As far as yesterday is concerned, all I can say is wow.  Talk about a life full of drama and suspense.  (No really, do.)

Yesterday, DK was hosting a BBQ, and invited me along.  The assigned time was "between 1 and 3" which, to me, is an awfully awkward time to be given.  Do I arrive at 1, and be the only person there?  Or do I arrive at 3, and find that all the food is eaten and die of starvation?  Or do I pick a random time between the two and hope that I'm relatively accurate...?  I chose the latter.

Being slightly less organised than I could be, I didn't actually leave the house to buy drinks to take with me, until after 1.  I then realised I hadn't taken a bag to put them in, and I couldn't really travel on the train with alcohol in full view, because it would probably be Frowned Upon.  This meant that I had to go back to the house to get my backpack, and I decided to still take my handbag just in case we decided to go out into town after the BBQ.

Usually, I only carry one bag.  That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.

So I'm sitting on the train, about ten minutes into the journey, and I realise that I only have one bag.  Obviously the important one containing the supplies.  Which meant that I left my handbag on a bench in the train station.

Car keys.
House keys.
Driver's license.
Credit card.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!

I called my neighbour, who is now officially my hero, and explained my dilemma.  He rushed out of the house and down to the station (about a 2 minute drive) and believe it or not, my bag was still there !!!  It must have been at least 15 minutes from when I left the bench !

I stayed on the train while I waited to hear, having debated jumping off at the next stop and rushing back, but finally concluding that there wasn't really much point, as it would take far too long and even if my bag was gone, why shouldn't I continue to the BBQ?

Incredibly lucky that my phone wasn't in my bag - of course, my phone is pretty much glued to my hand 24/7, so I was able to call for backup.

Just sitting there thinking about the consequences of losing the stuff almost gave me a heart attack.  I mean, I didn't really care about the license and credit card.  The bank could easily have been called to cancel the card, and I could get a new license no problem.  But the keys !  My driver's license has my home address on it, and not only would the apartment lock have to be changed, but the whole block!  And I only have one set of car keys, so imagine the chaos caused by that loss !

(Actually, the first thing that went through my mind was that I would lose my little elephant keyring that I've had as long as I've had a license... but that's by the way.  Always priorities, with me.)

Thankfully, I was able to explain my sob story to an official at the Valley train station, and they let me out.  My "Go-Card" that I swiped on to the train was still back at my station, so I couldn't swipe out.  I then called DK and got a taxi to his house, which he then paid for, and I felt much better after I had fortified myself with the contents of my backpack !

What a day.  I'm still freaking out thinking about it !

Oh and, what is really funny is that my housemate thought I had lost the keys, although I did say that K had the bag, so she jammed a little plastic doorstop under the front door just in case someone decided to break in.  Of course, when I let myself in this morning (K left my keys in a 'secret place' for me) the plastic doorstop slid gracefully across the tiles...  I think she needs some lessons in Anti Burglar Devices!

AND, what I forgot to say, was that the BBQ was very good and it was great to see everyone together.

TTFN!!!

Yesterday, I finally bought a bed and bedside tables, and today I reorganised my life, and here is what my abode now looks like.

Of course, it will only look this spick and span for about a day!

Being horrified at how much money i spent in one go, I'm happy that I got to work a day off to make up for it - that paid for my spree anyway!!!

Flying over Sydney

A picture says 1,000 words.

Sydney Airport, Bondi and its two satellite beaches, and whatever that place is in the other photo

My laptop broke, and Apple told me it would take 5 working days to fix, and then it was done in like 6 hours, and I was happy again. They even cleaned it for me.

I'm also still sleeping on a mattress on the floor with my ice box as a bedside table, because I'm too lazy and unorganised to do anything about it. I'm punishing myself by refusing to allow myself to buy items like tennis racquets or a time machine until I have purchased the important items. At least it's saving me money ! No plans to become organised any time soon.

Today is day two of a six day trip, and I am lying in a hotel bed in Sydney, trying not to be TOO bored until the other crew arrives in an hour or so and we can get dinner. At least I brought my own pillow this time!!!

There's really not much to say, as it has been work, then a day off to gather my senses (what senses?) and then bak to work again. There is Talk of a trip to Cairns next weekend, but I think it unlikely!

That's all folks!
TTFN!

Paddy's Weekend

Paddy's weekend. Oh, and kayaking in Byron last weekend, and I already put those photos on facebook, and if you don't have facebook then I'm very sorry but tough luck, because I don't have the photos on my phone any more.

Where was I? Paddy's weekend, in Australia, MK I. PC came over from Ireland, and took a couple of us to a rugby match on Saturday, which was great fun. First rugby match ever, and 'our' side (Brisbane Reds) lost, against the Western Force (I presume from the west...) who apparently have never ever won anything meaningful in their lives ever, so what were they thinking?? The latter they being the Reds, of course.

The Australians are very restrained it seems, so there was no singing and very little cheering until towards the end when the commentator guy got people chanting 'WE ARE RED!' which didn't really seem to help (and trailed off pretty quick) and all of his insults to the Force actually appeared to make them play better...

