Hey Walsh!

First glimpse of some milky aqua blue glacier water

2009-04-06T10:17:00.001+10:00

Success!

2009-04-06T10:15:00.000+10:00

The process continues...

2009-04-06T09:33:00.001+10:00

2009-04-06T09:25:00.001+10:00

Our designs coming to life!

2009-04-06T09:16:00.002+10:00

Our fearless leader

2009-04-06T08:59:00.002+10:00

Our personal designs for our bone carvings

2009-04-06T08:52:00.001+10:00

One lane bridge + train

2009-04-06T08:47:00.001+10:00

We made it!

2009-04-06T08:43:00.002+10:00

Here we come!

2009-04-06T08:39:00.002+10:00

We made it to the top!...

2009-04-06T08:34:00.001+10:00

...now we have to make it down.

Self portrait (while running)

2009-04-06T08:23:00.001+10:00

Let the insanity begin!

2009-04-04T19:07:00.003+11:00

Here's the course! (Oh dear)

2009-04-04T09:05:00.002+11:00

The start of our 4km mountain adventure race!

2009-04-04T09:02:00.002+11:00

Red Cross is EVERYWHERE!

2009-04-04T08:16:00.002+11:00

A loo with a view

2009-04-03T22:29:00.002+11:00

Cheeky Jenny

2009-04-03T19:17:00.002+11:00

Rock lobster on the beach

2009-04-03T19:01:00.001+11:00

(served by a real chef and all... and garlic butter, of course)

Wherever there's a million tourists...

2009-04-03T18:58:00.000+11:00

... there's one tired seal.

One of many scary roadways.

2009-04-03T18:54:00.001+11:00

Friendly little reminder while driving in NZ

2009-04-03T18:50:00.002+11:00

Back home from Land of the Long White Cloud

2009-04-03T18:45:00.002+11:00

Good on ya Bulldogs!

2009-03-19T14:42:00.001+11:00

All volunteers involved in fighting the recent Victorian bushfires will receive free entry to the Western Bulldogs versus North Melbourne round two match at the MCG.

Bulldogs president David Smorgon said on Wednesday that 30,000 members of the emergency services would be invited and he was hopeful of getting twice that many through the gate for the match that has been dubbed the Emergency Services Appreciation game.

"Between the Kangaroos and Bulldogs when we played in the late '90s we had over 60,000 people. We would hope this game gets the support of the football public," Smorgon said.

"There is only one other game on in Melbourne that day and together with up to 30,000 volunteers that will get in for free hopefully we will get a crowd in excess of 60,000.

"We think this is a very small but important way that the football public, the AFL and all the clubs involved can say thank you to the unsung heroes, the representatives of these organisations that will be recognised all the day."

Representatives of the 22 emergency services organisations will be officially welcomed out to the centre of the oval before the game, while the Red Cross will be collecting donations.

Smorgon also said that Bulldogs members who lived in the bushfire-affected areas would receive a free membership this year.

"We have about 300 members that lived in the bushfire affected areas and we have sent a letter to those people. If they have already renewed their membership we will be giving them their money back. If they haven’t renewed we will give them a free membership for 2009 because we think that is the least we can do as a footy club."

All Emergency Services personnel will be able to collect up to four tickets by showing their identification at marquees outside the MCG.

Victorian Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Bob Cameron, said he encouraged those who were involved in the Black Saturday fires to enjoy a day at the football with their family and friends.

"It’s another way we can show our appreciation to our men and women volunteers who have given so much of themselves.

"Football is a great way to relax and take time out, and I thank the AFL for giving our volunteers this well-earned opportunity," he said.
for westernbulldogs.com.au

The Power of Humanity

2009-03-18T19:58:00.002+11:00

This video was shown at Sound Relief last weekend... a dual concert between Melbourne and Sydney that raised over $5mil for Red Cross. We were at the Melbourne concert along with 83,000 others at the MCG! It was unbelievable. What's also unbelievable is how much the stats from this video have changed...

-Emergency First Aid provided over 5,300 treatments
-Nearly $250 million has been raised
-Over 20,000 people registered with Red Cross to ensure they were safe and well

Not bad for this little country down under!

