Aussies, Aussies Everywhere

Well, two anyhow. We had some visitors this past week that I guess have some history with mum and dad...like family before I came along or something. I remember meeting the lady in Dubai before we came to this place. Anyhow, it seems all of them had a great time together doing lots of things that as usual meant I got to sit home with the cats for company.

I did manage to swipe daddy's camera and download the following photos. from their discussions I understand that the lads went to the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport to see a bunch of planes and the prototype space shuttle Enterprise and some bomber. On the way home they took a little extended tour of the DC area by missing the south turn toward Richmond and going all the way around the Beltway through Maryland to get back home. Good thing the little toy car gets such good mileage!

Although they were late there was plenty of time to make it to Mount Vernon on the Potomac River for a wine tasting and a chance to meet George Washington himself. Mummy has the distinction of having been chastized by his Excellency the first President, it seems she seated herself next to him without first introducing herself. However, all must have been quickly forgiven when he saw the camera; that and the fact that she's such a hottie. Here's a shot of the carriage circle at the front of the Mansion (and a couple apparently snogging - that's kissing in American).

The next excursion was around town to see the highlights, including the WWII monument where mummy got her picture taken with the Montana pillar. They also stopped by the White House and Constitution Avenue. One evening they went for drinks on the upstairs verandah at the Hotel Washington, which overlooks the White House. Then they went to a delicious dinner at Zaytinya.

Then they apparently went to Arlington Cemetary over Memorial Day Weekend. Arlington Cemetary is very close to where we live. Here's a shot of the view from Arlington House, the former home of the Robert E. Lee family.

Here's the ampitheater all dressed up with flags for Memorial Day. Finally they all went to the Masonic Monument that was built for George Washington. Here's the information on the Monument.

They wrapped up the whole visit with a little magic: you'd never believe how many readers have asked why they never see daddy and me in the same place at the same time...

Bindi Brin

Mummy has a very disturbing sense of humo(u)r. She seems to think that turning me into the Chiquita dogita is somehow hilarious. I ask you, what person thinks THIS is funny? I can only hang my head in shame...and hit her with the 2:00 AM cold nose on the side treatment of course, heh heh.

My Visitors

Brin here - in my last edition I promised I'd tell y'all about the visitors that came through my play area this spring (not the ones that were just here last week, that's up next). I have to warn you all that this narrative has been rated "E" by mum; that stands for "Eeeeeewwwwwwwww!" I was able to be host to a lovely parade in March - one that started here (see all the white cocoons in the tree?) and proceeded across the fence, some tried to drop down early (back in line there you lot), but eventually surmounted all obstacles and disappeared somewhere else. Some did make it onto the deck and inside the sliding glass door bust most behaved themselves and moved on. I did some research and found out that these little creeps are called Eastern Tent Caterpillars which sounds a heck of a lot better than the latin Malacosoma americanum but still not as appropriate as the mum-ish name of "Eeeeeewwwwwww!" Fortunately there is only one of whatever type of tree they like in our yard (actually overhanging our yard) so there is some limitation on the number of the little munchers.

MUMMY'S HOME!!

She returned yesterday afternoon and boy was I happy to see her. I did my doggy dance of joy for her to welcome her home. She wouldn't know what to do if I didn't do my dance. Unfortunately she came home with a very nasty head cold and is suffering terribly. Just in time for the guests to arrive!

(Translated from Woofish)

I have received comments from the few remaining die-hard readers of this blog that dad hasn't chased off expressing surprise that I seem to have a very good grasp of the written English language. Especially considering that I'm only just over 2 years old. Daddy thinks I'm a prodigious...no, prodigal...no, anyway it's something like that. I keep my personal journal in Woofish but am writing these posts in English due to the limitations of the majority of the readers.

But enough about me, time to continue with my narrative. Here's one of mum and dad's favorite features in the home, the "laundry chute" (ha). They just drop the clothes down to the spot below. Here's what they did on their first night in the new place; I guess it's a tradition to have pizza on a makeshift table in a new house or something (humans are sooooo strange).

Next up you get to see the interesting event that occurred in my running space (back yard).

