That Time of the Month

Oh happy joy joy!  We haven’t seen THIS in a while!!!!!

Empty calendar syndrome

The first couple of weeks I’ve played it pretty loosey goosey, but now – whether it’s my New Yorkerness or Virgoness or what have you – by nature I’m a planner and organizer, and I’m starting to get itchy not having anything on my calendar.  I’ve managed to fill the kids’ days for the past two weeks, but I just can’t wing it for the next two and a half months.  So I’ve launched into a familiar routine – researching, plotting, organizing, scheduling, it’s something I’ve done since I was growing my first fetus and had to start getting it on competitive baby-class wait lists (ok, that part is my adopted New Yorkerness).  It would be nice to give the kids a little structure in their lives, and frankly, in mine, too.

Adventures in feminine hygiene

This may be TMI for some, but I’ll just say it:  After I’d been here for about two weeks, I got my period.  Not a big deal, except that my supplies were being held hostage in my shipped boxes yet to arrive, so I had to go to the pharmacy.  It offered an odd glimpse into the habits of Australians.  I can’t be sure, but it appears that most of the women don’t use tampons.  They had a long row with four shelves of padded materials in all shapes, sizes and fragrances.  You had your napkins, your pads, your liners – with enticing names such as Poise Liners, Whisper Wings, and my favorite, the “Lady Pads” – even men had options, two options – Level 1 and Level 2 (feeling kind of sorry for the man who requires Male Pads Level 2).  But where were the tampons?  How did the Australians horseback ride, kayak, and run through fields of wild flowers like we did in the States??  Finally, I spotted them across the aisle, tucked in their own teeny tiny section were Tampax, the one and only choice.  Luckily they were my brand, but I had to pay up because they only came in boxes of 10, the travel size.  Apparently they were just for the tourists like me…