I am Australian

2009-02-28T08:44:00.003+11:00

There are a few defining moments in life. When I met Megan I knew I wanted to spend my life with her. When I went to Hurricane Katrina I realized I wanted to spend my life with the Red Cross. And when I went to the bushfire memorial and heard the mourning crowd sing this song... I wanted to spend my life in Australia. Don't panic, it's not like we've made that drastic of a decision... I'm just really moved by the way in which Australia has come together in the face of this tragedy. I love this country. We may only be "457's" and not Australians... but for now that's close enough.

(Extra verses were added to this classic song, specifically for the memorial. And two Kinglake survivors joined in the singing... and that officially brought the crowd to tears).

National Day of Mourning/ Bushfire Memorial

2009-02-22T18:54:00.001+11:00

Hamish and Andy at the Red Cross Appeal

2009-02-19T13:21:00.000+11:00

Sam the koala- raw footage

2009-02-15T16:33:00.001+11:00

Our darkest day.

2009-02-15T13:51:00.001+11:00

Please give at www.redcross.org.au

Victorian Bushfires

2009-02-12T18:29:00.001+11:00

"Stay Home, Take Cover"

2009-02-06T23:11:00.002+11:00

'Worst day in history': Brumby warns of fire danger

Marc Moncrief

February 6, 2009 - 12:02PM

Victorians should cancel whatever plans they may have had for tomorrow and take whatever steps necessary to prepare for what Premier John Brumby is calling the "worst day in the history of the state".

- 'Worst day in state's history'
- Stay at home, people told
- Extreme weather forecast

With temperatures set to soar to the mid-40s throughout Victoria, Mr Brumby said the conditions were worse than those that preceded the devastating bushfires of Ash Wednesday or Black Friday.

"It's just as bad a day as you can imagine and on top of that the state is just tinder-dry. People need to exercise real common sense tomorrow," he said.

"If you don't need to go out, don't go out, it's a seriously bad day.

"If you don't need to travel, don't travel.

"Don't go on the roads. If you don't need to use the public transport system, don't use it.

"If you can stay at home, stay at home.

"If you've got relatives who are elderly, if you've got friends, if you've got neighbours, please call on them.

"Ring them ... it's going to be a terrible day for anyone who is ill or who is old.

Mr Brumby said he expected Melbourne to reach 43 or 44 degrees with similar temperatures throughout the state, reaching as high as 46 in Mildura.

He said if anything, the expectation was for the day to be even hotter rather than cooler.

He recalled scenes last week of wooden power poles self-igniting.

"I can't stress this enough, I know that the chief fire officer has been out and he said it will be as bad as you can get and he's not exaggerating," Mr Brumby said.

Adelaide Heatwave

2009-02-06T23:02:00.002+11:00

I have been in Adelaide, South Australia for the past few days as a result of the heatwave. Adelaide has been crippled by over 10 days of heat. Red Cross here is working with the government to identify "vulnerable" populations (i.e.- elderly people and people with disabilities). Our teams of volunteers are calling over 4,500 people each day. It's been a great thing to be a part of. The Adelaide staff have welcomed me (and the other 3 "inter-staters") with open arms. I miss my Megan, but it's been a really good opportunity to manage a team of staff and volunteers.

Tomorrow... I head home!

It's so hot the bees are lining up for a drink!

2009-01-30T11:31:00.003+11:00

2009-01-30T11:31:00.001+11:00

HOT HOT HOT!

2009-01-29T10:46:00.004+11:00

We are currently in the middle of the "Heatwave of the Century" in Melbourne with 4 days over 40 degrees C. Today is our second day at 43 degrees (approx 110 degrees F for those of you playing at home). Melbourne can't cope with such heat. The train tracks are buckling (literally... they are buckling. There are guys with hoses trying to cool them down), most people don't have air con at home (including us) and it's time to just pack up the boogie boards and live at the beach! It's HOOOOOT!

Don't be un-Australian!

2009-01-29T10:46:00.001+11:00

More of Merimbula

2009-01-29T10:44:00.001+11:00

Pretty as a postcard, but too scary to snorkel

2009-01-25T19:48:00.001+11:00

Merimbula, NSW coast

2009-01-25T18:18:00.002+11:00

Crackers aftermath!

2009-01-25T18:09:00.001+11:00

Crackers for New Years!

2009-01-25T18:06:00.001+11:00

I know... New Years was about 3 weeks ago. I'm a bit slow!

Tropical pizza and chiko rolls on the barbie. Yum

2009-01-25T12:24:00.001+11:00

These signs mean good times are ahead!

2009-01-25T12:23:00.000+11:00

Welcome to NSW!

