The track for the Gold Coast 600 is really starting to take shape and is starting to look like a real one. Mind you, this is not the first time we have seen the course under construction - we have had holidays up here a few times in October ... the time of car races and whales. One year we walked up the straight past Pit Lane and even though neither S nor I is really in to motor racing (even though S did work with the industry for a time) it was pretty incredible to know that within a short while, the race cars would soon be zooming around the area.
The grids are still marked on the road since last year's race - although the paint has faded making it a little reminiscent of the blue line which marked the marathon course for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. It's nice to know that the legacy - and the race lives on. It would probably be a good idea not to go into the area next weekend though - race day!!
Kelsey Grammer aka Frasier of the eponymous television series is rumoured to be on the Gold Coast for the weekend - to catch some sand, sea and surf and to attend a radio conference at The Big House. I think that's what I read anyway.
Dinner tonight, with N along as well, was great. She regaled us with stories of her recent European vacation (where she also met up with her parents). It was good to be able to catch up and see some of her photographs especially of the themed hotel she stayed in in London. I'm not sure I could sleep in a room with a disco ball and mirrored ceiling! But she's young and adaptable.
Everyone else was in good form including Mi who had been up to Brisbane for the day. She has applied for an interpreting job with a government agency and is now doing interviews and providing the material they request. She should know in a few weeks if she'll be a public servant.
Prince seemed to be even more excited than he usually is this evening and at one point Mouse removed him from the dining room because he was starting to be a little too friendly!
I did make it to The Spit this afternoon, actually this evening, to have a look at the beach and what I hoped would be the moon rising out of the ocean ... but I was a little too early.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Thursday
Even though it looked like there were storms brewing around the valley this afternoon, there was little rain. Rain is forecast for the next few days though - which will be good, especially if it happens on the weekend and there is an opportunity for some (guilt-free) video viewing.
IOS 5 has arrived and even my strategy of getting home early (no Zarraffa's for me this afternoon) wasn't enough to ensure a trouble-free load. It went smoothly enough - although it took a very long time - and my iPhone still hasn't restored with everything I had on it before the update. And it's amazing how much you miss a ring tone when it's no longer there. Still, I'm hoping the functionality will be worth it - although some of it just doesn't seem to work on the phone - like the split keyboard and the "unlocked" keyboard where you're supposed to be able to move it anywhere on screen - but given how small the iPhone screen is, it may be practical that this functionality has been excluded. I'm looking forward to playing with the rest of it though.
S and I tried something a little different for dinner this evening - we went to the Mexican restaurant, Fajitas, at Worongary. I'm not sure if it was because we were maybe considering having a dessert (at 9pm) but the waitress assured us that they were licensed until midnight. Midnight? I wonder if she missed our reactions which would have told her that was way past our bedtime or that one of us had to rush home to have another go at restoring her iPhone.
Because it was overcast on the way to and from the restaurant, there was no chance of even glimpsing last night's moon again - but there's always tomorrow night. I will be over near the beach (we have a work lunch out) and depending on how long it goes (at least 5pm I've been told) there may be an opportunity to sit and wait for the moon to rise out of the ocean.
IOS 5 has arrived and even my strategy of getting home early (no Zarraffa's for me this afternoon) wasn't enough to ensure a trouble-free load. It went smoothly enough - although it took a very long time - and my iPhone still hasn't restored with everything I had on it before the update. And it's amazing how much you miss a ring tone when it's no longer there. Still, I'm hoping the functionality will be worth it - although some of it just doesn't seem to work on the phone - like the split keyboard and the "unlocked" keyboard where you're supposed to be able to move it anywhere on screen - but given how small the iPhone screen is, it may be practical that this functionality has been excluded. I'm looking forward to playing with the rest of it though.
S and I tried something a little different for dinner this evening - we went to the Mexican restaurant, Fajitas, at Worongary. I'm not sure if it was because we were maybe considering having a dessert (at 9pm) but the waitress assured us that they were licensed until midnight. Midnight? I wonder if she missed our reactions which would have told her that was way past our bedtime or that one of us had to rush home to have another go at restoring her iPhone.
Because it was overcast on the way to and from the restaurant, there was no chance of even glimpsing last night's moon again - but there's always tomorrow night. I will be over near the beach (we have a work lunch out) and depending on how long it goes (at least 5pm I've been told) there may be an opportunity to sit and wait for the moon to rise out of the ocean.
