Angie and Andy's Wedding

Yesterday was Angie and Andy's wedding, the official reason for my trip home. Things kicked off on Friday when Angie and I had our nails done at a salon next to her coffee shop (my first manicure and pedicure ever). We got all the wedding favors done while we were there- lottery tickets in little envelopes with a lucky penny. After our nails were finished we headed up to Healdsburg for the wedding rehearsal and dinner. Everyone practiced their entrances and exits a few times and I worked on my job as flower girls wrangler. The dinner was at an Italian restaurant and it was nice to catch up with some old friends and members of Angie's family.

Angie and I went out to run a few errands and then had breakfast on the morning of the wedding (the calm before the storm). We got our hair and makeup done before getting dressed and heading up to the Healdsburg Golf Course. It was a hot day but not too horrible. We did photos with the bridal party before the ceremony and then Angie went off to hide before her grand entrance. The wedding itself went very quickly. The flower girls did a great job getting down the aisle and the vows were over and done with before I could get a sunburn. After the family and wedding party photos we were finally able to join the reception inside. I got through my wedding toast and once dinner service was finished they cleared some tables so we had a dance floor. Everyone had a great time and I made sure to have a sample of each layer of the wedding cake when they finally cut it. Angie and I ended the reception dancing to New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle." The newlyweds are now off to Disneyland for their honeymoon, and will have a few days alone before Katie joins them mid-week.

Bay Area Fun

It has been a mellow yet somewhat active few days back home. I had Angie's bridal shower on Sunday and was happy to be able to attend. We had a few party games, including creating wedding dresses out of toilet paper. My group's efforts were not the best, but the others were very creative. I picked up my bridesmaid outfit from Angie's house, which thankfully only required a few alterations to the top. The wedding rehearsal and dinner are on Friday, with the wedding taking place Saturday afternoon up in Healdsburg. I think most things are ready to go.

I have enjoyed seeing my family and spending time with them. We all went out to dinner last night at The Cheesecake Factory and ate way too much food (the servings are huge there). I have yet to see my brother's new house, but hope to go up for a visit early next week when he is off work. I have also been on a few shopping excursions around Marin but have not found that much stuff that I like in the shops. I plan to go into San Francisco next week so hopefully there will be some good things to buy downtown.

Farewell

Today at work I got to have a morning tea in my honor not only because I am going on leave back to the States for two weeks, but also since this was my last day in my current role for the next six months. After a good month and a half of waiting for the paperwork to be signed off, I have now officially secured my secondment as a project officer to the Research Branch of the Education Policy and Research Division in the Department. It should be exciting as I'll get to do new things and this is the area I really want to work in. So I'm looking forward to that, but my immediate concern is getting my packing done and surviving the long flight across the Pacific on a United Airlines plane (which I am really hoping has had a major interior upgrade since I last flew with them).

Fran and Pete's Wedding

Today I was fortunate enough to attend Fran and Pete's wedding. The church service was at St. Dominic's in Camberwell. Fran looked beautiful as she walked down the aisle. It wasn't a full mass, but I was amused by the fact that the first reading was the same one I did at my brother's wedding. After the ceremony we got to congratulate Fran and Pete and also do a big picture with everyone in attendance out in front of the church.

The reception was held at Yianni's Tavern in Kew. Each table seat had a wedding favor of either hot chocolate or coffee, which I thought was really generous. Our food throughout the night was a mix of Greek and Italian tapas plates- and they didn't stop coming. We also had an interesting selection of music from the DJ. Fran and her friends had put together a CD of her favorite songs, but the DJ treated us to a good half hour of Greek music. It was entertaining to watch Pete's family dance and sing along to all these songs. Overall it was a great night, and I'm so glad that Fran and Pete have finally tied the knot. They now get to head off to far north Queensland for their honeymoon.

Slumburbia

Here's a really interesting article for those of you interested in housing and urban planning: "Is Suburbia Turning Into Slumburbia?" by Carol Lloyd.

The Footy Is Back!

These are very exciting times for sports fans in Melbourne because Australian Rules Football is finally back. It's the preseason at the moment, which means the NAB Cup is on. I joined Michelle and her extended family for tonight's semi-final match between Essendon and St. Kilda at Telstra Dome. Michelle's parents saved us some seats near the goal at the bottom of Level 2. We had a great view of the field and the game. It was a tight match with some pathetic umpiring decisions that resulted in St. Kilda winning by 3 points on a questionable free kick at goal with less than a minute to play. However, the Bombers have been very impressive over the last few weeks. New coach Matthew Knights has introduced a fast and entertaining style of play, and all of the younger players have been fantastic. It looks to be a promising season, which will kick off on Easter weekend.