2009-01-25T12:19:00.001+11:00

Happy Jen!

2009-01-25T12:07:00.001+11:00

YUMMY!

2009-01-25T09:44:00.001+11:00

Another great road side stop.... this time for lamingtons

Wherever there's a wombat, we're stopping.

2009-01-24T17:59:00.001+11:00

What the hell is this road side oddity?!!

2009-01-24T17:56:00.001+11:00

New Years road trip

2009-01-24T17:52:00.001+11:00

You gotta start a road trip with scones and jam. Yum.

camel anyone?

2009-01-21T19:37:00.001+11:00

this was listed today as our "aussie recipe of the day"...

Camel meatballs with a lovely mint dipping sauce

Put aside your mental image of a horrid, spitting beast--camel makes for a wonderful meal. The meat tastes a bit like strong-flavoured lamb, only with a unique, sweet aftertaste that makes pairing camel with sauce a challenge. This mint/yoghurt dipping sauce is the perfect partner for these meatball

:)

2009-01-11T19:08:00.000+11:00

"The People's Chip"

2009-01-11T19:05:00.001+11:00

You gotta have Hamish & Andy's gravy chips at the cricket!

CRICKET!

2009-01-11T19:03:00.000+11:00

Our 2nd Annual trip to the Boxing Day Test

2009-01-11T18:56:00.003+11:00

December 26, 2008
South Africa v. Australia
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Boxing Day- Day 1 (of 5)

Christmas lunch menu

2009-01-11T18:47:00.003+11:00

(we had wedges on the patio in our sandy post-boogie boarding outfits, then made Christmas dinner at home)

Count the Santas!

2009-01-11T18:31:00.003+11:00

Happy Christmas!

2009-01-11T18:26:00.001+11:00

Our trip to Bells Beach (made famous by Keanu Reeves and "Point Blank")

Our humble little tree.

2009-01-11T18:24:00.001+11:00

For a humble little Christmas.

Oh dear.

2009-01-11T18:22:00.000+11:00

Talented as a 5th grader!

2009-01-11T18:21:00.001+11:00

Who knew that decorating gingerbread houses at 26 and 29 could be so fun!

Freckles!

2009-01-11T18:18:00.001+11:00

Perfect for a pale redhead!

Oops!

2009-01-11T18:16:00.001+11:00

4 walls... but no door!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-11T18:13:00.001+11:00

Decorating gingerbread houses with the Blain family!

"It's a Wonderful Life"

2009-01-11T18:10:00.001+11:00

(Our way!)

Kangaroo paw

2009-01-11T18:07:00.001+11:00

We decided to ditch the conventional Christmas tree this year and get something that seemed more "Aussie." This is our Kangaroo Paw... a funny little [drought resistant] bush with funny little fuzzy bits! She'll be our "tree" next year too!

Christmas tree shopping on the way home from the beach

2009-01-11T16:59:00.000+11:00

Aussie Night Before Christmas

2008-12-25T09:59:00.001+11:00

'Twas the night before christmas;
there wasn't a sound.
Not a possum was stirring; no-one was around.
We'd left on the table
some tucker and beer,
Hoping that Santa Claus
soon would be here;
We children were snuggled up safe in our beds,
While dreams of pavlova danced 'round in our heads;
And Mum in her nightie,
and Dad in his shorts,
Had just settled down to watch TV sports.
When outside the house
a mad ruckus arose;
Loud squeaking and banging
woke us from our doze.
We ran to the screen door,
peeked cautiously out,
snuck onto the deck,
then let out a shout.
Guess what had woken us up from our snooze,
But a rusty old ute
pulled by eight mighty 'roos.
The cheerful man driving
was giggling with glee,
And we both knew at once
who this plump bloke must be.
Now, I'm telling the truth
it's all dinki-di,
Those eight kangaroos fairly soared through the sky.
Santa leaned out the window
to pull at the reins,
And encouraged the 'roos,
by calling their names.
'Now, Kylie! Now, Kirsty!
Now, Shazza and Shane!
On Kipper! On, Skipper!
On, Bazza and Wayne!
Park up on that water tank.
Grab a quick drink,
I'll scoot down the gum tree.
Be back in a wink!'
So up to the tank those eight kangaroos flew,
With the ute full of toys,
and Santa Claus too.
He slid down the gum tree
and jumped to the ground,
Then in through the window
he sprang with a bound.
He had bright sunburned cheeks
and a milky white beard.
A jolly old joker
was how he appeared.
He wore red stubby shorts
and old thongs on his feet,
And a hat of deep crimson
as shade from the heat.
His eyes - bright as opals -
Oh! how they twinkled!
And, like a goanna,
his skin was quite wrinkled!
His shirt was stretched over
a round bulging belly
Which shook when he moved,
like a plate full of jelly.
A fat stack of prezzies
he flung from his back,
And he looked like a swaggie
unfastening his pack.
He spoke not a word,
but bent down on one knee,
To position our goodies
beneath the yule tree.
Surfboard and footy-ball shapes
for us two.
And for Dad, tongs to use
on the new barbeque.
A mysterious package
he left for our Mum,
Then he turned and he winked
and he held up his thumb;
He strolled out on deck and his 'roos
came on cue;
Flung his sack in the back and prepared to shoot through.
He bellowed out loud
as they swooped past the gates-
'MERRY CHRISTMAS to all,
and goodonya, MATES!'

