Down Under trip Preparation - exumenius
The two week domestic portion of my six month sojourn. Five states, old friends, much drinking, and a chance to perfect my squatting techniques before I head overseas. Time to transition from an...

Cottage Grove - Night 1
Cottage Grove, United States
My six months of sleeping on strange sofas began with a drive to the greater Madison area to visit an old friend from undergrad. Stopped for beer and gas in Sun Prairie, WI, a city that has embraced New Urbanism warmly as shown by the new townhouses with front porches and wide sidewalks being built downtown. The marginally cute gas station attendant had never before seen a Washington ID. I jokingly told her it was a fake, but it didn't phase her. Glad I could expand her horizons. The larger victory, however, was grabbing the last 6-pack of Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest from the "Beer Cave."
After Chessa's delicious baked Manicotti, Jeremy and I spent the evening listening to the Brewers blow a huge game and fixing broken tail lights. Amidst the falling leaves and brisk Autumn night, the Leinenkugel's didn't stand a chance of seeing morning. Subdivision drama was high this evening. Neighbor to the southwest is fighting with neigbor to the south over their shared well. Neighbor to the west is being frauded by a Craigslist purchaser who sent him a bad check, but is threatening to come pick up the goods (a camper trailer) tomorrow regardless. Thus, I am tapped to be the lookout for suspicious activity tomorrow while the good people of Independent Circle are busy at work....8 hours in the neighborhood and they've already given me important security detail. (I secretly wonder if this position alots me any liberties with the neighbor's 21-year old daughter.) Let's hope I am showered with such trust and respect on the remainder of my trip.
Scene of Potential Crime
What I Learned Today:
Having a urinal installed in your home is one of the manliest things a guy can do. Manlier than installing a stripper pole, but not quite as Manly as building a batting cage or full length bowling lane.
written by  exumenius on September 26, 2007 from Cottage Grove, United States
from the travel blog: Down Under trip Preparation

Last Night in Navarino - Night 0
Bonduel, United States
My last night at home. Bags are packed, sort of. To-do list has been minimized.
Jambalaya
Tickets, insurance, etc have been purchased. Though I don't leave the country for two weeks, tomorrow is the beginning of my two week domestic trip. I shall not sleep in my own bed until April 2008.
As a send off, I cook Jambalaya for the parents.
What I learned today:
Good byes do not get easier with age nor with practice.
written by  exumenius on September 20, 2007 from Bonduel, United States
from the travel blog: Down Under trip Preparation

