Wednesday, January 30, 2013

We're Rollin'


As you can see, Keller and I have decided to do Melbourne by bike. The city is incredibly cycle friendly, with close to 100 miles of bike paths and countless detailed, pre-planned routes designed to suite whatever adventure a rider might be seeking. The two routes at the top of my list are the “Market to Market” and “Feed Me” tours. I hear there are great markets in Melbourne, particularly on Sundays. And while the “Feed Me” tour is a little counterproductive to my goal of leaving all baby weight on this continent, I have rationalized that the pedaling will offset the calories.

In terms of everyday life, we are definitely getting settled into our new routine. I wake up early every morning and work for a couple hours. Keller wakes around 7:30, we play for a bit and then take a walk through the park and over to get a coffee. By the time we get back, it’s close to 9:00 and Keller is primed for his morning nap (often already asleep in the stroller – or should I say “pram”). I take advantage of the time and plug a couple more hours into work. From 11-ish until 3-ish, we play. Keller takes another nap. I clean/work. We head out for a little more exploring and pick up a takeout or meet Mike for dinner. Then it’s off to bed for K and back to work for me. While the days are long, I fully recognize I am living the good life and I am incredibly grateful to my firm for giving me the flexibility to work remotely and for everyone back in NC who is helping to make sure things run smoothly while we are away.

We are looking forward to doing something touristy this weekend. Perhaps the beach, some wineries, or maybe even Sydney. A lot will depend on Mike’s work schedule. So far it sounds like the project is going well, but much like life in America, he is working 24-7.

A few things I have learned/experienced:
  • Melbourne has very sophisticated service systems for things like cabs and food delivery. You can order a cab through an app on your phone. You receive a text as soon as a car is assigned to you, at which point you can watch (through a gps system) exactly where the cab is in terms of arriving at your location. 
  • The Australian currency is so beautiful you almost hate to spend it. 
  • I’m getting used to walking (and now biking) on the left side of the road, however, crossing the street still scares me to death. I never realized how ingrained in your psyche it is to look left then right. If you do that here and take even the tiniest step out into the intersection you are likely to get smooshed!
  • Still not comfortable with military time or measuring distance in kilometers.
  • I bought a bottle of Tasmanian Cabernet yesterday. First wine I’ve ever had (or seen) from the island-state and I must say, it's rather tasty. 

And a quick Keller update:
  • Purchased him his first pair of “kind-of” shoes. Mike would kill me if he knew how much I paid for the tiny things, but they are absolutely adorable and (besides) my mother in law thought it would help him scoot around in his walker more efficiently. Mike should be all about exercise and efficiency!
  • For the most part, he is back on a regular sleep schedule (thank goodness)! Getting him down at night has been a little challenging primarily because it’s still daylight here, and while the room has blinds, it does not have curtains to pull like we have at home. I think he gets a little confused by the sunlight beaming in and so he cries for a good 20 minutes. Our neighbors (with whom we share a wall) probably think we are abusive!
  • He’s still not crawling but has mastered what I have termed the “wounded warrior.” (Apologies for the political incorrectness.) If you set something several feet out in front of him, he will inch/drag his body, grunts and all, along the floor until he reaches the prize. It's pretty darn cute if you ask me.