bowed, I'm officially sick of their chicken sandwich.)
On the other hand...I really miss Phil. This living on two sides of the world is getting really old. What fun is living at home when my "home" is in actuality getting himself ready for bed in a hotel in India at the moment.
So...yes, it sort of stinks to be leaving here, but I'm looking forward to being back together with Phil. And seeing all of our friends in Australia. And getting back to daily walks around Sydney. And eating not-baked-but-fried apple pies at McDonald's. (bad but oh, so good.) And trips to Max Brenner's for some seriously good hot tea. And planning all of our travel adventures for the next couple of months...who knows...a trip to the capitol-Canberra (see, there's this really cool war museum there), Melbourne, the Outback (but isn't Ayer's Rock just a big ol' rock?), New Zealand, Vanuatu, and maybe even a trip back to the Barrier Reef...

Bloke's Day in Australia

"Bloke"- the Australian equivalant of "dude" or "tough guy". It's like the wild west out here this weekend with the womanfolk back in the US. That's right- this is my truck. And yeah- that's mud that it's covered in (this after a few hours of rain cleaning it off for me).

This weekend, I decided to be a bit manly and take the truck out to the outback. Ok, it was really semi rural suburban Sydney, but for US standards, this was the outback...

The destination, the Settler's Arms Pub in St Albans, New South Wales. A town and pub older than Australia itself. The method- staying on dirt roads (and possibly illegally leaving those dirt roads from time to time...) as much as possible.

I made it out there in about two hours time. After going a bit north of St Albans to get a little more dirt trail riding in, I came back and grabbed some lunch at the Settler's Arms. This was a seriously cool old pub. It was basically the only building in the town of St Albans but for a few old houses. I was picturing St Alban's to be a small town with some shops and restaurants and a downtown area. Here it is:

That's right- it's really just a pub and a few houses. And a fire station that's roughly the size of my tool shed.

Here's the entrance and exit to the town to give you some sense of the majesty of this place:

And here's the obstacles to be encountered along the way (by the way, 10 bucks to the first person who can tell me what's wrong with this sign!!):

Now that my rugged weekend is over, the truth of the matter is, I'm really sick and there's nobody here to care.... So much for the bloke, he turned bleak!!

Tomorrow in honor of the Eagles (and BTW- I can't get anyone here to respond to "E","A","G","L","E","S"....) big 1st game win, we learn about the Australian concept of a punt...

What do you do when the road ends and the water starts- apparently you punt!

Uh... I'm Still in the States

That's right. I'm still here in the States. I know...what? Here's the short version of how this went down on Saturday morning. (Only because Phil has repeatedly said in the past that I'm very good at making a short story, long.)
Once we both got to Sydney, we would've had about a week and half together before Phil had to leave for a week in India. (And no, I have no desire to go there...have you smelled Indian food lately?) Nor did I really have the desire to stay in Australia by myself while Phil was away. Phil needed to make a trip to Manila and good ol' Singapore at some point as well, so he suggested that I just stay here while he combines all three of these places into one trip. (I know...this is a long story. See? I'm good at it.)
So...all that to say that I don't leave to go back to Sydney until the 18th of September. More time with friends. More time with Sox. Maybe another trip to Ohio to see the fam. And yes, more time to enjoy Chick-Fil-A. (I should really get a comp sandwich or two for all of this free advertising they get on my blog.)
I've already crossed off one thing on my "List of Things to Do While I'm Still in the States" list. I painted the downstairs bathroom. Chocolate brown. I like it! (Although the thought did cross my mind that perhaps chocolate brown shouldn't be the color of choice in a bathroom...I'm sure Rob will have one or two oh-so-witty things to say about it.) I've done much of the taping for the master bathroom as well and will probably paint that later this week. It's going to be a silvery blue color. And I may even finally get to finish stripping the paint off of my grandma's hoosier cabinet (I think that's what it's called) and refinishing that as well.
I know Phil is thinking, "Yeah, right!" at that one...that's the project that I said I would do when he left for a month on a business trip to Luxembourg... two months after we got married...eleven years ago. You never know...this could be the year.

Heading Back...What??!

