phonglinh’s Neighborhood

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Tonight my train operator said "Please use all open doors; please use all open doors" ...

And I thought today was going to be the day I could walk through doors.

*****

I know I did a lot of complaining about the heat while I was in Australia but do I have to be punished now by this hideous cold?   The wind is just plain spiteful.

When I was home, the princess shouted me to brunch at the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar.  Their menu includes:  Danish Toffee Chocolate, Italian thick chocolate, Mexican spicy chocolate;  warm Belgian waffles drizzled in chocolate and chocolate pizza.   We had a Tutti Frutti waffle between us.  The menu is here if you are interested.

This is a big pot of melted chocolate: 

Which then travels along the pipes to the prep area: 
Mmmm....  eat more chocolate; get bikini body?   Well obviously!    

~

Last night, I went to bed around 10:30pm expecting 8 + hours sleep and a good start to 2010 but my neighbours across the road decided I should vicariously party with them.  They let off fireworks in the street around 11.30 and then continued to party on their front porch until about 4am.....   they must have been fairly liquor-lubricated to continue partying in the sub-freezing temperature.  

So ...  2009 has closed for business.  After taking into account all the credits and debits of my year my balance sheet has finished very solidly on the credit side.  I have a job and I got to go home for my first Christmas (and summer!) since 1999 and I witnessed my eldest son's wedding. 

I haven't made New Year Resolutions since I was a teenager and realised that few lasted past the middle of January, but I do reflect on the year just passed and think on ways I could make going forward better.

This morning, feeling tired and grumpy, I gave some thought as to how I could ensure I see many more January 1st mornings - strangely, those thoughts turned to conjuring up ways to get rid of the neighbours!   

* photo taken in the country town of Merriwa, NSW, Australia

 

and I will be in bed before it gets to midnight.   

The first of the year will come around whether I am awake or not and I might as well face 2010 well rested.

I'm having my champagne and chocolate now and I'm going to spend the evening sorting through my Australian photos imagining myself back in the warmth of the southern hemisphere.

This is really an answer to the Question of The Day on:  How will I be ringing in the New Year which I've seen others post ....  but I never seem to find the QoTDs myself.    

Anyway,  to use an expression I heard a zillion times today,  see you next year.....

~

If I don't post these now the New Year will be here... I took these around the Ryde area in Sydney.  With so much light around their own homes I wonder if they even notice any New Year's eve fireworks.    I can't imagine how annoying it must be to try to sleep next to a house flashing like these -  and I'm very glad I don't have to pay any of their electricity bills!  (although pretty I am of the opinion that this is quite a waste of power!).

I love the alien Santa in this one:

This one had an exploding, flashing pinwheel on the right -  especially annoying to neighbours:

Happy New Year to all my neighbours who, due to various timezones, will start their year (and hangovers) before I do........

~

Well, what an attractive bed partner I made last night!   Thick, black & aqua striped knee high socks; old lady flannel nightie over the top of two tourist-type tee shirts and snuggled under two quilts.  I considered putting a scarf around my neck but thought I might roll over in the night and choke myself.

Bundled up as such I survived the night in a house with no heating - though the morning trip to the bathroom was not pleasant.  A lot of hot water was used in a fairly futile attempt to warm up the bathroom before I disrobed.   It was in the 30's when I left home this morning with a brutal wind making the "real feel" about 16 F - I think it was about the same inside the house!  

The manservant got to stay home and wait for a repairman who arrived at the promised time, took one look and said the electronic ignition system had burnt out and could be repaired for $250.  As the manservant does not feel the cold like I do,  I half expected him to tell me that he had then contacted another company to come out and give a second quote!   Fear for his life was greater than the fear of an overdrawn account and I came home to a lovely cozy house.

It's so hot in here now that I could almost believe it's warm enough outside to have a bbq!    Here is my son getting the barbie ready on Christmas Day: 

And here is the first plate of prawns - they were soooo good:

We had fairly good flights in spite of the new airline security arrangements and arrived back in Washington DC late Saturday night.  I went to bed pretending that I had just had a big social night hoping that would help me get back into the time zone quicker.  I'm not sure it worked as I still needed a big nana-nap yesterday afternoon. 

First day back at work today and by 3pm I was wishing for a little lie down.   It's a three and a half day week this week as we close early on Thursday -  a nice re-introduction to a full week.  I was not so thrilled at the bitterly cold winds this morning and I've come home tonight to find that our heater is not working!!!!!!!     I'm going to have to go to bed now to stay warm. 

Last images of Sydney taken from the plane - a cloudy take-off:  (I wanted to also take photos of our arrival in Los Angeles but we were not allowed to have any items in our laps for the last hour)......

While we were in Australia, Washington had a 17" snow fall ......   this was all that was left on our top deck yesterday, one week later: 

Artefacts are a major portion of an American-Indian reservation's economy. Annually, thousands of tourists visit reservations and most will not leave without purchasing at least one memento of the traditional Indian culture.

 

One enterprising Indian was able to outsell his competitors in the sale of wooden dolls by selling them at only a fraction of the cost others had to charge. On examination of his dolls they found that where traditionally hard wood was used, this Indian would use cheap pine on which he glued thin pieces of fine mahogany, thus being able to produce the dolls at only a fraction of the cost.

 

While he claimed his dolls were still authentic, his competitors complained that it was only a cheap Sioux Veneer.

~
Merry Christmas; Happy Holidays; Best Wishes for whatever you celebrate at this time of year.

I will see you on the other side of the 25th ......

We will have Christmas day with my three children and my new daughter-in-law.....   firing up the barbie and tossing some prawns and seafood on it.

On Boxing Day (26th)  we start the flights back to DC  -  arriving in Los Angeles before we leave Sydney - LOL -  I love that International Date line!

 

~

We spent yesterday with my parents who live about 3 hours drive north of Sydney -  in Tea Gardens/Hawks Nest. This will be my last visit with them this trip. It is always really, really tough saying goodbye to them as the thought is always in the back of my mind that this might be the last time I see them.

  Their little town is  sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean 

and the Myall River, Great Lakes system:.  We were only on the beach for a short time before I could feel my too fair skin starting to burn. The water was clear and so inviting, and there was no seaweed here; just tiny shells washing ashore:

The river is also lovely and clear....

 

The pelican was hoping we had some fish for him - he was disappointed.