My last week of freedom!

AAAAAAargggghhhhhhhh!!!!!! Sitting without an internet connection is driving me nuts!!! I feel so out of touch with everyone!!!

Happy Easter everyone!!!!!! I hope you all eat yourselves silly on chocolate!!!

The Sun Catcher I bought at the aquarium last weekend

Well, it’s been a relatively quiet week after the last fun-filled weekend. Scott went off to work far too early for my liking for most of the week – actually last week as well. And not just 6:30am.... we’re talking between 5 and 5:30am!!! That’s practically the middle of the friggin’ night!!! And because I’m not working and because I want to start my day early, I’ve been getting up with him. While he’s showering I make his lunch (either sarmies or salad) and then we have coffee and toast together before he leaves for work. We’re still trying to get used to not working together – it’s something both of us really miss.

One of the colourful (& noisy) parots in the trees in front of the apartment

Then it’s usually a bit of housework for me, drag myself through the shower and then onto whatever I’ve got planned for the day.... shopping for furniture in Crow’s Nest, spending the day in Hornsby at La Roma Cafe writing and publishing the blog or waiting for delivery of said furniture (in which case I do more thorough housework & hopefully squeeze in some reading).

Oooooh!!! Talking of reading, I got the new Stephen King book – Duma Key!!!! I just finished it today (Easter Friday) and it’s brilliant! I’m SO glad that he hasn’t stopped writing yet.

Okay, so Monday I went off to Crow’s Nest and found us a little dining table, a TV unit, coffee table and lamp table – all for delivery on Thursday – yippee!!! All of this is stuff we still needed to get. So now we just wait for the container to arrive with all our personal bits ‘n pieces. Actually, it’s still sitting in Cape Town at the moment! Oh wait – I think I mentioned that before. *sigh* I must be losing my marbles – too much happening all at once and I start to lose track of everything. I think I may have also posted Scott’s work blog that same afternoon...... this memory of mine..... tut... tut...

Tuesday was our second wedding anniversary. It was so bizarre – just 2 months ago we were wondering where we would be spending our wedding anniversary. I remember the conversation vividly. It went something like: “Gosh! Imagine if we’re actually in Sydney, Australia for our anniversary! Wouldn’t that be SO cool!” It seems like only yesterday. And now here we are, in Wahroonga - Sy$dney Australia.

Me preparing the trivet on the Weber so that the fillet will turn out perfectly

Out on the balcony of our apartment, lighting the Weber to roast a specially prepared fillet and drinking a bubbly to celebrate our 2^nd anniversary. I wonder if this surreal feeling will ever disappear...? I suppose when they talk about the honeymoon phase, this is it. With regards to immigration that is – not marriage (our whole relationship has been one new adventure after another! LOL!!!).

The moon from our balcony - viewed while waiting for our fillet to roast

Wednesday I went off to Hornsby again to post my last blog. Scott called just as I was finishing up and met me at Westfield so we could do a bit of a grocery shop which was great. Up to this point, I’d been doing little bits with my trolley. But we needed to get things like mops, detergents, washing powder and fabric softener, tins of tomato, tuna, baked beans – alot of stuff that I just couldn’t do in one go with my trolley. Scott made dinner too – yummy mince and mushroom pasta thingy.

Thursday was quite a busy one for me. I did some serious housework – washed the floors (on hands ‘n knees nogal!), vacuumed (what a pleasure with my new Miele!) and thoroughly cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen. Then it was onto clearing all the paper and debris off the kitchen counter and trying to get some semblance of order going before the furniture arrived that afternoon. It was the push I needed – I’d really been meaning to sort out all the paperwork since we moved into the apartment. But you know how things go – you put off the crappy jobs until you absolutely have to do it. That’s me and paperwork. I wonder why I always seem to find myself in jobs where I do what I hate most......??? Secretary... admin assistant... running our own office.... *sigh* Maybe in my next life I’ll be a brain surgeon, a dolphin expert, a photographer, an artist, a writer.... One dream at a time though! Coming to Australia was such a huge dream for Scott & I. Now we’re living that dream. Yip! We’re actually here!!! I still find it hard to believe!!! So we’ll get ourselves established here and then I’ll take the time that I need to find my passion in life. (Other than Scott that is! LOL!)

