Monday ... It's a lark

I was sitting outside when S and M arrived home after Aqua. I said hello to M as she came around the corner and she asked where I was - even though I thought I was in plain view - and fairly hard to miss! She couldn't see me. I was apparently doing a Sherlock Holmes! At the end of the second movie, Sherlock Holmes is experimenting with disguise and can/not be seen when he's sitting on a couch. I inadvertently did the same thing.

While we sat there, having a quick catch-up, M was feeding the larks (they're back) with some of her leftover lunch (fish) and one came over and perched on the back of S's chair. Both M and I suggested she be careful lest the lark get too enthusiastic about being around folk. She didn't seem too worried.

Lark

I had breakfast with J this morning, up at Ormeau. They're okay at her place but there have been a few issues elsewhere which she's having to deal with, Their holiday is fast approaching, and she is looking forward to that very much.

M took Pearl running down the lane this afternoon. I looked up to see them racing out the gate. Pearl looked very happy - possibly because she was leading at that point. And she kept the lead because she was in front when they arrived back. M says this means Pearl is in shape and this is a good thing!

Well, I'm taking credit for our performance at Trivia tonight. Alas, we didn't win but we would have won (based on adjusted scores) if we'd taken Fl's choices for the bonus rounds. We would have had 3 additional points and a final score of 71. The winners tonight had just 70. Why do I take the credit? Because I overrode his telephone advice for the bonus rounds ... on the basis that just because the last "where in Australia" picture round was easy, with the names of the numbered locations given, there was no guarantee it would be the same this time. Call me cautious! But we had an interesting game and Nu even said he learnt something so it's all good. We did miss Ni and St, though, especially for the question about photons (protons?).

Mouse and M went to the movie at The Big House ... The Way Way Back... a coming of age story. They really enjoyed it - as did lots of other folk there - and it was, M said, a good turnout. They didn't eat there which is a shame because today is the first day of the new Spinners Bug special, and a review is needed.

It was raining again today here at Latimers, quite heavily at times. Hermes had his raincoat on all day. S's plants are growing ... as is that grass - even though it's not that warm. Just as well it's not growing that much though - because there's no mowing in the rain!

 

Sunday - Markets and a little more rain

It wasn't a bad turn-out at the Markets this morning although we were missing a few too. Mi is due back this week; Fe and Os will probably be back in a couple of weeks. And, of course, Ni won't be back for a bit. But, as we all know, the Markets go on whether you're there or not!

Today's Markets had a Christmas in July theme. And it was like Christmas for Nu because Va is back from overseas. He looked pretty happy ... happy enough to come to Trivia tomorrow night as it turns out. Some of the stall holders had entered into the Spirit of the Event and had tinsel and paper snow flakes on their booths. There was even a Santa and an elf. We, of course, had our own elves although they were out of uniform today: Sy and An went to a Christmas in July event yesterday and they'd sent through a photograph of them in costume ... and they were better than the Elf on offer at the Markets.

It was raining again today. Alas, even though S had suggested it might rain, M put some things out on the line. And as we sat at the Markets, and people realised it wasn't just overcast but raining, and quite heavily, M wasn't the only one who realised they would be rain-affected - she'd also left her door open and both Az and Fl also thought they had left windows open at home. That was one of the reasons we left the Markets earlier than usual. Still, it was after 12 by the time we left.

S and I decided to have the afternoon in - a decision aided by the rain. It had eased off some by the time we arrived back at Latimers but we didn't trust it not to start again. That turned out to be a fairly good call too. Maggie didn't object to S keeping her company on the bed; especially as S had made her a lovely little "nest" in there.

M took Mouse off to The Mosque this evening. It is the Bosnians turn to do the evening meal and they've gone along to support Mi and Az. At home, we feasted on leftovers for dinner: Mouse's Pumpkin Soup, and Stuffed Capsicums. There's some left for tomorrow as well.

There was a kookaburra sitting on Hermes' fence when I went out there first up this morning. It was magnificent... and then it started laughing. Is this how S knew it was going to rain or was it the Weather app on her iPhone?

The paddock (not Hermes') was full of cattle and egrets this afternoon. The egrets were not the only birdlife though ... which is where a bird identification book could come in handy.

I didn't make it down to see The Rockstars today ... but there is always tomorrow.

Saturday - BSKT and a few pictures

Not the rapture!

Swallows

We had a late start this morning; mine was because I didn't set the alarm because it's Saturday; S's was because she had another less than wonderful night last night and was just grabbing a few more minutes sleep before we set out for the day. We had been planning to go to the little cafe near the Post Office for breakfast. They do a good bacon (for those of us who like bacon). On the way in we talked about going somewhere else, just for a change, but decided we were probably be too late for breakfast if we went further afield than Nerang ... until M (who had not been raptured but had gone to Deep Water Running) called us to say she was trying out BSKT; she had read the review in the Gold Coast Bulletin a couple of weeks ago. I'd seen it too but I couldn't remember what it was, or where, so it's good she kept the clipping and sent us the address and a photograph of it.

Bird

We made it to BKST just before the breakfast session closed - but it was good M had a contingency plan - she was going to order for us if we weren't there on time (and why was it that we were stopped by every red light along the Gold Coast Highway on the way there). So iinstead of having Navajo Eggs or the BBB (BSKT Big Breakfast) - M's choices for us - we had eggs and ham. It was all good -even though their crossword on the back of the menu was fairly hard ... until M (and kudos to her) worked out that BSKT stood for Biscuit. She had seen ginger biscuits on the counter, where, she said, there would normally be lollies. In the end, we didn't finish it, although we did do a couple of rounds of Trivia - from the Sydney Morning Herald and from the puzzle magazine M had with her.

Birds?

After brunch, M went off to do what she does on a fine Saturday, as well as swiping our cards at The Big House. There was one winner today apparently ... me! Thanks M.

Meanwhile, back at Latimers, S, who was not feeling absolutely well, went back to bed to rest. While she did that, I took the camera out the front to watch the swallows' building site. The nest has come along a lot in the last couple of days. And once the camera was out, I took a few more photographs as well.

 

When M arrived home, she went straight out the front with the pruning sheers to do some work on the tree out there ... and then she took ROM out to mow the verge. Si and Ca were out feeding the horses when she was doing this and they stopped to have a chat and to watch. Pearl had been helping M but she interrupted her branch carrying to come for a walk to B's with me. The Rock Stars truck was back but because I had her with me, I didn't go up to take photographs of them (although I did have the camera with me). I had taken a photograph of them leaving this morning though.

 

Friday - Minions and Mouse Dinner

"I want one! I want one!" is what I should have said but as it was I just watched the little girl at the table next to us play with her Minion (Despicable Me 2) toy. Do you need to have a child with you when you buy a kids meal at Maccas?

Sunset in the valley

There is no doubt about it, the yard is starting to look fabulous. Even though it appeared that the greenery over near the retaining wall had been cut back far too severely, only a couple of days later, and with a freshly-mown lawn in front of it, it's looking good! And we know, from what we've seen of the decimated hedge down at Da's place near the road, they do grow back! When they did that it was nothing more than sticks poking up out of the ground ... and now, less than a year later, it is, again, a hedge. And M, not to be outdone in the yard stakes, has now filled the bin with leaf litter off the tree out the front. She had been, I think, a little surprised when the piles she had swept up yesterday had not blown away, and, with Pearl's help this morning, she finished the job and shovelled them into the bin.

The Rock Stars are back! I noticed their truck down there today when Pearl and I went for a walk. I'm not sure how long they've been there or how long they're staying ... but The Ekka is on in a minute so they're probably going to bearound for that.

We're not sure what Tinka and Maggie are up to, but there were hanging around at the front gate as night was falling - which is a time for them to be rather than out. When we mentioned it M she suggested it might be because there are hatchlings, quails probably, over in L's paddock. That would explain it ... them off to do nefarious deeds under the cover of darkness. Cats will be cats ... but sometimes I think they could just ask for some more cookies if they're hungry!

Suspicious behaviour

Dinner was at Mouse's tonight ... and we feasted on Pumpkin Soup, Stuffed Capsicums and rhubard, custard and ice cream. Yum. And we came home with leftovers. Mouse really does take good care of all of us. Fl did end up coming, too. He had been planning to go out with his brother and nephew, and apparently had gone to the movies ("Wolverine") and broken fast with them before deciding he'd come over to Mouse's with the rest of us for a cup of tea. And to show off his facial hair growth ... which I have offered to straight razor off for him when the time comes, but I don't think he looked too thrilled at the prospect. It is something I've always wanted to do.

Sox came downstairs while we were there too. He is looking fairly frail but he is still making an effort and seems well enough within himself.

Tinka was outside when we arrived home: she walked in with S, then came out again, walked in with me (I was helping carry things in from the car) and then, as M was carrying a load in, decided to go out again. It was far too late for that and, luckily, M managed to corral her before she could be on her way. The moon, although not quite full now, does still provide enough light for hunting (and that's not even taking into account that cat's have superior night vision)so it's best that she isn't out with the wildlife. Meanwhile, Maggie was asleep in bed and didn't stir!

 

Thursday - The Lone Ranger and more ROM

Maggie obviously mistook me for a doorman this morning because she had me up and down more than a few times to let her in, and out, and in ... and so on. She's not usually so undecided. The last time I let her out, I was surprised to hear, within seconds, her scratching on the door in to S's room. S opened the door for her and Maggie went in - and settled in on the bed and went back to sleep. You couldn't blame her though; I think it was even colder today than it was yesterday. And let's not forget that both she and Tinka had been busy all morning - giving Ja's newly refreshed garden a good work out; they were both been in there before 8. You have to be proud that they do remember there are facilities outside!

Mowings

S and I left Maggie sleeping (her mother had already set out for Robina) while we took off to the movies to see "The Lone Ranger"! What a fabulous, amazing, awesome and wonderful movie. Yes ... we did like it. I can't understand how Fl wasn't raving about it after he'd seen it. It works on a number of levels - with a very serious message delivered with a sometimes wicked comic touch. Johnny Depp is amazing - as is his bird (crow?)... oh and the guy who plays The Lone Ranger and ... the spirit horse. < giggles> It is amazing, though, that the bird and the spirit horse are such a memorable characters! Alas, neither S nor I nor An could hang around after the film for a debrief ... that would have been fun! So, off S and I went, back to Nerang for lunch, and then S had her appointment while I waited in the car (read: had a little nap).

The good news was that the rain had held off and as soon as we arrived home, I jumped on ROM to finish mowing the house yard and part of Hermes' paddock. I don't know what those horses have been doing in there ... oh wait, I do ... they've been jumping and running on the wet groiund ... because they have left it pitted and littered with holes! If it keeps on like this, we're going to need to go over it with a grader to level it out rather than with ROM.

Thank goodness the electric fence was off though. When I opened the gate to take ROM through into the paddock, I avoided the tape very very carefully. Taking ROM back out, I meant to, but didn't, replace the tape. Once I did remember, I walked back and it may have been that as I had just turned the air compressor on (to clean ROM down), I noticed the fence wasn't on but, for whatever reason, I wasn't nearly as careful as I had meant to be - and brushed my forearm against the tape - too late realising that was exactly what I had planned not to do. I'm not sure what went through my mind first: that I was about to be zapped or the realisation that I wasn't. Phew! But I couldn't believe how quickly I'd forgotten. As I said, just as well the fence wasn't on!

More mowings

"Is it worth playing CSP now the jackpot has gone off" asked S this afternoon. "Why yes", was the answer with the caveat that it wouldn't be the same taking out the CSP Jackpot if it was under $50,000 as it currently is as it would have been last week when it was almost $300,000. And, besides, we all know - if CSP isn't exciting enough (really ... no chance)there's always roulette!

It's either too cold for them or they've finally learnt the routine but the furries were all tucked up and ready for the night in by the time M and I arrived back from The Big House. They weren't the only ones either ... S was in the middle of settling for the night, too.

 

Wednesday - Bingo and ROM

It was so very cold . . . cold . . . cold here this morning! I'd already noticed: when my coffee came I was ecstatic not because it was my first coffee of the day but because it was in a mug and I could wrap my freezing hands around it. So, it really wasn't that much of a surprise when I heard one of the cafe staff offer one of the other patrons a blanket! I think he thought she was joking ... she wasn't and I think if she'd had one out and given it to him, he would have taken it. I certainly thought about it! But even though it was very cold, it seemed that the cafe was full - with people sitting in the sunshine, dragging any warmth they could out of it.

Wednesday is Bingo but, alas, there were no (winner are) grinners today. But lunch was still on at Daniel Stuart's and I joined them there after spending a glorious 2 hours sitting at a table near the ceiling to floor plate glass windows in the Palm Lounge, basking in the sunlight streaming in, and doing some paperwork.

After lunch, M went off to the Aldi at Southport Park looking for the boltless five-tier (shelf) system they have on sale. Unfortunately they had already sold out at that store, so she may have to look elsewhere.

Ja's handy-work!

Back at Latimers, it was a busy day with both Je and Ja coming ... to work in the house and the yard respectively. Ja was particularly busy - cutting down Lilly Pillys, the magnolia and ... another tree that used to be near the avocado tree - and taking the tree refuse down to the paddock below the garage and arranging it into a bonfire heap ... which M will get Be to ignite after we've had a bit more rain, and after she's mowed the grass around it. That wasn't today though ... she was busy mowing the house yard - even though the ground was spongy underfoot ... as she said, there's rain forecast - and she wanted to get it done before it arrived. She didn't manage to get it all done, though, and Hermes' yard still needs some attention - and if it hasn't rained between then and now, I'll give it a go tomorrow afternoon. Of course, the mowing could have been easier today if M had noticed that the two front wheels on ROM were flat; which explains why the cut looks uneven in places. Thank goodness it's not the deck playing up again though - and thankyou to M pumped up the tyres before she put ROM away. Hopefully they'll still be up tomorrow afternoon. And hopefully the ground won't be as wet, because wet ground means mud gets caught up under the deck and it can be difficult to get off!

Everyone was in tonight and M and S were enjoying "Offspring" very much, judging from the peels of laughter coming from the viewing area. There's only three more weeks of "Offspring" this year so hopefully it resolves well for them, although it looked from the trailers as though there will be a death in Nina's world.

Did I mention that S made Hungarian Goulash Soup last night ... and I get to have leftovers tonight. Yum.

 

Tuesday - birds, baby and not enough blankets

Nest-building

The birds are back! They're building a nest under the eaves out the front in the same place as last year's birds. S and M noticed them a few days ago when they were sitting there and I finally saw the two birds working on the nest this morning. And they were safe while they were doing it - at least from Maggie as she didn't get out of bed until just before noon. She didn't even get up for breakfast ... mind you, that was about 6am, so it's understandable except she usually does make the effort.

Asleep again!

Maybe she realized that M was going off for the day (QCAT again) and that she could do it because S wasn't going to chase her out. And. of course, another reason for staying in was because it was cold again today. S was probably pleased that it was windy as well because she had decided to do washing -and it turned out to be a brilliant drying day.

Almost full moon

That was exciting but it was more exciting in London today: Royal Baby Born ... which sounds like an extension to the Baby Born range with a range of regal accessories rather than a news headline.

In the bag!

 

 

M texted S during the day to ask if she could come home yet - Person Public seemed to have been a little more Irrational today. Anyone with experience in these areas might automatically jump to the conclusion that it had something to do with Moon phases.

Back on the bed!

It was almost Full Moon over Latimers tonight ... and it was absolutely amazing!

