March Madness

Oh yes, I did have the Sydney H&Kers fill out their NCAA tourney brackets. No matter where you are in the world, it has to happen. They didn't really know the Tar Heels from the Jayhawks, but they played along. Of course I was horrible, even against the Aussies. Good tourney, too, capped by an exciting final game where KU beat out Memphis in OT.

I wasn't able to follow the tourney for the first few rounds because my buddy Huw and I took a journey up to Byron Bay over Easter weekend. Byron is kinda a mix of spring break-ville, Woodstock and a small surf town. Lots of travelers and hippes line the streets, but still remains a nice resort town. Based on a pre-owned bus ticket purchased back in November, we went the Greyhound route up to Byron, complete with screenings of City Slickers AND Turner and Hooch. Nothing to kill a 12-hour bus ride like a flick between a young Hanks and slobbering dog. In true Huw style, we met many-a random characters in Byron, including a gaggle of Swedes at the hostel that we partied with. He also was able to snag tickets to the Blues Festival, caught some cool bands, including OAR, where one dude was even doing the "OH-IO" cheer....niiice. We took a helicoptor ride over the area, which was pretty sweet. I felt like doing the "get some....!" scene from Full Metal Jacket.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the trip to Nimbin, which is a town littered with drugged-out hippies, tourists and more hippies. For those of you that know about Nimbin, it has a reputation for being "green" and not the environmental type. I took a trip up with some traveling Dutchies and we were driven by a guy that fit Nimbin to a t. We even got the Aboriginee lecture on the way back. Great drive, too, the landscape around the area is green in itself with rolling hills.

March also was the month that we learned the house at 48 Fletcher St woul be sold by June. Let the apt search bgin....talk about madness.