December 15 - Australia: Cairns

So today we had to return the rental car, which is fine because we didn't use it very much anyway.  First we went to get petrol (Australian for gas) and then went to see Ian our car dealer.  He was going to give us a loaner while we wait for the wheel alignment on the truck.  So Jon showed me around the car lot while we waited for Ian to finish with a customer.

We didn't really care what kind of loaner we got, but laughed hysterically when we saw what we would be driving for the next few days.  This little gem is a 1990 Holden Gemini - similar to an old Chevy Nova.  Heinous fading green, naturally.  Air conditioning?  Nope.  But the windows roll down!

I hopped into the rental car and Jon said he'd meet me at Budget.  So I finished up the car rental stuff - pretty easy - and Jon and I walked outside to where he parked the car.  Ironically, he was parked next to a very similar car in a similar color of green.  

Me: "Jon?  Which way to my limo?"

Jon: "Take your pick.  Which piece of shit would you like?"

A few minutes later, I told him that he looks very hot in this car.  I'll be fighting the girls off left and right.

You just gotta laugh at this!

So we spent the rest of the day chilling out and reading.  Jon fell asleep for a few hours and I had some nice quiet time.  (Because when he's awake, he must be entertained.)

The weather was partly overcast, and it rained on and off.  But it looks like the weather is clearing overall.

Our Apartment Complex

The Naked Chef

Just before dinner, we caught an episode of "The Naked Chef" on TV.  Now, if you've never seen "The Naked Chef", you may not be able to appreciate this.  But the Naked Chef is this young British guy who, while NOT NAKED, teaches his friends how to cook some cool dishes.  Over the past two years, he's been credited with making cooking "cool" again and bringing in younger audiences.  The concept of being a "Naked Chef" comes from the idea that cooking is actually very simple, and that anyone can do it.  Bare-bones cooking, if you will.

At any rate, this particular episode was called "Christmas in New York" and featured the Naked Chef (whose name I don't know) visiting friends and going to Bouley Bakery to learn some new dishes from David Bouley.  Part of the show was dedicated to his sight-seeing and grocery shopping in the city.  He and his buddy had a meal at Carnegie Deli, visited the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, saw the windows at Sak's, and played basketball at the 4th Street Courts.  Watching it, we got very homesick.  I didn't realize how much I miss the holidays in New York City.  It really is a wonderful time to be there.  Especially because this episode was obviously filmed before 9/11, it was bittersweet to watch it.

Inspired, Jon and I got up to make dinner - Green Curry with Beef.  We only used one package of green curry this time, so it still had a kick but wasn't nearly as spicy as last time.