I was blogging this from poolside but it seems I was just a weensy bit too far from Jeff's apartment for the connection to be consistent and consequently lost most of the post.  Which is not a bad thing since I'm still trying to find the flow and it was mostly bollocks.  Now that I've had my 15 minutes of sun (I'd say I'm easing into the sun exposure but considering I'll be out learning to surf tomorrow, I will just admit that it's too damn hot) and a dip in the pool, let's try this again, shall we?

I landed in Sydney yesterday morning and strangely, I'm not feeling 'off', beyond what that dodgy noodle pot is making me feel.  I'm not a particularly good sleeper on flights and asked to give an opinion, I'd venture to say sleeping during a flight is a downright bad idea.  Up there with consuming alcoholic beverages.  I've come to the conclusion that it's just harder on your system.  No scientific basis for that but the sleeping contorts your body, only adding to the damage that staying sedentary for long periods of time is already causing.  It's not a regular rest period, even if it's during the time you'd normally be sleeping, and so I don't think you derive any benefit from it - really, it's just a way to make the time feel like it's going faster.  You're better off just to suck it up and find ways to amuse yourself.

I was up and about around 830 am on Friday to finish packing and have a massage before getting to the airport about 230 for the first leg of my flight to San Franciso, landing there at 530 pm and boarding the Qantas flight for a 1055 pm departure.  The doctors had told me to take Robaxacet every four hours and get up every 1/2 hour to do my stretching and walk about, although I only got up every hour or so throughout, it made a huge difference to how I felt when I landed - ie: normal as opposed to all twisted up in a knot and like I'd been knocked enthusiatically about the noggin a few times.  I'd booked an aisle seat in a row with only two seats so getting up and moving about wasn't quite so disruptive.  It didn't hurt that it was the best international flight I've ever taken, if you discount 14 hours of turbulence, that is.   I swear, I kept looking around fully expecting to see Jack Shephard sucking back a few inflight vodkas.

Qantas is brilliant.  Full stop.  A welcome package - headset, toothbrush, toothpaste, sleep mask, a teeny good quality pillow with an actual pillowcase, not that creepy faux fabric and a lovely soft blankie - which I nicked shame on me, and after a decent meal: a goody bag filled with bottled water, m&m's, cookies and mints.  The best thing was the water fountains by the lavatories so you could refill with cold water yourself and which I took full advantage of at least 5 times.  Good variety of entertainment as well.  Not to forget the headrest that can be adjusted to wrap around your head and keep it cushioned and steady.

I watched Up In The Air, finished reading Shutter Island and got most of the way through No Second Chance .

I wasn't asked anything in US Customs about the conviction, although it is always such a treat to find your locks cut off your luggage and a "we rummaged about in your underwear and kept what we wanted" note inside your suitcase upon arrival at your destination.  I seem to remember checking Australia's site to find they wouldn't be too arsed about the criminal record and proceeded to forget all about it until I was pulled out of the line so they could 'have a quick chat about your conviction.'  Thankfully, that was totally painless and involved me filling out a form with the details and waiting while they shuffled off to a back room, presumably to check me out somehow, before returning my passport and sending me on my way.

After settling into Jeff's we went out for a bite to eat and I crashed out for a three hour nap (having been up 36+ hours) which left me feeling quite a bit more Jenlike, then headed out for some sushi.

After  a decent nights sleep I got up around 830 this morning and prepared to brave the transit system for a ride into the city proper for a go-round with Jeff's massage therapist.  Once I found my way out of the apartment building, that is.  It's quite sprawling and confusing, not to mention that the first floor in Australia is really the SECOND floor.  Sydney is home to four million people and if I stop to think about that too much it's quite overwhelming, considering my city is 400,000.  The downtown literally teems with humanity and the sheer cacophony is distracting.

Jeff's masseuse should be declared a national treasure.  Kerrie loosened up my entire body and knew exactly what was going on in there - her every observation was dead on to things it's taken me 5 years to work out about my injury and how my body has compensated for it - truly the first time in my life that massage remolded my body - I left there feeling literally a completely new person.  I must admit to feeling a perverse sense of pride when a massage therapist tells me that I have a remarkable pain tolerance level.

I grabbed a takeaway Americano, checked in at the OzExperience office to make sure I had the right idea about picking up my bus in 10 days  and walked a bit before boarding the bus back to Jeff's.  At Sandy's new place in Calgary a couple weeks ago I noticed a fragrance in the bathroom - P&S Fig and Olive - and gave it a sniff to find the most fantastic thing I've ever smelt.  I seem to be making a lot of sweeping "BEST EVER" comments these days, huh? It's not facetiousness, I truly mean it - backed by the 40 years I've got under my belt. Anyways, the internet informed me that Yoshi Jones in Newtown stocks their products and I stopped in (within a block from Jeff's place) to find that they were currently out but it was on order and 10 bottles will be arriving any day and certainly in time for me to pick some up upon my return to Sydney on the 1st or 2nd of April.  

I also hit the Lemongrass House and picked up some heavenly bodywash and soaps, which I am heading to the bathroom directly to try out. 

Things I learned today:

No matter what you think the temperature is before you leave the apartment - wear shorts or you'll be sorry.

SPF 50 does not a sissy make.  Although I'm sure tomorrow will see me crispy no matter what I do to avoid it.

Do not give into the siren call of hot coffee.  The combination of the humidity, the heat and your own body temperature coupled with hot coffee will make you very very sorry.  And yeah, I know it's not very warm to you Sydneysiders, bit it is TO ME.

Remember, those parrots everywhere have not escaped from a zoo, they actually all live here, this is normal.

Tonight I'm going out for dinner with Jeff and his lady friend and then he and I are heading out near Royal National Park for surfing lessons in the morning.  My dentist back home has provided me with the mold of my lower teeth and emergency contact info for a colleague here in Sydney just in case I manage to knock anything out with a surfboard but hopefully being prepared for that eventuality will negate it.  Wish me luck!