The grump...

This is probably a bad time for me to be writing anything that'll be made public. We have had a long and busy day, and sometimes that can make for some grumpy people. It makes me grumpy when things don't go the way I had hoped or the way I would expect them to.  

There were a lot of really good things that happened today.  You'll read the "Russell Files" at another time, but that was the highlight for sure, for me anyway.  We were up early--6am wake up call and 645 breakfast for a 750 departure. I think that might have been what set me off on a bad start right away. Why in the name of all that is holy, and in the name of all that ISN'T holy, for that matter, would we need an hour and 5 minutes to eat breakfast?! We didn't. There was a lot of sitting around and in the end, people (aka kids) weren't ready.  My (not so) humble opinion is that there was too much lag time.  I was glad for the time, I have to admit, but some kids (the boys?!) were so sleepy at the 6am call that they went back to sleep until the 645 breakfast.  They came to breakfast a little ripe and, fortunately, were able to clean it up before we had to be in close quarters with them! 

I don't like messes, especially when people are fully able to clean up after themselves.  The breakfast area was left in a semi state of disaster.  Some of these kids, as dear as they are (and, honestly, they are all pretty cool, I might add), are either completely clueless as to how dishes get delivered to their places clean, food arrives ready to be eaten, things are cleaned up...they might just be teenagers forgetting their manners, but it seems a little more of a habit than one of those issues. I also don't like what that implies about my country, my people or my kids. I don't like reminding them to clean up. The same situation happens upon check out at previous hotels, so I've become the clean up reminder, of sorts. Need I really tell you to put garbage in the garbage cans and not just leave it on the floor for the janitorial staff to handle?! Apparently, I do. Grrr!! Really?! 

We were heading to the harbor today to have a sailing lesson.   Because of the school holiday traffic was light and because of THAT, we arrived at the marina a little early.  We have been instructed by our Australian travel manager, Carrin, to walk single file from the bus to each destination. Ok. I suppose that I understand the idea.  We are in a very busy city.  It is pretty fast paced, as Sarah, our New Zealand travel manager said as well, and people are in the "hurry up and xyz" mode, which I understand, greatly.  However, that edict has not been easily swallowed for our lovelies, and quite honestly, for a few of the adults as well.   It's been difficult for Carrin to get the gang on board and difficult for the grownups to buy into as well.  I do understand the idea.  If we are all standing in a huddle in the middle of the pathway or the hallway or whatever, we will either make people angry or they will just run us over.  

We went to the marina, and because we were a little early, as I said, we walked a little on the path, a scraggly line of single-ish file obvious tourists following our leader who is waving a green fly swatter over her head, shouting "Single file! Follow me!" Please, someone get me off of this crazy train...(movie line...anyone??) 

You know me. You know how I love to do nerdy stuff and learn about other cultures and participate in other cultures. You probably also know that I like to try to blend in as much as iy is possible for a 6 foot blonde to do while traveling to foreign lands. The construction worker-orange lanyards with name tags dangling are bad enough. Now I've got a fly swatter wielding drill Sargent leading me around by said lanyard?!

I started my day out with a "flat white" which is both New Zealand and Australia's answer to a latte. That should have given me the leg up, that extra bit of patience that would be needed for the day of touristing.  See?! I tried to start it out right:)

We were "allowed" 10 minutes, no more no less (same movie...I need to get a life!!), to hang out in the park by the harbor and to take pictures. We were warned to stay single-file so as to stay out of people's way. It was about 830 and joggers, walkers and strollers were out for their morning constitution (actually I don't know what that means, but I think I've heard it somewhere to mean "the morning movements that get "things" moving". Regardless, it makes me giggle.). The time seemed to fly by...or people didn't want or need to take pictures of that angle of the harbor.  There we were, orange lanyard firmly around our necks and in single-file formation...waiting...standing on the path...waiting. Finally, I spoke up (no comments, smarty pantses!!) and said, "...and so? Maybe we could move on?" I just can't stand the tourist look.

