It's Raining (Cats &) Dogs!

Today was a busy morning followed by what is devolving into a very lazy but good afternoon!

This morning, Megan and I woke up as planned to head to the Newtown Festival. Newtown is an area of Sydney a few blocks away from where we live - kind of like SoHo to Midtown Manhattan, same city different area code. They were having their annual town festival, kicking off a series of them that apparently will continue until we leave. Megan and I wanted to go to this one because it's known for its music presence and its dog show! Both of us are pretty starved for animal attention; she misses her dog Lucy back at home and I miss three furry fat felines. So, we decided that it would be a good outing worth the free admission.

We hopped on the bus and went out there, getting slightly lost for a moment or two but, following the pack of dogs, found the fair grounds right in the middle of Newtown. It was pretty early when we got there so we bought some juice drinks - fresh squeezed juice is huge here, there are smoothie and juice stands on every block, something I'm definitely going to miss when I get home. I led us slightly astray, I should really listen to Megan more often, but we eventually found where the dog show was going on. It was informal but incredibly cute and there were gaggles of dogs everywhere and of every breed. A Dalmatian found my face quite tasty, a Bull Mastiff hopped around in the rain like a lap dog, a Papillion pranced with ribbons in her tail, many Labs and Beagles and Pugs chased each other everywhere, it was amazing. We sat down right up front on the grass despite the rain and watched the agility and costume competitions oohing and aahing at how cute they all were. It made both of us pine for our pets! Australians are incredibly friendly dog owners, letting us pet and kiss their dogs left and right. I was amazed at how well they all got along, too, not a single fight broke out in the entire hour and a half we watched the show. We saw all the winners get treats and pats before heading off to get some lunch. My new favorite fair treat is this Turkish crepe that has spinach and cheese in it before being sprinkled with lemon juice, it's delicious. We also got some baklava and Nutella crepes while wandering the stands filled with skirts, tshirts, purses, and jewelry from local artisans. It rained pretty hard on and off, which did suck and did discourage us from staying too long, but we got to see some really beautiful pieces of art and funky designs. I have decided I'm not nearly hip enough for Newtown after seeing all of the residents! On our way out, I fell in love with a Jack Russel Terrier/Chihuahua mix named Bo, nearly dognapping him from his owner because he was so damn cute. He even smiled! I was smitten and very sad we needed to leave.

The rain and walking really took it out of me so now I'm back in my cool, dry room feeling the effects of my antibiotics. I'm one day away from being done with my first half of my treatment, which makes me very happy, this exhaustion will hopefully go away when I'm done! But, my sinuses are most definitely clearing up and I'm looking forward to a healthy last four weeks here in Sydney! The time has gone by so quickly, I can't believe we only have 30 days left. I'm sad but at the same time am looking forward to heading home to see my new room thanks to Mom and Ray!

This afternoon has been spent catching up on Grey's Anatomy episodes I've been missing while I'm here and I'm totally roped back in. I think it's great this season despite the challenges with Ellen Pompeo's pregnancy and Katherine Heigel's adoption - the story lines have been fantastic! I can't wait to get to LA.

I'm off to watch the last two episodes then maybe start in on How I Met Your Mother, or I might just go watch Lost with Megan. :)

G'night from downunder!