This week

It’s been a busy week.  Where to start?  Monday morning, I guess, was when I arrived back in Brisbane, unbelievably glad to be home, yet not really feeling like I got home, due to being in a new house, and all that.  Living out of a suitcase is not my favourite occupation, and nor is unpacking, but priorities first, so laundry etc was done, and uniform prepped for next use.  Then it was rent-a-ute time, to go pick up Gumtree furniture.

I am now the very proud owner of a table and chairs, solid teak desk and pale brown suede couch.  The couch was a lot less brown than in the advertised picture, which was a relief, as initially I was thinking I would have to cover it with a throw to de-brown-ify it !

Mum:  I have to say that I am not a big Ikea Cushion Fan.  I bought the ones for the cushion covers, and they just seem limp and un-cushiony.  Here is a picture of the completed effort... they just seem to be missing an awful lot of ‘oomph’.

Back and forth and back and forth with furniture took up the remainder of Monday, which brings me to Tuesday.  (Funny that)

Tuesday was build a table and chairs day, return the ute, and sign the lease for the house.  I am now the proud sharer of a lease, an official member of the household, and the owner of a table that is missing a bolt.  We had a couple of people around for dinner, and so I considerately warned them that one table leg was not securely bolted in, just in case they lost their salmon and roast potatoes... of course, I kept the location of the missing bolt a secret.  I’m fairly sure that it’s a redundant bolt but still, good to keep people on their toes (and hopefully the table off their toes...).

Wednesday we went to Noosa, the waves were beautiful, and the weather was not.  Oh yes, back to Tuesday, I went to cross-fit in the evening and almost killed myself by climbing up ropes and doing push-ups and pull-ups and running etc. and am still suffering three days later, so surfing on Wednesday was a somewhat painful experience from the get-go.  It was still fun, and I managed to catch one green wave, although I didn’t stand up, and a few whitewater waves and stood up once.  Of course, Steve outshone everyone on the beach and did all sorts of weird twisty things and stuff.

This is the only picture taken of me at the beach - while I was taking photos of C & M surfing, standing in the shallows, getting decidedly damp whenever the waves attacked.  As you can see, I am wearing a coat, because it was Cold.

C left and M right, synchronised surfing :P

C all finished, with DK's longboard, having entirely worn herself out !

Thursday, which was yesterday, started at about 0330 when I woke up entirely stiffened up and aware of a large number of muscles that I never knew I had.  For instance, who’d ‘a’ thunk that I had muscles on my ribs, of all places?! 

Thursday evening the Irish contingent descended on GH’s house, south of the Brisbane river, for a very nice home-cooked meal of lasagne - I think my first lasagne of Australia, believe it or not !  We kept G&L awake until well after midnight, after which time I ferried everyone back to their respective houses, and made my way back north to Banyo, being stopped on the way for a random breath test at which the officer asked whether I had drunk 32 bottles of wine, which was a little bit weird.  No?  Good, on you go then.

Today is Friday, and I’m packing to go to Singapore for nine days.  I’m already homesick and I haven’t even left yet, I just want a few more days... aghhh!  I want to wake up in my own bed (and go to sleep in it too) and cook my own meals and not live out of a suitcase and and and... I could moan forever, believe me.  I’m well-practiced and good at it.  

What fun.  Aaaanyway...  I may or may not blog while I’m in Singapore, obviously I’m there for work, but there is free wifi at the hotel so We Shall See.

TTFN!!!