Kerri’s Awesome ‘Blog

Yesterday my eldest graduated from Sydney University with a Masters Degree in Education.

She had an army of adoring fans there to witness the event.  She looked beautiful and we were all SO proud.

Enough of the study, can someone please teach her how to cook?

Avenue Q

Originally uploaded by Kerri McCrorey

This musical has it all:

Muppet love

Muppet daily dramas

Muppet heartbreak

Muppet sex

It’s the funniest damned thing I have ever seen. If you haven’t seen it and you ever get the opportunity… do it. You won’t regret it!

On Tuesday 20 January, 2009, we attended the Inauguration of Barack Obama.

OH.MY.GOD!

It was a massive day - we were picked up from our hotel in New York at 2:30am, dumped at the airport at 4:00am, caught a plane to Washinton DC at 6:20am….

*taking a deep breath*

We arrived at Dulles airport at 7:20

It was at this point that I started to feel human and realised I had my camera with me.

Caught a bus to the Metro station at 9:15

Lined up for an hour to get a train ticket.

Travelled for 50 minutes in a packed train

Walked 1 mile from Foggy Bottom station

to the park right between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial to where there were part of the 2 million strong contingent who had the same stupid idea we had.

I lined up for half an hour to use a porta-loo on the way there to find that there were a million of them with no lines at our destination.  D’oh!

We found our spot, behind a tree that pretty much completely obstructed our view of the Jumbotron.

Our spot WAS, however, perfect from a crowd point of view and to be honest, I dont think there would have been anywhere on that day that wasn’t perfect. The crowd was amazing.  I was feelin’ the love!  See the woman on the left of the photo below?  We were crying and hugging before the day was out.

Not even the Jebus Freaks could spoil the atmosphere!

First, Biden was sworn in…

We were all waiting and watching patiently..

Then Aretha sang….  what was up with that damned hat?

Finally, the time had come….  “Are you prepared to take the oath Senator?”

It was at about that time that I forgot I had a camera again, oops!

That afternoon we repeated the journey, in reverse, back to new York.  We arrived at our hotel at around 9:30pm, exhausted and elated.  It had been an amazing day.

You hear about it all the time, but until you experience it, you just can’t know.  The people in the South are just awesome!

There’s Valerie at The Cupboard restaurant, Nikita at the front desk at La Quinta on Millbranch, Michelle at Marlowe’s Ribs and Restaurant on Elvis Presley Boulevard, the incredible and vast amount of staff at Graceland. Then there’s gorgeous and outrageously funny strippers from Crystal’s I met while having a cigarette outside BB King’s Blues Club on Beale Street, and all the people I have run into, been served by, randoms I have asked questions of….. they have all been incredibly sweet, well above and beyond the call of duty.

Having an Australian accent down here always makes for a spirited conversation.  I have chatted to all sorts of people, including street people asking for money (of which there are many).  They just LOVE the accent, it really makes people smile.  Awesome!

I love the South…. I never want to leave.

Family fun for New Year’s Eve.

Taken in Grafton, Illinoi.

I have been completely captivated by these incredible creatures.  I can’t get enough of them.  I dare say I will have a few more shots in this Flickr set before I leave Illinois.

IMG_1792

Originally uploaded by Kerri McCrorey

After much planning, running around, and being together for 11 years, Tanya and Josh finally did the deed.

You both looked amazing and the wedding was wicked!

Congratulations and thanks for being such amazing friends.

Rum balls were the only thing my mother ever made  that were a huge success.  She was not known for her culinary skills, but we adored her anyway. 

● 250g of Marie biscuits (or Milk Arrowroot biscuits)
● 1 cup of desiccated coconut
● 2 tbsp. of cocoa
● 1 x 400g can of sweetened condensed milk
● Rum, or similar Spirit - e.g. brandy - to taste (I use about 3 tablespoons which makes them quite strong)

Crush the biscuits finely. Add coconut and cocoa and mix well. Add rum. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Form into balls and roll in coconut.

These will keep, refrigerated, for a couple of weeks, but I dare you to have them last that long!

These are brought to you by a special request from Laura.

Recipe

We had a call from friends of ours recently.

It seems they are getting married in Hawaii next month.

Right about the time we are leaving the country for Christmas in Illinois before heading to settle in San Francisco.

Damn.

Looks like we have to make a slight detour.

Wow.

I’m unemployed….

and dammit, I didn’t want to leave.

I haven’t been able to say that for a very, very long time.  I have never enjoyed a job as much as I have enjoyed ths one.

As it happens, it was under the best of terms.  I resigned a few weeks ago, as we are moving overseas, and today was my last day.  It was a very emotional day today.  I had work to finish off and a couple of clients to see, so I was kept busy, but at around 3pm I got ‘the card’.  Thats when I turned into a complete wreck.  Thanks S!

Did I tell you I have the best job in the world?

V and S, I love you, and sincerely hope we can work together again one day.

I wish for wonderful things for you and your family.  Tonight I’m having WAY too many Cruisers, listening to old vinyls and remembering the fun times we’ve had.

So, when can we expect a visit from you?