I'm So Over This

Thursday, August 29, 2013 - Day 35 Living Down Under

So Charlie is back at school today.  :)    But now Chaney is home sick. :(  Of course she is.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.    I hope everyone is 100% soon and Erich and I don't get sick.

I usually love being at home. (I'm not a homebody.  Okay. Maybe I am.)  But I am going stir crazy in this apartment.  It doesn't help that I've been home the last four days with sick kids.  This small hotel apartment living sucks and I'm so over it.  I am really ready to be in our house. At this point we are just waiting for the delivery of our household goods so we can move into our house.  Today is the day that the Australians are "starting" the quarantine of our household goods.  We aren't really sure what that means or how much longer it will take.  We do know that the quarantine process involves opening up crates, x-raying, and sniffing dogs all looking for contraband.   If they find one thing, they do more further investigating.  One blade of grass on the bottom of a shoe will hold up the whole process.  If they do find something that isn't allowed, we are given the expensive option to have it fumigated or radiated to make it safe, the expensive option to have it sent back to the U.S. or the still-expensive-but-not-as-much option of having it destroyed.  There is an Air Force master sergeant stationed at the Embassy that paid $300 for a dried floral arrangement to be fumigated when she moved here.  She must have really, REALLY loved those flowers. 

I am getting used to living in this area of town.  I am finally in a routine here with the local grocery store, gas stations, parks, etc.  It is going to be like starting all over when we get in the house.  I don't want to invest any more energy into getting to know this area of the city. Where is the closest chemist?  Where is the closest dry cleaners? I want to start doing that in the area where I will be living.  I WANT TO GET INTO OUR HOUSE!

I want to follow up with my post yesterday regarding the food, especially the dairy.  Erich and the kids are not having a trouble with the transition to the Aussie food like I am.  They don't taste the difference like I do.  Let's face it.  I just have a more developed palate than they do.  ;-)  I am also the one that does the cooking and since a lot of the products are different here, I'm struggling a bit more with what to make that everyone will eat.  I do know that I will eventually get used to the food and the products.  I have to.  After all, we will be here for two years and eleven months more!



We woke up to a hot air balloon off our patio this morning.

 My Random Thoughts and Observations...

• Instead of saying "knock on wood" the Aussies say "touch wood."
• In the U.S. I typically drive 3-6 miles per hour over the speed limit.  Not exactly a lead foot. I've mentioned before that here they give tickets out for 1-2 kilometers per hour over the limit.  And they use speed cameras.  Do you ever drive over the speed limit but because some yahoo just raced past you, and you know you won't be pulled over? You know the cop ain't going for you, the small fish.  The cop wants the big kahuna.  And you know the speed racing yahoo would get pulled over and get the ticket instead of you. So as long as you aren't going the fastest, you are safe going over the limit.   Well, with speed cameras, that doesn't work.  It doesn't matter if someone is 20 km/h over or just 2 over.  Everyone is getting a ticket.  Crap.  But, I'm still ticket free. Touch wood.
• I almost named this post "I Touch Wood."