Then and Now

   This is what we normally do in June and July - swim team, swim team, swim team.  With practice every day, sometimes twice a day when Sam was really motivated, and one or more long, hot meets, it's easy to say that summer has meant swim team for the past four years.

 

 

   This year it's winter and we are following and cheering for the Cyclones from way Down Under.  It's definitely something we're all missing.   Special thanks to the MacKinnons for hooking the kids up with this year's team t-shirts!!  They are thrilled to be part of the team, however far removed.

Other stuff of interest this week:

• This weekend we all participated in the Mini Mos races.  The kids' school puts on a fundraising road race and accompanying fair each year.  The 10K, 5K, and 2K races attracts thousands of runners who make tracks through Mosman's hilly streets.  Sam ran the 2K and Mia and I teamed up for a parent/child team in the 5K.  Chris is trying to stay off his injured (probable meniscal tear) knee so he marshalled instead of running.  Yes, he hates that.



Sam heads to the start line.



• According to a recent survey by ECA International, Australia now has 6 of the top 30 most expensive cities to send workers to.  Two years ago, there were no Australian cities on the list.  Sydney is the most expensive of the Australian  cities and comes in at 16th in the world.  That's above New York, Paris, London, or Hong Kong.  Whew.  We knew this place was nuts!  The top five cities were either Japanese or Norwegian.  The newspaper also had an article explaining that retail employees working after 6pm get paid about 3 times the equivalent role in the U.S. and that some overtime payments for retail workers are mandated by law at $43/hr.  No wonder stores don't stay open late!

• The ash from an erupting volcano in Chile has been blowing this way and closed airports last week.  Chris left for Melbourne again just as the ash is predicted to cause multiple airport closures.  Hope he gets back sometime soon!