Clarification

We're not along the baseline, we're in line with the baseline. Just like you would say you're sitting at the 40 yard line we are sitting at the baseline to the left of the ump

Live from the Australian open

Live from Rod laver Arena. Mixed doubles final on now. Mens final to follow starting up earlier than 7:30 pm or 3:30 am EST.

If you stay up to watch the game, you could look for us in re stands, although we're not all that close to the action. We are sitting second row from the top along the baseline to the left of the ump chair opposit the ump. I'm wearing a bright red canadiens shirt. Just in case you can spot us

Jesse

Surfing

Yesterday I took a surfing lesson with my neighbour.  It was much easier on the longer boards.  We took a 2 hour lesson and we had the day off today too, so we brought Amy and rented a couple of boards and taught her to surf as well.  It is blisteringly hot here though, yesterday hit 45 degrees, an all time high for the area we're in (Geelong).  It didn't get quite as hot today, but the sun was a scorcher. 

I have to work tomorrow at 4am, no fun a long 14 or 15 hour day I think, but fortunately most of that will be spent waiting and not out in the hot sun.  It's 4 pm here, I should go to bed soon, haha.

Amy might post some pictures, but if not I'll post some later.

Jesse

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Like a true aussie

Today we went out to Anglesea Beach to surf...it was an heaps of fun.  Absolutely exhausting but loads of fun.  Jesse was much at it than I was, but as you can see I almost got up. We were there for about 3 hours, and in that time I was successful in getting to my one foot and knee.  I would have loved to stay longer but man oh man it's exhausting.  Catching a wave, falling over and having to battle your way back is just so tiring.  Jesse was a great teacher, he even had me on the beach pretending I was surfing in the water like a real instructor would.  We got a board rental for an entire day for $25, and since Jesse went for lessons yesterday he taught me, probably the best $25 I have spent.  I certainly wont be eating anything with salt on it for a very long time, I think I drank just a little too much ocean water, and I think I ate my fair share of seaweed in the process as well.  I'm really not looking forward to tomorrow when I know my entire body is going to be aching, however I do think I'm hooked and can't wait to go back again, maybe next time I'll be able to get up.

On another note, school is going really well, had some marks back and I'm happy to say they were good ones.  Although I was a little bit confused with the marking system here at first, here things are marked as High Distinctions (HD) Distinction (D) Credit (C) or Pass (P), so getting a mark back that says D was little scary at first but I talked to some people and realized I was actually doing well.  I just finished two more courses this past week, so only 4 more courses and two sets of practicum to go!  Time is flying by.  I've got an entire week of maths this week coming...I'm not sure what to think about that yet.  

The weather has been incredibly hot lately...the hottest it's been in 100 years.  The last couple of days have been up over 40 degrees.  Yesterday the air conditioning wasn't working at school so I'm sure you can image how hot a lecture hall with 67 people in it could get.  I'm not sure I could handle it if our place wasn't air conditioned....last night we slept in the livingroom because it was just so much cooler.  I think we might do the same tonight depending on how the night turns out heat wise.  

well I think I'm going to go and hang out beach clothes up...cheers until next time 

xo

Highlights from the open

I've put together a few clips of our time at the Aussie Open, hope you enjoy the highlights, I think TSN would probably do a better job though, haha

here's the link

http://gallery.me.com/jwootton#100000

JEsse

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Another highlight clip, you can sort of see us

I've put a link to another highlight clip, also the picture about shows where we are, that's Amy in the Pink Hat.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1716442449/bclid1716440838/bctid9018904001

cheers

Last game of the epic five setter we had front row seats to

Here's the youtube link of the last game.  If you look closely you can spot us behind Gasquet (he's in white)  We're in the front row, left of centre, look for Amy's Pink Canadiens hat.

Jesse

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=8Oehg-oRQmQ&eurl

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Our part in the Australian open is over

It's up to the players now, we're on the bus back to geelong now. Don't know if they'll show any of the matches we were at, bit check the highlight reels for us, we're the two in the montreal canadians hats.

Front row Gasquet v. Gonzalez

Front row behind the court for the 3rd round match. Watch for us on the highligt reels

Live from the australian open

We've watched hours of tennis and are now sitting in front of the big screen in front of rod laver arena. It's a great atmosphere and we're going to watch a couple more games here then go home and do it all again tomorrow.

Cheers

Shiny New Car

I bought a car, yay, makes it easier for us to do more things on the weekends and after work.  It cost $2000, which is a really good deal considering that covered all the transfer costs, registration and roadworthy certificate.

I have attached a picture of it, it doesn't look like much, but it has a good engine and fairly new tires.

Jesse

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I need to cut back on salt in my diet

I get enough of it from the ocean when the waves toss me off the surfboard.  Yes, I finally tried my hand at surfing, but the circumstances for it were not ideal for someone who has never surfed before.

I went with my neighbour who bought an old surfboard for $55, it's a really small short one, which I'm told makes it quite a lot harder.  The beach we went too wasn't very busy, which was nice, but the waves were huge, it was a little scary.  Standing in front of them as they crashed some of them were 15 feet over my head.  (If I account for storyteller's bias, which is usually around a 50% markup, they were probably more like 10 feet over my head).  Even still, when they crashed on you, you didn't know which way was up for a few seconds.

