Had a relaxing day yesterday, after all the drama of Thursday afternoon. My parents and sister flew out to have a week back home in New Zealand early yesterday morning - flying Emirates, will have to ask what the flight was like when they get back. And yes, I know that as a veteran of more flights than I care to remember, there is very little difference between any of them - some you pay for food and extras, others you get them included, is basically what it comes down to - but still, a new airline to test out, maybe they will be strikingly different.
Oh, and I have to ring the parents and put in orders for NZ Twisties - there is a difference with Australian ones - and perhaps Rashuns as well. Mmm, and McDonald's Megafeast, or, as it was known for about a year, a Jonah burger. Geez, that would make the promotion about ten years old, if it was released at the height of Jonah's fame :)
Anyways, so home alone yesterday, got a couple of concerned emails from workmates, so that was nice (in its own way, of course). Pottered around , not doing a heck of a lot of anything, took the dog for a walk in the midday sun, got takeouts at the store near the railway station - was quite yum as well, Mum had said the meals there had a good reputation - chicken burger, with beetroot, and a banana milkshake, yum.
Didn't do too much with the afternoon either, gave the animals an early dinner, and then locked them out as I headed to the railway station to go into the city. Was going to pick up the photos that I had meant to pick up Thursday lunchtime (before I was carted off to the hospital), and LMA was having a leaving evening thing, that I intended to stay just a while for...
Midway between the photo place and the V-Lounge, where LMA was having her get together, I stopped in for a quick half of Hahn at the Orient, which is repositioning itself as the 'newest rugby bar' in Brisbane. Thought I would try out that repositioning, and yes indeed, they had the Hurricanes Blues match on in front of about nine people. It was still early for the after work crowd though, so it may have filled up more later.
Not wanting to be late at the other bar, I peeled myself away from the screen with the score twenty five minutes in of 3-all, with neither side looking to assert themselves fully on the game.
Got to the V-Lounge - it was totally packed, even more so than the Christmas dinner that we had. LMA and the group were all the way in the back - at that stage was NGR, LMA, TDE, MGR, SPE and some other girl who doesn't work with us and I haven't seen before. If I had a dollar for every 'how are you feeling' I got last night, I would probably have been able to buy a round LOL - it's just one of those things, people, and I am one of the least important people in the office. It is somewhat heart warming to know that people care, but I do my best to be unnoticed, inobtrusive - overdoing attention embarrasses me somewhat.
MGR and PFO turned up, as did CMC, PMA and FET. LMA had gotten a few plates of nibbles, and was drinking water and mocktails for the evening - something to do with being due with twins in ten days time. And she wants to come back to work in September. Brave woman, with that sort of timeframe - that's all I will say about it :)
I was thinking about having non-alcoholic drinks for the evening, what with my 'illness' from the previous day, but somehow I got around to having a couple of beers, a couple of cokes, and a bourbon and coke. More to the fore of my mind than my alcohol levels was my budget until next pay day, so was counting the pennies last night. Well, not quite, but I was taking care of my money much more than usual.
I was thinking of bailing about two or three times during the evening, but somehow managed to find my way from pub to pub with the others. PPE came in to the V-Lounge for about all of thirty seconds, we think he was looking for NGR, who is kind of an on again off again girlfriend. He didn't stick around when it was apparent she had already left - geez, thanks for that mate, what are we, chopped liver LOL.
By this stage, it was myself, LMA, TDE, MGR, CMC, PMA and FET left, and we were 'so over' the V-Lounge, and headed out deeper into the Valley. We got to Brunswick Street mall, and PMA and FET messed with the way an evening out should happen by getting pizza slices between pubs - the script is, you get pizza or kebabs or Maccas or whatever, on the way to the train station or taxi rank, not in the middle of the evening :)
We then headed past all the usual haunts, RGs, Belushis, before heading into the Press Club. Good atmosphere in that place, apart from the cigar smoke ick. Good thumping bass, but not as loud as V-Lounge, or maybe by this stage my hearing for shouted conversations had just gotten better. And $7.50 for a Stella, ick, but just got the one to treat myself, before I was back onto the XXXX Gold, 'cheap at only' $5.50.
