Day 1: Friday, August 17th

Day 1: Friday, August 17^th

            We walked through the doors of our new home and it felt a little unreal.  I had been picturing this for months and now it was really happening.  The kids bounced around the house, full of energy (Oh, how I longed for some of that energy)!  Once we chatted for a bit, I decided I needed a nap.  After all, it was only 7 A.M.  I took a quick snooze in order to keep up with my energized children.  Around 8:00, I awoke to a sound that puzzled me.  It sounded like birds from a Disney movie. The sound went away.  Perhaps I was hallucinating from lack of sleep.

            We cleaned up and it was time to explore the city.  We walked down a few blocks to the City Cat. The City Cat is a taxi on the river.  From there, Tony was able to point out places along the way.  We turned the corner and there it was, downtown Brisbane.  I think that is when it hit me: holy cow, I live in a big city.  It was clean and beautiful.  We ate lunch, walked the streets, toured the botanical gardens, and made our way back to the City Cat. Lunch, by the way, was $111. Don’t know if I will ever get used to this price!

            Once we were “home”, I knew we couldn’t stay long.  It was around 4:30 and if I sat too long, I knew it would be trouble.  It was time to hop in the car to gather some groceries.  The ride, to me, was terrifying.  It did not feel right sitting on the left side of the car without a steering wheel.  I kept having the urge to move the rear view mirror, so I could see.  Making turns made me want to hurl! In the U.S., I am a horrible back seat driver. Here, my mind was spinning!

            Thankfully, we arrived safely to the grocery store, Woolworths.  The trip to Woolworths reminded me that we actually live in a big city, in a foreign country.  Purchasing produce was a challenge.  There was no Green Leaf or Romaine lettuce.  I had to settle on Cos lettuce.  Red Bell Pepper has a different name, choosing milk was a challenge, and a small box of cereal cost $6.  This will be an adjustment for me. 

            Dreadfully, we had to get back in the car.  We made it home, but I realized I was too terrified in the car to pay attention to how we got to/from the grocery store.  That will have to be a lesson on a different day.

            Tony cooked a wonderful dinner of steak, scalloped potatoes, and salad.  The Cos lettuce was good, by the way.  After dinner, Gabby and Julie stopped by with dessert and a plant.( He works with Tony, is an LSU grad and they call Texas home.)  Gabby asked where I wanted him to put the plant and I replied, “Over by the couch.” He said, “Okay”, walked a few steps, and laughed.  We have no couch. We don’t have much of anything yet. Our furniture is still in customs. Fun.

            We all made it until 9 P.M. before crashing.  It was a fabulous night’s sleep until around 5:30 A.M.  Apparently, I wasn’t hallucinating.  A group of birds from Disney live outside my window and sing songs in the morning.  Wonder if they can make me a dress like the one they made for Cinderella?