Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Contrary to Popular Belief---written by Norman










Contrary to popular belief, I do not sleep all the time as suggested in some of the previous blogs I have read on this site. Due to some misinformation I have decided to start contributing occasionally an editorial. Mary Jo has adapted to retirement quicker than I could have imagined, but I am reaping the benefits as I have breakfast each morning and a great dinner each night. She has really become a gourmet cook since we have been here. Tonight we had some funny little round beans with some strange shaped pasta with several types of herbs and spices mixed in a huge metal bowl and served on a red plate. It was delicious. I am lucky to have such a wonderful wife and great cook.

Work is going well. Starts at 6:15 AM and usually ends around the same time each night. I have been traveling to some exotic places like Wagga Wagga. (Home of many crows). Saw more sheep than you could count. It is amazing how much wool they have this time of year, but many are being sheared now. Then I flew up north and stayed in one of the farming communities next to the Great Barrier Reef. They raise sugar cane in this area along with bananas and mangoes. Did not go out on the reef as we are saving that trip for when someone comes to visit.

Although this is an English speaking country there seems to be several dialects. Some are easy to understand. Others talk so fast and roll their words making it very difficult for me to understand. They have slang names for almost everything. Last week, I was on a road trip with two guys and we stopped for them to have a cigarette or fag as they call them. They were standing in front of the car talking with another guy and I decided to get something out of my computer bag in the trunk of the car. I walked around back and yelled for Mark the driver to pop the trunk. He said, "What did you say?" I tapped the trunk with my hand and said, "Pop your trunk." They all busted out laughing. He finally unlocked the trunk and then walked over to me and said, "You might want to watch what your saying as trunk over here means the man's private parts (he didn't actually call it that but Mary Jo wouldn't let me write his exact words). They call the trunk of the car the boot and the hood is the bonnet.

They actually keep up with the United States pretty well. They are constantly asking about our President and the economy. Had a great discussion last week with a group of five guys at dinner. I asked them about this observation... after living here a short while, seeing the massive amount of natural resources this county has, and the small number of people they have to defend it, the huge investments that China is making in Australian's mining industry, were they afraid that they would wake up one morning and see thousands of troop ships surrounding the country with millions of Chinese soldiers coming to claim there businesses. They said no they would go after America first. Don't think so, distance is much less to Australia. Unfortunately it wouldn't make any difference as we have been allies to all conflicts for a long time, but it made for some good discussion.

Mary Jo and I are trying a great deal of first. In fact last night she cut my hair for the first time ever in our 36 yrs of marriage. Saved $16+ and didn't have one cross word. Probably because she put masking tape over my month before we started. I will let her finish this story and give you a picture or two. Have a great day or night whenever you read this and thanks for keeping up with us. We are lucky to have you as family and friends. G'day Mate...

Well let me just say opinions expressed by this writer might not necessarily be the views of the regular blogger...

I have been busy reading, running and trying to learn cook. We have had stuffed peppers, tacos, and orzo salad. I have learned that garbanzo beans are the same as chickpeas (thanks, Sara) and that risoni is the same as orzo (the Internet has a world of information about everything I should know but don't). I also learned how to make French pressed coffee with a quick online lesson from Samuel.

Yesterday I decided to try the bus. I topped off my go card online and called about the bus times for the bus stop just outside our complex. She told me that the bus ran on the half hour - I am thinking o'clock and thirty but when I reached the bus stop the schedule read 2:21 and 2:51, needless to say I missed the 21 and had to wait for the 51. When I got on the bus I touched my card to the machine - I had learned how to do this when I was here back at the beginning of the summer riding the River Cats - touch on-touch off. The machine made a beep beep, so I asked the bus driver what that meant and in a grumpy voice he replied, "I don't know. What does it say? I can't read it!!!" (the machine was not facing him). At this point the machine read, "card already touched" so I just had a seat. When I touched it to get off the bus it said "insufficient funds"-I tried to explain to the bus driver that I had just topped it off online to which he replied, "It says you have insufficient funds! If an inspector gets on the bus you will be fined for not paying!"- He didn't bother to tell me that it took 48 hrs. for the online topping to clear or that I could pay cash. On the way back I boarded the bus, paid cash and asked this driver (a different one) if this was the bus to Columbus St. to which he replied, "I don't know where Columbus St is." - (there are two Columbus Street stops on his route) - one going and one coming!!! Thankfully, another rider helped me out and told me it was the correct bus for my stop. Not a good first experience with the bus drivers. However, I did not let the rudeness deter me from riding it again today. This time I did much better-only reprimanded for trying to load the bus from the back instead of the front-both have top on/off machines. Samuel, sound like the taxi drivers in Chicago? I am not a city girl!

Today when I went to the store they had 1 litre cokes with different names on each-advertising to share a coke with... the only two that I could find were Luke and Nick-lots of good memories of those two.

The picture of Norman by Marilyn is a two-fold story...first it is to show you his haircut-good thing he can't see the gaps in the back.(haha) Second, this picture is huge, it hangs just outside the master bathroom door, and has hung there since before we moved in three weeks ago. Well the other day Norman was walking into the bathroom and he hollered back to me, "Hey have you seen this picture of Marilyn Monroe here in the hall?" I just busted out laughing and said, "Yep, she's been there every time you have gone in and out of that bathroom. Hello, Norman.

That's all for now.

2 comments:

sara jackson said...

Mom, looks like the food is tasty. Glad you are getting the hang of it. Who knows you may go to culinary school during your retirement!! Thanks for sharing the funny stories.

Lynne Behnke said...

It sounds like you are adjusting. :) Can't wait for you to come home and bring us some of your yummy homemade lunch to work!