On October 25th I took my resume to a staffing agency called Monarch Staffing. I got a call later that day asking me to come in for an interview the next morning. I was sure the only job I would be able to land was going to be a clerical at best, that no one in my field would want to hire me knowing I would only be in the country for a year, considering one of the key components to success in media sales, or any kind of sales for that matter, is developing a relationship with the client, which takes time to develop, where longevity is key and turnover within a company is frowned upon. With that being said, I had come to terms with settling for a mindless job where I would most likely be filing papers and answering the phone, I wasn’t happy about it but it was better than doing nothing. I had tried that and was about to lose my mind.
The next day, I put on a pair of slacks and heals for the first time since I left Lamar Advertising, and went to the interview at the staffing agency. I sat across the table from Dan, a nice looking, well dressed man my dad’s age with kind eyes and grey hair. I have never been so cool and collected in an interview before this, mostly because I didn’t care about trying hard to impress this man who would likely match me with a job I would be over qualified for. When he asked me about data entry skills I wanted to sink out of my chair into the floor and crawl out the door, I could imagine myself raising my fingers to my temple in the shape of a gun, but I didn’t. I kept it together, answered all of his questions and by the end of the interview he was smiling and doing lots of nodding. He leaned back in his chair and asked me why I hadn’t applied for any positions within my field, that he couldn’t bring himself to put me into anything less, and that he may know of a position that might be available off the record, with a local newspaper, called the Shepparton Adviser. He said he didn’t think my strict Visa restraints and the fact that I would only be in the country one year would detract them from hiring me. I shook Dan’s hand and left the staffing agency standing a little taller, maybe I could actually land a job in media sales in a foreign country. Dan seemed to think so.
Taking Dan’s advice, I drove across town to the other newspaper agency; The Shepparton News, asked for the Sales Manager, shook a few hands, left my resume and headed over to Southern Cross Media which encompassed two radio stations and two TV channels, Ten and Eleven. They were definitely the big dogs in town. I stood up straight, pulled the glass door open and approached the receptionist, a young girl with a friendly smile. The speakers overhead played ‘Teenage Dream’, the moment’s hottest song by Katy Perry, and I knew this is where I wanted a job. When I got home I received a call from Dan, he had spoken to The Adviser about the position that “may have been available off the record”, they wanted to meet with me first thing in the morning.
The next morning I pulled on a pair of slacks and rather than pulling a freshly dry-cleaned blouse from my walk-in closet and rows of perfectly allied garments, I rummaged through a much more sparse collection in the tiny, dimly lit closet, pulled one out and ironed it myself. I thought about my mom while I ironed, I missed her. She had chosen this shirt for me on our last shopping trip together, and she was right, the lime green was a good color for me.
I parallel parked Ruby on the left side of the road against the sidewalk, paid the meter with two large 50 cent coins and locked the door with the key before I headed to my interview at The Adviser, carrying copies of my resume, a legal pad and a pen I had accidentally stolen from the staffing agency. I was ten minutes early and when I walked into the quiet lobby, the sound of my heals on the polished hardwood floor echoed loudly from the airy room and high ceilings. It seemed that the employees were also just arriving and I caught a glimpse of a guy carrying a coffee mug to his desk with his head down.
Will and Jeff Adams, brothers and owners of The Advisor, “The Goulburn Valley’s largest circulating newspaper”, the banner in the boardroom proclaimed, sat across from me at a large conference table. Jeff and Will were wearing suits and got right down to business. Toward the end of my interview, they were talking about money, and I knew from experience, when the conversation shifts to financials, it’s pretty much a done deal. They needed to check my references and would get back to me.
As I shook their hands and made my way for the door, the phone in my pocket began to buzz, it was Southern Cross Media, they wanted to schedule an interview. By the time I sat down for in interview with Leanne at Southern Cross Media, I had already received a generous written offer via email from the brothers at The Advisor. The next email I received was one from my former boss, and friend, Johnny, my General Manager from Lamar Advertising saying that he had been contacted via email by Will Adams. He had forwarded me his response.
Dear Will,
I would be happy to recommend Ashley Donnell to you for a sales position with your Company.
When I arrived at this office in June of 2008, Ashley was the leading AE. When she left for Australia nearly 2 years later, she had been my top salesperson every single month since my arrival. She was the person that pulled our wagon, and I would hire her back in a second!
Ashley was always concerned about our office budget, rather than just her quota, and I could always count on her to bring in the sales we needed. She has great customer service skills, and is a tireless worker when a sale is on the horizon. As far as her presence in the office, she was a delight to work with. Her personality is sunny and positive, and it is fun to work with her.
I am sure you would be happy with Ashley, and I’m sure your Company would be better for doing so.
I hope that helps. Please feel free to ask me any other questions if you need to.
Thanks,
Johnny
Johnny Burns
Vice President / General Manager
I sat on the black leather couch in the lobby of Southern Cross Media and made small talk with Reggie, the young receptionist with the friendly smile when Leanne, the General Manager called me back for our meeting, I shook her hand and followed her back to yet another boardroom. She was tall and thin with pale skin, dark blue eyes and dark red hair. She wore her red hair in a high bun and I could tell that if she wore it down, it would reach past her belt. She immediately reminded me of someone I knew but I couldn’t remember who. She sat next to me at the edge of a boardroom table, she was smart and friendly, but not in an annoying, over the top way, I could tell she meant business and she seemed like a strong leader. We talked about financials, which were less than my previous offer, but I suddenly remembered who she reminded me of, my coach from when I was on the equestrian team and I instantly liked her. By the end of our meeting; she said she thought she might have a place for me and that she would give me a call. When I got home I sent here an email to thank her for the interview and let her know I wanted the job. That afternoon my phone rang, it was Leanne and she offered me the job.
I wrote a gracious, “Thanks, but no thanks” letter to the brothers at The Adviser that night, thanking them for the offer and letting them know I was accepting another job. The next morning I was in the barn at Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital, helping Josh with his foal treatments and I got a phone call from The Adviser, it was one of the brothers who wanted to know exactly why I had not accepted their generous offer and proceeded to offer me more money. I let him know that I was interested in broadening my horizons and that I felt like TV and radio would most effectively pad my resume and advance my career options. He was satisfied with that response and I thanked him again for his efforts. I stood in the barn, pressed end and stared at my phone in disbelief. Not only had I never been offered more money, I had never turned down more money, it felt good, I couldn't wait to tell my dad. Life in Oz was looking up.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Australia Blog 17- Grandma
AUSTRALIA BLOG 17- Grandma
Every time I write a Blog, my mom prints it out and puts it in an envelope to mail to my grandma. My grandma takes the blogs to the Café where she meets her friends every day for coffee, or for my grandma, Diet Dr Pepper, Caffeine Free, if they have it, and shares it with her dear friends.
Maybe I haven’t told you, but if you really know me, you know that my favorite person in this ENTIRE world is my grandma. So, this one is for you.
My parents divorced when I was fiveish and eventually we moved to the small Texas town of Bertram to be near my grandparents. This is where my childhood memories began, buried in animals and dirt and tree climbing and acres and acres of rocky pasture and animals, animals, animals. I got to spend a lot of time with my Grandma and my Grandpa. My Grandpa is the man who inspired me to love animals and to tell a good story, a part of me which is so much of who I am today. His farm was my petting zoo and I always loved the way he told a story or a joke at the top of his lungs and laughed with tears in his eyes as if it was the first time he’d ever told it. It is hard to know one without the other, to me, they will forever be one in the same.
When I was in grade school, we were assigned a project, to write a book about our favorite person, our hero, and I wrote about my Grandma. I told stories about the time my cousin wouldn’t share his snorkel and goggles in the pool, when I came home to tell my grandma, she took me to the store to buy a pair and to cheer me up, in the car on the way home, she took them out of the package while she was driving and put them on. A kid could not have asked for a better grandma.
Some of my favorite memories where when it was just the two of us, I can remember her letting me bring animals into the house, rocking me in her chair while I held a puppy or a baby goat, taking me upstairs to teach me to sew in her sewing room, she taught me to run a sewing machine, to embroider, to paint and to love shoes. She taught me to be a good listener, to treat others with kindness and to always look out for myself.
She was forever kind, caring, and patient, understanding, smart, strong, all knowing, and always hilarious. This was a family raised on laughter and a great sense of humor. You can imagine the person she would be, she has lived through the Great Depression, breast cancer before people talked about it, grew up on a farm before electricity or running water, raised five kids and seven grandkids who adore her. I strive everyday to be like her in my adult life.
As an adult, one of the most important things my Grandma ever told me was about my Grandpa. She told me that throughout the years, in a marriage that last as long as theirs did, you do not hold on to the exact same love you found in the beginning, but that with time, as life evolves, you discover new love and admiration for different reasons. She loved him for being a hard working man and a good provider, later for being a good father, and even later; for being a good grandpa. I think about that almost every day.
She stayed with me the night before I married Josh and while it seemed like no big deal at the time, it will always be one of my treasures.
To this day, when I need advice in life or love, someone to talk to who I know will listen with an open mind and no judgment, or even random information only she will likely know, I just give her a call. She always answers, “Well, hello little girl!” with a smile, and a thick Southern drawl.
Every time I write a Blog, my mom prints it out and puts it in an envelope to mail to my grandma. My grandma takes the blogs to the Café where she meets her friends every day for coffee, or for my grandma, Diet Dr Pepper, Caffeine Free, if they have it, and shares it with her dear friends.
Maybe I haven’t told you, but if you really know me, you know that my favorite person in this ENTIRE world is my grandma. So, this one is for you.
My parents divorced when I was fiveish and eventually we moved to the small Texas town of Bertram to be near my grandparents. This is where my childhood memories began, buried in animals and dirt and tree climbing and acres and acres of rocky pasture and animals, animals, animals. I got to spend a lot of time with my Grandma and my Grandpa. My Grandpa is the man who inspired me to love animals and to tell a good story, a part of me which is so much of who I am today. His farm was my petting zoo and I always loved the way he told a story or a joke at the top of his lungs and laughed with tears in his eyes as if it was the first time he’d ever told it. It is hard to know one without the other, to me, they will forever be one in the same.
When I was in grade school, we were assigned a project, to write a book about our favorite person, our hero, and I wrote about my Grandma. I told stories about the time my cousin wouldn’t share his snorkel and goggles in the pool, when I came home to tell my grandma, she took me to the store to buy a pair and to cheer me up, in the car on the way home, she took them out of the package while she was driving and put them on. A kid could not have asked for a better grandma.
Some of my favorite memories where when it was just the two of us, I can remember her letting me bring animals into the house, rocking me in her chair while I held a puppy or a baby goat, taking me upstairs to teach me to sew in her sewing room, she taught me to run a sewing machine, to embroider, to paint and to love shoes. She taught me to be a good listener, to treat others with kindness and to always look out for myself.
She was forever kind, caring, and patient, understanding, smart, strong, all knowing, and always hilarious. This was a family raised on laughter and a great sense of humor. You can imagine the person she would be, she has lived through the Great Depression, breast cancer before people talked about it, grew up on a farm before electricity or running water, raised five kids and seven grandkids who adore her. I strive everyday to be like her in my adult life.
As an adult, one of the most important things my Grandma ever told me was about my Grandpa. She told me that throughout the years, in a marriage that last as long as theirs did, you do not hold on to the exact same love you found in the beginning, but that with time, as life evolves, you discover new love and admiration for different reasons. She loved him for being a hard working man and a good provider, later for being a good father, and even later; for being a good grandpa. I think about that almost every day.
She stayed with me the night before I married Josh and while it seemed like no big deal at the time, it will always be one of my treasures.
To this day, when I need advice in life or love, someone to talk to who I know will listen with an open mind and no judgment, or even random information only she will likely know, I just give her a call. She always answers, “Well, hello little girl!” with a smile, and a thick Southern drawl.
Australia Blog 16- Husband From Snowy River
AUSTRALIA BLOG 16
Saturday, October 9th in Oz, the weather was clear and crisp, the sun was shining and it was a perfect day to be on a horse. Josh and I drove out to the Newton’s to meet Kaylie for a ride. Kaylie and her brother Cyle breed and train outstanding Australian Stock Horses to use for Polo Cross, which are all ideally mares. It was so good to be on a horse, although I’ve become complacent in my riding, in my Western saddle, atop my Quarter Horse gelding who knows better than to think on his own and who I have taught to move in soft collected Pleasure Horse strides on a loose reign, the complete opposite of what makes a good Polo Cross horse. While nothing was familiar, everything was the same. However, the saddles may take a little getting used to. On the way back, we rode past gorgeous fields of yellow canola flowers and grain, when suddenly our horses saw something we did not. Josh was the first to see him, a Brown Snake. Australia’s native Brown Snake is the world’s second most venomous snake, and is considered to be the most deadly due to its highly aggressive nature.
