G'Day Australia!

Well, G'Day! Or as the Australians say, "How you going?" Melinda and I, plus our friend Katie, have just returned from the trip of a lifetime to the land down under! Thanks to Julie for holding the blog up while we were gone.

I loved every minute of it. The weather was gorgeous the entire time, and we loved getting away from the snow and experiencing summer in the middle of winter.

SYDNEY

Sydney feels like a mashup of London and California. There's classic and super-modern architecture sharing the same streets, the green space and parks, and of course...driving on the left like you see in London. But it also has the super-casual, beachy vibe of the California coast. It's a totally unique city.

Our favorite things of Sydney:

1. Touring the Sydney Opera House. What an amazing building and a privilege to see it in person.

2. Bondi Beach. It was here that we made one of the Great Discoveries About Australia: the hot man phenomenon. In a nutshell: Australia seems to have a much higher ratio of hot men than any other place we know. After carefully observing this phenomenon (please see pictures below), we hypothesized that it's their confidence that makes them so attractive. They are not cocky, but comfortable being men.
Another highlight of Bondi was having Asian tourists - on two separate occasions - single us out and request that we take pictures with them. One man came over and said "Beautiful" - looking at us, in our swimsuits! Why they chose us in our one-piece swimsuits and shorts over the topless sunbathers behind us will remain a happy mystery.

3. Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience and standing on top of the bridge gives 360 degree views you could get in no other way. My personal low of the day, though, was suiting up in these gray jumpsuits WITH a belt that sits right above your waistline. Of all the outfits I could choose to climb up and down ladders and bend and stoop in, this would not be my first choice. Sadly, this would not be the only full-body suit we would have to wear on this trip (see below).

CAIRNS/GREAT BARRIER REEF

Next up was Cairns ("Cans"), one of the jumping-off points to the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns had a tropical feel to it, and the landscape actually reminded me a lot of Hawaii.

Check out the public pool in Cairns. How would you like to see this on your Main Street?

We looooved the Great Barrier Reef. In fact, I think it's my high of the whole trip. We took a relaxing catamaran out to a "pontoon" that our tour company, Quicksilver, has built in the middle of the Agincourt Reef.

Here are the three of us in a submarine tour that launches from the pontoon: like the one at Disneyland, except this one's the real deal! (also no lines)

For the snorkeling, they highly recommend you get full-body lycra suits to protect you from jellyfish stings. Putting on yet another full-body skintight suit was another personal low. At least there was no belt (though it did have a hood).

We didn't get any pictures of us snorkeling, unfortunately, but suffice it to say the colors of all the coral were amazing, we saw such a wide variety fish, and Melinda only bumped into another snorkeler once!

MELBOURNE

Last on our adventure was the city of Melbourne. The three of us are all tennis fans, and bought our tickets to the Australian Open back in October...without knowing who would be playing in the matches. Imagine our pleasant surprise when we found out we had tickets to Djokovich vs. Federer! For those of you who don't follow tennis, Roger Federer is one of the best men's tennis players, um, ever.

Imagine our even bigger surprise when Katie identified Roger on the practice courts before the match! We were able to get nice and close for pictures and watch him warm up. There weren't very many people who found him on the practice courts - probably because he was wearing a disguise (a baseball hat - he always plays with a headband).

Djokovich, in an upset, proceeded to demolish Federer and go on to win the entire tournament.

I also loved discovering Melbourne's hidden "laneways" - rows of restaurants set up in narrow alleys. On our last night, the restaurants were literally competing for our business, throwing in free bottles of wine and free appetizers as we walked down Hardware Lane.

BACK IN THE USA

I had wanted to go to Australia for many years. Yes, it was expensive, but totally worth it. Yes, the flight is long, but we found that sleep pills work miracles - even through turbulence. And now Oprah's done it too.

