today begins my first two days of a true vacation weekend. simon works two 24 hour shifts for his second job, and i have his house to my use (sharing with the otherh 3 housemates but my schedule is my own). mind you, i'm not trying to get rid of simon, there's just freedom when you are on your own. i think most of you, if not all, can relate to that! i cooked myself a vacation breakfast- a huge meal of scrambled eggs w/ veggies, bacon, fried tomatoes, and baked beans. yummy! i did a load of simons laundry and put it on the line before heading to the beach.

on my way home i stopped at the supermarket; woolworths. this is one of the main grocery stores here other than IGA and cole's. the place was unbelievably packed; you couldnt even get to teh produce section without pushing your way through the checkout lines. it was an unpleasant experience for a country girl who doesnt care for grocery shopping in the first place. it reminded me of the inconvenience in japan. we take for granted the ability to drive to the supermarket, load up our car with provisions, and then drive practically door-side to our destination. imagine having to balance on a bike or white-knuckle several heavy bags while on foot. as i stuffed my backpack i noticed all the city dwellers managing their purchases onto the train, noticebaly losing circulation in their hands.