Wednesday
S is still waiting to see when she will get the call to go back in to Jury Duty. She is checking their website each evening (making sure to refresh it - and she can tell that it has from the date on the site) but so far she has not had the call.
M and I gave CSP a miss this evening. I think I am still a little Casino-ed out from the weekend and because I have been on a bit of a steep learning curve at work as we are "changing projects" and needing to learn different ways of working with new contract managers - not difficult but a little painstaking. So instead we dropped off at Zarraffas to have a coffee as we waited for our pizza to be ready for pick-up from Marie's. I think S was a little surprised when I rang with our change of plans because she knows how much I look forward to my Wednesday night out.
It was interesting to see what's on television on a Wednesday evening though especially because now it seems that all the good programs are on a Tuesday ... not to worry though because we don't usually watch television in real time - except for in the mornings when I'm on the treadmill - and now that Sunrise has started doing more music clips (or does it just seem like that to me?) I have been trialling other early morning news shows - but I have yet to find a suitable alternative.
The moon was spectacular this evening - not sure if it was full but it certainly looked as though it was - hanging huge and yellow in the evening sky. It was just a pity we weren't at The Spit to see it rise out of the ocean - which sounds like a good idea for next month.
We are all looking forward to this week's Family and Friends dinner because N will be joining us. Prince will be very happy to see her too - he's still there while his parents are overseas. (Hello M and A - hope you're having a great time!)
M and I gave CSP a miss this evening. I think I am still a little Casino-ed out from the weekend and because I have been on a bit of a steep learning curve at work as we are "changing projects" and needing to learn different ways of working with new contract managers - not difficult but a little painstaking. So instead we dropped off at Zarraffas to have a coffee as we waited for our pizza to be ready for pick-up from Marie's. I think S was a little surprised when I rang with our change of plans because she knows how much I look forward to my Wednesday night out.
It was interesting to see what's on television on a Wednesday evening though especially because now it seems that all the good programs are on a Tuesday ... not to worry though because we don't usually watch television in real time - except for in the mornings when I'm on the treadmill - and now that Sunrise has started doing more music clips (or does it just seem like that to me?) I have been trialling other early morning news shows - but I have yet to find a suitable alternative.
The moon was spectacular this evening - not sure if it was full but it certainly looked as though it was - hanging huge and yellow in the evening sky. It was just a pity we weren't at The Spit to see it rise out of the ocean - which sounds like a good idea for next month.
We are all looking forward to this week's Family and Friends dinner because N will be joining us. Prince will be very happy to see her too - he's still there while his parents are overseas. (Hello M and A - hope you're having a great time!)
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tuesday
Beasley went to the vet again today but there's good news - his BGL is down to acceptable parameters thanks to the increased dose of insulin he's been on. Hopefully now that this is under control, he will be less stressed around the house.
He's not the only one having toilet troubles at the moment though. S told me that at one point today she heard quite distressed "No's" coming from the outside toilet where, it turns out, M was busy tidying up. I'm not sure how it happened, but M's iPhone took a tumble into the toilet - hence the "No's". S hadn't heard anything like it since M inadvertently skipped ahead in her episodes of Dexter and saw that ... well, no, we won't say what it was because we don't want any "spoilers" here ... but it was pretty shocking ... the same way as dropping your phone down the toilet can be. She dried it out as best she could with the hair dryer, and then lodged it in the air conditioning vent on her drive into town - and it does seem to be working. There had been a black line across the screen but this has now disappeared and she is making and taking calls quite well (although when I did speak with her earlier today it sounded as though she was under water - but it turns out that she was just in an underground car park!).
The countdown has begun until the new version of the iPhone and iPad operating system comes out - only a couple of days to wait now.
He's not the only one having toilet troubles at the moment though. S told me that at one point today she heard quite distressed "No's" coming from the outside toilet where, it turns out, M was busy tidying up. I'm not sure how it happened, but M's iPhone took a tumble into the toilet - hence the "No's". S hadn't heard anything like it since M inadvertently skipped ahead in her episodes of Dexter and saw that ... well, no, we won't say what it was because we don't want any "spoilers" here ... but it was pretty shocking ... the same way as dropping your phone down the toilet can be. She dried it out as best she could with the hair dryer, and then lodged it in the air conditioning vent on her drive into town - and it does seem to be working. There had been a black line across the screen but this has now disappeared and she is making and taking calls quite well (although when I did speak with her earlier today it sounded as though she was under water - but it turns out that she was just in an underground car park!).
