Closure

Today was one of those perfect Sydney summer days. Up early and with all my chores done by midday, I spent a few hours chilling on the couch and taking in the peace around me.

Fingers crossed, I'll be starting a new job soon and the next chapter of life starts. It's time for it. I'm excited and happy. This is the way I want life to be.

Goodbye to some things and hello to new ones. Goodbye to old friends and hello to new ones.

Life is pretty awesome.

The Reason I No Longer Live in Canberra

By midday today, it had not yet reached 5 degree C.

It's was a dark and stormy night

The weather Sydney and eastern Australia is receiving at the moment is terrible. It is wet and cold (Sydney got down to 14 degrees) and there is zero protection. Even walking through the city under the shelter of buildings, it was ridiculously wet and miserable.

On the windy walk home, there were dozens of dead umbrellas. The small streets were small wind tunnels that blew you out in to the street as you ran past them. The bigger streets... well, they were big wind tunnels.

The news is reporting washed out roads, traffic accidents and 250 calls per hour to the SES.

Apparently it is only going to get worse over the next 24 hours.

The best plan is to stay inside, order pizza and watch TV.

Blame it on the rain

The view from my window at work, looking south towards Sydney city. This was taken during a big rain storm that passed by and obscured our view of everything for almost an hour. That is Luna Park directly in front of my work.

Weather and why Down-Southers just don't get it

Last night Sydney had a big lightning storm. It was big for Sydney anyway. I have been living on the east cost of Australia for 8 and a half years and I have to say that these "down-southers" really need to stop referring to the piddly rain we get here as "monsoonal".

Sydney storm on Sunday the 4th of March - photo from SMH

You can look up the definition of monsoonal rain and you can nod and say "yep that's what we had" but until the day you know what it is for rain to hurt or that moment when you see the wall of rain approaching and decide to run, until then you do not truly understand.

I grew up in Darwin, where it starts to rain around the end of October and stops in February. It's news when it is going to be dry, not when it's going to rain.

Have You Got A Light?

There is a huge electrical storm over Sydney at the moment. It inspired me to share some of the lights in our apartment...

The lava lamp by the window

The plant lights in the tank

The lights hanging from the top floor

The sky without lightning

The sky with lightning

Pestilence Must Be Next

Canberra should have been experiencing the last few days of Summer when this major hail storm hit. This is not even normal for winter in the nation's capital. These are the pictures I received the morning after the storm, from multiple people that I know living there.

Northbourne Avenue

Hail cracking up

Bunda Street in Civic and a police car probably waiting to arrest jaywalkers