Oh, hey, and just for the hell of it -- according to my watch, I'm posting at about 3:34 p.m. on Nov. 18. Heh. Love that International Date Line.

Oooh, but wait, there's more: Responses from earlier entries.

Jane says: I can't be the first to ask: Graham, Newton: Did their parents have some kind of obsession with undersweetened baked goods?The other two brothers have normal names, and Graham and Newton are used in describing undersweetened baked goods over there. Weird, I know. But coincidental, apparently.

From some random Australian chick names Jenny: I did a search on brazilian waxes and your site popped up, I have never done one myself but am thinking about it. I might have to think again after what I've read about it. I'd recommend against it. And, huzzah, someone I don't know got to my site through a random search query! How cool is that? And what search engine did you use -- I can't find my site in the first several pages of Google's search results.

Right. Back out into the sun and surf. Heh.

So much for keeping the Blog updated while I'm away. Wht, you thought I'd be inside on a computer the whole time I was here?

Still in Australia. Still loving it. Still sunburned -- and it's that snorkler's sunburn, the back of the thighs up to the butt. Ow. I'm going to be snorkling in shorts of the rest of the trip, I think.

So, highlights:

Jervis Bay -- Oh, god, Jervis Bay. Definitely one of the best beaches I've ever been to, and I've been to some pretty damn nice beaches. About 3 hours south of Sydney. Clear, clear water; white, white sand so clean it squeaks (really!); dolphins swimming just offshore while I was in the water.... bliss. The water was a little cold, but that didn't stop me. I loved it. Seven of us rented a house for the weekend, swam and sat in the sun and tried to remember lyrics of songs as James played his guitar and Peta played the slide whistles and tambourine, drank lots of wine (except Paula, of course), and generally had a great time. Joy.

Blue Mountains -- Beautiful places, huge canyons with trees growing all over, a blue haze from the eucalyptus, tour guide a mad Isreali/Australian, kangaroos and cockatoos in the wild. Plus I avoided death when I fell down some stairs. Just kidding about the death part, but I did trip, and did screw up my foot. It's not a vacation without injury.

Hunter Valley -- Like Napa Valley, but with kangaroos and cool accents! Lots of wine. Then some more wine. Plus, Joe W. and I had a snoring contest! (It was a draw.)

Sydney Bridge -- I climbed to the top. Dude.

Great Barrier Reef -- lots of coral and fishies. No killer beasties. Sorry to disappoint. I also didn't get seasick on the way out, unlike some of the others (Side note -- there were people on this snorkling trip out inthe middle of the ocean who DIDN'T REALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE SWIMMING. Huh? Why go on a snorkling trip then? People make no sense.) The aforementioned sunburn hurts like hell, though....

Daintree World Heritage Area -- Rainforest! Potentially deadly crocodiles! No, I didn't see any, and we weren't cruel enough to pitch anyone overboard in hopes of getting a photo op. Still cool, though.

Breakfast with the Birds -- Up in Port Douglas, a bird and wildlife sanctuary where you hang out and have a really rather nice breakfast with a bunch of exotic birds stopping by your table to see if they can steal your croissants or kiwifruit. Mom, you would have loved it.

Right now I'm in an internet cafe in Cairns. Tomorrow I'll be picked up for a three-day sea kayaking trip around some of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. Soooooooo cool.

Yes, mom, I brought long-sleeved shirts to ward of still more sunburn, and have a selection of big floppy hats. I have industrial-strength sunblock. I've been lifting weights to try to build up some semblance of upper body strength. I'm nervous, but really looking forward to this.

I could definitly live in Australia, but I couldn't live up north. Too damn hot up here in Queensland. Sydney, on the other hand.... Oh yes, I could live there.

I'll be home (and in withdrawl, no doubt) in less than a week. Sigh. Yes, I've taken a zillion pictures, and yes, I will inflict them on you. You have been warned......