Long time, no speak...

Has it really been this long since I last posted?

So much has happened.

Had the girl trip to Europe last September - most information about that will stay safely in "the vault" ! Let's just say that the barman at "Bar Hemmingway" at the Ritz Paris won't forget us for a while.

We went back to Australia on Christmas Eve and New Year which was yet another quick trip, but well worth it - even though we lost all our baggage and i had to wear the same skirt for about a week!! (Don't worry - I washed it occasionally).

We are off to Richmond, VA again this weekend for that annual silent charity auction (last one we bid on, and won that trip to Aruba)!! This year it's fancy dress, so I am a 1920's flapper chick, and all R has to do is wear a tux, grow a mo, and slick the hair - so easy for the boys!! I bought false eyelashes, but have no idea how to attach them so we'll see what happens with that!

Also off to Antigua on March 23 to see Aussies play cricket - honestly, if the aussies didn't play cricket, we probably wouldn't travel anywhere at all. A & C are coming from australia to see it too, so should be fun - the boys are hopping a puddle jumper plane from Antigua to St.Kitts for the first day's play, and will be back in Antigua that night where we are all staying for the week (hopefully). From our cricket experience in Trinidad those games can get a little rowdy! (I believe all Carribbean islands are generally rowdy)!

OK that's all - except to say that if you get a chance to see the movie "Blood Diamond" while it's still in theaters - do it. It is fantastic. It's probably the first movie I have seen in years where I did not get bored half-way through and check my watch! Good, but scary stuff.

K

Frank D Roosevelt & Eleanor

Forgot to attach this great sculpture of them, it's outside the presidential library. 

My Second Favourite President

So on the way back from Canada, we stopped off in the Hudson Valley on the way back to New York so I could see where Franklin D. Roosevelt was born, grew up, and actually spent his last days in this house in Duchess County New York.

Unbelievable.

I actually saw the bed he was born in, it's in the same room!!

We stayed at a great B&B nearby (the photos with the cabanas) - it was only about 60 degrees, but I went for a swim because it was the last day of summer. As I told you Cara Louise, I got a cold, but BY GOD it was worth it!!!

The photos are of FDR's house, the hudson valley, and me giving my second fav president a little kiss!!!


 

Montreal Canada

Labor Day Weekend:
There is this thing in America where they have specific dates for endings and beginnings.

Labor Day long weekend is the official end of summer. No questions asked. It could be 120 degrees F, but no matter. You can absolutely NOT wear white after Labor day. All Pools and beaches are closed, kids go back to school, and tank tops turn into sweaters.

It's so funny given that we in Aus don't pay much attention to seasonal changes.

Soo, we decided to drive up to Montreal, Quebec for a last kick at summer. Beautiful place, they really all do speak french there (god that sounded so yank). I loved it. Could live there actually.

Stayed two nights, then headed back home via Hudson Valley.......... more to come..... (I am catching up on my blog!) 

Chicago Air & Water Show

We lived in Chicago for long enough to get attached to these annual Air and Water Shows. How can one not love the midwest! So went back for this weekend in August. Our friend Courtney has an apartment in this building where on the roof there is a pool, and the action is right there. God I wanted to be in one of those planes! Just like Tommy Cruise!!

 

"The Moon"

I know, I know, I know....
We are so behind you in Australia when it comes to "Kath and Kim" episodes... but thank God for the 'Sundance Channel' in New York

R and I tivoed the "Moon" episode.

Tullamarine Airport!!
Qantas club Lounge break-in"!
Coogee Jumpers!!!
"Escallllllators"

God it was good.
I have kept that eposide for ever - or at least til we can get multi country DVD.
K.

Pussycat Dolls

The PC Dolls and 'Black Eyed Peas' are doing a gig @ Jones Beach. Cannot wait. God I wish I could sing!!!!

She had a pocket full of horses......

"LITTLE RED CORVETTE"

OH I LOVE THE 'ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS PRINCE'!!

Twas my 34th birthday last week, and R gave me this cool little I-Pod Nano thing.

Who knew we owned Prince's "Little Red Corvette" or the whole Prince hits CD - fantastic!!! The thing is that we have a million cds - but who has time to listen to them right?

Makes walking in Manhattan so much more fun - Reminds me of being at Cheltenham swimming pool as a kid - oh the '80's were so great! Don't even get me started on the songs "KISS" and "PEACH" ('peach' is the greatest song ever!!)

Thanks Apple!

Hamptons & Van Morrison - oh.. and clams

Ahh, yet another lovely two nights in Southampton with E & FN.

Beach of course, then I had the fabulous idea of a clam-bake. Thought it was appropriate. So we went to get all the clams from the local seafood store in Southampton - creatively named "The Clam-man".

It was only on the way home with a huge bag of clams that I realised that I really didn't know how to make them. We have had them a million times with our friends H & D in Chicago, but could not for the life of me remember how it's done. So one conference call later with poor D in Chicago (who was trying to work in his office), R & I got through it, and they were fabulous!!!