Plus, look at our sweet tans:

Still . . . No Pride

So, occasionally, I am reminded how I shouldn't be prideful or puffed up. I don't know why there is such a fascination with my age . . . probably because I don't think it needs to be a big deal, so it becomes a bigger deal for people. I feel 25, so we'll go with that. Earlier this week, a neighbor came over and we were talking and he asked how old I was. I said that I wouldn't say. The neighbor said that I had to be 28, but definitely not older than 29. I expressed my love to him. Then tonight, I was invited to dinner at another neighbor's home and their 14 year old son immediately asked how old I was. Again, I wasn't going to say and his Mom said that he shouldn't ask. He wouldn't be denied and said that I had to be in my 30's because I had wrinkles under my eyes, smile lines around my face and lines on my forehead. No joke. So, that quickly brought me back down to reality.

The Best Thing We Ever Ate

We love the Food Network show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and we recently came upon a contender for that title. Sometimes we think this has turned into a food blog, but what can we say, we like yummy food. My blogging idol, Shawni, talked about great places to eat in the Salt Lake area and mentioned a pizza place in Bountiful called Arella. So, when Melinda and I were looking for somewhere fun to eat a few weeks ago, we wanted to give it a try, and we were not disappointed. We started with caprese salad which we have both learned to love since Brent introduced it to us. Then we had some yummy pizzas - a white one and a barbecued chicken pizza. But, the best thing we absolutely ate was the dessert. It was hard to choose what to have from the menu because it all sounded amazing. As soon as our server talked about the chocolate calzone, we were sold. When we cut into the warm calzone, this ooey gooey marshmallow marscarpone and Belgian chocolate creation came gushing out and it was Ah-mazing! In fact, we asked for a spoon so we could scoop up all the chocolate goodness. These shaky phone pictures don't do the food justice. We couldn't stop raving about how good this was and seriously can't wait to go again; it's worth the trip. Next time we might do what the other diners were doing and start lighter with salads - which also sounded amazing - and leave plenty of room to try the calzone and other yummy delights. We highly recommend this local secret.

I Heart This Hat

Isn't it great . . . now if I only knew how to knit!

Bonus of the Day

Our Grandma Ruth taught us that there is a bonus every day. Sometimes you have to look a little harder than others, but there is always something great. Today, my bonus was my cute visiting teachers, Annie and her daughter (also my very cute young woman), Alaynah, who brought over dinner to me tonight and stayed to eat it with me. I always feel guilty being with people who have their families at home, but they assured me that they were fine. So we had delicious food and even better conversation and fun. They were very sweet to think of me and even left me some yummy leftovers that I will enjoy the rest of the week. Definitely a bonus. Now, I better get out and get my visiting teaching done.

Happy Birthday Daddy-O

We want to wish our Dad a very happy 70th birthday today. We feel very lucky that we have him for our Dad. In Bird family tradition, here is his birthday virtual balloon of things we love about him.

D = Diligent - Dad is very determined (also read in here stubborn, which we Bird's come by naturally). Anything he puts his mind to, he does it. He learned how to work hard at a young age and continues to work hard to do the best he can for his family. If there is a snowstorm, Dad is out there shoveling the entire neighborhood by hand . . . which he really needs to stop . . . but he tries to take care of so many in the neighborhood. Also, if he finds something that we like, he works hard to get it for us. I have an affinity for a certain Rampage boot that I wear everyday. For years, he has been my shopping buddy on a quest to find these boots to help me stock up for that day when they stop making them. Just this week, he had found a great deal on some and presented me with several new pair. Pretty cool.

A = Active - Dad is active both physically and spiritually. He has always worked hard to stay in great shape and can still walk circles around us all. One of our favorite stories was when he had decided to run the, at that time, 24th of July marathon just. He kissed Mom goodbye in the morning, said that he was going to run the race - the first time she or any of us had heard of this goal - went to run it and then finished a full day of work after that. He won't ever live that one down. But, he wanted to see if he could do it, set a goal and got it done. Dad is also very active in the church. He serves in all of his various callings to the best he possibly can - from Bishoprics to Primary and everything in between. Not only that, but he helps all of us with our callings as well. When I was in charge of Enrichment Nights, he and Mom would meet me at the church early to help me set up tables, chairs, or anything that I need. This last year, as I was working on a youth fundraiser dinner, Dad was right there with me making trips back and forth from my house to the church helping me to get everything ready. If we need help with a lesson or to talk through a principle or concept - he is right there.