Dogboy Days

Well, we managed to get moved even though the 2 movers took 8 hours to move the same amount of furniture and boxes as daddy moved by himself in 4 hours the week before from the storage unit near the little home. And daddy managed to do it without breaking any furniture. At least the movers only dropped this unimportant piece. Seriously, at least they are paying to fix it.

Anyways, the new place is pretty nice. I like the description mum uses, "it's like living in a tree house". This is me showing them around the house. They probably wouldn't have found the laundry by themselves, or the garage.

Mum and dad were able to buy a big sofa (with a bed inside) and 2 matching bookcases and matchin TV cabinet from the previous owners. I took a snap of them stripping the sofa to wash the coverings. Here I am using my super vision to open the door to mum's new office. The first item of business was for mum and dad to get mum's office ready so she could work. Mum didn't like the bright yellow color and chose to make it two tones of blue. Here's the closets and the old color, and here's mum taping in preparation for painting. Here's the finished product.

Dog Days

Salaam Aleykum, everyone; my name is Brin but you all probably know me better as Dogboy (I've got someone looking into daddy's meds). I've taken control of the next few postings because the trauma of the move is still too fresh in the ol' man's memory. I, on the other hand, thought it was great fun! Here's me on moving day watching mum pack up the little place (I put the camera on a tripod). Then mum went out for a while. This is what I do when she's gone. My sister Scrumpy was sitting in front of me facing the door just before this shot snapped but when mum turned the knob sis ran off.

Here are Scrumpy and I enjoying a patch of sunshine. Here's mum's old work space.

Oh, and how many mums does it take to screw in a light bulb? (Please don't hate me, daddy made me type that). Don't worry, that's worth one shot on his back with my cold nose at about 2:30 am. Chat with you tomorrow.

This Is Absolutely, Positively My Last Posting

...until I find those bleeping photos I took in Amsterdam, is what I told myself after the last posting. So, I scoured my hard drive (no luck), searched my camera memory (no luck), rummaged in my own memory (worse luck) and finally found them on the home computer hard drive (I had to, I'd run out of synonyms for searching - oh LOOK, there's another one!) And even though you're all WELL past caring about what went on back then, you're going to sit there and view the slides and ENJOY them in appreciation of all my hard work looking for them.

Well, it's been so embarassingly long since the trip in Septmber that I can't even remember what they are about but I'll give it a go with the narration anyhow. Here's the map of Amsterdam (I didn't take this photo but I did use a map very similar to this one - couldn't read a thing on it). I walked from the big red blob that's shown just below the word "Centrum" in the water but I'm pretty sure that word was further over to the left on the day I was there. Anyhow, that's the train station (note the little black & white chequered lines running from right to left). I don't know how they get the paint to stay on them like that but I gotta say it's pretty impressive. AND I hear you can see it from space - that is parking space #7 across the street - when the weather is nice and the smog isn't too thick and...

So I walked out to the downward direction onto Someforensoundenstrasse and headed down the main street (yellow), Anothaforensoundenstrasse that loops all the way around the 3 converging canals and crosses the big canal that runs to the down-right (south-west?). I then looped back up along the canals to the train station. It was alot further than it sounds, believe me.

Here's a shot of the main canal showing the bicycles and boats. Here's a shot of the big red blob - you thought I was kidding about that didn't you? Here's what is I'm sure a very famous plaza but I just liked it because it reminded me of the ones in Italy. If I've said it nonce I've said it a nevertimes, the architecture in this city is quite impressive. Chalk one (and apparently only one) up for the greenies! Imagine seeing THIS one on your way home from the pub after a few pints; you'd be wondering if the building was drunker than you!

I think when Craig, Mike and I were naively walking the city in '82 that this was the Red Light District. It's pretty much muy commercialando now. Which came first, the building or the road? For some reason this one truly in-spired me (geez, I can hear your collective groans from here).

Shots of the smaller canal; with trees; low bridge; canal-side drive. You say you wanted a house on the water?

Now THIS was one fun intersection; gives Flemington Roundabout in Melbourne a run for its pfennigs at rush hour I reckon. Trams, cars, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, horses and wagons all coming together. And of course I had to take a pic of the Victoria Hotel; it reminds me a bit of Flinders Street Station in Melbourne and it's the Victoria to boot!

I truly appreciate your patience and I promise to be better with the blogging (if just to stop all the nagging from you lot).