The end of winter is in sight.

Hello Everyone,

I am dusting off my home keyboard to write this. It has been yet another busy month yet I am looking at this big white space that I need to fill and I am not coming up with much at the moment. Though as always I am sure this is going to be a nice and long update. So here I go:

I visited the US for 3 weeks. One week in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area. I spent time with my mom and I ran around checking out all the places I missed such as Jerusalem Garden which I still believe has the best falafel in the world, Dominic's where I drank Sangria out of Bell Jars and spent an evening visiting with a number of people, played Euchre at the Aut Bar,had my Hippy Hash at some crazy hour at the Fleetwood, and did a lot of general running around. Vanessa and I were able to make it to "Top of the Park to see a blue grass band as well. It just reminded me that "Top of the Park" is one of my favourite things about Ann Arbor.

I also went to see Mary Prankster in Flint. I wish I had my camera for 2 reasons: 1) To take pictures with Mary Prankster. The venue was small and the audience was smaller so I had a drink with the band after the show. 2) To take a picture of "Halo Burgers" which is in the most beautiful Art Deco building in downtown Flint with the original chandeliers and all.

During my time in Ann Arbor I was able to see 2 friends before they moved to San Francisco and one friend who moved back from Houston who I had not seen in 4 years whose wife I met as well. I went to Detroit to a Goth Club and here is proof that I was there:

where I had a good night of dancing and people watching and laughing with a couple of friends.

So none of this is necessarily the best written piece I have done. Such is life as there is more to come.

Then I went to Columbus, Ohio for a couple of days for work, which was productive. Then I was off to Ashburn, Virginia for a couple more days of work just in time for Worldcom to lay off 30% of it's workforce. So that was not nearly as productive though I did get spoiled rotten by my host for the couple days I was there for work. Thanks Lisa As I was in Ashburn I visited with a couple of friends I have in that area then went to DC and was spoiled by yet another friend. Thanks Mary. And I visited with a couple of people in DC and checked out a Caribian Festival. While I was there I went to a lovely Ethiopian restaurant for a early birthday dinner. Mmmm, I miss Ethiopian food. And my opinion of DC has changed for the better. Though, sorry Sheila, I am still not convinced that I would want to live there.

Then I went back to Detroit. For a couple days. I hung out with my mom. Was cremated in a few games of pool with her on my birthday. Then I went down to Chicago for the fourth of July to hang out with a couple of friends. There I went to the "Taste of Chicago" and saw a free Midnight Oil and Indigo Girls Concert. Midnight Oil was fantastic, though I do not want their CD they are good value live. And I am still not a fan of the Indigo Girls, but they were good background music while I ran around looking for my next taste at the food festival.

My last stop was back in Detroit to go to my friend Dave's wedding (It was a beautiful wedding and I was able to see a lot of people that I did not see my first week in Michigan.

After 3 weeks of summer I had to head back to Sydney. Though I really enjoyed being in the US I was ready to come back here. I had an interesting flight home where the guy in front of me ended up being placed in hand cuffs before landing (he was having a schizophrenic attack I believe) and the flight staff under reacted at the beginning of the night to what I believe was an over reaction at the end of the night. Any way I explain it, it made for a very uncomfortable flight. At least I had a really nice woman sitting next to me and we played cards a conversed the entire flight.

Now I am back home and have been for a little over 3 weeks. Yes, I am calling Sydney home. I was glad to come home to my bed, my room, my CDs, and my flatmates. The visit to the US was really nice but it made me realise that I am not ready to move back to the US yet. Hopefully Worldcom will agree with me and will not lay me off anytime soon.

Well in the past 3 weeks I have cooked a lot, gone roller blading, accompanied a friend who is a photographer on a photography trip tot he botanical gardens (http://www.rbgsyd.gov.au/) , saw the movie Psycho Beach Party (really funny!) , worked on my back garden and went to work.

This weekend I will be sleeping out at the Zoo with the Girl Guides and hosting a party. Here is the invite. I am sure that the weekend will be tiring but I am looking forward to it.

I think this is where I am going to end my update this time. I have filled more of the white space than I thought I could.

Still working at Worldcom…
Take Care,
Tia