The Music Moves My Feet

I have spent the last two evenings attending concerts. On Tuesday night Belinda and I headed over to the Northcote Social Club to see Little Red play at one of their Tuesday night residencies in February. Opening this week was Oh Mercy, a young Melbourne band that I was curious to see. I really enjoyed their set and they are another up and coming band to watch. Little Red was fantastic, as usual, and played for a bit over an hour. One of best things about the night for me was that I finally got my hands on a copy of their debut EP "Get Ready!" which I have been trying to get for months.

Photo by Tash

Wednesday night I joined Tash at the Prince Bandroom for Gotye and The Basics. I have been wanting to see The Basics live for a while now, and while I didn't get to hear the album tracks, we were treated to an acoustic set of all new material. Those three-part harmonies were so lovely. Gotye, otherwise known as Wally de Backer (and the drummer for The Basics), came out and played an amazing set of music. Wally's songs are created from a compilation of samples and vocals that he pastes together. It was amazing to watch him create this all on stage by himself. This show was scheduled to allow him to try some stuff out before the upcoming Laneway Festival, and while the lighting and visuals may not have gone quite to plan, it was still an entertaining evening. He finished up the night with a crowd sing-a-long of "We Are The World," which was quite funny.

Here's the video for "Hearts A Mess" by Gotye


Watch Gotye live at the Metro Theatre in Sydney on 29/7/07 here.

The Longnecks

I had a very special birthday evening last night because I got to see The Longnecks, otherwise known as The Living End, play a sold out show at the Ding Dong Lounge in the CBD. Ruth and Danny joined me for the evening. This was our first time in the Ding Dong Lounge, and it's a nice room. They have tables where you can play 80's video games, which I thought was cool. We enjoyed the second opening act, Yves Klein Blue, a band from Brisbane with a diverse number of great little songs.

The Longnecks came out to a roar from the audience. We were safely positioned by the soundboard off the main floor in order to avoid the mosh pit. The band played a very similar set to the St. Kilda Festival with some more new songs added to the set list since they didn't have a time limit:
- Raise The Alarm
- Hey Hey Disbeliever
- Loaded Gun
- Kid
- How Do We Know
- New Frontier
- Waiting For The Silence
- Faith
- Moment In Sun
- November
- Rats
- Suzy
- 21st Century
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- E-Boogie
- What's On Your Radio?
- West End Riot

A majority of the new songs have a much heavier rock sound than their previous efforts. There was some diversity though and some songs are more polished than others. I'm really curious to see what will make the album and what the final versions will sound like. For the encore they played officially as The Living End, and the energy in the room just went to another level. These guys are amazing musicians and so fun to watch live.

Sorry

Today Australia said sorry to its indigenous people.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's speech: text or video

The Hour Has Come. A Nation Says Sorry The Age Editorial

Hands Across The Nation by Professor Mick Dodson

St. Kilda Festival

Today was the St. Kilda Festival along the Esplanade and St. Kilda Beach. Belinda and I headed down to the festival in the afternoon and got there just in time for The Longnecks, aka The Living End. The boys are playing a series of shows around Victoria to try out the new songs in front of an audience before recording. They played a rocking 45 minute set of all new stuff and finished with "West End Riot." I'm really looking forward to seeing them again on Saturday night. After a very delicious hot jam donut break, we hit the Max Beach Stage and watched Operator Please, who sounded great. They even did a cover of Devo's "Whip It." We decided to head for home after their set before it got too chaotic in the evening. It was a gorgeous day down by the beach.

Rufus Wainwright

After an afternoon of catching up with Will and Helen at Edinburgh Gardens in North Fitzroy (they are in town from the UK), I headed into the city to see Rufus Wainwright play at Hamer Hall. Despite being a fan of Rufus since his debut album, this was the first time I had seen him perform live. I had a seat up in the balcony with a great view of the whole stage. Rufus has a full band with him for most of this Australian tour, and they were excellent and very versatile musicians. The setlist:
- Release The Stars
- Going To A Town
- Sanssouci
- Rules And Regulations
- Matinee Idol
- The Art Teacher
- Tiergarten
- Leaving For Paris
- Between My Legs
(Intermission)
- The Consort
- Do I Disappoint You
- Foggy Day
- If Love Were All
- Beautiful Child
- Not Ready To Love
- Slideshow
- Macushlah
- 14th Street
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- I Don't Know What It Is
- Poses
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- Get Happy
- Gay Messiah

The sound in Hamer Hall was absolutely fantastic- the best I have ever heard at a concert. My favorite songs of the night were "Going To A Town," "Slideshow," and "Poses." The lighting and staging really enhanced a lot of the songs and Rufus performed material from all his albums. We even got a few Judy Garland numbers- complete with Rufus in drag for the encore. It was an amazing concert and I am so glad I went.

Little Red- SoCo Cargo

Last night Belinda and I ventured down to SoCo Cargo in St. Kilda to see Little Red play as part of the Sunday Soul Sessions. SoCo Cargo is a live venue made out of shipping containers that has traveled around the country. It was very comfy inside- especially since we got to sit in lounge chairs facing the stage. The boys played two sets of 40 minutes each and had many people up and dancing by the end of the night. The harmonies were gorgeous, as usual, and it was good to hear the old favorites along with newer material (really liked "Sad Song.") They have such a diverse range of songs it will be interesting to see what ends up on their debut album when it comes out sometime this year.

Here's the video "Waiting" for your viewing pleasure:

Happy Australia Day!

Today is Australia Day, although you wouldn't really know it by walking around as most stores are open. The day definitely doesn't seem to hold the same significance as Independence Day in the US. Here are some opinion pieces from The Age to read around Australia Day and national identify:
Australia Day In Question by John Hirst
True Blue In All Its Shades by Peter Goldsworthy
Our Flagging Enthusiasm by Michael Leunig
Why It's Australian To Be Un-Australian by Larissa Dubecki

Juno

Tonight Belinda and I went to see the movie "Juno." It stars Ellen Page as Juno, a sarcastic teenager who ends up getting pregnant by her good friend, Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera. Juno decides to have the baby but puts it up for adoption. She finds a couple to adopt her unborn child through a local paper. The movie is very well written and explores not only Juno's feelings during and after pregnancy, but also that of the couple who are desperate for a child and scared that Juno will back out on them at the last minute. I thought Jennifer Gardner and Jason Bateman were great as the couple and a lot of their scenes were really touching. "Juno" has received four Academy Awards nominations, so you should definitely go check it out.

Conan Doesn't Need Writers

Happy New Year

It is 2008 here in Australia and soon to be in the United States. I spent my New Year's Eve at The Espy in St. Kilda with Tash and her friend Steve listening to various bands. We caught the second half of Children Collide's set, rang in the new year with Architecture in Helsinki and caught a couple songs from Rocket Science before heading home. It was an incredibly hot night as temperatures during the day were 41/106 degrees, and it was still 30/86 degrees by the time I got home around 3:00 am. I've been lying low today as it reached 41 degrees again, but a cool change has finally come through, so I should be able to sleep tonight. I hope you all have a fantastic 2008!

St. Kilda Esplanade

Today Missy and I took the tram to St. Kilda to wander around. Our first stop was to look in the windows of the cake shops on Acland Street. From there we walked to Luna Park so Missy could get photos of the entrance and then we headed to the stalls of the Sunday Esplanade Market. There were quite a few vendors there who were also at the Night Market on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Missy, the one vendor she wanted to buy from who had paper-mache ornaments was not there. For lunch we walked down the pier to the kiosk, where we had toasted sandwiches and hot chocolate. A brief rain shower passed over while we were eating, but the weather was calm again when we headed back towards the beach.

Once we were back in the city we stopped at a few shops so Missy could buy some souvenirs and gifts to take home. She headed back out to Brunswick Street for more shopping while I headed home so I could get some groceries and food for dinner. It has been great to have Missy here for a visit and I think she has enjoyed her stay in Australia. Tomorrow she flies back to LA, just in time for Christmas.

Yarra Valley Wine Tour

Missy and I were up bright and early this morning to meet up with our van for a wine tour of the Yarra Valley. Our tour guide was Cameron from the Australian Wine Tour Company and he gave us amusing commentary as we made the hour drive to the Yarra Valley from Melbourne. Our first stop was Yering Station, where we had our first taste of wine at 10:45 am! Missy and I sampled probably half of the wines available for tasting. After checking out their gift shop we went for a wander around the lush grounds and took pictures.

Our next stop was Rochford Wines. We went to their tasting room first, where we got to sample more wine as well as hear about the Day on the Green concerts they hold at the winery. After our tasting we went into their large dining area and sat at a table by the fireplace for our gourmet lunch. Both Missy and I had the grilled tuna with Asian greens, which was yummy. We also got a full glass of wine with lunch, and it was funny to see how most of the group were barely touching it. After lunch we checked out the grounds before heading back onto the van.

Yering Farm was the smallest vineyard we visited. Their tasting room is a former hay shed and they joked about the fact that the rust was authentic. Their wines are more boutique and aged longer than most other places. We were able to taste wines from their different ranges, which were all good. While we were there the skies opened up and it just poured rain. Thankfully it stopped as we went to leave.

The last place we visited was Domaine Chandon, the complete antithesis of Yering Farm. Our guide Cameron gave us a tour of the winery and cellars, explaining the different steps taken to make the sparkling wine along the way. We then went to their huge tasting room and had a glass of the sparkling wine of our choice, along with some cheese and crackers. Missy went for the red sparkling wine while I stuck with the classic dry. As the rain began to fall again we all headed back to the van for the drive back to Melbourne. The tour was really good and I highly recommend it if you are ever in town.

Evening Adventures

My cousin Missy has come to stay with me for a week, so we have been out having fun around town. On Tuesday night we headed down to the Corner Hotel in Richmond to see Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set in concert. The first opening act was Whitley who was drunk or on something because he didn't make much sense when talking. We thought shoegazer music was over, but he is bringing it back. He even did an emo version of Bjork's "Hyper-Ballad." The real stars of the night were Little Red, who played a very energetic set on the smaller second stage, including my favorite song of theirs, "Misty I." Missy was impressed and deemed them a band to watch. We stayed for most of Clare Bowditch's set but left around 11 pm as it was hot in the venue and we were both tired.

On Wednesday we were joined by Belinda and went to the Night Market at the Queen Victoria Market. It was another hot evening, but we checked out all the various booths and sampled the food. We had gozleme first and then the honey dumplings with chocolate and ice cream. While wandering around we even ran into Michelle and Ruth.

Tonight Missy met me at work and we headed across the road to The Commune for dinner and jazz, which is a regular Thursday night event. Mel had reserved a table, and it was good to see both Carlene, who is teaching at the Victorian International School of Sharjah, and Marg, who is doing teacher coaching at schools in New York. They were both back in Melbourne for the holidays. The jazz music was good (they played some Jobim) and my dish of pad thai was yummy. Missy and I had a delay of 20 minutes at the train station because of all the thunderstorms, but we managed to make it home safe and dry.

The Party Season

It's that time of year when you can't escape attending a bunch of parties. On Friday we had our Department Christmas party at work. By 2:30 pm most people were outside in the Printer's Court vying for shade and a cool drink. It was a very hot day so I only lasted an hour and a half before heading home.

On Saturday Michelle held her 30th birthday party at the Fitzroy Victoria Bowling and Sports Club. After eating a barbeque dinner we headed out to the greens to commence lawn bowling. By the end of the night my bowling had improved significantly. Michelle had four flavors of cupcakes for us to eat for dessert. It was a fun night and good to catch up with everyone.

Today I headed up to Kalorama for Peter and Mark's Christmas party. Rosemaree was kind enough to give me a ride. The boys have purchased more art since I was last up there, so we had a bit of an art walk around the house. Lunch was good but we had so much food to eat I was bursting by the end of it. I got a nice picture frame from Rosemaree and this beautiful bronze statuette with mirror from Peter and Mark. Overall it was a very busy weekend but nice to spend time with people I haven't seen in a while.

Bit By Bats- R.I.P.

I just found out that Melbourne band Bit By Bats have called it a day. It's sad when a talented Aussie band decides to break up. I first saw them on the Live and Local stage at Big Day Out in 2006. Unfortunately I never made it to any of their live shows around town (let this be a lesson to us all- go out and support your favorite bands). I really liked their debut CD "Go Go Go!" and I'm just bummed that there won't be any more music. Here are a couple of their video clips:

All Night


One Six One

The Age EG Awards

Last night Belinda and I headed down to the Prince Bandroom in St. Kilda for the The Age EG Awards. The evening was MC'ed by actor Angus Sampson and featured a wide variety of Melbourne artists. We missed a majority of the awards because we were eating dinner and didn't get there until an hour after it started. We did see Kim Salmon get inducted into the EG Hall of Fame and a two song acoustic performance by Nic Cester of Jet.

However, the main reason I wanted to attend was to see The Living End play their only concert of this year. The boys are currently recording a new album, but even though they've been in the studio they played an excellent set. The set list:
- Roll On
- We Want More
- I Can't Give You What I Haven't Got
- What's On Your Radio
- One Step Behind
- Uncle Harry
- How Do We Know
- Second Solution
- E-Boogie
- Raise The Alarm
- Who's Gonna Save Us
- Carry Me Home
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- Long Tall Sally (with Nic Cester)
- West End Riot

It was a fast paced hour-plus performance. We had the perfect spot to watch the show off to the side and up on a platform. The horn section from Hunters and Collectors came out to play on "One Step Behind" and a raucous version of "Uncle Harry." We were also treated to two new songs: "How Do We Know" and "Raise The Alarm." The new material sounded like dirty rock and was a throw back to their earlier material, but with less rockabilly. It will be interesting to see what the album ends up sounding like. I personally hope that they keep on the same path of growth that they showed on the last album "State of Emergency." In the encore Nic Cester came out and sang "Long Tall Sally" with the band and the night finished with an energetic sing along of "West End Riot."

Federal Election

Say hello to the new Prime Minister of Australia- Kevin Rudd. Thank God John Howard is finally gone and the Labor Party is in power.

Liam Finn- Melbourne Style

Yes, I went to see Liam Finn in concert again, this time at the Northcote Social Club. Danny and Ruth came along as well for the evening. Things started off with a solo acoustic set from EJ Barnes, who played old material and stuff from her upcoming album. During the intermission between acts Ruth encouraged me to go up to Liam and EJ at the merch table and get them to autograph a poster, which I did. I told them how I had seen them a few weeks ago in San Francisco, and they had very fond memories of the show and the City. The second support act theredsunband sort of reminded me of The Breeders and Mazzy Star. Their drummer quit on them a few days ago, but they are soldiering on with the tour (and driving to shows on P plates).

Liam came on around 11:00 pm and played for an hour. I was excited to hear a few songs off the new album live for the first time: Energy Spent, I'll Be Lightning, and Wide Awake On The Voyage Home. It was good to see that EJ now has some instruments to play with (including a cow bell). They both put on a great show together- highly entertaining and original as always. Liam is the loop master and has added a vocal looping microphone to his repertoire. The songs played (in no particular order):
- Better To Be
- Fire In Your Belly
- Energy Spent
- I'll Be Lightning
- My Army Of Birds And Gulls (yay, a betchadupa song)
- Wise Man
- Remember When
- Second Chance
- Lead Balloon
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- Gather To The Chapel
- Wide Awake On The Voyage Home

Advancement- Finally!

Before I went on leave to the States I had applied for a secondment to the School Leadership Unit in our department. While I was away they tried to contact me, so I figured by the time I returned they probably had filled the position. However, I was wrong and on Friday I was offered the position. Since time has passed it has gone from 3 months to about 7 weeks, but I am still excited to have the opportunity to do something different. I will also be getting paid on the next level of the pay scale, so that's even better.

In other Melbourne news, it is bloody hot at the moment- 36/97 degrees today and it's only spring! We have one more hot day before a change comes through tomorrow afternoon, but I am really dreading summer. Oh, and the blow flies are back. I hate them so much- annoying and they won't leave you alone.

Crowded House

On Thursday and Friday night I was at Rod Laver Arena enjoying Crowded House in concert. The opening acts were Irish band The Walls and Augie March. The first night we had seats at the back of the arena, but last night we were on the floor close to the stage. Both nights were fantastic and the set lists were very diverse. These arena shows could have easily been a greatest hits affair, so I was really glad that the band played so many songs off the new album.

Set List Night 1
Private Universe
Mean To Me
Don't Stop Now
Fall At Your Feet
Whispers and Moans
Heaven That I'm Making
She Called Up
Hole In The River
When You Come
A Sigh
Silent House
Don't Dream It's Over
Pour Le Monde
Distant Sun
Weather With You
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Locked Out
Something So Strong
World Where You Live
***********************
Fingers Of Love
Four Seasons In One Day
Better Be Home Soon

Set List Night 2
Private Universe
Everything Is Good For You
Say That Again
Fall At Your Feet
Don't Stop Now
You're The One To Make Me Cry
Walked Her Way Down
Love You 'Til The Day I Die
When You Come
Silent House
Italian Plastic
Don't Dream It's Over
People Are Like Suns
Distant Sun
Weather With You
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Locked Out
Something So Strong
Four Seasons In One Day
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Pineapple Head
Better Be Home Soon

I preferred night one's set list, but thought the crowd was better the second night (it probably helped that we were standing the majority of the time on the floor). Highlights for me were the end of Hole In The River (Matt had a great beat going), A Sigh (first time I've heard it live), and the fact they attempted Everything Is Good For You. We also got a brief bit of This Is Massive on the second night. There was the usual banter between the band and especially Neil and Nick. The stage backdrops and lighting were well done and incorporated elements from the Time On Earth album cover. All in all it was fantastic to see the boys live again and get so much love from the Aussie audiences.

Jet Lag

"Wherever you are, it's 3am and I'm awake."
- Neil Finn

Ah, the joys of jet lag. It's going to take a few days for my body clock to adjust to Melbourne time. I did survive my flights back yesterday, although we had bad turbulence on the flight to Auckland which left me feeling less than stellar for the rest of the day. Entertainment wise I watched Hairspray, a couple episodes of Flight of the Conchords and This is England.

It was a public holiday yesterday due to the Melbourne Cup (won by Efficient) and the streets were relatively quiet. I am back at work today, so we'll see how things have gone over the past three weeks while I've been away.

End of Another Trip

Well, it is almost time to head off across the Pacific again. It has been great to be at home and catch up with all my friends and family. Over the past few days I have been to both of my former schools- Wilson Elementary for Halloween and their Harvest Festival and Rancho Elementary for lunch on Friday. It was nice to see all the staff that are still there from my days as well as some of my ex-students (my last class are now 5th graders, and my first class is in high school).

I had an adventure out in nature on Thursday as Lynne and I hiked around Phoenix Lake in Ross. Of course I had to go and ruin the health benefits by having the creme brulee French toast at Bubba's Diner, but it was worth it. I also spent some time with Angie and Katie, who is now 2 1/2 and a bundle of energy. Overall I have had a fabulous time, did way too much clothes shopping (I do have a new suitcase to bring stuff back in), eaten lots of Mexican food and sourdough bread, and enjoyed driving again. Guess I better start packing...

Earthquake

It just wouldn't have been the complete California experience if I didn't have an earthquake while I was home. The Bay Area had a magnitude 5.6 quake centered in Alum Rock on the Calaveras Fault a little after 8:00 pm. It was a gentle rolling motion that lasted about 15 seconds. We could see the lamp shade shaking at our house but there was no damage.

Michael Clayton

My mom and I went to see the movie Michael Clayton this afternoon. It stars George Clooney as a fixer in a law firm- basically his job is to clean up all the messes. The plot centers around how Clayton's law firm is helping an agrichemical company settle a multibillion-dollar suit. The story is very well written and although it is a bit confusing at first, the plot starts to make sense as time goes on. If you are after an intelligent movie, this is definitely one you will want to see.

James and Simi's Wedding

Yesterday was the big wedding extravaganza for James and Simi. The day started very early at 7:00 am when the hair and make-up people arrived at our door. The bridesmaids and Simi got ready upstairs at our house while the groomsmen showed up dressed at the more respectable hour of 1:00 pm. As you would expect with a wedding, things got rushed the closer we got to the ceremony. It was slightly chaotic as the photographer andvideographer tried to get their shots of people getting ready. Originally there were going to be pictures of the wedding party before the ceremony but they ran out of time. We did get a nice family shot in the backyard though.

I left with the groomsmen in the limo to head off to church around 2:30 pm. My job was to make sure everything was set up correctly in the Mission. We put out the unity candle and programs and had some time to catch up with relatives outside. About 10 minutes before the scheduled start of mass everyone came in to find their seats in the pews. My brother was fairly calm as we waited for the bridal party to arrive. In the end it turned out that the hold up was my parents because they were trying to get the hair and make-up people out of the house.

The mass and ceremony went well. I was responsible for the first reading, from the Song of Songs, in which I got to utter the words "gazelle," "stag," and "lover" (4 times!). Both James andSimi became emotional when they were saying their vows and exchanging the rings. All in all it was a lovely ceremony and thankfully everyone fit into the Mission Chapel. After mass we did wedding party and family photos on the alter and then headed off to the reception while the wedding party had a little detour to B Street Tavern, where James andSimi first met three years ago.

The reception took place at Deer Park Villa in Fairfax. The cocktail hour was outside in the redwood grove, which was decorated with lights and pink lanterns. Everyone hit the bar and enjoyed the hothors d'oeuvres that were being circulated. We did lots of groups photos, including all the family shots- siblings, cousins, etc. During one of our pictures we smelled smoke. It turned out that my cousin's pashmina wrap had caught on fire from a candle on the table. We were disappointed that my brother didn't do his job and act to put it out first.

As it started to get dark we headed inside for the sit-down dinner. My mom, the unofficial wedding planner, did a great job making sure the tables were set up in an elegant way- right down to the napkin fold with name cards and menus inside. We started off with a spring mix salad and then people had a choice of chicken breast or prime rib for dinner. The best man, matron of honor and bride's father all gave toasts. We also got to watch a video of James andSimi's photos as they grew up and then pictures as a couple.

After the bride and groom's first dance and father/daughter dance everyone hit the floor. The DJ paced the music well and played all the greatest hits first. After the older attendees had worn themselves out on the dance floor he started playing more current hit music. The garter bouquet tosses and cake cutting went smoothly. The cake was really good and made locally. My brother was desperate for a piece of the banana/nut layer that was his choice and we finally found him one. It was a really fun reception and people had time to catch up with family members and/or dance and drink the night away (some more than others). Things started to wind down around 9:30 pm as the lights came up and people started to head for home. We stayed to clean up the tables and grab a few decorations and floral arrangements before leaving.

Today we had lunch for some of the out-of-town family members. James and Simi opened up wedding gifts and my brother's old room is currently full of boxes. They are going to have to move into a bigger place to fit in all these presents. It's hard to believe that my little brother is now married. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Wedding Rehearsal

Tonight was the wedding rehearsal for James and Simi's wedding. We all met at St. Raphael's Church at 6:00 pm and did a run through of the ceremony with the wedding party. Afterwards we headed to Ristorante La Toscana for the rehearsal dinner. It was a good night and I wasn't too brutal with my toast. Tomorrow is the big day!

Liam Finn

I was a bit bummed that I was going to miss Liam Finn opening for Sarah Blasko in Melbourne since I am out of town. However, as luck would have it Liam booked a show in San Francisco on his way back from New York at the Make-Out Room in the Mission District. Lynne joined me for the evening, and we also got to see my friend Squid (who actually let me know this show was happening). It was a very entertaining 45 minutes of DIY music from Mr. Finn, who was accompanied by EJ Barnes on backing vocals. The set list (in no particular order):
- Fire In Your Belly
- Better To Be
- Second Chance
- Gather To The Chapel
- Remember When
- Wise Man
- Lead Balloon

There were various noise jams and some funny banter as well. Liam told us that he was travelling on an Irish passport and when going through customs in Abu Dhabi they asked him why he didn't speak Gaelic. His response? "Gaelic my balls." Such a funny boy. For your musical enjoyment here is Liam's video for the single "Second Chance"

Fake Thanksgiving

One of my requests while I am home was to have Thanksgiving dinner since I will once again miss it at the end of November. Tonight we celebrated "Fake Thanksgiving" with my parents, James and Simi, and Lynne and Jeremy. We started off with appetizers and mulled cider and then headed to the dining room table for the main meal:
- Jello Salad
- Bread Rolls
- Turkey with gravy
- Cornbread Stuffing with Roasted Vegetables
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Pumpkin Pie

It was very delicious and just like a normal Thanksgiving dinner since we had the good china and silverware. I baked the pumpkin pie, which came out well. All in all it was a great night and I got to eat all my favorite dishes.

Driving the Bay Area

I have been all over the Bay Area the past few days. On Thursday my mom and I went down to Burlingame to have lunch with my mom's cousin. It was a fun trip as we got to look at some old photo albums from the 1940s that had pictures of my mom's side of the family. Debbie also cooked us a yummy lunch. On our way back up to Marin we stopped at The Village for a bit of shopping. I finally got a new laptop battery at the Apple Store (along with Danny's iPod) but I didn't see anything exciting in the clothing stores. That evening my mom and I headed out with Simi to Concord for her second wedding dress fitting. This was the first time that I had seen the dress and it is very pretty and perfect for her.

Since I was still not completely happy with my own dress for the wedding, Lynne and I headed into downtown San Francisco on Friday to find something for me to wear. I tried on about five dresses at Macy's in Union Square and thankfully found one that is perfect for the event. We also went down to Westfield Shopping Centre and encountered some strange activities in front of Bloomingdales. If you can figure out what they are selling in this picture, please let me know.

On Saturday I travelled north to Petaluma to meet Angie and the rest of her bridesmaids to get fitted for our dresses. Angie's wedding is in April 2008 and I am the maid of honor. Since I am out here we all got measured and worked out what sizes to order. The outfits are actually separates from Alfred Angelo, so we all have a tea-length skirt and then got to choose our own top. The outfits should take about four months to come in, and Angie plans to send it to me immediately so I can make any alterations if needed.

Into The Wild

Tonight Lynne and I went to see Sean Penn's latest film "Into The Wild". It is based on Jon Krakauer's book about Christopher McCandless, a recent college graduate who travelled through the US in the early 1990's and ultimately ended up in the Alaska. The film starts when he goes into the wilderness but flashes back to his travels and the people he encountered along the way. The cinematography is gorgeous and Eddie Vedder's soundtrack really fits in with the story. It's a fantastic film that I highly recommend as it will make you think about your life and evaluate if you are happy with who you are and the path you are on.

Favors, Friends and Food

I have spent the past few days catching up with people. On Sunday my brother and his fiance Simi came over to the house. We worked on assembling the wedding favors, which went fairly quickly. There are many little wedding details to complete, but everything seems to be coming together.

On Monday I finally got to see Lynne and Jeremy's new house in Kentfield. It is a nice and airy house with a fantastic view of Mt. Tam. Lynne and I headed to Fourth Street for some Starbucks and shopping. I found a cute jacket at Bella and Lynne bought some earrings. We grabbed burritos for dinner at High Tech Burrito and then settled in for some evening tv watching, including "The Bachelor." It was just like old times as we yelled insults at the desperate female contestants and bet on who wouldn't get a rose.

Today I ventured up to Angie's coffee shop for a visit and to catch up. We headed to Novato in the afternoon to hit the craft store and have lunch at Chevys- home of the best chips and salsa. I also went to Old Navy to return a couple of tops, and then I purchased two more shirts and a pair of pants for $24. Yay for sale prices!

God Bless Air New Zealand

I have made it home in one piece and not too tired. I started my journey with a Starbucks chai tea latte at Melbourne Airport after exchanging most of my currency. May I just say that Air New Zealand has awesome planes? I have suffered this Pacific journey on United's old stock for too long. I was able to enjoy more seat and leg room in economy and the self-entertainment options that your own screen the seat headrest allows.

Our plane was delayed for an hour in Auckland as they had to deal with "engineering difficulties," aka they couldn't get the engines to start. However, they did the equivalent of using jumper cables to get things going and away we went! The plane was surprisingly empty and I managed to get a row to myself. It wasn't the most comfortable way to lay down, but at least I got some sleep. I also enjoyed two movies on the flight "Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten" and New Zealand film Rain.

It was a comedy of errors once we landed in San Francisco. First, since we were late they had given away our gate so we had to wait for them to find us another one. Then they couldn't get the jetway to connect to the plane, so that was another 5+ minutes delay in getting off the plane. I did breeze through customs, grabbed my luggage and headed out to the Airporter, which came quickly. We sat in bumper to bumper traffic along 19th Avenue, but it cleared once we hit the Golden Gate Bridge.

It's amazing how quickly I have adjusted to being back home- doesn't feel like it's been 10 months since my last visit. There will be lots to do for the wedding, but I also plan to find time to catch up with people.

California, Here I Come

It is nearly time for me to leave for the airport and head home. I am flying Air New Zealand from Melbourne to San Francisco (via Auckland). The main purpose of this trip is to attend my brother's wedding at the end of the month. See you on the other side of the international date line.