If you know me, you know I am not a fan of snakes, okay, I kind of have a huge phobia, but this day, I was calm. The Brown Snake, which is not so brown at all, passed on the road in front of us and continued on his way.
Sunday Mette and I made the two hour drive over to Melbourne in order to do a little shopping and get out of Shepparton when the opportunity presented its self. Mette came by the house to pick me up but when we were ready to leave, Herby, Mette’s car wouldn’t start. Herby is a pale blue four door sedan, with mismatch paint which has faded in the sun from years of misuse. We sat in the driveway while Mette begged and pleated with Herby in her pleasant Danish accent, calling him by name and asking him please not to do this each time she turned the key, to no avail. Herby is sick, she proclaimed.
In an unsuccessful attempt not to laugh, I suggested we take Ruby. Ruby, while also a piece of shit car, was a luxury sedan compared to Herby. Mette named the 16 year old, maroon, four-door Commodore Holden we paid 38 hundred bucks for; Ruby, it was a perfect name for a ruby red grandma car in mint condition.
When we were finally on our way to Melbourne, Little Roo settled into his place on Ruby’s center console and took a nap in the Sunday sunshine. Mette had directions to the Rip Cirl surf shop, where she wanted to buy sunglasses. She navigated and I drove, we successfully navigated through street trolleys, roundabouts, hook turns, one illegal u-turn and a backwards parking garage. Unfortunately Mette is no help when it comes to driving on the left side of the road because she too is out of her element; Denmark has the same ‘keep right’ driving policy as America. Two blond foreign girls and one small white dog finally arrived safely in downtown Melbourne without incident and also without a dog leash.
The shopping in Melbourne reminded me of shopping in LA, posh outdoor shopping and also dog friendly. Roo was welcome in every store, some of which even had dog water bowls by the door. Mette found sunglasses and luckily, I found a dog leash in an unlikely store, similar to Victoria Secret, hot pink leather or not, it was better than carrying him.
We were then in search of a place along the busy sidewalk to sit in the afternoon sun, enjoy a beverage and people watch, when we came to an open air pub with sidewalk seating and good music. All of the seating on the sidewalk was taken, but little Roo pulled through for us. Two nice guys sitting at a large empty table stopped us to pet Roo and ask what kind of dog he was. I asked if they minded sharing the table with us, they agreed and even offered to mind Roo while we went in to order drinks from the bar. I handed one of them the hot pink leash with the small white dog on the end with a smile, and went to fetch drinks.
James and Michael were from Melbourne and were also out to enjoy the Sunday sun, have a beer and people watch, they were waiting on their friend Justine to join them. We could not have met three nicer people. We had a great time talking about culture, Australia, Melbourne, The US, Denmark, dogs, babies, advertising, surfing, and beaches to name a few. When it was time to head home, we exchanged contact information with our new friends and were once again, on our way.
Josh called earlier in the day, when Mette and I were half way to Melbourne, to let me know he had received an invite to ride in the mountains where Angus McKinnon lives. Angus is the renowned Equine Reproduction veterinarian at Goulburn Valley, he is good friends with Dave Frisbie DVM, who’s high recommendation got Josh the internship there. He lives on several thousand acres in the mountains where Man From Snowy River was filmed. I’ve seen the movie, it’s gorgeous.
It was dark when Josh came through the door, and I could tell he had had a great day. In an attempt to hold back his enthusiasm, trying not to rub it in too much, he told me the ride in the mountains today had made the entire trip worthwhile, that he even got to ride in a Western saddle. They rode along side kangaroos while they were jumping, saw a wallaby, “The wallaby was dead, but still cool”, he added.
Saturday, October 9th in Oz, the weather was clear and crisp, the sun was shining and it was a perfect day to be on a horse. Josh and I drove out to the Newton’s to meet Kaylie for a ride. Kaylie and her brother Cyle breed and train outstanding Australian Stock Horses to use for Polo Cross, which are all ideally mares. It was so good to be on a horse, although I’ve become complacent in my riding, in my Western saddle, atop my Quarter Horse gelding who knows better than to think on his own and who I have taught to move in soft collected Pleasure Horse strides on a loose reign, the complete opposite of what makes a good Polo Cross horse. While nothing was familiar, everything was the same. However, the saddles may take a little getting used to. On the way back, we rode past gorgeous fields of yellow canola flowers and grain, when suddenly our horses saw something we did not. Josh was the first to see him, a Brown Snake. Australia’s native Brown Snake is the world’s second most venomous snake, and is considered to be the most deadly due to its highly aggressive nature.
If you know me, you know I am not a fan of snakes, okay, I kind of have a huge phobia, but this day, I was calm. The Brown Snake, which is not so brown at all, passed on the road in front of us and continued on his way.
Sunday Mette and I made the two hour drive over to Melbourne in order to do a little shopping and get out of Shepparton when the opportunity presented its self. Mette came by the house to pick me up but when we were ready to leave, Herby, Mette’s car wouldn’t start. Herby is a pale blue four door sedan, with mismatch paint which has faded in the sun from years of misuse. We sat in the driveway while Mette begged and pleated with Herby in her pleasant Danish accent, calling him by name and asking him please not to do this each time she turned the key, to no avail. Herby is sick, she proclaimed.
In an unsuccessful attempt not to laugh, I suggested we take Ruby. Ruby, while also a piece of shit car, was a luxury sedan compared to Herby. Mette named the 16 year old, maroon, four-door Commodore Holden we paid 38 hundred bucks for; Ruby, it was a perfect name for a ruby red grandma car in mint condition.
When we were finally on our way to Melbourne, Little Roo settled into his place on Ruby’s center console and took a nap in the Sunday sunshine. Mette had directions to the Rip Cirl surf shop, where she wanted to buy sunglasses. She navigated and I drove, we successfully navigated through street trolleys, roundabouts, hook turns, one illegal u-turn and a backwards parking garage. Unfortunately Mette is no help when it comes to driving on the left side of the road because she too is out of her element; Denmark has the same ‘keep right’ driving policy as America. Two blond foreign girls and one small white dog finally arrived safely in downtown Melbourne without incident and also without a dog leash.
