Australia

I am currently at my gate at the Melbourne Airport enjoying free internet thanks to Telstra. My flight to LA is, of course, delayed, as we're enjoying a rather foggy morning, though it's cleared up considerably since I first got here an hour and a half ago. I should still make my connection to Nashville fine - I'll just have less of a layover, which is fine by me. But they said that they were going to arrange new flights for everyone who would probably miss their connection and give us the details while we're on board. So I should be good either way.

I wasn't able to get a window seat, which is always my #1 preference, but I am at least in the aisle, which is better than being stuck in the middle of the middle section, which I'm sure would be yucky.

So anyway now I'm just trying to fill the two hours or so left until we start boarding!

A random thing that I thought was funny was that at the front of the airport, near where you check in, there's a suitcase store. When you're already at the airport, about to check in, I think it's a bit late to be buying a suitcase. Oh well.

Not sure what else to talk about. There goes a plane to Tokyo! I'm in a really great seat, facing the window that shows the runway. It's nice.

I just realised that I don't think I'm at my gate after all. I thought I was. But there's a sign over there saying that my gate is downstairs. But the escalator to get downstairs isn't moving. Hmm. I will have to investigate that sometime soon. But not just yet, as I am in such a very good spot.

Oh, I know something to talk about! Well, you know the status boards that say "Now boarding" or "Final call" or whatever? Well, for my flight, it said it wasn't leaving till 12:05pm and the status was "Relax." I was amused.

Ooh, look there's my plane! It's pulling into the gate. It looks like it's going to crash right into me! Hopefully it will stop before reaching the window. I think I'm right above my gate. So I just need to figure out how to get downstairs. Hopefully won't be too hard.

Hmm, what else to ramble on about. I am very excited about my in-flight entertainment system. Those pretty much rock. I wonder what movies they'll have? I hope they have High School Musical. They had it on my flight over in Feburary, so I decided to watch it, because I never had. But they turned off the movies when I still had about 20 minutes in the movie to go, because we had to go land. I mean, I can guess how it ended, but still, I'd like to see it.

Well. I guess I'll stop for now. This entry is sad and picture-less. Perhaps I will take some pictures using the laptop's webcam. Yes, I think I will!

Me!

The view in front of me. Unfortunately you can't really see out the window. Oh well.

The escalator that I think I need to go down. If only I knew how...perhaps I will investigate that soon.

Well, I guess that will do it. I may update again in LA if I'm bored and can get some more free internet. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of you soon!! :

All right, one more entry before I leave to come back to the States. I'll just have to catch up on the rest when I'm home!

Anyway, this entry is certain to be the cutest of them all, as it features my new baby-twin-first-cousins-once-removed!

Amity and Myles were born May 8th. Here are some pictures from their birthday:

I went to go meet them the next day, so here are some pictures from then! I am holding Amity, obviously, as she is pink.

Here is my cousin Phillip (their uncle) and his girlfriend with Myles.

But then Amity started crying, so I gave her back. More cuteness ensued.

And that is all the pictures I have of that. This was a really short entry! Oh well. I should probably be going to bed since I need to wake up and catch a plane! So I will do that! Talk to you all when I'm back in America!

The next exciting thing of note was 3 May, Roz's birthday. We went out to eat at a Vietnamese Restaurant. So here are the lovely pictures. They're all related to me except for the guy in the tan next to Eloise. He is her boyfriend, Brent, who has probably appeared somewhere on here before? I don't remember. Anyway. Onwards!

Also, here is a cute picture of Pigeon. He's my favorite cat in the Southern Hemisphere.

I will now lead you on a guided tour of the Porter house!

Come on in!

Here is the front room, when entering by the main door.

The computer room is next door. And there's my uncle! Hello, David!

We don't usually enter by the main door though. We usually enter from a sidish door, so here is the room you see when you go in from there. It's the main living room, with the TV and such.

Next is the kitchen!

Now we'll just walk down an adjourning hallway.

This is sort of Michael's room. But there's so much stuff in there that there's no actual room for a bed, so he now sleeps upstairs in my former study.

I've never opened this door, so I have no idea what's here.

Now we'll just turn down another hallway off to the side. Here we can go left or right. What will we choose?

Left! Here is a room of Roz's.

Right! Here is a somewhat under construction bathroom.

The toliet is in its own adjourning room, and you know what is special about Australian toliets?

The way you flush! You just push a button. One button for half flush, one button for full, depending on what is required. Quite a smart idea, really.

Now let's go upstairs! Here is a cupboard under the stairs.

Here is the entrance to the stairs. Or if you go straight, there's another room, I think where David stores some paintings and art supplies.

Up we go!

Here are are! Upstairs! To our left is Jordan's and Nick's rooms, along with my former study/Michael's bedroom.

To our right is Eloise's and my rooms, as well as the toliet and shower.

And here we are at my room! YAY!!

This concludes our tour.

All right, time to actually go to the Shrine. Visiting the Shrine was the main purpose of our trip today, anyway, as my uncle David had an exhibition there for ANZAC day.

Here is the Shrine.

Flowers and notes from ANZAC day, earlier that week.

A monument.

The eternal flame and I. It's been burning ever since the Queen herself lit it in 1954.

Once inside the Shrine Welcome Center, we immediately saw David's display. I don't think you were supposed to take pictures, but I did anyway. But I took quick and not particularly good ones. Still, it gives you an idea.

We then walked through the Shrine, where, again, I don't think you were supposed to take pictures. This time I was good and did not. But I did take pictures when we got outside to the very top. The view was spectacular. I took many pictures, none of which do it justice. You can see all the way out to the ocean in the first one. Just lovely.

And so was the Shrine.

Since this entry was less picture-heavy than my last, here is a random picture that doesn't fit anywhere else. Sometime during the following week, while at uni, I passed the juggling club. They were cool, so I took a picture.