Welcome Home, Tami!

My wife, Tami, is returning from Sydney later tonight after spending 3 weeks with our new granddaughter and family. It is quite a journey to go round trip between Madison, AL and Sydney, Australia. In all, it's about 21 hours of flying time (1-way), not including the early airport arrivals and layovers. I know she will be beat tonight when I meet her at the airport.... I was - I made the exact same return trip just one week ago.

I can image that her departure from Sydney was a teary one.... It has to be bittersweet to leave the new addition, yet want to get home and stop living out of a suitcase. It was so hard for me to leave (see previous post) - it must be even harder for a Mom to leave her daughter and new baby. There's a very special bond there... I know Tami is envious when she speaks to other first-time grandma's. They talk about holding, playing with, buying for, helping, babysitting, giving advice, and showing off their new bundle of joy. And that 's the way it should be! So, leaving behind the chance to be able to do those things.... well it had to be hard....

But, on the positive side - she gets to come home to me!! Well, at least I'm excited... not sure about her yet. I have been home alone for the past week with Cody, our black 2 year old Flat Coated Retriever. In a nut shell, he doesn't like me.... He much prefers Tami. When I arrived home from Down Under last Saturday, his first reaction & greeting was: "Oh, it's you.... where's Tami??" But, nevertheless, I have faithfully returned home from work each day at lunchtime to ensure he is fed, watered, and alive. I expect he will be thrilled tonight when "his favorite" walks through the front door!!

We also received our 1st official grandparents gift since Savannah was born. It's a beautiful picture frame with the following engraved: "When a child is born.... so is a grandparent..." It is personalized with Savannah's name and birth date. Thanks Nao!

So, as of tonight, the Australian adventure will be complete. All in all, it was a trip of a lifetime... one we will never forget! Not sure if I'll ever get the chance to return, but hopefully someday.... In the meantime, it will be good to get our Alabama lives back to normal.... it will be good to see Tami again.... Maybe I'll meet Tami at the airport with flowers, maybe candy, maybe a big "Welcome Home" sign, maybe I'll even bring Cody with me.... Nah... I think a hot shower and her own bed might be all she needs.... No worries, Mate..... Welcome Home, Tami!!

A Very Impressive Thing...

Lauren is in the final days of her pregnancy. Today is July 21st, Tuesday, and we have yet another beautiful sunny winter day in Australia. Cool enough for a sweatshirt, but warm enough to actually get a slight sun burn. I am loving the Sydney winters! LW continues to persevere through the final days with a grace and patience that is quite impressive. I can imagine myself complaining quite a bit if the roles were reversed. But, she smiles and waits....

There are many impressive things I've noticed in the 10 days that I've been here. I've seen the grand international downtown of Sydney, the passion of Hillsong Church, the mildness of an Australian winter, the comfortableness of a laid-back culture down under.... But none have been more impressive than the circle of friends that have surrounded Lauren, especially in these final days.

Tami & I have been blessed to get just a short glimpse into the support group that truly has touched the heart and life of our daughter. It has been our pleasure to meet strong and faithful young ladies such as Jennie, Bel, and Kellie. Jenny happens to be from North Alabama - close to where we live. She met her Australian husband in AL, moved to Sydney, and has been a wonderful friend to Lauren ever since. Bel is a native Australian and has been a blessing in Lauren's life since Lauren first visited several years ago. She actually flew to KY and attended L & D's wedding in December 2006. Kellie has a one year old daughter and has been a great source of encouragement, as well as advice for our soon-to-be-Mother. There are many other friends, both for L & D, but these three seem like special friends to me. Thank you girls!

Since Tami & I will be on the other side of the world, I will take comfort in knowing that this close circle of friends will be there during the good times and bad. I personally, appreciate your generosity, encouragement, and love for Lauren Windsor. I am grateful...

Would you be worried?

Our son, Jordan, has been home alone since July 10.... Do I sound worried? Would you be? Since we are still waiting on Savvy to arrive here in Australia, let me bring you in on what I know about the 21 year-old living alone in Madison, AL.

Of course before we departed via Delta, we gave Jordan several instructions regarding the dog, the flowers and plants, the security system, the sprinkler system, the mail, the vehicles, the potential visitors, the food, the money .... and a few others. He said not to worry - he would be fine.... Maybe it's not him I'm worried about..... (Did you see his name anywhere in the list of instructions?)

