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A journal for 30DBC and other feline musings. |
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"This...is my lab. And THIS...is my LABORATORY!" Seriously, though. This blog is gonna be where I throw paint at the wall just to see what sticks, and sometimes just to throw paint at the wall because it's friggin' relaxing to throw crap. Welcome aboard, and please keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. "In case of emergency, the exits are here-here-here-here-here-here-here... ANYWHERE!" P.S. If you recognize one or both of the above quotes...you are automatically my new best friend.  AlyCatAuthor
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| 30DBC December 19 Prompt: Welcome to Canberra, the nation's capital city! We're staying in the Avenue Hotel today then checking out Parliament House around noon and the National Library later on. We'll continue flying down south tonight, into Melbourne. Today is going to be a day filled with some historical treats! I gratefully sleep in until about ten once we get to the Avenue Hotel. What with the holidays coming up and my mind and plate full, I am more exhausted than usual lately. Plus, I'm really starting to get homesick for my husband. The trip to the Parliament House takes my loneliness off of my mind for a bit as we learn more about Australia's government and history. The National Library, though promising already, turns out to be my favorite part of the day. I admire the hundreds of thousands of books and touch each spine with affection as we tour the huge building. It gives me new inspiration for the Scholar's library in my own story, and I jot down lots of notes and take as many pictures as they'll allow. We part ways for dinner, and I'm up for some comfort food, since the homesickness has returned full force. I get a bacon cheeseburger (my usual go-to), and Dragon is hiding   tells me if I don't slow down I'm going to choke on my fries. I can't help it, though--I eat my stress, and soon follow my burger and fries with a small milkshake (SB Musing  had to persuade me not to get a large). Feeling full and somewhat better, I head back with the others and lay around in the hotel until it's time to fly out to Melbourne. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 18 Prompt: Sleep in today, as you have a choice of what you'd like to do. There are two big points of interest here in Sydney, Bondi Beach, and Taronga Zoo. Take your pick of which you'd like to see- the beach, the zoo, both, or neither. Maybe you'll end up going somewhere else. Just make sure you're back tonight to fly down to Canberra! Ooooh a freebie! I decide to try to hit both, going to the zoo first so that I can hit the beach closer to evening. I like watching the sunset over the ocean. The zoo is fantastic! I love seeing all the animals, especially the cute koala bears and towering giraffes. I take lots of pictures for my hubby, as today marks 5 years we've been together (and at the end of this month, on his birthday, the 30th, 8 months of marriage). I go hang out in a local cafe (as is my usual plan of attack) once I've explored the zoo from top to bottom. I'm rereading an old favorite and enjoying my third cup of tea when I notice the sun is beginning to sink. I hurry to finish my tea so I can make it to the beach. The sunset is as gorgeous as I could have hoped for. I walk along the shore, wriggling my toes deep into the still-hot sand, and let the edge of the waves kiss my feet, feeling small and insignificant in the brilliant colors that surround me. I take lots of pictures once again for my husband and find myself wishing fervently that he were here. Owl City's "Vanilla Twilight" begins playing in my head, and, feeling a bit nostalgic and lonely, I venture back to the hotel to pack up for the flight to Canberra. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 17 Prompt: We're in Sydney today and staying at The Grace Hotel. Make sure you get some decent sleep, because we're getting a VIP tour of the Sydney Opera House at 7 am, for which we must arrive at 6:45 am! We'll grab some breakfast afterwards, then head to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and for the adventurous souls out there, do the Bridge Climb. We'll spend the rest of the day at the Royal Botanical Gardens. The rest of the day will be yours to spend as you wish. Yay, we're in Sydney! We check into the Grace Hotel after our flight, and I crash, barely getting my hair out of its mangled bun before my head hits the pillow and I'm off in Dreamland. Someone's phone alarm wakes me at around 5:15, for which I am grateful--I need a good dunk under a warm shower, and then to my morning prayers and coffee. We arrive at the Opera House just a couple minutes past 6:45--our tour guide doesn't seem too thrilled that we were late, but she soon cheers up as she takes us around the building. We walk out onto the deck under the 'sails' of the building, looking out at a beautiful sunrise across Sydney Harbour. It's a breathtaking view, and one that Lyn's a sly fox  has to drag me away from in order to see the rest of the opera house. We go behind the scenes, checking out the expansive backstage area and the gigantic auditorium. It's a gorgeous place.After we end the tour, we hit up a nearby cafe for breakfast. I get a huge cinnamon roll and a couple boiled eggs to go with some fresh coffee. Then it's off to the Bridge! I am NOT an adventurous soul, not when it comes to heights, anyway. I therefore watch with a few others as the rest climb to the very top of the bridge. The pictures they bring back are incredible, though even just looking at the sea in the background, and the very tiny/flimsy-looking metal rail that is the only thing separating them from solid platform and air...okay, I gotta stop. I'm getting a teensy bit nauseous.  