Cristina...

MORE MAGPIES!!!!!!!!!!

2006-10-12T05:11:46Z

Luke and I are once again babysitting Harrison.

We walked him down to the park and as soon as we got there, I noticed THREE freakin magpies in the trees lining the play area. I showed Luke and I said we needed to get out of there...he called me paranoid. One of the magpies was walking on the ground and Harrison went to chase it...much to my horror. I was freaking out, and Luke told me that they wouldn't attack because they were used to people being in that area. I wasn't convinced. I ended up spending the whole time at the park under the platform to the slide...because that was pretty much the safest spot at the park and I surely didn't trust those magpies.

Well, Harrison started running down the sidewalk, so we figured it was time to leave. I had my eye on those magpies though! I turned my sunglasses on the back of my head, found a pretty big stick on the ground under the platform, and got up to leave. As soon as I got the "pusher" (stroller) and started walking down the sidewalk...I figured we were safe from the magpies, so I took my sunglasses off the back of my head and was about to put them on my face the right way when I see a FLOCK...as in about FIVE magpies swooping towards us...I turned around and held my stick high and they avoided me...but Luke had no clue...so I screamed at him to hurry up and turn around to look at the magpie and poor Harrison crouched down. Luke turned around fast enough to not get hit, but it was still VERY close to his head. I put the sunglasses back on the back of my head and held the stick as high as possible the rest of the way home...much to the embarassment of Luke. Hah.

I HATE THOSE MAGPIES. They are so weird with the "as long as you keep an eye on them they don't mess with you" thing. It kind of freaks me out.

magpies

2006-10-11T05:11:38Z

Luke's operation went well. Good thing, because he can be quite the sulk. Hah. We haven't really done much since we came back from Melbourne last Friday.

On Saturday we made our rounds and saw all the kids. Ella is so big now...she was 5 months old when I first saw her, and now she just turned 1 a couple of weeks ago! Ashlyn is my ultimate favorite Australian girl. She is two now and is my little shadow. We brought her back to Luke's to spend the night with me, since Jack was at a sleep over and Deb (Luke's sister in law) was exhausted...so we treated her to a night to herself (and the newborn Taylah!). Ashlyn followed me all around the house and was constantly saying "where is Cristina" if I wasn't in the same room as her. She is precious.

Sunday was family Tea to celebrate Ella's and Matthew (Luke's bro/Ella's dad)'s birthdays. It was fun having all the little kids over and to feel comfortable hanging out with all of his siblings now.

Tuesday we babysat Harrison again. Which is always fun. And then we stayed for tea (tea=dinner) at Eudora's (Harrison's mum/Luke's sister). After tea went to the "pictures" to see Talledega Nights.

Today I decided to be good, and went for a walk. The walk went well until I was almost back home...and then it was tramatic. They have these birds here called "magpies" and they are these big birds with big strong beaks. Well apparently their eggs are in the process of hatching...which means the adult magpies are very protective of their nest.

I FREAKIN GOT ATTACKED. This huge bird swooped down and rammed my shoulder with its beak. So I freaked out a little bit, but it flew to the power line, so I kept walking...and it attacked me again. So I screamed and ran to the closest porch. Just my luck...they had a huge dog barking at me through the fence and no one was home. So it was a standoff between me and this bird (which was back on the power line staring me down)...and this dog barking at me. For a good twenty minutes I sat on this porch. And said the Rosary. Finally the bird flew across the street and past a building. So I started running. And as soon as I rounded the corner, it ATTACKED ME AGAIN...so now I am on the ground crawling because I am too terrified to stand up. I managed to pull myself onto the porch of this house...I was shaking terribly by now. The dumb bird is sitting on the side of the house waiting for me to leave. And I rang the door bell and this nice old man came outside and escorted me to a safe distance away...where I ran the rest of the block home.

I googled magpies when I got inside and calmed down enough to stop shaking...and this is what I found out...

" During the nesting season between August and October, after the chicks have hatched, both male and female magpies often vigorously defend the nest by swooping and diving at potential intruders. Care should be taken not to approach nest sites during this short period. "

And from another site:

"Magpie attacks

For most of the year magpies are not aggressive, but for four to six weeks during nesting they will often defend their territory vigorously. People walking past may be seen as 'invaders' of the territory, prompting the magpies to fly low and fast over the person clacking their bills as they pass overhead.