Tinka finally came back into the bedroom this afternoon - but only, we think, because she hadn't noticed Maggie was already in there ... curled up and asleep in the bag we had taken to The Big House last week. Maggie stayed there most of the evening - until S went to bed and then she crawled in with her and cuddled up in the middle of the bed - where she stayed most of the night, weighing down the covers so that when S turned over in bed, the covers didn't go with her so her back was exposed to the cold ... and it was cold! She's talking about rearranging the Manchester so it doesn't happen again.

The horses are okay today and there don't appear to have been any ill-effects from the vaccinations.

Monday - there are no Trivial pursuits.

Balloon ahoy!

There was the familiar whooshing noise this morning and when I went out to look there was a balloon quite low over Latimers. It managed to gain height again and for a brief moment I thought about following it to take some photographs of the landing, but I worked out fairly quickly that it's really hard to drive and spot the balloon at the same time.

The revised date for the Federal election hasn't yet been announced but the electioneering has started! At Maccas this morning, having my free coffee, I was reading The Courier Mail and found a full page ad advertising K Rudd's new asylum seeker strategy - very odd really because if it's aimed at refugees arriving by boat, why is it in our press ... unless it is about informing the electorate that ALP is ramping the anti-boat strategy up a few notches. And, if that wasn't enough - and I blame myself here for getting the staff to change the channel from the kids' shows to one of the morning/news programs, on came K Rudd himself advertising the intended/"good" works of the ALP. Yep, there's definitely an election brewing!

I couldn't not watch the news here at Maccas though - I love the closed captions. I am totally in awe of the people who are able to do captioning in real time - and grateful for the mistakes they make ... some are very understandable but I think they just throw some in out of left field to keep us happy/entertained. I can just imagine the competition among the different captioners to see who can get it wrong the best.
It's another wet day at Latimers which would be okay except for the lawn still needing a mow and that it is quite cold. It's supposed to get down to single digits overnight - which probably means we'll have Maggie in with us again - she was in with us last night - and while she's very good at not hogging the bed - she does take the space she needs.

As planned, the horses have now been vaccinated and Na has suggested we keep an eye on them just in case there are any ill-effects from the shots.

Luckily M managed to get an appointment with the Dentist today so they could fix her tooth (the temporary fix hasn't lasted). She only had time for a quick turnaround after that before Maggie was due back at The Tevs ... there had been some talk of doing another blood test to check her thyroid levels to see if they were responsible for the heart murmur they picked up the last time M had Maggie there. They decided it was probably too soon and they've made another appointment for a fortnight. It was odd to see M taking Maggie off to The Tevs, rather than Tinka - I think Tinka thought so too because she was fairly cautious when she next saw M.

Which personality type are you? S finally got her way and had us all do the Myers Briggs personality test - or a facsimile thereof - this afternoon. There were really no surprises - except that my results varied from the results of a similar test I took this morning - but I think that may have had to do with the version I did ... it had a six-point rating scale for the questions rather than either/or and I think that skewed the result. So, now, instead of being "The Technician", I am "The Scientist"; S "The Protector" and M "The Idealist" ... as I said, no surprises!

Maggie.

It was another less than ideal showing at Trivia tonight - we're still a French/Australian couple down (and will be for a couple of months yet) and we were another valued team member down because An couldn't make it tonight either - something about going out on a date with Sy to Salt. But Nu could make it - boosting our number to four - and proving himself very useful by providing more than a couple of correct answers ... still more evidence that everyone knows something and, therefore, that no-one has an excuse for not coming to Trivia! Hopefully we'll be able to get him back next week as well. Va is back at the end of this week and hopefully she will let him out on Monday night - just joking ... he's probably not going to want to leave her! And speaking of wives being away, Fl is still a few weeks away from seeing Mi and the boys. Just as well, too, because he hasn't yet talked about what he most enjoys doing in Mi's absence - reorganising their cupboards! Can't be far away now.

 

Sunday - Markets and J. K. Rowling

It would have been nice to sleep in this morning but I hadn't thought ahead to reschedule Tr's Skype call. S, on the other hand, had no reason to get up early and as she'd had another bad night, she decided to sleep ... and give the Markets a miss. She was missed though ... we could have used her to boost the numbers since there were only seven of us ... which is probably one of the smallest groups I can remember. But it wasn't small enough not to have dissent - While Fl and I wanted to sit outside in the sun; most of the others didn't but they let us - and sought shade under paper hats, Mouse's umbrellas (she is the only person I know who carries three!) - and then the large outdoor umbrella that Fl and I "borrowed" from The Last Post Cafe's outdoor setting. I'm not sure we'll get the opportunity to sit outside in the sunshine again until we can work out a way of making sure that there is shade available to those who want it.

Small umbrellas!

After the Markets, when I phoned S to see if she was up and about and okay ... she was ... and she was hungry and in the mood for Fish and Chips. And as all Fish and Chips are not created equal, and because S loves her fish so much (and she's considerate enough of the Pisces in the house not to cook it in the house) I went to the Benowa Fish and Chip place to get her some fresh Snapper. It was good too because it gave me a chance to do some shopping ... and, if I'd known M happened to be there at Zarraffas, I would have stopped in for a coffee with her as well but as it was I managed to get a few more pages of JK Rowling's new book, as published under the name Robert Galbraith. Tr and I had talked about it this morning ... including why she published under a boy's name. I had read something about that crime/murder sells better if it's seen to be written by a male so I suggested it was a marketing decision. Then Tr asked what the ''K" stood for in "JK Rowling"! Neither of us knew ... so we went to the internet ... and were very surprised to see that "J'' and "K" are not Ms Rowling's initials. She has no middle name and therefore no middle initial. And, to further make the point about how these things happen, Wikipedia advised that the Potter book publishers deemed boys might not want to read books written by "Jo" Rowling - so they suggested initials - and she took the "K" from her paternal grandmother.

Big umbrella!

S and I had a quiet afternoon in. I thought about jumping onto ROM for a mow but it's still far too wet and soggy underfoot for that to be possible without tearing up the lawn.

M and Mouse were in at The Big House for the draw this afternoon - taking their chance to be a "Millionaire". They weren't it this week but they still have four more chances over the coming weeks ... although hopefully it won't seem like they're there for hours next time ... although they will be.

 

Saturday - The Little Plate and Abba

Another sleep-in. Coffee at Spinners while S had a bit more of a sleep-in (she'd had an unsettled night). Breakfast at the Executive Lounge. Late checkout. A great start to the morning!

From The Big House, we took ourselves off to Brunchy Lunchy at The Little Plate in Burleigh Heads - as organised by M. I'd forgotten how far away Burleigh Heads is - especially with the continuing roadworks on The Gold Coast Highway. But according to the reviews we read on the web while we were there, The Little Plate is the #1 restaurant in the area - and having been there now, we definitely agree - and well worth the trip down that way.

The food was excellent and there was enough of it - especially given they had a choice of entree or main size for most of the dishes. There were some great choices on the Specials board as well - including the dessert we all had (except Sy) - Banana Split with Hockey Pokey ice cream. Yum. Double Yum. They've only been open for 10 weeks or so and I predict they will be open for a while longer.

AbbaLive!

Tonight was AbbaLive at The Southport RSL Club and it was ... fantastic. And obviously a big night out for everyone in the audience! They played all the old favourites - and they are all "old" favourites since the group has been apart for over 30 years now. And, as S's brother posted on FaceBook, it was good that the original fans could be there. I think Sy and I were almost the youngest people in the audience (if you don't count the children some folk had brought along!). Sy and I danced the whole second half of the show - along with just about everyone else there. l had so much fun that I'd forgotten, until just then, how annoyed I was by the lack of organisation (and serving staff) at the bar.

The house was in darkness and there was no string of Christmas lights or as I drove in tonight. But at least the back door was open ... and I closed it - not sure that Tinka and Maggie were in. Pearl didn't stir, so it was a safe enough let that she was in with M. Maggie was in with S - on the new blanket ... S told me later that as soon as Maggie saw that new blanket going on to the bed, she was there and settling in. I'm not sure where Tinka was but she appeared in the kitchen as I was very quietly boiling the kettle and making a Milo. She asked for cookies, which I gave her; she ate them; asked again, I gave her more and she ate those, and then walked away. She'd obviously had enough!