So the paperwork done, it was time to head off to the village with my trolley to get some supplies for the long weekend. First stop with the bottle-o for a few bottles of something mildly alcoholic – some Vodka something or other – similar to Archers Aqua but with Vodka. They call them alcopop here – alcoholic soda pop! There’s no Brutal Fruit here which I miss. So the important stuff sorted out, it was off to the butcher to stock up on some meat to put into the freezer. Then off to the greengrocers for the healthy stuff. I’ve discovered these really awesome potatoes! I’m not sure what they’re called but they’re very light in colour but are sold still full of dirt – almost a reddish sand. They’re the best for baking – we did some in tinfoil the other night and you didn’t need any butter or salt cos they’re so creamy and tasty! WOW!!!

By this time my trolley was overloaded! I trundled it home – only huffing a little up the hill. I must say that all this walking has done me the world of good! I’m feeling great!!! I still sweat like mad everywhere I go ‘cos I’m just not used to the humidity yet. I also don’t stroll – I try and walk at a good pace so that I know I’m working off those kilojoules. But as a result, my circulation is brilliant, my skin is looking great and I’m feeling healthy. Fresh air, sunshine, exercise, plenty of water and healthy eating do seem to be working wonders. And a safe environment in which to practice this all naturally! I don’t feel like I’m forcing myself to “get some exercise” and “follow a healthy eating plan”. I’m walking everywhere because it’s a great way to get around and because I can. I look around and, yes, there are overweight people here - but not to the extent that there are in ZA. The youngsters (teenagers to mid twenties) here are walking around in the shortest shorts (and skirts when in school uniform) and they all have these marvellous legs with very little or no cellulite. I put this down simply to fresh air and a healthy outdoor lifestyle where they get natural exercise. The kids aren’t forced by circumstances to spend all their time indoors watching TV, playing Playstation and eating junk food out of boredom.

Back to the apartment and now I had to sit and wait for the furniture to be delivered. Great! A chance to sit and read my Stephen King! Not for long though – as soon as the furniture arrived it had to be arranged, drawers and cupboards packed so that everything looked great for when Scott arrived home. Alas, the screws for the table legs didn’t arrived with the table so when Scott got home, the table was lying upside down on the lounge floor with it’s loose legs sticking up in the air! Thank goodness Scott’s van is stocked with all sorts of interesting goodies for installations and he managed to find some screws to fit. Now we’ve got somewhere to eat dinner and dump handbags, keys, post, cellphones and any other debris we bring home with us! LOL!!!

What the lounge looks like now with some furniture!

We woke up on Easter Friday to blissful cool rain. We decided to head out to Westfield in Chatswood (bigger than Hornsby) and find a couple of lamps for the lounge along with some coasters and placemats and a cleaning kit for the Weber. Only to find that NOTHING was open today – retail people also take a break on Easter instead of cashing in on all the other people who aren’t working! So instead we went for a drive to St Ives. This is where (reportedly) all the Saffers move to. Well, we didn’t hear one Saffer accent! The shopping mall here was also all closed up. I still haven’t given up on finding that elusive beast.... a bottle of Bovril.

Scott's Ozzie Yobbo t-shirt

Scott driving the van

The sign on the bridge on Pacific Highway now says "Stop. Revive. Survive." It's the slogan for driving safe over holiday periods. They also issue double demerit points for all traffic offences between Thursday and Tuesday of the Easter Weekend

We stopped at Mickey D’s for breakfast – there’s a McCafe in St Ives which actually do a pretty good toasted sandwich – not the plastic food that usually comes out of McDonalds. Across the road was a really big park with a cricket oval and a baseball diamond. There were hundreds of parrots/parakeets/cockatoos just cruising around munching on whatever they munch on in the wet grass. Note to self – get bird book and then wait patiently for binoculars to arrive in container!!

Sulphur crested cockatoos on the side of the Pacific Highway

These are not seagulls on the field - they're parrots (or parakeets or whatever they're called!)

Some more in front on the Scout hall in St Ives

A closer pic of the ones in front of the Scout hall

This one (above 3 pics) was a real performer - and talk about LOUD!!! Also a Sulphur Crest

After hanging out with the birds for a while, we moazied on back to Wahroonga, dropped the car off and walked to the village for a newspaper. After driving around looking for open shops, Wahroonga seemed to be the liveliest little centre with cafes, restaurants, delis, the IGA and the news agents open. After a brisk walk back in some drizzle which annoyed Scott ‘cos his paper was getting soggy, we decided to spend the rest of the day just chillin’ out. Something we haven’t really done yet. Our apartment is starting to feel like a home now with some furniture and the weather was just conducive to spending the day at home. Reading the papers and our books while listening to some laid back Cafe del Mar tunes.

Scott proof reading this blog

Chillin' out with the newspapers, books, laid back music and our sleeping bags on the couch.