We've moved to mars.

Just for some contrast...

Karin woke me up early yesterday (not un-ordinary) because a dust storm rolled through our city.

The Australian interior has been so dry for so long that the ground is trying to move to NZ.

One of the weirdest things about all this was how nonchalantly people went about their normal routine. Exercising at the beach. Getting angry in traffic. Etc. Weird!

All I could think about was that scene in Total Recall when Ahnold broke through the window and their eyes are popping out.

Floating

Another dive at La Perouse today. They closed the main arterial across the entire eastern side of Sydney today so I couldn't get up to Bondi to dive with a club as planned - instead I spent an hour and a half in parked, angry traffic before giving up and heading back south. Last dive I found a nice light and told the nearby dive group about it. We found the owner and its a $350 flashlight! So ... big karma points. Karmic AUD currently at 0.8671.



Last weekend I went to Botany Bay NP again in search of the elusive Weedy Sea Dragon (also known as the Seedy Wee Dragon), to no avail. But other interesting critters were around.




Here's heaps of videos which really give you the feel of diving here in Sydney. More uploading now.





Boosh its about time to do something other than diving.

406 Update

I'm back, and the 406 house still has some work to be done. The renters are being a problem. But here are a few pics I snapped before I left, and hour after signing tenants in about a month ago now.

The old fridge failed with food in it. And what a joy! A milk carton actually was still holding milk. After 6 years. Zack's mom is fearless dude. I had to wear my OSHA-spec respirator to deal.


Here's the refinished banister, which looks better in person.


Our new furnace (thanks George and Chris!) which we patched into the old ducting system.
Also new water heater and fixed washing machine. Anthony found the front cover for it under about 3" of detritus in the back yard. I forgot I put it back there the first time I fixed the washer in 2004.


I had to improvise a new knob for the shower switch and decided to tap the worn brass shaft to accept an antique doorknob. Replacement hardware was about $50 / faucet, just for the internals, so I rigged a press-fit pin system for holding on the new knobs. Works great and it's even un-doable.



A racoon was chewing and digging out the roof under the awning so I put a cinder block in thar.


Oh sweet Bloomington summer how I wish I had enjoyed you more. Midnight trash-man. Lake swill. Friends and neighbors. 10am starts?

Looking back from here

It's been 4 years now and we've lived in 3 states and 3 countries at 9 different addresses. Here's some highlights 2005-2009.








NX

The mighty wabash.
Our first Seattle hut.
Pre SCUBA


This is illegal now.

Wild einer.