The Woman of the House

I like what my mom used to say when contractors told her to talk to her husband and get back to them..."This is my house." Well, my house isn't my house yet, and even when it is, it won't be my house but our house. While my husband watched Clipsal all weekend (well most of...he did dig some holes in the yard and help me out on commercials, so I can't say he wasn't productive), I did the following, all on Sunday no less!

• Went to the hardware store and bought string, fly screen and spline, that stuff you put around the door frame to keep out draft, mirror brackets, and an electic hedgetrimmer
• Hooked up my new toy and trimmed some bushes. I love love love the hedgetrimmer and wish I had bought one months ago
• With hubs help, cleaned and re-screened 3 windows
• Scraped the old stuff from the door frame, cleaned it up, and put the new stuff on. (Man I wish I knew what that stuff was called!)
• Decided the mirror is too thin for the brackets, so they'll go back next week when I go back to get more fly screen

Home ownership is not for wussies.

Adelaide's Finer Moments

As thousands of people ventured out from Australian trailer parks this weekend to watch Clipsal, I was reminded of this video. Oh go on, you know you want to.

Entitlement

One of the things that gets under my skin about Americans is their sense of entitlement. I was going to say people, but it does seem to me that Americans are worse than the average (at least the average Australian). It's never bothered me to pay taxes, and I've never felt as though I pay too much, in any country I live in. Now that I've had experience working in the public sector, I wonder how the measly amount we actually pay in taxes manages to foot the bill. Well, it doesn't really, in many cases, does it. I'm glad our president agrees with me that the sense of entitlement many people (ahem, AIG execs for instance) is an issue. This seems to be a recurrent theme this week in the life of Suzer, and there are a few people I've come across who I'd have loved to tell to get over themselves, but I've restrained myself. Anyway, here's to the weekend.

Why Going Home is Important

I often hear people talk about not having been home in years, sometimes upwards of five, which seems amazing to me. I do know quite often it is for financial reasons or justnot being able to find the time that finds people from going home, but 2 years seemed long to me, and I am going to try to not ever let it be that long again in between visits. Aside from the obvious of seeing family and friends (and pets!), going home can be a refreshing break and a much needed change of pace. I forgot what it was like to be single, and kept finding myself behaving in ways here that the old suzer wouldn't have approved of. I had turned into a nagging, dependent wife who did far too much housework and worried all the time about house repairs and money. For two weeks, I left that me behind, and at the end of the visit, I was not going back to her. No more will I be calling my husband to find out what time he will be getting home from work, panicking about him spending all of Saturday on the internet, or getting headaches from clenching my jaws over all the house repairs that need doing. I'm over it.

Forgoing Duty Free Alcohol...

for the premium lounge. Well, it was either $45 for alcohol or $30 for five hours in a lounge with internet access, free food, showers, and a place to nap in front of the beautiful mountains in Vancouver, so I chose the latter. It sucks leaving home after a visit. I'm all gross from crying.

Food Glorious Food

More Cowbell

Um, actually I meant to say...more snow, whoo-hoo! We may get 6 inches or more tomorrow night. As the stupid blonde chick said in the airport, BOO YEAH!

The Gold

So I think I've babbled on about the old girl scout song before ( I bloody hated the girl scouts by the way ), but these are some of the golds. It's great to catch up with old friends:)

Spoilt for Choice

I'm seriously taking advantage of the deals here. Would you believe the above bottle of beer was only $1.50! I don't think I'll ever clothes shop in Australia again. As long as I come home every couple of years or less, I'll just stock up here. I've gotten 4 pairs of work trousers, 5 tops, 3 pairs of shoes, 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of King sized pillowcases and a set of pillow protectors, various toiletry type items from Walmart, some candy for the family, and probably some other things I can't remember at the moment, all for under $400! And, it's going to snow again tonight. It couldn't get better;)

I Don't Belong Here Anymore

Of all the travelling and living abroad I've done over the past few years, this is my first time home that I feel like I've changed to the point where I really don't fit in here anymore. Aside from turning the windshield wipers on when I intend to signal a turn, I can tell I've changed, a lot. There is an anonymity with people here, a distance, that I used to appreciate. Now it just makes me feel like people don't care about each other. People here seem to have a little bubble around them, aside from the immigrants, who I feel more of a connection with, even at the fast food places and shopping centers. Genuine friendliness is few and far between. I'm a walking novelty, as everyone wants to talk to me about the bushfires and anything else Australian (or Kiwi, as it's close enough right). I don't think I could ever live here again, yet at the same time, I'm still learning to live in Oz and don't fully fit in there yet. Oh well, at least I had some proper nachos today;)