I can't believe it's time to head back to Australia again. Yeah...I know I've been in the states for almost a month now. But I'm starting to get really settled back here. Hopping in the car, driving who know's where just to drive around, going to stores just to look...okay, buy some books, too, having lunches and dinners with my best friends, hearing sweet Grace call us her "Aunt San-sung and Uncle Phil, too", playing putt-putt (yes I'm originally a Midwest girl and that's what we call miniature golf.), being with Sox, Chick-Fil-A, Rita's Water Ice, the list goes on. Sigh. And nothing says "Welcome Back to Australia" like going through almost 30 hours of plane rides and lay-overs to get there. Oh, happy Sunday. Just can't wait...
I usually don't post much when I'm back home mostly because I'm having too much fun being with old friends to sit at the computer, but also because there's something in me that says I can't post here if my blog title says "The Lankfords Down Under". How can I post if I'm not down under? I know and I agree...that's kind of weird. But, that's me. And speaking of me...here's a meme about me. (That's a lot of "me" in a few sentences.)
My friend, Wendy, ages ago did one on her blog about her Phil and then tagged me next. Well...knowing my Phil, he would not want stuff about him on my blog so...for a compromise I lifted one from some other blog I read. (And here's where I admit how addicted I am to reading people's blogs. Even people I don't know. Why do I feel compelled to check these blogs on a daily basis to see if they've been updated? Or to read their views/comments on who knows what? Does that mean I'm a bit of a stalker? But at times, I begin to feel like I really know them. I admit...I'm a bit creeped out right now.) Anyways...here we go.
Do you like blue cheese? Eww...gross
Have you ever smoked heroin? No!
Do you own a gun? Yes, two.
What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Never been to a Sonic
Do you get nervous before doctor's appointments? Depends on the doctor
What do you think of hot dogs? Yumm...especially dollar dog night at Citizen's Bank Park
Favorite Christmas movie? Tie between It's a Wonderful Life and Holiday Inn
What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Preference? Diet Coke. But will drink OJ if I have it
Can you do push ups? You mean more than one at a time?
What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I feel compelled to say my wedding rings but I also really
like this cool necklace I bought at the open market in the Rocks down in Australia
Favorite hobby? Reading
Do you have ADD? No
What's one trait you dislike about yourself? I'm shy
Middle Name? Lynn (because I was born in the seventies and if it wasn't Ann, then it was Lynn)
Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. Do I really want people to know all this about me?
Who came up with the word meme? Did the Phillies win last night? (Wait...maybe I do
have ADD.)
Name 3 things you bought yesterday. Dramamine, deoderant and bathroom cleaner
Name 3 drinks you regularly drink. Diet Coke, OJ, and water
What did you sleep with as a child? Stuffed Snoopy...and yes, I still have it but it's now in my
cedar chest
Current hate right now? I have to get on a plane on Sunday
Favorite place to be? Home
How did you ring in the New Year? With friends playing games and watching the ball drop
Do you own slippers? Yes
What shirt are you wearing right now? Black tee shirt
Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Never have
Can you whistle? Yes, but it's a bit raspy sounding.
Favorite color? Blue
Would you like to be a pirate? No, I really don't like to travel. (Did I mention that I'm getting
on a plane on Sunday?)
What songs do you sing in the shower? Nothing since the theme song to Scooby Doo as a kid
What's in your pocket right now? Probably some lint
Last concert you went to? Jeremy Camp in NJ and then Jeremy Camp a few months before in
Times Square. Does this really make me a stalker?
Last thing that made you laugh? Most phrases that Rob said last night at the Eppinger house
Best bed sheets as a child? Charlie Brown, naturally
Worst injury you've ever had? Tie between the concussion, twice fractured skull, and 2 broken
collarbones...wee bit clumsy as a kid...okay, still am
How many tvs do you have in your house? Australia-one Philly-four
Who is your loudest friend? Joan, hands down!
How many dogs do you have? One
Ever belong to a secret society? Do the DAGS count?
What is your favorite candybar? Snickers
What is your favorite book? Cannot possibly name just one
What were you doing at 12:00 am last night? Sleeping
Favorite sports team? Philadelphia Phillies
What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning? Did I really just have a dream about hiding from the Nazis with Bob Crane of Hogan's Heroes fame? (must be all the episodes I've watched down in Australia.)
I tag whoever would like to do it in their blog. Wendy? Claire? And now...I'm off to enjoy another lunch (yes, at Chick-Fil-A) with another dear friend, Kristi and her boys, Josh and Ethan. (Look Kristi...your name is in the blog! See? I told you I would get it in there!)

Remembering Grandpop...

Yesterday we said a final goodbye at the funeral for Phil's grandpop who passed away last Sunday morning. Just some thoughts to remember him...

I was his grand-daughter-in-law, but never once did he make me feel like that. When I married Phil I automatically joined Sandy, Chris, Dianne, Debbie, Beth, Rachel, and Corinne and became just as much his grandaughter as if he'd known me since I was born.