When she stirred, I showed S the videos I'd taken on my phone of AbbaLive. She asked the question I had asked myself throughout the show - were they performing it live, or were they lip-syncing? I still don't know ... the latter I think, but it really didn't matter. It was all good!

 

Friday - and disappointment

CSP went off! In the early hours of the morning. To a blonde woman! From Melbourne! That's the rumour anyway. And if the Brisbane one went off to a man on the Gold Coast ... maybe we have a reduced chance of winning because we're playing in the wrong place! Certainly the second table here wasn't the place to be! But we couldn't get on to the first one! Such would have been (and was) the lament of more than a few regular players when they heard the news!

It's a shame S doesn't sleep better when we're away from home (and at home for that matter) because she was a bit wrecked this morning. I saw it firsthand last night though - because for once I was awake (working on that job application) - but being very quiet with the lights way down low - i.e. touchtyping by the light of the iPad screen - so I know it wasn't me disturbing her. At one point she woke up and then just couldn't settle again. Poor her. But she was able to grab a bit more sleep after breakfast (in the Executive Lounge - breakfast that is not the nap - yum!) so she was okay by the time I dropped her off at Pacific Fair so she could meet the others at The Coffee Club for Friday lunchl/coffee.

I would have gone too but I had other plans... meeting FI and An at HarbourTown ... because it's finally "Pacific Rim" day! It was ... big although sometimes it's easy these days to forget to appreciate how "big" because we have seen some of the CGI effects before ... only a couple of weeks ago we saw another city reduced to rubble in the good vs evil fight in "Man of Steel"... although, admittedly, that one didn't have the Newton's Cradle (office desk accessory - perpetual motion machine). I found it all a bit reminiscent of "Independence Day" - and what was that about the shoe/s?

An and I had a coffee with FI as he broke his fast after the movie before I had to dash away to join S at CheeseLand at The Big House. CheeseLand seems to be yet another casualty of The Big House cost-cutting. There were no little warmed up cause developers or finger foods there last night. Even the little nuts selections have disappeared from the tables.

We grabbed a bite to eat with M at Spinners before S and I retired upstairs ... where I had Bath#2 in two days - it doesn't get much better than this! Although a piping hot Milo does help!

Thursday - streaking past on the way to TBH

Who would have thought that by not watching The Big Game last night, we would miss out on today's internet meme: The Streaker! He has been showing up at various (Photoshopped) locations including the Ballet! And at least one source suggests he is a serial offender - he, or a gentleman with a very similar physique and tattoo on his upper leg, streaked at a game a few years ago. The aspect that most amazed me, though, was that he was not totally naked-that's if you consider shoes to be an item of clothing. And how is it that no-one stopped him from dropping his "daks" and running onto the ground? Are people unobservant ... or don't care ... or something different altogether?

Horsing around!

And speaking of "together', Hermes and his paddock mate ended up actually in the same paddock today. This is not great as they don't seem to like each other. They take pretend nips at each other and it sometimes looks as though there will be kicking, which leads to running or pig rooting which leads to more holes in the paddock - especially.as the ground is still saturated and easily marked. M separated them with firm words, an apple cut into quarters and a head stall!

On the way back from the bottom paddock, M must have spied the bananas and decided it was time to relocate them because the next time we saw her after seeing her leading the horse down the back, the wheelbarrow was outside the garage. Do you need a hand' we asked, and luckily she didn't say she already had one (lots actually given the size of the bunch) so we went over to play "get the bananas hanging from a strap in the garage". It was fun - especially having turns trying to get the strap over the beam - that was about the hardest part - except for initial attempts at working out which type of knot to use. As is usually the case, too much thinking can be a bad thing and on her first attempt, before we arrived, M had tied a workable knot - but not been able to winch the bunch up. D'oh. In the end, she used a ratchet strap. Job done!

Hmmm - it's good to know that even though I was distracted and ended up leaving the door open for a good while, no cats were locked in the garage by mistake. Such is the benefit of a rain shower - they were safely under cover and not venturing out while it was on. Hopefully any other critters in the area were the same!.

S may have been okay with the rain too - if she hadn't just moved the clothes rack with the smalls into the spot where the sun had been shining just that moment ago ..

S and I almost saw "The Lone Ranger" today! We had arranged to go with An but she texted just before we were due to meet to say she wouldn't be able to make it. We replied saying we could do it some other time and trusting all was okay at her end. So, S and I went to lunch instead in the Fig Tree Food Court which is now minus the Fig Tree but still bears the name. We were trying to remember why they had chopped the tree down but neither of us could - just that it had been done with indecent haste. The little Vietnamese restaurant we went to was incredibly busy - good to see since it is a bit off the beaten track and could easily be overlooked.

Next stop:The Big House... to confirm M's news that there is no longer any talk of Spinners charging for tomato sauce... but that was never the plan, M was assured when she raised in with a supervisor ... but they did have the aioli in their sights. Nope, all condiments should be complimentary! Let's hope no-one suggests they could really start raking in the dollars if they started charging for sugar!

Hands ... up!

The Big House is having a''1 in 6 wins" swipe promotion at the moment and S has collected a $50 Food and Beverage Voucher - to go with my $25 Casino Dollars from earlier this week. And while we were happy about that we were even happier to be going to CheeseLand this evening - made all the nicer because I'd had a wonderful, long, hot bath beforehand! Some days it just doesn't get any better - except today, after a good job application session, there was the Steak and lobster Special for dinner with S and M, and then a little play on the tables. A good win would have capped the day off nicely but I settled for finishing the application before midnight and having a much earlier night than I ever have at Jupiters! (Thanks again M for the room!)

 

Wednesday - Butchers and Bingo

Who knew that Wednesdays is Double Click day at Maccas? I met S and M there when they had their breakfast - pancakes with blueberries and Mouse's passionfruit. I'd already had breakfast (and said hello to M's Big House Buddy - aka Elvis' biggest fan; and watched the butcher's meat being delivered) over in Nerang; and picked up the mail! Over breakfast, we did the Herald quiz and it looked as though we would have a spectacular result - we managed 5 (out of 5) in the first (easy) round, 4 in the next (medium) round, but crashed in the third (hard) round with 1 (yes, still out of 5). I knew we should have stopped earlier! But hopefully we learned something .

Meat at Nerang!

S and M went off to Bingo while I knuckled down to write a "personal statement" for my CV, and a reference for me from one of my previous bosses. Hmmm. Not my favourite thing to do - selling myself, but I'll have to get better at it if l'm going to tout myself more on the job market!

Fortunately, they did have better luck at Bingo - both Mouse and M had wins. An wasn't there - she'd obtained a leave pass earlier as she had business in Brisbane. I'm not sure if Em made it, but S did and while she had a good time, she's going to have to seek her fortune elsewhere.

They had lunch at Daniel Stuart's - and S was saying that they were still full from their pancake breakfast, so much so that in the end S just had a salad sandwich; and I'm thinking, but I'm not sure, that Mouse and M would have shared something for lunch.

Then M took S in search of "the" blanket. When we were in Toowoomba, S came across a blanket that she fell in love with - like mink. I think part of the attraction was that it was the colour of teddy bears - and it may have reminded her of her childhood bear. Alas, the blanket she found (at a very good discounted price) was not the same colour ... which probably means that Edmund's position as the favourite inanimate object is probably safe for a little while longer!

Tonight was "let's clear up some space on the iPad" and that meant transferring nearly 22GB of photographs to a portable hard drive. Of course, I didn't want to leave it running overnight so I spent more time than necessary moving across individual folders - and didn't quite get it all done - but there's always tomorrow.

Really Jupiters?

