On A Lighter Note January 26, 2008

Thursday afternoon I was sitting on the couch watching the Australian Open womens semi-final between Daniela and Ana. It was 3-3 in the 3rd set, and I was also online, filling out a job application. My phone beeped, indicating a new text message. I opened it and it was from Mike. It said, “Are you on your way?” I looked at the time on the phone, and it said 4:06. That is the time he finishes work! Oops! I had completely forgot to go pick my husband up from work! I never even THOUGHT about it!

When I picked him up, I told him it was just one of those days, and that I must have forgot a bag at the grocery store earlier, because I couldn’t find the Doritos I bought. He went fishing in my purse for the receipt, looked at it, and informed me that I had never BOUGHT any Doritos!!

Mike’s boss told him, “It gets worse. Just wait until the baby gets here.”  Can’t wait…

Disgusting Human Beings January 24, 2008

From news.com.au:

The controversial Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a Kansas-based congregation infamous for its demonstrations outside funerals for US soldiers killed in Iraq, issued a homophobic statement which said the Australian actor, who was found dead yesterday, was “now in hell”.

“WBC will picket this pervert’s funeral, in religious protest,” the statement said.

“God hates the sordid, tacky bucket of slime seasoned wit h vomit known as Brokeback Mountain – and He hates all persons having anything to whatsoever to do with it.

“Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there.”

In a later interview, church spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper told Fox News that the demonstrations would be limited to memorial services held in the US.

“He got on that big screen with a big, fat message: God is a liar and it’s OK to be gay,” Ms Phelps-Roper said.

The Church, which has been classified by the Southern Poverty Law Centre as a “hate group”, also planned to hold a demonstration outside of the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony.

I can’t tell you how disgusted I am. Right now I am wishing some very awful things on those people. I’ve seen them on TV, protesting at soldier’s funerals.  I don’t care what you believe and I don’t care if you stand up for it. But this is just disrespectful to the dead, not to mention to their families and friends mourning them. I hope there is security at HL’s funeral and these people are escorted far, far away. What disgusting excuses for human beings.

2008 US Election January 23, 2008

A few people here in Australia find it amusing that democrats and republicans, who are all supposed to be on the same “side” or same “team”, have a fight on their hands to become the democratic or republican nominee. Then the two winners will turn around and spend months fighting each other. If these candidates were children on a school ground, they’d be reprimanded for being mean, for not playing fair, or for calling each other names…behaviour we find unacceptable from children is suddenly the status quo from adults who are vying for the “most powerful job in the world”. I use the quotes because I don’t completely buy into that, though many would certainly disagree with me.

Politics aside, what makes the 2008 race so exciting is that we have a woman, a black man, a Mormon,  a former POW with more public service than can be mentioned in one blog post, and a Jesus freak (less exciting than the rest, if you ask me) all in the thick of the race, and I think that’s something the United States, as a whole, should be proud of. Regardless of who you support or what side of the fence you are on, it is about time there was this kind of diversity in the race for president. Americans have a choice, a wide variety of choice, to select from. As a woman, I like seeing Hillary Clinton stepping up and facing the criticism, the media, the pressure that is on her right now. How dare people ask if she is too old, too weak or too emotional…because she is a WOMAN. No man has ever been called too old or too weak to be president. For the press to take unflattering pics of her and then criticize her appearance or her looks is just appalling.

The tragedy of it all, however, is that several characteristics which define the aforementioned candidates, could all be rolled into one person to make the “perfect candidate.” Obviously there is no such thing, as making 300,000,000 people happy will never happen. But that is where the middle ground comes in. Its getting all those nutters on the extremes to meet in the middle that is the challenge.

No matter who is eventually elected to office (another process Australians are dumbfounded about, but don’t ask me, I lived in the US for 11 years and still can’t find a reason to defend the method) , they’re going to have one mighty battle on their hands. The country’s deficit, the war, terrorism, the economy, immigration, education…there are so many issues facing the US that if I were elected to office, I wouldn’t know where to begin.

The last thing I’ll mention about the politicians is their catch phrases, and they all have them. Don’t stand up in a debate and speak to hear your own voice, throw a bunch of catch phrases at me, hurl a bunch of slander at your opponents and then think you’re going to get my vote. I want to know what you believe, I want to see you have consistency and conviction in your voting records. I want to know that you have a plan to make your country better for all demographics.

I think there should be more requirements for running for president, like a college application. Elect a committee, have candidates submit their resumes, videos and extra curricular activities. Conduct interviews and have a criteria for what it takes to be president. A good start would be # of years of service or experience. You can’t get in to college without 12 years of school, nor should you be eligible for president without a certain number of years of experience.  And may the best (wo)man win.

Australian Open & Next Scan Appointment January 21, 2008

The Australian Open started last Monday and its safe to say I’ve watched enough tennis to last the rest of the year since then. Which is good, because I’m not sure what other tournaments will be televised here and whether or not I’ll be awake to see any that are, given that they’d probably be in England or the US.

The two big stories from the Aussie Open are Federer almost getting beat, and our own little Aussie, Casey D. making it to the fourth round (after never having made it past the first round). Hewitt is through to the 4th round, also, and plays Djokovich tonight for a place in the quarters. Should be a good match up.