In the end it was a fairly unsuccessful first attempt, I sort of got up on the board, but I did so while still holding the board, so I don't think it quite counts.  I think I need to use an easier board and actually have someone tell me what I am supposed to do.

That's it for now, next post, I hope to have a shiny new car (old and rusted might be more like it),

Jesse

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A cold Beer on a warm summer's day

I'm not sure I need to say more to make half of you jealous, I just hope I don't get burnt.  I have the day off today, don't know what I'm going to do with it yet.  It's not supposed to be that nice however, so I don't know about the beach.

I do miss Canadian beer though, they do have some here in some liquour stores, I've seen kokanee, moosehead and I think blue so far, haven't had any yet, far too expensive.

Jesse

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Fireworks from the water

Couldn't get this published to the blog for some reason, but have a look at how we started off 2009.

The file is aroudn 11mb so if you're not on high speed, it will take a while to load.

http://web.me.com/jwootton/Site/Blank.html

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Fireworks from the water

Couldn't get this published to the blog for some reason, but have a look at how we started off 2009.

The file is aroudn 11mb so if you're not on high speed, it will take a while to load.

http://web.me.com/jwootton/Site/Blank.html

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Post from the past

Well, I usually post from the future and this was from yesterday, so I suppose I am posting from the present.

It was a hot one today

Started work today at 6am because it was supposed to get up to 38 today.  It got to around 33 when we stopped and is just getting hotter.  Supposed to be 39 tomorrow.  I think that would melt all of your snow, well maybe not when couple with the high negative 30s shawville is supposed to get.  Think it's going to be an early work day tomorrow too because of the heat,  might finish early, so maybe a trip to the beach is in order.

How is everyone back home doing

Jesse

That was a post I wrote yesterday, but for some reason it didn't send.

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mmmm KANGAROO

I can now say that I have eaten Kangaroo...however I haven't even seen one alive yet, which seems a little wrong. oh well...it was yummy 

I'm beating Amy to the post

However, I will attempt to talk about something else as i believe that she is blogging about the huge awesome beach on Saturday.  I have now officially seen kangaroo twice in australia, once a dead one on the side of the road, poor guy, and another dead piece that was grilled up on the BBQ, it was tasty.  I do hope they weren't the same one.

It's supposed to be 38 degrees tomorrow so I start work at 6 in the hope to beat the heat.  we'll see how that goes.  Also we now have tickets to the Australian Open coming up at the end of January.

Alright, I better wrap this up or Amy might beat me posting.

Cheers

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SUNNY SUNNY SATURDAY AT THE BEACH

This past weekend Jesse and I traveled to Fairhaven Beach about an hour by bus from Geelong.  It was a wonderful day, the weather cooperated with us and when we arrived the clouds blew over and the sun was out all day long.  Fairhaven beach was GIGANTIC!!! Walking from one end to the other would take just a little over an hour.  It was a really great day, and a much needed day out.  These pictures are not to make you jealous, but rather to give you a warm feeling in the cold cold weather at home, so enjoy :) 

Sunday Jesse and I headed to Queen Victoria Market.  It was HUGE!! We didn't even get a chance to get all over the place, and we were there for about 3 hours.  We bought some really fun stuff for our walls, two aboriginal paintings, a map of Australia for the kitchen and then a poster of The Great Ocean Road.  We came home at the end of the day exhausted and needing some down time just sitting watching some NCIS. 

So today was my first day back to school after a month off...it was probably the BEST first day I have ever had! I am in love with the two courses that I will be doing for the next 2 weeks.  I'm taking Early Literacy which is focusing on teaching literacy development to primary students.  We jumped right in today and had to video tape ourselves reading a children's story to an audience.  I read Thomas and Grampa, great book.  Humanities is my other course, my profs and tutorial leaders are really interesting and I am really looking forward to doing the activities in the course. I am a little sad that these courses are only  2 weeks long.  

Well speaking of school I should get down to doing some homework. 

miss you all 

xo

a new look for a new year

 I thought I'd start off 2009 with a new look....and thought I'd share it with you at home. 

xo

Neglected Internet Space

It's been a while since I blogged, it seems a waste to leave idle internet space without using it (not that there isn't an unfathomable abundance of that out there)

So here's the update, I've been working pretty hard doing odd hours which is a bit of a pain, it's not the hours that are the problem it's the uncertainty of what time I will start and what time I will finish.  I've worked 12-5 or 6:30 to 10 before, very variable.

Christmas was good to me, Amy gave me an Apple TV.  For those who don't know what it is, follow the link http://www.apple.com/appletv/

I've been having a lot of fun with it, it also lets me stream internet content, albeit with some complexity.

The weather is beautiful here, I'm going to the beach tomorrow (unfortunately, I'll be working, but I might get to jump in the water)

We will hopefully make a whole day of going to the beach this weekend. 

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CHEERS TO 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!! 

(this post was supposed to appear at 12am on Dec 31st (home time) but for some reason my post did not post, so it's a little bit late) 

xo