Mount Thomas Thoughts

Hey all - back from 'Mount Thomas' for the second time in three weeks, attending V's dad's funeral and all. And the trip down has doubled as her birthday present, what with the cost and all, though not often you send the present back, in this case to Brisbane, after seventy two hours LOL. Where to start hmm, what happened Saturday.

Flew down on Jetstar, which I will now rename Jetbus LOL, non assigned seating and all the excitement of a bus trip. Met V at the airport, and Sister1 and Niece1 LOL, so many family members that I think I will use this type of tagging :) - Niece1 decided to ask whether I was V's boyfriend or not, to which I replied first, ask V, and secondly, would just normal friends come down for a dad's funeral, and thirdly, that I used the word girlfriend in getting the leave off work LOL. If that makes sense all those three - striking girl, Niece1, only seventeen though.

Went out for tea at Friend1's place, roast chicken and roast vegetables yum, and then, an idea I had floated with V on Friday to get her out of town for a picnic led to Friend1 providing the food and blanket and esky for a picnic the next day - instead of flowers, as she explained. Good idea as well :) wonder who thought of it lol. Was a nice meal and nice dessert and I have gained brownie points with that particular friend and her husband is a laugh as well, good time had by all :)

Looked through V's photo albums that night while she made pizza or as she called it, pizza bread - being the youngest of eleven she only has one baby photo, as she describes it, they got bored of taking baby photos by the time she came around. Trying to get to sleep, she said she hated the nights most, she stayed awake thinking of her dad - I did my best during my time down there to comfort her, and I think/hope I did a reasonable job...

Sunday was a lazy day getting up and started off with cooking, which I was fine with, and people coming around, which I was less OK with LOL - no shower at V's house, bath only, so I felt very feral like until the first shower of the day, and to have visitors hmmph. Had Friend2 stop by, and Sister1 and Niece1 and Brother-in-Law1 turn up - nice to see them and have a good convo, but yes, AFTER I had done what I could with my hair LOL.

Then was off to Friend1's to have a shower, pick up the picnic basket, and to head off to Latrobe and not come back for at least three hours, have a break away from all the stress and stuff of the funeral arrangements. Latrobe is very pretty, reminds me of Carterton or Graytown back home, which is a good thing, and laid the blanket down in a spot of shade by the river, and Friend1 had provided bread rolls and chicken fillets and lettuce, tomato, cheese, cucumber, celery, butter and more, and even had a candle as well :) Tried to light it but it kept going out, but it was a very nice meal and an amazing thing to organise - and saved me a trip and costs to Woolworths LOL.

After that, V ummed and ahhed before eventually going to visit Friend3, who V had never visited at home, and even when we drove up, V was like we will talk from the car and not get out. Of course, that plan went out the window, and what an amazing place it was to visit. Former harbourmaster's residence, built in 1877, so Victorian, and it was amazing to wander around - had a wonderful kitchen, and kitchen table catching the afternoon sun. Amazing 'sitting room' as well, with antique furniture, and the piece de resistance (if I have the right term), the TV room, with a HUGE TV, and I did notice another thing, lol the tapestry of Versailles above it... just a totally amazing house, with a bed you need a step ladder to get into, seven open fireplaces LOL, very colonial, a huge Rhodesian ridgeback (dog), and a stunning daughter lol - although, again, I was with V and the daughter was only nineteen. And a very lucky daughter as well, not many parents would shell out $25K for a three year old yellow Renault convertible :)

But it was a good visit for V to catch up with the friend, and see the place, which had always been called a dump by the friend. Drove back to town, stopping for a raspberry icecream and it ended up being away for three hours forty - so we overshot the time away from town and stress and all that, which was good. As soon as we got back into town though the stress levels went through the roof again, too much to do not enough time blah blah. Went home and then straight out again to Niece2's to pick up some flowers to put next to the gravestone (with these modern ones, they have a little punnet on the top to put water and flowers in), drop off birthday presents to Nephew1's, make some sausage roll mixture and go out for Nephew1's birthday. Busy busy busy.

Nice meal out at the pub for Nephew1's birthday - the food was nice I mean - lol there were about five kids under five years of age, plus the birthday boy, who although eleven acts like one of the under fives, at least in these particular circumstances. So by the end of the evening the kids were rampaging around the dining room, but I had a nice garlic bread, roast pork, sans crackling unfortunately, and pavlova for dessert. And for some reason all weekend I was going lightly on the alcohol - only had one or two each day, which is low for 'holiday' times. Only had one beer that night, first night in a true Tasmanian pub, although more on the restaurant side. And the conversation left a little to be desired, apart from family, kids, and car racing, the main topic of convo between BrotherInLaw1 and NephewInLaw1 was how much money my business is making, or how important I am to my company, or how many days out of town at the company expense I am being paid for blah blah blah. Almost got involved, and was encouraged by V to get into the V8 and Formula One convo, but then they went to work, and I am much more a listener than a talker, which these two were - just was on the phone to V, and related this story, and renamed the two people Tosspot and Wanker LOL. She was impressed by the renaming exercise.

