Saturday

There are advantages to being the first up! And part of that is being able to be in control of the cats - and that they are not released before Tinka has had her shot and breakfast ... and that Pearl gets to go outside for her morning ablute (and then let back in) before lockdown ends. And you get to have your shower when you want it ... without having to wait for not one but two teenagers to do what they do in there ... and it certainly takes a while.

Lindsay

We were due in Broadbeach, at TBH, to have breakfast with M (who seems to be getting more unwell) at 9 and were. She was earlier than us though ... but we could have been earlier still had we insisted on getting to SupaNova as quickly as possible.

Ah ... SuperNova. What a truly amazing and incredible experience you are ... especially to we novices. It seems to be one of the few times in the year when people can dress up as their favourite character and go out in public ... and hold their heads up high.

Dalek Dress

It was one of the few times I have heard a grown woman saying to her son: "I want to get you with a girl." but she was, of course, referring to other Cosplay people ... in a complementary or compatible costume ... "in genre" you could say.

It was fantastic fun ... and there were certainly a couple of photo opportunities. Most people were more than happy to pose for a shot - some so much so that as soon as they saw the camera, they started heading in your direction.

Lo, Pa and I trouped back to TBH to meet the girls for dinner tired but happy. And I do believe there was talk of possibly going to the next SupaNova in Brisbane in September.

Closer to home, we didn't see the owl on our way home from Broadbeach this evening but we did hear a yell of horror from Pat, in the back seat, when he was hit with a stream of bat wee through the window. We felt sorry for him because it was fairly unlucky ... but at the same time, some people in the car found it very, very funny - or was that just Pat's reaction.

It was not the same reaction he had when he said he wanted to get his photograph taken with the Las Vegas Showgirls who were wandering round TBH foyer advertising their latest show.

Storm Troopers and others

Friday

Tremendouser - captioners at work again.

The kids arrived just after dark this evening. We were starting to get worried about them. They were late getting away from Kyogle - Sooz knew that - but they had “an adventure” on the way which seems to have had something to do with a long black wig (part of L's costume for SupaNova) and … well we never did find out the rest if it. I do know now though that Patrick knows that you can take back roads from Kyogle all the way to Southport - and when they arrived, Lo was sitting it the back seat. If my name was Alice, I know what I'd be saying (okay we all know she “cried” it but that just wouldn't have the same nuance)!*

And, of course, there's nothing like being on the wrong track … it seems Louise always sits in the back seat when they're driving. I'm not sure that it has to do with her tendency to motion sickness rather than that they were giving someone they didn't want us to know about a lift up to the Coast. Let's see if the person we think we're not supposed to turn up tomorrow at … SupaNova!!! I have decided to forgo the movie in Brisbane with Sooz, An and M to go to the fantasy and science fiction convention SupaNova at the Gold Coast Convention Centre … conveniently placed across the road from TBH.

We took the kids to Maccas for dinner this evening - Sooz had offered to cook Spaghetti Bolognese but since they were running late we decided it would be easier to outsource (and keep the economy ticking over).

M came home to say hi to the kids - and then took herself in to TBH - she is staying overnight - and giving her bed to Lo. She's great like that. (Thanks M!)

On the way up the lane, lighting the way with Lars' parking lights, and making sure everyone stayed as quiet as possible … we were rewarded with another owl sighting!

* Curiouser and Curiouser.