An Aussie Night Before Christmas Written by Yvonne Morrison

Picking up a Christmas tree on the way home from boogie boarding

2008-12-24T17:39:00.001+11:00

New car! New boogie boards!

2008-12-24T17:36:00.002+11:00

It's like we really live here now!!!

:)

Our new little house

2008-12-24T17:24:00.003+11:00

Greetings from Hamlyn Heights!

2008-12-24T17:18:00.000+11:00

Hello... and apologies for another hiatus! Megan and I moved to Hamlyn Heights about a week and a half ago, and our internet was just set. So, this is why Hey Walsh has been so left out. This here is a little [crappy] map to show you where we now live. The grey bit is Metropolitan Melbourne, about an hour away. The yellow bit is the Geelong/Surf Coast region... our new home! We now live 25 minutes from the surf beaches and the start of the Great Ocean Road! AWESOME!!!

Beach combing never gets old!

2008-12-07T21:57:00.000+11:00

Loontitetermairrelehoiner Track

2008-12-07T21:56:00.000+11:00

(Tassie)

Geological mysteries part II

2008-12-07T14:13:00.001+11:00

(still in Tassie)

Where's a geologist when you need one?!

2008-12-07T14:11:00.001+11:00

Pathway to heaven

2008-12-07T14:07:00.001+11:00

(Swansea, TAS)

Waiting for penguins!

2008-12-05T08:30:00.003+11:00

TASSIE!

2008-12-05T07:51:00.002+11:00

Here we are in Tassie while Megan's parents were over visiting. It may have been overcast... but we still LOVE Tassie!

Smiling moon

2008-12-02T21:49:00.001+11:00

What an AWESOME view out our window (apparently the rest of the world thought so too!)

Night sky smiles back
Geelong Advertiser
December 2nd, 2008

The Moon , Venus and join forces for an unusual display last night.

Somebody up there likes you!

Well that's what it looked like last night when the moon, Venus and Jupiter joined forces to create an impressive smiley face in the western night sky across eastern Australia.

This picture was taken from Docklands in Melbourne.

True blue Aussie

2008-12-02T07:59:00.000+11:00

(wobble board included)

HAPPY AUSTRALIA-VERSARY!

2008-11-14T17:53:00.002+11:00

That's right folks, it's been exactly ONE YEAR since we set foot in Australia. It's been incredible so far, and we can't wait to see what happens next.

Let's do a quick year in review:

-We both found ourselves gainfully employed despite a lot of excellent reasons why that shouldn't have worked out.

-We bought a car, some Irish girl's furniture, and rented an apartment with round walls on the beach.

-We fell in love with cricket, and learned the names and stats of all the Australian and Indian players.

-We experienced our first summer Christmas.

-We vacuumed up spiders the size of our hands.

-We discovered the joys of driving to the Grampians on New Years Eve when it was 42 degree C and we had a car with no A/C.

-We ate cheese, honey, chocolate and chiko rolls in Tasmania.

-I got shipped off to a flood in Queensland with the Red Cross.

-We followed cricket to Sydney and Adelaide.

-We continued to love our jobs.

-We started forgetting what American food tastes like.

-We travelled around VIC and QLD with Carrie.

-We fell in love with the Western Bulldogs and travelled around to watch them play.

-We toured the Northern Territory and fell in love with Outback Australia.

-We found ourselves using words like, "mobile [phone]," "chook," etc.

