April 1, 2007 – Melbourne

I must have been exhausted.  The combination of wine, beer, and vodka/tonics last night and the Pillow Menu from the Novotel Hotel(yes……I did say pillow menu) including a Rubber Pillow (soft yet supportive, never lumps of flattens), ‘V’ Pillow (V shaped pillow, perfect for sitting up in bed, reading or watching TV), Contour pillow(contoured 2 ways and shaped to wrap around your shoulders. Best for those who want to sleep on their side), Hollyfill pillow(a combo of polyfill and Dacron designed for a restful sleep), and a Pregnancy pillow (no Mom and Dad…..I didn’t need this one!). I believe I woke up at 10am which is very late for me.

Finally after being here a month and hearing about Aussie Rules Football and how awesome it is and how much better it is than American football I have finally seen a game! I watched Geelong and the Bulldogs.  The Bulldogs won.  I can’t say it’s better than American football, but these guys are in shape and they wear zero protective gear.  It also helps that they are hot and they are in shots and tank tops!  The fans were very loud and watching them was just as much fun as watching the game!

After the game I picked up some lunch (Ramen noodles) at a 7-11 and got ready for the FINA World Swimming Championships at the Rod Laver Arena.  My new friends here in Melbourne told me about the event and that there were people in town from all over the world here to see it.  I had to purchase tickets to see Michael Phelps.  USA did awesome and walked away with a few new world records and the most medals.   My seat in the arena was close to the other Americans.  Michael Phelps mother and the rest of the family members and friends of team USA were sitting next to me.  I introduced myself as a fellow American and had a wonderful time cheering on our country with them.  One of the fathers gave me tickets to Duel in the Pool (a duel between Australia and USA) which is occurring in Sydney on April 3rd .  April 3rd is my first day in Sydney and if the flight gets in on time then I’ll for sure be at the Duel!

The evening ended with some wine at the hotel bar.  The wine here is the best!!