Her October SLANT Box Reveal

Oh my goodness! I cannot believe how far behind I am with this. It has been absolutely crazy in my world lately and I feel bad because I got a great SLANT box that I want to share with you guys.

What's a SLANT box? It's a program established and run by Jameson at Lessons with Coffee. She matches up interested teachers and you get to know a new person over the course of the month. At the end of the month, you put together a box for your partner. It is so much fun and so uplifting to get that specially made box in the mail.

This month I was matched with Amanda (and yes we did have fun with the name connection this month!) who is in Raleigh, NC. She and I chatted throughout the month and shared stories about our schools. She put together an amazing box for me. This is what she selected --

I loved the message on the card Amanda included. Sometimes I forget how important it is to find joy in life (a few Ghiradelli squares will always help with that!).

She also included some argyle tissues for my purse, four mechanical pencils in fun patterns, some lip gloss, three note pads, some Post-Its, and two zippered carrying pouches. All of these items are teacher essentials and necessary for day-to-day life.

I was grinning from ear to ear when I pulled this cup from the box. Growing up (and even still today) my mom called me Amanda-Panda. I guess because of that I have a special place in my heart for all panda bears. Amanda found this adorable cup with blue bamboo and different panda bears on the outside. Some are eating, some are smiling, but they are all super cute!

 This little guy is my favorite. He is just so cute with his tongue sticking out. I cannot wait to use this at school to add a little fun to my day!

Amanda - Thank you so very much for everything you included in the box. I cannot wait to start using all of my items at home and at school. You are so sweet and thoughtful! Keep in touch please. :)

I can't wait for the next SLANT box month! I hope you sign up too!!

Happy Mailing,

His: Living in America - Rules of the Road

Cars drive on the left side of the road in Australia.

 Driving in Australia can be unsettling after driving in America for the last 12 years. Not only do they drive on the opposite side of the road and the right hand side on the car, they also have different road rules, signs and traffic patterns. I may have grown up with these rules but it takes a few days for me to get comfortable with them again as I am so used to driving in the U.S. There are a few key differences that could have landed me a traffic ticket had a police officer spotted me and that doesn't include the times I ended up on the wrong side of the road. Here is just a few of the differences.

An extra lane to allow passing.

Overtaking lane:
Most highways in Australia are just one lane in each direction so it's easy to get stuck behind a slower vehicle and not be able to pass for quite a while. To allow faster cars to pass on the often windy roads most roads have overtaking lanes every so often and will have an extra lane to allow passing. A lot of times they are on inclines so it is easier for faster cars to pass the slower cars and trucks. It seems they are often too short so if you need to pass someone on an overtaking lane you need to commit to it pretty much right as the passing lane opens.

Sometimes these signs can't come soon enough!

Keep left unless overtaking:
These signs are usually positioned near the beginning of overtaking lanes and periodically along highways with 2 or more lanes in one direction. It is expected for slower vehicles to stay to the "slow lane" and in most people do abide by this rule. In some areas the "keep left unless overtaking" rule is enforced by the police and can attract a $200+ fine for those who stay in the passing lane unnecessarily.
I wish they had a similar law here and that it was actively enforced as people drive in the fast lane all the time driving well under the speed limit, and disrupting the flow of traffic.
 

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No U turn on red.
In most states in America it is legal and quite normal to make a u-turn at a traffic signal. In Australia it is illegal unless there is a sign saying that you are permitted to do so. I found this quite frustrating as I am used to performing a u-turn at traffic lights all the time and was tempted to try one anyway in Newcastle when I was driving the groomsmen to my sister's wedding but there was a big sign saying no u-turn which would have blown my "I didn't know about that rule" excuse I would have given to the police if I was caught.

Turn left at any time with care / No Turn on Red:
Another rule I broke a few times and almost broke several other times was turning at a red light. In most areas of the U.S you are able to turn right at a red light if it is safe, after coming to a complete stop. In Australia it is the opposite and is illegal unless it signposted that it is permitted. What is more common is the "Turn left at any time with care signs" which allows vehicles to turn left even if it the light is red. Often the left turn lane is separated from the other lanes by a traffic island and have a dedicated lane after the turn to allow turning vehicles time to speed up and merge into traffic. Not being able to turn at a red light was probably the hardest rule for me to remember and it was just pure luck that I didn't attract the attention of the local law enforcement officer.

Better not speed here!

Speed Cameras:
Most people who receive a speeding ticket in America are pulled over by a police officer, sheriff or state trooper and given a speeding ticket in person. In Australia there are hundreds of speed cameras and you wont even know you have been given a speeding ticket until it arrives in your mail box. Often they were positioned at the bottom of a large hill so you had to really watch your speed as you came up to the speed camera. Thankfully the speed cameras had signs announcing their presence so you were able to make sure you were not speeding when you came up to it.

There is many more differences between driving in America and Australia but that is for a future post. What is the one road rule in your state or country that you would like to see changed?