D = Devoted. Dad is absolutely devoted, which is defined as being zealous in affection. He is so devoted to his family. Whenever we call for anything and ask how he is doing, he always replies, "I just got better" from our phone call. And if we need anything, he is right there - no matter what. The way that he cared for our Mom is unsurpassed. His life was doing things to help Mom. From little things like filling up her water jug before he went to bed because she would be up late working on projects. To making sure she always had the best car and that it was always filled up with gas. Dad always makes sure that when we walk with him that he is on the outside toward the street. He offers us his arm to make sure that we are steady in the said Rampage boots. We always know how much Dad loves us. He tells us, he shows us, he sends us cards and letters in the mail expressing his love and appreciation. In short, he's amazing and we are grateful to him for everything he does for us.

Doughnut Taste Test

Well, Melinda and Kristen are currently en route to Australia for some much R&R and tennis at the Australian Open. We're hoping they have a fabulous time!


Continuing with my love of taste tests, I brought in Beyond Glaze doughnuts for the work crew to try last week. I usually go to the Draper location, then found out once I was there, that there is a downtown Salt Lake location as well. These are yummy glazed doughnuts with gourmet toppings. I cut a dozen doughnuts into fourths and then we each got to try a bunch of different kinds. Some favorites were the Key Lime, Peanut Butter and Jelly and my personal favorite, Maple Bacon. If you like your bacon dipped in syrup with a little french toast, you are going to love this doughnut with real bacon crumbles. Delish!

Car Show

Our annual tradition mid-January is to go to the Auto Show. It's always fun to look at so many different types of cars with no pressure from sales people. This year we had Brian's kids with us and we discovered that Emma has a passion for trucks, Jacob likes colorful cars such as green, orange and bright yellow, Sara always runs to be the driver, and Maia can already reach the pedals. Aiden was at scout camp, so he got to go with Grandpa another day.

Mom would have loved this little invention. With the touch of a remote, you easily move in and out of this jazzy Toyota Sienna.

Obsessed

I am obsessed with this one-ingredient ice cream. Impossible, you say? Not if you know it's not really ice cream. It's frozen bananas - no kidding! Somehow when you pop ripe old bananas in the freezer, then pulverize them in your food processor, the result is a creamy, delicious faux ice cream that feels like a real treat. I have to keep reminding myself that it's completely guilt-free! And the taste is not super banana-y. Try it now with your old bananas - you'll thank me later.

Seen on the Street!

I think vanity license plates are fun. I am always trying to figure out what they say. Sometimes, however, I wonder why people go to the trouble:

Exhibit A:
SXYCMPR. Is there such a thing?

Exhibit B:

LVR4DOG. I'm not sure if this is "Love our four dog," which is grammatically incorrect, or "Lover for Dog," which is frankly just weird.

Exhibit C:

You're just going to have to take my word that this one says "BLDSUKR." Either we have a Twihard or an actual vampire in the car. There was no sun that day, so it's possible...

Exhibit D:

FEETE. This one's for Melinda.

Finally...

Not a license plate, but darn close. This gent is advertising that he is a ventriloquist guitarist. I didn't even know those existed! It was a happy day. I saw him and the bloodsucker both on the way to church one Sunday.

What's the craziest vanity plate you've ever seen? Would you like to book the ventriloquist guitarist for your next event?

Things We Take for Granted

Remember these?


They're called manual locks and manual windows, kids, and everyone thought they were extinct. That is, until I got a rental car this week (a 2010 model, no less!) and discovered I could no longer remember how to roll down a window manually. My own car is not expensive by any means, but it does have some handy features - like the radio control buttons on the steering wheel, and yes, power windows and locks. I'll be glad to get it back.

