Jan 2011

After our travels in Egypt over Xmas and New Year, January was uneventful for us here in London. Mid-January, Jen completed filming an editing of a short music video for a co-worker.

This month, for us, was mainly about looking on in horror as we saw news footage, firstly of Toowoomba, and then of our home-town Brisbane, deluged by intense and/or flash flooding. It's 1974 all over again. Much of Australia this month was beset by extensive flooding and/or cyclones, or intense fire-storms. What's going on Australia?!!!

Here are some of the more notable photos we've seen of 'Brisvenice'....

Our first home together (rented) - the water level apparently did rise up to a metre higher than pictured here. Hooray for the Queenslander style of home up on stilts. The current occupants' stuff would have been OK. Thanks Stanzi for taking the above pic.

So much for a thinking about a stroll along the river's edge....

Our thoughts went out to friends who lost everything, and we wish we could have been there to give a helping hand. The cleanup and repair from this disaster will take many months of hard work. On the plus side - it'll be great for 'community cohesion'.

Sculpture 'flood' marking the height of the previous
(1974) flood. The top of the o's I believe.

Pure genius whoever did this. The stadium pictured
behind the statue is of course also flooded.

Sat 8 Jan 2011
A surprise birthday party for Deb as her "life begins" officially now. 

Happy birthday Deb!
***

Suprise! to the birthday girl...

Sat 15 Jan 2011
Attended a nice little medieval style event in Ware. Jen was surprised with an award.

Mon 17 Jan 2011
Jen has a singing lesson.
Seems she has 3 octaves rather than the usual 2, and by the end of the hour lesson, she'd supposedly sung in a way that takes some people 3 years to achieve. Maybe he was just buttering her up to be an ongoing student....?

Mon 24 Jan 2011
Today we booked nice accommodation in Cornwall which we'll enjoy in several weeks' time. We've not yet made it out to Cornwall - hopefully the weather will be kind.

Thu 27 Jan 2011
Tidying and preparations to be done for the impending Aussie Day party. Lamingtons were made (Steve made it possible, then Jen assembled the lamingtons), BBQ was borrowed, and the rear decking had been cleaned on the weekend (a Steve & Jen special team effort) to be less slippery.

Sat 26 Jan 2011
Aussie Day Party. Thanks to friends for fun suggestions on the music playlist for the party.
A chilly -4 to 4 degrees Celcius, but that did not deter the blokes from getting out there and cooking! All told, we had 5 Aussies, 5 Brits, 3 Americans and a token Kiwi. Our little house was rockin', and the table groaning with BBQ goodness!

We'd rather have a beer with ...erm, Jim-o?
who seems to like Fosters. How strange!