Field Hockey Tourney and a Suprise Guest!

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G'Day! I am getting my Australian lingo down a bit more with the more I talk to the natives and it hasn't hurt that Heather left a Australian slang book on my night stand ;) I am just going to put on my thongs and togs and take the eskie down to the billabong. Translated as I am going to put on my flip flops and bathing suit and take the cooler down to the estuary type thing. Speaking of billabongs, the kids can't wait to take me to the closest one. I believe we are going on Monday and while we are there we get to hold a Koala! Now, you have to be a certain height since Koalas do not like to be in what they feel like would be a bush, but if you are tall enough you can mimick a tree, and that makes the Koalas much happier. Last year was the first year the kids were big enough to hold them and they were thrilled!

As far as today went it was a bit of a rat race but it was fun! We got up and got ready for the first of the 3 field hockey games in a tourney that Emily was playing in. With 2 today and 1 tomorrow I am learning the ropes of field hockey really fast. (Especially since Emily taught me so much earlier) Field hockey is really big in Australia, as well as Cricket and Rugby. The kids can't wait to teach me how to play beach Cricket when we go camping in a couple of weeks.

The first game was at 9:30 and I stayed with the kids since today was also Graduation at James Cook University so Heather and Simon had to be there, plus they had a lunch to go to afterward so they wouldn't be able to make Emily's second game at 1:00 either. The first game was a 0-0 tie, and the second game they lost by a point :( In between the games a family friend of the Robsons, Sue Deregan, came and picked us up and took us back to their house where they have a beautiful pool. Emily got cooled off, Max had a bit of fun, and I got to talk more about Australia with Sue.

The big suprise of the day was that Heathers Dad, John Almborg, was arriving in Townsville today. The whole Almborg family and ours were stationed in Turkey together as well as both families moved back to Virginia afterward, so we all go way back. The plan was to keep Mr. Almborg's arrival a secret from the kids, and Simon let it loose this morning that he was coming, but we recovered from the slip and the kids still had no idea, whew!

Once he arrived the kids were more irritated that no one had told them he was coming than enjoying the suprise that he was here. Mr. Almborg drove (since I still have not driven, but I am feeling more comfortable about the idea!) us back to the hockey field for the second and final game of the day, and the entire time Max kept saying "Barrett, I can't believe you knew, and you didn't tell us!" It was quite comical.

The Townsville team that Emily was was playing against was Mackay. So Mr. Almborg being American, pronounced it the American way of Ma-Kay. Max snappedProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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round and said "no its Ma-kai" Mr. Almborg confirmed the spelling and just smiled and nodded.


After the game we drove back to Sue's house and went for another swim and hung out until Heather and Simon got back from Graduation and lunch, most of the Deregan family joined us and we had a great time chatting. Apparently a lot of people have problems with Possums, and apparently they are much cuter here than they are back home. They are very brazen and will come right in your house and go through you cuboards and steal anything food related things they can get their hands on. Sue was saying that she has had them go though her purse looking for lolli's (candy). Kari (Sue's daughter who is attending the University near by) said she woke up last night to one on her night stand, and she just shooed it out the door. Could you imagine waking up to wildlife rummaging though your things in the middle of the night?! Luckily for me Heather and Simon recently had their roof redone and the Possums have since not enjoyed living in it.

Max and I have been playing Earthopoloy which is just like Monopoly except that this game is geared around saving the Earth, it is his favorite game and he seriously gave me a schooling on how its played and had me bankrupt in less than 30 minutes.

Currently there is chicken on the barbie and we are all listening to Emily serenade us with her violin playing such classics as the M.A.S.H theme song and other wonderful melodies :) Tomorrow should be a bit less hectic with only one hockey game, so we shall see how it goes! A thank you for everyone who comments on my blog, it really means a lot to me, and it is great to read all that you have to say!

P.S: I was in the sun almost all day and I didn't get burned! I passed sunscreen appli

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