Home with Family

For those Aussies who have been reading about me and my mates in Ukraine, the next couple of blogs are for my Ukraine based friends. I want to show them a bit of Australia and in particlar, Melbourne and my friends and family. So, here we go. Lots of Pics. Bye the way +28 here today hehehe,  -6 in Kharkiv.


I live in a suburb of Melbourne called Nunawading.  I live about 25km from both the PM office and the city
http://www.street-directory.com.au/sd_new/mapsearch.cgi
You can use the link above to have a look at the map and get a feel for directions.
This is my house

Its called Merrin's Manor

These are some of the local visitors I get in the backyard

Cocky. These guys can give you a nasty bite  Sasha

Kookaburra

And my babies Bella and Middy. Still in the cattery and Middy has cracked the shits with me. Turned her back on me and sulked in the corner. They are still both fat and healthy, and being well looked after. Thanks Jarom & staff at Catnap Knoxfield.

The first couple of days back involved doctors and physio appointments to get the knee sorted out (more on that later), visits to mum & dads and eating the local delights.

Me doing exercises to strenghthen the knee

Dad & I have a pool competition going. The looser of each of three games puts in $1.00 At the end of the year we all go out to lunch on the winnings.

Me at Georges

this was a great burger

Havent yet found a good hamburger in Kharkiv (Mc Donalds doesnt count) and Georges in Croydon does a great beef & burgandy pie washed down with an Aussie beer! Have been to Georges twice since being back & still havent had the favorite yet.

I get to drive my car

A little bit nicer than a VOLGA, no offence to my Russian and Ukraine mates.

OK, so that was the first couple of days. Next was someones birthday! Thank you everyone from Ukraine for your birthday wishes. So nice to get them from so far away. I celebrated with family and the traditional Aussie BBQ. Fine day and temperature was +25. Brother, Ian (Eee), sister in law Lynda, Mum & Dad & Shirley, one of mums freinds all came up to Mum & dads house and a feast was had. I went back for seconds, (food and wine), and lots of pics were taken. Here we go again.....

Eee & sis

Lynda

Fresh fruits of summer... Yumm

My Mum, thanks Mum and Dad for a great day at your place ......xm

Eee got a ride in a V8 Supercar as a gift from Lynda for Christmas. This is what a real powerful Aussie car looks like in action in one of our famous races Bathurst (remember second blog, Kim & I watching Bathurst?)

And this is Eees trophy from his ride in one very fast V8 Supercar....Shit hot!!

And the last pic for my good mate Sasha. This is a Magpie. Dont confuse it with the AFL team that everyone loves to hate, although often their behaviour is the same as the footballers! Sorry Deb & Sam,(havent heard from you for ages, are you in the country?). These birds can take your eye out with those extremely sharp beaks of theirs. Hehehe, just another part of Aussie nature that you have to watch out for (along with spiders, snakes, sharks, stingers) when you visit, but these Aussie creatures are a lot more compassionate than Ukraine ICE!!!!!!!!

More very soon

xm         Did I mention It is +28 here today? ????