Champagne Super Nova, What if the Super Bowl Tied? and other things that are a bit confusing

Champagne Super Nova in the sky... was a line in a song by a 90's band called Oasis. Oasis was gonna be bigger than the Beatles, self proclaimed, obviously did not happen since I am having to explain the song. That line is all I can think of when I hear someone start to talk about a Novated lease. My mind goes fuzzy and I sing that song to myself. I should be paying attention but I can't I just start singing to myself and saying in a bad Brit accent, "were gonna be bigga than tha BEE DELS." So buying a car is tough business anywhere, but here it is just a little bit more confusing.

Novated Lease Definition:  A novated lease is an agreement between your employer, yourself (the employee) and the financier, where the obligation to meet the repayments under the finance lease is with the employer.  With a novated lease agreement, you own the vehicle and have the right to take it with you should you change jobs and, structured correctly, there may be tax advantages with your remuneration package.  As with other leasing structures, repayments with a novated lease are flexible and calculated based on the term, interest rate, amount borrowed and the residual payment.


Got that? So, a few other cool things about this Champagne Super Nova Lease, you pick the car they(Novated Lease Co) work on negotiating the dealer to rock bottom pricing and the money for car payments, gas insurance, maintenance is deducted pre tax. Here is where the plot thickens in a frustrating kinda way. Mike has a car allowance, his company will administer a Novated lease for him, but....they will not guarantee loans for 457 visa employees. Hmmm... now thats a bit of a pickle ain't it?

What if the SuperBowl tied???????? Unthinkable right? Well...I divulge into FOOTY! Oh Footy, there are two kinds of Footy here AFL(aussie rules football) and NRL(National Rugby League. They are different but both are called footy, I could not tell them apart on the tele if there were subtitles flashing AFL or NRL. What I do know is in Melbourne(say Melbin obvious pronunciation right?) LOVES AFL and here in Sydney it is all about NRL. Last week the most astounding thing happened at the Grand Final of AFL. Think SuperBowl but bigger, the day prior is actually a holiday in Melbin they have parades that make Macy's Tday crowds look sad and desperate. Anyway, it ended in a tie and so they did what you would naturally do, they checked the stadium's calendar, verified that there were no monster truck rallies already planned for the next week and they booked the field again so they could play again!!!!!! SERIOUSLY, AN HONEST TO GOODNESS GROWN UP STYLE DO OVER! FO REAL! This is the craziest notion to me. I hate ties just like the next Sheila but really play again, the next weekend???? What if I only have one game day outfit? What if I don't have a sitter next week, the logistical troubles go on and on... Are you dying to know what happened in Grand Final Round Two? The officials decided that this time it would be OK to allow for "extra" time (OT) and they would play until there was a winner. The OT provision was not needed as one team whupped up on the other. Thank goodness case closed! 


One very good thing about footy: 


These Blokes....

WEAR THESE SHORTS:

Here is another example: (just in case you weren't sure what I meant)

Other confusing thing: I "sprung" forward today. It is daylight savings time and I was ready to "fall" back an hour when Mike reminded me we are going into Spring. So spring forward it is in October!


And...I was corrected at the party store by another Mum that I should be stating that I am looking for Thomas The Tank Engine, not Thomas The Train. Oh really? Thanks. Are they so different that would have made a difference to the teen working the counter "helping" me with my search? I think not! 


One cool think about the "dumb" american accent, when other tourists ask you for directions all you have to do is say one or two words and they want nothing else to do with talking to you. You are on your way without having to offer any assistance to other lost souls!

O.B in disguise, in a special place

Do you remember that silly commercial jingle? Anyway... If you are a man trust me you do not want to read this. STOP HERE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. OK ladies. I brought a bunch of stuff with me hat I thought I could not find here, hairstuff, cosmetics, makeup, my most favorite brands that substitutions just won't do etc...Guess what I totally did not figure on would be different as women all over the world have this one thing in common. You got it. This being a very environmentally conscious country they are big into not wasting anything, so all you get for your "personal care" item is what you "need." Getting it where it is going is all on you. Now, I love the environment just like anyone else, I recycle my wine bottles and everything :) but this is where I draw the line. You go almost 20 years one way you just can not be expected to change it up and abandon your delivery driver. So I searched and found the one selection that is not "self delivered" it is not great but better than the alternative, but if you come to visit me do not bring Reeses cups, do not bring chocolate, Motrin or other treasures that other Americans pine for, bring Tampons the nice wonderful environment killing plastic applicator kind. Who would have thunk? I wish I had!