It's a little cooler this evening and everyone was in early enough to want to go out when it was actually time for lock-down. It's not even that they were trying to escape the State of Origin decider because we were one of the few places where the game wasn't on. Luckily the felines did come back in before I was finally ready to call it a night (how long does it take to write a "personal statement"?) because when I did the rounds to check before closing up and locking down (have to love the English language!), Pearl was in with S, Maggie was on her cushion on the couch and Tinka was in on M's bed ... and at this rate she (Tinka) looks to have moved in there for the Winter - she's going in now even when the heater isn't on and looks very, very comfortable.

Oops ... almost forgot ... following the great tomato sauce debacle at The Big House, I SMS'd a note to The Gold Coast Bulletin - which they published today!

 

Tuesday - washing and walking

Out and about early again. I referred the guy at the Post Office cafe to Daniel Stuart's when he told me that, on their days off, he and his wife go and check out other cafes - and are often disappointed. This followed my surprise that he had remembered my coffee order (does that make me a regular?) and complimenting him on their bacon. As he said, very early on they had realised that they could not skimp on bacon - or ... something else ... but I now can't remember what that "something else" was ... but they don't skimp on that either!

The Nerang Library continues to be incredibly popular. The car park was absolutely chockers (read: full) when I arrived just after 9 this morning. There were lots of kids too - probably because there were some reading sessions aimed at them - and from where I sat, they sounded quite interesting and were certainly well-attended. Others were there with their computers - taking advantage of the Library's free Wi-Fi. It has been upgraded recently and is quite fast - and no special time-based login is required. The staff are quite proud of it.

S had a busy washing day today, taking advantage of the small window of opportunity with uncharacteristic blue skies, and she managed to get it mostly dry - which was quite amazing given M had gone off this morning to get her car washed thereby almost guaranteeing it would rain. Luckily it only sprinkled here although I'm fairly sure it would have been raining in Carrara (since it usually does).

I was out most of the morning but made it home in time for lunch with S. At first I couldn't find Pearl but that was because I wasn't looking in the right place for her ... she on the couch - which seems to be about her favourite day bed at the moment. Should we be worried that S says that Pearl's favourite television programme is "Clean Houses"? Tinka was on one of the chairs out the back, not at all bothered by the huge flock of white cockatoos screeching in the heights of the Bohemia tree. I just hoped they didn't have any designs on the Latimers fruit trees because we know they've been quite partial to them in the past.

Na popped in this morning, I hear, before the others were ''up and at 'em" and still in their PJs. As M told Na, she had actually been awake for hours at that point (and she had - I saw her on my way out) but had been reading - and it was a good morning for it too! Na had come on "horse business", something about vaccinating them - a good idea given the recent virus concerns. It's something you have to think about if you're not city-based.

S did a lamb roast and vegetables for dinner tonight and it was wonderful - well worth cleaning up after. It was her television night - Annabel Crabb's program followed by "New Tricks". While S and M watched those (M while she attacked some of her ironing pile), I finished reading "The Great Gatsby''. I am still surprised at how faithful Baz Luhrmann's film was to the book - and the previously published draft of the book in which one of the key differences is the anger (as well as the stifling heat) in the Hotel interchange between Jay and Tom. I'm still none-the-wiser though about why it is the "Great" Gatsby unless, perhaps, it's because of the way he, Gatsby, surrounded himself with illusion and kept everyone guessing. Ah, another key difference between the book and BL's film - in the book, Jay's father, who Jay has provided for, and visited, comes to the funeral - and with him he has one of James' (before he was Gatsby) books, in the front of which is a daily schedule - including time carved out for exercise and study and a resolve to “Read one improving book or magazine per week"!

Night approaches

Pearl and I took a walk down the lane while M fed the cats tonight. It was glorious - it had been raining but we went between sprinkles, and the gathering night light was glorious. Unfortunately, the photo really doesn't do it justice.

 

Monday - Beers and chocolates

Early morning rising - it does suit me! Especially after a good night's sleep! I was up and about fairly early this morning - sitting at the coffee shop with my flat white and reading the paper by just after 8. M was out early too but her early rise was a bit more serious ... she had an emergency dental appointment - and it was lucky they were able to fit her in. The news was not good but it seems to be bearable until they are able to work out the permanent solution.

S made it to Aqua today and just as well because the class was quite small again - five in total - it would have been six but M couldn't make it in time after her appointment.

Post-Aqua S and I called in to Ferry Road Markets for lunch. S loves the fish there - it's always fresh and well-cooked - and it, together with a little salad and a few chips, makes the perfect lunch for her. I'm always happy to have something from the bakery. And, of course, there's always Merlo's coffee there which S says is the best coffee in the world ... and, it's true, it's pretty good but I'm going to have to sample a few more coffees in a few more countries before I'm prepared to categorically agree to the "best coffee in the world" tag.

It rained off and on here today which meant there was no washing at Latimers ... maybe tomorrow. But the gardens Ja did are looking tremendous!

Chocolate Bretzels!

It must be getting on to "Christmas in July" time! The Southport RSL Club is adorned with Christmas wreaths and big polystyrene snow flakes - and who knew there were so many different types of snowflakes - dendrite, star, needle ... Ah, Trivia. After the first round - Alcoholic Beverages - we were fairly sure we had no chance of making it onto that Podium. We just don't know our beers well enough - or our ciders for that matter - because we managed only 4 out of a possible 10. We had originally thought that because we had An and De and Fl we would have a decent chance with Alcoholic Beverages - until we found out there wasn't a wine, liqueur or spirit among them. And who knew there were so many different types of beer that we've never heard of, let alone not be able to recognize by photograph? Ah well, at least we had the choccies Ni had left for us (thanks Ni!)- as carried by her from France. Yum - and in a variety of flavours as well! They must have helped because at the end of the night, we were in the tie-break for third place - and thanks to "The Lone Ranger" - and Fl - we prevailed. In the movie yesterday, Fl had seen "San Francisco 1933" superimposed over a shot of that city - and showing The Golden Gate Bridge under construction in the background. The tie-break question: in what year was the Golden Gate Bridge completed? We went for 1934, the others had a date in the 20's ... ta da, third! Truly amazing - especially as someone from the other team had also just seen TLR!

Mouse and M went to dinner at The Big House and had the just-back-today Steak and Lobster Special - as wonderful as always - unless you want tomato sauce with your chips. M asked a server for some who told her that she could get it for her but that it would cost her $1; M thought she was joking - but, no, Spinners are now charging for tomato sauce. At this rate they'll be taking away the free water in the main gaming room ... oh wait, they've already done that ages ago! Time for some letters to the management!

The furries were all inside when we arrived home last night and they must have been fairly settled because Pearl (the watch dog?) didn't even realise M had arrived home until the back door opened. Hmmm ...

 

Sunday - Blueberries and Pancakes

Blueberries!

S had decided that pancakes would be fantastic to have with the blueberries Ni had managed to secure and pass on to Fl, to M, to us before she (Ni) went back to France today. And, when S picked up the pancake mix yesterday, I had no idea that she was planning for breakfast to be a bonding exercise - she had decided that We and I should cook them together. It was a great notion, and I managed to successfully pour the water into the bottle, screw the top of the bottle back on, and then shake-shake-shake until the mixture was ready for We to cook. It was a learning exercise as well - Ma had some tips about making sure that all the mixture was used - rather than still being stuck to the bottom of the bottle - and I managed to get all the mixture off the bottom of the second bottle by myself, without Ma's expert intervention.

The blueberries were absolutely amazing ... and, as Ch said, "they're much better than frozen ones". And he is so right!

The Markets looked like fun ... based on the photograph M sent of the group. An wasn't there - her hand is giving her trouble and she's due to see the specialist in the next couple of days.

The Markets

We managed to see Dr and Te again today - but not Ka (he was asleep when they arrived back from Grandma's) nor Mi who was staying over with Grandma.

We made it back to Latimers before nightfall (just) and were able to feed the furries to start making our way back into their good books after our absence.