After watching them defy death, we all head out to the Royal Botanical Gardens. It's a breathtaking nature park right near the harbour, and I admire the handiwork of the gardeners. The place reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, with its strange bridges and carefully-cut, colorful shrubs. Then, after the gardens, I decide to go find a nice place to sit in the shade near the harbour. The water has got my imagination running wild, and I sketch a few pictures of fish and bubbly underwater habitats before launching into a fan-fiction. BlueMoon  finds me occupied thus, and we decide to eat some dinner and check out some of the local shops. We come back to the hotel with our latest purchases and meet the others, some who are just coming in to the lobby, others who are chatting in the hallways. I go call my husband to pray our Rosary and catch up, and then I'm just about beat. My eyes are drooping as I say my evening prayers, and then I'm out like a light once again.AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DB December 16 Prompt: Today's our last day of fun in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, so we're headed to Time Zone, an indoor entertainment center, to stay out of the heat! It's open until midnight, but don't stay out too late because we're still flying out to Sydney tonight! P. SHERMAN 42 WALLABY WAY SYDNEY!!! (I know that's supposedly not a legit place, but whether I like it or not (and I LOVE it), going to Sydney tomorrow will have me running around everywhere going, "This is where Dory and Marlin found the pelican!" or "This is a real dentist's office... in SYDNEY!" Or "This is where the EAC lets out, dudes!") Anyway.  Since we're in Brisbane for one more day, I suppose I'd better talk about Time Zone! I hit up the laser tag almost immediately, but the coffee isn't quite running through my veins yet, so my reaction time is slow and I'm out pretty quickly (Kit of House Lannister  got me--darn it!). Cutting my losses, I head over to the bumper cars for a little low-speed driving fun. Dragon is hiding and SB Musing pin me into a corner, laughing their heads off, so I have to surrender that round. But I get them back in the next one-- I come flying into the back of Dragon's car a few minutes later, making her jump, and then sideswipe SB and knock her off course.  I try my hand at a few pinball games and win a few tickets, purchasing a neon rainbow Slinky with them (just like the good old days--Slinkies are so very 90's!). I decide to give it to my Daddy for a Christmas present, seeing as he was the one who won me all my Slinkies as a little girl.  After my interest wanes at Time Zone, I head out to get some lunch (and some more coffee). Then, feeling a bit introverted, I go hang out by myself and write for a bit until the others are ready to head back to the hotel and pack up for the plane trip to Sydney. I've had a lot of fun in Brisbane, and made many memories and discoveries. I only hope there's not more insane driving in my future... AlyCatAuthor |
| 30 DBC December 15 Entry Well, I didn't see a prompt on the forum, so I'll just launch right in... Another fun day at a theme park!!! I rode so many roller coasters that now I can't see straight. I stopped when I started feeling a little icky, and then I just walked around for a bit, sipping some water in order to settle my stomach enough to eat. After a fun day, I went back to the hotel early to start my online LAUNCH PARTAY for "Kingdom of the New Moon" and took pretty pictures of all the prizes. It's gonna be a fun night!AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 14 Prompt: One of the perks of being in Brisbane is its proximity to the Gold Coast, which is where all the theme parks are located. Today, we're heading to Movieworld, Australia's answer to Universal Studios in the United States! A short prompt deserves a short answer. (IRL my stomach is growling and my blood sugar is dropping so I'm gonna make this brief). I do love a good day in a theme park. My husband won't step foot on a roller coaster, so I'm pleased to be in the company of so many willing participants. I ride nearly every coaster in the park before daring to eat some lunch at Gotham City--I choose a giant, juicy burger loaded with cheese and bacon. Just what I need to settle my stomach before checking out the tamer attractions, such as the Hollywood Stunt Driver show. After a fun day at the park, we head back to the hotel, where I nurse a few new sunburns on my face and wind down for the night with a cup of Sleepytime herbal tea. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 13 Prompt: We're flying out to Brisbane this morning and staying in the Meriton Apartment Hotel. We'll do a bit of island hopping afterwards- from the mainland to Amity Stradbroke Island (Straddie), then onwards to Moreton Island. This means we're first going to Cleveland to take the QRail to Straddie before we get to Moreton via the Amity Trader barge. Alrighty. On a plane again. I'm really starting to be afraid that any day now we'll be packed into the car again like sardines for 18 hours. But I'll enjoy the break while it lasts. We get off the plane (can you call a 7 AM flight a red-eye? I wish you could) and check into the Meriton Apartment Hotel. I get some more shut-eye while I can. And then we'll be experiencing basically every mode of transportation in one day--by water, by train, by car, and this morning, by plane. (That even rhymed a bit.) I'm not too worried as I pile into the car to Cleveland with my hot coffee in a thermos. It'll be a nice change of pace and an experience to freshen up the staleness that the act of traveling has acquired in these past couple weeks. The train is interesting, and much faster than I would have imagined. Before I know it, we're pulling into Straddie, and while we wait around on the Amity Trader Barge, I wander around the station looking for a place to sit and record some thoughts. I sip my coffee as I finally decide to slump against a wall and jot down some ideas for a story set in the future. WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024  calls to me and tells me the barge is here. I hop on board and stumble--I can't remember the last time I had to use my sea legs (or lack thereof). But once I get settled into my seat, the ride is nice, and the breeze coming off the water is refreshing on my still-sunburnt arms. As we approach Moreton, my imagination is sparked once again. It's a pristine island, with a tall lighthouse near the shore, and miles and miles of sand and turquoise water all around. I grab BlueMoon and we decide to explore the lighthouse first, and then find some shade to enjoy the crystal clear day.The day passes pleasantly. The lighthouse is gorgeous, and then the whole gang decides to go sand-tobogganing. I go for another pass down the dune even when my mouth gets stuffed with sand the first time round. When night falls, we point out the stars blinking to life in the darkening sky. We think we can even see the smudge of the Milky Way, and we stare awestruck for some time. Then it's back across the water, to food and civilization once more, and then back to the hotel to rest up for tomorrow's adventures. We're all exhausted from a day of fun, but I stay up a bit to finish my Rosary and call the hubby before turning in, careful to leave my arms out of the blanket so they can cool during the night. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 12 Prompt: Cairns is known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, so we've got an earlier start today since we're going on the Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Tour. It starts at 7:30, which means we're leaving our hotel around 7, but don't worry about breakfast, as we'll get breakfast and lunch onboard the ship. Tonight we'll fly down to Brisbane, where we're staying in the Meriton Apartment Hotels! I wake up early, even though we had to get up early to begin with. I'm super stoked about visiting the world famous Great Barrier Reef! I hurriedly pack my things and sit waiting for the others to get ready. I don't drink any coffee--I'm too excited, and the caffeine will aggravate my nerves. I'll wait until we're on board the ship to do that. We all pile into the car, some of us sleepy, others chatting excitedly. I join in the conversation for once, and the half-hour trip to the ship passes by fast. We all come on board and get breakfast. I finally get some precious coffee, as my early waking is starting to take its toll. Shortly after breakfast (after we've had a chance to digest our food), we're suited up for snorkeling. The early morning sun sparkles on the water, illuminating the clear turquoise sea--and the reef beneath it--like a massive crystal. The sight takes my breath away, and I gaze, transfixed, until a tour guide tugs on my arm and forces me to put on my snorkeling mask. "You want to go see it up close? You've got to put this on." The tour is nothing less than magical. Colorful fish dart around bright splashes of coral and anemone. The water couldn't be more beautifully clear if it were made of glass. I stop to watch a clownfish poking its head tentatively out from its anemone home until Dragon is hiding yanks my arm to get my attention. What I see is absolutely amazing--a green sea turtle is nosing its way along the reef, almost close enough to touch! I nearly let go my snorkel in my excitement.After we swim back to