No Dummies

Tuesday, October 22, 2013 

I miss having a garbage disposal.  I did not take offense to my Australian friend who said people who use garbage disposals are lazy.  I didn't...  Okay,maybe I did just a little bit.  But I still like her.  I did learn that garbage disposals are actually illegal here.  If you have an old one,  you can keep it.  But once it dies you can't replace it.  I wonder if there is a black market for garbage disposals...

The city provides us two bins.  One for trash and one for recycling.  The trash bin gets picked up every week and the recycle every fortnight. (I'm even using the lingo now.) The trash bin holds about two tall kitchen trash bags. It is small. When we moved in I thought there was no way we could get our trash for a week to fit in there.  We are doing such a great job with recycling, that we don't even fill it up every time!  Schroeders 1.  Pollution 0.

The light switches here all make a loud click sound when they are turned on and off.  Pretty annoying when everyone is sleeping and I need to turn on the bathroom light. I guess I even miss the light switches in America.  But,  I'm learning to embrace the change and really appreciate the U.S.! And when I say embrace the change what I really mean is that I tolerate the change until I get used to it.  Some things are easier to embrace than others...

Chaney was sick this last weekend.  She is better now and back to school.  Over the weekend Erich was invited to the family BBQ for the squadron he flies with in the Royal Australian Air Force.  Since Chaney was sick, I stayed home with her and Erich took Charlie.  They had a lot of fun.  They got to tour the plane that Erich flies in, there was a bouncy house, and a petting zoo.  At the entrance to the petting zoo was a sign with the rules.  One of the rules was "No dummies."  What??  It took us a couple of days, but we found out that is what they call pacifiers.  Now it all makes sense.

 

At the petting zoo.

Everything is going well here.  We are getting settled into the house.  The kids are enjoying school. We are starting to settle into a routine. 

The kids running on ahead to our neighborhood park.

Charlie and Daddy practicing the bounce pass.

 

My Random Thoughts and Observations...

• Instead of signs that say:  Start Line Here or Wait Here for Next Available Cashier, they have signs that say, "Queue Here."
• Chinese Restaurants don't have Cheese Rangoon or General Tso's Chicken on their menu.  What?!
• I miss refrigerator crescent roll dough.
• Every month I look forward to the monthly game of Bunco with the other American ladies.  Good times!
• They don't call them popsicles.  They call them "ice blocks."