Lists

While on our trip in Australia, I made some lists. What? You thought just because I was on vacation, I would stop making lists? Never!

The first list began after we ordered lunch at a Subway in the Sydney airport. I asked for spicy mustard. The girl making my sandwich looked at me like I was speaking Chinese. So, I tried again. "O.K. , just regular mustard," I said. Again-blank stare. "We only have honey mustard," she said. "O.K. skip the mustard and just give me oil and vinegar." "We only have honey mustard," she repeated. And so began our list of "Things We Miss."

Things We Miss

1. Mustard

2. Rootbeer 

3. Free refills

4. Fountain Drinks-with lots of ice

5. Fry sauce-or at the very least-ketchup (none of this paying an extra .10 cents for a drop of "sauce."

6. Pepperoni-not salami

7. Mexican food

8. Real grass and green lawns

9. Fahrenheit/miles

10. Smaller spiders

To counter that, of course, we created the "Things We Love" list.

Things We Love

1. The Muttons/Belinda

2. Lisa-Jayne's potato salad

3. Dale's stories

4. Red Rock Chips-especially the Soy Chicken and Spicy Chili

5. The birds

6. Colorful money

7. Pancakes always served with ice cream

8. Koalas

9. Sis. Mutton's beautiful yard

10. Cool city and road names like Beerburrum, Coolangatta, Noojooloo Road, and Mooloolaba

11. The ocean 

During our layover in the airport, I noticed that the background music was a mix of 80's music.

Interesting,  I thought. I wonder who was in charge of the music today. Then...rental car music stations-80's music. Food court at the mall-80's music. Before the movie started in the theatres-you guessed it-80's music. So began the next list: Things THEY love. THEY being the Aussies. And 'loving' in this case relates solely to the sheer volume of usage we observed.

Things They Love

1. 80's music

2. Donuts

3. Pies, pasties, sausage rolls 

4. Thai food

5. Cricket! 

6. McDonald's/McCafe (serves coffee drinks and-what do you know-pastries!

7. Beer. Lots of beer

8. Freeway speed cameras (Will the rental car agency send us the ticket?)

9. Pokies (I still don't know what this is-slot machines?Poker tables?)

10. Cordial (the liquid version of Kool-aid)

And finally, on our first outing to the beach with the Muttons, little Jordan told Gabe to go get his bathers on. Gabe looked panicked. He had only brought a swimsuit. For the rest of our trip, he thoroughly enjoyed using the word bathers (with a grin and a snicker) every chance he got.

Hence, our last list: Things They Say

Things They Say

1. Heaps/Loads=Lots

2. How you going?=How's it going?

3. Bathers=swimsuit

4. Trolley=cart-as in shopping cart

5. lollies=candy

6. Kindy=kindergarten

7. Thongs=flip-flops

8. Chips=fries

9. Hire=rent

10. Carpark=parking lot

11. Mobile=cell phone

12. Petrol=gas

13. No worries

14. Full on=as in "that little stinker of a boy is full on."

15. Mates=friends

16. Blokes=guys

17. fizzy=soda

18. Rubbish Bin=garbage can

19. Ta=thanks

20. Good on you=good for you!