Catching up quickly

Preparations are well in hand for the wedding. 3pm on Wednesday December 30 in Son en Breugel. I picked up my new wedding ring last week and Rene's dad's wedding ring will be used by him (I had it polished at the jewellers). We are having seven nights in Seville and Granada after New Year (from the 7th). I booked the airline tickets yesterday.

My friend Merle and myself toasting a terrific night at the Sports Bar at the Paris Casino. Two for one Happy Hour deal meant I had to drink 2x26oz beers with my dinner, mind you so did Merle and her partner Ian (taking the pic). We had just been to see 'O' by Cirque du Soleil at The Bellagio. What an incredible experience, totally engrossing and entertaining.

This week I have been very busy with work and socialising. Rene had his 48th birthday on Tuesday and I surprised him by arranging a morning tea just for him plus at trivia that night I had a birthday cake for 14 people brought out before the music round and everybody in the pub sang 'Happy Birthday', which embarassed Rene no end. Oh, we also placed first that night and shared the money around. The next night we went for a birthday dinner to a lovely French restaurant nearby called 'Rhubarb Rhubarb'. There were six of us in the party, including a friend of ours who had her American boyfriend over for a week or two. She moves to the States in January.

Only five school weeks to go, then off on holiday. We don't leave here until December 20, so I have a little break before jetting off again.

There is lots more to report, but I have to quit and get to bed. I have my second shift at International in the morning and we have some troops returning complete with bag pipes and excited families in 'arrivals'. I really love my volunteer job.

Yes, I'm back...

Hi, back again after a big break. I had all the comments done for the photos last Sunday, but due to an error with Vista (feel free to insert swear word here) the comments were 'lost' when the 'publish' button was pressed. Owen was NOT a happy chappy!
Beautiful trees and homes in Lafayette Indiana, where I just spent seven days.

The court house at sunset. My first ever trip to the Midwest - and I loved it.


Covered bridges everywhere, to keep the snow from destroying the wooden bridge.
Amish farmer working with mules PLUS a motor on the thresher.

Pesky woodpecker decided to make Lafayette history and peck perfect holes in the walls of the house we were staying in. Nobody around had ever heard of it happening before. Solution was to caulk the holes and place four hawk silhouettes on the wall with duct tape.

Peter and Bernie had done a house swap - their town house in Lota, Bayside Brisbane, for a huge house in Lafayette. The SUV came with the swap. Terrific vehicle for six adults.

Harry Potter's Ford Anglia at the Chicago Museum of Industry and Science.

Many folk stood on the glass deck atop the Sears Building (now called the Willys Building) in Chicago. Alas the coward in me, totally ill at ease with heights anyway, refused to put any more than a toe on the deck's floor.

Chicago, now my favourite city in the world. Fabulous architecture, new and old, plus wide streets along with a lack of litter and grafitti. Locals have every right to be proud.

Public art was everywhere, plus beautiful gardens and architecture. Glorious!

Love this signage.

From atop the Sears Tower.

The top of the Sears Tower from my bedroom in a two level apartment.

From the boat on the architecture cruise - beside our apartment building near Printer's Row.

Where we stayed (I was on the top floor).

(below) - yes, I sinned. A selection of cakes at the famous patisserie at The Bellagio, Las Vegas.

Back in Chicago, the now iconic shiny spaceship landed in the Millennium Gardens.

Another creation in a public garden nearby. Simply impressive.

The water feature in Millennium Park. Projected faces of locals spurt water every 20 minutes or so (there is a twin upright opposite it too).

New City Center opening December 8 in Las Vegas. US$9 billion invested in this complex of hotels, apartments, casinos and shops - complete with its own three station monorail system.

Paris Casino, Las Vegas. Yes, it's as tacky as it looks, yet weirdly impressive. Unlike Chicago, it was very hot indeed, which limited one's enjoyment outside during the day.

'Whatever!' my favourite expression, much to Kay's chagrin.

Look, just to get back to some reality, this is the main street through my suburb 50 years ago. Perhaps some neon, but that's all. I just wanted to say that four nights in Las Vegas was perhaps one night too many. My friends Merle and Ian, from Portland, made my Las Vegas trip a lot of fun and it was terrific to spend time with them, but Vegas can swamp the senses. It is magnificently fabulous and awful all at once.

Don't laugh, this was Sandgate Road and Julia St intersecting around 1909.

A local watering hole, still functioning today with faux Tudor panelling.

A local Nundah home built with the kitchen in a separate section (just in case of fire). This is built around 1880.

This hotel, the Prince of Wales, was built around 1879. This was it in 1929. It burned down around 1957, replaced now by something in boring '60's brick.

Myself, Di, Rene and Di's husband Torquil - my oldest friends - at Brisbane's 150th birthday celebrations just before I left for America.

This is a cottage in the back blocks in the US rented recently by my friends Polly and Kit. It looks very idyllic and isolated. Seriously not Las Vegas or Chicago! They like it like that.
Here's my god daughter's new son, Gruffydd. Yes, Griff has a Welsh dad. The boy is just so wonderful. Di and Torquil are one set of grandparents here in Brisbane, the Welsh set of grandparents arrive at the time we leave for Holland.

WELL, TEXT SHORTER, BUT NOW COMPLETED. SORRY FOR THE DELAY.