M was out at "The Lone Ranger" and then having dinner (to break their fast) with the movies crowd, including Fl. When she arrived home she was bearing Crostolis ... Mouse has been cooking again!

 

Saturday - on the road again

M went off to the Spit this morning while we packed and set off on the drive to Toowoomba. The visit was to see Te and Dr before they move up to the Sunshine Coast at the end of the month. This will be their first move away from Toowoomba and since they will be taking their kids with them, this was our last chance to play with them for a while. Mi wasn't slow in bringing out her new favourite tool - a basketball - flat, but still playable ... just. For a three-year-old she isn't bad at catching - and she has a very good throwing arm. At one stage Mi threw and luckily I intercepted it before it could get through and hit S who was watching the game from behind me.

In the Mist

The drive up to Toowoomba was interesting, especially when we drove in to the fog ... reminiscent of Stephen King's "The Mist" which gave me a chance to talk about the ending (again) with S. She was kind enough to listen to it (again) - although she did remind me that she had watched the movie with me the first time I saw it.

We and Ma had everyone over for a barbecue this evening - which was wonderful, especially since they also had the fireplace on ... warm and toasty in Toowoomba. We followed up dinner with a viewing of Arnie's latest offering "The Last Stand" which was very violent, totally unrealistic, but great escapism.

Meanwhile, back at Latimers, Tinka checked out our room and then, not finding us there, moved herself back into M's room ... but it was nice to have Tinka in with me last night.

ROM'd lawn

Ja was due to come today but we'll have to wait until we get home to find out if the rain managed to hold off, and if she did come and start doing the Latimers horticultural overhaul.

The new-look Gardens

Update: Ja did indeed come and did the two front gardens; and M taking advantage of a break in the weather, jumped on ROM for a run around the yard - unfortunately without the mulcher on .... but it's good she was able to get the mowing done at all!

 

Friday and Borscht

M went off to do her usual Friday thing (after taking Pearl for a morning walk) and S and I eased into the day before I went off to Crave at Crestwood to meet Jo and Tr for lunch.

I had been thinking about going to the movies with Fl but he decided to go to "Man of Steel" but as that one I have already seen - just last week, I told him to count me out. He would have gone to see "World War Z" (and it's been long enough since I saw it that I would have seen it again) but it started too late for him to go and still make it to dinner.

And there's no way that he was going to miss dinner ... it was at Mouse's. The Great K came too, and, of course, Fl ... although Fl was the most tired we have ever seen him. He was almost asleep after the Borscht - but he came to long enough to eat dinner, but left soon after ... while we were looking for Socks who M had put upstairs while we were all at Mouse's. Socks is blind now and it's better to keep him out of the way just in case someone knocks into him by mistake. When M went upstairs to check on him, he was nowhere to be found so she started looking for him ... and then I started to help, and The Great K. In the end, I found him on my second search of the upstairs. Socks had put himself into a cupboard in the end room - and I had discounted this on the first run through, as M had too I think, because the sliding cupboard door didn't appear to be open enough for Socks to get in. He had fooled us all, he had entered via the door nearest the wall - which was, indeed, open enough ... what I'm still trying to work out is how he knew (a) where it was and (b) that it was open. Clever cat.

Dinner was Borscht and Vereniki ... the usual "Yum!", especially as we were lucky enough to get leftovers to bring home ... which will be very wonderful for dinner when we get back from Toowoomba on Sunday evening.

Thursday - Murwillumbah

We had a lovely day today with Ha and Ma who are visiting the Gold Coast this week. Ma was here to sit an oral exam for her Membership to the Vet Society. She's been a vet for 19 years and is ready to go the next step, but not necessarily the step after that which would be studying to be a Fellow of the Society. She will find out tomorrow if she's passed the Oral.

Hopefully we were able to keep her mind off it for the day. M had a great idea - that we should take them to the Murwillumbah Art Gallery where the Ben Quilty Exhibition Out of Afghanistan is on. As it turns out, they had seen it before but they were happy to see it again - and to see if they could get the book of the exhibition - which the Gallery didn't have but they are ordering it in and will send it to them.

We lunched at the Gallery - with a magnificent view of the river and Mt Warning. It was absolutely glorious - especially as the rain held off while we had lunch, and then, later as we walked along the path at Currumbin Beach - which was as magnificent as ever. There appeared to be a storm far out to Sea - and, closer to shore, a rainbow!

After there, we brought them back to Latimers so they could see the Valley. And have a cuppa. It's always good to have a cuppa!

M gave them a lift back into their digs in Surfers Paradise, S and I had a quiet night in - no CSP for me tonight as I'd had a big day and want to be well enough for the weekend.

Wednesday - Bingo

S and M had their usual breakfast at Ferry Road this morning before taking themselves off to Bingo. An wasn't there today. She's down the Coast with Sy. Em wasn't there either, but Mouse, M and S did have some luck - M did get a Line but this time she didn't have to share. Alas, the Kitty is almost depleted so it's time someone had a good win.

After lunch, S and I went home - and I took myself off to bed - finally giving into the lurgy - hoping it will be gone by morning. S, wonderful as she is, made chicken soup for me and it would have been good had 1 been able to stay awake long enough to eat it when I surfaced just after 10pm. As it was, I just grabbed a hot Milo and a biscuit and went back to bed.

Tinka didn't come in tonight, possibly because the door was closed when she wanted to come in - and then she took herself off to sleep in M's room - and she must have been very comfortable and warm in there because she didn't come in at all during the night.

Monday and more Trivia

It was a good day. A productive day. As we drove into the valley tonight after Trivia, I noticed a light where there usually isn't one on the road in - and it turned out to be a mini-bus of tourists, gazing into a clear night sky. The Milky Way was very obvious tonight and that was only a small part of Nature's light show on offer this evening. I have to wonder though how long it will be before more tour operators realise how wonderfully dark it is out here - and how long before urban sprawl and development overtakes the Valley. It won't be"progress". Tinka and Maggie both had visits to The Tevs this afternoon; Tinka to check her mouth is free from infection following last week's extraction, and Maggie for her annual top-to-tail. M will have to wait a couple of days to confirm there isn't an issue with the heart murmur they detected in Maggie. It may have something to do with her slightly enlarged thyroid (I think I heard that correctly!). Pearl was happy to stay home with S rather than coming with The Tevs contingent.

Maggie

M and S made it to Aqua today although it would have been easier if S had been able to locate her swimmers ... as it turned out she came up with a workable solution - a borrowed pair which were perfectly serviceable once M had tied a big knot in the back of the very baggy bottoms! At least they didn't fall off during the session which seems to have been good luck rather than good management - although it was a very fine and tight knot. There is still an air of uncertainty over the Monday class and it's possible that M, S and An may have to source another session/venue. A couple of options have been mentioned - and Zumba!

Trivia!

We were all limber and loosened up for Trivia this evening though. We were 6 - FI, An, Ca, Ni, S and I - and something must have worked because we were finally back up on that podium. Second ... which is a whole lot better than nearly second-last in recent weeks.

M chose not to come along to adjudicate, going instead to have dinner with Mouse - bringing home the puzzle books - and leftovers! l'd call that a great night all round!

Fingers crossed that S is not getting the lurking lurgy. I'm trying to keep it at bay (wishful thinking is not working terribly well), but hopefully she will have better luck because no-one needs more cold symptoms around here!

The furries were all inside by the time S and I arrived home. We had suspected it might have turned chilly when we noticed the thermometer in Lars drop fom 20 to 10 on the drive from Southport to The Valley, and there was a mist on the road - and those stargazers of course.

Following their example, we paused on the way inside and I almost broke out the camera, because it was truly magnificent. Is it possible that we sometimes neglect to take the time to look up? I know I always check out the moon, full or otherwise, but sometimes forget to reach for the stars!

 

Sunday and travellers return

FI is back... and staying; Ni is back but just for this week before she jets off back to France ... the good news is that she will be coming to Trivia tomorrow night - and bringing Ca (who is currently visiting from Melbourne). As I went to count how many would be on the team Ni said "no, don't worry about the points" (am I that transparent?)but quite right, quite right. But wouldn't it be wonderful to have a team that could get a perfect score - even if we had to lose some points if we happened to have more than six on the team.

But back to The Markets ... we were a fair-sized group today and I was happy to hand over the Coffee mantle to the returned FI. It is awesome how he is able to remember all the orders(12 and up sometimes) without having to do my trick of writing them down. I had moved the Cafe Latte or Flat White crowd to Flat White only in his absence (with their agreement) but they're probably happy to have their first choices back! I know I would be.

Tinka

Az came bearing gifts today ... cookbooks and DVDs - very gratefully received by all! I'm looking forward to checking out the "Slow Cooker" recipes (now, where is that Slow Cooker?) ... if I am going to turn my hand back to cooking, we all know I have in the past preferred one-pot-cooking!

We excelled ourselves today ... we were still at the Markets well after 12:30pm came and went - as, once again, the Markets were packed up around us. We were inside today though. The area where the Marquee was has now been de-turfed and barricaded off so I'm not sure what they're up to. It's at the opposite end of the facility from where they're doing the upgrading works but maybe it's related.

The most annoying parkers in the world were at The Markets today though. There were some cars that were parked in a row they had created, close to the Markets entrance; and then some random cars had parked across from them ... leaving a "lane" that most medium-sized cars could only just navigate through with difficulty and great care. Mouse, seeing this was the case, had done the sensible thing and parked at the far end of that row ... we weren't so sensible and just scraped through aided by cool nerves, "traffic language" and loud wonderings about why people would park so foolishly ... and yes, I would do almost anything rather than reverse in tight spaces!

Maggie and Tinka!

It was fine although a little overcast and while I thought about taking a ride on ROM, I wasn't prepared to tear up the lawn in case it wasn't totally dry yet. I'm looking forward to doing it in the next day or so though (another excuse to be out in the sunshine) unless someone beats me to it.

Instead I turned my attentions inside and started doing some "de-cluttering" - is it possible that I have been absorbing some of S's "Clean Houses" programs? It's not a job I'm going to do in one day - if I do I know it won't stick - but if I can have at least one bag-full of non-requireds to put in the rubbish or send off to another home, I'll be more than satisfied.

Meanwhile, S was catching up with more "Clean Houses" before she put herself down for a "Nana nap", taking Miss Pearl with her. I don't know what happened though because we neglected to give Pearl her left-over cookies when we had our lunches ... and M ended up giving them to her when she arrived to give the furries their dinners.

 

Saturday - Yum Cha and Movies

Tinka has not yet fully emerged from M's bedroom - so she may not be feeling completely recovered from Thursday's vet visit. She had come in to visit last night, but she spent last night in on Pearl's old bed, as opposed to Pearl's new pet bed which no-one is currently sleeping in.

We had planned to go to the Marina Mirage for breakfast with Mouse and M this morning but they were plans that had to be changed ... because of the Gold Coast Marathon and the road closures that go with it.

M had left early to go over to The Spit and only realised that there was an issue with the roads when she reached the first diversion - near the Southport Bridge. It then took her over half an hour to get to Mouse's - a trip that usually only takes a couple of minutes.

In the end, M suggested Robina might be the best bet ... and I had been thinking the same thing as I'd also been considering the road closures - tipped off by a post on FaceBook. So Robina it was - and since we were going there ... I thought Yum Cha might be a nice change - and the others agreed. Next time, though, when I look up their opening time on the internet ... I won't believe it ... because even though they opened at 10, the kitchen apparently doesn't until 10:30 - which seems a little odd for a restaurant.

But the Yum Cha was absolutely wonderful - although, according to S, it wasn't quite as good as their Yum Cha last week - which was in Sydney's ChinaTown.

S and I spent some time wandering around Robina Shopping Centre - although we both went off in different directions (as we usually do) - and had agreed to meet up at the Apple Store ... which is where I also bumped into J and her daughter N; J was inheriting N's old iPhone and the Apple Geniuses were doing their stuff to help. I had a Genius (or two) helping with my iPad problem (not being able to connect through to the TV anymore).

Then it was time to get ourselves off to the Gold Coast Arts Centre where we were meeting Mouse and M to see Satellite Boy, a new Australian movie set in the Kimberleys. It was pretty good too ... even though the two boys didn't fall foul of a crocodile when we thought they might. It was an insight into the old vs the new and the challenges and opportunities presented to young indigenous folk. The pics of the Australian landscapes were stunning and I asked Mouse and M if they recognised any of them from their trip into the Kimberleys a few years back - and they did.

Tinka was outside when we arrived home - sitting in the driveway. She followed us inside for her dinner ... as did Maggie, and Pearl. M was out so S did the evening feed and they were more than ready for it, especially Maggie who was "wailing like a banshee". They do love their dinners.

The furries, S and I had a quiet evening in - she was watching "Clean Houses" with Maggie and Pearl, while Tinka and I (eschewers of some reality television programs) busied ourselves elsewhere until it was time for bed!

Friday and fencing

l slept in this morning - mostly immobilised by a sore throat, but managed to pry myself out of bed sometime after 9. It was going to be a "Super" day - or, less enigmatically, today was finally the day An and I had slated to see "Man of Steel"! We had tried a couple of times before ... but this time it WAS going to happen! S had decided to do The Coffee Club lunch with the others, so An and I would see the 12:30 session, which would finish as they were finishing - and there was a chance we could meet them afterwards ... and all that would have been feasible and worked incredibly well if I had known how to convert minutes to hours. For future reference: 143 minutes is closer to 2.5 hours than 2. By the time the movie finished (we had let Sy and S know the finish time when we arrived at the cinema) the others had moved on - and Sy had had to rush home to attend to some (yes, another) renovation Issue - leaving the car for An to drive home as she (Sy) had taken a lift with Az. M elected to wait with S so she wasn't on her lonesome when I finally arrived a little later.

The film was fantastic: action-packed from the first frames, and incredibly loud! I was glad I hadn't read anything about it - although I had seen the trailer- because that may have spoiled the whole experience. It was amazing how The Man of Steel could have a massive fight sequence, several of them, and still not have a hair out of place. Absolutely amazing! And I still don't know how newspaper intern Jenny managed to survive. She looked like a goner a few times there - especially when the building fell on her and Perry White!

As we drove back down the lane into Latimers, P, B's brother, was hard at work, screwing palings back into the paddock fence. Earlier in the week, M had tried to nail the palings back on, but as she tried nailing one on, one further down would pop up. But P is all over it (what a difference power tools make) and has even asked for any spare palings M has so he can do the job as best he can. He's fairly versatile and from the job he did with the trenching - and this - we know he's thorough!

The approaching storm

Tinka is still being very low key. She spent most of the day in M's room, although she did go out in the sun at one point (she seems to need that, just like The Man of Steel whose extraordinary powers come from a concentration of the Sun's rays' radiation in his body ... and me) and this evening she did come in on our bed - where she and I had a little nap, with her head cradled in my hand ... just to make sure she kept warm.

It was another evening in, here at Latimers, and no doubt the ratings people will be on the phone to see if it is really true that A, B and C were all in front of the television, and logged in to the system, for two hours. Of course, we weren't watching real television at that time - we were watching the recorded final episode of "Packed to the Rafters" and this week's "Offspring". It was during this "marathon" viewing that the rains came ... I was surprised it had taken that long ... at one point this afternoon, a storm looked imminent!

 

Thursday and Tinka's tooth

We were up bright and early this morning to get Ch to the train station so he would be on time for his flight back to Hong Kong. We made it in good time - even had him on the train that was 15 minutes earlier than the one we'd planned for him to catch - which was sure to have him at the check-in a good hour and a half before his flight - plenty of time. It was a pretty quick goodbye though.

