Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Wahoo! Wednesday

Wednesday, already? Wow, where does the time go? I have many things to be grateful for, this week. First and foremost, of course . . . Hubby's made it back, safe and sound, from Down Under!!! Wahoo! Doesn't he look adorable, all decked out in the Outback? I picked out the hat when we did some last-minute supply shopping before dropping him off at the airport when he left for Australia; and, as the spouse was unpacking, I asked if his hat worked out well. "It was perfect," he said. Wahoo for that, too! He does look pretty well-shaded, doesn't he?

2. Books! Hubby brought me some books from Australia!! Wahoo!

Left to right:

Carpentaria by Alexis Wright - the latest Miles Franklin award winner
My Brother Jack by George Johnston - I've been trying to get a copy of this one for ages
Incurable and While I Live by John Marsden - the first two in the Ellie Chronicles series

He said, "Your friend in Melbourne was right. Books are expensive in Australia. This is a big gift." Believe me, I'm very grateful.

3. Wahoo for silliness. Australians are funny. Wahoo for this laugh:

That's a freebie attached to a kids' magazine. Hubby bought the magazine primarily for the Free Bouncing Donkey Poo!! Well, who wouldn't?

4. Wahoo for stunning native art. I had no idea Aboriginal art is so beautiful. This is the design on a t-shirt:


5. And, of course, Wahoo for United States independence. How many years has it been since we kicked the redcoats out? I mean, uh, asked them politely to leave and then when they wouldn't . . . well, you know. Hmmm. 231 years, I think. And, we still love Great Britain, over two centuries after our forefathers got all rebellious and tossed a bunch of tea in the bay, causing some serious caffeine withdrawal and a bit of a war. Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!!

I don't have a photo of it, yet, but hubby brought back a "small" didgeridoo - an Aboriginal musical instrument. He didn't think he could get the traditional size home, but now he's pretty sure he might need to practice daily (regardless of which size digeridoo he ended up with) because it turns out that learning to play the didgeridoo can ease sleep apnea. Tired of the spouse's snoring driving you out of the room or waking you up from a peaceful night's slumber? Well, get online and order that didgeridoo, right now.

Warning: Your spouse will make a noise that sounds like a tormented moose when s/he does his or her daily practicing. But, hey, you'd rather listen to ear-splitting moan sounds when you're supposed to be awake than when you're trying to snooze, anyway, right?

Husband stayed at the Hilton On the Park in Melbourne (where, it appears, we could not afford to stay on our own budget) and brought me the Swiss milk chocolate that was left on his pillow - or wherever. He's asleep, so I can't ask. Wow, why can't we do chocolate like the Swiss? That was one pretty amazing burst of chocolate sensation. Hubby also brought me one piece of chocolate that he picked up, elsewhere. I popped it in my mouth (note that I jump right on the chocolate gifts) and said, "Oh, wow. That tastes like rum." He replied, "Well, it did come from the casino . . . "

Speaking of Hiltons, I noticed that this week's Us magazine proudly announced that it was "100% Paris Free" on the cover. Hahaha. Good for them.

Tidbits:

* "I know why kangaroos and wallabies hop," says the husband. "It's because the animals that don't bite have to keep moving. Everything that bites can swallow you whole."

* Hubby didn't have to stay in the normal quarters - trailers with a shared shower facility separate from their sleeping quarters. Instead, he was able to share a room with two other people on "the team" in the only hotel in Timber Creek ("We all sighed with relief when we saw there were three beds."). One of the fellows who used the shared facilities looked up while showering and discovered there was a snake hanging over his head. I didn't manage to find out whether or not he ran out of the shower, naked and screaming. It's the ending I desire to hear, though.

* If I can figure out how to turn his video into a YouTube thingy, I'll share the brief video he took of a crocodile splashing right next to the boat. It's really something. But, I don't know anything about YouTube, so advice would be welcome.

* On the crocodile-viewing boat tour in Timber Creek, a woman asked how long the crocodile they were viewing happened to be, as their tour guide described the method of determining a crocodile's age. "Tell you what," the tour guide replied. "I've got a measuring tape, so I'll hop out and hold one end by his tail and you take the other end. We'll find out."

* I swear the crocodile was smiling at the thought:


Get a load of those teeth.

Bookfool, hoping the photographs don't lead to a nightmare

22 comments:

  1. Yes, books are really expensive here, which is why I buy 2nd hand, wait for 40% off Borders emails, and heavily use The Book Depository! He's made some good choices.
    I was forced to read My Brother Jack in high school and hated it, but have a feeling I'd enjoy it much more now.
    The chocs you get in Australia are nowhere near as sweet as American stuff (Hershey? gag).