Now, the first night we were in Australia, Jordan sends me a text message saying the ceiling in the kitchen is leaking and there is water on the hardwood floors. Apparently there was a big storm in the area with strong blowing winds. He also took it upon himself to confirm that it was rain water, and not a puddle via the dog..... not sure how he did this, but nice work JB!

It wasn't long before he informs us that two of his buddies from Lexington, KY, were driving down to stay a few days with him. Hmmm, why didn't they ever visit while we were home??

Anyway, we actually have seen his face and his friends via Skype a couple of times. It "appears" everything is in good shape and the young man has full command of his surroundings. I think he has even cooked several of his own meals, cleaned the kitchen a few times, and done his own laundry. Wow, can't wait 'till we get home to see if this trend continues...

Maybe you expected a single, young American male, that's home alone for 2 weeks, to be doing "guy" stuff: cussing, spitting on the floor, smoking cigars, playing cards, running around half naked, foregoing sleep, watching Desperate Housewives....., OK, maybe that's too much. But honestly, I'm really not worried. Jordan is a very mature, stable, conscientious young adult. He has demonstrated many times how well he can perform in a crisis, and execute per given instructions. I'm not worried.... I'm sure everything is fine. I trust him completely!!

Besides.... I have about 5 people secretly checking in on JB.... you know, just in case something like a roof-leak occurs or a half naked 21 year-old is seen chasing a black flat-coated retriever around in our back yard.... you know, just in case. Love you Dude... See ya soon.... We'll text you when Savvy arrives!

Does "Late" Run in the Family?

Now there's a question!! Let's see, has Tami ever been late for anything? Ever? Let me answer it this way.... Do Australians use turn signals? Is hair over rated? Does Caitlin drink Starbuck's? YES! And from what I hear, it might run on Daniel's side of the family too.

We are still waiting on Savvy's arrival. She is 2 days late as of this writing. Not too bad in the big picture of life, but Lauren seems to think a bit differently. Tami, on the other hand, is rarely on time. You know how it works..... if we need to depart at 8:30, I tell her to please be ready by 8:15. That gives her an unknowing 15 minutes of "buffer" time. However, she's figured out my sneaky tactics. She expects me to build in buffer time now.... it's just a matter of how much.

Seems Miss Savannah has the same "I'll take my time" gene. Anyway, we are a patient lot, right Lauren? Lauren? ......

Today we visited a couple more baby stores... yes, a couple more! Funny how Tami is never late when it comes to baby store shopping. I think Lauren and Daniel have almost

everything they need at this point..... only missing one item......

We also ate lunch at yet another cafe-type establishment. It was very good, and very BIG! I ordered an egg salad sandwich.... I got an "egg & salad" sandwich. Check it out.

In this restaurant, it seems everything was big. (Look "behind" me)....

Tonight L & D will have dinner with some other friends that are here from Cincy, OH. Their friends are dropping off their

son to attend Hillsong College. Tami & I decided to skip the dinner and give them some time on their own. At least that's what we told them. Honestly, I just believe we really couldn't get there on time.....

Noticeable Differences

Since we are still waiting for Savvy to make her grand entrance, I thought I would write about several observations I've seen and heard in Australia that are different from the States..... here we go:

1. Vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road
2. I have to carry around a Centigrade to Fahrenheit conversion table
3. Diapers are called Nappies
4. McDonald's is called Maccas by the locals
5. Gas is called Petrol and is cheaper on Tuesdays
6. The Australians always use their turn signals
7. Stop signs are rare - "round abouts" are everywhere! Turn signals are critical here...
8. Elevators are called Lifts
9. Bathrooms are called Dunnies or Loo's
10. Signs on the Dunnies state "Gents" or "Sheilas"
11. Everyone wears a scarf during this season - men & women... not me.
12. French fries are called Chips
13. Ketchup is called Tomato Sauce
14. You must have a unique power adapter for all US made electronics
15. No one has a tan, but everyone loves the beach...
16. Bacon is sliced thick - not thin strips
17. Most shops close at 5:30 PM except on Thursdays, when they're open longer.
18. It's hard to find auto-drip coffee. Espresso is everywhere.
19. Coffee shops are everywhere also. It's mainly a cafe-type environment.
20. You almost never see a pick-up truck. Lots of Toyota cars though!! Dude!!
21. Grocery store shopping carts have 4 wheels that swivel. I was spinning mine 360 degrees in the store... you could tell I was from "out of town"....
22. Cookies are called biscuits.
23. A parking garage is called a Car Park.
24. Carry Out food is called Take Away food.
25. And, Gum is called Chewy.