Stranger in a strangeland

It's not all fun and Fosters all the time... or... going from someone to no one. I don't mean that in a poor me, feel so bad for me I live in Australia kinda way. There are so many great things about being here but I am serious, I have gone from someone to no one in just a few short weeks. I will illustrate this with a few bummer stories then move on, no one wants to read depressing news we all have enough of it we do not need anyone else's right? This all happened in a few hours time. I applied for a cell phone then did some shopping at my local Woolies(grocery) while I waited to see if I was approved. (as most know I would rather be doing one thousand different things than grocery shopping, made only worse by having to shop in a strange store with some strange stuff for sale with 4wd carts) While checking out of Woolies the cow cashier with a Andrew Ridgley Wham lesi kinda haircut asked if I could open up all of my bags, including the kids Primrose Backpack, was I sure I did not have anymore merchandise in my pram? Well, no, do you see me? There are toys everywhere I am a little bit of a disaster, I would rather have them in a cart but it is an act of "parliament" to get a double cart up here. So, no woman I am never sure of anything except for I AM NOT GOING DOWN FOR STEALING GROCERIES! Then I go to pay with credit card and she triple triple checks my signature and asks me if I was sure that was the card I paid with? and could I show her just one more time she says loudly and in front of the other 20 people in line. I left there shaking I was so humiliated. THEEEEEEEEEN....I go back to my local Telstra store to be informed I can not get a phone b/c my occupation as Mom is apparently not a very financially lucrative position. Shut up, I sooo thought I was getting rich on this one. But...here is the good news, I can just ask my husband to get me a phone, the man says as he pats my hand. Just tell him the phone you want and have him get it. OHHHHHHH!!! You can imagine how this went down. Since I kinda learned my lesson about public displays of emotion at the Mackers I toned it down and just stormed out, with huff and flourish. This time I cried in my car as to not offend any of their British sensibilities. Pair this with the difficulty/seeming inability to get a car loan and the difficult time getting a bank account and you have a bit of a black streak. Never fear it is getting better and it will all work out. We have a bank account, my man says I can have a phone, we may have car financing and most importantly my hair has never and will never look like the Woolies cashier! 

Carson Medor Physio Therapist

I can not believe I forgot to blog about this! My SIL Julie reminded me today! As you know Carson broke his arm right before the move. Our last day in Cali/and USA we went to the Medor family Orthopaedic practice and had it x-rayed. Looking good they said but best to stay in the cast for another 7-14 days. The self proclaimed CAST MAN of ORANGE COUNTY(has cast all Medor men at sometime in the last 20 years) came in to look at the cast and immediately proclaimed it inhumane. Well, it was fairly tight and it was starting to rub on of his little fingers but he seemed OK. It is a waterproof cast and he had been swimming nonstop and I was curious to see how the skin was fairing after 3 weeks and....Of course once you hear inhumane you are all in for a new cast, you might as well say yes we will sponsor your new Porsche Dr. FancyPants we will go to any length to help our son.  So they cut off the old inhumane cast, his skin looks PERFECT, they put on a new HUMANE luxurious padded upgraded cast. Car is super brave all is well.
Arrive in Sydney try to set up an appt to have cast removed, this is where it gets tricky, socialized medicine and all. I have condensed this believe it or not. Call Ortho dept at big hospital right by our place, Oh No you can not come here without a referral from a GP OK. Call GP make appt for referral explain what we need to do. OH, you can come here for a referral but we can not cut off the cast, you do that at a Physiotherapist, oh, do they X ray as well, no, you must go somewhere else for that, you will need a referral for that. Do they X ray before or after cast comes off, after, oh what if the Xray determines it should be on, well we re"plaster" it Oh...does the physio look at the Xray, no they send it here and then we determine if you need a referral to the ortho.
Day 8 after new humane luxurious cast by the Cast Man of OC is placed. Car gets fussy on the train moves really quick and his cast flies off, AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!NOOOOOOOO! Is this really happening, Car is scared and will not use his arm. Mike says try and shove it back on, oh that sounds like a plan, Dr. Medor! I try with a light touch, not a shove and I can't get it back on and I am not shoving anything onto a previously fractured wrist! CRAPPO! I calmly put the cast in my purse and pretend it did not happen! A few onlookers are not polite enough to do the same.
Make appt. for next day, they actually could see us that night but Car was a little fried from becoming a physiotherapist at 23 months. Go the Dr. she says she thinks it's good but we should get xray just in case, go to Xray place to make sure, everyone melts, can not get Xray until sat when Daddy is around for support. get xray done, they send xray to Dr, she comes to the phone when I call right away! she says looks pretty good you can see "angulation" but it is healing properly have it xrayed again when he is 5 all should be well! Oh... have it xrayed again so soon in 3 years, aren't we being a tad aggressive!

