Day 305: LOBSY!!
Lila landed in Sydney this morning at 6:30 am. Can we just talk about this for a second? Teddy’s mom has now met up with us six times on the road:
- Peru
- South Africa + Zimbabwe
- Spain
- Denmark
- China
- Australia + New Zealand
I love doing things by the numbers, so I think by the end of this trip she’ll be up to 31 flights and 17 places she’s laid her head on the Sullivan Family Adventure.
That include twelve long-haul flights in 2019. We’ve only done four! She’s a machine. Like the Terminator — jet lag bullets bounce right off her. And she’s such a great add-on. Easygoing, curious, watches/plays with the kids, etc. It’s always been a success to have her on the road, so we’re thrilled we convinced her to come for one last hurrah in her “Year of Living Dangerously.”
I actually wasn’t here when she arrived — went to a spin class called Vicious Cycle this morning, which was only meh. I’m trying another chain on Saturday called Cycology, so we’ll see. Was still super sore from Barry’s.
When I got back we had a leisurely morning at our amazing apartment. Breakfast, puzzle, catching up, showering.
Will in new dress from Lobsy. So weird to see her in different outfit.
By 10:30 am Teddy headed off to a dermatologist appointment (rash – turned out to be dry skin, the result of over-use of hotel soap!!). Lobsy, the kids and I went to explore some of the “eastern suburbs.”
Started at Watson’s Bay, where we did the playground, beach and eventually stopped for lunch at the Watson Bay Hotel, where Teddy joined back up.
These are everywhere.
The place was packed with beautiful people on a random Wednesday lunchtime. Reminded me of LA — who are you and why aren’t you at some soul-crushing office job right now?
Lobsy was bummed because it dawned on her that, like everywhere else she’s visited us this year, Australia doesn’t do iced tea, her absolute favorite drink. But she got some nice fish and chips and a virgin bloody mary and loved it.
We grabbed ice creams cones and made our way around Camp Cove and then up toward Hornby Lighthouse.
This coastline is just glorious. Hard to believe its minutes from one of the world’s biggest city centers.
There was plenty of Instagramming happening too.
Eventually I peeled off and went to the grocery store for a few dinner items while the gang went to Lynn playground in our neighborhood.
Back at home we read, worked on the puzzle and Teddy grilled some salmon.
Before bed we watched the Elton John carpool karaoke because Lobsy had watched “Rocket Man” on the plane. It reminded me that in 2001 I saw Billy Joel and Elton in a dueling pianos concert in Nashville. I got front row seats because one of Billy Joels’ people — in a move I guess he’s known for — stopped my group randomly, saw that our seats were in the rafters, and surprised us with a swap for front row tickets. It was once-in-a-lifetime. Elton’s performing at the Garden in April, so I’m pushing to go.
Anyway, Lobsy finally went to bed at 10. Did I mention that she’d flown in from the United States that morning and never faltered once today?
MISC:
Willa made up a new joke:
Q: What’s poop’s favorite animal?
A: A TURD-le
James has adopted a funny mix of British-isms that he uses unironically. They obviously don’t come from us, but every day this year he’s heard new people talk in either Australian/South African english, or British English they learned as a second language in school, and he’s just picked it up I guess. It’s so pronounced right now and cracks us up. In the last few days he has casually called our flashlight a “torch,” the trash “rubbish” and today he said he wished he’d brought his “swimming costume.” I always do a double take to see if he’s joking and he’s 100% serious/earnest. Whaaa?