Day on the Isthmus - Night 2
Madison, United States
Wisconsin Capitol
Today I jumped on the Beltline and headed to downtown Madison and the University of Wisconsin campus. My stated goal was a meeting with my potential advisor at the UW (if I decide to return next fall for my doctorate), but in all actuality the prime motivating factor, after three years in the beige mundaneity of the "real world," was to let the captivating physical and aesthetic environs of acadamia blow some wind into my sails. That and State Street is the one place in Wisconsin that offers any sort of a true pedestrian experience. As the placard informed me, State Street is also home to the sole act of domestic terrorism ever commited in the state in which lives where lost. In the late 1960s radical Vietnam protestors bombed a Dow Chemical facility - manufacturer of napalm - located on campus killing a graduate lab student.
Thus, at State Street I began. Being a bit early, i took the liberty of walking the entire length of it down to the majestic state capitol (on the outside at least, the inside as we all know is rife with lawyers and politicians) and from there out to Monona Terrace, which, for those of you architects and hippies, is the first fully certified LEED conference center in the country. It also offers amazing views of the city and the lakes from all angles. To complete my State Street experience I grabbed a copy of The Onion and enjoyed a gyro on Parthenon's upper deck.
View from Monona Terrace
State Street
My meeting with Dr. Paulson reminded me of why I ever considered pursuing a doctoral degree in the first place; i am truly interested in the field of planning and its affect on people and the environment. But it also the lifestyle that comes with being a grad student that is so alluring. Some would say that being a student is a life of leisure; two, maybe three hours of class a day, a couple more of studying, and the rest spent recreating or relaxing. Sure it is no 10 hour day at the office or on the jobsite, but I can say with absolute certainty that in the last few years at my office job there were very few days (the hectic push of Spelter excluded) in which I spent a grand total of 5 hours or more completely concentrated on my work. The few hours of class and studying, however, are just that, times of focused concentration, broken up by periods of relaxing and contemplating. As Csikszenthmihalyi's research has shown, such alternations of intense concentration and complete relaxation are the most efficient and productive manner in which to spend our daily quota of psychic energy. Not to mention the health and intellectual benefits of both....but enough of my tangential rant.
After the meeting I took a stroll along the John Muir waterfront trail, back up through Observatory Drive (during the let out of classes - oh the fine scenery on this warm fall day) and back to Bascom Hill, where after unsuccessfully trying to pilfer some free wireless I promptly fell asleep on the soft grass until I was awoken by thunder from an approaching storm. On my way back to my truck I took a small detour past the hallowed grounds of Camp Randall Stadium, because, after all, what is a trip to Madison without a visit to the home of the Badgers? Strangely, with the wind out of the right direction one can almost hear the faint echo of the announcer's famous "Roooooon Daaayyyyne" call everytime the behemouth ran over some punk DB for another first down.
Camp Randall
What I learned (or rather relearned) today:
People in the midwest are much more friendly than those on the coasts. Passing students in elevators and stairs, and random joggers on the trail, many said hi or at least gave a smile, a gesture almost completely unknown in other parts of the country. While it may be true many of them were not the tanned, lithe, beautiful (and completely superficial) chicks and dudes of Arizona or the pale, intellectually-dressed yuppies of Seattle, but rather a little bit of both, combined with some strange accents, Badgers hats and a few extra pounds....but in the end, entirely geniune and completely friendly.
Disclosure: My apologies for the rampant stereotypes, which are not entirely true or untrue. Their use and abuse has helped explain my point.
written by  exumenius on September 27, 2007 from Madison, United States
from the travel blog: Down Under trip Preparation

Oktoberfest in Milwaukee - Night 3
Milwaukee, United States
After two days in the 'burbs, I packed up my truck and headed to Milwaukee. Jesse lives next to the MSOE campus, a school i nearly went to. Visions of what could have been. Upon arrival I realized that I hadn't brought enough underwear for the trip. I walked down to the Grand Avenue Mall, a cavernous mall occupying a number of older building on the West Bank of the Milwaukee River.
Milwaukee Oktoberfest
Jesse skipped out of work early and we were drinking at Moe's Irish Pub by 3:30. In hindsight, not such a good idea (as Maya had warned us). Stopped at Good Life for dinner. Threw some caution to the wind and had the curried goat, which was surprisingly good. Next we headed down to the Oktoberfest celebration on Third Street. Attendance was abysmal. At the Old World Bar, we got into a serious game of 'pound the nail into the log'....loser buys. Sometime later we headed to another bar. After this, everything is pretty blurry. In the end, I left the bar alone and ended up sleeping in the back of my truck.
What I learned today:
Always keep your car keys in your pocket
written by  exumenius on September 28, 2007 from Milwaukee, United States

Chi-Town Birthday Bash - Night 4
Chicago, United States
Had a weak breakfast at the critically acclaimed Mykonos restaurant. Katina's in Seattle is twice the Greek Restaurant. Spent the morning down on the water reading and enjoying a beautiful fall morning. Milwaukee has been redeveloping, but still remains an odd combination of condos, grass lots and burned out industrial buildings. Tragically they've turned the old Schitz Brewery into an office park, the Blatz Brewery into an apartment building and the Pabst Brewery into a theater. So much alcoholic history in one neighborhood.
The Mix Bar
The drive to Chicago was terrible; two and a half hours for what should take an hour or so at the most. Showed up in time to watch the Badgers sqeek one out over the Spartans. Played moosehead until we left for the Mix at 11.
Random dance floor action
$30 all you could drink at the bar, which degenerated into us crashing a class Reunion. It was a good collection of old Pointers and random people from my Wisconsin past. Managed to sleep inside, a small victory.
What I relearned today:
Boyfriend = details
(1)
written by  exumenius on September 29, 2007 from Chicago, United States

