Month: March 2010

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This Week In The Loft

Trip Planning


I love the Qantas 747 but on the next trip to the USA in May I will actually get to fly on the Qantas A380 for the first time.   This will be QF94 from LAX to Melbourne.  I actually paid a little more to get onto this flight.   The other flights are all on Qantas 747s and an American Airlines 767.  The routing is:
Melbourne – Sydney – San Francisco – New York – Los Angeles – Melbourne
I will be staying for 6 nights in San Francisco and another 6 nights in New York.   Can’t wait!
The photo above is the Qantas Airbus A380 just about to cross Sepulveda Blvd in LA.

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This Week In The Loft

Cupcake Mayhem


What’s going on?   It seems that cupcake shops are becoming just as popular as 7-Eleven stores across the city!   I woke up this morning to find that a “Cupcake Bakery” is opening right in front of the Loft.   There is another one (pictured above) just 1 block away.   I love these little devils but putting one right out front is a bit dangerous.  My block is almost becoming a snack and treats strip.   Of course I’m hoping for opening specials.

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This Week In The Loft

All Booked for the USA!

Well this is very exciting news.   I have been holding off talking about this until all the bookings were actually made.   The last time I tried to book a trip to the US this close to the departure date it all fell apart because I could not get all the bookings I wanted.
I’ve booked to travel to San Francisco 7th May and New York 13th May.   I’m staying at the guesthouses where I stayed on previous trips.   They both have a really nice feel about them.   And since I am travelling alone it’s always nice to meet other travellers which rarely happens in a big hotel.   Both cities are very exciting and I have friends in both places.   It will be my 8th visits to San Francisco and my 5th visit to New York.
Now I’m hoping this huge collage of my previous visits to the US will load okay.  You may have to download it to see the full size.

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This Week In The Loft

Travel Plans


It’s time to start booking travels again for this year.   I have already booked and paid for trips to Thailand this week and Argentina in April.   But because of the operation I am missing the trip to Thailand with all my family and the trip to Buenos Aires (pic) has to be changed to later in the year.   And since Buenos Aires has the same weather pattern as Melbourne, it needs to wait until at least September when it warms up over there.   So here’s what I’m thinking.
The options are:   Melbourne – Buenos Aires (BA) – New York – BA – Melbourne
Melbourne – BA – Rio De Janeiro – BA – Melbourne
Melbourne – BA – Mexico City – BA – Melbourne
As you can see I’m looking for a side trip from Buenos Aires.   Another option is Bogota or Caracas.   I would go for a couple of weeks and spend one week in Buenos Aires and one week elsewhere.     Prior to that I am thinking of making another trip across to San Francisco.   I still haven’t tried the clam chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf yet.    So San Francisco possibly in August/September and Buenos Aires in September/October.    Sounds okay?

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This Week In The Loft

Ouch!


I’m not sure which hurt the most this past week…  my hip or my hip pocket.   I’ve been paying the high level of health insurance possible for the past 23 years and last week I had my first trip to a hospital.   With all the fees (and the bills still seem to be arriving) the following is who paid what of the $5833.99 bill.
Medicare (Govt) $1040.65
Health Fund       $1096.80
Phillip                  $3696.54
I could have had it done for free in a public hospital but I would had to have waited a much longer time (like years).   I was really surprised by the breakdown of the costs.  I always thought that my health fund would pay for everything.   I pay around $2600 a year for my health fund and usually make around $300 worth of claims each year.   It really makes you wonder whether it is worth having.
The photo above is the entrance to the Mercy Private Hospital in Grey Street, East Melbourne.

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This Week In The Loft

Another City Flood


We had another fantastic storm in the city yesterday.  But this time a massive amount of ice fell.   But by the time I took this video the river of ice had melted.   he falling ice made an incredible noise!   This video was taken from the front window of the loft to show the trapped people on the tram out the front.

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This Week In The Loft

Not the Best of Weeks


Things can only get better from here.
Yesterday I checked into the Mercy Hospital in East Melbourne.   Have you ever noticed that TV hospital shows always talk about the other hospital in the area being the Mercy Hospital.  Both Grey’s Anatomy and ER do this.  So I checked in for a “Hip Scope”.   Sounds like fun right….   mmm…  well the only fun was the mixture of temazapan and zanax I was given before being wheeled to the theatre.   I must have almost shaken the operating table to pieces before the anesthetic took over.    I woke up back in the ward bed 5 hours later.   It was all done and I was feeling like I had just left a Mardi Gras party after the last song at 10am.
Today I was fairly sick as I headed home…  actually jumping out of the cab to hurl before I got to my place.   About an hour later I was fine.   I still have a few affects of the drugs left now.  I really hate the druggy feeling.  I still have to take pain killers for the next few days as my hip heals.   I had to have my leg dislocated and some rough bone removed from within my hip joint.  So I guess I won’t be doing those squats at the gym anytime soon.   I now have a week to recover before I have to start working again.  My little brother told me tonite that I needed to update the site so this update and photo is for him.   Photo taken by Jake at the Mercy earlier today.