Yeah, so I check in at the video booth kind of thing, pass my bag across at the check in counter, no showing of photo ID, go through security, no showing of photo ID, go onto the plane, both in Bris and Melb, without showing ID... not sure whether it is progress or not, I always thought the five levels, extra levels of security at airports after 9/11 was overkill or not, but when it isn't there, it feels like there is something missing - damned post traumatic paranoia...
The flights themselves were pretty non descript - read the Economist and had a row to myself on the Brisbane to Melb leg - had about three quarters of an hour layover in Melbourne airport - enough time for a Whopper Junior and not much else. Yum, Burger King - or so they call it in this neck of the woods, Hungry Jacks.
The Melb to Launnie leg finished off the Economist and started into the Black Ice, the next Michael Connolley book I am reading. And everyone asking were your flights good - flying is pretty non descript nowadays, as much ask how your train commute everyday is...
Got to Launceston, V and LHA were there to pick me up, and went directly to RLY's place in town, did not pass go, did not collect $200, for a BBQ... promptly got lost in the appropriate suburb, but in the wrong street, before I got hold of the map book and put the homing beacon in the car, although of course after V had to drive a couple of extra blocks before getting our bearings.
RLY and SLY's place is on the side of a hill and has a great view, just around the corner from overlooking Cataract Gorge, and they have landscaped the backyard very very well. Apparently was just a grass covered hill when they got there, and they have put in about three levels, about three paths leading up and down, a pond, a few seats, colour coordinated corrugated iron fencing, and even a vegetable garden right down the bottom - I was quite impressed with the yard.
Had a huge back deck as well, where the BBQ was set up. Only thing that the outside area needed was a roof on the deck, it was drizzling on and off, and after the food we went inside. Also there was MLY, one of our hosts' kids, and BWI, V's former boss, CWI and their kids ZWI and EWI.
Had a yum lunch, seasoned chicken legs, sausages, including a couple of beer battered sausies, chops, potato salad and coleslaw. Also had a couple of beers.
Then went inside to play spoons and matchbox, which is much to complicated to explain in a paragraph... had another couple of wines, , as RLY was forcing it down my throat LOL. Biggest thing of note from the games was how competitive BWI is.
We then wandered over to the park overlooking Cataract Gorge. Absolutely gorgeous view, and will have to go back later in the week to take piccies - didn't have my camera with me. The pics may not come out the best, but just add the sound of the water babbling and you will be in relaxation central, mmm...
We headed back to the house to have coffee. BWI and family headed home, and we talked to RLY and SLY and time slipped by quite easily and before we knew it we were leaving about 5pm, right on peak hour, or Launceston's approximation thereof.
V and LHA were just about to get into how talkative some people were, when suddenly something happened with the car, there was a clunking in the engine. V was not happy, and the car turned blue as it seemed the manifold had fallen off a pipe or something again - I'm not the most car literate of people - and V's stress levels went through the roof.
The mechanic's place where she got the manifold fixed first time around was closed by the time we got 'home' from Launnie, so it was decided to get the thing fixed first thing in the morning, with all plans for the rest of the holiday dependant on what happened and how long it would take.
V's brother GDO was watching the Twenty20 match that night. 40,000 people at the Gabba, a fabulous night for promotion of the sport, blah blah wank wank - totally one sided match - has anyone that has batted second in that type of cricket won? If Australia had lost would everyone still be rah rah? I think not...
I watched until the end with a thin grimace set on my face, while V went to bed to watch some crap Billy Crystal Debra Winger DVD, Forget Paris I think it was - worse than the cricket, if that can be believed...
Woke up to watch Sunrise yesterday, with V ringing the mechanic's every 15 mins from 8am. Someone finally picked up at 9 ayem, and then minutes later we were down there. It was a quickish twenty minute job to fix so we went over the road - I wanted to have brekkie at the 50s diner but it was closed, V wanted to buy plants.
We then headed across back to the mechanics - car parts around the wall, the car up on a jack, a wood burner with a bucket of biscuits on top, the jerry made office, haven't been in a factory setting for ages. V's stress level went down as quickly as it went up, and bonus that the mechanic didn't charge as it was a related follow on from the last screw up.
Went home for brekkie - yum, cheese and butter muffins, and then out to Devonport. Went to K-Mart first, V was going to swap an iron, but had forgotten to bring it. Looked at the toys, DVDs and XBox demos before finding a nice long sleeved T-shirt jersey thing and jean shorts - haven't had new jean shorts in like a long long time.
Went into town next, and then checked out Molly Malones to see whether we felt like a pub lunch - didn't feel like a big meal, so were thinking about Maccas or a quick burger meal or something, but found Stonies, a 50s diner kind of place in Devonport mall. Ended up having a big enough meal - I had chicken burger with tomato and mayo with chips and salad, while V had the chicken wrap version of what I had.
