Out with the old and in with the new.

My 7 1/2 year old Macbook has finally kicked the bucket. There is a chance I could save it, but at this point it's not worth the hassle. It had been with me back in the days when I drove cross country and lived in Portland, OR, and it has treated me well living abroad. I am now the proud owner of Macbook Air that will hopefully last at least another 7 1/2 years.  Eventually I'll need to get an American adapter for it or just use a converter all the time, but I can deal with that later. It's rare that I have the latest model of something electronic, so I'll enjoy my new toy for a little while.

October = Spring

This weekend has been pretty quiet. Michael was finally able to complete his Advanced SCUBA certification. He had been signed up three previous times, but they had all been cancelled due to the instructor getting sick or weather conditions. It's probably a good thing it got postponed all the way from winter to spring anyway, so he didn't freeze. 

Our frisbee team had a little end of season get together at Bronte Beach. Michael earned the title of MVP Male, and I got runner up in the "Most Casual Player" category. It has been an enjoyable season, but it will be nice to have our weekends back for a while. 

Today I actually went to the Rocks Market  while it was happening - not when they were setting up or breaking everything down, like all the other previous times I'd been there. I discovered the Super Bee store, which is pretty awesome. I tried a sparkling honey drink and couldn't help but buy some Tasmanian leatherwood honey, which has a little kick to it.  Quick fact: unlike North America and Europe, Australia is unaffected by colony collapse disorder.

On Sundays, public transportation is essentially free if you own an Opal card (like a SmartTrip card) If you take a certain number of rides during the week, I think it's eight, everything after that is free. If you haven't reached that number of rides there's some maximum amount you'll be charged on Sundays, I think $2 something. For some reason a lot of locals have held out as long as they possibly can before getting Opal cards; I guess they're afraid of change. In reality, it's cheaper and easier than continuing to use the disposable ones. I could just go ride ferries around all day on Sunday if I wanted for really cheap or free. 

Another weekend is winding down as the warm weather sets in. I wish Sydney had an equivalent to Markoff's Haunted Forest, our favorite seasonal place to go at home this time of year. 

Tax Receipt

We had to pay Australian taxes this year. Since we are not citizens or even permanent residents, we don't have to pay as much as them. We received a receipt in the mail that breaks down exactly how much of what we paid goes to different categories within the government. For example, $39 of what we paid goes to "Recreation and culture", $307 goes to Education, etc. Welfare is further broken down to how much goes to the unemployed, those with disabilities, etc. I wish they did this receipt thing in the states, just because it reflects the idea of government accountability. It also makes the idea of paying taxes at least seem to have a more tangible outcome. Our money didn't just disappear to be used miscellaneously by strangers, we know exactly where every dollar went (with the caveat that we trust that the receipt is accurate).

Australian Mixed Nationals, Castle Hill, and Magnetic Island

We went up to Townsville for Australian Mixed Nationals this past weekend. Our team broke seed and came in 4th in the tournament. The highlight of the weekend was this picture taken of our teammate, Zac. This picture immediately went viral on facebook and now reddit, at least in the ultimate frisbee community, spawning re-enactment photos and a photoshop battle. Some of my photoshop favorites are the violin player, the inept translator, and jazz hands. We can now say we have been present moment a meme came to life. Zac was even publicly recognized during the awards ceremony at the end of the tournament.

Our team, warming up with Castle Hill in the background: We were able to pay a short visit to the hill, which is apparently 10 feet short of being called Castle Mountain. The hill overlooks all of Townsville and Magnetic Island. After the tournament we took the ferry over to Magnetic Island and enjoyed some time on the beach with the remaining teammates who hadn't flown back to Sydney yet. 

View of Magnetic Island from the top of Castle Hill.

Townsville

Apparently Townsville was actually named after a man named Robert Towns, and not just the fact that it is town. Here is Michael doing his Powerpuff Girls impression.

Horseshoe bay at sunset (at Magnetic Island).

Townsville, here we come!

I'm starting to get back into the swing of things after laying low for a few days. I can't believe that tomorrow Michael and I are supposed to fly up to Townsville for Mixed Ultimate Frisbee Nationals. It just seemed like a plan that was a ways off, but now it's in the immediate future. 

Nothing to see here

There's nothing much to report since I've been sick for a few days and acting like a hermit. 

Michael's 30th Birthday Skydive

We had to do something special for Michael's birthday this year, so we jumped out of a plane. Here are a few pictures.

New Season, New Team

A new season has started and I will be in two fun frisbee leagues in addition to the competitive team Michael and I are playing on. He is playing the Tuesday night league with me, but I'm doing the Wednesday night one without him. I have been asked to co-captain the team, a first for me. I'm sure they just needed a woman to say yes to doing it since it is a co-ed league, but it was nice to get a flattering email about why I would be so great at it anyway. We had our first game last night, and the team played very well considering it was the first time we played together. We won at universe point, and I had a few key plays. I'm looking forward to a lot of ultimate in the next two months as the weather gets warmer and the days grow longer.

In other athletic news, Michael attends a gym in the city that runs different 15 and 30 minutes classes throughout the day that target specific muscle groups or outcomes. The trainers tell and demonstrate for you exactly what to do and for exactly how long. Then you rotate through the exercises and a quick pace, with them telling you exactly how much longer you have and when to switch to the next exercise. As long as you're a member, you can attend as many (or as few) classes as you like, whenever you want. It's very ideal for people who just want that quick workout before or after work, or during their lunch break. If you want a longer workout you could just take two or three classes in a row. Michael had been coercing me to come try it out since he had guest pass, so I went to try out a 30 minute ab workout and a 15 minute HIIT class (high intensity interval training). Of course my abs still hurt two days later. When I sit up it's like I'm being stabbed in the stomach with 10 tiny knives. Good times.

The Great Ocean Road and Other Fun

This past weekend we flew down to Victoria to see some of my cousins, celebrate a wedding, drive the Great Ocean Road, and enjoy some hot springs. Here is the proof...