A few things:
1. Car's skin looked worse after 8 days in new fancy cast than it did in old inhumane cast.
2. We are not on Medicare here, (all Aussies are they look at you like a pirranha when you say you are not) we are not eligible b/c of our visa. We pay out of pocket and then submit, I was really nervous at the xray place, how much will this be I ask? thirty three eighty she says, I think OH NO $3380.00, I ask again, saying thirty three dollars and eighty cents to try and take the positive approach, it is only $33.80. WOW, I tricked em into that one huh?
3. Everyone here sees a GP first for everything, you only see a pediatrician on referral. GP visit for two kids with no insurance $65.00.
4. GP came out to get us herself, no nurses to be seen.
5. Exam room is also her office, so one half desk computer other half exam table etc (all I could think was how dirty your computer and stuff could get). It also looked like Louie Pasteur may have also practiced medicine out of that very same room, complete with glass bottles labeled with words I have never heard.
6. After hours care is by HOUSE CALLS FO' REAL!!! THIS IS COOL!
7. Dr also makes house calls on her lunch hour!

I really do live in 1955 and I think I kinda like it!

Jauque and Jeeves are really Chalk and Cheese

I have learned from LK's work mates that what the old lady really said to me on the street was that the boys were as different as Chalk and Cheese, not the other famous pair Jacque and Jeeves. The work mates added she must have been a Brit b/c this clearly just a Brit saying. Translation:  two things that are very different. If you ask me, some cheese can be chalky and Jacque and Jeeves do many similar things.

From the website Using English.com. Is this what has become of me googling my native tongue?

Idiom Definitions for 'Chalk and cheese'

---

Things, or people, that are like chalk and cheese are very different and have nothing in common.

Cat A Roo version 2.0, Meet the work "mates", all MUMS wear hats & hippie skirts and OhS^%&!!!

2 nights ago I woke to the sound of someone falling down the stairs or so it sounded, since Colin just climbed out of his crib the same day I jumped up wide awake ran into the hall and there was no one on the stairs and everyone was sleeping like angels. Same thing at 4:30. I thought maybe it was our neighbors rolling down the stairs but no raucus ever followed, no ouch yikes oh I fell down the stairs etc...In the morning the rational conclusion was it must have been an animal on the roof. Last night I was lying in bed with Carson who was having a mini meltdown about going to bed, so I was comforting him telling him there was no reason to be afraid when clatter clatter pounce CAT A ROO landed right on the balcony off our bedroom and the sliding glass door was open, screen closed. His eyes were like saucers and he was like sure Mom no reason to be afraid except a Cat A roo just landed on our balcony right..great. Cat A Roo moves like a Koala, uses his tail like a monkey and is just about the coolest craziest thing ever. Tried to get a pic, it was too dark, but Catty was not even fazed by the flash or camera.

Dropped Mike off at a meeting this AM, bc it is life in the 50's and we have one car and really it does not matter b/c I have no real places to go anyhoo! Well we were super early so he got out and was going to have a cappucino while he waited, turns out his marketing manager wife and 9 mo. baby did the same thing. So Mike knocks on the window and asks would you like to meet them so of course we get out and meet them. I am in a total Mom uniform, khaki shorts, sneakers, ponytail and don't forget the cardigan. She had on like three beady necklaces, a flowy dresss with something happening underneath not sure what, gladiator sandals and multiple silver necklaces on her ankles.  I just got back from sorority bid day and she just left a Dead show. They were very very very nice asking how we like it etc...she did not ask me to her Mums group she was heading to.

