Educating a tailgater

Whenever I see people drive recklessly it makes me incredibly angry. So angry that I just want to stop them, get out of my car and tell them to use their brain because they are in control of a powerful vehicle that has the potential to hurt or kill someone.

So that's what I did today. Just not quite so eloquently.

My day at work ended poorly. I had spent the afternoon bottling up my frustrations with a coworker and couldn't wait to get out of there. Usually by 6pm, traffic has vastly improved from the 5pm rush but unfortunately today was a day that just worsened by 6. I arrogantly turned off of the highway thinking myself a local, only to realize I better turn around before I got too lost. I made my way back onto a major road that I knew would get me home but probably just as slowly as the highway would have. Things were going well but when I was almost home I had to slow down for cars merging into my lane because theirs was coming to an end. I had slowed to a crawl to let a guy in who was completely oblivious to my intentions. In my frustration I honked for him to go and then just ended up changing lanes so he could get in, and I wouldn't have to look at him anymore. The little punk decides to get in my lane and tailgate me. I slowed down hoping that he would just go around me but he replied by laying on his horn. So I just stopped my car. I don't know what I was thinking but seeing him stopped behind me honking just tipped me over the edge. I got out of the car and walked up to his open window. I yelled at him for not merging correctly and for then tailgating me. I think I may have even yelled "what's wrong with you?" when I was clearly the one in the crazy seat. He was probably 18 or 19 and incredibly stunned because all he could articulate was, "uhhh, uhhhh." I got back in my car and drove home. Yes (mom), in hindsight I shouldn't have done that but it was liberating and I bet he won't ever tailgate again.

I don't have issues with road rage and do not condone getting out of your car to interact with a fellow motorist whom you are angry with. I promise (mom) that I will never do it again.

In funnier news, Colin and I were tuned into the radio last night and after listening to an excessively long prank call being made by the radio announcer, he confessed to the man on the phone that he was calling from Triple M FM, and that this was just a "gotcha call." Not a prank call, a gotcha call. It was the funniest part of the whole program, we loved it, who calls it that! Fantastic. Spread the word, Canada.

Tomorrow is Australia Day so Colin and I are going to try and get up early to watch our friends, Willy and Jenna, do a 2.5 km Harbour swim down around the opera house. It's apparently an annual event every Australia day, but it starts at 8:30am, so we'll probably have to be up by 7ish. There are supposed to be lots of fun events happening around the city and despite my usual disdain for large crowds, I'm really looking forward to it!

Oh, and I also learned today that Australia day is the last public holiday until Easter which is being held end of April, which also overlaps the next next public holiday: Anzac Day. What a waste of holiday usage. I miss Canada where we have almost a public holiday a month. Our country is the best! Enjoy your February Family Day, you lucky Albertans.

E.

I love the Beach

The last two days for me have been beach days. It’s a lot of work to get out to the beach. The first thing that needs to be done is beach investigation. I go to this website and look at the conditions, swell report, and watch live cams before I decide which beach to venture out to. It’s pretty much a waste of time because the three beaches I know how to get to are so close the report for one is as good as the other.

Evelyn had yesterday off so she pushed me out the door cause the sun was out. Time wise we managed quite nicely and arrived at Bondi in about 45 minutes. We then found a parking spot right outside a little café on a back street and enjoyed a nice brunch. About half way through we noticed more people piling into the little café, this made us content that our choice was popular so enjoyed the food just that much more. I however looked out past the crowd of people ordering coffee and thought again about the sudden cram as rain trickled off our car, pooling with the rest of its friends on the street.

We found a new parking spot that allowed 2hrs of parking, for the price of a meal, geared up and tromped off to the desolate beach. Besides surfers, the beach, which is frequented by 35,000 people on a nice day, was bare. We made our way into the water, warm and wavy. The rain came down and was enjoyed by those who sat out on their boards floating in the waves of the sea. Today is beautiful and I’m sure Evelyn is wishing Wednesday was Thursday this week as I am right now.

