Jet lag

Wyatt is trying to get over jet lag with some light therapy.  This particular version or product is called a Litebook (the guy who developed it is actually from Medicine Hat where Wyatt grew up). It can be used for treating Jet Lag, sleeping disorders, seasonal depression etc.  I've tried it a couple of times since I got back but not sure if it works or not.  The light in your face feels pretty nice though:)

Back in Newcastle

After a pretty long and tiring trip I'm now back in Newcastle (well, both of us are!).  The trip was ok, but I nearly missed my connecting flight in Guangzhou because of incompetent and unprofessional staff at the airport in China.  I will not fly with a Chinese company again.

It's so good to see Wyatt again, 8 weeks is a long, long time so we have a lot of catching up to do. It's a shame he has to work all week..  Wyatt has a meeting with his employer in Sydney on Monday so we're hopefully heading down there on Saturday to make a weekend of it.  Newcastle looks the same as it did 8 weeks ago, apart from all the leaves being gone from the trees! The weather is better than I thought, around 18 degrees during the days and blue skies.  Not really much of a winter..

I'm still trying to get over jet lag, so I'm pretty tired and haven't been up to much in the last two days.  I woke up at 2am today and couldn't get back to sleep.  Will try to toughen it out tonight and not go for a nap during the afternoon.  Typically, our coffee maker seem to be broken when I need it the most. 

Goodbye for now

After a long summer and a lot of time with friends and family, it's time to say goodbye to Sweden and loved ones.  I met up with some friends earlier today for lunch, and even though it's hard to say goodbye I'm happy in the knowledge that I have the most beautiful friends. 

 Little Elsa came along to our lunch date

 Sofie, Camilla and Johanna

 Marcus and Elsa

 We had lunch at a restaurant located at the end of a long the long pier in Bjärred, beautiful views despite the horrible weather

Mum and dad are hopefully coming to Australia in October for a visit, so it makes it a lot easier knowing I'll see them in a couple of months and I'm planning on coming back to Sweden for Christmas.... I have a lot of lovely memories, pictures and video clips from my summer. Here are some

 William helping grandpa in the garden

Taking Linnéa for a walk in Bjärred

 Being mischievous

 Beautiful Bjärred

 A five minute walk from my parents house and you're in the most beautiful spot

Mum!

My family

 

 My beautiful niece Linnéa

 

 Best friends

Linnéa

Happiness!

More of Bjärred

Disbelief

The world can be exiting and beautiful but also very cruel.  Today it feels like a cruel world.  My heart goes out to everyone affected by this terrible and unnecessary tragedy in Norway.  I know it shouldn't matter, but it's more frightening when it happens so close and to people that share a similar culture and language.  Having family in Norway certainly makes it more difficult.  Let's hope something good comes out of this and that we learn something for the future. Complaining about our shitty summer weather suddenly doesn't seem so important any more.

More of Ystad

Time flies and it's only a few more days left for me here in Sweden before I head back to Australia. I spent the last few days in Ystad with mum visiting my grandma and even got a chance to meet up with my cousins! We had a lovely evening on their deck with BBQ and drinks! Nice lazy days for me in general, but it's sad to say goodbye to everyone..

 Beautiful Ystad

 A picturesque little café

 Entrance to the old pottery

 Grandma, my cousins Mikael and Peter and Mikeal's daughter Thea

 BBQ!

 Thea showing me her playhouse!

Wendover....Vegas's red headed step child...

Well i will let the pictures do the talking. What does 200 buck for a flight and free hotel stay get you for 3 days? Great times with your blood, happy times with the wind, and a nasty hangover. Windover is the poor cousin of Vegas but i have to say pretty dam fun. Located somewhere between the middle of i cant grow anything because its a desert Nevada and I cant do anything because Joseph Smith's mormons suck all the fun out of life like a sponge Utah. As you can see some crazy people have placed 3 hotel casinos in the middle of America. We have been staying at the Rainbow where life is good.

 Our Casion/hotel which backs up as a Mexican family business.

 The view to the east...

 Two crazy people, Pops and my Uncle Ralph, they look pretty special dont they? I will give you a guess who's got their fly down.

 My first day success included a prize raffle on the plane for a free dinner, followed by 4 hundred bucks which i will surely lose tom.

View to the West....

 View to the North....

View to the South...

Last few days

I started the week with a lovely BBQ at Johanna and Marcus' new house and got to see more of little Elsa as a bonus!

 Yummy food (and Yummy Mummy!)

....and finished the week with a great birthday party at Malin and Rickard's house (also new, well...new to them, but an old house tastefully renovated and nearly completed)

 The birthday girl herself! 

Visit to Calgary

Here it is folks, this is what its all about. Family! After a long crappy 24 hour flight, i finally touched down in Cow-town. I would first like the USA for making it extra special. Not only did you beautiful people make me fill out a customs form just to catch my connecting flight, it was completely in Spanish. I filled out the form to the best of my ability but you gave me a hard time for not listing an address in the states where i would be staying. After a couple of minutes to let the O2 settle into the customs agent's brain he finally understood that yes i was in fact bypassing his country to catch another flight. With time to spare i was stil subjected to a body scan, followed by a "random" pat down. To make my trip extra special i opened my bag upon arrival to find out they looked through my bags for weapons of mass destruction. I only have one thing to say, thanks American for keeping everybody safe from those crazy terrorists....

Now on to the important business, the new addition to the family Lucas-James. As you can see my long flight has left my hair greasy and pitifully lifeless..haha

    The semi new addition to the family, Abby.

Grandpa Doc with Lucas

Lucas gassy and loving it...

Granny Marg and Lucas

Abby at the park, loves the slide..

loves the swing...

And finally for you Johanna, the little alien like dog "PEA-NUT"

ME, Abbby, and My bro Cassidy in his new hot-tub..

Another one for you Jo, Buddy loving the fact that its just me and him. No sharing with that strange woman from Sweden....

PArting shot....GREAT Grandma Marg at 90 years with Lucas, cousins Matthew (left) and Christopher (right).