Here we go again

I am pleased to report that Cate finally has her driving license.

This – as usual – was harder than we expected it to be because of the many hoops we had to jump through to meet the bureaucratic requirements of the Bureau of Motor vehicles.

The BMV is harder to negotiate than Indiana Power and Light – a scarifying experience that I will not easily forget.

We learn as we go along. There are the written rules and the other rules which may depend upon the disposition of the person to whom you are talking – or even on the weather. It is hard to know.

But here everything is easier than in Austria because here I do not have to speak German - which is such a delight I can hardly contain myself – and start conversations with strangers in the supermarket just for the sheer delight of so doing.

Yesterday I had a long conversation in Marsh with a woman who was advising me which product was best for cleaning sinks and benches. She saw me staring intently at the shelves – and – picking me as in need of help – offered to assist.

I told her the type of stuff I used in Austria and she was able to point me in the right direction – indeed there was a fabulous collection – once you know what you are looking for.

Of course she asked me where I came from and the discussion turned to kangaroos. She had recently seen a show on TV and was able to tell me that most Australians have never seen a kangaroo in the wild.

I suppose that could be true – although you don’t have to go far out of a major city to see kangaroos – or wallabies. I did not attempt explain the difference between a kangaroo and a wallaby.

She was interested to know if we ate kangaroos. I assured her that we did – but that there were many still uneaten and they were not endangered. 

We are apparently expecting a colossal snow storm any minute. Indianapolis may be closed tomorrow.