The experience of a magpie attack can be quite alarming, but it is usually only a warning. Only occasionally will a bird actually strike the intruder on the head with its beak or claws. If this unusual behaviour persists, there are ways of reducing the risk of physical injury to humans.

If a magpie swoops at you:

Walk quickly and carefully away from the area, and avoid walking there when magpies are swooping.
Make a temporary sign to warn other people.
Magpies are less likely to swoop if you look at them. Try to keep an eye on the magpie, at the same time walking carefully away. Alternatively, you can draw or sew a pair of eyes onto the back of a hat, and wear it when walking through the area. You can also try wearing your sunglasses on the back of your head.
Wear a bicycle or skateboard helmet. Any sort of hat, even a hat made from an ice cream container or cardboard box, will help protect you.
Carry an open umbrella, or a stick or small branch, above your head but do not swing it at the magpie, as this will only provoke it to attack.
If you are riding a bicycle when the magpie swoops, get off the bicycle and wheel it quickly through the area. Your bicycle helmet will protect your head, and you can attach a tall red safety flag to your bicycle or hold a stick or branch as a deterrent. "

I think this justifies my reasons for not being exactly fond of animals.

babysitting

2006-10-03T00:09:07Z

Well I am here babysitting Harrison.

He is super precious and lots of fun.

Hayden won his game last night. He plays indoor soccer, and there are like 5 or 6 kids on a team and they don't have a coach. It's up to the 10 year olds to decide who plays goal, sits out, etc. I was impressed how well they took turns on their own.

Today I am babysitting all day, and Luke has an oral assignment at the Uni. I am going to take Harrison for a walk to the park soon and then it will lunch time and then nap time!

Tomorrow I am babysitting again, and then Luke and I are going to Melbourne for Luke's first operation on Thursday morning! It's a minor operation, but please say a prayer that it still goes smoothly! He has his bigger operation on October 17.

I guess that is all...not really much to update about!

Please leave comments! And please leave your name with your comments!

made it!

2006-10-02T03:53:19Z

Well kids, after four different plane rides and several delayed departures, I have finally made it back to Australia!

Luke, along with his "mum", dad, and nephew Jack were at the airport waiting for me! I saw Brian (dad) first, and then Luke and Jack (the six year old nephew) and Julie (mum) came running over. They were expecting me to come out of the other door! Well, we all went to the Melbourne Show (which is like a state fair type thing) and that was a lot of fun! Jack is my favorite Australian kid! I went on the bumper cars and the big slide with him! Luke also bought me a chinese medicine massage, and the guy put these pieces of tape with some medicine on it on my shoulders. Well needless to say, the sun got to me while walking around the Show and I now have two big rectangle tan marks from the tape by my neck.

After a fun filled day, we drove the two hours to Churchill (Jack and I took a nap on the way home). When we got back to Churchill we dropped Jack off at his house where I got to finally meet my newest niece Taylah. She was born August 25 and is super precious. And Ashlyn (two year old niece) was also awake and came and gave me the biggest hug when she saw me. I was really surprise to see all of his nieces and nephews remember me. I know he has been showing them pictures of me and making them learn my name, but it was still fun to watch them get excited when I walked in the door.

Today I got up and we went to his sister's house to see the rest of our nephews (Hayden 11, Jacob 7, and Harrison 2), They are precious and I get to babysit Harrison tomorrow and Wednesday! I am so excited! Well it's lunch time now, so I better get going...we are going to watch Hayden's in-door soccer game later tonight!

No news yet about the wedding.

Uncle Johnny...I know you think I need a lesson in time management skills, but I wish you would have followed my life the last week I was in the States...you would have taken notes! Ask my mom...she'll tell ya!

Going back to OZ!!!

2006-09-27T07:03:11Z

Well kids, I fly out on Friday to go back to Australia.

I will be over there for six weeks and will be updating this journal while I am there!

cristina_of_oz @ 2006-03-04T15:26:00

2006-03-04T04:26:46Z

Luke finally proposed to me!!!!!!!!!!!!

