Free Wifi

I wasn't sure how to get started this morning but knew I had to: I talked to Mom Mom last week while she was staying at my parents' house for a few days and she encouraged me to blog again... so I knew I needed to blog again. I'm still at Sandra and David's house, my co-workers, but they don't have wifi! They just have big data plans on their cell phones and use that connection to power their various internet wanderings. I, too, have a large data plan (data is SO MUCH CHEAPER in Australia than in the US), but I'm also cheap and would prefer to use free data over not free data. So I find myself sitting back at the Ningaloo Visitor's Center, tapping away this post.

It's another beautiful day in paradise (but actually - 75 degrees, not a cloud in sight, cool breeze) and my bike ride to the Visitor's Center with a mug of tea in hand went surprisingly well. It's only been a bit over a week of using my bike every day to get around town, but my single-hand riding skills are definitely not apparent yet. I spilled tea the whole way here. But I made it! And MOST of the tea is still inside its vessel! So I'm chalking it up as a win.

Things in town are getting busy, so work is getting busy. I'm on duty at the Potshot for 6 days, 5 of which are split shifts - so I work both lunch and dinner shift with a 2-3 hour break in between, depending on how busy things are. I got a text from the Dive shop earlier in the week wanting to know if I can go out on the whaleshark boat EVERY DAY next week, so sounds like they're busying up, too. I told that boss that I'm happy to help out when the bar work schedule allows for it, so as of now I'm scheduled to have off from both jobs tomorrow (July 4th) and then work both jobs on Sunday. I did that last Sunday and it went shockingly well. Start at the dive shop is 6:45am, I finished up around 3:40pm, raced home on my bike (no tea in hand that day) for a shower and a change of clothes, and was at the bar for a 4pm start. It was hectic, and a long day - I stayed at the bar til close that night - but pretty amazing to spend the day helping people to swim with the largest fish in the sea and then head straight into work flirting with old men at the bar. Ideal.

I think I mentioned that Sandra and David have dogs, but I'm not sure I mentioned what snuggly little cuddle bugs they are or showed you photos:

Mako

Tia

Maddy

All of my clothes are slowly getting dog hair infested because all three love to climb up in your lap at the end of the day. Especially because the evenings get a bit chilly (desert climate even though we're smack up next to the sea), it's so nice to have a little space heater half flopped on your lap while you're reading a book. So I'm happily taking the dog hair in exchange for warm snuggles. On my days off (or mornings off when I'm not on split shifts) I've taken up residence in a hammock on the porch at the house. David mentioned the other day that it's creepy to suddenly discover that I'm in the hammock, and have been in the hammock, as he's going about his day around the house, but he hasn't noticed because I haven't moved in several hours and only my feet, sticking out the end, are visible. Hiding in plain sight. There's a cute little pigeon that visits the bird feeder in the yard who walks across the roof before landing to make sure the dogs aren't nearby. So he flops on the porch roof (corrugated iron) and struts himself over to the edge (making quite a clamor) and then pokes his head down to see who's nearby. The hammock is right under his landing spot, so it's lots of fun cooing at him when he pops his little face out.

I'm hungry and have to get to work in an hour so I'll leave you with some photos I took at the Pool Bar last night during my dinner shift: