Wear My Wardrobe- Day 26

It is Saturday in Melbourne, which means it's raining (again).  Today is a good day to relax, get laundry done, and pack as I am off to Hobart tomorrow for a conference.

Today's outfit:
Plaid shirt (H&M)
Jeans (Old Navy)

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 25

It is a long trek up the two sets of escalators to get out of Parliament Station in the morning.  I usually walk up the first set, but the second one is twice as long so I just tend to stand to the left and let others tackle the climb.  Another work week is coming to an end and tonight I am off to The Hi-Fi Bar to see my faves Oh Mercy play their last headline show of the year.

Today's outfit:
Grey cardigan (Merona)
Floral top (Old Navy)
Olive corduroy pants (Old Navy)
Sandals (Diana Ferrari)

Photo by Onagh

The Harpoons and Boy & Bear

This week is Melbourne Music Week, with today being the Live Music Safari where over 60 acts were playing for free in various venues around the city.  Tash and I met up at The John Curtin Hotel in Carlton to catch the first act of the night on bill there, our beloved and much missed band The Harpoons.  They started the evening with "You're The One I Love" and played a half hour set of old and new songs, including "Faith" and the fantastic new single "Keep You Around" (have a listen here). Bec Rigby's voice was as amazing and powerful as I remembered it to be, and the band harmonies were lovely.  It is so great to have The Harpoons playing live again and hopefully a debut album is on the horizon.

I also had another concert to attend this evening, which was the first of two shows at the Palace Theatre by Boy & Bear in support of their debut album Moonfire.  I arrived at the venue as Ball Park Music was finishing their set and caught their last two songs "Sad Rude Future Dude" and "It's Nice to be Alive."

Boy & Bear came out onto the stage to big cheers from the crowd and started their set with "Lordy May." They played the majority of both the Moonfire album and With Emperor Antarctica EP.  Highlights of the set for me were "Blood To Gold," "Mexican Mavis," "Milk & Sticks" and "My Only One" (the end part of that song gets me every time).  The band were accompanied by a violinist and cellist on several songs, and the crowd sang along to almost everything, including their cover of Crowded House's "Fall At Your Feet."  Towards the end of the set they brought out all the supporting bands to sing backing vocals on "Big Man" and then finished the evening with their hit single "Feeding Line."  Staying true to previous tour stops in Melbourne the boys continue to maintain their tradition of not playing encores.  It was an excellent show and all the touring they have done this year has made them into a really tight live band.

Here's the video for the latest single "Part Time Believer"

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 24

Today was a day of industrial action in the city.  The Community and Public Sector Union held a stop work rally at 11am around our campaign for Fair Pay For Fair Work from the Victorian government because 2.5% is not enough.  Considering our department executives have been receiving yearly bonuses of around 14%, I think the government can at least give the public sector workforce something that meets the current CPI level of around 3.6%.  After gathering for the rally we marched to the steps of Parliament House.  We also joined the big Australian Nursing Federation community rally at lunch time where they marched from Bourke Street mall to Parliament House.  It was a sea of red along Bourke Street as the nurses fight to maintain and improve nurse patient ratios and ensure a high quality public health sector.

Today's outfit:
Black shirt (Now)
Grey striped pants (Old Navy)
Black flats (Tony Bianco)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 23

Enjoy my artsy elevator shot.  Only seven more days to go in the challenge!

Today's outfit:
Purple dress (Old Navy)
Black tights
Black boots (Diana Ferrari)

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 22

If there is one store you should not allow me to go into, it is JB Hi-Fi.  I am old school in that I like to buy physical CDs, and I have quite the music collection of them at home.  It is also impossible for me to leave the store with just one CD, as you can see from today's photo.

Today's outfit:
Blue-green top (Gap)
Grey pants (Gap)
Black flats (Tony Bianco)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 21

Today's photo finds me in Parliament Gardens by the Coles Fountain.  We walked past here on our way to lunch at the always yummy MissChu tuck shop on Exhibition Street.

Today's outfit:
Floral dress (Banana Republic)
Black heels (Steve Madden)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 20

Unfortunately the weekend is almost over.  I went to the gym this morning, did my grocery shopping, and then had a surprise visit from Chantal, which was nice.  We spent the afternoon chatting in my courtyard, site of today's photo.  Now it's time to cook some dinner.

Today's outfit:
Black striped long sleeve shirt (Gap)
Brown corduroy pants (Old Navy)
Flip flops (Old Navy)

Photo by Chantal

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 19

It is a very rainy Saturday in Melbourne.  I ventured out into the elements this morning to The Cutting Edge on Sydney Road for a much needed haircut.  See how nice my hair can look when professionally blow dried?

Today's outfit:
Striped shirt (Gap)
Jeans (Gap)
Boots (Blundstone)

Photo by Kali

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 18

It's not surprising that I have a massive sweet tooth (especially since I love to bake).  Since it's Friday and also very hot outside, Zoran, Onagh and I decided to treat ourselves to some afternoon tea at Koko Black.  I had a piece of opera cake and an iced chocolate.  Slightly decadent.

Today's outfit:

Black polka dot top (Ann Taylor Loft)

Red corduroy skirt (H&M)

Sandals (Diana Ferrari)

Photo by Onagh

Georgia Fair- All Through Winter Launch

After a drink at Tuscan Bar and dinner with Chantal, I headed to The Toff last night for Georgia Fair's sold out All Through Winter album launch.  There were already a fair number of people in the venue when I arrived, and it was a very young crowd.  The first act of the night was singer-songwriter Carry Nation (aka Jessie Warren).  She played a solo set on electric guitar and had some interesting thoughts that she shared in between songs, including her obsession with whales.

Next up was Slow Dancer, which is Simon Okely from Oh Mercy's solo project.  Simon played the first couple songs solo on guitar and then was joined by James Harding on bass and Rohan Sforcina (also from Oh Mercy) on drums.  The songs had a really great laid back vibe and groove to them, and as expected, excellent guitar playing by Simon.  I was very impressed with his set, and he finished with "Leave It To Me."  I grabbed a free Slow Dancer postcard from Eliza Lam, who was working the merch desk, and told her I'd see her next week for Oh Mercy's gig at the Hi-Fi Bar.

The room was absolutely packed for Georgia Fair, and Tash, Jessie and Heath arrived just as they started their set.  Jordan and Ben played most of the songs with a band but also did a few by themselves.  Their set consisted of songs from the new album as well as a few from their previously released EP.  "Picture Frames" got the biggest reaction from the crowd, and other standouts were "Times Fly," "Float Away," "Simple Man" and "Where You Been?"  Thankfully the crowd were respectful and attentive for the tracks from new album, which are more mellow songs.  The boys have recently moved to Melbourne, so hopefully there will be more local shows in the future.

Here's the first single off the album, "Where You Been?"

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 17

I do not have a car here in Melbourne so I am a frequent user of public transportation.  Since I live close to the city I can either take the train or a tram (site of today's photo) to get to and from where I need to go.  One downside to the way Melbourne's public transport system is designed is the fact that it's hard to get across town as most lines run in and out of the city.  This often leads to longer travel times, but it's something I can deal with.  Even if I did have a car, I don't know when I would use it as I wouldn't drive into the city for work and everything else I need is in walking distance of my home.

Today's outfit:
Purple dress (Ric Rac)
Sandals (Diana Ferrari)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 16

I should be at the gym but instead I'm having drinks at Tuscan Bar.  Oops.  Actually I wasn't planning to go today as I am off to see Georgia Fair at The Toff tonight.

Today's outfit:
Magenta top (Jacqui-E)
Long sleeve black top (Old Navy)
Black pants (Old Navy)
Flats (Tony Bianco)

Photo by Chantal

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 15

While wandering through Treasury Gardens I was a bit surprised to come across a memorial to President John F. Kennedy (site of today's photo).  It was designed by sculptor Raymond B. Ewers and erected in 1965 to remember Kennedy's service as President of the United States.  The memorial is surrounded by a pond which is used by ducks, including some very cute little babies that hatched recently.

Today's outfit:
White blouse (Banana Republic)
Brown skirt (Ann Taylor Loft)
Brown heels (Steve Madden)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 14

Tonight after work a group of us went to see economist and Federal Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh speak about The Economics and Politics of Teacher Merit Pay at an event run by the Grattan Institute.  It was an interesting discussion and Q&A session in addition to being very relevant for my current work.  Afterwards we headed to Seamstress on Lonsdale Street (site of today's photo) for drinks and a bite to eat.

Today's outfit:
Dress (odille)
Black cardigan (Charter Club)

Photo by Elvira

Brous EP Launch

Last night I headed down to the recently opened Phoenix Public House (formerly The Spot) on Sydney Road for Brous' sold out EP launch.  First on the bill was American born actress and singer Jane Badler and The Give.  She played a couple songs from her albums and did a cover of Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head."

Next up was Lost Animal, who were a bit delayed in starting due to technical difficulties.  Featuring Jarrod Quarrell on lead vocals and keyboard, and Shags Chamberlain on bass, they played an interesting set of music that also utilized instrumental samples from a computer.  I liked Jarrod's vocal delivery and enjoyed quite a few of their songs, including "Say No To Thugs" and "Lose The Baby."

Soon the voices of La Voce Della Luna filled the room.  Performing in a space at the side of the venue, this amazing intergenerational choral group of 30 or so Italian women sang traditional songs in Italian accompanied by an accordion and tambourine.  Sophia Brous even came out and joined them for "Bella Ciao."  Unfortunately there were people talking at the bar while they sang, which made it a bit difficult to hear.  However I found them very entertaining and they nearly stole the show.

Sophia Brous and her band then entered the stage and started their set with the current single off her EP "Little Ticket."  Sophia was wearing this great blue long sleeve dress with pearl and gold buttons down the front.  They played all the songs from the EP as well as a few new ones, with "Streamers," "Way Up On The River" and "Oh My Brother" being highlights.  Sophia has an amazing and powerful voice and she alternated between two microphones- one normal and one with an echo effect.  Sophia also sang a duet with Conrad Standish from the band Devastations, who was DJing for the evening.  All in all I was quite impressed and the current buzz around Brous is definitely justified.  I look forward to catching her playing live again soon.

Here is the video for her first single "Streamers":

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 13

One of the down sides of having a washing machine/dryer combo is that clothes come out more wrinkled than if you have a separate dryer.  Here I am ironing clothes I won't be wearing again until December.

Today's outfit:
Green short sleeve shirt (Wednesday)
Black yoga pants (Gap)

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 12

It's been a beautiful day in Melbourne, although I have spent most of it inside cleaning my apartment.  Tonight I am heading out for the Brous EP launch, which should be fun.

Today's outfit:
Purple short sleeve top (Gap)
Grey jeans (Old Navy)

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 11

Happy Friday!  Today I am practicing my starfish pose (as learned from Inge in Body Balance) on the grounds at work.

Today's outfit:
White floral top (H&M)
Jeans (Levi's)
Sandals (Diana Ferrari)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 10

Today's photo finds me in front of the Great Petition, created by Susan Hewitt and Penelope Lee in 2008 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in Victoria.  The artwork, which is fabricated in rolled steel and painted white, references the "Monster Petition" signed by 30,000 Victorian women in 1891 calling for the right to vote from Parliament.

Today's outfit:
Teal top (edme & esyllte)
Black pants (Old Navy)
Boots (Sandler)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 9

Working in and around historically significant buildings means there are many interesting little spots to explore- like the basement where the vaults are located.  As you can see, some of these doorways are quite small in comparison to today's standards.  I often wonder what kind of sinister things have gone on down here in the past (the building was built in 1875). It's another warm and humid day in Melbourne and I am hoping I will not have to swim home tonight due to the expected thunderstorms and potential flash flooding.

Today's outfit:
Black top (Merona)
Black camisole (Old Navy)
"Mad Men" berry skirt (Banana Republic)
Sandals (Diana Ferrari)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 8

I awoke this morning to thunderstorms in Melbourne, so it was a bit tricky finding something to wear considering it is warm outside but also wet.  Today's photo was taken in Treasury Gardens.  I apologize for the wrinkles on my dress- I was sitting in meetings for 3 straight hours this morning (fun!).

Today's outfit:
Green dress (Maeve)
Flats (Tony Bianco)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 7

It's another work week, but at least we are having our divisional morning tea this morning.  A sugar hit will help me make it through the day (and I will work it off in kickboxing at the gym tonight).  Today's photo is taken on the grounds at work.

Today's outfit:
Floral top (Banana Republic)
Grey pants (Old Navy)
Ankle boots (Sandler)

Photo by Youla

They Will Have Their Way: The Songs of Tim and Neil Finn

Tonight Tash, Mary and I met up in St Kilda for the They Will Have Their Way tribute concert featuring the songs of Tim and Neil Finn.  After a quick dinner at Grill'd we headed over to the Palais Theatre and took our seats in the orchestra section.  The performers on this tour all feature on the newly repackaged They Will Have Their Way album: Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby, and Sally Seltmann (solo and as Seeker Lover Keeper), Paul Dempsey, Clare Bowditch, Lior, and Alexander Gow (Oh Mercy).  Each artist played several songs either by themselves or with others.  There was also a backing band to round out the sound of the songs, which spanned all eras of Tim and Neil's careers: Split Enz, Crowded House, Finn Brothers, and solo.  

There were so many great versions of the songs, but my favorites were Clare, Sarah, Holly and Sally doing "Fall At Your Feet," Lior's "Into Temptation," Sarah's "My Mistake," Paul's "Message To My Girl," Seeker Lover Keeper's "Sinner," Paul and Clare's "Turn and Run" (the one song I was hoping would get played), and Alex's "Now We're Getting Somewhere."  I felt the crowd was subdued and a bit dull since they wouldn't really sing along or interact.  Clare and Alex were the funny ones on the night and had us laughing a lot.  The encore saw all the artists come onto the stage to finish with "It's Only Natural" and "Weather With You."  All in all it was a great show with some interesting interpretations of the Finns' amazing songs.

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 6

I have ventured to St Kilda this evening for dinner and the They Will Have Their Way Finn tribute concert. Today's photo is taken in front of the entrance to Luna Park.

Today's outfit:
Blue dress (Old Navy)
Sandals (Diana Ferrari)

Photo by Mary

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 5

It's the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival with Emirates Stakes Day at Flemington Racecourse.  Thankfully the Kardashians fled Australia so they did not make it down to Melbourne for today's races.  The weather is quite warm, which is a nice change from the rain and cooler temperatures we've been having.  I've just been doing normal Saturday activities- laundry, grocery shopping, and cleaning.

Today's outfit:
Black top (StudioM)
Olive shorts (Now)

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 4

TGIF!  It's always good to get to the end of another work week.  Fridays are casual dress days in the office and usually a time for drinks after work.  Mary and I met up with Chantal at Tuscan Bar and we hit the rooftop bar since the sun was out.  After a drink and catch up we went for dinner at China Red (site of today's photo), a sister restaurant of HuTong Dumpling Bar.  We feasted on an assortment of dumplings from the touch screen menu, which were all delicious.

Today's outfit:
Pink polka dot top (Merona)
Black long sleeve shirt (Merona)
Jeans (Gap)
Sneakers (Puma)

Photo by Chantal

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 3

One of the great things about working in the city is all the little cafes in the surrounding area.  Taking a "coffee break" (more hot chocolate or chai latte for me since I don't drink coffee) is a good way to break up the work day and get out of the office.  This morning we went to Little Bean Blue, which is the site for today's photo.

Today's outfit:
Black top (INC International Concepts)
Plaid wool skirt (Gap)
Boots (Diana Ferrari)

Photo by Onagh

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 2

It's a grey and chilly day in Melbourne so I am dressed accordingly.  The office is also a bit quiet today (perhaps post-public holiday sadness).

Today's outfit:
Green dress (Gap)
Black sweater (Old Navy)
Black tights
Boots (Diana Ferrari)

Photo by Youla

Wear My Wardrobe- Day 1

It is a public holiday today due to it being the Melbourne Cup.  As a result, I have been spending the day relaxing at home.  The winner of the race that stops the nation was Dunaden from France by the absolute slimmest of margins (it really should have been called a dead heat with Red Cadeaux).

Today's outfit:
Purple long sleeve top (Old Navy)
Black camisole (Old Navy)
Grey corduroy pants (Old Navy)

NaBloPoMo: Wear My Wardrobe Challenge

Tomorrow begins National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) where you post at least once a day for the 30 days of November.  This will be my third time participating, but I've decided to do something a bit different this year.  Inspired by my friend Inala's Frocktober effort of wearing a different dress everyday, I have decided to challenge myself to "Wear My Wardrobe" and not repeat an item of clothing during the month of November.  Most people only wear about 20% of their wardrobe.  I have two closets and a dresser full of clothes, so finding something different to wear each day should not be an issue.  I will document my efforts here with a daily photo of my outfit and try to put all those years of watching America's Next Top Model to good use.  Here's hoping Melbourne continues its predictably unpredictable weather throughout the month.

Napoleon

I just made a Napoleon dessert for the first time and yes, it tastes awesome. This is also why I will be hitting the gym on Sunday.

The Good China at Cherry Bar

It has been almost a year since The Good China last played a show, so when Tash and I learned they would be returning to the live stage we had to be there.  I headed out into the rain last night and got to Cherry Bar towards the end of The Harlots energetic set, with Tash arriving shortly after (driving down from Ballarat, such is her dedication). 

The Good China still have eight members, but a new bass player.  They started their set with a new song and then launched into "All Nothing," complete with hand clapping from various parts of the crowd.  The set list was a mix of some pretty good sounding new numbers and old favorites like "If Pain Persists" and "We Found 3 Whistles."  We also got to hear their new single "No More Maps, No More Roads," which was another favorite from previous gigs.  It's so nice to have The Good China back on the Melbourne live scene and I look forward to catching them again soon.

The Queen in Melbourne

The Queen and Prince Phillip were in Melbourne today for a very quick visit lasting about 4 hours.  They opened the new Royal Children's Hospital, then traveled to Federation Square to see an Indigenous art exhibit at the Ian Potter Gallery.  After walking through Fed Square and greeting the massive crowd (measured as "five times bigger than for Oprah") they boarded the "Royal Tram" and took a ride down St Kilda Road to Government House for a reception in their honor.  Soon afterward they were back on a plane to fly to Perth for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the main purpose for The Queen's trip to Australia.

Melbourne Festival

Over the past few weeks the Melbourne Festival has been going on around town, featuring dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia and outdoor events by Australian and international artists.  Today at lunch I finally managed to get out of the office to see the Angels-Demons. Parade statues by Russian art collective AES+F that are dotted around Swanston Street and St Kilda Road.  I saw four of the seven giant statues at Town Hall, City Square, St Paul's Cathedral and Federation Square.  Each one is a different shape and size, and are quite amazing to come across in the middle of an urban landscape.

After having drinks and dinner with Chantal and Amrita at a bar along the Yarra River in South Wharf, I walked to the Arts Centre to see the remaining three Angels-Demons. Parade statues and catch the light show Cacophony: The Art of Conflict by Australian projection artists The Electric Canvas.  The walls of Hamer Hall and the State Theatre were used for a series of different projection vignettes- some going on simultaneously and others alternating.  I watched for about 15 minutes and one of my favorite projections was a paint ball war where guns and cannons appeared and then paint splotches hit the opposing buildings.  This is the last week of the Melbourne Festival so be quick if you watch to catch any of the events or shows.

Yet Another Music Video Graced By My Presence

I have recently discovered that I am in yet another music video!  This time it is Little Red's "Get A Life" which uses footage that was shot during their show at The Palace earlier this year.  You can see me around the 0:29 and 4:18 marks in the crowd to the right of the soundboard.  Look for Mary who has her camera up blocking her face and I'm next to her on the left.  For those of you in the US, Little Red are coming to the States and playing some shows in October/November, so go check them out!

Gotye- Making Mirrors Tour

After meeting up for dinner at Tazio on Flinders Lane, Tash, Mary and I headed over to The Forum for the first of Gotye's four sold out shows in Melbourne in support of his chart topping album Making Mirrors.  We arrived during the second half of Oscar + Martin's set.  They sounded okay but had some tech problems at the end so played a song doing the beats on the drums and rapping freestyle.

Gotye started his set with "Making Mirrors" and then played "Eyes Wide Open."  Wally once again had the 10 piece mini-orchestra with him and used many of the same animations as at the Sydney Opera House album launch last month.  The audience sang along to a lot of the songs, which was exciting since the album has only been out for a little over a month. "State of the Art," "I Feel Better," "Smoke and Mirrors," and the number 1 single "Somebody That I Used to Know" (this time performed with Kimbra's recorded vocals) were highlights of the night.  Unfortunately Wally has been sick during the week and was starting to lose his voice by the end of the night.  This may have resulted in a song or two being cut out of the set list, but he did come back out for an encore and played "Learnalilgivinanlovin."  It is amazing how much success Wally is having with this new album and I hope the momentum keeps building for him both here and overseas.

Here's a short documentary on the making of Making Mirrors

When Silence is Hard to Find

Flights back to Australia from the States are usually during night time, so it's often easier to try and get some sleep.  However, when you have a toddler who is not a happy flier and spends the majority of the time crying, it makes sleeping difficult.  The other kids on the plane did great, but this one child could not be consoled, which did not make for a fun 12 hours from San Francisco to Auckland.  In addition, the Auckland to Melbourne leg had a fussy baby (but at least that was only a 3 1/2 hour flight).  I tried to block out the noise by listening to music and watching some episodes of Modern Family as well as the movies Something Borrowed and The Switch.  I am glad to be back in Melbourne, but not surprisingly I feel a bit tired.  We will see how long I can manage to stay up today.

Logan

One of the best things about being in the States these past three weeks has been getting to spend time with my nephew Logan.  He was only a few weeks old when I last saw him so it's been fun to play with him now that he's nearly 2 years old.  Logan is a sweet, calm, good-natured boy who loves cars and trucks and running around. And he hasn't been that shy around me, which could be in part because my parents show him photos of me when he's at the house.

My brother and I took him to the park one day and he immediately grabbed my hand and led me around to the different play structures.  James, Simi and Logan have also been over for dinner a couple of times and Logan loves to run around in the backyard and explore things.  Today my parents and I got to babysit him since James and Simi both had to work.  It's going to be sad to leave and fly back to Australia today, but mostly because I won't get to play and hang out with Logan until I'm next in the US.

Heading Back North

My Southern California road trip has come to an end.  This morning we all went to have breakfast at IHOP and then Lei dropped me off at the airport in Burbank before driving back to the Bay Area (she wasn't sure she would be able to stay the whole week which is why I bought a plane ticket).  I flew Southwest Airlines to Oakland and then took the Airporter bus back to Marin.  I have had a fantastic time over this past week.  Special thanks to Lei for being my travel companion and our Uncle Tom and Aunt Dulce for letting us stay with them (and also introducing us to the very yummy Porto's Bakery in Glendale).

Oh Mercy- The Hotel Cafe

Photo by Leilani

Lei and I returned to The Hotel Cafe tonight to see Oh Mercy play their only show in Los Angeles.  I ran into Alex last night at Paul Kelly's show and he was kind enough to put me on the guest list. We got a table up the front and had a great view of the stage.  The set was about 40 minutes long and instead of Alex solo we were treated to what he called the "trans-Pacific version of Oh Mercy" consisting of some LA musicians, including Mitchell Froom (producer of Great Barrier Grief) on keyboards.  They started with "Keith St." and played "Mercy Valley," "Blue Lagoon," "Lay Everything On Me," "Stay Please Stay," "My Man," a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Memories," and finished with "Europa."  It was good to hear the songs with a full band, especially the new ones that I first heard Alex play in July.  I am really liking the harder edge to the new material.  After the show I chatted briefly with Alex and thanked him again for putting me on the list.  He flies back to Melbourne on Monday and is looking forward to showing off his tan.

Here is Alex doing an acoustic version of "Blue Lagoon"

Griffith Observatory

This afternoon Lei and I drove up to Griffith Observatory.  It was a hazy and overcast day so there weren't very clear views of LA but we could see the Hollywood sign.  The Observatory building is pretty amazing and I went a bit crazy taking photos of its art deco features at various angles.  We went inside and checked out all the different exhibits, which were well done, interesting, and engaging for a wide range of ages.  This was the first time both of us had been there and we had lots of fun.  Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to see any of the planetarium shows, but maybe that can happen on a future visit.  If you are ever in Los Angeles I definitely recommend making a trip to the Observatory and Griffith Park.

Paul Kelly- The A to Z Shows

Tonight was the second night of Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly's A-Z shows at The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles.  Paul was accompanied on stage by his nephew Dan Kelly for the shows.  We got songs from his catalogue starting with the letters M- Z, including "The Oldest Story in the Book," "Randwick Bells," "To Her Door," "When I First Met Your Ma," "Winter Coat," "You're 39, You're Beautiful and You're Mine" and "Zoe."  Since Paul did not have a "Q" song, he let Dan do one of his own- "Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam" off his latest album Dan Kelly's Dream, complete with the audience singing along to the chorus.  The show was fantastic and it was a privilege to see Paul play in such an intimate venue (and for much cheaper than it would cost in Australia).  I also got to catch up with my friend Nancy and her husband after the show, which was nice.

San Diego

Today Lei and I drove down to San Diego for the day. Our first stop was UC San Diego in La Jolla.  I don't think I've been there since graduating 14 years ago.  There are a lot more buildings, and Roosevelt College is now located north of Thurgood Marshall.  Lei and I wandered around campus checking out the Geisel Library and small Dr Seuss exhibit, Price Center, and a few of the art pieces in the Stuart Collection.

Next we drove around downtown La Jolla before deciding to go down to Old Town San Diego.  We stopped for a late lunch at Mexican restaurant Barra Barra and had their happy hour margaritas and yummy tacos, as well as an apple crisp burrito with vanilla ice cream to share. We then walked around Old Town and went into some of the shops. The buildings are a mix of Gold Rush era and Mission style. If we had had more time we would have checked out some of the museums there.

For the evening we went to my old college roommate Shoshana's house for dinner.  We got to meet her young daughter and chat for a while.  It's been quite a few years since we last caught up with each other in person.  Unfortunately our other roommates couldn't make it so I'll have to see them on a future trip.  It was great to finally get back down to San Diego though and Lei and I had a fun day.

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Today Lei, Uncle Tom, Aunt Dulce and I went to see a taping of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at CBS Studios in Hollywood.  The last time I was here was when Craig Kilborn was the host of the Late Late Show.  Lei is a big fan of Craig Ferguson which is why she got us tickets. 

Although it is Tuesday they were taping Friday night's show.  Since the studio is so small they started by shooting the musical guest, county singer Justin Moore.  After rearranging the set they ran through the whole show from the start with various regular segments and an interview with actor James Woods.  The Woods interview went long so they had to bump the other scheduled guest, actress Kathryn Hahn, but they still taped her segment with us which will air next Tuesday night.  I don't watch Craig's show but he seems to play more to the cameras than the studio audience.  We were also encouraged by staff to laugh at everything, which I found a bit annoying as most other shows will play off of a joke succeeding or failing.  It was an interesting taping to attend though- certainly a bit different from the other late night shows I've seen.

Downtown Los Angeles Arts District

After getting out of the Warner Brothers parking lot Lei and I headed into downtown LA to meet up with our cousin Missy and her boyfriend for dinner at Wurstkuche on E 3rd Street.  The restaurant is located in the Arts District and I was very impressed by all the murals and stencils on the walls in the neighborhood.  It reminded me a lot of Melbourne.  For dinner we had gourmet sausages, Belgian fries and beer while sitting outside to enjoy the evening. The food tasted good and I got some sauerkraut on my bratwurst so I was happy.

Conan

Today Lei and I went to see a taping of Conan at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank. The last time I saw a Conan taping was in 1998 in New York when he was doing Late Night with Conan O'Brien.  We got their early to make sure we could get good seats in the studio audience.  I was wondering if they would have any Conan merchandise for sale and lucky for us a guy came and opened up a stand in the waiting area.  Lei and I picked up awesome blue t-shirts of an animated owl Conan in a tv shaped bird cage that are only available for sale to audience members.

As expected there was a lot of waiting around, standing in lines and walking as we went through the Warner Brothers lot to get to Stage 15. The Conan studio is decent sized and the set looks great in person.  We had seats a few rows up in the center with a good view of everything. During the audience warm up Lei pointed me out to the comedian as someone from out of town.  Thankfully he didn't seem to question my lack of an Aussie accent.

The guests for this evening's show were comedian and tv host Howie Mandel, boxer Floyd Mayweather, and musical guest Alexander Ebert (lead singer of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros).  We had some funny comedy bits including John Galliano's brother and his many hats, and a cow committing suicide by jumping from the studio rafters and hanging itself after listening to the Basic Cable Band.  Despite the cow incident the Basic Cable Band were awesome and it was a treat to get to hear them play full songs before the taping started and during the commercial breaks. Alexander's performance of "Truth" was amazing and had me wanting to check out his solo album. After the show finished taping we were asked to stick around for a special surprise and were treated to an additional interview with Ashton Kutcher, which will air as part of Thursday's show. It was a fun taping and Conan came up into the audience and sang to the crowd at the end.

Here is Alexander doing "Truth"

Road Trip

This afternoon my cousin Leilani came to pick me up for our drive down to Los Angeles.  We had discussed doing this little road trip around Christmas time, so it's exciting that Lei has gotten some time off work to do it.  On the drive south we spotted over 20 trucks on the I-5 transporting tomatoes (we still aren't sure where they were originating from). For dinner and a stretch break we stopped at Harris Ranch, which is what my family and I used to do when driving to and from UC San Diego each year.  When we came back outside it was sunset so I grabbed a few shots.  We made good time to Los Angeles, especially since Lei was hauling it over the Grapevine.  Our Aunt Dulce and Uncle Tom have been kind enough to let us stay with them during the week.  We have lots of little activities planned so it should be a fun trip.

Jennifer and Alex's Wedding

Today was my cousin Jennifer's wedding, which was the main reason for my trip to the States.  The ceremony took place at Saint Francis Solano church in Sonoma at noon (the mantra of the day was 9/10/11 at 12:00 pm).  The weather was warm but not too unbearably hot and it was nice to see relatives outside of church before mass started.  My nephew Logan was the ring bearer and he looked very cute in his white suit.  We were curious to see if he would make it down the aisle, and he did- but he was carried by the junior bridesmaid because he got scared at the last minute.  Jennifer looked beautiful in her dress and the ceremony went smoothly.  Once Alex and Jennifer were pronounced man and wife we all exited the church and did a big photo on the front steps of the church (with the photographers stopping traffic and standing in the middle of the street).

The reception took place at Jennifer's grandparents amazing property in Sonoma.  There was a bar in the middle of the grounds and appetizers being passed around when we arrived.  They had also set up a photobooth with props, which kept all of us cousins entertained for a while.  Once family photos were completed everyone headed into the impressive tent for our multiple course Italian meal.  The wedding party came in and the newly married couple had their first dance.  In between courses we had speeches from the maid of honor and best man.  My uncle Tony also led us all in singing "That's Amore" before getting his father/daughter dance.  We then all hit the dance floor as the live band played a wide range of songs from different eras (Montel Jordan's "This Is How We Do It" was a highlight for Missy and I).  The wedding cake was a very yummy red velvet, and we continued to dance as the sun set across the vineyards.  As the evening came to a close everyone gathered on either side of the driveway with lit sparklers in their hands as the couple walked through to their car.  It was a wonderful day and so nice to be able to spend time with my extended family.  I wish Jennifer and Alex all the best as they embark on married life together.

Shopping up a Storm

I have been busy the past couple days hitting various shopping centers in Marin County.  I bought a couple pairs of sneakers online before I arrived, and got clothes at Anthropologie, Gap, Old Navy and Macy's.  My favorite purchase though must be my fake leather bomber jacket from Target which only cost $40.  I would have spread out my shopping a bit more during this trip if not for the fact that I wanted to take advantage of all the Labor Day sales that ended today.  This doesn't mean that there may not be more purchases in the next few weeks.  It's my way of supporting the economy and bringing the US out of recession.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Today was another one of those very long travel days when I arrive before I actually left.  I got to Melbourne airport and faced lines for check in and more lines at security and customs, but made it through in time to board my Air New Zealand flight to Auckland.  I was on the ground for a little over an hour before catching the next leg to San Francisco.  Both flights went smoothly and I didn't have anyone next to me in the middle seat, which was nice.  I watched a few episodes of Parks and Recreation and Big Fat Gypsy Weddings (does anyone else see a similarity in dress sense between the Irish Travellers and the cast of Jersey Shore?).  I also watched a New Zealand movie called Hook, Line & Sinker and read Sarah Vowell's latest book about the history of Hawaii, Unfamiliar Fishes.  Unfortunately I did not get much sleep.  However, it is nice to be home, especially since today is my Mom's birthday.