Elsja Down Under

My Christmas December 27, 2007

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Mine was great! I am thankful that I was able to spend it with my family, although I did miss Andrew. I just really enjoy watching my niece and nephew get so excited! They are so sweet and although they are spoiled, they are not greedy like some kids. They are thankful for each gift they get and frequently say Santa is SO nice and when they open presents from their family they exclaim “you are the BEST!” They are patient as we all take turns opening our gifts in a circle as we’ve done since I was a kid.

 

My 7 year old nephew Preston got us all presents from his school boutique. My sister gave him money and they create a list for who he can spend the money on. He bought each of us a gift, he even got one for Andrew and he picked them out all by himself without any help. He put so much thought into his gifts that he chose- picking something that made him think of each of us. For my mom, he got her a set of these chocolate/candy covered spoons that you stir in your coffee/tea. My mom always makes him tea or hot chocolate, it’s their special little thing that they do together. He got my dad a toy antique car, knowing that my dad has a collection of these small cars in our living room and even has 2 real “antique” cars in our garage. He got his sister a cute stuffed bear that she quickly named Bob.  Bob was an interesting choice considering she normally names all of her animals things like “beary, sparkles, lamby” and other cutesy names. My gift was a small candle. The candle is the clear kind with the shells and little blue coloring to make it look like the ocean. His reasoning for picking thit out is that it would help me remember Huntington Beach when I am in Australia. He is such a sweet precious boy. I am looking forward to seeing what he picked out for Andrew. I didn’t want to open it yet- although maybe I should have since I’ll be taking whatever it is through customs. Sweet little Emma was so cute talking about her “pressies” all day. I told her awhile back that Australians call presents pressies and now she insists on calling them pressies as well. She’s also started using the word “bum.”

Christmas wasn’t just fun for the kids- I got lots of nice goodies as well! Here are a few of my favorite things I received:

1. The kitchenaid Mixer- yay! Now I can bake, although I probably wont do that for awhile since I need to lose the 7-8 lbs I gained when I moved to Australia

2. The cute apron that I asked for. I never really REALLY understood why people NEEDED aprons. I thought they were just for looks- however after baking for a few weeks and cooking a lot more, I realize that cooking is actually very messy. So- I actually DO need an apron to avoid the flour and sauce from getting all over my clothes. And yes, I chose a cute one that I probably wont want to get dirty anyways- but a dirty apron is better than dirty clothes.

3. My Rabbit corkscrew. I love wine- and this will just be great for Andrew and I. Yippee

We also had a really nice family Christmas “dinner” although the kids kept getting annoyed that we were calling it dinner since we ate around lunch time. I missed out on Thanksgiving so the turkey and stuffing and potatoes, etc. were VERY tasty! I am very thankful for having such a great family and friends and I’m happy to have had such a nice Christmas. I just wish Andrew could have been here. The only thing that was a bit sad about the holiday was knowing that my poor boy had to work on Christmas eve, Christmas and boxing day I wonder when we’ll actually be able to spend our first Christmas together. Maybe next year

Yes, Today I’m a Grinch December 19, 2007

Be prepared- I’m about to bitch and moan.

First of all… WHY are people such IDIOTS?? I have so many examples, but I’ll just provide one for the day. I was driving in the parking structure at South Coast Plaza. Me and one other car were driving behind the lady in this example. I’ll just call her Ms. Moron. So Ms. Moron sees a car pulling out of a spot (lights on) and so she stops in the middle of the aisle to get the spot. Ok, fine… but she stopped in the total MIDDLE of the aisle making it impossible for us to go around her. Still though, this wouldn’t have been a big deal- I really wouldn’t mind waiting 2 minutes for the lady to park. We do what we have to do to get spots right? Well that would make lots of sense IF THERE WEREN’T 2 EMPTY SPOTS RIGHT NEXT TO THE CAR THAT WAS PULLING OUT!!

