What have I been up to since Port Macquarie?
There were only 5 days left after returning form the road trip with Sam, before I moved in with the family. Those 5 days seemed to fly by and I actually started feeling a little anxious about moving out of Sam's house and in with this family. I've never felt like this before and I'm not sure why I was feeling this now.
I had met them already, they are friends of friends. They started to call me daily as time grew closer to me moving in, they were excited to have me coming soon, especially the little boys.
My 2 dinners at the Exchange.
They had a YOLO (you only live once) sign! Haha!
I pretended to take a selfie to get this photo. You can't really tell but these guys ALL had the same haircut and thought they were really cool!
Thank you captain obvious!
Jasper's cafe
And egg, bacon, ticket and cat smiled onion roll with a fresh squeezed orange juice. The bacon isn't as good as it is in America but this breakfast was delicious!
Before I started working on it.
After the lacquer.
He did a great job building these!
Just a little photo of one stretch of several miles of the coast line walk.
Getting in on some stair running!
Parrots perched on a wire.
Sam and Polly in front.
This is Coogee beach.
An amazingly colorful bettle I stumbled upon. Someone said it was a garden bettle or something like that.
Looking towards Bondi.
Surf school in session at Bronte.
A few hours with Sam walking around a nature and sports park, tossing a frisbee around for Polly. My last day before I move in with the family.
I only worked 2.5 days my first week but it felt longer and I was already in need of a break! This new style of work was going to take some getting use to. I worked all through Friday night and Saturday early afternoon before I went to Sam's house for the weekend.
Two Nights Off Work and a Fight Night!
I showed up to Sam's house dressed in one of my 2 nicer travel outfits even though I was told that we were only going to a pub called The Exchange, in a hotel. So right after entering the house Sam takes one look at me and asks if I have shoes instead of the sandals I was wearing. No, I didn't. I asked him about it being a pub so there shouldn't be a dress code, right? Well no, he told me but they might not let me in. Ha! Okay so there was a dress code.
We went to Susanna's (the girl from Finland) house to pick her up on our way and I had her fix me up a bit. The only problem was that she was a size 7 shoe and I am a size 9! I managed to squeeze my big feet into her strappy little sandals. Ouch!
This is what Bulging feet look like.
The dinner was not as flavorful as it normally is from what I understood. There were 8 of us for dinner and no one really seemed happy with what the ordered. I even got two meals for the price of one because the guy rang up my order wrong and by the time I realized he'd overcharged me it was to late to cancel the food. So he ordered me what I wanted and gave me the other. So lunch for the next day was obviously taken care of! During dinner I was offered a citizen sponsorship from Nancy, our friend and the lady Sam works for whose in laws are the ones with that insane antique shop in Port Macquarie. She heard I was nannying and said they were without a nanny right now and they only have a 5 year old who is in kindergarten. They have a wing of their flat that's a nanny quarters and they could sponsor me for my entire year visa thru their Buisness. But I'm not sure that would even work because I'm to old for a work visa in Australia.
After dinner Sam, Susanna and a visiting American guy walked a ways to the Workman's bar. My feet really hadn't bothered me tell this point and now they were practically burning they hurt so bad! Like my feet were seriously bulging out the sides! I started walking quickly on my tip toes trying to make them feel a little better but nothing was going to work. Don't ever underestimate a pub in Australia! They are not at all as laid back as pubs in America. Le sigh...
As we came into full view of this bar, Sam almost got into a fight with one of 3 guys that we passed just outside the doors because of the one guy running his mouth and saying bad things about women that were directed to Susanna and I. We ignored him but Sam didn't! It took Susanna getting right in front of Sam and a security/ door guy to chase the guys off in order for a fight to absolutely not happen. A side of Sam that I hadn't seen before.
Walking to the car and still practically on my tip toes trying to avoid the pain, we ran across this silly mannequin that looked like it had been set up on purpose. Maybe a bit immature on our part but it had us in tears so I had to take a photo and share!
Mannequin in the window.
It reminded me of one I had seen in Portland awhile back that had its pants dropped around its ankles. It gave me and the others I was with the same reaction.
