It's tomorrow where I come from!

I finally set my laptop to Arizona time. Arizona time means that it is dark at 5:30 pm in November (that's May for you southern folk). Yesterday we cooked Thanksgiving dinner (one of the guests is a nurse so Saturday became Thursday. It was almost gluten free and would have done ok except after everything was cleaned away and washed up there sat a biscuit/scone and I just had to have it. After all that trouble of making corn bread from scratch to make cornbread stuffing - gluten free. I had to have a biscuit! Needless to say I did not attempt church. Living alone has its advantages!

I am having a bit of a bad day. Thank heavens it is tomorrow in Sydney. I think I will go back to bed and wake up when it will be tomorrow here too.

Farewell, our feet are da same....

When I left the last time the Opera House was still under construction. Such a beautiful building but everyone complains that it is such a bad space for theatre/opera/ballet. If it is so bad why does no-one do anything. Do the Opera Australia people ignore the criticisms or is that just more stuff they do not hear in their ivory towers.

I am so sad to have left but what could I do - I will save you the trouble by answering. Nothing. I spent too long away and the changes were too big for me to get my mind around. Why is it that when you walk into a shop with your hard earned cash to give in exchange for goods it is often such an unpleasant experience. A union needs to be formed, "The Unsatisfied Customer Union". The UCU member will pledge to walk-out of any shop that does not deliver an average level of customer service with their credit card or cash firm lodged in purse or pocket. The average level of customer service is measured by 1. Hello, 2. Can I help you? 3. Did you find everything you need? 4. Making eye contact and 6. Getting off the phone while speaking to said customer. These 6 little requests are so often satisfied that I know it is possible. If we were just to withhold our money I know ....

Hey people it is the climate that is harsh - you don't have to be.


We took one last turn across the harbour. The air was perfect and the swell just enough to remind you you were on the Manly Ferry. In '69 and '70 I took the ferry from Balmain to downtown Sydney to work. The skyline has changed, the buildings are higher but it is still as beautiful. Funny I love big cities as long as I am not 'in' them. I think I worked out that last day why. My introduction to the big city was first a short bus ride and then the ferry ride. I never really had anything to do with the bustle and shove of train riding or the stop/go of the car. I had time to admire the line and shadow of the architecture and the land. No wonder I love the city - I don't know it.

All the flights worked out well despite the first flight - out of Sydney was on a Qantas plane and not Air Pacific. German couple with a small baby were sitting beside me and the woman asked me if I would move to an empty seat so they could have my seat for the baby. I ended up sitting by the window - ugh and beside a gentleman who downed three little bottles of red and went to sleep. I arrived non the worse for wear in LA finally and nearly choked to death on the air. The big surprise there was price of taking luggage on the flight with US Airways. $90 because one was too big. I wanted to say, "keep it" but there might have been a fine for littering! I have, in the last year, whittled my worldly goods down to two suitcases and some boxes, I guess $90 for shipping is not grounds for complaint.

I am blessed and happy. JS has hooked me back up to the internet so the world is at my fingertips. To all the kind and wonderful people out there thank you for your kindnesses. I will work hard at paying them forward because I can never repay you. To AH3 and DDH my heart breaks because I had to say goodbye and because I have not yet said hello.

How many people do you know that are able to express themselves as well as this? If you could peer into the black window at the top of the box you would see the beady eyes of an original - as we used to say back in the 60's. What do we say now of someone who is unfettered by isapproval? The more I think about this the more I want to say, Óut damn people with disapproval on your hearts.' Ignore what you don't approve of and focus your energy on positive emotions.


Build a house in a tree. Put a tree in your house. Whatever you do do something and enjoy it. I said a while ago I was going to find out why people don't smile and look happy. I think happiness has become unsophisticated! The drive to get ahead has driven people into a life without fulfillment. If today I am not fulfilled in some way that makes me smile then it is doubtful that tomorrow will be any better.

Thank heavens for little girls who grow up to be little girls full of wonder and inventiveness, oh yeah, that creativity.

Travelling is a very arduous task these days. Avoiding gluten is often very difficult and I knew this but somehow thought the magic salad fairy would be on the train. Perhaps she was but I slept through the first call for a hot meal. I took the train from Sydney to Sawtell. Eight hours of sitting and avoiding conversation with the young lady who got on at Strathfield. I needed to think and gather my thoughts about everything. As the time gets closer to leaving Australia I am less sure of the wisdom. Who would swap the welfare safety nets of Australia for the 'fend for yourself, bucko' system of America? I guess the wisdom will come in in making it all work.

I spent a week with my niece and her family - three days of it glued to the loo. When you eat too much gluten .... Then after a birthday party my sister and I trekked to Brunswick Heads for two days. The funny thing was she had to fly to Sydney the same day as I but she left at 6:00 am and I left at 12:00. Coolangatta airport does not have a lot to offer the traveller in waiting. However I had learnt my lesson and went preparted with a tub of cooked rice, a bag of nuts and a treat of a seaweek snack. There is nothing like loosing your usual snacks for discovering strange and wonderful new things.

Back in Sydney. I have a new haircut, I've lost 10 lbs since leaving Canberra, I am quite tired and getting a little hesitant about things. I am missing some friends rather a lot and wish there was an easy way to turn back time.