We had a good day after that, but I'll write about the good stuff later. I'm still in vent mode.

We were ferried from place to place, all the while being led around by the Sargent and her fly swatter. We took a tour of the Sydney opera house, which I can talk about when I'm in a better space.  We went to lunch at a mall.  Yet another situation where we were obviously tourists.  We were instructed to walk single file through the mall to the one area where we are allowed to gather as a group.  Apparently there are restrictions as to where a person can park and drop off, as well as where people can gather for whatever. We waited in our little group (of 20 ish) in front of the information booth while Carrin acquired our lunch vouchers.  We were given a "coupon" (right up my alley, right?!) for a number of restaurants in the food court area. At this time we were allowed to leave the designated gathering area.  We were instructed to gather back at EXACTLY 225, but only in the designated gathering area (for the love!!!) to be taken single file back to the bus, which was, of course, waiting in the designated bus waiting area.

We went to a bike tour, which was really cool, but again, in our group of 20+ riding bikes throughout the busy streets and on the harbor walkway...we drew attention.  The worst thing I've heard so far, which isn't all that bad for normal people is "oh look...tourists!" Ugh! I'm not sure if it was the lanyards or the matching pink glittery bike helmets that gave us away.

To finish up our night, we walked, single file even stopping once to get our little ducks in a row, to a nice, harbor side restaurant for a dinner of kangaroo. 

When we got back to the hotel, my roommate, Debi, a nice lady from Texas who is a principal traveling with 4 11-year olds (obviously, her sanity is in question...) asked me what was wrong. I seemed sad to her. Not sad...done. 

I have never felt like this on a trip.  We are half-way through and if our flight today was back to LAX instead of to the Sunshine Coast, I'd honestly be ok with it.  My kid is not having fun anymore.  I am not having fun anymore.   Not even our time in Nicaragua with Shannon put me in this space.  Maybe it was because I had her to commiserate with.  We are tired from running from place to place, in single-file, on such a time crunch, all the time.  I said to Emma last night, trying to find one shred of positivity inside of me, "Well, fortunately no one has blown up at anyone or anything." Her reply was, "Well, someone is about to!" It's hard to put up with other people's idiosyncrasies when we are all (and I'm going out on a limb--sarcasm--to say that most of us are at this point) on our last nerves. 

I went to bed last night saying, "Tomorrow is a new day!" Hoping that the 430am wake up call, bus and plane rides would not cause too much upset.  We got to the airport with a little time for me to get a cup of coffee, or as they say here a "cuppa" (????!!).  I got in the designated line (CLEARLY marked with a sign that said, "line up here for coffee"...shocking, right?!). When I had ordered coffee in another shop (oh, wait that was New Zealand...), I started to order like I normally do.  "Could I have a grande latte at 145...oh, wait..." And the guy said, "we know fahrenheit." Stupidly, I asked for the same this morning, completely forgetting that I'm not in Kansas anymore, Toto. The lady looked at me as if I had asked her to cut off her arm and stir my coffee with it for me. I apologized and said, "oh, sorry...someone else told me I could order like that..." I trailed off, as she leaned over to the one making the coffee to tell her that I was being difficult.  I apologized again and the barista said, "So, what is it you want?"  Me, "I'd just like the coffee a little less hot than normal...so I can drink it..." Again, a look like I had asked for her first born.  "Never mind...just do it like you normally do." 

So, there I sat...with my coffee too hot to drink.  Waiting.  I think you can guess where this is going.  Time to get on the airplane and guess what? "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't take hot drinks onto the airplane." I don't need much, maybe contrary to other opinion.  BUT, I value greatly, intensely, my coffee...especially when I having difficulty keeping it together.  That was it.  I handed it to her and walked down the hallway to board my plane to the Sunshine Coast with tears streaming down my face.  

I'm looking forward to a good day...in a good zone (between a 4 and a 7)...with coffee...that I can drink...undisturbed...so I can be a normal human being again.