back in the US...back in the US...Back in the USSR

[rokkstar]

Well, almost as cold!

Hello guys, I'm finally back in the "sunny" UK and almost settled. Still looking for a place to live and still knocking back the scotch in the evening to get over how much property costs!!

China was brilliant - absolutely amazing. I haven't started going through the pics yet but as soon as I do I'll post some up, however bad they are. I had a few nightmares with both my camera and the PSD whilst travelling, but fingers crossed everything will be cool.
I understand England is making an absolute pigs ear of retaining the Ashes but word on the street here is that it is a ploy to lull you into a false sense of security!!

I hope the weather there is cold, with hurricane winds and torrential rain.....because I want others to share my misery!!

Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things on the forum and being your antipodean correspondant. Talk to you all soon.

Cheers

[sheepie]

Welcome "back" Matt We have missed your wit in this place over the last few weeks

Looking forward to seeing your pics from the big trip, and also looking forward to hearing how you settle down again

Yes, the weather has been really bad - way too hot, no rain in weeks.... PS: You might want to change your location details now. hehe

[gstark]

Matt,

Great to hear from you, and great to hear that you're starting to settle back in to life as it is meant to be.

Sans Ashes.

Looking forward to seeing your pics. Give our love to Sam.

[Glen]

Matt glad you and Sam are back in one piece. Cant wait to see some images

[stubbsy]

Gday mate

Great to hear you're enjoying that wonderful English climate again I'm really looking forward to your China pics and sure as hell hope you managed to recover them from your PSD.

Take care and enjoy the single malt.

[Alpha_7]

Welcome back and welcome home Matt, glad to hear you and Sam survived, I hope your awesome photos did too. Best of luck finding a place.

[moggy]

Nice to hear from you Matt, glad you're settling in to life back in the 'old dart'. Will be very interested in your China pics, all the best.

[stubbsy]

Nice to hear from you Matt, glad you're settling in to life back in the 'old dart'. Will be very interested in your China pics, all the best.

Just proving my nerdiness I guess, but seeing the old dart reference set me to wondering on the origin of the term. Google to the rescue:

Australian slang for the British Isles. Derived from the term "old dirt" - meaning "original country".

and this

The Australian National Dictionary (AND) from Oxford University Press first records it in an Adelaide newspaper in 1892: “He was from England ... He is one of the sort who return to the old dart and say that fruit-growing here is a failure”. The lack of explanation suggests that the writer expected it to be understood by his readers.

Nobody can be entirely certain where it comes from, though it is quite certain it has nothing to do with the infamous Dartmoor Prison. There are earlier usages of dart that suggest it is a dialect way of saying dirt—the AND has an example from 1859 showing it was specifically applied to pay dirt in gold diggings. By the 1880s it had been extended in Sydney slang to refer to an object of attraction, some enticing thing or event, or some set purpose. But the usage in Old Dart seems to look back to the original sense of dirt, albeit figuratively, and the idea behind it seems to be close to the Irish old sod for one’s native district or country.

[moggy]

Yes Peter, I've known a few 'old sods' from Ireland and the UK!

[Oscar]

Matt, great to hear you made it home safe. Sounds like you had a good time on the trip. Can't wait to see some of the shots you took. Take care.

Cheers, Mick

[Nnnnsic]

Good to hear you're okay, Matt and enjoying your nations beauuutifull weather.

Why, it's almost tempting to rig up a webcam so people can see what the weather is like where the admins live.

[mic]

Welcome Back Matt,

Lovely weather here in Victoria, tomorrow the state is about to be wiped out by out of control bushfires.

Think yourself lucky.

Mic