Still have American mindset

I've lived in Australia for eight years -- but lived in the U.S. for thirty years before that. So apparently, sometimes I still think like an American.

Yesterday we received someone else's letter in our mailbox: we're 845, but the letter was for 745.

''Just the next block'', I thought. ''I'll pop out and deliver it.'' Although we're semi-rural, I figured it would just be the next block over -- even thought ''the next block'' would be several houses along. A quick little walk.

I got about three houses down before I remembered that I had it wrong. Our house is at the far end of a fairly long road: 5 kilometers (about 3 miles). And it's not numbered like the American system, where every block = 100 (e.g., the 700 block, 800 block, 900 block). Instead, I'd be walking seven-eighths of 5km -- round-trip!

Two and a half miles -- each way! -- is hardly ''a quick little walk''. I think I'll use the car.

Addendum (5/12/10): Duh! Actualy 1/8 of 5km, NOT 7/8! So, 3/8 of a mile, or 5/8 of a kilometer each way; 3/4 of a mile (about 1 1/2 kilometer) if going round trip. Not **that** bad. But still more than just "two houses down".


--GG