-We bought a brand new car with about 20 kms on it.

-We decided to attempt to extend our visas and stay an extra year!!!

I wish I found this BEFORE the election!

2008-11-07T15:55:00.001+11:00

Crazy week

2008-11-07T15:39:00.002+11:00

It's been a crazy week around here. We took an anniversary trip to Golden Beach, VIC... the tiny TINY tiny beach town that we originally planned on moving to when we first planned on moving to Australia.

Then we headed back to work, only to turn around and have Tuesday off for Melbourne Cup Day (well, I did... but Megan works in Geelong, so she didn't get the silly-horse-race-holiday).

Wednesday was sheer craziness because of the US election. Throughout the morning and early afternoon a bunch of people at my office were all glued to our computer screens. We'd switch from CNN to BBC to cbs2chicago to TheAge to every other interactive website we could think of. Megan and I would call each other with updates... "he's up to 180, 190, 200!" Many of my co-workers would update me on the race while I was in meetings, and I did the same for them by slipping an "Obama wins" sheet of paper under the door (and into their teleconference). It was really cool to experience the election from the other side of the world, even though we'd give anything to have been in Grant Park, Chicago that night. Two of us huddled around the only computer with a sound card to watch Obama's speech. We walked away feeling excited about a new era for America. I already started to feel like my coworkers hated America a tiny bit less (haha).

As I walked back to my desk I had a sinking feeling about Prop 8, and shifted all my anxiety to watching that race. I watched the numbers all day, and really didn't get too much work done. Could this thing really pass? It felt so strange watching it from so far away while knowing that just 19 days earlier we had signed our marriage license in CA. When Megan and I got home that night we watched a replay of Obama's speech, and watched the Prop 8 numbers. It didn't look good. We went to sleep worried about waking up to bad news... and that's exactly what happened. I cried immediately and felt so hurt by the whole thing. How could people vote on OUR marriage? How could people judge us and tell us we're wrong? How do the other 18,000 couples feel right now? What about those who couldn't make it to CA in the 4 month window, or who weren't quite ready to marry their partners? We hugged each other a lot that morning, and I cried a lot. Since then we've been angry, frustrated, sad, mad, etc. I've read everything I can find, and find myself wishing we could rally with the GLBT community in CA. We've felt extremely supported by our friends and family, and it's been great to see people coming out of the woodwork and recognizing how unfair Prop 8 really is. I worry about the legal battles ahead. I worry about the feeling that 1 in every 2 people in CA would probably judge us if they saw us walking down the street. I feel sad that our world can't just let us live our lives in peace. But I feel proud to be married to Megan... whether or not there's a piece of paper to support that.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-10-27T07:52:00.001+11:00

Only in Australia are "kangaroo boots" a good idea!

2008-10-24T18:18:00.002+11:00

Resourceful Megan...

2008-10-24T17:53:00.003+11:00

...watching a movie on one screen, and playing games on another!

What a loooooong flight!

2008-10-24T17:50:00.001+11:00

We're not in Kansas anymore

2008-10-24T17:48:00.001+11:00

L&P

2008-10-24T17:46:00.002+11:00

"World Famous in New Zealand"

We either need to fly Air New Zealand more often or move to NZ. I forgot how much I looooove L&P!!!

Token SF Gay Shot

2008-10-24T17:45:00.000+11:00

Token SF Trolley Shot

2008-10-24T17:44:00.001+11:00

Ellen v. Sarah

2008-10-24T17:43:00.001+11:00

24 hours

2008-10-24T17:36:00.002+11:00

I kind of forgot what it's like living in a world where everything is 24 hours! Oh well... I'm over it! :)

God Bless America!

2008-10-24T17:25:00.002+11:00

What a bargain!

2008-10-24T14:57:00.001+11:00

Wal Mart tour guide

2008-10-24T14:55:00.001+11:00

This was our awesome Wal Mart check out lady who shut down her register and took us all over the store when we told her we were taking pics for our Aussie friends. Here she's holding up some crazy frankenstein doll thingy. She was great.

Halloween, part II

2008-10-24T12:06:00.002+11:00

I will be a pink unicorn this year. HAHA!

2008-10-24T12:03:00.003+11:00

Halloween

2008-10-24T12:03:00.002+11:00

For our Aussie friends who don't understand just how big a deal Halloween is in the States... here's the candy aisle at Wal Mart!