Miles of Asphalt - Night 5
Menomonie, United States
Menomonie according to Google Maps
Spent all day on the road. 3.5 hours to home, 3 more hours to Menomonie. 434 miles, six different highways, two toll booths and one huge hangover.
Packed up my stuff and it all fit. Heavy, but my pack wears pretty well on my back. I'm sure the bag will become the bane of my existance, but for now it holds all I need for six months.
What I learned today:
4 am bar close is completely unnecessary.
written by  exumenius on September 30, 2007 from Menomonie, United States

Coach Potato - Night 6
Menomonie, United States
Were we really this lazy during our senior year of college? Likely so. I spent the great majority of the day on my brother's couch finishing up some work projects and watching ESPNews reruns. Left the house for a walk around campus and then headed down to watch Matt's intraquad baseball scrimmage. I was the sole fan for what was a boring 2-1 game.
We spent the evening watching the Padres-Rockies Marathon one game playoff. A boring, yet productive day (in work terms), though I feel like a fixture on his couch.
Man needs his space, even if only a few square feet. I find where ever I stay that the first thing I do is locate the small cubby or corner that I can claim as mine. Somewhere to set my bag and plug in my phone. Property and possession are human nature, plain and simple...its the increase in the scale of it that has left Western civilization in so much trouble.
written by  exumenius on October 1, 2007 from Menomonie, United States

Squatting in Uptown - Night 7
Minneapolis, United States
After another morning spent on my brother’s couch,
Bags are packed...sort of
I caught the Airport Passenger shuttle to the Minneapolis Airport. Joanna picked me up from the airport and allowed me to stay in her massive uptown apartment for the night as she headed to NYC for business. Going to the airport and not boarding a plane is serious let down.
A short nap under my belt, I joined fellow traveler and aspiring writer Rick for a late night happy hour. We were stalled while enroute at his house by Burns’ “The War” documentary. Listening to the stories of the WWII veterans was truly moving. How old men of the same generation could have agreed to send more young men to their deaths in Vietnam and now Iraq is completely beyond me. How soon, it seems, that we forget the pain and suffering that remains well after the last bomb has fell and the last wounded soldier has been sown up.
Our happy hour at Maximillian’s was fantastic and cheap. Half off appetizers, $2 microbrews, and good, deep conversation. Discussing my upcoming travels, the reasons for it and my expectations of it did wonders to increase my excitement for the trip. I feel I am nearly ready to grab my bag and head off into the great unknown.
What I Learned Today: All art is an expression of ideas and all expressions of ideas are art. Thus, let our expressions always be of the highest form for nothing but the highest forms of art move men’s souls and ignite their minds.
written by  exumenius on October 2, 2007 from Minneapolis, United States

Going back to AZ - Night 8
Tucson, United States
Lake of the Isles
Awoke from a wonderful sleep on a comfortable couch, a great change from the past two nights on the floor. I suspect over the next six months, most of my sleeps will lean more toward the latter than the former. It was a clear, calm morning, a bit of a oddity in the Midwest Fall, so I ventured out for breakfast and stroll around Lake of the Isles, a calming 2.6 mile walk.
Much of the remainder of the morning was spent
working on an automated appraisal product and finishing up my less than spectacular David Baldacci book, The Collectors. A lunch of organic lentil soup in my belly, I took a walk down Hennepin Avenue in search of a local book store. A short meander found me in Booksmart, an adequate two story structure with a decent selection of titles. It was no Elliott Bay, but then again, what is?
Nothing quite excites me as a local used book store. So much knowledge and potential excitement in one building. Before last night, I feel I haven't been adequately excited for my trip, which is a shame as the excitement of travel is one of its key components. Why have I been so reserved? To many to-dos? Too many small trips prior to the large one? Too much time off before the trip? Who knows, probably a little bit of all three. My trip to the bookstore today changed this. Surrounded by literature, I began to consider the time reading and experiencing that I will spend in the next six months and my spirits were lifted enormously. (That and I am finally living out of my pack, so the ways of travel are finally starting to sink in. – you know, wrinkled clothes, packing and repacking, eating on the run, etc.)
A long bus ride and short light rail ride to airport had me ready to go. Something about an airport puts me in my travel mode. At check-in my backpack weighed 31 pounds. Adding on the daypack (with computer) and the sleeping bag brings it close to 40.
The flight to Tucson, through Denver was quite non-descript. Both flights on time, and I got a whole row to myself from Denver to Tucson. While we were landing in Denver, I awoke, blinked a few times and promptly lost my left contact onto the floor. It was a brand new one, but, if that is the only thing that I lose, break or throw away this trip I’ll be very surprised.
What I Learned Today: I will never forget the smell of the Sonoran Desert. The minute I exit the plane it hits me, that sweet aroma of cactus flowers and sand.
written by  exumenius on October 3, 2007 from Tucson, United States