Taste Test #2

I am always on the lookout for easy meal ideas to take with me to work. I, like many of my siblings, am not a fan of bread for sandwiches. We think we overdosed when we were little by taking a sandwich to school every single day. I do love sandwiches on a bagel, but there is always so much bread, it's more than filling, and I definitely don't need to have that much bread. So, while I was perusing what was new and exciting at Harmon's the other day, I came across these Bagel Thins that come in different flavors. It's still a bagel, but only a fraction of the size, thinly sliced and only 110 calories as well. I love "everything" bagels, so I tested out the "everything" thins and I am a convert. I made myself the yummiest ham and gouda cheese sandwich that was just right without too much bread. I will definitely get these again.

Taste Test

I love a good taste test and I had heard good things about McDonald's new Maple Oatmeal with Fruit so I thought I would give it a whirl. I am not a big breakfast person, but this met my needs on several levels:

• Available in the drive-through

• Sells for $2.99 and that includes any size and any type of drink . . . this includes my beloved large regular Coke. Everything is better washed down with Coke.
  

• Available with brown sugar or without. Is that even a question . . . brown sugar of course

• I like apples - both red and green and they are already mixed in.
  
• And it's healthy . . . just 290 calories . . . and that's with the brown sugar mixed in.
  

Overall I liked it. I don't recall if I have ever had oatmeal (don't judge) and so the consistency is interesting. I opened the container and there was some milk on the top and I learned from the Good Things Utah hosts that it is actually cream . . . even better. Has anyone else tried this?

Liar, Liar

For my church calling, I get to visit lots of people who really don't want anything to do with the church. We have many lists of people in our ward boundaries who don't attend church, and we try to find who these people are, and determine if they would like to perhaps join us at the ward building for a nice time for 3 hours on Sunday.

It turns out, that a lot of these people don't want to be found, and really don't want to go to church so much. So I get to hear a lot of reasons/excuses about why people can't attend church. To date, one of my favorites has been when a woman gave us her address, and we could not find where she lived for weeks. We eventually realized that she had given us the address of the clubhouse. And I know that they won't let anyone live there, because my request to move in during the summer months for easier access to the pool was rudely denied.

Tonight I heard a doozy that is now ranked #12 in the little notebook I keep of things that make me chuckle. We knocked on a door and were told by the roommate (who I have a sneaking suspicion was actually the person we wanted to meet) that "Susan" is disabled and in a wheelchair. She therefore attends church at the disabled ward, and is very active in that ward. We said goodbye, and as we started to descend the THREE flights of stairs to go back to our car, realized that "Susan" and her wheelchair might have a difficult time going up and down these stairs since there is no elevator in the building. Well played "Susan," well played.

Neck Pillows

I am a head bobber when I doze off. I get this from my father. I can't help it - I can fall asleep almost anywhere, and it's very noticeable when I do it because my head is bobbing and weaving all over the place. So in preparation for an upcoming plane trip, I am taking a hit on my pride and buying a neck pillow.

Here's the problem: neck pillows are funny. And now I've become one of those people who travels with a neck pillow. I think the neck pillow manufacturers must be aware of this stereotype, because they've taken proactive measures to make wearing a neck pillow look as luxurious as possible.

Here are actual photos from my online shopping:

Don't these people look so relaxed? Almost like they're at a spa instead of cramped in coach with no leg room and a giant sausage around their neck.

This one's my favorite:

I am Old!

Gabrielle Carteris, i.e. Andrea on Beverly Hills 90210 turned 50 today. And I think I just died a little inside.

I Can't Stop Watching

I know that New Year's has come and gone and my Christmas decorations are still up and not put away. I, however, cannot stop watching the new shows on the Oprah Winfrey Network this weekend that just started. I have been an Oprah disciple for years and love relationship-type shows, which is the bread and butter for her new network - and it has sucked me right in. From the backstage look at how the Oprah Show is produced - to learning about rapper JayZ on the Master Class. Then there is Peter Walsh getting to the bottom of people's unorganized homes and lives and also watching kids kidnap their workaholic father. Between these and many more - I'm hooked!

The other show that has us addicted . . . House Hunters. If I have to be somewhere and a new episode starts . . . I have to turn the TV off before I find myself waiting to see which house is chosen. It's terrible.