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  2. LC,

    I do the same; most of my books are pre-read. I sent hubby a list, actually. I'd read about Carpentaria and My Brother Jack is one I've wanted to read but which kept eluding my grasp. I hope I love them, given what he apparently spent. :)

    Not a Hershey fan, either. I think once you've tasted better chocolate, you're spoiled for life.

    BTW, hubby just adored your homeland. He claims he'll take me there, someday. I said, "I'll believe it when I'm on the plane."

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  3. What a great post! It sounds like he had quite a great trip. Books, chocolate, crocodiles, cool hats, kangaroos, donkey poo! Doesn't get much better than that :) My mom went to Australia on a business trip when I was about 10 years old and brought me back a little kangaroo figurine and I've wanted to go ever since. It's beautiful over there! So glad he had a good trip and glad to see he made it home and that you got some great little souvenirs ;)...so does the youngster get the donkey poo?

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  4. The hat's great. It gives him that daredevilish, Indiana Jones look.

    The loot is so cool. And the music thingie (I am not going to try and spell it) would be neat to try. I love the way it sounds.

    I'll hope you're on that plane soon!

    cjh

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  5. Chris,

    Hubby had a great trip - loved Australia and was amazed at the diversity. Because he moved around quite a bit, he saw quite a few cities and he said each one was unique and most even had different climates. Cool. Very neat that your mother went!! I've wanted to go to Australia for as long as I can remember.

    The donkey poo was for youngster. He said, "Huh. Disgusting." And, then he handed it to me and said, "You can have it." LOL But, he did also get a rugby ball, which he loved. :)

    CJ,

    There you go; I'll just start calling the spouse "Indiana" and see what he thinks. I've always thought he looks terrific in that kind of a hat. I would, though, wouldn't I?

    We had loads of fun watching the unpacking. LOL "Here's a book. And, here's another book. And, here are two more." Geez, can you think of anything better to hear, other than maybe, "You've just won a million dollars, totally tax-free!"

    The didgeridoo is cool. And, I'm just guessing at the spelling, right now. It's not an easy word.

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  6. Your spelling looks right to me!

    Ahhh....crocodiles and snakes, must go and feed mine! LOL!!!

    Sounds like he did have a great time though. Book Depository is my absolute favourite online bookstore! I spend far too much money there, on a far too regular basis.

    I have Carpentaria on request at the library. Not sure when it is going to come in, but we will see. I don't remember having read My Brother Jack, but I do remember watching the mini series that was made of the book in the 80s (I think) and absolutely loving it! I must see if I can track it down!

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  7. What a wonderful array of gifts! I love the shirt and the books - I just love buying books from other parts of the world. May I ask, how much are the books?

    I love the tidbits at the end. A snake in the shower! I'd be running, screaming, naked! I love the tour guides comment about the croc.

    I don't know why Americans don't do chocolate better. Hershey is ugh. So sweet and the texture is not so great either.

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  8. That's a fantastic Wahoo Wednesday! I want some bouncing donkey poo now. Whoda thunk it? LOL

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  9. It's not a easy word, and from what I've heard not easy to play either, at least not properly. He'll have to master the art of circular breathing first, so you can look forward to plenty of strangled moose noises while he learns!

    I buy all my books secondhand too, or from clearance outlets, because they cost so ridiculously mouch. The other weekend I was reading an article in the arts liftout about a history book that sounded worth reading, and nearly dropped the paper when I saw the price: $69.95. Seriously. I'm now hoping the library will feel like doing some expensive shopping.

    If My Brother Jack is the book I think it is, it's one that I've been wanting to read. And the fleeing-the-shower-starkers ending is the one I want, too!

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  10. Yay! Glad he's home safe and sound! Plus books and chocolates- very nice!!
    BTW, check out my blog, I nominated you as Rockin' Girl Blogger. :)

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  11. *note to self: go get some stretchy bouncing Donkey Poo for me and a didgeridoo for hubby who snores like there's no tomorrow*

    Glad Crocodile Dundee...er, I mean your husband is back! Great hat.

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  12. Marg,

    What makes it even harder is that spell-check doesn't "speak" Australian. The closest word to didgeridoo is "Coleridge's". Weird, eh?

    Yes, just don't feed the pets any small children. That's a no-no. ;)

    So far, Book Depository is always out of the books I want, but maybe I just need to check more frequently. It's not like there's any hurry. I have plenty of books!