His and Her Never, Ever, Ever (Week 25)

It is Tuesday, so it is time to play --


**For those who are new to our blog - WELCOME - purple is Amanda, red is Sean, blue is for both of us. We hope it helps make it less confusing for our readers to know who is talking and sharing. :) **

Amanda will never, ever, ever...
-make it through a day without my Keurig. If it died, I would need to replace it immediately. It keeps me going! I am so grateful that we have one at school too. Coffee is good!

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-will I like that my good friend lives four hours away. I miss her and her two adorable boys! I wonder if there is time to go see them soon???

Last fall we all went apple picking. This is me and Bennett, my friend's oldest, getting ready to climb the mountain.

-will I understand why we must have so many meetings at work. Right now I am averaging 4 meetings a week - every day last week I had a meeting, except Friday. This coming week I know I have three meetings already scheduled. I just don't understand it! 

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Sean will never, ever, ever...
- go a day without drinking at least a gallon of water (3.78 litres for the metric folk). I feel dehydrated if I don't drink at least a gallon each day so I do my best to stay well hydrated.

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- want to run during the hot summer months as the humidity drains you so quickly. I would much rather bundle up and run through a snow shower than run during the heat of the summer.

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- not want to challenge myself with endurance events. I may not be the fastest runner or triathlete but I enjoy being able to challenge myself to run 13.1 miles or compete in a triathlon and do something that a few years ago would never have been possible.

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We really like this link-up and we hope that you do too. Head over to Stephanie's website and link-up to join in the fun!

Happy Tuesday,

  

His and Her Weekend Shenanigans (11/18/2013)

It's Monday! That means it's time to link up with Sami and talk about all our weekend shenanigans!!

If you are new to our blog, WELCOME!! To make our posts easier to navigate, purple means Amanda is sharing, red means Sean is sharing, and blue is for both of us. Enjoy!

Amanda: 

I have been battling a really bad head-cold since last weekend. On Wednesday, my voice decided to hop on a plane and travel to the Bahamas. I thought that was rude, but what can I do? I managed to get through Thursday and Friday using what little voice I had left but by Friday afternoon, I was exhausted -- which a capital *PHEW*! Friday night and Saturday I did not move from the recliner unless I had to. I watched a bunch of shows on my DVR and knit for a little while. On Sunday, I got some school work done and then it was back to resting. Here's hoping that after a low-key weekend, I will have kicked this illness to the curb!

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Sean: 

We had planned to go to Glazenfyre (a paint it yourself pottery studio) so I could work on one of the many projects I have in progress, but since Amanda was sick I thought it was best to stay home and look after her. I did get to play a quick round of disc golf on Saturday morning and had a good time. I still have a lot of room to improve but I feel that I am getting better every time I play. On Sunday morning I went and donated platelets at the Red Cross. It's something I do about twice a month and it's important to me as it helps cancer patients and others who are very sick. The rest of the weekend was pretty low key and I am hoping the rest will help Amanda get through the week ahead. 

**Amanda's Note: Yes he is that guy who will forgo his own plans to take care of me. I am such a lucky girl!!!**

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What did you get up to this weekend? Comment below or link up with Sami to share your adventures!

Happy Monday,

 

His and Her Never, Ever, Ever (Week 24)

It is Tuesday, so it is time to play --


**For those who are new to our blog - WELCOME - purple is Amanda, red is Sean, blue is for both of us. We hope it helps make it less confusing for our readers to know who is talking and sharing. :) **

Amanda will never ever........
          get ahead with her school work. It seems to be a never-ending pile! 

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          stop thinking it is super cool that she knows someone who has been on Jeopardy. (Great Job Kati!!!!! Way to go girl!!!) Kati is a girl we met through our blog and we have linked up with her many times. She is hilarious and sounds really fun. The posts she does about the crazy things her kids say are some of my faves. If you don't follow her, what are you waiting for?

          understand why some people sit in the left driving lane and do five miles under the speed limit. You are not my pace car so move it over, buddy!

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 Sean will never ever............
         think that Budweiser is a good beer. It is far too watered down and has no taste. There is much better products on the market and would rather spend a little more on a better tasting beer.

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          eat grits. Grits are a staple breakfast food in the southern part of the U.S but I simply can't stand them. They look like the stuff you feed to a baby that is being weaned off milk and onto solids. It has absolutely no taste and I am still in awe that people actually eat this stuff and enjoy it.

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           enjoy the baseball off season. I love to watch baseball and being able to follow the teams throughout the season even though my team is not likely to make the post season anytime soon. During the off season I miss being able to catch a game and I impatiently wait for spring training to begin once again.

His: Weekend Shenanigans

It's Monday so that means its time to link up for the Weekend Shenanigans. Amanda is not feeling well so I am composing this week's post.