We went out to dinner and then walked along the Yarra River (its a river walk type thing, like New Orleans) and then we walked through a park and while we were walking on the sidewalk this guy fell off his bike and went sliding across the street into a parked car. We went over to make sure he was ok since he hit his head kind of hard. He was ok, but pretty shaken up.

After that we walked to this pretty water fountain and sat down on a bench where Luke distracted me by showing me something down the street and when I turned around he had the ring out.

He got down on one knee and said something like "I love you Cristina Gayle Eligio. Will you marry me?" and I of course said "Duh!" but then said "Of course Luke Joseph Pavey I will marry you!!!"

And he put the ring on my finger...but its a little big...I have to get it resized!!! But it is so pretty!!!

Tomorrow his family is having an engagement dinner for us!

This is all so exciting!!!

Oh, and the American wedding is tentatively set for December 16th...and shocking news...I am pretty sure I want to have it in Pensacola now at the church downtown!

cristina_of_oz @ 2006-03-01T12:52:00

2006-03-01T02:52:27Z

Hey mom, we aren't going on the plane ride anymore!

reli run!

2006-02-27T04:02:00Z

A reli run sounds like a deli run to me.

Anyways, we went up to the north of the state to see his Aunt and Uncle (his mom's brother) and two of his cousins. His cousins are both old and have children and one of them had their 18th Birthday while we were there. So we went to his Barbie (BBQ).

We also went to the town his mom grew up in. It's called Mount Beauty and you can see the whole town from on top of a mountain. We went to The Gorge. Which is a place that overlooked where his grandfather lived...it is also the site where his grandfather's ashes were scattered.

And I climbed to the top of a mountain!!! It was a crazy walk...but it was worth it when I got to the top! I know I always say this, but pictures will be coming soon!!!

I am at the Uni lab again...Luke started classes today, so I am here while he is in class.

Well, not much is planned for the remaining time I am here. We will be taking a plane around at some point during this week. Luke's friend Phil (the one with the painted face and tongue) builds airplanes (aeroplanes is what they call them here) and his exgirlfriend (they broke up a week or so ago) is a pilot. Her dad owns a plane company, and she is going to take us up on one of her flights. So that should be fun. And it is safe, don't worry. Phil is actually a sound and intelligent guy.

Camping!

2006-02-20T04:22:23Z

I went camping for the first time last week.

We went from Wednesday to Friday and I totally got a sunburn during the six mile hike up a mountain...or what I call a mountain. Luke calls it a hill.

Camping was a lot of fun, putting the bugs and seagulls attacking me aside.

The beaches there were beautiful and of course I took lots of pictures.

I think I am just going to upload them all to one site and then post a link to the site.
But not today. We are at Luke's "Uni" (thats what they say for university because they shorten everything down to a "y" or "ie" sound) and we don't have the camera or pictures here.

Tomorrow we are taking off to go to the north of the state (Victoria) to go to Bright to visit his aunts and uncles and cousins on his mom's side. So that should be loads of fun!

Well thats all for now. I will respond to everyone's comments next time!!!

Love you all!!!

PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-02-13T03:32:35Z

Ok, I have lots of pictures now...

To view them just

This is how the Aussies look at a Cricket Match.

That's Luke's best friend Phil...Ana, too bad for you, eh?

Luke and Phil.

The little kids that went out on the field and played little games of Cricket during the break between innings. (I could only imagine which ones of you guys will be photoshopped into this pic)

Unless you want to play for the Aussie team instead.

We went down to Phillip Island for a few days. It is absolutely beautiful there.

Another picture of Woolamai Beach.

Ok, well, I lied, there aren't a ton of pictures because I don't have enough time to upload them to a photo hosting site...but I will post the pics of the koalas and the Nobbies and the A-Maze-N place as soon as I have time!

Responses to Comments

2006-02-13T02:46:18Z

Hello all!!!

Thanks for all the comments you have been leaving...this post is going to be dedicated to responding to all of them!!!

Mom: Did Elydia ever get to tell her teacher I was over here? Luke says hi back.

Ana: I talked to you on the phone the other day so you already got yours.

