I’m a dreamer not in the John Lennon sort of way but in The Cranberries’ Dreams sort of way. My dreams are never quite as they seem. Sometimes in my dreams, I watch what I believe is my own life except the main female character doesn’t look like me and the main male character doesn’t … Continue reading His and Her Dreams
Texas
Austin and Australia Hook-Up
There is a slogan heard throughout my city: Keep Austin Weird. I'll admit we are a strange brew, an idiosyncratic bunch, concocting good times acceptable only to those who live here. But never in all of my city's weirdness did I expect to find that my other favorite weird place, Australia, has been tangled up … Continue reading Austin and Australia Hook-Up
Falling Down and Getting Back Up Again
Hook hasn't fallen down so no worries there. That title actually applies to me and I'll get to that in a moment, but first a quick update on Hook for all those Hook groupies out there. The Amazing Power of Hook's Body The last of the I.V.s was removed on Friday when Hook met with … Continue reading Falling Down and Getting Back Up Again
Getting Back on Schedule
You all must have been praying double-time because from about 7 o’clock yesterday evening to most of today, Hook's situation has improved: Sunday 7:00PM: A great second shift weekend nurse, Justin, entered the hospital scene. I was looking forward to having Nurse Daniel back because I didn’t want to break in another night nurse. But … Continue reading Getting Back on Schedule
The Great Australian Exploration
When I started this blog back in April 2012, my purpose was to share with readers how the Hooks were preparing for a life overseas, what we were doing to get our lives in order, and how incredibly AWESOME this whole experience felt. A few short months into it, the blog morphed into a How … Continue reading The Great Australian Exploration
From Funk to Super: The Hook-Australian Update
The Olympics came and went, August came and went and now, if I’m not careful, September will come and go, too. My lackadaisical attitude hit right after my last blog posting. I’d been in a bit of a funk, the kind where you have all these different directions you could go but none of them … Continue reading From Funk to Super: The Hook-Australian Update
Gaining Everything But Australia
Hook has gained two pounds. I’ve gained five. Who gains weight during chemo? It’s good news of course because Hook had already lost 10 pounds which was one of the red flags that brought us to the Hooks here and now. But I barely reach 5’4” in height so five pounds on me looks like … Continue reading Gaining Everything But Australia
God Moved to Australia and He Did Not Take Us with Him
It is 3:30 in the afternoon on a Saturday and I am drinking a glass of champagne. I’m not celebrating anything or I’m celebrating everything. I do not know which. Earlier, I cried to no one because no one was here which is usually how I prefer to lick my wounds: in private. Yet here … Continue reading God Moved to Australia and He Did Not Take Us with Him
South Center to Hope Street
We appreciate that we have so many people interested in renting our house – really we do -- but can I mention how incredibly inconvenient it is to have the house always looking as though we don’t really live there? There’s how we pretend to live (show house), how we wish we lived (surface clean … Continue reading South Center to Hope Street
Immunizations
I hadn't even thought about it -- immunizations that is -- they hadn't even made the 1,000 Things To Do Before We Get on the Plane to Australia list. I had a conversation with a business acquaintance yesterday and she asked, "So when do you leave?" and I said, "July 1st," and she replied, "Oh, … Continue reading Immunizations
Where In Australia?
Just yesterday I found out that I have an approved work visa for Australia – yes! So let's get back to how the Hooks came to choose and answer the “Where in Australia?”Most folks know that Australia is both a country and a continent (pretend like you knew.) It’s not as large as the U.S. … Continue reading Where In Australia?
How Did You Choose Australia?
That has been the big question we’ve gotten from friends and family over and over again: How did we decide that it would be Australia where we would spend our 1-year sabbatical? I’ve often wondered if the question was really: How could you not choose France or Hawaii or Fiji, the more typical places one … Continue reading How Did You Choose Australia?
