Monday, August 17, 2009

I am alive - OK!

Thanks for the concerned notes and emails I’ve received about my wellbeing. I haven’t been trampled by angry camels or kidnapped by rampaging macropods. I was gone for two weeks and incredibly busy leading up to and following the trip.

As previously reported, I’m now working “part-time”and my employeer is in the process of opening a second office in Adelaide, South Australia. Since I haven’t been able to keep my mouth shout my boss has discovered that I am a multi-talented, highly organized woman that knows how to get a job accomplished, I was asked if I would like to go with her to Adelaide for two weeks to set up the new office. Given my propensity for shopping and love of Adelaide, I jumped at the chance.

We flew down on the 27th and worked like wild women. We had to purchase and arrange everything for a new office that would house seven people. Here are a few of the highlights:

Telstra (Australia’s original phone company and the only supplier of “land line” phone service) doesn’t give a …..DARN about customer service. They can be two days late to hook up your phones and have no fear you’re going to change companies.

It’s fun to go into Office World and fill up two trolleys with over $4000 worth of basic office supplies. The only bummer is when you go to check out and you realize that South Australia has banned plastic shopping bags. After a few moments a panic when the images of a trunk full of pencils, pens, staplers, scissors, highlighters and manila folders danced before our eyes, I said “ooow oow oow, good thing we bought waste baskets”. We put all the little stuff in the 7 waste baskets. I guess that’s why she brought me along.

A container of lowfat soup for lunch each day will reserve enough points for a trip to Chocolat after dinner each night.

A drive through espresso shop three blocks from the new office.

Australia doesn’t have a Home Depot but they do have an equivalent named Bunnings with stores in Adelaide. Man – I love that smell! I even thanked my co-worker when, in my excitement about a trip to Bunnings, she said “You’re not a bad bloke for a Sheila.”

The suburb of Norwood was originally populated by Italian immigrants. It’s still the home to some GREAT Italian restaurants and those amazing little Italian delis.

The McLaren Vale wine region is only 45 minutes from the central business district.

Our trip to Adelaide included a weekend stay which made the previous point VERY convenient.

2 comments:

CindyDianne said...

Glad you are alive and had fun shopping!

Laura McKenzie said...

Hey Paula, No concerned notes from me (if I did write), because I know you're always on an adventure! I like that about you ... and that we both are "multi-talented, highly organized women that know how to get a job accomplished." Must run in the family, or at least the two of us got that! Going to try your "lo fat soup for lunch in exchange for chocolate" diet. Take care, Laura