Traffic...

The Australian's seem to be pretty keen on traffic lights. Today on my drive from the flat in Neutral Bay to the school in Dee Why I counted them, and I have to go through 32 sets. It's no wonder I approach the journeys each day with some dread. Naturally they are mainly red when I approach them. I suppose, to be fair, the drive I am doing twice a day could be compared, in distance and importance as a route through a major city, to say....driving all the way round the North Circular twice a day, which no one in their right mind would do. The traffic is nothing like as heavy as it would be in London, although people here like to complain about it.

Another issue I have to deal with whilst driving is the constantly changing speed limit. Sometimes it's 50 kph, then 60kph, very occasionally 80 kph, and then just to make it really really testing, between 8am and 9.30am and 2.30pm and 4pm all areas around schools have a speed limit of 40mph. From a public safety point of view this is, of course, a good thing. But 40kph is really very slow. And I have to remember both where the school zones are, and be aware of what time it is. Given that there are cameras at traffic lights to catch you going through on red, and all these funny speed limits, there is the possibility that one could lose one's driving licence just on one school run!

Today after school we have been to the mall and bought George and Anna mobile phones. Naturally they are beside themselves with joy and I have been pronounced the Best Mother in The World (which of course I am). We've bought them because very soon they will be travelling to and from school on the bus, and in my new state of heightened anxiety about them, I can't bear that I can't contact them or them contact me if there is any sort of problem. Also with the children at the school coming from such a wide area, and me not really knowing all the parents, I don't like to think that they are completely remote from me when they are at other people's houses. They have been told that if they abuse the privilege, bad things will happen.

Speaking of school - the children are being taught American spelling. Aaarrrrggghhhhh.....

We've just been playing a silly game of 'what's your favourite....?' over supper. I have discovered that Andrew's least favourite colour is brown. I am shocked and distraught. At our house in Hordle, our sitting room sofas were brown. Our bedroom was blue and brown. We had a great big feature wall that was brown. Our dining room was two shades of brown. I have loads of brown clothes. I have brown eyes. He says that his favourite colour is pink. So after 17 years together I have just discovered that my husband doesn't like brown and is gay. I'm not playing that game again....