At the park I went to there were many many other Mums, all in hats(cept me). Must get hat to get friends. Stat. They also wear long flowey hippiesh skirts, those look hideous on me, so hears to hoping people will like me just for me, khaki shorts and all. Most kids wear hats, it is really frowned on if your kids do not, mine refuse, in Aussie culture I have failed my job as Mum. Oh well, my two year old can count to three, take that pansy hat wearers!!!  Another rogue hatless kid came down the slide right after Col and slammed him into the sand face first and then did some kind of wrestle mania long sit on him, all the Dad said was hahaha, must be more careful. I learned my lesson at Mackers and kept my thoughts on the inside and wiped Col off and kept moving. Soon after there was a major fight by the octopus, a little girl was bashing a boy with a truck in the head and he was pulling her hair and the Medor boys were nowhere near! YES! I looked on in smug horror delighted that noone I gave birth to was involved!

Oh Sh^&, not a good day for our rental car a bright blue Ford Falcon with a fin in the back, just what all 4 door sedans need a fin to show how sporty they are. Anyway, I was parked parallel, at Bronte Beach, I did not have to park that way they were two spots open thank goodness. By the time I left of course I was jammed in. I narrowly missed a parking ticket. Thats where the luck ended! I was leaving a very tight spot when crunch I got the guy behind me, I got the guy behind me b/c I thought I was in D and I was actually still in R...are you kidding me, this I can not blame on the wrong side jazz. Am I that idiotic, apparently so, a very very quick look confirmed no damage to him, THANK YOU GOD! Light paint scrapes from his front plate for me, I was shaking like crazy and I think cursing as the boys started saying sh*% as we drove away. To add to the meticulous care of this car we do not own, an orange crayon fell out of the fun bag and melted on the seat making it look like a Cheeto a thon happened in the front seat. oh s%@#!!! We are thinking of getting a nice new car, is this really the best idea, I do not think I can be trusted with nice new things.

Bronte Beach is just south of the famous Bondi, very beautiful very kid friendly, a nice park tons of shaded picnic spot a natural rock pool great playground. Col loves the beach, Car freezes cries and I have to carry him he hates the way sand feels on his feet. At a few points I carried both boys through the sand. Boy did we look like total tourists. All of the men in speedos were laughing, but the laugh was actually on them, they are the ones in speedos! I took a great pic of the shoreline and the rocks and YES! as I looked through them I realized I got a topless lady in the shot. Maybe I will show this to Mike to divert the attention from the Ford Falcon fiasco! See when God closes a door He opens a window!

Totally racist, in a good way

Is that even possible? Here goes...A few days ago we made our way to the Sydney Fish Market, second largets in the world behind Tokyo. I LOVE SEAFOOD, I mean love it, I would eat it every meal, so I am pumped about this excursion. All of the seafood places also serve take away food that is amazing. The big decision is where to eat. Now here is where the racism goes down... You can follow the Caucasions to the greasy fish and chips, fried everything stands(I can say this b/c I am one, right? or so says Dr. Laura) or you can be smart and follow the Asians. Now, I consider myself a bit of an amateur foodie but I have to bow down before most Asians in this department. It is a food culture and I love it. Good food is revered, searched out, shared with friends and family and enjoyed together, it is also usually prized to find AMAZING food for a good value, a description I can not resist. To put it short: Asians don't play when it comes to food. Hence why we followed the Asians to an amazing seafood paradise. Platter for two was big enough for 4 and tasty enough to command $100 or more at nice restaurant...our price $38! Now, don't get me wrong, I know that is a huge generalization to say all Asians know about and enjoy good food, like saying all Southerners love fried food, totally not true 'cept my Mama travels with a deep fryer ya' hear?
As always a few funny things...the birds were so aggressive one swooped right in front of my face to grab one of my oysters, and would have continued to do so through the meal if Carson did not go on birdwatch..."gooooo AWAY BuhhhDIES" mind you most of the birdies were almost as big as big man, but it worked. He also wandered to the next table to try and eat of of this nice young ladies plate, I do not think she was in the family style share your plate kinda mood.