Then yesterday, the four of us drove back to Manhattan, stopping on the way to see the great Van Morrison perform at Jones Beach. It was such a great concert. I remember listening to his records at Uni - never thought I would actually see him in person. The man is brilliant!

Next trip for us is the Air show in Chicago (the Top Gun Planes) in a couple of weeks...


 

Chicago on Broadway - - what else

So. 'Usher' is playing Billy Flynn on B'way this time - can't wait.
Oh, also, R & my 6 year wedding anniversary on July 22 !!!!
98 degrees farenheight today. Can barely type so, so so hot.
Also we made new New Zealander friends who play rugby in Central Park every Sunday, so we are getting into it.

"The Hamptons"

Our friends 'Fancy' & 'E' invited us to their house in Southampton over the long weekend, and I have to say it was the most relaxing trip we have had for a long time.

Spent about 6 hours on the beach on Monday (beautiful beaches there). Then a great dinner at a lobster restaurant on Monday night. Yum Yum.

A bit of partying at the local outdoor pub - live music was great.

Then back to Manhattan in time for the July 4th (Independence Day) fireworks.... photos of that later...



 

Jorja

This is my friend Vikki's beautiful daughter, Jorja.

I get so excited when my girlfriends send me pics of their kids, but when I opened this one, it scared the hell out of me.

The person who invented this dummy (dummy means pacifier for americans) should be either knighted or shot. Can't make up my mind which!!!

Oddly compelling.

Soccer - A damn shame...

It has taken me this long to get over the loss.
Those bloody Italians (I don't care how cute they are), beat us yesterday 1-0. Oh I was so depressed, and it wasn't even a good goal that won them the game - oh no, it was a dodgy decision that gave them a penalty kick. If we had have gone into overtime, the game would have been ours.

And to top it off, since R & I are off to Switzerland in a couple of weeks, I turned my all of my attention to Switz, but they got their asses kicked by Ukraine.

Oh the tragedy.

Totally addicted to soccer now though - great game.

World Cup

 


Well is has been a fun couple of weeks following the soccer. Aussies seem to be in with a chance. This photo is from last Thursday when we went to the local pub to see the boys play Croatia. (I just had to wear this T-Shirt of course) We're playing Italy tomorrow - can't wait to watch that game. There is a real chance that we could win.

Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy. 

It's hot - it's also memorial day weekend...

Ok, I am a whinger.

I just spent all day today planting in my garden, my nails are now destroyed because i don't use gloves (who cares really about nails) - and at one point when R and I were having breakfast, I told him the weather forecast for next week - it is supposed to get up to 88 degrees next week. I just made a casual comment about how it's going to be a long - hot summer in Manhattan. We need to get away. I think I actually flailed on the courtyard to make my point. No Joke.

He agreed. Lucky I made friends with Mike and Liz who have a summer place on Fire Island. We now have an invite to escape manhattan summer - yay !!!!

What else is new - some of you know that we are very seriously thinking of buying that place on Collins Street. Still sussing it out.

There is also a place on Chaffey and 9th in Mildura that I have had my eye on for a while now - we will see how that goes - Julie is looking at that for me now.

K.

Is this too much?

Are we in NYC so paranoid?

Yesterday afternoon I was walking home down 3rd Ave, and there were about a hundred police-people and cars and yellow tape blocking off the streets between 23rd and 19th. I obviously came through at the tail end of their "investigation", so I was allowed to get into my local grocer to get my papers, I asked what was going on and jimmy told me that there was an old empty suitcase left on 21st street and 3rd ave (probably for trash collection), and someone had called 911 to report a bomb.

It's a conundrum. Should we feel safe and protected, or should we feel that our resources are being wasted (yes we pay taxes too!)

I think their time would be better spent up in Harlem looking for that missing little girl instead.

Hmmm

london...paris... new york

done it ! booked it. All done kids.
Cannot believe that I have my British Airways flight booked (thank god it's "one world").

I am so happy to see my girlys.

Andrea, come with us !!

New Kitten - Billy

So, we obviously decided to call him Billy, but as with any normal OCD parents, R & I couldn't decide between 'Billy Flynn' and Billy Joel', so we did what any normal parents would do... we hyphenated his name. (what else) So... his name is 'Billy Joel -Flynn'. Has a certain ring to it don't you think?

The cat is hilarious. Let's just say that the skinny little stray has found his position in our house. He has taken over! Love him!!

Chicks

Last night my friend L in Melbourne told me of her plans for her holiday to London, we decided that I am going to meet her in London for the last 2 days of her trip, then we will take the Chunnel to Paris for 2 days, then she is coming back with me to Manhattan for a week.

I am so used to having visitors. I think I have done that double decker tourist bus tour about 12 times. So I asked what she wanted to do while she was here and she said - "I've done New York before - No frigging museums, no tours, no central park, no 5th ave, no rockefeller centre, lets just party".

What a relief!!! This is why this chick was my bridesmaid....... twice!

Aruba...