Uncle Charlie: I would definitely take the witch over the snakes as well.

Liv and Crew: You guys are so cute! Zach is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for all of your prayers!!! I will try to update this more often now that I know I have subscribed readers. Love you guys too!!!

Aunt T: You are holding back on me. You mean there was a couch I could have slept on? Nah, the floor was fine...there were other people sleeping on the floor around me, so it wasn't too bad.

1st Comment on the Flight Entry: You didn't leave your name so I don't know who left that! I got into Melbourne on the 3rd (which would be the 2nd in America). I got to Luke's house on the 5th and to a computer on the 7th!

Matt: A+ in CITIZENSHIP??!?!? If you keep that up, I will bring you back something from over here! Good job and good luck with the play!

Eliza: 7 parts?!?!?! That is A LOT! But you are really good at learning lines (and everyone elses lines), so you should be fine! Don't over do it kid, you are only 8! Hah. Miss you and love you too!!!

John McKay: We will be literating it up soon! Luke says hi.

Alexa: YES, we will definitely be hanging out when I get home!!! So many things to talk about already and it has only been one week. You should see the scene kids over here! Hah!

In Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-02-07T06:02:17Z

Luke locked his keys in the car (I guess he was THAT excited), so after assistance came and unlocked them, we went to the domestic terminal to meet up with our camp friends who were flying in the same day/time.

It was awesome that we were all here together. Howard and Feeny are some of the craziest but amazing people I know. We all went to Luke's sister's apartment and I got a shower and changed into the Australian shirt Luke bought me for the cricket match.

Luke and I then met up with five of his "mates" at the Telstra Dome (cricket stadium) to watch Australian take on South Africa. His friends were all decked out in face paint, and other attire. I will post pictures next time I am on the computer. They were a lot of fun though I was extremely exhausted from traveling for three days and not really sleeping.

It took a few overs for me to catch on to the whole game, but I think I got most of it now. And yes mom, it is still ridiculous! Hah. We also met up with another camp friend, who was also one of my roommates last summer, Lisa. While the boys were trying to explain the game to me, these girls in front of me turned around and asked if I wanted the girls version of the game. I said sure. So they then said "Well, number 58 is the one to watch because he is the cutest" Hah. I like their style.

And I learned all sorts of crowd cheers that I can't say on here since it is a family orientated journal, but I am sure if Uncle Johnny calls early in the morning he will get them all out of me.

Australian finally won, 8 hours, and 100 overs after it started. While walking back, we stopped at this chinese festival for the chinese New Year and had our palms read.

Apparently I like to learn, I am lucky, money comes easy to me, I will be a hard worker until I am 42 and then life will be a breeze, I shouldn't do anything dangerous, something bad is going to happen to me when I am 50 and will stay around for 10 years, but I will beat it, and something big is going to happen to me within five years.

The next morning we had to go to the CCCUSA job fair where we conducted interviews for potential camp employees. They made me do all the hiring. But it is fun and I am really excited about the people we hired. Though due to the return rate of staff, we could only hire three that day.

After that we went out to "tea" (dinner) with Leanne (Luke's sister) and her friends. She is really awesome and I really like her a lot. And her friends were fun as well. I also met his brother Phil and his girlfriend Kristi that day.

Sunday we met Pat (the oldest brother) and his girlfriend Anne for lunch. They were really awesome and nice as well. And after lunch we walked around Melbourne for a bit and then drove two hours to Churchill where Luke lives.

On the way home we stopped to see Matt (his brother) and his wife Melissa and their child Ella who is absolutely adorable. We also stopped to see Eudora (sister) and her husband Mark and their children Hayden, Jacob, and Harrison. Harrison is so freakin precious I want to take him home with me. He has been sitting in my lap while I type! Hah. They are all cute kids though. We had tea with them which was lovely.

Last night, Luke had to go to "footy" training (australian rules football) so it was bonding time with me and his dad. We watched Desperate Housewives together. Nothing says bonding like that! (They have limited channels over here!) And he cooked a delicious steak dinner when Luke got home.