And if any Americans are wondering why they’re not really loved around the world, find some video on youtube of Andy Roddick’s hissy fit during his last match, which he coincidentally lost. He was only fined $500, though the commentators all agree it should have been much more. Here are some of the things he said to the umpire:

“Are your hears attached to your head?”
“Did you go to school past 8 years old?”
“Let    me    talk   slowly    so   you   can    understand   me.”

There was more, but I didn’t hear it all. Also, he got booed by the whole stadium. I thought he’d done some growing up over the years, but apparently not. It seems that maybe he should keep Jimmy Connors as his coach, but hire someone to teach him how to be a man and have some manners and respect. What a tool.

I’m watching Federer again now and he’s playing Berdych. I like Federer, but I also can’t help but root for the underdog.

In baby news, 2 weeks from today is our “morphology” scan, or “the big one.” I think they can tell a LOT at this next scan, and hopefully they’ll be able to tell if its a girl or a boy, if the baby cooperates! Fingers crossed.

Movies January 15, 2008

I’ve seen more movies since arriving in Australia than I’ve seen in … I don’t know how long. We never went to the movies much in Atlanta. I think we went to maybe 3 in 2 years. In any case, since getting here, I’ve seen PS I Love You and 27 Dresses. They’re both kind of girly, although I’m sure some guys would like them, especially if they’re trying to impress a date.

PS I Love You was one of those that will make you cry, but as you’re crying, someone says something so inappropriately funny, that you end up laughing through the tears. Its about a woman who loses her husband to a brain tumor, and he’s arranged for 10 messages to be sent to her after his death. Every message ends in “P.s. I Love you”. It’s really a story about grief and grieving and how different people cope (or don’t) with loss.

27 Dresses is just laugh out loud funny. There was at least 1 part in which I got teary eyed, but no tears were shed. Katherine Heigl and James Marsden were both brilliant and very likable and I think also very relatable. This movie is about a woman who is always the bridesmaid, never the bride. She’s in love with her boss, who ends up falling for and proposing to her sister. She assumes the “perfect bridesmaid” role again, but loses it when her sister cuts their late mother’s wedding dress to shreds. That is when I got teary eyed. If you like a predictable, happy ending to a romantic comedy chick flick, this is the movie for you.

Now I see another movie I would like to see, The Bucket List, with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It could be a tear jerker. From the trailer, it looks like its about two elderly men, who set off to do a list of things before they “kick the bucket”. Nicholson’s character comes off as a stuffy cynical man, who I think is in charge of a health care system who refuses to give people private rooms. Then he finds himself a patient of this health care system, where he meets Freeman. It looks really good.

Now I just need to know when Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons is coming to the theatre!

I’d Do It Again January 13, 2008

I spent about 3 hours at a bridal expo today with my best friend who is getting married August 2nd. It was fun to look at photographers wedding pictures and floral arrangements and the fashion show. If we had the money and nothing else to spend it on, I would totally do it all over again here in Australia. There is something about weddings, I’m not sure what, but I just love them!

The Grass Is Brown Everywhere January 10, 2008

Since I left the Gold Coast 11 years ago, the housing market has pretty much sky-rocketed. Houses like the ones that I grew up in, which at the time probably cost in the mid $100,000’s, are now selling for around $500,000+.  To get a HOUSE you pretty much have to look at at least $400,000 and the ones available for that aren’t in the most desirable areas. They’re still nice areas and nice houses, just further away from a lot of things. I don’t understand how kids getting out of high school are supposed to ever afford that. We’re 30 and I don’t know how we’re ever supposed to afford that!!

It definitely makes it seem like a “grass is always greener” scenario. We might have been tired of our jobs in the states, and tired of the rush that was Atlanta, but we had a nice lifestyle and owned a house, a nice car, had pets, could afford to eat out for dinner a few nights a week…here we’re on a very tight budget and we have roommates for the first time in years.

I have to keep telling myself that with the baby on the way, this is the best place for us to be. And really I know that it is, I just need a reminder every now and then. We have family and good friends close by for support, renting my mum’s unit lets me stay at home with the baby which I wouldn’t have been able to do in the US, and there is public healthcare here so its not going to cost us money to have the baby.

I do know this is the best place to be, I just sometimes wish the US and Australia weren’t so far apart. Yes, I want to have my cake and eat it too!! What is wrong with that? The only way to have the best of both worlds is to be multi-millionaires, making enough money off interest to be able to have a house in each place and spend half the year here and half the year there.  But then I’d be complaining about all the flying…

Baby Stuff & A Busy Weekend January 7, 2008

Last Thursday we had a clinical appointment with a midwife. She went over my health record and discussed different birthing options with us, just briefly. She also gave us a lot of pamphlets on different immunizations and some birthing classes we can attend.  She had me lay on the table and felt around my stomach, looking for the position of the uterus I guess. THEN…she let us hear the heartbeat with the monitor she had. It was the first time we’d heard it, and it was incredible. To know that there is a little person in my body, and its little heart beat is pounding away…it’s overwhelming, exciting, emotional, incredible…

I had another dr appointment on Friday and she said everything is looking good so far. In 4 weeks we’ll have another ultrasound and I’ll be around 19 weeks pregnant then, so hopefully the baby will cooperate and we will get to find out the gender. I really can’t wait to see it again and hopefully find out what it is! I also hope that everything else they check for at 19 weeks will be normal.