Lauren continues to do well. She is upbeat, although she tires quickly. We spent the day in a quaint little town called Windsor. (ironic) We walked, shopped, ate, drank coffee, rested, took photos, and enjoyed the sunny afternoon. We can't venture too far away since she is expected to go into labor at any moment. It's funny.... when folks talk to Lauren and ask her when she is due and she tells them she was due yesterday, almost 100 % of the time you can watch them all take one step backward. I tell them, "No worries Mate, we're ready. I have a car, full of Petrol, right over there in the Car Park. We have an overnight bag full of Nappies, Biscuits, and Chewy already on board. We'll make it to the hospital in plenty of time as long as she doesn't have to stop at Maccas and use the Loo on the way". By the way, the Biscuits are for me...

Thanks for all of your comments to the blogging both here and on Tami's Facebook. Stay tuned!!

What's On The Bottom of Your Shoe?

Well I've got kangaroo poo on the bottom of mine... Yep! However, we don't have any baby poo yet. Miss Savannah is still playing hard to get. Maybe it's a preview of the youngster's future character.
Today we visited a koala and kangaroo park near where Lauren and Daniel live. It was pretty cool actually. Honestly the kangaroos were actually running around the park loose. You could simply walk up to one and pet it or feed it Cheerios (that you could purchase for 1.70 AUS Dollars). You really did have to watch where you stepped.... Lauren did great though! We continue to try and walk around with her during the day time and rest in the evenings. By the way, the koala's were cute, but frankly looked like they were on drugs. They just sleep in trees. That's it! Sleep in trees.... no movement.... no personality..... no sounds .... nada! The kangas were much cooler, even despite the roo poo!

We also visited an Outback restaurant. The US-based Bloomin' Onions are much bigger than the Aussy versions.

Today is July 15 in Sydney and it's almost over. Lauren is a bit disappointed that her daughter is playing hard to get. But Lauren is not

complaining the least bit. She is trying to keep her spirits up even though it's obvious she is ready to hold her new child. I'm quite proud and impressed with her.

It's very clear that Lauren is anxious and ready. This is a scrap piece of paper that I found after she left our hotel room. She had been doodling while she was talking to us about the previous day's events. Looks like Savannah is #1 on her mind....

I hope she delivers soon - we are all looking forward to meeting the young lady. She is a blessing from God already.

Tami painted this piece before we departed from Alabama. I'm ready to move from the kanga poo and on to the baby poo.... Hope to see our granddaughter soon!

Driving Down Under...

For the first time in my life, I am driving on the left-hand side of the road. I've ridden in vehicles that were driven by someone else, namely in Japan, but I've never been the driver - until now. Aside from the obvious fact that you are now on the opposite side of the road, there are several other key differences. Several times now, I've walked to my rental car and gone to the wrong side, only to realize the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. After looping back to the correct side, I enter into the driver's seat. This alone has proved to be difficult. It's amazing how tough it is to enter from the right side and get beneath the steering wheel, when you've done everything from the opposite side for the last 34 years.

After finally getting in, you quickly see other differences.... everything is opposite!! The rear view mirror, gear shift, mirror adjustments, hand parking brake. Only the gas and brake pedals are the same. But the most frustrating change is the turn signal and wiper blades levers. They are opposite also. I can't tell you how many times I intended to activate my turn signal, only to wipe my windshield, once again. The Australians are passionate about using their turn signals, so I've cleaned my windshield quite often. Tami snickers each and every time....

Actually, I've done quite well. Tami's job is to say 2 words every time I make a turn: "Stay Left", "Stay Left". A helpful reminder is never wasted. Honestly, only once or twice did I almost make a wrong turn.... I'm claiming that I did it on purpose. Just trying to scare Savannah into the light.... we're still waiting..... Let's hope I don't have to drive to the hospital in a hurry..... If I do, stay out of the way of the guy in a white Toyota Camry with his wipers flapping in the wind...

Shopping in Australia...ugh...

Shopping! What did I do on Day 2 in Australia? Shopping!! Sure... Tami said we were simply walking around to encourage Savannah to finally make an appearance - but I'm not buying it. Lauren and Tami were having too much fun. At least Tami was.... She loves a sale...

We went to an outside mall called Rouse Hill. It had a myriad of stores and eateries. The walking was good for Lauren.

