Like, the Longest Friday EVER!

I'm back - and maybe just a tad bit delirious from jet lag, but I'm trying *really* hard to stay awake for just a bit longer so I'll wake up at my "regular" time tomorrow.  Got up at 4:00 AM on Friday, May 14th in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and then left for the airport at 4:45.  Flew from Cairns to Brisbane - went through the "I'm leaving your country now, it's been great," song and dance and then boarded our 13-hour flight at 11:05-ish. After thirteen hours in the air, we landed at... 7-ish on the morning of Friday May 14th in LA, California, in the good ol' US of A.  Out through customs and security at the International Terminal, than back through security at the domestic terminal, then our several hour lay-over before finally, finally boarding our last flight to Phoenix.  Got home around one in the afternoon and still had the rest of the day to kill.  I feel kind of like I've been run over by a truck.  Right now?  It's STILL FRIDAY!

I did, however, manage to get a haircut, pick up the mail, put gas in the car, buy a new pair of cute shoes, get a sandwich from Subway, and have a beer with Matt and Denise.  I'm washed, shaved, and ready for  bed - just waitin' for the witching hour when my liquid red sedative will put me into a coma.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of my adventures Down Under.  The topic for today's post: Toilet Flushing.

You know how much those low-flow toilets tend to, well, how can I put this delicately...*not* get the job done when it's time to call in the big guns?  The Kiwis and the Aussies have it totally figured out.  All their toilets have TWO flush buttons (okay not all of them, but most of them).  They are friggin' brilliant!  Maybe we have those in the States, but I've never seen one.  Essentially, if you do number 1 you opt for the low flow flush: number 2 and you pull the trigger on what I like to call the "gush flush."  Seriously, stand back when it's time to pick what's behind door number two.  And there are well marked public toilets in every town.  Not once was I forced to buy a pack of gum so that I could use the toilet "for customers only."  Oh, and they don't call them restrooms.  They're toilets. Period.

[A quick aside.  A gal talking on the bus when we were on our way back from the Tongariro Crossing advised that in Denmark, you have to pay to use the toilets in the pub.  Now that would be a bit disconcerting.  Imagine: you've downed a couple or six pints and have to pee really bad and now you've got to find anywhere between 20 cents and an entire Euro in order to use the pissoir in the freakin' pub that just sold you the beer that so desperately needs to be evacuated.  There is something so unfair about that!]

As I was saying, though, Down Under there's a free toilet in every town, generally centrally and strategically located near the "i" center (information center).  Quite nice and very handy, 'cause we were stopping frequently for long blacks (those weird coffees that are really more like espressos -  like amped coffee with steamed milk).

And since I know you're just dying to know what these flushing marvels look like (and you know that I know that you know), of course, I took photos of several models as well as unique "bathroom" features in general. 

Ha!  Those Kiwis have a sense of humor!

 

When I first walked up to this sink, I wasn't quite sure how it worked!

Toilet on the Tongariro Crossing, NZ.  The winds can howl so fiercely, that the roof has to be bolted to cement anchors to keep it from blowing off!

Double flush buttons and seat sanitizer!

 Public toilet in Syndey - really nice tile!

 Not-so-nice toilet.  Also in Sydney.

 I think it's pretty obvious which button does what.

 

 Turn to the right for #1 and to the left for #2.

 No option here, but it looked interesting.

 

Yeah, this has absolutely nothing to do with the toilet, but how cool is it that when you want another drink you just push a button?!  Brilliant!!!!  Next time I will focus on culinary wonders unless I forget and write about something else.