The shopping in Melbourne reminded me of shopping in LA, posh outdoor shopping and also dog friendly. Roo was welcome in every store, some of which even had dog water bowls by the door. Mette found sunglasses and luckily, I found a dog leash in an unlikely store, similar to Victoria Secret, hot pink leather or not, it was better than carrying him.
We were then in search of a place along the busy sidewalk to sit in the afternoon sun, enjoy a beverage and people watch, when we came to an open air pub with sidewalk seating and good music. All of the seating on the sidewalk was taken, but little Roo pulled through for us. Two nice guys sitting at a large empty table stopped us to pet Roo and ask what kind of dog he was. I asked if they minded sharing the table with us, they agreed and even offered to mind Roo while we went in to order drinks from the bar. I handed one of them the hot pink leash with the small white dog on the end with a smile, and went to fetch drinks.
James and Michael were from Melbourne and were also out to enjoy the Sunday sun, have a beer and people watch, they were waiting on their friend Justine to join them. We could not have met three nicer people. We had a great time talking about culture, Australia, Melbourne, The US, Denmark, dogs, babies, advertising, surfing, and beaches to name a few. When it was time to head home, we exchanged contact information with our new friends and were once again, on our way.
Josh called earlier in the day, when Mette and I were half way to Melbourne, to let me know he had received an invite to ride in the mountains where Angus McKinnon lives. Angus is the renowned Equine Reproduction veterinarian at Goulburn Valley, he is good friends with Dave Frisbie DVM, who’s high recommendation got Josh the internship there. He lives on several thousand acres in the mountains where Man From Snowy River was filmed. I’ve seen the movie, it’s gorgeous.
It was dark when Josh came through the door, and I could tell he had had a great day. In an attempt to hold back his enthusiasm, trying not to rub it in too much, he told me the ride in the mountains today had made the entire trip worthwhile, that he even got to ride in a Western saddle. They rode along side kangaroos while they were jumping, saw a wallaby, “The wallaby was dead, but still cool”, he added.
“The only thing that would have made the ride complete is if I would have been able to pop a whip, like Jim, on Man From Snowy River, but Angus said my horse didn’t like whips. Oh yeah, and if you would have been there, of course.”
They are going on another ride this Sunday, but I had already planned to go surfing with Mette, decisions, decisions.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Australia Blog 15- Spring Time In Oz
AUSTRALIA BLOG 15- Spring Time In Oz…
Today is Wednesday, October 06, 2010. I have not blogged in a couple weeks so I will catch you up! The rainy season seems to be over and it is warming up as Australia comes into Spring.
I took the RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) class on Thursday and followed up in person with the GV Hotel about securing the bartending job. The manager told me they would give me a call.
Saturday night just before we went out to meet the other interns for dinner, I got a call. They wanted me to come in and work the midnight to close shift for someone who had called in sick. I agreed to do so and asked what time the shift ended. The manager on the phone told me the shift ended at 5am.
Josh and I arrived at the sushi restaurant downtown and claimed our reservation of a table for ten. I was so happy to have sushi for the first time since we left The States. The food and the company were excellent and we all decided to make our way down to the GV in order to prolong the Saturday night celebration. When we arrived at the GV, I checked in with the manager on duty about my midnight shift and explained to her that I had not yet been trained or had any kind of instruction but that I was willing to jump right in. It was a Saturday night, the restaurant bar was packed and had transformed into a night club. She was puzzled by the blunder and arranged for me to start on Monday night instead. This was great news; I joined our friends on the other side of the bar and ordered a drink in an attempt to catch up. After a great night out of live music, dancing, and laughing, we walked home, joined by Kristie and Mike who were not quite ready to call it a night.
When we arrived our house, Josh turned on some Zac Brown Band, if you are wondering how we have Texas Country Music in Australia, you didn’t think I would leave without my docking station and ipod?! Have to plug it into a converter but it works! Mike and Kristie loved the new music but Mike wanted to show us some music from his home country, Scotland, so he proceeded to take off his shirt, climb onto the kitchen counter and sing and dance a little Scottish jig. It was probably the funniest things I’ve ever witnessed.
Monday I worked my first shift at the GV. When I got there, they gave me a shirt and an apron, and I was suddenly taken back six years, to my college days, to the days I thought I had put behind me. The day I walked across the stage at graduation, I swore to myself that I would never wait tables or bartend ever, ever, ever again. For all of you, most of you, out there who have never bartended or waited tables a day in your life, you are an ass hole! Your ranch dressing is not all that important! Okay, I’m kidding, I know my grandma is reading this, and I also know she has a great since of humor.
Tuesday night I worked my second shift at the GV on a very sore heel injury which resulted in Saturday night’s festivities at our house. When I arrived, I was paired up to work with a 19 year old girl with a bad attitude; I put on my happy face and ran every plate of food all night as she pulled it off the line and bused every table in the restaurant. And why they don’t use trays to carry more than three plates at a time is beyond me!
I walked to work that day because it’s only two blocks from the house, but Josh had agreed to pick me up so that I wouldn’t have to walk home in the dark in a shady part of downtown. Unfortunately, my prepaid sim card had run out of minutes and I was unable to call him so I walked home in the dark at the end of my shift. By the time I walked in the door, I was in tears. I sat down on the couch beside Josh and cried, “I didn’t go to school for four and a half years to be a bus boy!” “I want to go home!” “I miss MY job!” “I want to go home………”
Being that Josh is eternally calm, cool and collected, he just hugged me and said, “Okay, if that’s what you want.” He let me finish crying and just held me.
That was my last shift at the GV and I spent the rest of that week being very homesick and unwilling to Blog and share my lack of enthusiasm with anyone.
Last weekend, things started to turn around, my friend Mette and I got out of town Saturday and drove three hours up to the beach at Tourquay so that she could buy a surfboard. Mette is a vet who works with Josh, she is a very cool girl from Denmark whose first language is Danish. We plan to hit the beach this coming weekend and she is going to teach me to surf. We visited all the surf shops and had a great time buying a new surfboard. It’s amazing how helpful the surfboard salesmen are to a tall, blond, blue-eyed Danish girl with an accent. A huge discount and $700 later, she got a beautiful new surfboard that we plan on painting, as soon as we can choose on a design and buy the paint pens. Something I learned about surf boards is that the serious surfers paint designs their boards, or pay to have someone paint them. We’ve founds tons of impressive designs online, we’re looking forward to tackling the new project and hitting the beach!
Today is Wednesday, October 06, 2010. I have not blogged in a couple weeks so I will catch you up! The rainy season seems to be over and it is warming up as Australia comes into Spring.
I took the RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) class on Thursday and followed up in person with the GV Hotel about securing the bartending job. The manager told me they would give me a call.
Saturday night just before we went out to meet the other interns for dinner, I got a call. They wanted me to come in and work the midnight to close shift for someone who had called in sick. I agreed to do so and asked what time the shift ended. The manager on the phone told me the shift ended at 5am.
Josh and I arrived at the sushi restaurant downtown and claimed our reservation of a table for ten. I was so happy to have sushi for the first time since we left The States. The food and the company were excellent and we all decided to make our way down to the GV in order to prolong the Saturday night celebration. When we arrived at the GV, I checked in with the manager on duty about my midnight shift and explained to her that I had not yet been trained or had any kind of instruction but that I was willing to jump right in. It was a Saturday night, the restaurant bar was packed and had transformed into a night club. She was puzzled by the blunder and arranged for me to start on Monday night instead. This was great news; I joined our friends on the other side of the bar and ordered a drink in an attempt to catch up. After a great night out of live music, dancing, and laughing, we walked home, joined by Kristie and Mike who were not quite ready to call it a night.
When we arrived our house, Josh turned on some Zac Brown Band, if you are wondering how we have Texas Country Music in Australia, you didn’t think I would leave without my docking station and ipod?! Have to plug it into a converter but it works! Mike and Kristie loved the new music but Mike wanted to show us some music from his home country, Scotland, so he proceeded to take off his shirt, climb onto the kitchen counter and sing and dance a little Scottish jig. It was probably the funniest things I’ve ever witnessed.
Monday I worked my first shift at the GV. When I got there, they gave me a shirt and an apron, and I was suddenly taken back six years, to my college days, to the days I thought I had put behind me. The day I walked across the stage at graduation, I swore to myself that I would never wait tables or bartend ever, ever, ever again. For all of you, most of you, out there who have never bartended or waited tables a day in your life, you are an ass hole! Your ranch dressing is not all that important! Okay, I’m kidding, I know my grandma is reading this, and I also know she has a great since of humor.
Tuesday night I worked my second shift at the GV on a very sore heel injury which resulted in Saturday night’s festivities at our house. When I arrived, I was paired up to work with a 19 year old girl with a bad attitude; I put on my happy face and ran every plate of food all night as she pulled it off the line and bused every table in the restaurant. And why they don’t use trays to carry more than three plates at a time is beyond me!
I walked to work that day because it’s only two blocks from the house, but Josh had agreed to pick me up so that I wouldn’t have to walk home in the dark in a shady part of downtown. Unfortunately, my prepaid sim card had run out of minutes and I was unable to call him so I walked home in the dark at the end of my shift. By the time I walked in the door, I was in tears. I sat down on the couch beside Josh and cried, “I didn’t go to school for four and a half years to be a bus boy!” “I want to go home!” “I miss MY job!” “I want to go home………”
Being that Josh is eternally calm, cool and collected, he just hugged me and said, “Okay, if that’s what you want.” He let me finish crying and just held me.
That was my last shift at the GV and I spent the rest of that week being very homesick and unwilling to Blog and share my lack of enthusiasm with anyone.
Last weekend, things started to turn around, my friend Mette and I got out of town Saturday and drove three hours up to the beach at Tourquay so that she could buy a surfboard. Mette is a vet who works with Josh, she is a very cool girl from Denmark whose first language is Danish. We plan to hit the beach this coming weekend and she is going to teach me to surf. We visited all the surf shops and had a great time buying a new surfboard. It’s amazing how helpful the surfboard salesmen are to a tall, blond, blue-eyed Danish girl with an accent. A huge discount and $700 later, she got a beautiful new surfboard that we plan on painting, as soon as we can choose on a design and buy the paint pens. Something I learned about surf boards is that the serious surfers paint designs their boards, or pay to have someone paint them. We’ve founds tons of impressive designs online, we’re looking forward to tackling the new project and hitting the beach!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Australia Blog 14- More Random Oz Info
AUSTRALIA BLOG 14
More Random Australia Info
I’ve included some of the context in which we’ve encountered some of this Australian vocabulary, hope you like it!
Thongs = flip flops. Australian in airport, "It’s cold outside, and I'm only wearing thongs."
Crook=ill/sick. Australian friends from the clinic, "Josh has been crook."
Rubbish Ben= trash can
Capsicum=bell pepper. Me in an Australian Sub Way, "....lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers..." Australian making my sandwich, "Huah?"
We still have not been able to find any jalapenos. I never realized how often I cook with them until we couldn’t get them.
Nutter=crazy person
Hoon driving=crazy driving
Drink driving=drunk driving. They have lots of public service announcements on tv that say, "We will catch you drink driving."
Bloody=dang. "That’s bloody right! Get your bloody puppy!"
Horse food=horse feed. Sign in a feed store, "Horse Food"
Good on ya!=nice job. Lets put it together!......Good on ya, mate! = Nice job, buddy!
Punch up=fight
Chooks=chickens
Legal drinking age in Australia is 18, AND kids under 18 can be served drinks in a bar if they are with their parents and having a meal.
Rather than saying five, five or zero, zero; Australians say, “double”. It’s strange!
How do you spell Shopping Mall?
American, “S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G M-A-L-L”
Australian, “S-H-O-double P-ING M-A-double L”
How about this one!...... D-O-double N-E-double L
More Random Australia Info
I’ve included some of the context in which we’ve encountered some of this Australian vocabulary, hope you like it!
Thongs = flip flops. Australian in airport, "It’s cold outside, and I'm only wearing thongs."
Crook=ill/sick. Australian friends from the clinic, "Josh has been crook."
Rubbish Ben= trash can
Capsicum=bell pepper. Me in an Australian Sub Way, "....lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers..." Australian making my sandwich, "Huah?"
We still have not been able to find any jalapenos. I never realized how often I cook with them until we couldn’t get them.
Nutter=crazy person
Hoon driving=crazy driving
Drink driving=drunk driving. They have lots of public service announcements on tv that say, "We will catch you drink driving."