No joke, there was an empty space 3 spots over (and CLOSER to us and the entrance of the mall) and there was one directly across from the spot she was trying to get (again, closer to the entrance). It was impossible for the lady to miss these spots. They were clearly open, right in front of her. She slowly drove right past the first one, but she still could have pulled into the 2nd from where she was sitting… but no- she wanted to wait 2 minutes for the people to pack up their purchases and pull out of their spot. And I should also point out- she didn’t have a big car, she EASILY could have fit into the other spots that were the same exact size as the one she took.

Secondly- I don’t understand WHY people like rain! Yes we need it to live and to make things grow blah blah. But why do people actually enjoy it? I always hear people say “oooh I love the rain!” WHY? What is so fun about being cold and wet? Especially when you have to get in and out of your car 8 times at 8 different stores in the middle of the Christmas rush? The only time rain is nice is when I hear it outside my window as I try to sleep. But I think people who say they really enjoy rainy weather are just bullshitting. Rain, while necessary, is miserable.

Lastly, Christmas shopping 5 days before Christmas is just stupid. I don’t know how people procrastinate and put off their shopping until Christmas Eve. If I had it my way- all my shopping would have been done 3 weeks ago- but that just wasn’t possible since I was in Australia.

Some Things Never Change December 18, 2007

So I didn’t really expect anything to change in the 2 1/2 months that I was gone, but a few things have caught my attention over the last few days. Like the Lays Potato Chip bag is different, Quizno’s has new menu items, gas prices went through the roof, my sister painted some of her house and my dad installed a new fancy toilet in my bathroom.

BUT- I’ve noticed way more things that have stayed the same. Here are just a few.

1. People still can’t drive! My road rage has returned! This kind of diminished when I moved away- if I drive in Australia, I’m so focused on the actual act of driving that I don’t care about retarded and/or slow drivers (in fact, I’m probably one of them). Well, the minute I returned, the frustration came back! In fact, I think it’s worse. Maybe it’s the holiday season but I feel like it takes me FOREVER to get anywhere. TOnight some old lady was driving 3 miles an hour (literally) down my sister’s street because she was looking at the lights. Well the lights must have blinded her because she failed to see ME trying to actually DRIVE behind her.

2. Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Oh how I missed these wonderful treats. I got my first one today and it brings back so many memories… of last year… when I used to get pumpkin spice lattes.

3. Missing Andrew. It’s only been a few days, but I feel like we’ve been apart forever. Just being home brings back all the feelings of missing him ALL the time  It’s great to think I’ll get to see him in a few weeks. On the flip side, it feels like I just saw my friends and family last week. My niece even said “it feels like you just left yesterday and then came back!” It won’t be nice leaving them all- but it shouldn’t be as hard as last time.

4. The TVs at the gym are still pieces of shit that never work. Today about 5 TVs out of 16 or so were working, and they were all playing the same stupid People’s Court.

5. My cell phone still has crappy service. Something that I forgot about after using Skype for the last few months.

6. Turkey Pepperoni is as wonderful as I remembered.

Overall, it feels like I was only gone a few weeks. But it does feel strange that it’s suddenly cold and dark after spending the last 8 months or so in warmer weather (and daylight savings time). It also is strange that jet lag not only affects sleeping patterns, but it affects my stomach as well. I don’t get hungry until at least 1:00-2:00pm – but then I’m hungry all night. It’s like I’m still on my Aussie eating schedule.

Home for the Holidays December 16, 2007

Wow, it feels weird to say it- but I’m home for the holidays! After a 13 1/2 hour flight (with no TV) I’m finally home. Even with a broken TV the flight wasn’t too bad. I still am amazed at the fact that those flights never bother me. I always dread them, but I always get off the flight thinking “that was alright!” Good thing I don’t mind flying for hours and hours- I’ll be doing it A LOT in the future.

It feels nice to be back in CA-but weird too. Now that I’m here, it doesn’t really feel like I’ve been gone that long at all. In fact, it kinda feels like I just skimmed over 2 months of my life in some dream and now it’s back to normal. It was weird saying bye to Andrew at the airport without bawling my eyes out. It was the first time in 2 years that we’ve said goodbye without wondering when exactly we would see each other again- what a NICE feeling to know we will be together again in just a few weeks!

