Gotta Get Back, do, I do

In an effort to try to remain positive I'm going to spin this next blog into, "Stuff I'm looking forward to," Rather than "Things I won't miss about Australia."  Here it is, ta da!

1. Prices:  If I ever complain about what anything, I mean anything, costs in the United States I hereby grant you permission to slap me in the face.  You may refer back to this statement as proof. 
   
2. Selection:  This can go both ways. While I'm excited to have the endless choices we are afforded in America, from anything such as bread to running shoes to toothpaste, I would be lying if I told you I didn't look at it differently than when I left.  We have too much selection.  I fear it has created a society of people who think that it's their right to have such a selection and complain when they don't. This could spin me on an entirely new post entitled,  rights vs. privileges, why is this so hard to understand?  But, I will save you the rhetoric.  A lot of Americans have turned into whiny, privileged, self-aggrandized brats. Believe me, it's not a great look from the outside. I strive to not let myself become a part of that culture. 
   
3. Sunflower Seeds:  I am grateful to my wonderful friends and family who have kept me in supply with my beloved David Sunflower Seeds while I was here.  Either by airplane or mail, I've had a lot of seeds for a country with none in sight. But, I'm so excited to be able to get in a car and drive to the local store to get them. Seriously, it's embarrassing how excited I am about this. 

   

   Soon, my love, soon.

4. Family (this includes Zoe and Zoom Zoom): This is the number one reason why we aren't staying here for good.  I feel like if we even had one, second cousin, twice-removed, we might entertain the thought. But alas, we do not. My mother is rejoicing. Plus, we really miss our dogs. My daughter and I sit at the park and watch the dogs play.  It's a sad sight and maybe a little creepy. Soon, they will be our dogs we will be watching! 
5. Watching American sports at normal times: I will enjoy not having to wake up at 3am to watch the Tennessee Titans play their fascinating brand of football. Fairly sure that is a form of torture in some cultures, especially the watching the Titans part. 

   

   Actual picture of me watching the Titans.  Really?  Not really.

6. Food:  Weird that this is on both lists, eh?  As much as I love having independent, local shops and restaurants everywhere, there are a few foods from Nashville I've truly been missing.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  But, I'm also looking forward to knowing exactly what stuff is going to taste like.  For some reason, companies here have bought licensing for American products but not the recipes.  That means that I get super excited when I see a product from home only to eat it and be horribly disappointed that it almost tastes like what I remember. It is a very frustrating phenomenon.  

   

   Don't be fooled. These are "Australian" Doritos. 

15 Things I Will Miss About Australia

Well, time has a way of getting away from you.  I took a little break from writing during my pregnancy and just looked up to realize it's been 8 months since I posted anything. Oops!

For those of you that actually follow this blog (thanks Mom) I will attempt to make up for my absence in the next couple of weeks.

First up is 15 THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT AUSTRALIA.  Yes, I just said that I am trying to make up for not writing by giving you a list.  Hey, can you blame me? This writing business is hard yakka!

Coley's "15 Things I Will Miss About Australia":
(not all-inclusive and in no particular order...except for number one)

1. Tim Tams
2. Ginger Beer
3. Carrie Bickmore
4. Rainbow Lorikeets, Cockatoos, Ibis, Parrots, Flying Foxes, actually all Australian birds (even you crazy backwards-speaking Twin Peaks birds). Except for the ones that dive bomb you if you get too close to their nest which they have so elegantly placed above the sidewalk on the way to the bus stop.  Yes, I've actually been hit in the head by a bird. Twice. In the first instance an older lady at the bus stop saw it and told me I should maybe start wearing a helmet. Yes, that's how this situation should be fixed. Thank you for your input.
5. Coffee. Seriously, at least in Melbourne and Sydney, you are never 1km away from a really good cuppa. I fear I have become a coffee snob. Say it ain't so. Damn you, Australia! I'd better still enjoy my 3am-after-gig coffee at Waffle House! 
6. Australian National Anthem.  I actually love this song.  They use the word "girt" and get away with it. Bloody fantastic! Advance Australia fair.
7. Rocket.  It's what they call Arugula.  Or is it what I call Arugula? Yes. 
8. Beets on everything.  My Grandma Flo would be so proud of how many beetroots I've eaten. 
9. Food in general.  We eat way less processed foods and are going to try to continue it when we get back to the States.



I will miss you Kevin Bacon, the pig. 

10. Everything is a question but it rarely needs to be answered.  I am so meta deep right now most of you probably won't even understand my previous statement. Strewth.
11. Bogans. What am I talking about?  We've got good ol' rednecks!  



I'm gettin' a Southern Cross tattoo next, bro!

12. Weather.  One of the benefits of Sydney is that we have what we like to call "Simpsons" skies.  Blue skies with fluffy white clouds where when you look up you can hear the opening of the theme  ♫ The Simpsons ♫ . That is if there are any clouds at all. Blue skies as far as you can see. 
13. Sunsets.  I love a good EO sunset.  That's Eastern Oregon for those of you that aren't as cool as me.  But, living on the 9th floor of a west facing apartment means we get to see incredible red-tinted sunsets every night.  Every single night!  These are actual shots from our balcony.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
14. Sydney Harbour. It's a real life postcard every way you look. 
15. Accents and phrases.  Even though my husband and I like to make fun of the words and phrases we hear on a daily basis I have a feeling this will be one thing I will truly miss.  Let's give you a list within a list of some of my favorite sayings. See if you can figure out what they mean. 

• What's the John Dory?
• Howya travellin'?
• How's it? or How's it goin'?
• Yeah, no. (Both Sean and I use this now. It's insidious.)
• Sweet as. Easy as. Hard as. "Anything" as.  (We actually use this too. It's fun. Try it!)
• Fair dinkum
• Strewth
• Good on ya
• Mad as a cut snake
• Busier than a blue arsed fly
• He spit the dummy
• Pissed as a fart
• Whaddaya reckon?
• You beauty! 

     16.  New Zealand