Story Telling Jealousy and a Boy

I have a friend who I met in Sydney.  She's not Australian, but we were in the same program together.  She is currently away for what has to be a tremendously challenging and rewarding job in Africa.  While she's away, she has been keeping a blog for her family and friends (kinda like I did in Australia, but have since let it slip by the way side).  Today I was reading one of her posts about funny things guys say, and I got jealous.  Not jealous of the funny things guy say, but jealous of her story telling ability and gall to post it in a blog.  Kudos Heather!   (If you think I'm even remotely funny or entertaining, you should check out her blog)

So, as inspired by her I thought I'd maybe not start it up again, but at least post a blog since I have a bit of a funny story to tell.  At least I think its funny, and I know Erica will appreciate it ;)  Its about a boy.   I have purposefully not friended said boy or let him in on my blog.  I'm not sure why.  I jokingly say its because then I can talk about him.  Which is kinda true, except I haven't really talked about him, and we have mutual friends who would make so much fun of me.  If they see this, I will never live it down. 

Regardless, here goes.

Back in June, my brother in law had his company picnic.  Being the family nanny and also chomping at the bit to do anything social, I was of course in attendance.  While sipping a glass of champagne with a friend, I off offhandedly say, "who's the Cute Red Head playing frisbee?"  My friend, knowing my penchant for red heads and being ginger herself jumps at the opportunity (unbeknownst to me).  At dinner the Cute Red Head just happens to sit next to me and we chat a bit.  It was all a little awkward and he seemed really shy.  The whole group of us had a pleasant time and that was the end of it. 

Oh but it wasn't.

A little bit of back story to make scene 2 makes sense.  Most of you know that I am currently job hunting for a public health job and that my brother in law runs a health related online company here in Boston.  Because of this, he has been helping me network with his contacts.  I had a lunch about 2 weeks ago with an older gentleman named Mike who has worked in public health in Boston for something like 35 years.  He's a good person to have a professional lunch with.  After leaving the lunch, carrying Julia in her bucket with me, I happen to see the Cute Red Head eating in the lobby of the office.  I nod hello, and silently exit the building. 

The next day, I happen to be back in Chicago driving with Jessica when I get an email from Mo (who also works for my brother in law and is connected in public health) about jobs.  At the very end of the email she says "Oh, and Michael asked for your number.  Its on your resume, but I wanted to check with you before I gave it out."  I immediately got excited that Mike had some jobs contacts for me and it was the big break I've been working for.  I respond "of course!  I meant to send Mike my resume, please do pass my number along."  Then I went on my merry weekend having fun and trying to hide my anticipation for a job interview coming my way.

Come Monday, back in Boston.  While eating dinner with the Heywoods a call comes through with an unknown number.  An unfortunate side to job hunting is that every single unknown number that comes to my phone I automatically think is potential job.  The caller says his name is Michael from PLM (brother in laws company).  At first I thought he said Pier One (why?) and thought it was a telemarketer, which is just not cool on the cell phone.  He repeats, we get on same page.  Michael invites me to drinks with him and some other PLM people the upcoming Friday.  I automatically say yes, if someone who has contacts to get my a job want to grab drinks, I will.  End of story. 

But that's when I start to question why this gentleman who is at least my father's age would be inviting me to drinks.  Thinking that is almost inappropriate and not sure what to say.  My mind trying to make sense of this situation, I start wondering why this older, most likely married man would even be hanging out with the young nerdy programmer guys (who I had previously learned play rock band and grab drinks on Friday nights). 

Thats when it hits me.  I don't even know how I got to the conclusion because I was completely unaware of Cute Red Head's real name.  But I suddenly knew without a doubt that Cute Red Head was Michael, who got my number from Mo and was asking me out on a date.  A strangely group date, but still a date. 

I reluctantly and nervously went to the office that Friday totally expecting it to be horribly awkward and a huge mistake.  And at first it was.  I had to interrupt my brother in law in a meeting to let me in.  When I walk upstairs to the lobby there's 4 or 5 guys all sitting on the couch together watching Futurama on the projection screen.  Nerds.  This was not going to be good.  They said hi, but otherwise left me to play Words on my phone until the show ended. By then I'm considering going home already.  My brother in law's brother Jamie (am I related to him??)  comes out and we chat a bit.  I finally ask him where the beer is.  Feeling it would be too mean to leave, I decide to have one beer and if its still horrible, make up some excuse to go.  Jamie looks at the guys and berates them loudly saying "Do you know who she is?! She is the bosses sister, she watches his kids and has a Masters Degree.  Someone get the girl a beer!" 