When we got to Sam's car it was decided that I'd drive home since the other two had a few to drink. We were laughing about me, the American driving the ex pat/Australians home and how I'd be sobering them right up with my mad driving skills! Heavy on the left has kinda become my motto. As in I REALLY hang out on the left side of the road when I drive on the left side of the road. That doesn't work so well when there are parked cars on the left and moving cars on the right of you. Yikes!!!
Sam got in the car to get it out onto the street from being wedged between a BMW and another car. Every time he backed himself up enough and needed to go forward, Susanna would slam her hand on the trunk (boot in Australian) of Sam's car. There was much laughter from this because it was freaking Sam out even though he knew it was her and the two of us were laughing at Sam's muffled voice yelling at us from inside the car.
I swapped spots with Sam and we all got in the car to go home, I was just about to pull off when and a guy opened Sam's door. I couldn't see a face from where I was sitting and no one talked. It was to say the least, very strange. Then I hear this guy say, "do you think that's funny?" And then "whose car is that?" Pointing to the BMW behind us. Sam tried to tell him that he didn't know what he was talking about because we really did have no idea! And I parked the car and got out quickly followed by Susanna.
In his very "little man" attitude with his hands pointing at the other car and his body posture leaning forward he was argued with us that we hit the other car and we were laughing about it. There wasn't much changing his mind. I explained to him the reasons we were laughing but Sam was so irritated by this guy accusing us of something we didn't do that he was ready to punch him. Thankfully the guys other half came outside and it became clear that the car didn't even belong to him he just thought he'd come outside and "do the right thing" for whoever's car that was that we supposedly had hit. Ugh! People can be so dumb! He should have just wrote down the license plate number and left it at that if he was so concerned. The guys other half yelled at him to get back in the house and for us to get in our car and leave so we did even though there was a bit of a struggle with Sam. 2 potential fights in one night in the same neighborhood had Sam really riled up! Perhaps the universe was telling him something.
I stayed the night at Sam's and the next day called my dad to wish him a happy Father's Day. It's likely the only holiday that is also in other country's but on a different day and month here in Australia. I knew my dad would be confused about the reasons I was calling but it was worth the call. I hadn't talked with him over the phone so it was nice to hear his voice and see his face since I face timed him over the iPhone.
Before Sam took me back to my "home", on Sunday, he and I made dinner for 5 of us to enjoy. Originally it was just dinner for he and I but more people kept getting invited as they showed up at his house or texted him throughout the day. Sometimes those are the best dinners! We had fresh fish, veggies, salad and fruit juices. Susanna, Sam, Elizabeth, and Nikki (one of the 2 roommates) partook in this lovely meal. These outings, even as simple as they are have been a blast!
Another Weekend Off.
Sam and I had brunch with his roomate Lisa at this great place right up the street from their house.
Sam had a construction job to continue to work on over the weekend and he paid me some pretty good money to lacquer an outdoor bench/ compartment and planter box that he built out of Spotted gum wood - referred to as timber, here.
Jobs are slowly landing in my lap and I'm definitely not opposed to it. As one of my friends back home just reminded me, I seem to get job offers wherever I go.
I am definitely a hard worker and a great networker so I'm not totally surprised. I'm definitely blessed with some great skills.
I was even approached by an athletic clothing company in Melbourne via Instagram asking if I'd be interested in being a brand ambassador for them.
Elizabeth, Sam and I did the Bronte to Coogee walk last weekend. The three amigos out at the long walks once again. I'd prefer some running here and there but that's not really in the interest of the other 2. We had Polly the pooch in tow with us again.
Oh something new I learned about this area and maybe most of the country is that they have a hard/ large rubbish day once a month. You put whatever you have in the house that's hard and large rubbish out on the curb and they come around pick it up. Things like a washer and dryer, dresser, things like this. Often other citizens will drive around and pick up these free goods before the official collectors come. It's something I think that would be good for the USA to consider.
Before this post gets out of control LONG!!! I'm going to post it and give your eyes a rest. As always, thanks for following my travel adventures!