Scooby Doo

learnt a new nickname for the Forester yesterday - "Scooby Doo" (rhymes with Subaru...). But more importantly, we bought some roof rack cross rails for our Scooby Doo yesterday - I've never owned roof racks before :) Largely, the racks will be used for surfboards, but I'm sure that there are loads more cars with racks fitted over here than I used to see on the roads in the UK. I don't think that's just down to surfing, though there is a lot more of that going on over here than there was in London(!), but I think there's also the general out-doors-iness of the aussie lifestyle. People do take it as read that Aussies are more outdoorsey, but a good comparison is that where Skye worked in London (global financial institution) most people in the office couldn't understand why she'd want to go camping - whereas in her office here (also a global financial institution) most people get away camping at the weekends or for their holidays.

Wedding news - we now have a band booked for the reception. That's been a bit of a saga, but I reckon we've done well with the final choice. This band even plays reggae, which ought to be perfect for a warm night looking over the ocean.

Work news - my CCNA is up for renewal, time to hit the books again! I've booked in for the CCNP switching exam, and with 2 chapters a night (with a couple of nights off) I'll be through the book with a week to spend on practice questions and revision. Not much fun, but worth gritting my teeth through.

....and I can report that I managed to catch and ride a wave on my own board last week, despite terrible confitions and a scarily strong sweeping current. However, the strong current really drained my paddling strength - time to buildup my surfing fitness and power :) I've started going to the Valley Pool a couple of times a week to swim some laps. Lovely to be in an outdoor pool (even in the middle of winter!), and it's actually a low-chlorine pool too, so it's not so unpleasant. It's a full 50m in length, which is twice as long as I'm used to - at least that means I have fewer laps to count!