It feels strange that I had to pack to come “home.” I usually start packing a week before a big trip. I started yesterday. I’m sure I forgot stuff and I have absolutely nothing to wear to the upcoming Christmas/NYE parties. Oh well! At least I’m done Christmas shopping…. OH WAIT- haven’t even STARTED that. For someone who is very organized and prepared- this is kinda stressful! Our tree is up, but there are no presents under it! I’ve just gotta cram Christmas shopping into a few days!

I must admit- the chill in the air automatically added to the Christmas spirit that was lacking in Sydney. I didn’t think the weather made that much of a difference- but now I realize it impacts me more than I thought! I think it’s kinda nice to feel the chilly air (especially because I know I only have to deal with it for 3 weeks).

Driving on the “right” side of the road didn’t seem weird at all, although once when my mom was turning left, I expected her to turn onto the left side of the road. Good thing she didn’t Oh and the first thing I wanted to eat today??? MEXICAN of course! I hadn’t had real Mexican in over 2 months! Chips and Salsa at Don Jose’s (I still refuse to call it Rodrigos) were WONDERFUL!

So anyways, I’m home. I’ve got a busy few weeks ahead. It will be nice to see everyone and it will probably go by really quickly.

Lonely and Cruddy December 12, 2007

It gets pretty lonely when Andrew is away. He’s gone on an overnight so I am left here to think about things that cause me to be lonely. Well, the first and primary reason is simply what I just stated, Andrew is gone… but there are several other things that make me a bit lonely and sad.

*disclaimer- I’m not really SAD, just kinda in a funk. I

t’s been rainy and gross out for over a week. Grey mucky weather seems to have a tendency to bring people down, especially when it is SUPPOSED to be sunny and warm since it is officially summer.

This also means I haven’t got out of the house much- being couped up inside when it is crappy outside also leads to feeling down and slummy and just plain blah.

I sit on the internet all day because it’s my form of entertainment. But sitting in one place for hours makes my back and head hurt which leads to me feeling down and cruddy.

I can hear the girl next door doing her billy blanks sounding workout video every few days. I sit and wish I could be over there doing it with her because I’m bored in here by myself.

It’s Christmas soon and it doesn’t seem like Christmas AT ALL here. No lights, no decorations, no tree smell. No holiday spirit that I can really see or feel. Bah Humbug.

I have no friends. Simply stated, it’s the truth. I have a few acquaintances that I see from time to time, but my only real friend that I can share feelings and thoughts and funny stories with is Andrew. And as mentioned before, he is gone tonight. blah

But on a lighter note, I have enjoyed talking to many people on an American Expat site that I found and I decided I will sign up for a class starting in February so I can get out and do things and meet more people. I just don’t know which class… should I take Spanish (pretty useless here but I’ve always wanted to learn), pilates, painting, or my personal favorite- wine appreciation?? Oh decisions decisions.

PS- the countdown is on til my return to California. I hope you are all ready to see me because I’m ready to see you! I’ll be back Sunday morning!

TV December 10, 2007

Things I’ve learned about TV in Australia… and other topics of interest.

1. Cable didn’t even arrive in Australia until 1995. Yes… 1995! Andrew said that in high school people used to go to the US and come back and tell tales of how there were 80 channels. No one could believe it or understand it. Weird. I guess Australia just lags in the TV department.

2. There is only one cable company. This means- no competition and no selection of satelite or digital blah blah. Not that I really care that much- but it does mean that prices are high (what’s new?)

3. Shows here have different names. For instance, “The Girls Next Door” is called “The Girls of the Playboy Mansion”

4. On the topic of the Girls Next Door I have two words… NO CENSORSHIP! Lots of cussing and boob action all over the place!

5. Can someone please tell me when the hell LOST is going to start? Did it already?? I just have no idea what is going on in the TV world in the US. And is Heroes still on? That was on here and then it just stopped. And thank God for itunes because I can download Grey’s Anatomy. I really cant wait around for lagging Australia to put that on the air.

More Fun Summer Weather December 9, 2007

From Ninemsn:

Hail stones “bigger than golf balls” pummelled Sydney this afternoon as a violent thunderstorm swept across the city’s western and northern suburbs, injuring at least 30 people.