Thanks Jamie.  We really needed more awkwardness there.  Regardless, I get a beer and thankfully, the show being over everyone gets up and they do actually talk to me.  We hang around long enough for me to finish my beer then a small group of us walk to a nearby restaurant.  Dinner and drinks go surprisingly well, conversation is good, everyone's really nice, and Cute Red Head is not as shy as I remember him being.  (I just don't know how to handle Shy).  Our group grows then dwindles.  4 of us left we decide to go catch a comedy show that a guy who had been there earlier was in.  The other couple drop out to go home on the way, leaving me panicking at the thought of being alone with Cute Red Head and I'm convinced the conversation is going to die with just two of us.  Much to my surprise the conversation continues to flow.  We go to comedy show, then grab some more drinks, then walk along the river back to my car.  A surprisingly positive ending to the most awkward meeting of two people. Ever.

Picture dump of Sydney Botanical Gardens

I found this post that had never posted.  I wonder if I meant to come back to it?  Who knows.  Either way, enjoy some pics of the the gorgeous Sydney Botanical Gardens.  It really might be the most beautiful place in the world!

To continue the epically long day of sight seeing, Ashley and I continued to the Botanical Gardens.  I could spend eternity in the Botanical Gardens on a warm sunny day.

jhu

Sydney in the Sun and Rain

Leaving the Great Ocean Road resulted in my nervous breakdown.  You may remember my post about being Homeless in Australia, while that post was written just before I left for Melbs and the GOR.  After the amazing trip that we had, I realized on the last day that I was going back to Sydney where I didn't have a place to live, I had about 5 papers left to write in about 10 days, no job, no money.  I was freaking out.

When I got back to Sydney the flaky landlord dude surprisingly came through and got me a bed in his international house in Bronte, a beach-side neighborhood of Sydney.  About equally as far out as my previous apartment but in a different direction.  My international house turned out to be a helluva lot better than I expected!  My roommates were awesome, I had a queen size bed in a huge room with an amazing ocean view :)  It was so great.

My beach, aka Bronte

I thought I was going to hate it there, being the oldest of the 21 other people living there.  I set it up so I'd only have to be there for 6 weeks just at the end of uni.  I was hardly ever there and all I wanted to do was  hang in the living room watching movies with my roommates. 

Those papers I had to write to finish that little Masters Degree I was doing took up most of my time and sanity.  A few times I had to turn a 3,000 word paper around from start to finish in one day.  That's intense.  I did allow myself to take a break and celebrate Halloween with my roommates and a box or two of goon :)

Alies from Holland, Elsa from France, and me

It was most of my roommates' first Halloween.  America has the stronghold on Halloween, which made some of their costumes entertaining to a Halloween veteran.  We had a great night and it was really special to be part of their first Halloween.

Shortly after Halloween, Ashley arrived!  (I like cramming as much in as possible).  I still had one paper to write, but it was forced to wait.  Ash and I had 4 days in Sydney and then headed up north to the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays.

The day Ashley arrived we dropped her bags and hit the beach!  There's a great walk from my beach, Bronte to the most famous beach in Australia, Bondi.  Its about a mile its 3kg long and beautiful!

We started with the Bronte to Bondi walk on a beautiful day 

 

I think my grandmother would love my style :)  I'm not being sarcastic and I still love this dress and this hat and both of them together.  Beverly Hills, FL be damned!

 

Bondi Icebergs seaside pool.  First life savers club of Australia turned shwanky country club. Supposedly they train with ice chunks in the water to simulate natural conditions, hence the name Icebergs.  Thinking about it now, seems a bit obnoxious when they could just train in, oh I don't know, the Ocean? 

View of Bronte from Bondi.  Our beautiful day only lasted long enough for us to get to Bondi...then it poured buckets on us.  With everyone on the beach trying to get home, buses were packed and we were forced to talk a mile up hill in pouring rain.  Welcome to Sydney!

