Going on Holiday

28/29 March 2009

I'm on the way to Melbourne, VIC, AU. I left from the same gate that Michael and I used when we made the Sydney trip in 2007. It was a bit bittersweet. I would've given anything to have had him with me. I honestly wouldn't have made this trip, but I'm sure that he would've been disappointed with me if I had bailed on this. He would've understood that I needed some down time from work and from the whole hospital saga and he would know that Australia, being one of my favorite places in the world would be a good place for me to rest. My ever thrifty darling would have also appreciated the current exchange rate.

The actual trip was surprisingly good. I got a real bargain on business class and since the plane was not full, we all had empties next to us. I actually got some sleep on the plane this time. It was a good thing, too, as the flight from Korea to Australia is an overnight flight. I got to Melbs around 0730 Victoria time. I still had a wait at the hotel, but I wasn't as shattered as I was when Michael and I got into Sydney.

I'm staying at the Rydges-Exhibition St. in the CBD. It's a tired hotel, the rooms need a serious refresh. The curtains are old and puckery, the bathroom is tiny and oddly put together. It's generally clean although there is a bit of mildew in the bath/shower.

I went walkabout for a bit this evening. Was panhandled by a fellow who seemed to think that the $1AU I gave him wasn't quite enough. Ah well, that kind of thing is the same, everywhere. You know, it's a shame that I have to waste the first day of my holiday just trying to unwind and get “Korea” off me. You don't realize how tightly wrapped you get just living there and doing the job. I spent some of the day, just laying around, napping, eating, staring out the window, and watching the cricket on telly.

Tomorrow I think I'll go to the zoo. I also want to find that little nest of alleys where the graffiti art “lives”. There are also museums, an aquarium, and all sorts of other “stuff”. I will have plenty to do in Melbs! I also have another job while I'm on holiday. I need to build a decision matrix to evaluate the tow jobs I have on the hook. I'm all but nominated for an interesting job in Georgia. One that apparently could lead to my succeeding the fellow that's currently the Lead Systems Engineer. This is a real opportunity, the best one I've had since I joined the company. The other job is basically the same only in Hawaii. I will know more about that one when I get back and have my phone meeting. I need to start evaluating now, though...clearly working on what I want so that I can find the job that most closely matches what I want/need.

Damn it, but I miss Michael!