We went wearing Lions shirts for the Australia 2013 tour, and if you don't know what Lions are, or rather, WHO Lions are, in this case, them being peebles rather than animals, then Google it. I am not here to help you. It was slightly unfortunate that the Reds, being red, wore red as well, so we didn't particularly stand out - but by the end of the match had made ourselves known to a few !

I think I like going to rugby matches. Except, they don't have popcorn and it's just like the cinema - you reeeeeally need popcorn. Oh and the security guard at the bar made me laugh (snigger, perhaps) when I asked him if he knew if you could buy popcorn anywhere and he said 'oh, I thought you were going to ask me if you could buy a beer, and I was going to have to say no.'. How old does he think we were?! (I'm older now. Two Whole Days!!!)

I am writing this blog as we cruise along merrily at 15,000ft, a) because there is nothing else to do, and b) because I don't really want to talk to the guy sitting next to me. Tsk. How rude. (I'm nice like that)

So what else happened, you might ask? Well, after the match, I went into the Valley, to catch up with other friends, and then went to bed really really late and then woke up really really late and then did some laundry and that sort of thing, as you do, and then went back into the city for dinner. What a fun life, innit? Oh, and wore my St Patrick's Day T-shirt.

Now I'm, as I mentioned before, in an aeroplane , and just before everyone gets excited, I'm using 'Notes' and I'm not 'interfering with the aircraft systems'. Feel better now? Today I'm overnighting in Sydney, and tomorrow in Canberra, and then I get to go back to Brissy for one day before a massive six day trip :(

And HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY to you all !!!!!! (only one day late)

TTFN!

PS a couple more photos coming...

It would be fair to say that I'm wrecked. I'm also sunburnt, but not for want of sunscreen, as I used almost the whole bottle. Just obviously the sun here in Byron just isn't fazed by the stuff.

We surfed, we played with waves, and Steve played with dophins - but I refused to swim out of my depth without my surf board. Too many episodes of Bondi Rescue, and no hot life guards in Byron...

The waves were really dumpy today, and the bruises on my legs bear evidence of that! Even Steve, the 'pro' surfer amongst us, got eaten by many waves. One wave, I almost caught (story of my life) and then it just dropped... and my surfboard dropped first (isn't there some physics theory about things of different weights dropping at different/same speeds? aren't I heavier than a fiberglass board?) and then I fell on the sharp tail of the board... or rather, the top of my thigh did, and quite a beautiful purple souvenir to prove it. I'm beginning to get wary of waves !

The awesome thing is that having surfed every other day all week, I now hardly ache! (bruises aside)

Tomorrow morning is a sea kayak tour, with go sea kayaks Byron, which have pretty good reviews and I'm REALLY excited about! Steve has a go pro camera so hopefully will get some good photos! My next thing to save for is a go pro :).

Tonight (yeah, I know, not in order!) we are staying in the same apartment as last time, and this time we brought a queen-sized air mattress for extra comfort for the floor dwellers...

Anyway, I'm wrecked, so I must sleep!

Goodnight!!!

Part Two

So anyway.

After all that, there was really only one thing for it.

FOAM FIGHT !!!

What can I say?  

He started it - and my iphone was one lucky iphone, and did not get harmed in any of these events...

I'm afraid these pictures are a little out of sequence, as a couple of them should really be in the previous post.  The first is of the path down to Tallow Beach (what used to be).  

And the second, which should really be before the first, and in fact, directly after the picture of the lighthouse in the previous post, is Tallow Beach (once upon a time) from the hill on which the lighthouse lives.  As you can see... very foamy and wavey, and all thatey. 

Steve... watching the waves... 

And finally, at last in the right order, we returned to the main beach, after scoffing large quantities of Dominos Pizza and Diet Coke, and the sun started to set, the lorakeets started screeching horrendously in the trees like I'm not quite sure exactly what (aren't I good at descriptive prose?) and we watched some children playing on the sand.  Seriously, wheelbarrow races wearing short summer dresses probably isn't the smartest idea, children.  Anyway, I didn't take any photos of that, but this one includes a somersault, which is pretty good action-capture IMHO.

And then... 

...we went home.

The

END

More Byron

We planned to go to Burleigh, which is just over one hour south of where I live, but when we got there, this is what we saw, and I wasn't really that impressed, being mortal...

So, we went to Byron.

It scared me too.  I told Steve that I wasn't going near the water (a bit like the Johnny Cash song) but that he could if he wanted to, and I was quite happy to watch... but then we went to a different part of Byron.

This is the lighthouse.

We went to see Tallow Beach.

Tallow Beach always scares me.  Actually, I should change my words now, as there isn't actually any such thing as Tallow Beach.  (aside from the fact that it's actually called Tallows)

Tallow Beach is gone.

This is where Tallow Beach used to be:

Poor Tallow.  Not that I ever liked it.

In its place, was lots and lots of foam.  Natural foam, not nasty chemically stuff.  It didn't smell, and it was dirty in places, and very very soft and light.  Almost like touching air.

\

That's all you get for now as I just got a call from work asking me to go in at 0430 in the morning so... I have LOADS more photos... and yes, I did go into the water in the end... but that all must wait until work has Happened.

TTFN !!!

Well, doesn't really look like good surfing weather...