Holiday from home

This morning I dropped off our cat at a local cattery and the dog at my partner's parents place and then drove over to my mum's house, where I unpacked the car and spent a bit of time settling in to her spare room. We're staying here for just over a week while our house is painted and the back of the house next door is demolished.

It was kind of a shock to discover that our neighbour's renovations were to start so soon, but we've decided to make the most of it and so booked the painters to do our place while they do the worst of the demolition work next door. We weren't keen to stay there, not just for the noise, but also because the neighbour has an outshed with asbestos lining. We have been assured they are taking the correct precautions to eliminate asbestos dust but we've had difficulties with this neighbour in the past and after her architect was rude and unhelpful on the phone, funnily enough, we didn't feel assured at all. We warned the painters and have asked them to look out for any dust plumes. If they spot any I'm on to Workcover so fast they won't see what's hit them.

So here I am - staring out at the yachts bobbing about on the bay and the occasional ferry chufing past - a very different side and view on Sydney than the charming, higgly-piggly innerwest I'm so used to. I've only ever stayed here overnight. That was a few years ago when my partner and I returned from a holiday early after fires started in the Kosciusko National Park where we were camping. That was a few years ago now, maybe 2003 or 2004. The park was probably just starting to recover and this year it's under threat again with more summer fires.

But it's pretty nice here and very luxurious - a waterfront mansion on the North Shore. The views are spectacular and I'm hoping they will give me some extra inspiration on my thesis. I'd like to have an introduction roughly drafted for a meeting with my supervisor this Thursday. One aspect of the house that concerns me is its energy wastefulness. I have taken a rather soft stance on this in the past with my mum and her husband, not wanting to impose my views and way of doing things on them, but since I'm here for a week and half I'm going to see if I can at least get a compost and better recycling system in place. Wish me luck!