Woooooo Hooooooo! February 16, 2011

                DOG PERMITS GRANTED!!!!            

Woooooo Hooooooo! February 16, 2011

                DOG PERMITS GRANTED!!!!            

Could It Be Any More Difficult? February 10, 2011

Okay, so I am just wondering if the saga of getting the dogs to Australia could get any more frustrating. We sent in our application to AQIS (the Australian quarantine people) complete with the gazillion of dollars they wanted to process the application only to get an email back stating that based on our dog's health, they were not sure they would grant the permit. It is a lot more complicated that just that, but come on! This is already stressful enough could somebody somewhere make it easier?? On top of that the bank thought the charges in Australia were odd so they STOPPED my debit card.  That surely made things easier.

Anyway, so I sent a long email back explaining everything we will do to prepare for the trip and once there, clarified some misunderstandings and basically sold my first child so I can get the darn permit.  I am still waiting to hear back. Please, please cross your fingers for me.

 Hey, I wonder if they cross their fingers the other way in Australia since everything else there goes the other way (toilet flushing, water down the drain...).  Hmmmm.

Could It Be Any More Difficult? February 10, 2011

Okay, so I am just wondering if the saga of getting the dogs to Australia could get any more frustrating. We sent in our application to AQIS (the Australian quarantine people) complete with the gazillion of dollars they wanted to process the application only to get an email back stating that based on our dog's health, they were not sure they would grant the permit. It is a lot more complicated that just that, but come on! This is already stressful enough could somebody somewhere make it easier?? On top of that the bank thought the charges in Australia were odd so they STOPPED my debit card.  That surely made things easier.

Anyway, so I sent a long email back explaining everything we will do to prepare for the trip and once there, clarified some misunderstandings and basically sold my first child so I can get the darn permit.  I am still waiting to hear back. Please, please cross your fingers for me.

 Hey, I wonder if they cross their fingers the other way in Australia since everything else there goes the other way (toilet flushing, water down the drain...).  Hmmmm.

Making it Real February 6, 2011

I just spent the last two hours on the phone with Qantas Airlines booking our tickets for Australia.  That was an experience!  The agent was really patient and helpful. His accent was beautiful, but whenever he spoke it took me a good 5 seconds to process what he had said!  Guess I will have to get used to that, huh? 


We will be flying "Premium Economy" which means our seats will recline 9 whole inches (that is a bit more than the average airline seat).  We will each have our own personal tv!  Wooo hooo!  Cooper is going to be watching some serious tv. There is even a power plug! But best of all is the "comfort kit."  This includes eyeshades, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a cozy pair of socks! Can't beat that can you??


So it is official. We have 4 tickets on Qantas Airlines leaving Seattle, WA on April 2nd heading to Sydney, Australia with one stop in San Francisco. 


Now it is real.

Making it Real February 6, 2011

I just spent the last two hours on the phone with Qantas Airlines booking our tickets for Australia.  That was an experience!  The agent was really patient and helpful. His accent was beautiful, but whenever he spoke it took me a good 5 seconds to process what he had said!  Guess I will have to get used to that, huh? 


We will be flying "Premium Economy" which means our seats will recline 9 whole inches (that is a bit more than the average airline seat).  We will each have our own personal tv!  Wooo hooo!  Cooper is going to be watching some serious tv. There is even a power plug! But best of all is the "comfort kit."  This includes eyeshades, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a cozy pair of socks! Can't beat that can you??


So it is official. We have 4 tickets on Qantas Airlines leaving Seattle, WA on April 2nd heading to Sydney, Australia with one stop in San Francisco. 


Now it is real.

Practice Run? January 25, 2011

So we took the Clipper up to Victoria BC this weekend to see Doug's parents. The sailing itself was perfect. Smooth and uneventful.  The crew was friendly and the boat was clean and comfortable.  We even saw Orca Whales along the way!

As we prepared for the trip, I thought to myself, okay, this is like a mini-practice run for the big trip in April.  Yes, I know we were on a boat instead of an airplane and it was 3 hours instead of 15 hours, but a practice run none-the-less. Right?

Despite the differences between the two trips, I did learn a few things.  The first thing I learned was that Cooper was a breeze to deal with. Just turned on that DVD player and he was fine, just fine.  I just have to make sure the battery is actually completely charged next time...

Now, Tucker, on the other hand, was a lot of work. Thank goodness he is so damned cute and charming or I am not sure what we would have done. The ride was 2 hours and 45 minutes and for 2 hours and 15 minutes of that ride, he walked and walked and walked around the interior of the boat.  Each time we passed a staircase he wanted to climb it. He pulled on toilet paper rolls in the bathroom and threw food and other items around at will.  He said, "hi" to random people and poked others on the head while they were sleeping.  Again, thank goodness he is cute or some people would have been pretty pissed off.  So, I have to figure out how to deal with this on the plane because there is not going to be nearly as much room to wander and I am pretty sure people will not be so happy with him poking them, charming or not.

Snacks are imperative. Although we went through all our food before we even set sail... I need to bring food that not only satisfies, but also entertains. That is the key!  I have to work on that one.

It would be nice to see some Orca Whales along the way too, but that might be asking too much from the friendly skies, huh?