Was nice, and in a nice atmosphere - unlike Hungry Jacks/Burger King, these guys actually backed up the wall memorabilia with a fifties and sixties soundtrack.
The flights themselves were pretty non descript - read the Economist and had a row to myself on the Brisbane to Melb leg - had about three quarters of an hour layover in Melbourne airport - enough time for a Whopper Junior and not much else. Yum, Burger King - or so they call it in this neck of the woods, Hungry Jacks.
The Melb to Launnie leg finished off the Economist and started into the Black Ice, the next Michael Connolley book I am reading. And everyone asking were your flights good - flying is pretty non descript nowadays, as much ask how your train commute everyday is...
Got to Launceston, V and LHA were there to pick me up, and went directly to RLY's place in town, did not pass go, did not collect $200, for a BBQ... promptly got lost in the appropriate suburb, but in the wrong street, before I got hold of the map book and put the homing beacon in the car, although of course after V had to drive a couple of extra blocks before getting our bearings.
RLY and SLY's place is on the side of a hill and has a great view, just around the corner from overlooking Cataract Gorge, and they have landscaped the backyard very very well. Apparently was just a grass covered hill when they got there, and they have put in about three levels, about three paths leading up and down, a pond, a few seats, colour coordinated corrugated iron fencing, and even a vegetable garden right down the bottom - I was quite impressed with the yard.
Had a huge back deck as well, where the BBQ was set up. Only thing that the outside area needed was a roof on the deck, it was drizzling on and off, and after the food we went inside. Also there was MLY, one of our hosts' kids, and BWI, V's former boss, CWI and their kids ZWI and EWI.
Had a yum lunch, seasoned chicken legs, sausages, including a couple of beer battered sausies, chops, potato salad and coleslaw. Also had a couple of beers.
Then went inside to play spoons and matchbox, which is much to complicated to explain in a paragraph... had another couple of wines, , as RLY was forcing it down my throat LOL. Biggest thing of note from the games was how competitive BWI is.
We then wandered over to the park overlooking Cataract Gorge. Absolutely gorgeous view, and will have to go back later in the week to take piccies - didn't have my camera with me. The pics may not come out the best, but just add the sound of the water babbling and you will be in relaxation central, mmm...
We headed back to the house to have coffee. BWI and family headed home, and we talked to RLY and SLY and time slipped by quite easily and before we knew it we were leaving about 5pm, right on peak hour, or Launceston's approximation thereof.
V and LHA were just about to get into how talkative some people were, when suddenly something happened with the car, there was a clunking in the engine. V was not happy, and the car turned blue as it seemed the manifold had fallen off a pipe or something again - I'm not the most car literate of people - and V's stress levels went through the roof.
The mechanic's place where she got the manifold fixed first time around was closed by the time we got 'home' from Launnie, so it was decided to get the thing fixed first thing in the morning, with all plans for the rest of the holiday dependant on what happened and how long it would take.
V's brother GDO was watching the Twenty20 match that night. 40,000 people at the Gabba, a fabulous night for promotion of the sport, blah blah wank wank - totally one sided match - has anyone that has batted second in that type of cricket won? If Australia had lost would everyone still be rah rah? I think not...
I watched until the end with a thin grimace set on my face, while V went to bed to watch some crap Billy Crystal Debra Winger DVD, Forget Paris I think it was - worse than the cricket, if that can be believed...
Woke up to watch Sunrise yesterday, with V ringing the mechanic's every 15 mins from 8am. Someone finally picked up at 9 ayem, and then minutes later we were down there. It was a quickish twenty minute job to fix so we went over the road - I wanted to have brekkie at the 50s diner but it was closed, V wanted to buy plants.
We then headed across back to the mechanics - car parts around the wall, the car up on a jack, a wood burner with a bucket of biscuits on top, the jerry made office, haven't been in a factory setting for ages. V's stress level went down as quickly as it went up, and bonus that the mechanic didn't charge as it was a related follow on from the last screw up.
Went home for brekkie - yum, cheese and butter muffins, and then out to Devonport. Went to K-Mart first, V was going to swap an iron, but had forgotten to bring it. Looked at the toys, DVDs and XBox demos before finding a nice long sleeved T-shirt jersey thing and jean shorts - haven't had new jean shorts in like a long long time.
Went into town next, and then checked out Molly Malones to see whether we felt like a pub lunch - didn't feel like a big meal, so were thinking about Maccas or a quick burger meal or something, but found Stonies, a 50s diner kind of place in Devonport mall. Ended up having a big enough meal - I had chicken burger with tomato and mayo with chips and salad, while V had the chicken wrap version of what I had.
Was nice, and in a nice atmosphere - unlike Hungry Jacks/Burger King, these guys actually backed up the wall memorabilia with a fifties and sixties soundtrack.
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