Minchin Madness

*Chad*

As Melissa has previously written, February was our 5^th year anniversary. It’s hard to believe that we have had 5 years together already. We have shared hopes, dreams, miles, kilometers, adventures and challenges all while pursuing this higher education thing! I don’t think I would change a thing; after all, life is the journey as well as the destination.

Needless to say, this year we have been strapped for cash so we had to come up with a way to celebrate our time together without breaking the bank. Before we left for Australia, Melissa and I happen to catch a quick glimpse of a musician by the name of Tim Minchin. That particular night Tim was performing his “Taboo” song on the Conan O’Brian show. Tyler, Melissa and I laughed until it hurt. On a whim, we thought that we would google the guy and see if he was coming to Adelaide any time soon. As luck would have it, he was playing the Adelaide Entertainment Center the day after Valentine’s Day! That was perfect for me, I could wrap our anniversary and Valentine’s Day all into one fun filled night, allowing me maintain my tight-wad status while coming off as a decent boyfriend! And, thanks to some donations (thanks again everyone) we had some spare funds for tickets. Luckily, we managed to get a couple of the tickets before both shows sold out. I was completely unaware that Mr. Minchin had such a large following.

The night of the show Melissa and I took the train into the city and then caught a tram out to the Entertainment Centre. We had thought it would be a good idea to try and get to the place early so that we could find our seats and get comfy before the hoards arrived. Naturally, dealing with public transport, we managed to just barely make it to the venue on time. As we did the zombie walk with the rest of the people qued up, we had the chance to do bit of people watching to try and get a feel for the type of evening we might be in for. To my surprise, the crowd was very diverse. People from all ages and walks of life showed up to see the show. Melissa and I even noticed one of our senior radiologists in attendance.

The show got underway with Tim Minchin singing at the top of his lungs from inside a cage while the South Australia Orchestra played behind him! I knew right then that the show was going to be a good one. I really enjoyed seeing the shoe-less artist smashing away on his piano as the orchestra played perfectly. Some of the songs had a very intense personal feel to them but just when you thought you might be seeing the overly serious artists side, he switched things around and left you laughing. I don’t think I could pick out a single favorite; I loved seeing Taboo performed live and I really enjoyed the self-deprecating humor of “I can have a dark side too”. The evening was fantastic! That being said, those of you thinking of searching for Minchin’s music on youtube, be aware that his comedic/musical styling’s can be irreverent and, at first go, might even seem offensive. But, that’s part of the draw. I just wish we could have had Tyler (aka Paul) and the rest of you with us to enjoy the night. Next time!!

Where Have We Been!?!

March already… The MIDDLE of March! That little groundhog popped up and saw his shadow (how would he not if he comes out any time other than noon?) and the month of leprechauns and rainbows ran hot on his heels. And now, April showers are quickly approaching.

I know it has been well over a month since you’ve heard from us, and I feel terrible! It has been an incredibly rough time for us, though, too!

February was a busy month. Chad and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary together. 5 whole years!! It has been an amazing journey – quite impressive to look back on it all and to think that just over 5 years ago, we were here in Australia just one state over, beginning our lifelong romance! We celebrated a bit late by treating ourselves to one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen (Chad will divulge those details later!)

We were allowed only a brief moment of revelry, however, as we were swimming through an overwhelming amount of stress. Chad and I were frantically trying to work on our “Case Study” project for Uni (school), and simultaneously prepare our presentation for the Sydney ASMMIRT conference. On top of all of that, my health was progressively spiraling downward.

By the end of the month, we were finally in the clearing after submitting and presenting our case study project, and I was forced to experience the health care system from a - foreign – patient’s point of view. My “nut shell” observation is that, although the doctors were lovely, the overwhelming majority of receptionists treat the patients like crap – ESPECIALLY if you DO NOT have a medicare card. Apparently, paying up-front is the biggest inconvenience that the front desk could ever be confronted with. If anyone could explain this to me, my ears are open…

When March arrived, we decided it was time for a vacation. My health was getting under control, the school term was ending, we were switching hospitals again, and a new housemate moved in. Not to mention that good ol’ Australia had yet another public holiday coming up – the Adelaide Cup Day. For those of you back home, this is the equivalent of the superbowl for Adelaide. What better time to escape for a 3-day weekend and a holiday?

We rented a car – which was absolutely blissful to escape the shin splints that accompany speed walking to the bus stops multiple times a day, only to wait a half hour for a late bus. We journeyed southeast for a fancy dinner at “The Victory” Pub, and a night in their cozy cottages on the hill. I can’t describe to you the loveliness of an area to yourselves for the night.

The next day, we journeyed back home through Willunga, stopping to enjoy the scrumptious-ness of Lavender Brownies at the Market, picking up some other goodies along the way. Then in McLaren Vale we stopped to seek out a delicious cider I had tried on our wine-tour, and I haven’t been able to find since. We had to go straight to the vineyard – Oxenberry Farms – where we tried some yummy wines, and spent a bit too much on bags of booze. I will definitely be disappointed with the fact I can’t get my hands on that stuff in the states! Definitely a name to keep your eyes open for, wine-o’s!

We were able to make it to Mt. Lofty for a refreshing, incredibly steep hike. I got to meet a little bandicoot at Waterfall Gulley, and we were able to enjoy some delicious meals that we just miss out on without a set of wheels. It was quite possibly the un-healthiest diet we’ve had in the last six months… or in short – it was lovely!!

As it all came to an end, we concluded our 3^rd term, and began our very last with a month at the Repat.