The Calm

So the last couple of weeks since the Hunter Valley have not been TOO eventful.

One of the highlights is the surgery I performed on myself. I had been to the beach (Clovely Bay) in the rock pool swimming a bit. I was about to get up on the ladder, and you have to cross jagged rocks and what not to get to the ladder, when a wave hit me from the back and knocked me a bit. I felt embarrassed and scrambled out as quickly as I could. I hurt my big toe and I presumed I had cut myself, but I was in a hurry and had sand all over my feet; I figured I would investigate when I arrived home. Once at the bus stop, I realized I was running really late and I was talking to Susan anyway, so I seemed to forget about my toe. Once at work my toe started to have a dull throb; I waited until arriving home from work to look at my toe. I realized it was not a cut but rather a dark black line (something had pierced my toe and broke off). After a needle, scissors, knife, nail clipper, several tissues, and 40 minutes, I finally dug the spike of a sea urchin out of my big toe. Xavier, who works in the ER, walked in mid-operation and told me I should be careful. The victory I felt to have sliced the side of my big toe in two and removed the spike (and after a week, no infection!!!).

The shower is finally up and running completely and properly!!! The Saturday of Easter weekend the shower was fixed but no shower stall was installed. We told the landlord that when we showered all the water ran into the hallway (the floor was re tiled very poorly as it was not level and slanted towards the hallway and not the drain), through the ceiling and into the dining room light fixture. He told us not to complain, we had a shower and just to use it. We thought, alright, it is not our house and he knows the water is leaking so we showered and the hallway was constantly soaked. On Monday of this week the stall was installed and everything is up and running. To have a proper shower again.

I have finally started to plan out the rest of my time here in Australia. I will be working in Sydney the next three weeks before my travels begin. The itinerary is not set but it is pretty close to hammered out. I will post more about this in the coming weeks as I am sure plans will change several times. The one thing for certain is that Susan is coming to visit for two weeks in June! We have been talking and have a rough plan which will also be announced soon.


Please let it be known, that on April 19, 2007, Emlyn filled my water bottle.