Meanwhile, back at Latimers, M was taking (a very puzzled - why isn't anyone feeding me or letting me out) Tinka to the vet for her dental work.

Tinka ... before The Tevs.

Next stop for S and I though, and we weren't sure whether we would reach Ormeau before Ch's train, was breakfast with J. There was no R though, she was at home asleep (well, she is a teenager on school holidays) but she rang later because when she was woken by some men bashing on the front door. It was the men from Masters, there to lay the new carpet in their lounge room, The Masters Men had been due to arrive at midday but were early - which J learned when Masters rang her to find out why no-one was answering the door at her place. She rang R to get her to let them in while she drove the two minutes home. J told us they would be walking into a completely empty room - J, K and the others had sorted it out last night- just what you want to do on a Wednesday evening,

We were home at lunchtime - in plenty of time to see Hermes and his paddock mate (the white horse from down the bottom paddock) up to no good. I first spied them through the kitchen window as they did a good impression of not getting on terribly well, nipping (or pretending to?) with those very big teeth and then chasing each other around the paddock - and taking huge divots out of the still-damp ground. The moon is going to have nothing on that paddock at this rate!!

Tinka came home earlier than we thought - although later than M thought - it took her nearly an hour to effect her discharge from the vets (or "The Tevs" as she's now referring to them). Tinka was a bit groggy from the day, and a little uncertain on her feet and while the vet was concerned that she may not eat, she had said to try her on food. Well, some part of Tinka knew that she hadn't eaten for nearly 20 hours and she did her best to make-up for that, before she wandered outside for a while, and then came back in and put herself to bed in M's room We/re thinking she should sleep in there tonight (a) because it's warmer and (b) if she's not in with S and I, she runs less of a chance of either of us disturbing (read: kicking) her during the night.

S was left in charge of nursing duties as M and I went out to try to take out the CSP jackpot. Alas, it was not to bed tonight - and the best we could score was a coffee and bottle of water upstairs. Amazingly, I did pick (read: absolutely guess) one correct roulette number - unfortunately, by the time I realised it, the "No More Bets" had been called! Ah well, there's always next time!

Tinka seemed to be okay when we arrived home ... still ensconced in M's room though ... but she did venture out for some special cookies. I think she's going to be okay.

 

Wednesday and one more for Bingo

Just because Ch is here doesn't mean there have to be dramatic changes to the Latimer routines ... and he seemed to enjoy the Ferry Road breakfast of bread and cheese (who wouldn't?) followed by a few brisk games of Bingo at the Southport RSL Club - which, traditionally, is followed by lunch at Daniel Stuart! He had the Salt and Pepper Calamari, which he shared with S, who shared her Thai Beef Salad with him. He loved them both, especially the salads accompanying them.

Bingo!

We didn't return to the RSL afterwards for their Wednesday Trivia recap - but we did return to Ferry Road Markets so Ch could procure his body weight in cheese to take back to Hong Kong; together with the nuts, lemons and live earthworms. After last time, where they confiscated soft cheese and vegemite from him at carry-on bag check (lest he use them for nefarious purposes), this trip he's sending his "tucker bag" through with the rest of his luggage.

Frisbee!

Broadbeach was next so we could give Ch a look at the Ocean. We weren't the only ones visiting - there was also the tour group who stripped off their shoes and socks and rolled up their pants legs and plunged over the sand and down to the water's edge. They must have been doing some "tourist" stuff because a little while later as we looked towards to the beach we could see legs lifting into the air, then down, then up again. The top of the sand bank obscured the full view so we weren't sure what exactly they were doing but it did look interesting. More interesting was that even though lots of folk, and an ibis, stopped to look at their shoes (and there were some pretty nifty oes there) and socks, no one took them although the ibis almost snared a sock. Ch did brave the sand though, keeping his shoes and socks on, but he wouldn't have been able to if we'd taken him to Main Beach where most of their sand was washed away ages ago.

Ch and the Ocean

Beach Volleyball is out of season but the frisbee throwing was fun to watch. There was a group of four playing frisbee on the beach and the two male teenagers were determined to do spectacular catches - outdoing each other! Note to self: best to remember the "real" camera on impromptu outings, because sometimes the iPhone camera just isn't enough.

Dinner tonight was Cauliflower Soup, made by S yesterday in case the troops arrived in time for lunch. M broke the Sunbeam StickMaster out of the cupboard and I took great pleasure in the "unboxing" (and reading the instructions) so S could give the soup a rough puree. Yum.

Ch had told us about the episode of "Australian Story" he'd watched earlier this week - about a young writer (Hannah Kent) who has written a book (Burial Rites) about the last woman executed in Iceland (Agnes Magnúsdóttir), so, since S had taped in on Monday night and he had been listening to two conversations (at least) as he watched, we all took up our positions in front of the television and immersed ourselves in the story. I had heard an interview about it on Education Radio (ABC Radio National) but hadn't remembered all (any) of the details. It was fascinating how the story of Agnes came to be told by a student who had gone to Iceland on exchange, seen the execution mounds ... and been intrigued enough to follow it through. The story is called fictionalised biography or something like that ... almost a new genre where someone imagines the character, works with the known facts, and then builds the story from there - adding more truth and texture to the characters along the way.

Tinka went into lockdown early this evening - with the cookies and other food taken up by 8pm. She has her dental appointment so nil by mouth until then, and definitely no insulin injection in the morning. Poor Tinka ... but once they remove the tooth that's giving her trouble she'll hopefully feel much better within herself.

 

Tuesday and three siblings

The (almost double) rainbow

S's brother Ch arrived today; the Kyogles drove up with him this afternoon. It was a good, if short, visit with them with a wide range of topics covered including the time both Ch and S had spent with their mother, her ongoing care, and, of course, no visit would be complete without a revisit of Monday's Trivia questions. It's amazing how much S, Ch and M know between them, but, coming, as they do, from a family of journalists where fact-finding (as opposed to fact-ducking as interpreted by my handwriting recognition program), attention to detail and data retention are highly practised, prized and regarded, it should not be surprising.

S decided to make a lamb roast for Ch for dinner - wanting to give him something he wouldn't normally have in Hong Kong. While he had had lamb chops during his Kyogle stay, he was ecstatic to be having roast with green and roast vegetables. Maggie must have known there were greens too because she wandered out during dinner and, in deference to us all I think, chose not to jump onto the table. Pearl wasn't far away either and did splendid "puppy dog eyes" as she watched the piece of lamb M had promised would fall in her direction at meal's end!

Tinka checking out the lucerne

S did a wonderful job and all of us (except for Tinka) enjoyed it immensely ... and the glass of red wine with it (thank goodness M cleaning unearthed it last week!)... yum. Then, it was on to the final episodes of "Packed To The Rafters". It's not something we usually watch but S had seen it at her mother's last week and wanted to tune in ... the Rafters (Grand)Father was about to be put into an Aged Care Facility - but why that meant the show had to end completely is beyond this non-viewer!

It rained a little less today but the ground is still saturated underfoot ... so definitely no mowing! But there was the most magnificent rainbow over the Latimers Valley as I drove into Nerang. I didn't get a photo of it, but I did get one of the smaller one down over B's stables. It was pretty fantastic too!

The new talking kettle

If I had been more aware of it, I would have covered the Lucerne when it arrived last week and now it is sodden ... but not so much that it couldn't be harbouring little critters; both Maggie and Tinka were very interested in it. And when she wasn't watching it, she was doing what Tinka does best ... sun baking! She has truly made it an art form!

M's new Kettle, now reunited with its top (which had been left behind in Turkey but has since arrived by post) had its debut performance at Latimers today. You put tea in the top part, and water boils in the part below, then you mix them together to taste. I can see that this is a very effective way to prepare tea - especially when the kettle tells you when it has boiled - admittedly in Turkish but that's okay because M does speak Turkish. We don't think it says other things ... and if it does, hopefully it doesn't do it when M is out.