The Home Stretch

G'day all!

It has been quite a while since I have updated this bad boy. The last time I wrote was just before headed on a quick weekend trip down the Great Ocean Road. That trip was very fun. It is an absolutely amazing road. Driving on the wrong side of the road around hairpin turns with sheer drops into the ocean require extreme concentration. Unluckily for Riley, he chose to drive first...

On our way there we found a Thirsty Camel Drive Through Beer Store. A concept which I still find hard to come to grips with. Suspect franchise aside, we picked up some beers and all of the non-drivers started sipping (which is totally legal in Australia, relax mom) before the real drive began. Before we knew it, there was a party going on in the car and poor Riley had to suffer through not only having to watch the road as opposed to the scenery, but maintaining complete focus. Sucker. The rest of the trip was fun. The 12 Apostles are exactly what you would imagine: breathtaking for about an hour then you go home. That weekend was merely a warm-up lap for the mammoth road trip to come.

Given the window of opportunity of a three week mid-season break from lacrose, Riley and I used his final weeks in Australia on the road completeing the majority of the Australian East Coast. And it was sweet.

I made sure to bring along the ole video camera and I am half way through a video that documents our trip. I won't spoil any details, as the video will be up here and on vimeo within a week, but here is a basic outline. And by basic, I mean less that bare bones.

Day 1: Wake up/stay up until 4:00 am to get a cab to Melbourne Airport. Fly to Brisbane, which is in Southern Queensland (the most northeastern territory). Pick up the Campervan. Drive to Surfer's Paradise. Walk around various surf shops realizing that we are too American/unable to surf/broke to buy any of the fresh mondo tubular clothes. Drive to Byron Bay. Realize that we have entered the greatest place in Australia, as you will see in the video.

Day 2-5: Hang out and do various cheeky activities in Byron Bay.

Day 6: Begin the route to Sydney, stopping over in some random fishing town for the night.

Day 7: Wake up in the van parked on the beach. Drive to Sydney to see Casey Krauss and her friends for the night.

Day 8: Check out Sydney and decide to stay another night

Day 9-10: Buy lackluster camping supplies and head into the wilderness of the Blue Mountains to camp/hike. Nearly freeze to death at night and sweat profusely while hiking out of the valley. Use compass. Feel like Bear Grylls.

Day 11-14: Stay in various random towns along a stunning coastal drive ending in Melbourne. Get lost a few times. Bask in own Glory. Enjoy depleting hygene.

As the video will show, the road trip was an amazing time. A great send off for Riley.

The last few weeks have been fairly routine. Work, Lacrosse, etc. On a positive note, two nights ago a great friend from earlier in the trip came back to Melbourne and is living with us. He is a MASSIVE Liverpool Soccer fan and it was pretty brutal to watch the demise of England's World Cup Dreams with him last night. He is a horror. It was fun to see the US do fairly well, but in the end...We don't like soccer right? Unless we win that is. Its nice having a history of mediocrity and cynicism to fall back on after losing to Ghana. I'd like to think of it as letting others have a turn with the shiny new toy that is dominating everything. Enjoy it Ghana. You'll be back to doing...well...ummm...whatever it is that you do when you aren't practicing for the world cup. Herding?

This week will end on a very sober note as I will be missing the single greatest day to be an American (all things considered, that must be a pretty damn good day): The Fourth of July.

Even though I am having an amazing experience in Australia, there is nothing in the world that I would rather do than arrive at the Dobbins household at 8:30 am to begin everyone's favorite day of the year.

8:30 am: Break into first ice cold Miller Lite in a red solo Cup from one of four kegs.

8:42 am: Realize how quickly that beer snuck up on you because of the Lantern the night before. Make way to popcorn machine.

8:50 am: Game time

9:30 am: Enjoy talking to family friends about future plans. And by enjoy, I mean tell the same repetitive speal to thirty to forty people. Last year mine was, "Hey, yeah, I'm actually moving Australia for a year to play semi-pro lacrosse...Yeah, you know, it will be a good year off...such a tough job market and Ive always wanted to do it...Yeah Im serious. I am actually going. The flight is booked...Yes they play lacrosse there...Is that...sorry Mr. (family friend name here) I need to go speak to Mr. (insert other family friend name here).

9:31 am: Grab another Miller Lite

9:32 am: Start talking to Mr. (other family friend name here). "Hey, yeah, I'm actually moving Australia for a year to play semi-pro lacrosse...Yeah, you know, it will be a good year off...such a tough job market. Et Cetra, Et Cetra.

Semi-Pro lacrosse...hah overstatement of the decade. More like semi-serious. Really fun though.

10:30 am: Get psyched for the parade to begin.

10:32 am: Tell friends of syblings that I will not get them a beer. We did it on our own, they can do it all on their own. No one cares. Just dont be an ass about it.

10:38 am: Kids start to be asses about it. Oh well, I guess we were too

10:45 am: Get table-topped by Chris McNelly and vow to get him when he least expects it.

10:47 am: Watch my own back as everyone in sight is being table topped. This is just what George Washington had in mind to celebrate our Independence.

11:02 am: Watch the LFHS Pom Squad do their routine. Feel old. Feel creepy. Take a gulp of Miller Lite. Sob. Feel the need to wash my hands.

11:08 am: Mock the marching band from Glenbard East Metro playing Don't Stop Believing. Praise the Lord that I am Wes McGowan sitting on Chris Dobbins' front lawn and not the sweaty, acne harboring dungeons and dragons grand champion brandishing a recently polished trombone in a delightfully unflattering one-piece suit that highlights the extra forty pounds of flab attributed to hot pockets and pizza bagels in the bread basket and the distinct lack of a rear end except for the three square inches of nylon being devourned by the diminished crack. At least my extra five to seven lbs is from something cool. Beer and mom's cooking.

11:18 am: The moment we've all been waiting for: The Lawn Mower Brigade. Debate exactly what satirical theme they are going for this year. Something to do with Michael Jackson...or the pope? Quickly realize that they are really only funny because they are piss drunk middle aged men that should be hidden from all women and children and potentially given DUIs or public intox.

11:30 am: Parade is finished. Continue socializing.

12:00 pm: The Dobbins' are shutting up shop. Time to move. COnvince the weak that a nap is a horrendous decision that will have serious consequences. Go Dave's house and, god willing, enjoy round two of the greatest party in the history of Lake Forest.

All of that is before noon. As I said and anyone will attest, the greatest day to be American (and from Lake Forest/Lake Bluff).


Back to Australia:

I am here for just over two more months. It is all going to be pretty routine with lacrosse and work taking up all of my time, but it is a great routine.

Look out for the video soon. It will make your day. Or you will have too slow of a connection and get pissed off at the HD content and watch 2 minutes of it. Here's to hoping for the former.

Cheers