the boat, my stomach is already growling again. We've worked up quite the appetite from swimming around--and I've accumulated a nice sunburn. We sit in the shade and enjoy a light but filling lunch, and I enjoy a glass of lemonade and watch the midday sun light the surface of the water like liquid fire. Back at the hotel, I slather on the aloe and lay on my stomach on the bed to let the burns get some air. Apondia  remarks that my arms are starting to blister, but at this moment, with the A/C running full blast and my washed hair perfuming my pillow, I am at peace. I sleep until it's time to pack up and head down to the lobby for supper. We eat fairly quickly and then pile into the shuttle to go back to the airport and catch our flight for Brisbane.AlyCatAuthor |
30DBC December 11 Prompt: It's a 3-hour flight from Darwin to Cairns, so we'll fly out mid-morning to get there by noon/early afternoon- in time to check in to the Tropical Heritage Cairns  , have a rest, then check out the night markets down the street. Tomorrow, we'll check out the Great Barrier Reef. Make sure to set your watches and clocks forward a half hour, though, we've arrived in Queensland, which means we're in the Eastern time zone!Flying is better than driving. In fact, if I could fly everywhere, I would. I take my time in the morning since we don't have to be up at the crack of nope. I use the extra time to straighten my hair (it's been acting silly lately) and write some new ideas in my story bible journal over a hot cup of coffee that I can actually sip this morning instead of throwing down my throat. Then SB Musing pokes her head in the room and says it's time to head to the airport. I tuck my journal into my carry-on and head out the door with all my things.Takeoff, once such an exciting part of flight, is now my least favorite part, though even as my nails dig into the armrest, my heart soars with the force of the engine's thrust. I am torn between excitement and a terrible, terrible dizziness and fear. It passes as we level out, though, and I pry my nails out of the armrest, avoiding the raised eyebrow of BlueMoon . It's a beautiful, clear day, and the land passing rapidly beneath us like a deep red quilt is mesmerizing. I settle back with a sigh of relief and pull my journal back out. No danger of motion sickness up here (unless things get bumpy). The flight passes quickly. I finish my Rosary during the flight and doze off, waking up in time to feel the ear-popping descent of the plane as we come in for a landing. The tires hit the tarmac, and before I know it, we're whisked off the plane and into a shuttle that's going straight to our hotel. My phone has set itself forward a disconcerting half-hour, meaning that it's now around 1:30 instead of 1 like I had thought. It's nothing too terrible to get used to, though, and so as everyone gets settled into their rooms, I hang out in the lobby where there's free wi-fi and scroll through pictures of the Great Barrier Reef, an experience I expect to be one of the capstones of this whole trip. We all meet up for dinner before heading out to the night markets. This is quite a fun experience, as it reminds me of walking along the Boardwalk in Myrtle Beach or the Strip in Gatlinburg, visiting all the local souvenir shops. I stop by a bead shop and purchase a beautiful amethyst wrap-around bracelet for my mom, and an ankle bracelet for my aunt. I save the best for last, a stop at the coffee and tea shop to purchase a bag of coffee to take home with me. After the night markets, we all head back to the hotel with our treasures and settle in, looking forward with excitement to tomorrow. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 10 Prompt: We're spending the day at Leanyer Recreation Park - it's got wet and dry playgrounds, a park, and canteen, so all you need to do is bring your bathing suits! It's a 20-minute drive from the resort, so we'll head back once the park closes, and fly out to Cairns in the morning. The absolute best thing about today? LESS THAN AN HOUR OF DRIVING. AND. AND. We get to FLY instead of drive tomorrow. Needless to say, this cat is quite relieved and fully intends on enjoying her weekend. I splash around in the playground basically all day, enjoying the refreshing water and playing fun games with the others, like Marco Polo and Water Tag. It's exhausting, but my back and hips are super happy from all the activity, and the water keeps the pressure off my sciatic nerve, so it gets a major break today. At one point Andre jumped into the water and scared some of the other bathers with his impression of a fish.  As we drive back sporting various sunburns, I look forward to a warm shower, dry clothes, and a nice supper at the resort. It's a delicious meal--a wonderful, meaty dish with an intriguing sauce. I head back up to my room as my hair dries and write in my journal. This day has been decidedly better than the last two, and I'm even looking forward to the flight tomorrow morning. It'll be a nice change of pace from all the driving.  AlyCatAuthor |
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