hot and cold

We flew home last night.

It was humid and sticky late last night when my sister dropped us off at Darwin Airport.

It was also incredibly quiet.

As per usual for my style of doing things, we were waiting way too early. At least we were for Darwin standards.

We were the first to check in for our flight at 2130 hours *sigh* Mind you... I am quite sure my sister and her husband were only too pleased to get their home back to normal after we left as their little boys had been totally disrupted all week and were just a tad out of sorts - let alone a decent bedtime! So leaving them an hour earlier than we really needed to was most likely a blessing for them perhaps anyway.

We went through security and found our way upstairs to the departures lounge where there were plenty of vacant comfy seats. The shops were shut!

I fiddled on the internet briefly and the kids spent more money on more food for an hour. Then the shops finally opened at 2230! I bought some soft neck pillows to use on the red-eye flight to Melbourne :) I confess to being the consummate shopper and will usually find a good excuse to shop for "something" no matter where I am in the world!

Finally, we boarded our plane for Melbourne at 2335. Unfortunately for baz and I, we were right in front of the exit panels in the centre of the plane so our seats did not recline back!!! Much good our neck pillows did us then as they uncomfortably pushed our heads forward, making it hard to sleep!

When we landed in Melbourne, our son sitting in front exclaimed how "Quick" the flight had been - he had had a lovely nap on the plane thanks! No so his ragged parents who were fighting a sea of fatigue of tsunami-like proportions! At least I hadn't sat next to someone with bad breath/body odour this time though PHEW! :)

As we left the plane to face the outside air on the Tarmac - I shivered. We had left a warm and slightly sticky Darwin evening to arrive in a very cool and crisp Melbourne morning. I think it was only around 4 degrees outside when we landed!

Ballarat railway station was worse at a mere 2 degrees with that typical Ballarat frosty edge to even that temperature! Our car was made ready for us and we slowly made our way homeward.

Baz did a great job in driving all the way home really even with my pleas for us to stop and have a powernap. We did stop for tea and coffee once but my...I am so glad it wasn't me who was driving or we WOULD have had to have stopped somewhere for a nap - I could barely keep my eyes open despite the chilly air.

I have since tried to have a nap in my own bed but alas...I haven't been able to get my feet to warm up since arriving home. I did sleep a little but feel worse now than I did before I went down.

I feel quite flat and wrung out actually as if I could be coming down with a cold or such like. I sort of want to get up and move and maybe take advantage of the lovely day outside and go for a walk but I feel so zombie like and heavy I'm not sure if I'd make it back home.

I might perhaps try a truncated route and make the walk a very short one. That might do the trick in waking me up enough to get supper sorted for this evening.

Am I pleased to be home? I was when my house was quiet and empty for a little while! I love being at home when I am in my own company. The house is clean and tidy and when there are no noisy teenagers or television sets going, I revel in the freedom to just Be. That was a delightful pleasure after spending close on 24 hours a day with people this past week or two!

It's still amazing to remember though that I left family back in Darwin who are still wearing thongs and shorts in 30 degree weather and 68 percent humidity and I'm now rugged up in track pants and jumpers with the heater going coz its only 16 degrees with 34 percent humidity!

Brrr! But hey? I'd rather This cooler weather than that drippy, slimy, wet heat for long term living comfort so I won't complain too loudly :)