CaliforniaGirlinOz (now just California Girl)

We are ensconced again at our condo in Bowral, NSW...just in time for winter to arrive.  In a real-life irony, I've barely been out of the condo since we arrived home, because it's been mostly rainy, windy and quite cold.  Just one of Mother Nature's little pranks, I guess. So, I've finally gotten back to knitting the blue cowl I thought I'd finish during the quarantine in Sydney, and I'm making good progress. I like this design because you pull it over your head like any cowl, but it hangs down in front like a triangular scarf.  Hard to leave it somewhere, when it's attached to your body... This is the red one I wore on the plane flying home.  It worked very well to keep my neck warm, and to pull up over my face when I was ready to sleep. Before we left California I had ordered yarn to make Andrea Mowry's The Weekender pullover while we were in quarantine, but the yarn didn't arrive in time.  The Covid-19 situation just has impacted...

Up at dawn's crack, really ready to hit the road.  We had to do a thorough check of every nook and cranny, because once we go out that door and it closes, A) we can't get back in without a key, and B) we're not ALLOWED back in because they will come in to clean and sanitize, and anything we've left will be destroyed.  You can bet we were VERY careful. Finally, all scrubbed up, packed and ready to say goodbye to our little 14-day haven...My arms aren't long enough for a really good selfie. We headed down the hall to the elevators, where two hall guards radioed down to be sure the Kings were cleared to leave.  Getting an affirmative answer, they summoned the elevator and down we went.  On Level One we were greeted by a cheery NSW Policeman who directed us to the check-out tables where six Police employees took our names, double-checked against the roster to be sure we were okayed to leave.  They apologized that we had to be in isolation for two weeks and ...

The momentous last day of quarantine...at last!  We knew we'd have a visit from the Medical Team and a NSW Police delegation for a Final Screening and to issue our Covid-19 Quarentine Order for successfully completing our 14 days of isolation, and to notify them of our planned time of departure and method of getting home.  We had to wait till after breakfast before the thrilling knock on the door came, and there was a team of six - 3 doctors/nurses, 3 police, all smiling and jovial.  The doctors and nurses did their thing, duly witnessed by the police, so they could attest that we'd had our final screening. They took our temperatures, asked again about any symptoms, then put on our green wristbands that will allow us to leave in the morning, and our certificates confirming our status.  Woo-hoo!  At 12:01 AM tomorrow, we can flee the scene and get out of Dodge!  We inquired about how many have been quarantined here and how many were positive, and they said...

A beautiful morning in Sydney this morning... We were very interested to see the promised concert on the terrace this evening, but we still had a full day of eating ahead of us before that.  A real shock to the system when we saw breakfast...Cocoa Puffs?!!  Uh, no.  Those hit the rubbish quick smart, and we shared the Rice Bubbles, aka Rice Krispies, for the Yanks.  All the usual suspects were in the bag, and we did not hold back.   Then on to our favorite spots to peruse the news of the day, check email, browse the 'Net, as you do. A knock at the door before lunch had us a bit puzzled.  Checking the door, we found a mystery bag awaiting us.  Remember that thank you note I sent to the hotel a day or two ago?  I think they decided to thank us for our thank you!  We thought about adding the gift bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to lunch, but reconsidered.  It would have been a nice accompaniment to that Spaghetti Carbon...

Time grows short for this quarantine journal...today is Monday, May 18, as I write about our action-packed day yesterday...and if you believe that, I have a nice bridge I'd like to sell you.  What's that?  Getting a bit snarky, you say?  "%*&@ #+(,!", I reply.  Hah!  There's just today and tomorrow to report on, and Wednesday we're outta here. Breakfast arrived, and we felt our day had begun.  Have to admit, I am going to miss those flaky little croissants each morning. There was a welcome announcement in the bag with our breakfast goodies - on Monday night (tonight) we will have a nice live concert in the terrace below our window, featuring three opera singers.  This is a very nice touch, and I'm sure we will all appreciate the entertainment.  I think they've provided the Instagram live feed, as well, since so many of us won't be able to open our windows to enjoy the sound.  A very nice touch, I think. During our daily c...

IN WHICH: our intrepid heroine and hero begin the day with their usual chipper attitude, then encounter a rocky spot on the trail, then settle into an unaccustomed subdued, introspective patch. Up early, showered and dressed in my prison garb, ready for my Weet-Bix, juice and flaky croissants...another day in Quarantineland. If you've never tried Weet-Bix, I recommend giving them a miss...they turn into a gloopy mess as soon as the milk hits them!  Those pears look good, but will need a day or two to ripen.  A treat to look forward to.  Couldn't resist the morning pastries, though. I had been planning to draft emails to the Prime Minister's Office and to the Hotel Manager, expressing our appreciation for how well-thought-out and well-executed the quarantine process has been, so that was task one for this morning.  Got those posted or sent, feeling very pleased with myself for handling that little chore early. We knew we were up for another swab today,...

After the drama of Day 8, Day 9 was pretty much a piece of cake.   We did need to await our results from the swabbing the day before, but had every confidence all was well, and that proved to be the case...no virus. The day started, as is now usual, with our simple Continental Breakfast...are you impressed that we've stuck to our guns and are avoiding the eggs and bacon routine?  As you see, we are making some progress through that lovely chunk of Ash Brie: Monday's menu was also included for our selection: A special treat of the day was a nice 90 minute Zoom visit with cousin Joe, and Marc, in California...so great to catch up with them!  Not really fair, though, because Joe was toasting us with his wine (or maybe something stronger?) while it was 11AM for us here in Sydney!  Too early to party hearty. Lunch was a real treat...I'm telling you, those smoked chicken sambos with a ton of rocket and other goodies hiding inside, were just great. ...

Hmmmm.  Day 8 of this quarantine didn't start out quite as expected.  We awoke early, had our (instant) coffee, but it seemed we were a little quiet...not the usual chatting. Eventually, things got rolling: Ross:  I hate to say it, but I think my throat is a little scratchy this morning. (Pregnant pause, meaningful spousal glance) Dianne:  I've been feeling the same... Ross:  And I've got a little sniffle, too, and feel a bit tired.  Wonder if I'm catching a cold. (Pause again, another meaningful glance) Dianne:  Yeah, probably a little cold. (Pause) Both:  Bugger! Being the responsible, law-abiding folk we are, our next action was a call to the Nurse's Station to report our symptoms.  Ross emphasized that these were slight symptoms, and that we'd had similar symptoms occasionally, since the wildfires in New South Wales in November, but felt we should report them, all the same. The nurse said, "Yes, probably just a cold,...