Back to Two Fools

Hey there, to all the RBF (running blog family for the unitiated) crew, I am going back to my running blog Two Fools Running for all future posts. At some point I will add one last post to this site, for our family as a synopis of sorts of the whole 4 months away and print it to be added to our "Australia keepsake box".

So, you can join Jeff as he trains for the C.R.I.M. (10-mile "Coolest Race In Michigan) and me as I get ready for the Detroit Freepress/Flagstar Bank Marathon. We'll be running it again in a 5-person relay the same way we did last year, although, it looks like the team will get shaken up a bit as one runner has declined this year and at least one other is questionable.

See you all back at Two Fools Running!

Way to go Eddie!

Way to go Eddie!
Originally uploaded by ed_roth.

Eddie with his catch - a nice sized Taylor taken off the Gold Coast of Australia on July 25th, 2005.

A Swing and a Miss

Well, I am not really what you would call 'back in the swing' of things yet. I'm probably completely adjusted to the time as I have been home for a week now but still not really going to bed or to sleep anyway until 2 a.m. or so. It doesn't help that Eddie has decided to stay on Aussie time and goes to sleep even later than I do! O.K. - he hasn't really decided to stay on Australian time but he seems to enjoy staying up 'til 4 and waking up at 1 in the afternoon. Luckily, the weather here has been brutally hot and humid - mid 90's (or roughly 32 for you celcius types) and upwards of 85%-100% humidity so he's getting frustrated by being so hot in the morning and not really being able to sleep well.

Anyway, all of that is actually quite minor. I'm just not really adjusting well to being back yet - outside of the family, I don't even feel like talking to anyone, and for those who know me - this is a strange thing.

...
........

I've typed and re-typed text here at least a dozen times, deciding not to make public, details and feelings about those details, but it's safe enough to say that I'm still trying to, in my mind, make some sense out of the many situations that transpired there. Kind of go between being pissed, to "how could this happen", to despondent.
Thank God for Karen and the kids.

Birthday Girls: Addie 12 & Heather 4

Birthday Girls: Addie 12 & Heather 4
Originally uploaded by ed_roth.

Heather and Addie (a friend from the neighborhood) shared a birthday on Aug. 2nd - Happy Birthday girls! It sounds like Heather will actually celebrate her birthday, get this, 3 times. Once with her cousin and my side of the family at my brother's place this past weekend, once at our place on her actual birthday with all of her friends, and once in NY at the end of the month with Karen's side of the family. My kids actually have no idea how old they are - they celebrate their birthdays three times a year so by now Heather is about 12 and Eddie, who will turn 9 in early September actually thinks he's 27. He'll be applying for social security when he's 21.

Homecoming

Homecoming
Originally uploaded by ed_roth.

Ahhh, to be home at last! Eddie and I got home last night around 8:00 with Karen and Heather there to pick us up. What a great reunion that was!! Eddie ran to Karen and almost wiped her out and Heather ran at me full tilt - back together again on home turf - NOTHING better!! The whole trip back in total was about 28 hours so we were tired but definitely excited to be back and didn't go to sleep until after 1 a.m. I woke up today (only because the phone rang) about 12:30 and Eddie woke up at 3:00 in the afternoon! Sooooo, it looks like it will be a few days before we are readjusted.
After being away for 4 months it was so wonderful to be back surrounded by familiar faces, voices, signs, food, etc. etc. I'll write more later once we've settled a bit. Ahhh, to smell my own coffee, out of my own mug ... now that's morning! (even if it did start after noon!)

More Americans Down Under

Eddie and I stopped at a McDonald's this morning before heading to the train station (which we never made it to). A black family came in which is uncommon here and set next to us. AFter a few minutes I could hear that they were clearly Americans and I introduced myself. We started to chat a bit and found out that the "Dad" is the head coach of the professional basketball team here in Brisbane and he spends about 8 months a year here in Brisbane. He's played all over the world and at one point was even drafted by the Phoenix Suns after playing for the University of Texas. Check out: http://www.bullets.com.au if you're interested. Anyway, we talked for about an hour and he and his wife invited Eddie and I over for dinner tomorrow night! We are definitely looking forward to that - just sharing initial impressions of this area was so much fun. His son goes to school back in Texas and his daughter goes to school here (at least half if not the whole year). Anyway, somebody else has signed this computer out so.... more later.

Big Game Fishing

OK - the big day is set for this upcoming Monday - 5 hours of fishing off the Gold Coast. Cobia, Sharks, and Red Snapper are the three main targets for this time of year apparently with Wahoo and Mahi Mahi as second-stringers. We can't wait!

So last night Eddie and I played cards in the food court of a mall for 3 and a half hours before we went back to where we are staying - he beat in Rummy 500 - can you believe that?! Also, when we talked on the phone yesterday with Karen and Heather, I "gave Heather a kiss" over the phone to which she replied "yeah, but it wasn't real - where are you?" My kids are trying to kill me.

Hello? Hello?

Well, for anyone out there who still may check this out from time to time ...

After Karen/Heather left on July 6, Eddie and I spent about a week back in Brisbane and then a week on the road again; Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Geelong, bla bla bla bla. It all blurred and is still a blur. We had a great time and Sydney ... just fabulous! The harbour there is second to none - absolutely stunning. We took a harbor cruise and spent some time in Darling Harbour and eventually back to Circular Quay near the Harbour Bridge and Opera House icons - what a day!

We are very much looking forward to getting home, I know it may seem a little whacked out to some, but you hit a point where you've just been away too long. Thinking about one last hurrah - maybe a deep sea fishing trip on Saturday then back to the U.S. on Wednesday. Karen said she will stock the house with all-American stuff to welcome us home - can't wait! Will post photos etc. after we return - hopefully there will be some extremely large fish in one of them!

Just a quick addition

Wow - so much has happened since our last post! I will make this one brief as well unfortunately as internet access is neither easy or cheap when you are on the road! We spent 8 days down on the Gold Coast after we left Brisbane. We went to a theme park Dreamworld, for 2 days and Eddie took his first surfing lesson - and LOVED it! He seemed to do well and was able to get up on the board - I don't know - maybe 10-15 times - he had a total ball! Now he's Mr. Sufer Dude - every time he sees the shore it's all "Oh man, did you see that - I should be riding those waves!" Anyway - now down on the "Sunshine Coast" - I only put in quotation marks because we haven't seen any actual sun - it has been very cool to cold - temps in the low 60's and rain Rain RAIN! We've managed to salvage a bit of the early part of the week by sneaking out when it's not raining and sometimes just tolerating it and going to the beach in the middle of a rainstorm - wet anyways I guess!
We went to Underwater World today and spent the last few days in Mooloolaba trying to stay dry and exploring the shops there. Will head up to Noosa Heads tomorrow and then off to the Australia Zoo on Friday - the kids will love that based on their response to Underwater world today. All in all we are having a good time and just happy to be together. I will fill in all the blanks later. Have a great 4th of July weekend for all of you back in the U.S. - for those of you down under - pray for the end of rain (I know, I know, there's been a 55 year drought ... but does it really have to end this week?) :)