FINALLY . . .

the Perry's have internet access!! We have been using dial-up and wireless through John Deere but now have our own home wireless internet! There is some good news and bad news with this . . . we were hoping for highspeed internet so that we could hook-up our Vonage phone and watch US TV through our Slingbox. Since we couldn't get highspeed we had to go with wireless which only will allow us to have our Vonage phone but not our Slingbox. So, no Nebraska football games. We have obtained a VCR though that will play US tapes so family and friends will be taping the games and other shows for us and mailing them to us through the Australian pouch. Overall, I guess we're just happy that we have SOMETHING . . . FINALLY . . . after 10 weeks of waiting and living here.

So, for those of you that want to contact us CHEAP . . . just call our Moline phone number and it will ring us in Australia . . . and there are no international fees! Just remember we are 15 hours ahead of the Central Standard Time zone . . .

Bryan leaves today for a quick whirlwind trip around Australia. He will be going to Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney (he'll be in Sydney when George Bush is there visiting) all within 5 days. This trip is like traveling from New York, then going on to Los Angeles, Dallas, Orlando, Washington D.C. and then back to New York. Then next week he will travel over to New Zealand. He is completing training with John Deere dealers for Phase One of the project he was brought here to help develop.

Not much sight-seeing for us this week. Here are a few pictures of Evan and dad getting ready to go on a bike ride (note that Evan is wearing a helmet without crying) and of Evan remembering what it's like to be in a crib again, as we are preparing for the arrival of the new baby - 6 weeks to go!







Australian Education: It is common in Australian homes not to have ventilation for your clothes dryers so most people keep them in the garage (which is a PAIN!) There also usually isn't room to put both a washer and dryer in the laundry room unless you hang one on the wall. Here is a picture of our wonderful dryer . . . in the garage . . . between the cars . . . not easy access and quite a distance from the laundry room. We also have a clothes line in the backyard to use instead of the dryer.


** Also, Spring has sprung in Australia! September 1 was the first day of spring here. The weather has been warm this week and we have been wearing shorts and sandals. It is supposed to rain more this week and get cooler again so we'll be back to pants and maybe long sleeved shirts for awhile. The Aussies will have their winter boots and scarves out for the cooler days!