Bachelor Party - Night 9
Tucson, United States
My gracious hostess Chrissy agreed to drive me to the University of Arizona campus today for a little walk down memory lane. The University was on a building binge when I was here and it appears that little has changed in the past three years. My first stop was to be “The Vicarage”, an old house that had been transformed into our Planning Department auxiliary office and classroom, but now in its place stands a large modern administration building of some sorts. Once again the small Planning Department looks to have been pushed around again. After hitting up the Mall (which could be the greatest place in the City of Tucson proper) I went to the Oriental Express, my old favorite place, for lunch. I spent the afternoon stealing wireless in the UA library trying desperately to finish up some work for Greenfield Advisors. This project just won’t go away….well, no worries, it only has until Tuesday.
At 3 pm I checked into our suite at the
View from our Hotel
University Marriot for the night and headed to down to Fourth Avenue to check out my old house and get some of the world’s best Gelato at Brooklyn Pizza. It was good to see that little to nothing had changed on Fourth – it was still Tucson’s hip, quirky little avenue.
Chad and Eric arrived around 5 and we headed downstairs to Gentle Ben’s Brewery for drinks. Justin showed up shortly thereafter and about an hour later Chris (the bachelor), Mark, Danny and Jonathan arrived. After a good meal and microbrews we returned to the room to enjoy the cheaper booze. Around 9, we cabbed it to Curves, Tucson’s finest topless establishment. Five dollars to get in and drinks were about the same, not all that expensive by strip club standards. Our post-strip club activity brought us back to Gentle Ben’s, which at this point had turned into a happening bar atmosphere rather than the restaurant it pretends to be during the daylight hours. The after-bar lasted until about 5 am, when I finally gave it up and hit the sheets.
What I Learned Today: There are two types of guys at a strip clubs. Most of us (at least when mildly sober) understand the dynamics of the place and realize that girls in strip clubs will say and do almost anything for money. It is their job, after all. We are not moved by the touching or the whispers in the ear. And when a stripper says she loves you, we know it is bald-faced lie. But there is another type of man, who though often very intelligent in the real world, seems to lose about 80 IQ points solely by walking in the door. This is the guy who truly believes he might take a stripper home and spends the time and money to prove his beliefs. I’ll be the first to admit that it does happen (and perhaps one such success has forever ruined these men for life) , but in the end it would have been cheaper to simply head to Miracle Mile and pay up front for your desired services
written by  exumenius on October 4, 2007 from Tucson, United States

Recovery - Night 10
Tucson, United States
We checked out at 9 am and Chad and I took Chris out to the JW Marriot resort at Starr Pass. I had never been to this part of Tucson before, and though it reaked of suburbia, that fact that the resort bordered Tucson Mountain Park made it quite beautiful, and I will admit that the developers did a pretty good job of blending the place into its natural environs.
After arriving home, I had work to do. A half an hour call into the office left me with a busy afternoon, when all I really wanted to do was nap. I finally got my relief at about 3pm, when I finished what was due only an hour later. It seems every Friday I get a call with something due in two hours. I’ll be happy when it is over.
My Temporary Tucson Home
My hosts’ presence was required at the dress rehearsal, so I got to spend some time relaxing, reading, and watching the latest season of Entourage. A so often happens, while I was sitting on the balcony reading, I had what may prove to be a major breakthrough in our (Max and mine) little “appraiser assistant” software development scheme. I really hope the next six months of reading and relaxing will have as many such “ah ha” moments. Called it an early night and was in bed by 10:30 for some much needed sleep.
What I learned Today: It is a good thing I am going overseas and out into the jungle (or the outback) because I am finding that I am just one of those people who cannot seem to let go of work. I used to think people mad for working on vacation, etc, but now I find that I am constantly volunteering to do extra tasks and cannot seem to just let work go. I guess we all need something to keep us busy, however, we should fill this need with things we want to do, not things we are supposed to do. I guess part of me enjoys solving problems and being the man in the know….it is likely an ego thing and I hope I can transform it into a positive attribute in the future.
written by  exumenius on October 5, 2007 from Tucson, United States

