"Mo"vember Ends

I was unaware of this, but the month of November has recently been re-named 'Mo'vember in several nations around the world, including Australia (where it originated in 1999) AND the United States (since 2007). In an attempt to raise both money for, and awareness of, men's health issues (particularly prostate cancer), men are encouraged to grow a moustache for the month of Movember. Here, people on TV, from local to national news anchors, sportscasters, and other celebrities all participate and it is a fairly big deal. On Nov. 30th, everyone shaves their face to mark the end of the event. Having arrived in Woolgoolga on Oct. 30th, and basically only being in town for the month of Mo-vember, I am just today realizing that some "Mo"-wearing men in town were only sporting the stache for the month of awareness. The owner of the coffee shop that I pop into now and again was clean shaven today, and I was surely caught off guard. I like the idea of this event, and I am thinking that people in the US should actively celebrate it. I am going to try to get a Mo-vember-positive vibe going as soon as I get back. Of course, I am always sporting a Mo, so I might have to get creative, but still. In honor of the Mo:
http://www.movember.com/
and:

and:

and finally:

Yeah, this last one is scary throw-back to days gone by. But it is the only Mo picture I've got...

Happy Mo-vember!

Where I am Staying (For Now)

So, I have been long overdue with some new pictures (and your funny picture did indeed make me laugh, Riley..."SPARTA!").  I will begin with some of the earliest pictures I took upon getting here, and work my way toward the present, using a little bit of artistic license, or course.

This is where I am living from the outside.

My door:

This is the rest of the building, a motel-like set of apartments:

My door, however, is around the back, just past that car, which is the same car that is in the foreground of the picture above:

Inside it looks like this:

My TV, from the only chair in the living room. Notice the bathroom on the right and the fridge on the left.

This is the Kitchen and the door leading outside:

And this is the bed room, the door of which opens in to the living room, directly across from the bathroom door you see in the above photograph:

Now, this is the main beach in Woolgoolga:

Where kids surf...

The ladies bask in the sun...

The men fish...

And these guys do....

whatever it is...

that these guys are doing...

And when it is all said and done, even the birds gather for a swim.

When I finally find a placeto live for real, I will post some pictures of that, just do you have some idea of where I am when I am talking to you, or writing to you, which ever it might be.

Give my love to the newts!

This... is... BLOGGER!!!!!!!!!

Hey dada! You posted a funny pic and i posted a funny pic although mine isnt funny for the same reasons. So thursdays are freed up but only for the next 2 or 3 weeks. It is still a good opertunity to chat on gmail. And since you left i have seen more people walking down the middle of the street but all of them old and none of them screaming, let alone screaming at themselves. Also, expect a picture of a bunny stuck full of darts in the next few days, as i am allowed to use my dart gun now. I love you lots.

Greetings from Woolgoolga

OK, So I know I have been here for almost two weeks, and therefore "greetings from..." might not be necessary, or even appropriate. But then, this picture is niether necessary nor appropriate, and I am posting it just the same.

I swear to you I did not take this picture. I found it online, on a website dedicated to the town of Woolgoolga, a where to go, what to see, where to stay sort of thing that is likely sponsored by some local businesses. Either way, I thought it funny, so here it is. I will try to post pictures I took myself in the next few days.  Cheers! (as they say here)

Its a bird....

This post is all about flying things, with one exception. I have seen a million things that I have wanted to mention, but in the all the time between posts, emails and phone calls, I have forgotten as many things as I have mentioned. So today, I am catching up.

On my last day in Sydney, in my last hours in Sydney,  I was out standing on the sidewalk (“the footpath,” as it was referred to me as), with all of my luggage stacked all around me. I was waiting for an airport shuttle to come down the street, and hopefully stop for my frantic waving. As I stood there, looking left, looking right, not quite sure which direction my ride was coming from, I heard a whoosh of air behind me. I turned to see a HUGE white bird, some sort of parrot-like bird, landing on a tree branch down the street a short way. I mean this bird looked like one of the $500.00 birds you would see at the pet store, perfectly white with feathers that stick straight up off the top of its head. Either someone’s expensive bird got loose, or our expensive pet store birds come from Sydney, Australia.

Another night, while still in Sydney, I had walked up the street for a steak. On the way home, I heard this bird calling out over and over again. Its call sounded exactly like that stereotypical “cat-call” whistle associated with construction workers harassing pretty ladies on their way to and from work. Whistling, over and over. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. But not before thinking it was really someone whistling.

The birds in Woolgoolga are also interesting. There are these bright green ones, with bright red under-bellies. They are everywhere, in trees, on the ground, whizzing by your head when you walk down the street. They look like nothing I have seen before, yet they are so ordinary around here. It is hard to get used to. There are also these birds that look exactly like the symbol for the Baltimore Orioles. Their heads do anyway. And there are these fat, waddling birds that look like pigeons, only they have feathers on their heads that stick straight up. It is funny, really, to see pigeons with hairstyles wandering to and fro. I will get pictures soon. I promise.

Finally, I spent the night in Valla Beach on Friday, with a new friend named Tony, and his family. His wife was mentioning to me how they used to have a guava tree just outside their kitchen, just off the deck, that seemed to thrive on their old coffee grounds. They had to have it removed when they built the lover level of their deck. Tony chimed in, “I think the flying foxes miss that tree too. They were forever feeding on the guava.” Flying Foxes? I asked for clarity. I have never seen a flying fox. Imagine you will up there in Woolgoolga, Tony said. Now I am listened for their bird-like chatter, and hoping to catch a glimpse of one. Flying Foxes! I am sure Mom is glad to be safe in Pittsburgh, after hearing about this.

Oh, and on the bus yesterday, I saw a Kangaroo Crossing sign along the highway. You know the kind, the yellow diamond shaped sign with the black silhouette of the animal in question, with “crossing” written under it, and a distance below that. Kangaroo Crossing, 2 km. I am that much closer to my first real kangaroo sighting. I now know for a fact that they live in the wild in this area. I hope I get see one. With my camera in hand!

Afterthought: Riley, look for a mix on the hard drive called W.F.U.S. (it is under ‘various’ in the music folder). Have Mom help you if you need her to, and listen to track 10. I think you will like it. Or at least find it interesting.

Koolness

Well I'm glad that your having a good time, Dad. Today me mom and Sarah went out to Hough's (and we found out it is actually pronounced Huff's! You were right!) for dinner. It has really REALLY good food. Their fried mac n' cheese bites are awesome. And I just recieved your postcard about a day or two ago. Thank you. It really means a lot to me. I hope that you find an apartment quickly and i'm glad that the bolg is working out. Miss you a lot.