Today I met the last sibling, Anthony. His wife Debbie and children were out though. So now I have met all the siblings and they remind me a lot of my brothers and sisters, so that is a good thing! Hah. I have yet to meet his mom who is out on a "reli run" (trip visiting all the relatives) and wont be back until Saturday. When I arrived at their house, she had left me a rose and a card welcoming me to the house. How cute is that?!?!

They are all really good people and I have had the best time here so far. It doesn't feel weird at all to be here. I feel like I have been here my whole life.

Well, I have ignored the little ones too long, I am going to go play with them!
(Jacob put on his best shirt for me!)

P.S. Next time I am here, I will reply to all the comments that have been left so far!!! Sorry I couldn't get to it today!!!

The Flightsssssssss

2006-02-07T05:39:26Z

Ok, I am going to type a couple of entries today, just to help break it down a bit.

The flights over here were a lot easier to handle then I thought they were going to be.

On the one from LA to Auckland (New Zealand), I sat next to a Canadian couple about my age. They were hilarious, so it was a good time. And we had movies, tv, and video games to occupy our time.

Oh, not to mention, the plane got to the gate late so we had a delayed departure time and then we were backing away from the terminal and they made an announcement that one of the doors were refusing to close so we had to go back to the gate while they spent another hour fixing it. Yeah, like that didn't make me nervous for the long flight ahead!

I only slept a couple of hours. Blah.

They fed us a dinner and breakfast and gave us a bag of snacks to eat whenever.
They also gave us a pillow and blanket.
And a passport holder that had a sleep mask, socks, and a toothbrush/toothpaste in it.

I finally made it to Auckland after the 12 hour flight where they made everyone get off of the plane so they could clean it and restock it. Auckland airport is absolutely beautiful. It is all modern and just nice. After going back through security to get back to the gate, I found a seat.

There was a row of six chairs with a girl sitting on one end and another girl sitting on the other, so I sat in the middle. After a few minutes, another girl sat next to me. Being the curious and bored person I was, I asked her what she was going to Melbourne for. She said her boyfriend lives there. So we start talking about how long distance relationships are and the girl sitting on the other side pipes in and says she is going to see her boyfriend as well. After hearing the three of us talking about it, the other girl on the row joins in with the fact that she was going to see hers in Melbourne as well.

So it was really amazing to listen to them tell their stories. One has been traveling back and forth for two years, another for one year, and the other one for a month. I was the rookie. And what are the odds that we would all sit next to each other?!?!

After what seemed like forever, we boarded the plane where they fed me ANOTHER breakfast and I finally got a good two hour sleep when I moved to an empty row!

At last I landed in Melbourne where customs was fast. I was really impressed. And Luke was waiting for me with a bouquet of roses. Because he is an amazing boyfriend like that.

L-A-X

2006-02-01T22:35:08Z

So I am in LA now at the airport.

They have these little computerish type things that lets you only access certain sites. Livejournal happen to make the list.

This keyboard type thing is horrible and it's going to take all my minutes to correctly type this.

The flights over here went really well.
I was skeptical about flying AirTran because I just remember them being cheap and feeling cheap.
But they have completely redone themselves and the planes are comfortable and every chair has their own satellite radio.
Satellite radio is AMAZING!!!
I was happy because that meant that I didn't have to use my ipod or CD player and waste batteries.

I was completely content listening to the unsigned channel when I got this feeling to check out a different channel.
And to my suprise, my dear friend Ashton Allen was playing on it!!! That was so exciting for me to hear him on the radio...he was actually the "new music" pick of the week or something, so they played his whole album. I made the guy sittin next to me listen!!!

Goodness, these keys are so worn that you can't even see the letters on them. I guess international people are out of luck!

Last night when I got in, a friend of mine and his girlfriend drove up from San Deigo to visit me! They took me to see the Pacific Ocean...that was so amazing. The whole time I was out in LA, I was in awe. And afraid of getting shot.

They brought me back this morning and I have been sleeping on the airport floor ever since! I still have two hours before I can check in and six hours before my flight out.

Well, I hope all is doing well. The next time I update I will be in Oz!!!!

Love you all!

tomorrow!

2006-01-31T03:17:44Z

Tomorrow is the big day!

And now I must make this page look more fun.