Gas, Petrol, and Vegemite

As far as winters go, it is not viciously cold here. The highs are usually around 50-54 degrees (10-13C). The deception is that you expect to just be cold OUTSIDE, not inside. I keep my house at 72 degrees (about 22C). When the Aussies come in they immediately say, "Oh! It's warm in here!" I mean, some people might keep their thermostats cooler, say 68, but I found it interesting that they immediately recognize there is a warmth here that is unexpected for them. I got nervous that I was going to have an astronomical heat bill so I tried turning the heat down to where the locals keep it, which is between 61-64 (16-18C). Freezing. And if you refer back to the top you'll notice it isn't much different than outdoor temps.

Uh, I decided that I can't sit huddled on the couch in a coat and blanket. I have things to do, and sitting motionless like a cold-blooded reptile is not what I came here to do. So I guess my first splurge in Australia is indoor heat. Sheesh. I have turned the heat down a bit and bought a hooded sweatshirt with a pocket. I think I'll be wearing it for 6 weeks straight. Not sure what to do about church. I brought one pair of gray flats, and the rest were lightweight sandals that I could wear with all the pretty floral short sleeve dresses I brought. All of that was meant to be versatile and lightweight since we were traveling light. But I wear the one cardigan I have with a long sleeve t-shirt under it and wrap my coat around my legs. No sandals. I look very drab.

Cold weather + no school = Christmas to the kids. They just hit some weird time warp going straight from summer to winter and starting breaking out into Christmas tunes. Whatever makes them happy.

Speaking of gas, I had to fill up the van the other day. It was the kind where you pull up to the octane selection you want, pump your gas, and then walk inside to pay. They do have some stations with the pay-at-the-pump option but it seems to be about an equal mix. The price is in liters, and it isn't called gas, it's called petrol.

And while we are talking about things with fumes, I will leave you with a video of the kids trying vegemite. Did they like it? They heard how to do it right from Hugh Jackman so they felt confident enough to try it. Karly gained enough confidence to seek out this candy bar for Allen's birthday. It tasted like salted caramel.