And then V got home and baked and cooked and baked, and at 11.30 she said I should have done a banana cake as well, and I said stop cooking, let's go to bed. Was trying to get her to wind down a bit, but she took it as me having a hissy fit - wasn't even in the mood to watch the Formula One, not that I would have been impressed with the result at the end, was worth going to bed for LOL.

Yesterday was THE day of the funeral. Finished off the cooking, took the food around to Niece1's, where the wake was going to be, came back home, had lunch with Sister2 and her family, then went back to Niece1's to cut some roses to throw into the grave, did it up as a nice arrangement - V chose the flowers, I arranged in the basket, and then back home to wait for the hearse. Which was being driven by Sister3 - now get this, is this normal at funerals nowadays, to get a family member to drive the hearse? As the funeral director sold it, the last thing you can do for your father blah blah, but I don't know, it is just too weird for me, but anyways, Sister3 drove the hearse through town, to the cemetery (was a graveside service), and it was quite an impressive turnout I thought, probably about 100 to 115 people there.

It was a good service from all accounts, Niece1 doing Psalm 23 - the one with though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death - and Nephew1 doing the Lord's Prayer, and a nice eulogy with a couple of funny stories, and then hmm - with V being the main person who looked after her dad in the latter years, and the main family member organising the ceremony, was quite strange for me, as a newcomer, to be given such an important space in the ceremony. V wouldn't take a rose to throw in the grave, so I took two, for her and me - and after the service, V was basically the centre of attention, with me as an adjunct lol, if I have the right word. The funeral director would speak to me when V was busy being hugged and stuff, and I was a new face to meet for some of the people as well. I think I have the family pretty well down pat, now it is just the friends that are confusing me LOL. The school where V works had a good turnout, they left two teachers there to give the kids a video in the hall and the rest of the staff came, and her current boss and two former bosses as well. Was a good service and a good turnout.

With the wake, even though probably fifty people turned up (at least for the start) was more than enough food there, and didn't need another banana cake baked LOL. Was just a quiet time, and again, I was much more into the lemonade than beer - and Niece1's kids, the ones that were wondering who I was at the wedding three weeks ago, wanted to know if I would come visit at all this time around - which was nice, LOL and if ever Niece1 wants babysitting in Queensland, they know where to come :) Very cute kids who seem to have taken a shine to me - also had practise holding a baby, although had V help me out when the kid got too squirmy or shouty LOL.

Went around to Sister4's place for the evening, just for a quiet hour and a half and a quiet wine. The fire was banked up really high and I was too hot LOL - they said I should be used to this weather being in Queensland, but I don't wear sweaters up here as I did down there. Apart from that the evening was fairly forgettable, hot and tired and not concentrating on the conversation.

Was up at 10.30 today, after lolling about in bed for an hour. Was also an early exit for Sister3, who had slept on V's couch, was being picked up by Sister1 to catch a 6 ayem flight, so out of town at 4.45 eek LOL. Went out to lunch at a nice Mexican styled place, mmm chicken enchilada, was very tasty. Went up to her dad's nursing home, even though she had issues with the place, just to give a final thank you card (thank you for what, I remember her saying before going down there) plus a big box of lollies. V gave a special card and special chocolates to the girl that was on duty the actual night her father died. And then it was up to the graveside again, for a personal contemplation (had been in the back of my mind for an activity, geez I have good ideas sometimes) and to water the flowers... was nice.

And then out to the airport, with Friend4 as support on the way in and even more support for V on the way back. Back onto Jetbus, fond farewells all around, and back to the Real World. Hmm, if I didn't have regular debt payments to make, I would seriously consider moving down there - is a nice place, nice climate, and as long as I get work in one of the major towns, could NOT think of working in Mount Thomas LOL, I think I would be OK down there... hmm will have to consider a transfer or something :)

V was amazed by all the good reports she got about me. It must have meant a lot for me to come down was the main one, but also got he seems a very nice boy, very gentle, very loving, dotes on you, knows when to shut up, he's a keeper, you compliment each other and such like. She could have coped without me, but she coped better with me around. She has yet to find a family member or friend to have a bad word about me, especially around this weekend lol. And with my family liking her so much, we should volunteer to be on the next episode of House Swap or something, she will try my family and lifestyle out, while I try hers LOL.

It meant a lot both to V and her family and friends that I went down to support her at this time. Mondo brownie points earned - now, when, where and how to cash them in :)

Later peeps
Pauly