Robyn and Chris's Wedding - Night 11
Today was the big day for Chris and Robyn and
My old roommate Chad and I
the reason for my visit to Tucson. Chad was in the wedding party so he had to leave early for pictures, meanwhile Chrissy and I headed to the historic Hotel Congress to check into our hotel for the evening. Tonight was also the Annual Club Crawl, a large festival downtown with bands and beer tents. The very epicenter of the event is Hotel Congress, so we would be right in the middle of the action. But first the wedding.
Since Chris’s family is Catholic, the wedding would take place in a Catholic Church right after the 4 pm mass. By the time the local families filed out and we filed in it was nearly 5:40 by the time the wedding began. A surprisingly large showing considering none of the family, and only a few of the friends actually live in Arizona. Though it was a traditional Catholic wedding, it only took 40 minutes (which was still a bit on the long side in my book.) The priest, whom the Etzkorns flew in from Seattle, was an old, fat man who had enough of a sense of humor to keep us all awake. His homily focused on the three types of love; erotic, friendship, and sacrificial, which I thought was very interesting and somewhat philosophical.
The reception followed at the Tucson Museum of Art,
The Wedding Reception
a sheik and elegant venue. The food was excellent, especially the rubbed shrimp hor’s de ouerves. We ate outside, dancing was limited and booze was free. Music was provided via an Ipod and the Museum was open for cavorting. All things considered, probably the ideal reception, as far as I am concerned.
At around 11 we headed back to the Hotel Congress and the madness that was Club Crawl. Courtesy of our hotel guest status we were able to jump the lines and get in for free. We changed out of our dress clothes and rushed downstairs to the outdoor stage. The remainder of the night was fairly non-descript, just some music, more drinks that I didn’t need and stumbling to bed around 2 am. A long, but enjoyable day.
Jessica, Crissy and I at Club Crawl
What I Learned Today: The Catholic Church explains the existence in the Bible of Song of Songs (that old erotic Egyptian poem) as the book that describes God’s love towards us. Not surprisingly, it is the only book of the Bible that doesn’t once mention God. Why can’t they just admit that they borrowed this text from another religion, like so much else in their holy book. But then again, what fun would the Bible be without a little taste of erotica.

Recovery: Take Two - Night 12
The Hotel Congress
Awoke to the sound of train whistles and large trucks removing the fencing and other apparati from last night’s festivities. Our room was at the very end of the hall, at the strange triangle peak of the building, perhaps one of the most character-ful rooms in the place. Though the Congress would not be considered luxury by today’s standards, at one time it was the place to be in Tucson. What it lacks in modern amenities it more than makes up for in quirk and class. It is absolutely great to stay in a hotel that doesn’t have television in the rooms. It forces the guests to leave their rooms and socialize in the downstairs café, lobby, or bar. I think one of the toughest parts about traveling by yourself, especially for work purposes, is the isolation that occurs after the normal working hours. Suburban, Interstat-ish hotels and motels lack true public space and thus each evening is spent mindless watching reruns in the oversized and under-interesting rooms. Not at the Congress. No the Congress is a throwback to the time when traveling was done for the experience and the encounters, not just to say we’ve been somewhere.
We checked out and headed home in order
Raja - The Cat
to get breakfast and nap. For dinner, we stopped by my old favorite Long Wong’s for a mini-bucket of wings. The evening was spent watching CSI – Las Vegas reruns and playing with Raja the cat. Early to bed.
WIL: Sometimes when you fall upon a new idea (or at least an idea new to you) you immediately begin to find manifestations of that idea or thought in everything you see, hear and read and everyone you talk to. It was almost as if it was there all along (it usually is), but you were just too blind to see it. I find this happens most often with ideas or recognitions that challenge, or often change, our most basic ethical and moral principles. It has made me realize that perspective is so very important in our lives, whether it be politically, socially, or spiritually. And since perspective is shaped by our experiences and education, we should strive to enhance these two at all costs.