Before that, we went to the doctor with her this morning. She is still doing well. The Dr. said it could be any time now. Wow... water breaking at any moment.... think about it.... should I put plastic down in my rental car??

What do I do if this happens?? I really don't know. It never really happened to Tami. Do I drive straight to the hospital? Do I start filling out the damage inventory form on the rental car?

How much time do I have? It's just the beginning of labor, right? I have hours and hours, right? It's been over 2 decades since I drove Tami to the hospital while she was in labor. Grandparents aren't supposed to remember these things. This is Daniel's job. But, what if it happens on my shift....? Wish me luck!

We had dinner at an Italian restaurant named Biviano's tonight with L & D. I thought the spicy food might speed matters along. We'll see. I am predicting July 17 for the birth date. Lauren isn't thrilled with my prediction, but time will tell.

By the way, Tami & Lauren didn't buy anything when we went shopping today. I guess it really was simply an attempt to help Savannah along. Maybe the 1st time that Tami has shopped and come away empty handed....

We're in Australia!

We arrived in Sydney, Australia about 24 hours ago. Since then we have collected all of our luggage, exchanged US dollars for Aussie dollars, driven on the left hand side of the road in a right hand side Camry, checked into a Crown Plaza hotel that charges $25 per day for internet access, attended a church service at Hillsong Church, had BLTs with new friends in the country-side, watched Lauren & Daniel open a suitcase full of baby clothes for the granddaughter (Savannah - not here yet), and fell asleep about 9:30 PM local time. All-in-all, a pretty full day right off the plane.

We are still waiting for Savannah to arrive. Lauren has another visit with the doctor today. We'll join her. Tami is excited to participate in the process, albeit a bit late. Lauren looks great. Maybe the prettiest pregnant lady I've seen. Her due date is either July 12 or July 15....some controversy over this. Any way, it is July

13 locally, so it could be any day. But, I am only here for 2 weeks. So, to quote the wisdom of "The Cable Guy", she needs to "get 'er done!"

We flew from LAX to SYD in a 777 plane that had new pods in business class that allow you to completely recline horizontally. It was a huge improvement over the traditional seats that I've used in the 35 trips to Japan. That enabled us to be in much better shape upon arrival at 7 AM. The weather here is much warmer than I expected. It feels like a football Friday night in the Fall. Quite pleasant during the day, while a bit chilly at night. Much nicer than the mid-90s that we've been experiencing in North AL.

I'll be posting pics of the new baby and our activities as we progress. Thanks for checking in.

"Five - Four - Three"

Today, these are 3 pretty cool numbers.... 54.3 miles on the bicycle this morning, starting at 5:30. I visited Madison, Athens, Decatur, & Moorseville in the almost 3.5 hours in the saddle. The last 9 miles, heading North, were the worst. I was pedaling straight into a strong wind. At times I dropped to single digit speeds. Of course, maybe it was simply because I was already fatigued, or maybe it was the bowl of butter pecan ice cream that I had at 9:00 last night. Nevertheless, I made it!! A new Personal Best.

It was really a beautiful ride this morning ... 67 degrees and sunny. It was beautiful to see the sun sneaking through the trees as it continued its climb. No cars, no other riders ... just me and the road in the early morning. I always enjoy the beauty of the back roads of Northern Alabama.

Speaking of beauty, we are only a few days away from boarding a jet to Sydney, Australia, to see our new grand daughter, Savannah Hope Windsor. She will be beautiful! Do I sound proud already....? We haven't seen our daughter and son-in-law in a little more than a year - except via Skype. Seeing Lauren and Daniel will also be a thrill.

It's my first trip down under - Tami's second. It will be smack in the middle of winter when we arrive. Boo!! But the warmth of a new family member will make it all worthwhile. I really can't wait to see the three of them.

Jordan will stay behind and "man the fort". Mom and Dad will be on the other side of the world....Freedom!! I can hear him chanting, and yelling now... I suspect that he'll be doing things that M & D might not ever allow.... cussing, spitting in the floor, lounging half naked on the couch watching who knows what from Netflix, etc. We'll check in using Skype to keep tabs on the place. Maybe I'll ask him to walk around with the laptop so I can see the actual state of affairs... Actually, Jordan is a very mature and capable young man.... except for the lounging part....

While in Australia, I'll probably be blogging often. I'll include plenty of pics of the new young lady. Trust me, she'll be beautiful - inside and out - just like her Mom...