Week 3

Karl and I turned over a new leaf today. We woke up and immediately started doing sit-ups, push-ups, and stretches. Karl wants to be able to do the splits before we come home, so I'm training him, and the pictures I've seen of myself lately make me want new arms, so he's training me. We'll see how long this lasts!

When I last wrote, I was about to give my first presentation. It went very well besides the momentary brain fart when I said that KY gets its name from the KY River that forms its northern border. Karl didn't call me out on my obvious blunder, and the Australians didn't know the difference. Numerous Rotarians told me how impressed they were with my speaking abilities (I bribed them to say that), and they asked lots of questions when I finished to both Karl and me (I really did bribe them with BG trinkets.) Darrel called my Powerpoint picturesque in the weekly bulletin. After the meeting, one the newest and youngest members, Alan, took Karl and I out for what was supposed to be an afternoon but turned out to late evening. Alan is a former policeman turned fitness trainer. On Wednesday nights, he trains a AFL (Aussie Rules, footy, etc.) team, and he let us come along to watch. He taught us how to hit and kick their football, and Karl assisted him with training. His wife, Norelle, cooked us roast lamb, potatoes, pumpkin, and peas for dinner. Mom, you'll be proud because I ate almost all of my plate. Throughout the evening we had an array of alcohol: champagne, wine, beer, and after dinner port, which explains why we didn't go home until 1 am, and we almost stayed over. They are a wonderful couple, and their kids are a hoot. (The four-year-old is almost four feet tall--no kidding! Mom and Dad are over six feet.)

This past weekend we attended District 9709's Rotary Conference. It was quite nice with lots of nice Rotarians and most of their wives. If Karl was in Rotary, I don't think I would be going to his conferences. I guess Australian wives are better than American ones:) They had some pretty good speakers over the course of the weekend, but they had one fantastic speaker. Robyn Moore was a professional voice-over announcer for Sydney's longest running comedy on radio and the National Spokesperson for the Make a Wish Foundation. She talked about removing c.r.a.p. (cinicism, resignation, anger, and procrastination) from your life to stop wasting time that we'll never get back. While all the speakers were good, the funny thing about Australians is that ALL their humor revolves around sex!

On a another note, I also spoke at the conference for about five minutes to introduce. I was told at 8:55 am that I was going to speak at 9:30, and then at 9, they said you're on in 10 minutes. It was a lovely impromptu speech I must say so myself:) Actually Darrel and Karl said it was just right. After I spoke, we were supposed to leave immediately, but a Rotarian stopped Karl. She was originally from Oregon, and moved to Victoria last year after meeting her now-husband at an international Rotary convention. She asked me to speak at her club and invited Karl and I down for whatever weekend I go to her club. She also invited us to Thanksgiving dinner, so now I don't have to try and cook a turkey in our microwave!

I haven't talked much about school this week, but I must tell you that it's seems so crazy down here. It's so laid back that I always feel like I'm missing something important. They have a phrase that they say almost constantly: "No worries." Just imagine me trying to say that sincerely, and you'll laugh for hours. I hope you are. Miss you all. I've downloaded some pictures, so click on the same photo link as before (under Week 1). There's only about a dozen pics because Karl is editting most of the pretty ones from Hawaii....


Britt