Ashley is a formidable traveler.  After spending 24 hours flying across the world, spending a toursity day on the beach that ended with us soaking wet, she pulled it together and went out with a night on the town with some uni friends!

We enjoyed a giant flaming pina colada at a swanky cocktail bar...yum!

Jet lag affecting her decision making skills perhaps?

Hannah and I, after spending a week long vaca together and we didn't want to kill each other

Day two was a rainy day, so we decided to hop on a free Hunter Valley tour with my shady landlord and awesome roommates.  Hunter Valley is a famous wine region about two hours north of Sydney.  There are always tour groups going up for about $150, or you can rent a car for the cost of gas plus $50 a day.  We were lucky enough that shady landlord had two extra spaces :)

Alies, Ashley and I at a wine tasting.

The ride back to Sydney was also a lot of fun.  We had five people in our car from all around the world.  Everyone had a chance to play with the radio, but no one was able to pick music that everyone knew.  Until we came upon The Beatles.  Funny how the entire car was rocking out and knew all the words.

On day three we braved the cloudy skies to do the best sight seeing Australia has to offer.  Here is a map of Circular Quay (Key) in the Sydney Harbour.

 Unfortunate the clouds drown out the Opera House

Ashley has a thing for lamp posts.  I don't get it but this picture is pretty rad.

 Love my face.  We tried this pic about a bazillion times, but I couldn't handle the bright light without my sunglasses, lol.  I kept my eyes closed until Ashley said go, but this time she took too long. I like this end result better, lol.

 We were kinda lost looking for the pylon on the Harbour Bridge.  The Rocks, the neighborhood, is notoriously confusing.

We found the pylon!  Oprah famously climbed the Harbour Bridge.  For us, non-Oprahs it costs about $200!  Too rich for my blood.  Instead, some friends early on turned me onto the pylon.  On of the pillars of the bridge (which I learned are just aesthetic and don't hold any weight) is a museum. You pay $9 and can walk to the top of it, about 11 flights up.  Offers great views of the Harbour, and some unique history of Sydney and the building of the famous Harbour Bridge. 

 View of downtown Sydney and The Rocks

 Terrible clouds rolling in :(  But this is the side of the Harbour that most people never see.  That bridge is the Anzac Bridge (it looks a lot like the Zakim Bridge in Boston btw).  On the right hand side of that bridge is where my first apartment in Sydney was located.  Also, that cruise ship is ginormous!

The Botanical Gardens with Kings Cross and Wooloomooloo in the background.


And just for a point of reference (and to remind me of how much I've changed) on the pylon on day 3 in Australia:

On top of the pylon 9 months later:

After the pylon, it was time for lunch.  I was pumped to take Ashley to my favorite place in The Rocks/downtown area.  Introduced to me by a Chicago Dad I babysit for, Lachlan who was nice enough to smuggle things into the country for me twice! The reason I love The Australian Hotel is mostly just for the kangaroo pizza! 

 Mmmm kangraoo pizza and sunshine.  Doesn't get any better.

 Blood sugar levels up we walked around the Quay to the Botanical Gardens.

 I swear I have the most sensitive eyes in the world.

Just thought I'd throw in an out take, lol

Take a trip in the Delorean

Momentarily taking a break from Australia photos to share a supa cool trippy art exhibit that's here in Boston.  Sherie recognized the artist as the guy who did the ceiling of the Belagio.  So anyone who's been to Vegas will probably recognize it too.  Chihuly is a glass blowing expert, and man was it cool!

 When you first walk in there's this canoe filled with blown glass thingys.  A few things come to mind:

1)Can you imagine transporting all of those?
2) Do you think he meticulously places every single piece or willy nilly puts them in wherever they fit?
3) Can you say Dr. Suess.

 Sherie and I originally took the girls as an afternoon date.  I was terrified they'd be like bulls in a china shop.  Thankfully they were great and didn't try to tough anything.

Sammie points something out to Sherie

The second room was one giant display of glass structures.  So cool.

The ceiling

There's an octopus thingy in there

 The next room had ginormous chandeliers that were just plain awesome. 

It was so good, I brought Lindsey!

My ladies :)