The storms unleashed winds gusts of 90km/h, according to forecast website weatherzone.com.au, and followed Friday’s fierce storm that flooded the city’s CBD and killed one man who was crushed when a shop awning collapsed. 

Read the rest of the story HERE

Oh but luckily I was able to go to the beach and get a little tan before the hail rolled in. Crazy crazy weather.

Beautiful December 5, 2007

There are no words to describe. It’s really just so romantic, sweet and beautiful.

oops December 4, 2007

Poor Amanda. She’s right, I gave everyone a happy birthday blog except her. I don’t know why I didn’t. Maybe because I saw her REQUEST for a blog on Jen’s site and thought to myself “you can’t ASK for a birthday blog.” Regardless, it’s not fair that I wrote blogs about everyone else except Amanda. So here is a special belated birthday tribute to Amanda.

Happy Birthday, better late than never!

I’m Confused

Huh??  I don’t get it.

But you know what we DOOOO get??

CABLE

Finally got some cable today after not having any for a month. Too bad it doesn’t work on my stupid USA TV. Dang Americans make their products nearly impossible to use anywhere else in the world. I was smart enough to buy a voltage transformer, but not a cable adaptor. I’m learning way more about technology than I ever cared to know. So now we have to buy a video converter to convert the video from NTSC (American) to PAL (Australian). GET IT?? 

So in the mean time, we’re borrowing a TV from Andrew’s friend so we can actually watch the cable that we are paying for.

A New Obsession?? December 2, 2007

I think it’s true… I have a new obsession.

Cooking. I’ve always been obsessed with food- that was just obvious. But lately I’ve found myself actually preferring to eat in rather than go out! That’s a first for me!  I’ve always liked cooking but I didn’t do it too often- but this last week I’ve gone a little crazy. It’s like a new hobby (a somewhat expensive hobby) but it benefits those around me as well- so it’s worth it. And I really love my new slow cooker/crockpot.

Just this last week I’ve made the following:

1. Jambalaya - I made this for Andrew. I didn’t even eat it- but he liked it!

2. Stuffed chicken breasts. I didn’t have a recipe for this- just made it up- but it was REALLY good. I stuffed the chicken breasts with a mixture of ricotta, sundried tomatos, garlic, onions and basil and then baked with a sauce made from sun dried tomatos, chicken broth and a little cream. DELISH. I should write down a recipe for this next time I make it.

3. Creamy Tortilla Soup. This is another one of my own creations. My sister makes this chicken for tacos in a slow cooker. She just puts chicken and a jar of salsa into a crock pot and there you have it- Easy chicken tacos. Well, I decided to take her idea and add a bunch of crap! I just threw some salsa, cream of chicken soup, corn and chicken breast into a slow cooker. Throughout the cooking process it just didn’t seem that great. Andrew and I looked at eachother with wonder and thought… how are we going to eat this slop?? So I threw in some chopped bell pepper, cayenne pepper and crushed tortilla chips and let it cook a bit longer. Finally added some cheese to top it off and wham…who would’ve guessed it? yummy yummy casserole/soup was born! We topped this with crushed corn chips and it was fantastic. Another achievment in the experimental kitchen of Elsja and Andrew. I submitted my creation to this WONDERFUL website and once it has been approved, I’ll post a link to the recipe.

4. Homemade BBQ sauce. This was yet another recipe from allrecipes.com. I modified this a bit because I didn’t have ALL the ingredients (i.e. rum)- but it turned out ok. I think it’s not my fave bbq sauce but I plan to use it in my slow cooker this week with some chicken to make pulled bbq chicken sandwiches. (these will go well with the low-fat potato salad I intend to make with them).

So that’s it for this last week (not to mention the pumpkin muffins and cookies I already blogged about).

I really do love cooking and trying out all these new fun recipes. A new week of cooking is ahead… I wonder how everything will turn out. I’ll keep you posted!

Happy Happy Birthday

To my dear friend Shannon Marcee Henderson, the first.

I do hope you have/had a lovely day in California. I’m thinking of you down here on the bottom of the planet- and I miss you! I’ll see you soon though.

ENJOY BEING 28!!