Stolen bikes and the beach

Monday:

We planned to go to the beach on a day trip - the coast is about 2 hours drive away - but were running rather later than planned already when we discovered that my husband's and my bikes had been stolen. They were just in the garage, which has the broken roller door propped open. I'm not bothered about mine, really, I've only used it about five times in 3 or 4 years since I got it. But my husband had an expensive one that he rides to work every day so that is a real loss. The thieves left a kid's scooter in our driveway, which they had presumably nicked from somewhere else. They had also opened our (unlocked) shed door, it's mainly a junk room and it looks like they were daunted by the treadmill blocking the doorway and the stacks of boxes and piles of old toys scattered over everything. Or maybe they took stuff, we'd never know. We hung around for a while so Tim could call the police and the insurance company.

Then we drove to the coast. Canberra is in the mountains so it is mainly downhill, with the final section steep and winding down the escarpment, quite tiring to drive (I was doing that leg of the trip). We had lunch then a lovely afternoon at the beach. It was so hot, yet with a cool breeze. As far as I can determine no one got sunburnt. The kids splashed in the gentle surf and made sandcastles and stuff while I napped. I usually never "sunbake" - it is dangerous and hot and boring - but I was really sleepy with the heat and just after lunch. I was just enough awake to flip over after a while, and then sit in the shade instead. But I couldn't get any energy up so I sat all afternoon watching the kids on the beach and then in the adjacent playground.

We had a nice dinner as night fell outside then drove home, with my husband at the wheel this time. In the dark the steep bit of the drive was terrifying! Up and down and round tight curves and then moderately tight curves which were even worse because you could go a bit faster. Tim is a great driver and drove very safely, and even more slowly than he otherwise would have because I was so scared, but I was still gripping my armrest and seat in terror and wouldn't take my eyes off the road to talk to the children in the back seat. It was my concentration, you see, that was keeping us safe! I have a vague memory of the last time we did that trip - we don't go to that nearest beach often, we usually go away somewhere for several days - vowing to never do it again.

I feel like a bit of a coward, really. Scared of heights, dentists, public speaking, driving off the side of a cliff in the dark, spiders ... oh yeah, there was a big spider next to the front door when we got home. Have you seen Australian spiders? They keep the venomous snake numbers down.