Day Nine: Darlington

A nice, lazy day in Darlington, the suburb of Perth where David's parents live.

Right now it's after dinner, and everyone else is gathered around the fire chatting before Jarrah goes to bed. Yes, it's cold here, Readers! Our coldest destination yet.

Because of the time change, the three of us were up earlier than we would have liked, but Jarrah was happy to play on her own in the library, where she has a cozy bed and all manner of exciting toys--stuffed and otherwise--supplied by her thoughtful grandparents.

After breakfast, we did blessed little for several hours, and finally hatched a plan to go see Cars 2 in Midland. Now, Midland is neither Perth proper nor the village where David grew up, and may I say, I'm glad. From what I've seen of it, it's mostly chain stores and fast food, like a smaller version of Mission Valley, for you San Diegans. Nothing very lovely about it, but useful and convenient in its way. We saw the movie at the Midland Gate mall, and had the theater almost to ourselves. That was fun, though I did nap inadvertently for a smidge. After, we strolled the mall and I took a bunch of photos for a pictorial I'm calling "The Shops of Midland Gate." Do you think I have a future as an art photographer? Don't be shy now, Readers. We enjoyed a flat white and baked goods in the food court, and I picked up a few necessaries at Target, where I had the fascinating experience of being asked by the checker: "And do you have flyabya?" "I'm sorry...flyabya? What is it?" "Flyabya." "Can you spell it?" "No." "What's it like?" "Flyabya." Later, I learned it's some sort of coupon system where if you spend a hundred thousand dollars (!!!) on your shopping, you get something or other. Hmm. I definitely don't have it. Later, I tried to buy some Advil at the pharmacy and discovered it was behind the counter. I asked the pharmacist, and she said "Do you have a heart condition?" "No." "Liver trouble?" "No." "Currently nursing?" "No." I felt like I was trying to buy heroin. But it's all part of the cultural experience, right? Probably my Advil usage should be rightfully looked into.

My MIL, Joan, made a beautiful roast dinner with peas and potatoes, which we just finished yumming up. It was really nice to have a day just for catching up and hanging out. Hooray for Midland!