Bloody=dang. "That’s bloody right! Get your bloody puppy!"
Horse food=horse feed. Sign in a feed store, "Horse Food"
Good on ya!=nice job. Lets put it together!......Good on ya, mate! = Nice job, buddy!
Punch up=fight
Chooks=chickens
Legal drinking age in Australia is 18, AND kids under 18 can be served drinks in a bar if they are with their parents and having a meal.
Rather than saying five, five or zero, zero; Australians say, “double”. It’s strange!
How do you spell Shopping Mall?
American, “S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G M-A-L-L”
Australian, “S-H-O-double P-ING M-A-double L”
How about this one!...... D-O-double N-E-double L
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Australia Blog 13- OCD
AUSTRALIA BLOG 13- OCD
It has been raining almost every day, the river is up and there are flood warnings on the news. The first clear day this week I rode my bike three blocks down to Cheep As Chips, a little dollar store that has junky little discounted stuff, when I say junky, I mean crappy. Josh and I renamed the store Cheep Ass Crap, never the less, it’s a good place to go when you need something cheep. I was pleased to find a backpack for ten bucks. I brought it home, put Roo in it and wore it around the house to get him used to riding in it, in hopes that he could join me on bike rides. He seemed not to mind at all. I tied a short leash to the handle on top and fastened him in, just in case he decided to bail out. We took our first ride down the block and he still didn’t seem to mind, so we rode all the way to the park across town along the river. The flood waters were up, covering most of the bike trails and part of the road to the back of the park. We rode over to the skate park on the other side where there were kids on bikes and skate boards also enjoying the clear day, I stopped at a bench, unsnapped Roo’s leash and put him on the grass in case he needed to pee. That is the last thing he wanted to do, curiosity had gotten the best the courageous dog, trapped in his small puppy body, he chased after a group of boys who rode by on skate boards, barking and growling and wagging his tail. When he was sure they had fled the scene, he strutted back to me with his head held high.
During another break in the rain last week I took Roo to the book store, locked my bike outside, went in and bought “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, a book I have been anxious to read. The lady who helped me find the book didn’t even notice Roo in my backpack until I was checking out. I was afraid they might kick me out, but instead, she had everyone come over to pet him and say hello. We rode down to a little café on the river to sit on the patio and read my book. Just when I finished the first chapter, it started to rain. I threw Roo back in his backpack, jumped on my bike and headed for the house before it started pouring. The rain picked up quicker than I had hoped, so I stopped in the park under a tree to wait it out. There was a guy standing under the tree, also waiting out the rain who told me he was an accountant on his way to a job interview. After a brief conversation, he told me that he used to pick up shifts bartending at the GV Hotel, that it’s a great place to work, and that I should head over there and apply. The rain broke again, I thanked him, wished him luck in his interview and headed home to change clothes, dry my hair and go down to apply for the job.
It went well; I talked to the manager who seemed very interested in hiring me. She told me to sign up for the bartending class, equivalent to the TABC Certification, and they would give me a call next week. I went down to the TAFE, which is the little community college in town, and signed up for the next class, which is Thursday.
Josh has settled into his new job at the equine hospital, the people he works with are great and he is getting the hang of the way they do things around there. When he works late, I take dinner out to him and try to feed anyone else who is still there. When he is able to come home, I have dinner started by the time he gets home so that he can eat and get some sleep before having to leave again for foal care. I usually throw on a pair of boots and a warm jacket and go with him to help. Last week, on the 2 am shift, we took care of a little foal who couldn’t stand or nurse on its own. Like most of the ‘dummy foals’ they treat, she was on oxygen and a feeding tube, alone in a stall next door to the troubled mare, laying on a thick pad, and covered in blankets to keep warm. Josh held the mare while I milked the sweet mama who hadn’t taken her eyes off the little foal laying in the stall next door long enough to touch her alfalfa, and whose stall door was marked with a sign proclaiming, “this mare kicks and bites”. After receiving its milk through the feeding tube, we lifted the foal to its wobbly feet and held its head while it attempted to nurse. It has been rewarding helping Josh and seeing the babies become strong enough to stand and nurse on their own. This week that baby and mare got to go home.
Friday night Josh and I met up two of the other vets he works with; Kristie and her husband Garrett, and Carl. Kristie’s husband had come in from Melbourne for the weekend and it seems we were all in need of some cold drinks, live music and good company. We met at the GV Hotel and had a great time. The next morning, we had planned to go to Melbourne for the day. Roo and I let Josh sleep-in to make up for the lack of sleep he had gotten during the week. When he and I get up for foal care, it’s no big deal for me because I can come home and sleep, but Josh had to be back at work by 6 am, so it doesn’t leave much time for sleep on his behalf.
When Josh finally came out of his sleep deprivation coma, we left to spend the afternoon in Melbourne. Roo sat on the center consul and napped on top of the emergency brake the entire way. I snapped pictures of bridges, skylines and trolleys in the roads while Josh concentrated on driving. In Mel, not only do you have to focus on keeping left and looking for traffic lights in unfamiliar places, but you also have to make sure not to be hit by a trolley. We found our way down to the bay and paid $10 to park. We walked down the shore line, on a trail between the beach and the restaurants, stopping to let Roo run and play. He met other dogs, lots of people who wanted to say hello and discovered that digging is great fun.
At this point, I would kill for Mexican food, particularly some homemade salsa with jalapenos, and to drive on the right hand side of the road, in my beloved SUV, sitting in my leather seats, texting at a red light, relying on gps, with no anxiety about turning the wrong way or being pulled over for driving without a license.
However, I am getting more comfortable with driving, turning on the left side, knowing where to look for lights, exiting to the left, using the blinker on the right side of the steering wheel, looking the opposite way before pulling out and using backward roundabouts, while yielding to the right.
The smallest things that you take for granted, which become routine, have also taken a while to get used to, like actually cranking the car, turning the key all the way while pressing on the gas, I am not used to that because my car at home cranks it’s self automatically. It still takes me a few tries to get the car started. Pumping gas or petro rather, is also much different. There is no way to pay at the pump, and the actual pump won’t sit in the tank and auto fill while you wait in the car for it to cut its self off. You have to hold it there, while holding the handle down the entire time, then walk into the store and stand in line to pay. If you know me, you know I don’t like to go into convenient stores unless I have to and that I keep hand sanitizer in the door of my car for especially for gas stations.
There are a million other tiny things that all add up to a bizarre discomfort for a person of habit with a slight case of OCD. If this doesn’t build character, and appreciation, I don’t know what will.
It has been raining almost every day, the river is up and there are flood warnings on the news. The first clear day this week I rode my bike three blocks down to Cheep As Chips, a little dollar store that has junky little discounted stuff, when I say junky, I mean crappy. Josh and I renamed the store Cheep Ass Crap, never the less, it’s a good place to go when you need something cheep. I was pleased to find a backpack for ten bucks. I brought it home, put Roo in it and wore it around the house to get him used to riding in it, in hopes that he could join me on bike rides. He seemed not to mind at all. I tied a short leash to the handle on top and fastened him in, just in case he decided to bail out. We took our first ride down the block and he still didn’t seem to mind, so we rode all the way to the park across town along the river. The flood waters were up, covering most of the bike trails and part of the road to the back of the park. We rode over to the skate park on the other side where there were kids on bikes and skate boards also enjoying the clear day, I stopped at a bench, unsnapped Roo’s leash and put him on the grass in case he needed to pee. That is the last thing he wanted to do, curiosity had gotten the best the courageous dog, trapped in his small puppy body, he chased after a group of boys who rode by on skate boards, barking and growling and wagging his tail. When he was sure they had fled the scene, he strutted back to me with his head held high.
During another break in the rain last week I took Roo to the book store, locked my bike outside, went in and bought “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, a book I have been anxious to read. The lady who helped me find the book didn’t even notice Roo in my backpack until I was checking out. I was afraid they might kick me out, but instead, she had everyone come over to pet him and say hello. We rode down to a little café on the river to sit on the patio and read my book. Just when I finished the first chapter, it started to rain. I threw Roo back in his backpack, jumped on my bike and headed for the house before it started pouring. The rain picked up quicker than I had hoped, so I stopped in the park under a tree to wait it out. There was a guy standing under the tree, also waiting out the rain who told me he was an accountant on his way to a job interview. After a brief conversation, he told me that he used to pick up shifts bartending at the GV Hotel, that it’s a great place to work, and that I should head over there and apply. The rain broke again, I thanked him, wished him luck in his interview and headed home to change clothes, dry my hair and go down to apply for the job.
It went well; I talked to the manager who seemed very interested in hiring me. She told me to sign up for the bartending class, equivalent to the TABC Certification, and they would give me a call next week. I went down to the TAFE, which is the little community college in town, and signed up for the next class, which is Thursday.
Josh has settled into his new job at the equine hospital, the people he works with are great and he is getting the hang of the way they do things around there. When he works late, I take dinner out to him and try to feed anyone else who is still there. When he is able to come home, I have dinner started by the time he gets home so that he can eat and get some sleep before having to leave again for foal care. I usually throw on a pair of boots and a warm jacket and go with him to help. Last week, on the 2 am shift, we took care of a little foal who couldn’t stand or nurse on its own. Like most of the ‘dummy foals’ they treat, she was on oxygen and a feeding tube, alone in a stall next door to the troubled mare, laying on a thick pad, and covered in blankets to keep warm. Josh held the mare while I milked the sweet mama who hadn’t taken her eyes off the little foal laying in the stall next door long enough to touch her alfalfa, and whose stall door was marked with a sign proclaiming, “this mare kicks and bites”. After receiving its milk through the feeding tube, we lifted the foal to its wobbly feet and held its head while it attempted to nurse. It has been rewarding helping Josh and seeing the babies become strong enough to stand and nurse on their own. This week that baby and mare got to go home.
Friday night Josh and I met up two of the other vets he works with; Kristie and her husband Garrett, and Carl. Kristie’s husband had come in from Melbourne for the weekend and it seems we were all in need of some cold drinks, live music and good company. We met at the GV Hotel and had a great time. The next morning, we had planned to go to Melbourne for the day. Roo and I let Josh sleep-in to make up for the lack of sleep he had gotten during the week. When he and I get up for foal care, it’s no big deal for me because I can come home and sleep, but Josh had to be back at work by 6 am, so it doesn’t leave much time for sleep on his behalf.
When Josh finally came out of his sleep deprivation coma, we left to spend the afternoon in Melbourne. Roo sat on the center consul and napped on top of the emergency brake the entire way. I snapped pictures of bridges, skylines and trolleys in the roads while Josh concentrated on driving. In Mel, not only do you have to focus on keeping left and looking for traffic lights in unfamiliar places, but you also have to make sure not to be hit by a trolley. We found our way down to the bay and paid $10 to park. We walked down the shore line, on a trail between the beach and the restaurants, stopping to let Roo run and play. He met other dogs, lots of people who wanted to say hello and discovered that digging is great fun.
At this point, I would kill for Mexican food, particularly some homemade salsa with jalapenos, and to drive on the right hand side of the road, in my beloved SUV, sitting in my leather seats, texting at a red light, relying on gps, with no anxiety about turning the wrong way or being pulled over for driving without a license.
However, I am getting more comfortable with driving, turning on the left side, knowing where to look for lights, exiting to the left, using the blinker on the right side of the steering wheel, looking the opposite way before pulling out and using backward roundabouts, while yielding to the right.
The smallest things that you take for granted, which become routine, have also taken a while to get used to, like actually cranking the car, turning the key all the way while pressing on the gas, I am not used to that because my car at home cranks it’s self automatically. It still takes me a few tries to get the car started. Pumping gas or petro rather, is also much different. There is no way to pay at the pump, and the actual pump won’t sit in the tank and auto fill while you wait in the car for it to cut its self off. You have to hold it there, while holding the handle down the entire time, then walk into the store and stand in line to pay. If you know me, you know I don’t like to go into convenient stores unless I have to and that I keep hand sanitizer in the door of my car for especially for gas stations.
There are a million other tiny things that all add up to a bizarre discomfort for a person of habit with a slight case of OCD. If this doesn’t build character, and appreciation, I don’t know what will.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Australia Blog 12- Westaroo
AUSTRALIA BLOG 12
Today is Wednesday, September 01, 2010 in Australia. The past several days have been uneventful unless you count laying on the couch shivering, taking over-the-counter flu medicine and eating canned chicken soup once a day.
