November

Much of the month has come and gone without me writing a damn thing - largely due to my absence last week from the office. Here's what's been happening:

1)A woman on a flight from Hong Kong to Brisbane attempted to step out of the plane for a cigarette

2)I met "Repo Man" and "Hip-Hop Boy" (on separate days) while waiting for trains in Aspendale Station

3)I attended Greenhouse 2005 and the Priestly Workshop

4)We saw Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

5)Uta represented her company on the tennis court – played well and downed a few opponents, but wasn't able to bring home gold.

6)I watched some zookeepers feed lions

7)Uta’s sister Katrin ended her vacation and returned to Munich

8)Australia’s Wheat Board has become one more in the long list of global companies involved in Iraq’s oil-for-food scandal

9)Model Michelle Leslie was released from Indonesian jail after serving 3 months for drug possession and almost immediately dropped all pretences of being a Muslim. She's now the favorite target of the Australian media - perhaps a fate worse than prison

10)We attended a cocktail party thrown by one of my colleagues

11)While out with Uta's Capgemini crew, I investigated how many Australian drinks it takes for me to incapacitate myself - about the same as in the States, despite my attempt to drink backwards

12)I did an interview for the ABC program “Four Corners”, to air sometime in January (?)

13)I got a raise (along with every other CSIRO employee)

14)I had drinks at the Belgian Beer Café

15)We finalized our travel plans for our South Australian Christmas (we’re unlikely to see any snow)

16)Australia’s annual celebration of youthful excess and poor judgment is underway as the “Schoolies” invade the Gold Coast

17)The Socceroos (crap, what a horrible name for a team) defeated Uruguay to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1974

18) We paid another visit to Der Raum, our friendly neighborhood German/American fusion cocktail lounge

19) Melbourne has erected the town Christmas tree in Federation Square - it's aluminum (hey - bushfire season is here you know)