We got seats by the window, that was opened up to the street, and across the road was the ultimate destination for the Friday night in the Valley game, New York Slice. Yum. Got to talking to LMA and TDE, while PMA and FET were talking to MGR, and CMC was at the bar making a new friend.
Still no defined dancefloor - there was space at the Press Club, but no one actually dancing - so it was decided to head off to another bar. If I remember the conversation correctly, some people were thinking of bailing and heading home, not only me, but it was sold as last pub of the night. I checked my pennies at this time, and, with the obligatory $5 slice of pizza across the road, I thought I could handle another couple of beers. If there had been an entry fee to one of these places, I would have been screwed, but as it was I was fine for another couple beers.
We wandered down to the Fringe Bar - somewhere I haven't been before. We went upstairs first, to check out the balconies and pool tables, but it was a bit of a rabbit warren and small rooms, and no dancefloor, so we headed back downstairs, found a table and made the usual base camp. As I hadn't intended on being out so long, and I had picked up the processed films as well, I had my bag all through the night. But I wasn't drinking enough to lose track of the bag, and was not intending to drink enough that keeping track of the backpack would be irritating.
It was just under the table, the bag that was, and it wasn't going anywhere, and I wasn't losing track of it, so all was good. Well, apart from the Rogue Traders being on the DJ's rotation list, and that silly Love Generation song, heard that about five times last night, grr. Had those couple of beers, danced a bit with CMC and TDE, and then it was suddenly five to midnight and everyone was leaving.
TDE and I headed to New York Slice, yum, barbeque chicken, while the others got a Maccas meal. As LMA hadn't been drinking at all, she could be the designated driver for most of the others, city or south side, I took my leave and headed to the train station. Got the second last train of the night, 12.10 from Brunswick Street, and was home just before 1am.
Not too much to report from today. Bugger all in fact. Maybe I will find a way of writing it up in an entertaining fashion tomorrow - or maybe not LOL.
Pauly
Oh, and I have to ring the parents and put in orders for NZ Twisties - there is a difference with Australian ones - and perhaps Rashuns as well. Mmm, and McDonald's Megafeast, or, as it was known for about a year, a Jonah burger. Geez, that would make the promotion about ten years old, if it was released at the height of Jonah's fame :)
Anyways, so home alone yesterday, got a couple of concerned emails from workmates, so that was nice (in its own way, of course). Pottered around , not doing a heck of a lot of anything, took the dog for a walk in the midday sun, got takeouts at the store near the railway station - was quite yum as well, Mum had said the meals there had a good reputation - chicken burger, with beetroot, and a banana milkshake, yum.
Didn't do too much with the afternoon either, gave the animals an early dinner, and then locked them out as I headed to the railway station to go into the city. Was going to pick up the photos that I had meant to pick up Thursday lunchtime (before I was carted off to the hospital), and LMA was having a leaving evening thing, that I intended to stay just a while for...
Midway between the photo place and the V-Lounge, where LMA was having her get together, I stopped in for a quick half of Hahn at the Orient, which is repositioning itself as the 'newest rugby bar' in Brisbane. Thought I would try out that repositioning, and yes indeed, they had the Hurricanes Blues match on in front of about nine people. It was still early for the after work crowd though, so it may have filled up more later.
Not wanting to be late at the other bar, I peeled myself away from the screen with the score twenty five minutes in of 3-all, with neither side looking to assert themselves fully on the game.
Got to the V-Lounge - it was totally packed, even more so than the Christmas dinner that we had. LMA and the group were all the way in the back - at that stage was NGR, LMA, TDE, MGR, SPE and some other girl who doesn't work with us and I haven't seen before. If I had a dollar for every 'how are you feeling' I got last night, I would probably have been able to buy a round LOL - it's just one of those things, people, and I am one of the least important people in the office. It is somewhat heart warming to know that people care, but I do my best to be unnoticed, inobtrusive - overdoing attention embarrasses me somewhat.