Sunday however, Josh and I got up early and drove two hours south to Melbourne. I took the wheel and was actually able to negotiate traffic, left hand exits and trams in the middle of road as we drove through downtown Melbourne and headed for the coast. Australians don’t refer to the center of the city as downtown; it’s the CBD, which stands for Central Business District. You can imagine the confusion we’ve encountered before we figured it out.
Cathy led us through the condo, pass the elevator to the laundry room. As we rounded the corner, three West Highland White Terrier puppies awoke at once, their tiny white tails went to work immediately. Cathy opened the baby gate and slid open the glass door that led into the back yard and three tiny Westies filed out in a line for play time.
Inevitably, we left Cathy’s condo with a tiny scruffy white puppy, his name is Roo, and he is adorable. Roo is short for Westaroo, which is a blend of Westie and Kangaroo. I’m not sure how we arrived at this name, but when we ran across it, in the car on the way home, we found it comical, and it stuck.
He’s going to be the perfect little traveling companion. He loves ridding in the car, and in only three days, he’s already learned his name, to sit, to fetch and to walk on a leash. I’ve never had a dog who was interested in fetching, but Roo will wear you out with an enthusiastic game of fetch. Turns out, he is also doubling as a watch dog, he barks and growls if he hears anything out of the ordinary. Poor little Roo is still confused about why he can’t walk two steps with his tail up or his nose down without being whisked outside in five minute intervals. Josh starts work at the clinic on Monday, so Roo and I will be holding the fort down.
We got a call today that our car was ready to be picked up, so we put Roo in Kate’s little silver car and headed to the dealership to pick it up. I followed Josh home in the new-to-us car, Josh pulled into the drive way and all the way up, through the car port in order to give me enough room to pull in behind him. I didn’t feel comfortable making the sharp right in order to squeeze into the tiny carport without much room to swing wide, not to mention, it’s an awkward maneuver when the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. I pulled in straight in order to forgo the spot in the carport, before I turned the car off; Josh came around and opened my door to show me how it was done.
He backed the car up, and then pulled forward, making a sharp right, but it wasn’t enough, so he backed up again, this time when he pulled forward, he slammed the front of the car straight into the metal post on the porch. I couldn’t help it, when I saw the look on Josh’s face; I doubled over laughing and crying uncontrollably. It shouldn’t have been this funny, but I couldn’t help it. He jumped out and looked at the front of the car; he had only dented the license plate and made a small dent above the bumper. His reaction caused me further uncontrollable hysteria. I’m not sure if Josh was laughing at the situation or at my strange reaction, but I was glad when he joined me in laughter, after all, what else are you going to do. He took it rather well, the time I grazed the bumper of my 4 runner into the post on our car port at home, I was far from laughter.
Today is Wednesday, September 01, 2010 in Australia. The past several days have been uneventful unless you count laying on the couch shivering, taking over-the-counter flu medicine and eating canned chicken soup once a day.
Sunday however, Josh and I got up early and drove two hours south to Melbourne. I took the wheel and was actually able to negotiate traffic, left hand exits and trams in the middle of road as we drove through downtown Melbourne and headed for the coast. Australians don’t refer to the center of the city as downtown; it’s the CBD, which stands for Central Business District. You can imagine the confusion we’ve encountered before we figured it out.
Melbourne is a large beautiful port city on the south coast, comparable in size to LA. It’s Australia’s second largest city after Sydney, with almost 4 million people. It’s nestled in a horse shoe shape around the Port Phillip Bay, gorgeous architecture and bridges seem to span all the way to the edge of the bay.
We drove down the beautiful coast line in search of 188 Beach Road with anticipation. 188 Beach Road was a brand new two story, modern style condo overlooking the beach. As we approached the front gate, two small dogs announced our arrival as they pressed their round white faces and black noses against the glass, we knew we were in the right place. Cathy, who we had spoken to over the phone the day before, greeted us and welcomed us inside. We stepped inside onto the bright white marble floors in the airy foyer, whose sole source of color contrast was the dark brown finish on the open air stair case. I bent down to meet the two white Westies with wagging tails, who could barely contain themselves any longer.
Cathy led us through the condo, pass the elevator to the laundry room. As we rounded the corner, three West Highland White Terrier puppies awoke at once, their tiny white tails went to work immediately. Cathy opened the baby gate and slid open the glass door that led into the back yard and three tiny Westies filed out in a line for play time.
Inevitably, we left Cathy’s condo with a tiny scruffy white puppy, his name is Roo, and he is adorable. Roo is short for Westaroo, which is a blend of Westie and Kangaroo. I’m not sure how we arrived at this name, but when we ran across it, in the car on the way home, we found it comical, and it stuck.
He’s going to be the perfect little traveling companion. He loves ridding in the car, and in only three days, he’s already learned his name, to sit, to fetch and to walk on a leash. I’ve never had a dog who was interested in fetching, but Roo will wear you out with an enthusiastic game of fetch. Turns out, he is also doubling as a watch dog, he barks and growls if he hears anything out of the ordinary. Poor little Roo is still confused about why he can’t walk two steps with his tail up or his nose down without being whisked outside in five minute intervals. Josh starts work at the clinic on Monday, so Roo and I will be holding the fort down.
We got a call today that our car was ready to be picked up, so we put Roo in Kate’s little silver car and headed to the dealership to pick it up. I followed Josh home in the new-to-us car, Josh pulled into the drive way and all the way up, through the car port in order to give me enough room to pull in behind him. I didn’t feel comfortable making the sharp right in order to squeeze into the tiny carport without much room to swing wide, not to mention, it’s an awkward maneuver when the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. I pulled in straight in order to forgo the spot in the carport, before I turned the car off; Josh came around and opened my door to show me how it was done.
He backed the car up, and then pulled forward, making a sharp right, but it wasn’t enough, so he backed up again, this time when he pulled forward, he slammed the front of the car straight into the metal post on the porch. I couldn’t help it, when I saw the look on Josh’s face; I doubled over laughing and crying uncontrollably. It shouldn’t have been this funny, but I couldn’t help it. He jumped out and looked at the front of the car; he had only dented the license plate and made a small dent above the bumper. His reaction caused me further uncontrollable hysteria. I’m not sure if Josh was laughing at the situation or at my strange reaction, but I was glad when he joined me in laughter, after all, what else are you going to do. He took it rather well, the time I grazed the bumper of my 4 runner into the post on our car port at home, I was far from laughter.
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