Surry Hills Festival

I met another one of my neighbors this morning. She was exiting the building on her Rascal scooter with her dog (also riding on the scooter) who was wearing a KISS vest. I'm guessing she is in her late 40's or early 50's? She was very grateful that I offered to put the portable ramp away, so much so that she offered to pick up items from the store for me, which I politely declined. She also was happy to show me recent photos on her phone of her and her friend dressed up in KISS makeup before the concert where said dog vest had been purchased. I never know who I am going to talk to in the lobby of our building. 

Today I rode my bike over to the Surry Hills Festival, which was not unlike all the other community street festivals I've ever been to. There were kids and dogs running around, pseudo-healthy food trucks, live music, people handing out random free stuff, local crafts and art, etc. I was happy to pick up a free children's book for my classroom; the local libraries had set up a shelf full of free books for people to take. 

Below is a knitting display by a local group. 

There was also a display with some bikes that generate electricity, which was cool. It wasn't fully set up and there weren't a lot of people there, so taking a picture wouldn't have done the concept justice. In any case, I learned that an electric kettle uses more electricity than just about any other appliance. As an avid tea drinker, I feel a little bit guilty about this. However, I walk, bike, and take public transportation almost everywhere I go, and I don't own a clothes dryer or blow-dry my hair, so I don't feel that bad. I guess the take-away there is that insulated drink containers are worth investing in so you don't need to keep reheating water.

I couldn't hangout in Surry Hills without patronizing my favorite local business (Gelato Messina). The specials I tried this time were strawberry balsamic (self-explanatory- yum!) and crowd saucin' (cinnamon doughnut gelato smashed with doughnuts, pretzel clusters, and peanut sauce). 

Michael is currently enjoying the wedding festivities of our friends Evan and Kristyn back in Virginia, and his trip back to the states ends in the next few days. I'm obviously looking forward to his return because he'll back, but also because he's bringing back lots of goodies. By goodies, I mean new hiking backpacks and other outdoor gear from REI, Builders Bars, and random things I ordered online weeks ago and had shipped to my parents' house.

The weather is warming up again, but still mild (highs in the high 60's and low 70's most days) - it's definitely spring in Sydney.