Last Night Stateside - Night 13
Columbus Day, a second rate holiday if that.
Tucson Mountain Park
My hosts, however, were required at their day jobs, so I had the pleasure of taking the Volvo for a ride today. After another conference call tying up some loose ends at work, I drove west on Speedway Boulevard up to Gates Pass Recreation Area in Tucson Mountain Park. I hiked a short way up to a small, rock outcropping that likely had a name, though I don't know it, and hung out for a while letting the warm desert wind blow through my hair. From my perch I contemplated the dangerous beauty of this place. Life clings so precariously to the rock and dirt here. The plants and animals use each drop of water as if it were their last, and when given the chance they explode in beautiful colors and odds shapes, vicious bites and sharp points. Tis a small and juvenile mind that finds the desert boring and dull.
In the afternoon i finished up some final shopping errands. Chad and Crissy returned home and we headed to our old happy hour haunt, Bison Witches, for my last supper, as it were. The waitresses remained as good looking as ever, though the potato bacon soup was a bit more watered down than I remember. Justin met us out and I spent the night as his place near Mountain and Grant.
What I Learned Today: I have some truly amazing, generous friends all across this amazing land.

An End and A Beginning
Los Angeles, United States
Today brings an end to my two week barnstorming tour of all the places I used to live. It was great to see so many old friends again. These reunions made me realized how poor of a job I have done keeping in touch over the years. In this day and age, it is so simple (not to mention free) to send an email just to keep up to date on old friends, yet we all seem so hard pressed to do this elementary task.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all those people who've offered me hospitality over the past two weeks: Jeremy and Chessa, Jesse, Brett and Miranda, Matt and the rest of the Dugout, Joanna and Julie, Rick, Chad and Crissy, Justin, and Ed. This trip wouldn't have been possible without each and every one of you, and for that I am indebted to you all.
Sitting in the Los Angeles Airport it finally hit me that every person I meet for the next six months will be a new friend. Every face I see is a new face, an unknown, but an opportunity. Chances are that some of the people I meet over the next six months will be people who may end up being some of my best friends or maybe my wife (or quite possibly a mortal enemy), but, what if i had planned my vacation a year later, a month, a day; i may have met a completely differenct set of people. How can anyone deny free will in such circumstances? Fate is bullshit. Our experiences are the the simple circumstances of our decisions. Thus is any decision wrong? Or are the consequences of it merely undesirable (at the present time, given our present perspective). I hope this trip can be my chance to open my mind and take each decision and its consequences for what they are, and learn and grow from each of them.
Here's to new friends, new places, new experiences, and, likely, a new me.
written by  exumenius on October 9, 2007 from Los Angeles, United States

