Destination: Taronga Zoo, Sydney

Inspiration: Weeds actor Kevin Nealon sends me to take the ferry to the zoo and ride the gondola!

Actualization: I forgot that the weather from Melbourne always travels to Sydney and so the cool trickles from my Lorne weekend settled on sydney. No surfing for me, but sprinkles and wind were okay when spending time with smelly animals in the weeds of the zoo. Also to offset the somber mood of a cloudy day, being on the water in the ferry made me happy.

I saw just about every animal at the zoo:
Giraffes; who stand with their hind legs crossed over which I liked because I do that a lot too.
Monkey butts; the chimps’ face structure can be hard to decipher from their shape of their butt.
Pelicans; deep thoughts. At the zoo pelicans can get visitors from their non-zoo pelican friends.

Realization: It’s not as fun doing coordinated activities like the zoo when you don’t have a pal around to do silly things like hide in the weeds with you. Tomorrow I’ll drag along a partner in crime.

Your moment:
Taronga Zoo
Showtime: Weeds
Kevin Nealon
Sydney Harbor Ferries

Destination: Toolie Weekend in the small town of Lorne (they call kids on summer break schoolies down under….and then there are those older chaps who celebrate like schoolies…toolies, my mates for the weekend.

Inspiration: Lil Jon sends us drinking and Janae’s Melbourne toolie friends help fulfill this inspiration.

Actualization: Steph Brown takes us down to her boyfriend Luke’s Lorne summer home.
In order to really prepare myself to go to Lil Jon Saturday evening, I go for a run along the ocean.  Small towns are the best.  I ran over a white picket bridge where a couple was shooting their wedding photos.  I ran past the fishermen on the pier. I sweat out all the toxins as I prepared for the retoxification. Stop reading Mom and don’t cry.  I was safe and went to sleep before causing too much destruction to my body.

Lil Jon style Gangsta Grillz album no 9 we went to a gangster’s home where they brought out the grill.  We headed to Jack’s house for a barbie with the spit (bbq with a grill).  Hardly gangster, Jack was a spitting image of Adam Banicki, my little brother.  I was showing everyone photos of Adam Banicki to see the resemblance.  I think that’s why I loved Jack and felt at home right away.  He was sooo easygoing and personable and I adored him like a lil bro and you need a lil bro around for a Lil Jon moment. Jack’s barbie was kinda like Josh Johnson’s house bbq sophomore year in Oregon, Illinois, the boys had the beer bongs, the spit (aka grill) was out and everyone just  boozed and laughed at one another doing silly things like hula hooping. The boys at the barbie had a game if you knock over the beerbong you have to bong the beer. Mr. Max Cooke tricked me into knocking into the beer bong.

My absolute favorite part of the night was teaching the guys how to do a kegstand.  I mean you can’t even compare the beer bong to a kegstand.  I’m always the late bloomer and didn’t even do my first kegstand till after college…probably not something I should admit…I mean the fact that I was doing kegstands post age 22.  Anyway, it’s always fun to be the foreigner teaching the locals a new trick, in my case drinking game.  We arranged the keg and cooler and convinced our Adam Banicki lookalike, who was also tall like Adam Banicki, to let us hold up his legs while he drank.  It was so much fun that the boys then grabbed hot Jamie, the one you always want around, and hoisted him up to drink.  The boys were all pretty proud of themselves for these accomplishments.

Realization: “Snap ya fingers! Do ya step! You can do it all by yo self!”  After hours of bongs, brother-like boy bonding, hoola hooping and dance party USA (or AU), the mission for Lil Jon, (my drink till you pass out) was completed. I def got myself drunk…but this drunk toolie enjoyed the hangover day watching Robin Hood and Christian Slater with the crew much more than wasted night before….well except for those kegstands which cannot be done by yo self.

Your moment:
Lil Jon
Lorne, AU
Robin Hood

Destination: Lorne part 1

Inspiration: Max Cookes with an ‘S’ introduces me to Steph Brown and her wine (Browns Brothers).

Actualization: Max is a character. Pure genius. He’s walks like a little boy, and cant talk without smiling. He’s the guy who always has an opinion and always wants it heard. Janae didn’t even touch on the character that was Max and I’m sure I wont either, but if you can find a way spend a car ride with Max, you’ve got to do it. We got to do it with his friend Steph who drove us for my Lil Jon moment in Lorne.

Much like Max, Steph is the girl who always has a smile on her face. Steph’s is pretty and sweet, not mischievious like Max’s. She proves the theory. What’s the saying…it’s scientific. If you put a smile on your face it’s 50 perecent more likely for you to feel happy. Something like that. Steph makes me think that saying is true because she seems to lead a very happy life. Steph brought back memories from my Italy trip and Gary Vaynerchuk moment when I met Andreas on his Chianti vineyard. Steph’s family has a wine business and everyone of her cousins who said they’d never go work there have all slowly started changing careers and going back to work the famliy business. All when nearing age 30! Saturn Return
I liked Steph best when she came in the room Saturday morning and said, “who wants to go on a bushwalk?”
Runyan fans, Lorne has a better version just up from the beach. More malibu-hike style. AND I saw koala bears and heard a BLACK PANTHER or PUMA….or we are pretty sure that’s what it was….. They say it’s part of human nature to establish routine. One of mine is hiking and I prefer doing it with someone who makes great conversation. Steph told me stories about the Bogans in Australia, her cousin who starred in a reality show, “Farmer Wants a Wife”, and a class in school that forces you to survive the wilderness SOLO for two days when you’re 14. That’s crazy but kinda rad, right?

Realization: When you meet new people you like, and they ask you to come on a road trip, take it. If you ask for a moment, you’ll get one…..Max

Your moment:
Gary Vaynerchuk
Brown Brothers Wine
Saturn Return