C.

Trainee

School holidays are now about half way done. Evelyn’s back at work with some nice new scrubs, which she says, are extremely comfortable. Work on the other hand was claimed to be monotonous and she came home explaining how she much preferred holidays. The summer seemed to end when Edith and Karl left as the days are grey and scattered with showers and the temperature hasn’t breached 26 ÑC but has maintained a thickness which makes your body a little sticky.

After a month of playing a trainee tour guide traveling around exploring what Sydney and it’s surroundings have to offer, I feel like my job was taken away by a scheduled flight. I miss finding things to do that not only I will enjoy but will cater to the interests of others. I have a cousin who lives up the north coast of BC in the Haida Gwaii Islands (Queen Charlotte Islands) who owns and runs a tourism company that takes people out on sweet boats to go whale watching and such and then provides accommodations in a floating cabin. http://www.moresbyexplorers.com/ I’m sure they love their job as long as people don’t get seasick. My experience as a tour guide wasn’t really as a tour guide because most of it was new to me, so really I just enjoyed a holiday. It was wonderful.

With Evelyn back to work and my sweet roommates traveling New Zealand I’m home alone able to indulge in personal reflection, and pensive planning. I have many goals to accomplish while in Australia primarily the physio thing, which is coming together well. I also want to become a surfer, learn a new song on guitar each week, cook extraordinary meals, exercise at a gymnastics gym, stay in touch with family and friends, and do it all while influencing people with the love I have for Jesus Christ. “I think this is possible ja, absoloodle” (Doc).

Time is ticking, and I have a washing machine that needs an expert to fix (not me).

C.

So the last month has been so fun and exciting I've been able to neglect the computer. It's been wonderful. I put together a little video of some of the things we've been doing. Edith and Karl came for a holiday and we all relaxed and enjoyed Australia.

Check it out: video

Awesome

If I had to sum up our trip thus far with a few photos:

mom and dad

me
colin
dad
dad
colin and me

Snorkeling was really pricey but I think we'll have to go another day. It was ridiculously fun.

E.

December!

My last day of work was on Friday last week, and I don't return until January 10th. We're having some family visit in a few days and we're going to experience some more of Australia with them! I'm pretty excited. When we first arrived here we were so busy looking for a place to live and then jobs, that we've just been going hard for 10 months and now we're ready for a sweet vacation. Yesterday was my first day off so we went to a new beach with some friends, and Colin got to play with his surf board that he got as an early Christmas gift. I got a boogie board which was a lot of fun too. It was so hot out I couldn't even walk barefoot on the sand. Despite multiple sunscreen applications, I burned my arms for the second time this week. I blame my cursed freckles!

After we got home from the beach we decided to head off to the grocery store for some dinner. I made Colin come with me because I was too wiped to go by myself, but he was disappointed because he was going to play in the backyard. After we parked we decided to re-park the car in a spot further ahead, but as soon as Colin turned the key we realized that our battery had bit the dust. I went inside to get the groceries while poor Colin walked around the parking lot asking people if they had jumper cables. When I came out he still hadn't found anyone with some, and we didn't know what we were going to do 'cause it was already 7pm and everything was closed. In the very moment we had given up, a car was about to park beside us, and they had jumper cables! Yay!

This morning our neighbors boosted our car for us so we could drive to get a new battery. Colin changed it in the store parking lot and now our car is good as gold. I feel so fortunate that the car waited until I didn't have to drive to work in the morning to die on me, and that it waited until we were home from the beach. It really couldn't have been better timing.

E.

Movemeber to November

With time growth occurs

In features and spirit

In time beats are made pleasant

Lets hear it

A façade of wisdom

May be gained with appearance

The pretence of distinction

Worn in brilliance

With Movember to November

Lets all remember

The duty to care for

Movember aftershock despair.

C.