This work week went well.  Brandon continues to work more hours and enjoy his project responsibilities growing. Our surgeon is on annual leave and we have a relief vet on a few days a week, in addition to our other vets working.  She is very nice and knowledgeable and we have her for two more weeks.  I can’t believe it is July already!  The temperature has dropped a bit and winter is finally biting.  Brandon and I caved and bought an electric heater.  Our flatmates both have them and there is an electric oil heater for downstairs.  There is such a chill in our townhouse and even at my work.  It is still getting nice outside during the day and the sun is nice and warm as long as you have a light coat on.  It is pretty cool at night so inside buildings take a bit to warm up, even with heaters.  Thankfully, Jax made beef stew this week to warm us up.  She was dog sitting this weekend, so didn’t get to join us for much of our plans.

This weekend was fun.  Friday night, Heidi has her friend George over for curry and wine.  Saturday we took a pilgrimage through an area of Sydney called The Rocks.  A Sister from our North Sydney parishes lead it.  It highlighted the St. Joseph sisters in early Sydney and St. Mary of the Cross Mackillop.  It was very interesting and we learned a lot about the Catholic Church in Australia.  After, we met Heidi for lunch at Pancakes on the Rocks in The Rocks.  It was delicious.  We walked through The Rocks markets, then returned home for a productive afternoon.  Brandon and I booked our accommodation for Seattle and we had a personal financial meeting.  We are still in the green so yay! Sunday we went to church, then I was able to talk to my parents and aunt on Hangouts.  After lunch we took a bus into the city to test drive a Tesla!  There is a Tesla shop on Martin Place, in the city.  Last week when we stopped in on our anniversary we arranged a test drive, since you have to book it in advance.  If anyone is not familiar, Tesla is a car company, founded in Silicon Valley, CA USA by Elon Musk to produce 100% electric cars that perform and look like luxury cars. There are a lot of Teslas and other fancy cars in the city, it is amusing to see them; we even saw a Lotus on our way to our test drive.  Tesla has three different models at the moment, the Model S, their “basic” sedan.  The Model X, their SUV type car with gull wing doors.  The Model 3 which is not in production yet, but is the “economy” option and a little smaller than the S.  All are fully electric with the motors on the axle, the battery at the bottom base of the car, and everything fully automatic and teched out.  They also have autonomous driving, which is like cruise control, but it also steers itself, and self parking/self pull up driving as well.  They are amazingly advanced and very cool from an electronic and technology stand point.  Brandon has been admiring them and following all the news about them for years.  All this tech and sophistication comes with a very high price; before the test drive, Brandon built his dream car on the website.  $300,000 AUD!!! ($230,000 ish USD) The car we drove did not have all the fancy features like he wants, like the glass roof or the black interior, but it was still the fanciest motor option with fancy wheels and rims, so valued at $250,000.  (The price of the car, Sydney traffic, and unfamiliarity with driving on the left, from the right side on the car, are all the reasons I didn’t drive it.  Too much pressure.  No thanks.)  Brandon did great!  He had a blast with the car.  We drove out of the city on the highway to see its autonomous highway driving.  The car has regenerative breaking, so as soon as you take your foot off the gas, it starts slowing to add more power to the batteries.  Brandon said it felt weird and did take some getting used to. She had him go to this side street, car parking area to try out the latest software update; it allows you to go 0-100 km/h in 2.7 seconds.  We all had to brace our heads back in the seat as we took off.  WOW!! What power.  We were pushed so hard back, so fast: all the g force.  We were all giggling and shaking.  We had so much fun we turned around and did it again.  So cool.  We went from 5 km/h to 80 in a second or two.  Just wild to have that much force pushed on you at once.  Exhilarated, Brandon drove us back into the city and our drive was over.  We then walked up Martin Place to the Lindt Chocolate Cafe for an afternoon snack.  I had chocolate banana bread and a mocha.  Heidi got Lava cake, and Brandon chocolate ice cream and a waffle.  Jax then picked me up while the others took the bus back and we went to the Titanic Exhibition.  The other two went home to work on stuff.  It was a museum type event that had artifacts and scenes from the Titanic and the Olympia; building it, the elaborate decorations in first class, the ice warnings, the wreckage, and all the news around it.  They had costumes and props from the 1997 Titanic movie as well.  When you entered, you got a boarding pass of a real person who was aboard.  At the end of the exhibit, there was a list of who made it in the life boats and who died.  I was a third class house keeper with four kids along who all perished.  Jax was a seamstress that ended up in a life boat and living.  It was a cool exhibit and I enjoyed seeing it after the Titanic Museum in Belfast.  Ever since the Titanic movie, I have been fascinated with all things Titanic.  It is pretty crazy that it was built with such little technology.  It is also wild that it sunk in 1912, and the wreckage was not found until 1985.  Jax then dropped me off at home and I worked on Brandon’s slipper and finished it.  It is a bit sad, but will work to keep his foot warm.  Half way there. I then posted this in between eating pizza and pasta from the Italian place down the street.  We got Heidi a Steam account and are going to play Left 4 Dead later.  Her and Brandon are currently playing Frisbee golf on Sports Champions.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Enjoy the pictures!