He loved God with all of his heart. His faith was such a major part of who he was as a person. When he entered heaven on Sunday morning, I know he didn't need to re-introduce himself to Christ. He had been in constant communication with Him through prayer and reading his Bible, probably on a daily basis, ever since he became a believer as a young man.

He had an amazing gift to take a piece of wood and make something beautiful from it. Whether it was an animal carving, a flower with delicate petals and leaves, or a painted birdhouse, Grandpop could do it. Right up until the end. I'm looking at the last birdhouse he painted for us that now sits on one of my bookshelves. Finished sometime since we last saw him on our trip home in June. I'm okay until I turn it upside down to see his shaky, cursive handwriting that said, " Sandra, June 2008, with much love, Grandpop."

He loved playing his instruments. I've never known another man in his 80's that could play the drums like Grandpop! And the saxaphone. And the bongos. And the keyboard. And the xylaphone (which he actually made). The only instrument I know he didn't like was the bagpipes. If he ever heard them, anyone listening would get an earful about how the bagpipes weren't truly worthy of being called an actual instrument. :) To this day, whenever I hear bagpipes I smile and think of Grandpop.

I miss him. His deep, loud voice. (As the hearing went a bit, I'm sure he didn't realize how loud he talked sometimes.) His quick laughter. His always asking how my family was doing in Ohio. 11 years since Phil and I married, and he would still tell me how impressed he was that the pastor I grew up with and his wife would drive all the way out to Philly to do part of our wedding. He would tell me often that he still remembered Pastor Peters when he prayed.

I miss his prayers. I know he prayed for us often. For all of his children. For all of his grandchildren. For all of his great-grandchildren.

"I want to leave a legacy. How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering. A child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically and leave that kind of legacy." -Nichole Nordemann

So, Grandpop...you did leave a legacy. As mentioned at your funeral service, every one of your children, grandchildren, and great-children that are of age have professed faith in Jesus Christ. We remember you with so many good memories. You chose to love so much. Your life pointed always to your Heavenly Father. You were a blessing to Him. You were unapologetic in your faith. And you will be truly missed by all of us.

Now That's A Bad Day...

Came upon this awhile ago on one of my walks around the city. Of course, it's not real, but just a statue? exhibit? right outside of an art gallery. Did make me look twice, though.

For those wondering...yes, I did make it through my foray into Malaysian food on Saturday night in Darling Harbour. I give you my choices to choose from (taken straight from Chinta Ria's menu).

1. Assam Fish: Rockling fillets simmered in a delicious spicy tangy tamarind flavoured sauce with tomatoes, string beans and pineapple pieces

2. Red Temple Chicken: Chicken roulade smothered with a lightly spiced red sauce of chili, lemon grass, coconut, garlic and tomatoes

3. Gado Gado: Steamed beanshoots, shredded cabbage, tofu, and cucumber dressed with our spicey peanut sauce and garnished with egg slice and pappadams

4. Soya Sauce Chicken Rice: Quarter chicken served with steamed rice and bok choy

Can you guess which one was for me? (Keeping in mind that the only fish I eat is usually battered in beer, I don't do chicken smothered in anything, uh, tofu...yeah right, and just what is a pappadam?) That's right...the soya sauce chicken. Wasn't bad, either. (No, I didn't try the bok choy. Just had chicken and rice.) I tried to eat it and my rice with my chopsticks, but soon gave that up to use my fork. Finished the meal with a walk to Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar for dessert (Phil's favorite). And what, you may ask does one order at a chocolate bar if one doesn't like chocolate? My usual...hot tea with a slice of banana bread hold the chocolate dipping sauce. Speaking of food...I give you our new favorite place to eat in The Rocks...

the first place we've eaten at here that has pizza somewhat like American pizza. That's not to say it's anywhere in the league of Peppi's or Brother's, but it's still pretty good. In fact, we're going to eat there tonight before Phil leaves for Singapore tomorrow morning.
Bad news...he's going to be in Singapore for a whole week.
Good news...I changed my flight back to the States (after 6 calls and 4 hours on the phone with Expedia.com. Yeah...that was a good time.) so that I leave to go back this Wednesday! Whoo hoo! Why stay all by myself in the apartment when I can be in the good ole' USA a week early?
Bad news...I'm looking at about 32 hours door to door from Sydney to Philly via Vancouver and Toronto.
Good news...this time I get to fly business class since this is a company paid trip home. Double whoo hoo!