More Oz Bloggin' It March 29
2:06 p.m. – Just got off the train at Sydney Central, so I can catch my train to the Blue Mountains and Sara can head to the airport to head back to Melbourne. It’s the Leaving of Sydney, so let’s recap the amazing last four days.

Arriving in Sydney on March 26, I was working on being totally exhausted and semi-hungover. I had managed to be a trooper the first two days, with a little sightseeing and drinking, but it definitely caught up with me.

I had ALWAYS wanted to visit Australia and given my current employment situation, there was no better time that now. And given said same employment situation, I needed to go somewhere far, far away from New Rochelle to get my head straight. I’ve been getting dealt 2’s and 3’s while the other folks at the table are seemingly getting all the face cards and the dealer keeps pulling out aces and jacks.

And seeing Sara has been nothing short of terrific – catching up with her is definitely one of the main reasons to visit Oz. The first two days in Melbourne reminded me, in a not-so-subtle manner, the high regard I hold for her. Always have. Hey, if there’s another story out there like ours, then call the agents for Hugh Grant and Elisabeth Shue and get them a script, stat.

Since 1998, we've consistently stayed in touch, emailed, etc... At times, we've met; once for lunch in the nation’s capital and another for a drink in NYC or Hoboken. Six years later, it’s a Carlton Draught on Swanson Street in Melbourne CBD.

Throughout said story, the dates, months, and years …the phone numbers and addresses – both electronic and postal - have changed. But my high regard for her has not. Why is that? It seems improbable.

I digress…back to the Sydney stuff…after dropping the bags and dodging the raindrops at a pub (hey, it never rains in the pub), we set out around Sydney Harbour. What an amazing view with the bridge and the opera house. Just amazing. I kept needing someone to pinch me. And Sara – as beautiful as I remembered, as pretty as I wished, and as wonderful as I could have imagined – well, she was my traveling companion throughout the whole thing.

That first night in Sydney, I think we were both so tired that we just crashed. Day two in Sydney began early with “Breakfast with Kevin Pittsnogle” before we headed out to the Botanical Gardens and the zoo. It was just a great day, not a cloud in the sky, not a lull in the conversation, not a bad view or lackluster sight. Wow factor was high…repeat…wow factor was high.

At dinner on Sunday night, the wow factor continued. We were at the Waterfront restaurant, which was right there overlooking Sydney Harbour. At this one point near the end of dinner, I looked up from my plate into her blue eyes, catching the light in the right way. She smiled and it floored me. If this were Van Morrison’s notebook, it would’ve “stoned him.” It was one of “those moments,” when quotation marks are overused as a literary “wink-wink,” “nudge-nudge” “device.”

After dinner, we continued to Wildfire, shared a nice bottle of J.J. Hahn 2001 shiraz, and got comfy on one of the couches they have outside, overlooking all the beauty of Sydney Harbour. The conversation ranged from the goofy and improbable, the serious and intellectual, to the sentimental and introspective. We never missed a beat.

Two other young ladies were sitting on the couch next to us. When Sara got up to use the loo, we kinda of smiled at each other politely. I asked them if it looked like I was doing OK. They thought we were a long-time couple. I gave them the very abridged version of our story and they beamed, as if they wished that she could be with someone as wonderful as me on a night like that. Ok, maybe that’s a bit of conjecture on my part, but regardless, the feedback was definitely positive.

After the wine and on the stroll back to the hotel, we kissed by the Harbour. It set off fireworks inside me 10 times greater than the millennium celebration - just five years earlier on that very spot. It was another one of those "wow" moments.

The next morning, we watched some hoops and then set out for a busy day of climbing the bridge and going to a show at the opera house. The whole day was great.

But now, I head to the Blue Mountains and she goes back to Melbourne and to work. Time to explore this wonderful country.

3:41 p.m. – All the Australian train stops are different and quite nice, unlike the concrete cookie cutters of the Metro-North. Interesting, I suppose.

6:43 p.m. – Checked into the Flying Fox – nice hostel, seems like they’re good people. No concierge service, though. Made the walk down to where the major sights are in Katoomba and the Sir Issac Newton’s scientific findings have come into action. The walk from the Fox was mostly downhill. The walk back to the Fox was mostly…uphill. And up…sucks.

7:10 p.m. – Back to the hostel. The Three Sisters had that wow effect. Ought to be a great day of walking and exploring tomorrow.

If Sydney is a major world city, like New York, then Katoomba is similar to Burlington, VT or ever Boulder, CO. A sleepy little mountain town, plenty of young people, probably lots of dope-smokin’, tree-huggin’ folk.

9:11 p.m. – Ventured over to the Carrington Hotel for a few select beverages with two British couples – Lucy and Elliott & Stu and Tracy. Nice kids. Good times.

March 30
8:33 a.m. – What a delightful day to be working on a hangover! It’s not too bad, actually.

11:23 a.m. –Just finished The Great Staircase – 900 uneven, not fun steps down. Whose great idea was this? Very tired, my legs are rubber and literally shaking. I think I may have blown a meniscus or two. But hey, like Simon & Garfunkel are singing on the iPod, “I’ve got nothing to do today but smile.” Ah… Carry on.

12:52 p.m. – Done…and done. Phew! What a ramble. Jeez, I’m wrecked. The Blue Mountains National Park is just an amazing natural preserve.

6:45 p.m. – Wrapping up today…lots of walking, climbing, and sweating. The Blue Mountains are amazing, though. Simply amazing. One of the finest nature-sorta thing I’ve ever seen or experienced.

After starting by the Three Sisters and down the 900 steps of the Grand Staircase, the total walk was terrific. Lots of wonderful sights, sounds, and smells. Katoomba might seem like it’s no more than a day or day-and-a-half kind of place, but I like it a lot. Why traverse back to Sydney where it’s more expensive, you have to find a new place, etc etc etc? Just hang here, goof around, go for walks and get lost and then figure out how to ge home, etc. It’s also a safe and clean spot. Off to Brisbane on Friday, which should be nice…I think.

7:49 p.m. – I flew 12,000 miles to watch American Idol? Crap-tastic.

8:50 p.m. – Still watching the Idol. Dunno why, but I just thought of Sydney and I now have this goofy grin on my face. Uh-oh.

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Well, in real life, I'm off on a plane to Manhattan for the NIT Championship.

Wait, let me clarify...that's Manhattan, KANSAS and it's the WNIT.

Swell. Four days till Opening Day. I'll be at Miller Park, but have no fear...I will have my Captain Varitek shirt, my gamer, and my World Series 2004 sweatshirt.

This might be a Brewers/National League town, but it's located in Red Sox Universe. And these slow, Midwestern folk need to recognize.

To the next step...One.  ¶ 2:52 PM