Here comes the madness

This is one of those preemptive posts, a la the end of last year, in which I give advance warning for what will be a light few weeks of blogging. I wish that this was because I was about to start a new job, and I knew that I'd be too busy to even devote a few minutes to this every day or two. Nope. Instead, the next few weeks are simply going to be madness.

First, on Friday morning, my friends Sam and Sarah fly in from New York. We're in Sydney for a brief two days before we head north to Hunter Valley for a wine tour, spend the night in a hotel/brewery (!!), then drive a few hours further north to Port Macquarie for three days of R&R. (Minus the rest and relaxation, of course.)

The day after we get back to Sydney, Robert arrives from Houston (via Dana Point and Disneyland). Combined, the four of us make up Team Oz -- with previous incarnations as Team Maine and Team Martha's -- and in Sydney for a full week, we will go hog wild.

Team Oz! Featuring Robert as The Lion, Sam as The Scarecrow, Sarah as Dorothy and yours truly as The Tin Man.

No definitive plans at the moment, but at the minimum, we'll be seeing the big sites, hitting up the local Portuguese Chicken establishments (they're all versed in the PCW) and absolutely playing some pitch and putt. Because this group of four has a somewhat -- nay, a very -- unhealthy obsession with pitch and putt, going back to when we all lived in New York and made many a trip to Queens' Flushing Meadows pitch and putt course.

Team Oz (with Maz on the far right) at the Flushing Meadows pitch and putt course. I won that day. I always beat those guys.

Sam and Sarah leave on the 26th, with Robert departing a day later. And that gives me three days to prepare for what is by far the most important event of the year: my fantasy baseball draft. Go ahead and make fun of me. I don't care.

And then, a day after the draft, I fly out to LA for the wedding of my friends, Benny and Hannah (aka Benihana).* I'm there for a week, and in addition to the wedding, I already have several things planned: Bay Cities Deli, maybe a Dodgers spring training game, and CHUMASH!! (If you don't know, don't ask. Words would never do it justice.)

*In a perfect coincidence, the day I fly out is also the last day that I can legally remain in Australia. That's right: my DOD is upon us! So it's quite serendipitous that Benihana is getting married when they are, as I'll also use the trip to reenter Australia on a tourist visa.

The Monday after the wedding, I fly back to Sydney, ready to renew my job search. Because, yeah, that's really what I should be doing this entire month.

Maybe I'll find time to write about a few things over the next few weeks. That would be nice, for both you and me. But most likely, it won't happen. So until then, here's to the Northern Hemisphere's merciful exit out of winter, to the glory of Spring Training, to March Madness, to Benihana.