Saturday we decided to go and check out a bunch of baby stores in the area. There are a couple that have some nice stuff at a somewhat reasonable price (reasonable for Australia anyway!). We ended up buying a stroller. We figured we’d looked at SEVEN places and this was the best one and best value, so we bought it. If we buy a new item every few weeks it won’t be quite as big a financial hit all at once.  We almost bought an all-in-one bath and change table too, but they were out of stock. No worries though, we have plenty of time. Really all we need is the change table/bath, a cot, a dresser of some kind, and a rug for the floor because the nursery has tiles in it.

Megan’s Law January 4, 2008

30 of the 50 states in the US have a “Megan’s Law” which lets residents search a database of sex offenders so you can see how close they are to you, what they were convicted of, and most of the time there is a picture of what they look like. There are several concerns about this system – mainly worry that having a list of addresses and names will turn some of their neighbors into vigilantes, taking the law into their own hands.

I read an article today from California in which they think a man who was stabbed to death, was killed because of an incorrect submission to Megan’s Law. This man was entered on the registry as a child molester. The incorrect part of it wasn’t his name or his address oe that they got the wrong man, it was that he wasn’t a child molester, but had in fact raped several women, not children. Cuz you know, that is so much less of a violent act. And while it may be less heinous than raping a child, it is still incredibly awful and wrong. As far as the journalist knew, this was the only case of vigilantism due to a Megan’s Law entry.

I mention all this because yesterday, on the morning show here, a couple’s 2 daughters were raped and murdered by a sex offended who lived in their building and they had no idea. Would knowing have made them more cautious? Maybe. They possibly wouldn’t have rented the place they did.  People argue that these criminals have a right to anonymity and a right to not be targeted. Well, those 2 girls had a right to live their lives. Their family had a right to not have to go through this. Why does it seem the justice system does more to protect criminals than it does to protect victims?

You think you can get to know your neighbors or trust them to talk to your kids, keep an eye on your place while you’re gone, get your mail, but it seems these days you can’t trust anyone you don’t know. If the man living next door to me has been convicted of and served time for child molestation or rape, that’s something I’d like to know.  There’s a reason they don’t let sexual predators live close to schools after they’re done serving their time and being “rehabbed” (I use that term very lightly).

Ringing In 2008 January 1, 2008

Last night we headed to the local casino which was, of course, packed. We got there early enough that we got a small table and some comfy chairs on the balcony overlooking all the action. There was 5 of us sitting in our circle. This group of about 6-8 adults came and sat behind us … with their 5 kids! The kids looked like they ranged from about 4-11, and the youngest one had one of those party favors that you blow and the paper rolls out and back up and it makes an obnoxious noise. You can imagine how much he was blowing that thing! Then 2 of the other boys who looked to be about 6 or 7 must have had about a gallon of sugar throughout the day because they ran around from the time they got there to the time they left at 12:30 am. One of them bumped my friend and made her spill her wine on her dress.

A short while later, an older woman sitting near us told the kids to go away, she was sick of them. The father of whichever one it was got in her face and was quite an arsehole. Then we got in on it with him. One of the women said that area was a kid designated area, to which my friend responded, “Yes, but it’s still not a playground!” The father said, “They’re just kids. Kids will be kids. They’re just trying to enjoy themselves.” I said, “We’re trying to enjoy our evening too, but we can’t hear our friends talk over the whistle your kids blowing” and my friend added that he had bumped her several times, spilling wine on her dress. The father said he’d buy her another bottle, so she told him what she was drinking, but of course he didn’t buy one.

They finally tried to take a little bit of control over their kids, at least they stopped them from going near us “mean” people. I don’t care what you call me, just keep your kids under control! The only other “kids” I saw there were older – maybe 13-16, and they sat with their parents and enjoyed the entertainment. I can’t imagine how selfish and inconsiderate you have to be to take 4-7 year olds (the 11 year old wasn’t really a problem at all) to a casino that you know will be crowded on new years eve, and just let your kids run around all over the place. The father even said to another of our friends, “I’m telling them to calm down, calm down, but they’re kids.”

As if that’s not bad enough, I was in line at the ladies room and one of the women was in front of me, and one came in at the back of the line with the 4 year old who must have belonged to the woman in front. He went through to her, then proceeded to go and look under the stall doors. What did the mum do? She stood there, not 10 feet from him, saying his name over and over, not followed by “don’t do that” or “come here” just his name. She didn’t go grab him and stop him. Then I hear the other woman say, “Just ask if you can go next, he’s a kid, he can’t hold it.”

Kids may be kids, but you can’t use that excuse for not having any control over them. I guess arseholes will be arseholes too, and there’s gotta be at least 1 of them at every place. I just don’t understand why they have to sit near me!