Three Years On... We're Finally Doing It!

Can you believe it, this journey of ours started three years ago! I’m not sure if I’m shocked it’s been that long, or only that long. Certainly some days it feels like we’ve been house-sitting for ever and yet other days it just feels like a tiny blip in the ocean of life. Strange isn’t it, how life and memories can play tricks on you?

To add to that, last weekend we went up to search for something we’d left in one of the boxes we stored when downsizing from the house. But, of course, when you find yourself faced with a stack of boxes (any one of which could hold the tiny item you’re looking for) there is the temptation to peek and peruse. In someways it even felt a little like staring at the presents under the tree on Christmas morning, since I had no idea what most of those boxes hold.

I certainly had a range of memories triggered, though, by the things I did find during the search.

For example, I might not remember the actual action of downsizing, but I do recall the emotion. Of being so drained after weeks of sorting that I boxed and stored many things because I simply couldn’t decide which of the piles (Rubbish, Sell, Store or the Must-Keep-And-Take-With-Us) to put the items in. Consequently when I was peeking and perusing over the weekend, I came across some interesting collections - like a suitcase full of the decorative cardboard boxes that I may never have a use for, and a selection of greetings cards, books and notepads that I bought when they were on Special. Things too nice to pass on or throw out, but that I may never use. Especially, of course, since Steve or I have absolutely no idea when we might settle, where we might settle or in what size domicile we might settle in - if we choose to settle…

All we do know for sure is that we’re enjoying travelling, enabling home-owners to feel relaxed when they choose to go away, and look forward to more adapting and exploring. For this reason, there are a few changes afoot.

Firstly, we've bought a car and are selling the bikes. Yes, we actually did it! Not because we didn’t like the bikes (we did) it’s just that we want to venture further afield and a car is a better option for that - and the bikes are too big to go on the back of a car. So if all things go according to plan, this August we will be heading east. There’s always the chance that we might get temporarily distracted by rural house-sits on the way, but in theory we are actually heading over to Tassie. We’re not sure (at this point) when we’ll arrive - although that, of course, could be swayed by bookings to sit. We’re not even sure when we’ll return. We just thought we’d wing it and see how things go. But then you’re probably used to us doing that by now…

The other main thing is that (for those who haven’t discovered it yet) I’ve started a weekly podcast where I talk about my life as a house-sitter (reflections, insights, updates, challenges, delights, and so on). It seemed like a fun thing to try. It’s similar to this blog (but not), and it covers similar things to this blog (but not quite), which is why… this is going to be our last blog post here for a while, or maybe longer. No point in doubling up…

I’ve had a great time creating and putting up blog posts here and I’ve really appreciated your support and interaction, but once again it feels like time for a change. So why not come and listen to my weekly podcasts on the House-sitting Life site (or one of the usual broadcasting sites and apps), and keep in touch with what we’re doing that way… Here’s the link. 

(Although, if you’re visiting this blog because you’re more interested in house-sitting than our adventures, you might prefer to visit my site: www.housesittinginAustralia.com. You’ll find no end of articles and courses there.)

One Word, Two Words, or Couldn't Give a ...?

Most people who know me, know that I’m one of those annoyingly pedantic people who has to work really, really, hard NOT to point out every misused or absent apostrophe, misplaced hyphen, misspelt word, and...

Well, enough to say that I’m particular about punctuation and, after so many years in the writing world, I believe that it’s possible to tell the age and nationality of most people simply by the way they use it, especially commas and hyphens. Which is why I’m in such a quandary about the word - or words - house-sitting.

I can remember three years ago when we started out on this journey that I was stuck with the same dilemma. Is it house-sitting, housesitting or house sitting?

Obviously, way back then, I decided to opt for the hyphenated version. A choice most likely due to my traditional English education. Plus the fact that housesitting was too long and new to be acceptable without a hyphen, while house sitting was too new a word to be split in half, risking the chance that readers didn’t know that the words were invisibly joined.

But now, things seem to have changed. Not so much with my logic, but with technology, keyword searches, and laziness, I expect. After all, if you have the choice of typing the word into your phone with or without a space against having to click to another screen to find the necessary hyphen, which are you going to pick?

I can see the reason for and against each spelling. But what really concerns me is, is my original, hyphenated spelling old-fashioned and due to become dated? Should I be ready for it to threaten the chances of my house-sitting courses, sites, articles, and such, being found online, because search engines won’t pick up the spelling? Perhaps I should even consider taking the hyphen out of everything I've created before there’s too big a pile of things to alter.

So I’m genuinely interested, what’s your thought? 

One word? 

Two words? 

One word with hyphen? 

Or couldn’t give a …?

I’d love to know.

Cars, Bikes and Junctions!

Sorry, I know this is a vent, but could you please indulge me and let me know if I’m being totally illogical? (Discussions, as always, welcome.)

There will always be dangers when cars and bikes share the same roads. This I don’t dispute. Nor do I have a problem with the one metre rule forcing cars to keep their distance from us (bike riders), and I’m grateful that a lot of drivers choose to give us an even wider berth - especially when they’re nervous, driving a truck, it’s raining, and so on.

No, my problem is with drivers who stop to let us (bike riders) cross the road. I know that sounds daft and irrational! After all, aren’t they just being helpful?

(Also, before I start, please understand this vent is not aimed at all drivers - just the ones that annoy me.)

So, imagine you’re riding a pushbike on a bike path (off of the road) and you come to a junction where you need to cross a road. You look at the traffic and decide that stopping and waiting is the best option, primarily because there’s a car about to hurtle past you and across the junction. But then the driver decides, for their own reason, that they're going to stop several metres before the junction and wave you across the road.

Of course, I understand that the driver might have stopped to be considerate - which I do appreciate, but (as usual)… I’ve already stopped a metre or two back from the kerb, I’ve put my feet down on the ground and I’m intentionally not looking at the driver. In fact, in my mind, I am in no way implying that I’m even vaguely eager to cross the road - other than, of course, for the fact that I’m in the vicinity of it.

So why would a driver stop? Do they think they’re making it safer for me? Do they think that the extra minutes will significantly impact on my day? Do they have no concept of how unsteady a bike can be to get going? Is their daily tally of considerate actions in need of a boost?

But even more so, why do many drivers appear decidedly put out when I choose not to take up their offer to cross the road?

After all, being waved across doesn’t guarantee anything is safer - personally I’d rather wait for an emptier road, than race across it in front of an unknown driver. Especially if there’s the risk of me obstructing other drivers, or (even worse) unobservant drivers! To say nothing of the occasions when I'm waiting to cross a two or three lanes of traffic and it’s a truck driver who insists he stop to wave me across. Doesn’t he realise my vision of how clear the other lanes are is obscured by his truck? And, if I should have to stop for other cars, how do I know he’ll actually see me in front of his bonnet?

I know it might seem like I’m being overly pedantic, and like I say, I understand that drivers may just be trying to be considerate. But we all know who comes off worse when a car and bike collide, so shouldn’t it be my choice when I cross the road?