Friday:
Our church had a dinner event for the ladies on Friday night. Several of the ladies decorated their tables for the event and invited their friends. Some of the men, including myself were recruited to serve the ladies. I have worked in food service before but it was always in the kitchen so this was a new experience for me. I stayed busy serving the ladies and making sure that their drinks didn't run dry. I also helped serve food for a while when my tables didn't need me. It was a fun experience and one I would definitely do again.

Saturday. 
I went to a disc golf tournament in Newport News which is about a 40 min drive from our house. I am still relatively new to the game compared to most people who participated so I wasn't expecting to place near the top. I hoped just to have a good day and finish somewhere close to the others.

Group photo of the 73 men and women who competed.

I started off really well and was keeping up with the other in my group for a while. About half way through the round I had a few unlucky shots but still played better than I expected. We had chilli for lunch and then headed out for the second round. I was hoping to improve my score on the second round but that didn't happen after hitting 5 trees on one hole and going out of bounds and getting penalty strokes added to my score on two others. Even though I didn't have the greatest second round I still had a great time. I plan to play again in the tournament next year and improve on my score.

Watching for where the disc landed on hole 8

 Sunday:
 Amanda wasn't feeling well as she has a bad cold so we stayed at home and I looked after her so she could rest. I made her some chicken and rice using instant rice and a rotisserie chicken (hot chicken). Its not as good as her mother's chicken and rice but she liked it and it made her feel a little bit better. I am hoping that the day of rest will help her out and that she will feel well enough to go to school and have a good day with the students.

Well that is what I got up to this weekend and Amanda should be back to join me next week. What did you get up to this weekend?

 



 

His: Having Fun at the Footy Game.

A Rugby Scrum

While we were in Australia we had the opportunity to attend a National Rugby League game in Newcastle. The National Rugby League (NRL) is the NFL for Rugby in Australia. Neither of us had been to a game before but was something we both wanted to do while we were in Australia this summer. 

     We went to the box office a couple of days before the game to buy tickets as you save on the additional fees that online ticket sites charge you. We also were able to pick our exact seats which you aren't able to do for a lot of events online. The prices for the tickets were quite reasonable and ranged from $25 (for general admission) to $45 for the best seats. Tickets for a regular season NFL game in America are at least $100 and can be well over $300 depending on the team and opponent. It was satisfying that we were able to get some great seats and they only cost us $45 each.

Scored a try/touchdown

We got to the game early so we can park somewhere close to the field and not feel rushed and gave us time to find something to eat before the game. I almost didn't make it in because the lens on my camera exceeded the limit and was considered a professional lens but after I promised to use the smaller lens I was allowed in. We then went to check out our seats and they were pretty good and gave us a great view of the field. 

Since we were hungry we decided to see what culinary delights were on offer at the stadium. Amanda and I are used to having several different choices when going to professional sporting events. At most events in America you can get hot dogs, burgers, fries, nachos, icecream, funnel cakes, Dippin Dots, pizza, chicken tenders, and other options depending on location. At many locations they have restuarant quality food in addition to the standard fare. At Hunter Stadium the choices seemed more limited. All I found was hot dogs, meat pies, sausage rolls, fries and burgers. I was content with a meat pie and a sausage roll and Amanda decided to get a hot dog. Once we got back to our seats we realized that an Aussie hot dog is nothing like an American one. They look different with a red skin, have a totally different taste and was not at all tasty. I'm certain that many people in Australia love their hot dogs but after having both I would much prefer a Ball Park frank or a Nathan's hot dog any day.
**Note from Amanda --- No kidding about the hot dog! That Australian dog was GROSS!!!! I get shivers just thinking about it now. Ewwww!!**
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The Knights player trying to get through the Broncos defense.

Before long it was time for the game and it proved to be one of the best games I had ever seen. Rugby is a fast paced game and nothing like American football. For example in Rugby you are not allowed to pass forward and you only get 6 tackles/downs then the ball is handed over to the other team. The other thing that is different is that the action is pretty much non stop. Once the tackle is complete the player who is tackled gets up and immediately passes the ball to a teammate and the game continues. In American football you can often go to the kitchen and prepare a snack between plays and not miss any of the action. 

      The game had a great flow and both teams were evenly matched. Both the Knights and the Broncos were more determined than ever to win as they were both chasing a playoff berth. After 90 minutes of play the score was tied at 18 all. Even after two overtimes the scores were still tied so the game was declared a draw. At no point did I lose interest in the game which was pretty impressive as I have about a 15 second attention span. Even with the two overtimes the game was over in a little over two hours from start to finish which is impressive considering an American football game would still be somewhere in the third quarter at the same point in time.

Crowd getting into the game.

       We had an awesome time at the game and would definitely attend another game when we are in Australia next. Americans may love their football but they don't know what they are missing out on as Rugby is a much more active and exciting game. I am a rugby fan and I don't think I will ever convert to American football, no matter how long I live here.
**Note from Amanda: Me too! Me too! Rugby is awesome! American football is borrrrrring!**