    We'll have to compare notes on Carpentaria. I've got an ARC I'll have to slot in, but I'm hoping to get to Carpentaria as soon as possible. Even my husband thought it looked "intriguing".

    Tara,

    Me, too. I love the Harry Potter books I got in Edinburgh - they're so much cuter than the American version! Carpentaria was the most expensive at $29.95 and the two little John Marsden paperbacks were $14.95, each. Maybe they're low on trees in Australia and have to have printing done elsewhere?

    Hubby has told some great little stories, so far. I tried to cram in as much as possible. The guy who spotted the snake is a fellow I know and don't really like (and I tend to love everyone). I'd get a kick out of hearing he got bit on the butt, but . . . I didn't say that. :)

    Hershey's is too sweet and waxy in texture, IMHO. But, you know, we women need chocolate. So, they'll just keep selling. LOL

    Andi,

    Thank you. You definitely need some bouncing donkey poo. Should I hop on a plane and fetch you some?

    Coversgirl,

    I think it's going to take some time. Hubby found some cute little "how to play" videos on YouTube, last night. We just got my son's trombone back from the repair shop and you should have seen the cats. The didgeridoo at one end of the house sent them running and then the trombone had them skittering in the opposite direction, sliding across the new wooden flooring in the hallway. It was so funny.

    It's always sounded like you have impressive libraries, down there. My hometown library was (and is) wonderful, but we have a pretty awful library, here, and have built up my own home library. I've had to do some serious bargain-hunting in order to acquire books, so I don't feel bad at all about this little splurge. It's a rare thing.

    Hope your library has a better budget than mine! I don't think my library would acquire a book that expensive!

    Let me know if you read My Brother Jack. I'll want to hear your thoughts. :)

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  13. Hi Nat!

    Thanks. I'm glad he made it back, too.

    Uh-oh, you're the third person to nominate me. I've been avoiding this one. Guess I'll have to give in and post, eh? :) Thank you; I'll zip right over!

    Kookie,

    Time for a trip Down Under or a visit to eBay. LOL

    Thanks, I'm glad he's back, too. But you knew that. Isn't that a great hat? I'll tell Indiana Hubby you like it. ;)

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  14. That Aboriginal art IS beautiful. It looks like it was originally embroidered.

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  15. Bonnie,

    I think they paint those designs on wood, quite a bit; the didgeridoo has some very pretty artwork on it and my husband got a gorgeous boomerang from an Australian associate, when she came here for a meeting, one time. I'd forgotten all about that. I told hubby I'd deck out my entire house in Aboriginal art, if we lived in Australia. Stunning, isn't it?

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  16. Anonymous9:04 PM

    Glad to hear hubby made it back safe!

    I'm in the middle of Bill Bryson's 'In a Sunburned Country' right now (and loving it) and am learning so much about this amazing country!

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  17. Lesley,

    Thanks. Hubby actually said he found out they had In A Sunburned Country available on audio on the 14-hour flight - but he didn't find out till he only had 30 minutes of flying time left!

    I really enjoyed the book. I still haven't found my copy, though. It's buried here, somewhere. :)

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  18. Yay! Glad he's home safe & sound. Loved reading all about his adventures and what a sweetie to bring you some books and chocolate. Perfect gifts, if you ask me.

    Great hat, by the way!

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  19. Wow, my husband really needs to take up the didgeridoo. Either that, or he continues to get a smack (a light one) every night to make him turn over.

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  20. Les,

    Thanks; I'm glad he's back, too. It's a lot weirder than I thought it would be, knowing the spouse is on the other side of the planet.

    Books and chocolates are definitely perfect gifts. He bought me something pretty for our anniversary, too, but - even though he showed it to me - he knows I prefer that he wrap and hold the pretties till the actual date. So, he held up the box and then it mysteriously disappeared. :)

    Camille,

    I used to gently kick my husband or roll him over, but he went for a sleep study (they said he had "moderate" apnea - and didn't bother to fit him for a CP unit - the doctor seemed stunned when I told her what type of apnea I thought he had and why . . . duh, I read) and I was told that every time I nudged him I was waking him up, exacerbating his fatigue. So, when I can't stand it, I sleep on the futon and we're both happy. LOL

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  21. Anonymous3:40 PM

    You gotta love a man who shops for books while out of the country! Thanks for sharing your pictures.
    Stephanie
    thewrittenword.wordpress.com

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  22. Stephanie,

    I've got him pretty well trained. ;)

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