A run in the sun..

I may as well write a post here while I wait for my mother to fix Skype on her end....

Just catching up on Cody's blog. She's amazing and so is her blog. I have got a hint of the travel bug just reading her material. You should be inspired too: http://www.itsabloggieblogworld.blogspot.com/

Plus, she's a fun girl.

Tomorrow is the big 14K run in Sydney! YIKES! No, it'll be great. Especially the coffee and eggs waiting for me at the end. I'll be in pain with 75,000 other people. City2Surf is a MEGA fun run. I'm hoping to finish it in around 80 minutes.

One more week until Matt and I move into a new place. I will post pictures once settled in. The view from it is awesome! Can see the Harbour Bridge and have a panoramic shot of the Sydney skyline. The natural light in the apartment is amazing and I'm pumped. The whole place just has a sweet vibe. Quiet neighbourhood but yet close walk to the city and all the action.

Non-stop action in Sydney, Australia!

My name is Katie. And I'm a blog slackaholic.

Hi friends. My blog is starting to collect spiderwebs and dust! Well, how can sum up the last few months? Back in May, Matt and I went to Melbourne to visit our friends Matt and Lee. We only went for four days. Melbourne is an awesome city. Much more alternative than Sydney. Don't get me wrong, I do love Sydney and it's striking beauty however Melbourne is full of cafes, good shopping and offers more of a platform for artists and musicians. The city embraces the arts and culture which makes it an overall thriving environment. On the same trip we drove along the Great Ocean Road a bit to stay in a small town called Lorne. Lorne is just a tiny town along the beach (seen above). The Great Ocean Road is a popular road that runs along the southern coast of Australia from just outside of Melbourne into South Australia. Many surfers go along this route to find secluded, surf spots. It's a great road trip offering small towns and quaint accommodation along the way. Very popular activity for visitors to Australia, as well as Australians themselves!

That has been the only getaway since then. I have been focusing on fitness for the last few months, running mostly. In two weeks I am participating in the City2Surf, a 14km fun run from Hyde Park in the city of Sydney and weaves through some of the most beautiful suburbs. My friend, Clara and I did this run yesterday so we know what to expect on the day of the race. Some of the views along the course are unreal! And the people that wake up to that view everyday... well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous! The run itself ends at Bondi Beach. Overall, I'm feeling good about the race. However, I will be relieved when it's over! Then I can stop feeling so guilty if I skip a run or a gym session.

Weather has been strange here lately. One day cold and wet and the next is warm and sunny! I'm very excited for summer again. Especially because that means my family will be here for their visit! Mom, Dad and Jesse will be here over New Year's Eve - very exciting time to be in Sydney. Lot of tourists in town to see the famous fireworks on NYE and we'll be right there with them on the harbour.

So, that's just a summary of my life lately. Not super exciting it may seem but been busy nonetheless. I just realised that it has been a month since Michael Jackson's death - time and life sure do fly by, don't they?!

Byron Bay - An update... finally

I'm taking a cue from cousin Carrie and finally adding an
update to my blog. It's true - I have been neglecting this. Autumn is on it's way in here in Australia but sure didn't feel like it today! But it will be winter soon enough. Last weekend my good friend Jess and I took advantage of a great flight deal to Byron Bay for a long weekend. Byron Bay is a bit of a hippie/surfer town near the border of New South Wales and Queensland. It's a nice town for a holiday; laid back, definitely a great place to relax. Here are some shots from the trip.

Not really looking like Christmas...

So I guess I should start out by saying I'm sorry. I'm sorry because I'm going to talk about something that most of you will shake your head at or roll your eyes to. I know this because I have the weather page for Minneapolis up on my iGoogle page and I know how cold it is. But seriously, it does not feel like Christmas right now. Does the image on the right yell Christmas to you? Santa does not belong resting on a beach! I'm not sure how long I'm staying in Australia for but I do know that each holiday season just will not be the same. The banners that line the city streets picture a cockatoo. When I think Christmas I do not imagine tropical birds singing at my window (OK - there really aren't any tropical birds waking me up.. that's more a Queensland thing). The other day I was walking through this plaza in the city called Martin Place. In the centre there's a large Christmas tree and I seriously thought to myself, "Well, that's a strange thing to have up at this time of year." Then of course I remembered why the city had erected a giant Christmas tree. It happened to be raining at that moment which helped create a somewhat chilly atmosphere. I stopped and squinted my eyes a bit in a feeble attempt to make the raindrops look like snowflakes. All I got was strange looks from people walking by. When I watch TV and advertisements of families gathering on the beach for their Christmas feast I just can't help but think, "That's not Christmas. Christmas is shoveling a car out from under the snow. Christmas is wearing 15 layers of clothing as if to replicate the Michelin man."So, having said all of that, I can still appreciate that it is indeed Christmas no matter the weather. This is also my long of way saying that I am thinking of all of you, my family and friends. I wish you and your families a very happy and healthy holiday season and the very best in the new year.

Dylan Moran the Postman

I went to the post office today and I can't believe I haven't noticed this until now. I think the guy that works there is Dylan Moran (seen on left). If you don't know this guy you should check out his stand up. He also had a show called "Black Books." Really funny show. It's about a guy with an alcohol problem and runs a second hand book shop. Mixture of cynicism and alcohol = hilarious situations. Ok, maybe it doesn't sound that funny but it is. Anyway, just one of those observations from my day. I mean the title of my blog is "Another day, another story" and that is my story for today.

Mi Casa

This is our "rumpus" room. Right now it's a bit empty but it's a good studio space to do yoga and do some paintings. Eventually we're getting our other TV fixed and it'll be a second entertainment room for video games and movies. Also acts as another bedroom. The day bed came with the place and it's really comfy!

Spider central. I once went out to the very back to look at the types of plants back there and instead discovered that it was a small spider metropolis. Haven't went beyond those steps there ever since. I only go back there to hang laundry now. Probably will spend more time out there when we get a small BBQ. Also, nice water feature in the back eh? Ha ha! Came with the house naturally.

Kind of self-explanatory. This is where we eat. Off to the left is our laundry and another toilet.

Entry into the house leads to the living room.

It has taken me awhile but I finally got these pics of my house we moved into just before I came across to the States. I love this place! Great location - just mere minutes from lots of cafes, restaurants and sweet shopping. I would describe the area we live in as a hybrid of the Seward and Uptown neighbourhoods of Minneapolis. My bus to work only takes about 25 minutes so the commute is reasonable as well. Can't beat it!

Back in Oz

Returned to Sydney yesterday morning - solid day of traveling takes it out of me but I seem to be dealing with the jet lag alright. As much as I wanted to go to sleep at 4 in the afternoon I persevered and stayed up until my usual bedtime and went to sleep. That's the trick I guess to beating jet lag. Finally have figured it out after a few times.

My trip back to the US was absolutely wonderful and it went all too fast, as any good holiday seems to do. It would be much to long of a post if I listed everything I did and people I saw but I would like to give one giant mega THANK YOU to anybody who is reading my blog and made time to catch up with me while I was in the states. It meant so much to me to see everybody. I miss everyone and hope I see some faces here in Australia someday!