February 23rd

On Saturday we ran down to the market to pick up some goat pies from "The Goat Pie Man" and our tradional smoothie along with our produce.

We then caught the train for a 30 minute ride to Sandgate. We haven't been there and heard that it had a nice boardwalk along the beach.

So we get down to the boardwalk and there are dozens of wind surfers just going crazy!  It was a very windy day and they were having a blast.  The boardwalk must keep the high tide from spilling over because the sand was throughly wet with big and small puddles all the way down to the ocean. We walked clear to Brighton which was about 4 miles at least and the whole way we could see the surfers.

We ate at Doug's Seafood...Dave had the barramundi and I had calamari, then we headed back to the train and home.

Valentine's dinner

Since I had French class on Valentine's day, Dave and I postponed our dinner until Tuesday. We went to New Farm to Bistro Arlette and had some amazing French food. It's a small house with creaky wood floors which I love and a nice small patio. Very charming and the owners are a crack up!

We started with stuffed figs and wine...followed by the main course of lamb and a tomato galette for me and a roasted spatchcock with tarragon sauce and potatoes for Dave. We split some lovely green beans also. Then for dessert we had coffee and profiteroles with warm chocolate sauce. Mmmmmm..

We have definitely found our new favorite French restaurant and will be returning often!

We laughed on the way home about how "cheap" this great meal was...so we must be fitting into the Australian way!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

February 13th...and bats!

Every evening around dusk the bats come flying by on their way to the big park on Oxford Street. They swoop along the river from Hawthorne, New Farm, Teneriffe and then here to Bulimba.

Last night Dave and I were walking down the street passing by the park when a HUGE bat came flying by...at this point Dave always ducks as if it's going to take a bite out of his neck! It flew to the tree, grabbed on and was hanging upside down as the limb was going up and down from his weight. It was so cool and a little freaky! I wish I would have had a camera with me because this bat was seriously big and so close you could see his little beady eyes.....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

More entertaining....

Saturday we woke up and met Jeff and Julie at the Powerhouse market....I know! Seems like we are always at a market!! We literally ate our way through the whole thing...olives, curry, ginger beer, baguette, French pizza, smoothie, and I can't remember what else since by that time I was sooo full everything became a blur!

We ended up on our patio nursing a beer for a few hours until almost dinner and then it happened...our new tutti-frutti addiction kicked in and really if you have it more than once on consecutive weekends, isn't it tradition by then?? We walked down to Max Brenner again, but had dark chocolate drizzled on top this time. Much better......

Sunday rolled around and Dale twisted Dave's arm to go golfing with him. I was going to stay home and study, however Colette called and said that her, Bill, Sierra and Kyle were going to the Gold Coast to the beach and did I want to come? Yes... I packed up my bag just like Aunt Betty would do with food enough for 40 and hopped in the car. The undertow was incredibly strong and the lifeguards kept busy with their megaphones telling people to move between the flags. All of a sudden I felt like I was on the show "Bondi Rescue"... A lifeguard came tearing out of the truck he was in, grabbed the surfboard that stands on the beach and seriously with in what felt like 45 seconds was dragging this girl up onto the surfboard. They had been yelling at her, and who I presume was her dad to stay on their boogie board but to PADDLE and not go too far out and to STAY within the flags. Well next thing you know, the girl is tossed off the board and the man with her is likewise tossed and that's when the lifeguard shot into action. It could have also been the half hearted strokes they were both doing to get to shore. Such a scary thing that ended well, thank goodness.

After the beach we went to Waxy's for the Sunday special..$2 steak, $2 steak sauce, $2 salad, $2 mashed potatoes (Dad they were great!), $2 Coronas. My meal cost $10 and was better than bar food usually is. Then the drive home......

Weekend update is done! Whew! Sorry no pis were loaded yet so I'll probably edit this later and add a few.

Cheers! David and Lovey

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A week of events....

What a round of events we've had! Cerner had their project kick off last week. So starting the Friday before, Cerner associates started arriving from the US to help out and house hunt. We started off with a dinner at Colette and Bill's house with a couple we had never met, Tom and Cindy. Then Dave's friend Tammy flew in with her husband, Mike on Saturday. They wanted to see a market on Sunday so we met them in the CBD and took the WaterCat to the Eagle Farm Market. After buying some goodies we came back to our apartment and hung out on the patio for a few hours. By late afternoon we were all hungry again and decided to go down to Oxford Street to Max Brenner for an afternoon treat. We split a "tutti-frutti"... 2 Belgian waffles drizzled with milk chocolate, sliced bananas and strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Coffee and mochas to top it off. YUM!!!

Tuesday night we went to the Bavarian Bier Cafe with Tammy and Mike for dinner. We ordered "big beers" to go with the nightly special of Lowenschnitzel. If you finish your huge plate of schnitzel, cole slaw and chips, they will give you a schnapps shot (try to say that fast!). Dave and I split the meal...it was HUGE. And opted out of the schnapps shot and went for the coffee instead.

Long meetings for Dave that went until 9pm for a few days and with the debris still in the river, the WaterCats are still moving slow. He was getting home exhausted!

French started again on Thursday night with a 2 hour workshop. New set of people at all levels and again I am the one who has the least amount of knowledge, however it was such great fun and the hours flew by!

My tennis mate, Lyl came back from a skiing trip in Japan with a torn ACL...argh. No tennis for us for a while and so now I will either go for lessons or do some social tennis with Dave at night.

Friday, Dave came home early and we went over to Teneriffe and picked up Sophia. Such a sight to see him carrying her down the street and onto the ferry, then home. Yes my friends, I now have a dress form that looks amazing!! She's already wearing a knitted item and stands in our living room. Almost had you fooled it was something else, yeah?! Lol

But back to the office for both Dave and I for happy hour and to say goodbye to those that we won't see for a few months while they pack up their things for sea transport. Out to dinner with those that are leaving the next day and some that live here. All eight of us end up deciding Nando's Chicken....Bill, Colette, Tammy, Mike, Jeff, Julie, Dave and I. We all seem to have some interconnecting things in common, so lots to talk and laugh about. After dinner we all start heading for home, but Jeff and Julie just moved here a week ago and are living in the temp apartments we were in and are up for more excitement. What's a friend to do??!! We decide the Bavarian Bier place is on the way back and stop in the bar there. Big beers all around and then the madness of schnapps happens. Let me set the scene....when you order a schnapps they bring it to you on a long, flat board that is about four feet long and 5 inches wide with a handle on the bottom of it so they can carry it. All the while on what seems the long way to your table, they ring a cowbell so everyone knows you're getting schnapps! So they could have one shot sitting on the end of this board or twelve...doesn't matter since it comes to you this way no matter what. Honey schnapps is not bad, Julie opted for blueberry and Jeff some sort of hot and cold one that made his lips numb or something for a second. Great fun and let's also say the waitress had her act down pat even the tight shirt and creamy white boobs right there in your face!!

More to come.....

Cheers! Dave and Lovey


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad