Happy Birthday Livvy/ Sydney Update

It's my baby girls 2nd birthday today. I'm sad that I'm not there to celebrate but wanted to wish her a very happy birthday!!!

I've been in Sydney all week. Left on September 4th and I was originally supposed to come home on the 18th but it looks like I'll be coming home on Tuesday now (the 15th) so that's good news. I've bought her a bunch of stuff here in Australia. A pretty dress, a sweater, koala and kangaroo puppets, books, silly pens, etc. She should like it all. Can't wait to give it to her!

I miss her so much (and J too of course). I went to the Taronga Zoo today with my colleague Jennifer. My company had given us free tickets and we were excited to go. We took the train to the subway and walked to Circular Quay to catch the ferry to the zoo. Sounds complicated but it was really easy. The ferry was great. It was an unseasonably warm day so the breeze was nice and we got to see great views of the Sydney Harbor, the Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

When we arrived at the zoo there was a cable car (kind of like a gondola) that rode us up the side of this huge hill that the zoo is perched on. On the way up we saw the new baby elephant "Luk Chai". He is very cute in an ugly sort of way!

Of course there were a ton of families at the zoo a little girl just around Livvy's age walked up to us to take a look at the pictures we had taken. She was very cute pointing at all the animals and saying their names with her Australian accent. Made me miss my girl even more though. Jen took a bunch of pictures with her camera so I'll be able to share them in a few days. Here is a shot of the Koala that I took on my iPhone...

After the zoo we went to Darling Harbor on the ferry and had some great Belgian chocolate ice cream. We walked around the harbor and bought a ton of souvenirs. Then we went back into the city to the China town area and walked around 10 miles... yea, it was a lot. We got to see a lot of stuff and on the way back on the train decided it was a Thai Noodles night. Picked up Pad Thai and went back to the hotel. I'm ready to conk out now... exhausting day but I'll wait up a few hours for J and Livvy to wake up - it's around 6:30 am right now their time.

Tomorrow I'm running my first International 10k. It's called the Ryde Bridge to Bridge 10k. Not sure if I'm going to make it but it's worth a try!

3 more days until I leave for home. I miss you all!!!

-s

Another AM Run - this time upside down

I decided to be daring and venture out of the gym this morning to do a run in the park near by my hotel. Well first things first, I can't see the park from the hotel so I look it up and it seems pretty close by. I'm wearing shorts and a tank top... it's about 50 degrees this morning. What a shock to the body! I run up the street, it's a major road so I make sure to look right instead of left (don't want to be hit by any more cars this trip). After a tremendous hill, I'm wondering what I was thinking and then see the sign for Lane Cove National Park. Looks like a nice place so I run across a 6 lane highway (they call it motorway here) and enter the park unscathed.

As I'm running it seems pretty down hill... good news, but not for the trip back I think. I begin to follow this other runner that just lapped me probably twice as I'm trying to read signs. It's cold!! I then find the trail and begin a normal pace to come face to face with a hill that looks like a 90 degree incline! What the heck! So, jogging I make it up the hill going slower than walking backwards.

Then the run begins to get fun. I see a few people on bikes that say "g'day". I make it to a turn and end up right back on that 6 lane highway... but across the street again! Wait a minute... I don't remember crossing any street or going under/over any bridges. Some how, I've miraculously done a loop right across a 6 lane highway and missed it. Well, I'm doubting that I'm across the highway so I keep running and what do you know... I end up at my hotel. Very odd. I guess that shows me to try to run in OZ!

-s