Wow, time has flown!. Ive just finished packing my bag for the trip home. Its sooo full. Doesnt feel like its been two months since i got here, thats for sure. The time here has been great though, ive really enjoyed myself and seen lots of new and interesting things, but id be lying if i didnt say i was somewhat looking forward to going back to Australia.

I guess its that ‘i still call australia home thing’ or somthing. *shrugs* So yeah, ill go back and probably start applying for jobs in the US anyway. I figure working over here for a few years would be good experience and also good money. At this stage i cant see myself living indefinately in the US though. I dunno – im jsut dribbling out load i guess…

But yeah, there is so much to do over here, its so different to where i grew up and live in Australia.

The last few days have been kinda winding down days. Went to the comedy again last saturday and said goodbye to everyone. I drove back from Redmond! woohoo! Its about a 45 minutes drive on the freeway which was cool. It was really foggy though which didnt help but all was good.

Spent the day today packing all the books , tshirts, and stuff that ive bought into my bag. Melanie had some space in her bag as well (luckily enough) so she is taking some of the stuff i got back in her bag.

hrmmm, thats about it. I could write more but id just be dribbling on. Ill probably write a bigger more long winded entry when i get back in Australia.

Well yesterday it snowed here at mels place again, but this time it was a LOT more then usual. They had the most snow here yesterday then they have had since 1996. People could get to work, roads where caotic, schools where closed. The news covered it for most of the day cause it was a big thing. They closed off a lot of streets aroundt he place and since people couldnt get to work or school, most of them spend the day sledding down streets on anything that would slide.

Im not sure exactly how much snow there was, but somewhere around 6 inches would be close. Anyway, i used the time wisely and after finding a plastic tub i was out the front doing a ‘bobsled’ run down the driveway onto the street. It was greta fun. Playing in snow is soooo trieing though.

The snow itself wasnt that sticky yesterday, so there was no snowman making or anything. Today it might be betetr as it rained a bit last night. I might have to have a look outside later and see. Theres lots of snow around so i should be able to make something.

Apart from that, things have been pretty laid back. Not long now till we head back to Australia, doesnt seem like its been 2 months already.

I found out the other day that i will be getting a scholorship to complete my PHD this year which is really good. Takes a load off my mind about having to find a job to pay rent and stuff. A steady income coming in will be good, and any other little jobs i do is just extra. So yeah, im going to accept the scholorship and do it, but also apply for jobs as well. If something really good comes up then i think id take it, but i wont count my chickens before they hatch.

So yeah, its back to Australia next week. Flying into rocky around 2:45pm on Friday. The following Tuesday its off to Inverell for my Sisters wedding which should be fun, especially with everyone around. The monday after that we have to head back to rockhampton for meetings and stuff at uni. Would have been nice to stay lonegr at home but thems the breaks i guess.

Ive just started reading the Lord of the Rings, Mels dad got me a copy from CostCo which wa sreally nice of him. After seeing the last movie and being told that the book ends differently i just have to read it to find out how it is ‘supposed’ to end. Apparently there is a lot of extra stuff as well, so it should be good. Mayeb it will also make the 20 hourish flight back home a bit betetr as well.

Ive got more pictures, but ill put them up later.

Macworld San Francisco started yesterday, Kurt from the uni went to it so thats pretty cool. I watched the streamed Keynote yesterday morning as well. Wasnt too bad. Im not going to go through it all cause frankly its kinda boring, people who want to know what it was about will be able to find info somewhere

Me and Melanie played in the snow again today. We added to our previous ice sculpture (the snowman), by adding a chair and a puppy dog!

Now i must note that realism is key when Melanie and I put our creative minds together and its amazing what you can do with a piece of dirty snow

Righto – enough of me being crude and silly

The entire photo collection is here if ya want to check it out.

Keep an eye out for the one that looks like in doing indecent things to the puppy – that wasnt my intention – you dont know how hard it is to look like you sitting on a snow puppy without getting your butt wet

Just finished watching the fireworks off the space needle in seattle on tv. Its now officially 2004 here in America where im at – woohoo! Ive been thinking about new years resolutions and im working on a few good ones this year. Ill post them maybe tomorrow after i sort them out and stuff.

But yeah, another year gone, another one just begun, another year older or somthing like that.

So yeah, currently my ‘new years resolutions / stuff i wanna do this year’ includes:

Finish ‘fosheezy’
Release at LEAST 2 other mac apps
Try for an apple design award at wwdc
Go to wwdc again this year
Get more stable, paying work
Pick up some more hobbies and work on the ones i currently have
Be more ‘spontaneous’
Have fun with melanie
Volunteer for something just for the hell of it

blah – so yeah, ive gotta work on my list and sort it out some more. I feel changes ahead this year… im a little excited

Righto, Updated piccies are here.

The first few snow ones are from when we went sledding, i only put a little selection up on here for the moment. Following those are the night shots last night when it started snowing – then followed by some day shots of outside Mels house this morning.

Last but not least – the snowman I must say i do like the job i did on the hat Mel had a little roll around in the snow, then there is the map of Australia and my name written in the snow – the picture was taken from inside upstairs looking out the window.

So go here to see them!

enjoy!

So with the snow and all at melanies place, it was the perfect time today to have another attempt at making a snowman. With help from Mel and her dad we managed to get a pretty decent (although rather out of proportion) snowman)

I also drew a little map of australia in the snow and wrote my name.

I couldnt fit the last ‘T’ of my name into the picture, but its there..

Going round to mels uncle and aunties place for tea tonight, not sure what we are doing for new years but might jsut watch it at home, will play it by ear.

I got up at 5am this morning and called home so i could have new years with ma. 5am over here is exaclty 12midnight in australia so that was pretty cool. As usual she was awake at that hour. Wont be long and she will have ADSL – look out internet

I will post some more pictures in a little bit, might be easier to see stuff in those

It just started snowing here at melanies place! Wooohooo! Missed a white christmas by only a few days… oh well, thats ok. Maybe there will be a white new years

Went sledding in the snow yesterday with mels uncle and two of his kids. It was great fun!. I got some cool video of it as well.

The comedy was pretty good in redmond as well. The first dude kinda sucked, but the others where ok. On the way back i actually drove for a small bit, only like 1 block to melanies house, but still i drove. It wasnt that much different. I guess im used to being on the other side of the road and everything now. Anyway – it was fun.

Tomorrow is new years eve in America, in Australia it would be today. Ill have to try and call home around midnight to say hi, hopefully Ma will be awake still

hrmm, i cant think of much else really. Head is all light and fluffy cause of the pills i took for a headache. Things are good though.

righto, im going to post some more pictures a bit later on.