Nimbin the Way Home - Night 18
Nimbin, Australia
Main Street Nimbin
We checked out of the Caravan Park by 9 am (actually 10 as daylight savings time had snuck up on us, unbeknowingly) and headed into town for some breakfast to calm the queasy stomachs in the group. All but two of us made it back to the caravan park after the bar last night. Aaron and Jana, being out of money and a bit lost couldn’t afford a cab and ended up sleeping on the beach.
I bypassed the group breakfast and headed to the Tribal Travel office to book my Fraser Island tour. They had a special including Fraser, the Whitsundays, and a Noosa Camping trip all for $300 up front, but I just didn’t have the time to fit in the two add-ons. I ended up getting the Fraser trip – three days, two nights on the island plus two free nights in Hervey Bay – for $155, plus an additional $80 later for fuel, food, and insurance.
The troupee rolled out of Bryon Bay around 11:30; destination Nimbin. A bit out of the way, Nimbin is a popular destination for the alternative crowd and curious daytrippers like us. The city, or community rather, began in the 60’s as a refuge for hippies and has continued to offer such a lifestyle right up until today. The physical setting is beautiful, tucked into a river valley with lush, green mountains on all sides. The city itself was a bit disappointing. One long street full of cafés, bookstores, and herbal bakeries with numerous strange characters selling pot on the streets.
After a half an hour of perusing the shops we hit the road for the long climb home. We unpacked and had a delicious dinner of beef casserole and rice. The sun dropped below the horizon and a terrific storm began to form in the northeast. Lightning like I have never seen before; not once every couple of second, or even every second, but literally non-stop for hours and it appeared to be moving ever so slowly directly toward us. The storm hit at about 1 am and continued for hours. I don’t think too many of us slept very well at all for being in tent during a massive thunderstorm is much like being directly outside in it, except for the water, of course.
What I Learned Today: Regardless of the cost of drinks or my overall level of thirst it never fails that I’ll manage to spend all the cash I have in my wallet when out at the bar. Since I cannot seem to break this habit, I am going to have to put a quota on how much cash I can carry with me, much like I do in Vegas.
written by  exumenius on October 28, 2007 from Nimbin, Australia

A Day at Darling Harbour - Night 44
Sydney, Australia
The weather proved to be dour again today,
The Iceman
as the clouds hung low over the top of the concrete jungle’s canopy. Outdoors the elements were more like a November day in Seattle than Sydney. For lunch we had American cuisine, large juicy burgers from Burgerlicious, a Red Robin-esque chain restaurant here down under. Quite surprisingly, the burger actually tasted as fresh as advertised.
The rest of the group had plans to walk the gardens and peruse the Opera House, activities I had already checked off the list. Thus we agreed to go our separate ways and meet again at the Sydney Aquarium around 3 o’clock. To pass the time I did some preparatory shopping for New Zealand and eventually stumbled down to the free National Maritime Museum. The actual maritime exhibits were less than enthralling, however, the ancillary showings were well worth the price of
My Kind of Boat
admission. A small room on Jellyfish proved informative and interesting, but the real prize was the Iceman exhibit. Otzi, a resident of the Alps was found completely intact and buried in a glacier about 15 years ago by some hikers in Austria. Dated at 5,325 years old, his remains included everything: clothing, weapons, and even the contents of his stomach. Forensic evidence has shown that the cause of death for the man, in his mid 40’s, was from an arrow through the back, shot uphill from approximately 20 meters away. The curators joked that the culprit remains at large. Through pollens found in his stomach the murder likely occurred in the month of June.
The Aquarium
My scientific exploration continued at the aquarium. Although the entire place was an attraction, the underwater walkways taking you beneath sharks and huge manta rays were the clear highlight. The coral exhibits were captivating as well.
After the aquarium Paolo took off to meet some family and Charlie and I headed home for some dinner and beer. Later on we all me up at Jackson’s on George, minus Paolo who was still at dinner and Karen who was on a date with a guy she met the night before. The night ended early again as we were all exhausted from the day.
My time in Sydney was enjoyable but tiring. Being a morning person I can’t help but wake before the 7 am hour, a fact which makes travelling with evening people a bit challenging. After a whole day of activities I am dead tired by 9pm. That combined with the cold I am fighting meant I was a bit of a bore most nights. It seems every time I try to do a short two week type vacation I end up being run down at the end of it. Though I enjoyed the last 10 days with friends I am also most definitely looking forward to a few nights of sound sleep in Auckland.
What I Learned Today: Despite my best efforts, when tired, I can be a horribly impatient bastard.
written by  exumenius on November 23, 2007 from Sydney, Australia

Wisconsin Capitol

Camp Randall

View from Monona Terrace

State Street

Scene of Potential Crime

Random dance floor action

The Mix Bar

Milwaukee Oktoberfest

Menomonie according to Google Maps

Bags are packed...sort of

Lake of the Isles

UW-Stout Baseball Field

View from our Hotel

My old roommate Chad and I

Tucson Mountain Park

The Hotel Congress

Jessica, Crissy and I at Club Crawl

The Wedding Reception

Raja - The Cat

My Temporary Tucson Home

My Kind of Boat