MGR and PFO turned up, as did CMC, PMA and FET. LMA had gotten a few plates of nibbles, and was drinking water and mocktails for the evening - something to do with being due with twins in ten days time. And she wants to come back to work in September. Brave woman, with that sort of timeframe - that's all I will say about it :)
I was thinking about having non-alcoholic drinks for the evening, what with my 'illness' from the previous day, but somehow I got around to having a couple of beers, a couple of cokes, and a bourbon and coke. More to the fore of my mind than my alcohol levels was my budget until next pay day, so was counting the pennies last night. Well, not quite, but I was taking care of my money much more than usual.
I was thinking of bailing about two or three times during the evening, but somehow managed to find my way from pub to pub with the others. PPE came in to the V-Lounge for about all of thirty seconds, we think he was looking for NGR, who is kind of an on again off again girlfriend. He didn't stick around when it was apparent she had already left - geez, thanks for that mate, what are we, chopped liver LOL.
By this stage, it was myself, LMA, TDE, MGR, CMC, PMA and FET left, and we were 'so over' the V-Lounge, and headed out deeper into the Valley. We got to Brunswick Street mall, and PMA and FET messed with the way an evening out should happen by getting pizza slices between pubs - the script is, you get pizza or kebabs or Maccas or whatever, on the way to the train station or taxi rank, not in the middle of the evening :)
We then headed past all the usual haunts, RGs, Belushis, before heading into the Press Club. Good atmosphere in that place, apart from the cigar smoke ick. Good thumping bass, but not as loud as V-Lounge, or maybe by this stage my hearing for shouted conversations had just gotten better. And $7.50 for a Stella, ick, but just got the one to treat myself, before I was back onto the XXXX Gold, 'cheap at only' $5.50.
We got seats by the window, that was opened up to the street, and across the road was the ultimate destination for the Friday night in the Valley game, New York Slice. Yum. Got to talking to LMA and TDE, while PMA and FET were talking to MGR, and CMC was at the bar making a new friend.
Still no defined dancefloor - there was space at the Press Club, but no one actually dancing - so it was decided to head off to another bar. If I remember the conversation correctly, some people were thinking of bailing and heading home, not only me, but it was sold as last pub of the night. I checked my pennies at this time, and, with the obligatory $5 slice of pizza across the road, I thought I could handle another couple of beers. If there had been an entry fee to one of these places, I would have been screwed, but as it was I was fine for another couple beers.
We wandered down to the Fringe Bar - somewhere I haven't been before. We went upstairs first, to check out the balconies and pool tables, but it was a bit of a rabbit warren and small rooms, and no dancefloor, so we headed back downstairs, found a table and made the usual base camp. As I hadn't intended on being out so long, and I had picked up the processed films as well, I had my bag all through the night. But I wasn't drinking enough to lose track of the bag, and was not intending to drink enough that keeping track of the backpack would be irritating.
It was just under the table, the bag that was, and it wasn't going anywhere, and I wasn't losing track of it, so all was good. Well, apart from the Rogue Traders being on the DJ's rotation list, and that silly Love Generation song, heard that about five times last night, grr. Had those couple of beers, danced a bit with CMC and TDE, and then it was suddenly five to midnight and everyone was leaving.
TDE and I headed to New York Slice, yum, barbeque chicken, while the others got a Maccas meal. As LMA hadn't been drinking at all, she could be the designated driver for most of the others, city or south side, I took my leave and headed to the train station. Got the second last train of the night, 12.10 from Brunswick Street, and was home just before 1am.
Not too much to report from today. Bugger all in fact. Maybe I will find a way of writing it up in an entertaining fashion tomorrow - or maybe not LOL.
Pauly
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