The countdown has begun until the new version of the iPhone and iPad operating system comes out - only a couple of days to wait now.
Sunday
Mi was not at the Markets this morning - she and F were off to a wedding in Brisbane this afternoon and she was at home getting ready. F didn't want to miss out on the markets and, as he said, all he had to do to get ready was go home and put his suit on ... and he seemed to be sticking with that theory because it almost took a crowbar to leverage him out of the Markets. In the end, I think it was Mouse who realised that if the rest of us didn't leave (and it was time) then there was little chance that he would. The amazing thing was that Mi didn't phone him to hurry him up at any point - but given that his iPhone was flat, there was little chance of that call coming through. Of course, had Mi wanted to, she could have called one of the rest of us - she knew we were all together. (They made it to the wedding on time and had a great time - dancing late into the night!)
It was a glorious day here today although it was a bit more difficult for us to be sure of this once we disappeared into The Big House for the afternoon. At stake - $20 Casino Dollars for all Absolute Rewards members - plus a jackpot draw -first prize $100,000 or $2,500 for each failed attempt. As they say: you have to be in it to win it - but, alas, we didn't - but if we're really keen they're having the same promotion next week (in all honesty, we may not make it again because nearly five hours is a long time to stay there if the draws are held every half hour). We had a lovely lunch and a nice afternoon tea and were able to soak up some Casino atmosphere and still be home in time (just) for Junior Masterchef and to see the furries who are used to seeing us a little more on the weekends than they have this one.
I did manage to see the Plover chicks this morning although it's possible I saw them earlier and just didn't realise what they were. I had thought they would be tiny little things - maybe just tall enough for the tops of their heads to clear the grass but they were much taller and have a splash of white rather than them being all brown- which also makes it easier to see them. I couldn't actually see where the nest is - or whether they were washed out of it by last night's rain!
It was a glorious day here today although it was a bit more difficult for us to be sure of this once we disappeared into The Big House for the afternoon. At stake - $20 Casino Dollars for all Absolute Rewards members - plus a jackpot draw -first prize $100,000 or $2,500 for each failed attempt. As they say: you have to be in it to win it - but, alas, we didn't - but if we're really keen they're having the same promotion next week (in all honesty, we may not make it again because nearly five hours is a long time to stay there if the draws are held every half hour). We had a lovely lunch and a nice afternoon tea and were able to soak up some Casino atmosphere and still be home in time (just) for Junior Masterchef and to see the furries who are used to seeing us a little more on the weekends than they have this one.
I did manage to see the Plover chicks this morning although it's possible I saw them earlier and just didn't realise what they were. I had thought they would be tiny little things - maybe just tall enough for the tops of their heads to clear the grass but they were much taller and have a splash of white rather than them being all brown- which also makes it easier to see them. I couldn't actually see where the nest is - or whether they were washed out of it by last night's rain!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Friday
Mi outdid herself for dinner this evening. She had "experimented" - using A's herb garden and her birthday mortar and pestle as her inspiration. The result - herb-encrusted chicken, vegetable cous cous, broccoli and salad. All very yummy, followed by Helga's strudel with ice cream, an excellent cup of tea, and some fruit (watermelon, rockmelon and mango). Double Yum. Unfortunately, we lost F early - not to his "assuming the position" and having his usual post-dinner nap on the lounge, but because he was off to the airport to pick up his brother, newly-in from OS. Apparently one of the boys had been lined up to collect him - tomorrow when he had originally planned to return - but that wasn't going to work this evening. But at least he had had a quiet afternoon - including watching "Real Steel" (? about tiny warrior robots) so chances were good that he was fresh enough to do the trip.
lf it had been me, I wouldn't have been able to do it regardless of how loud the music or the radio was cranked up or how much cold air was streaming through the open windows. People talk about getting out of bed on the wrong side and if that were something that was actually possible, I would have said I did it this morning. I was just totally ''out of sorts" and all over the place - and as weak as a kitten. I seriously considered not going to the office but my over-developed work ethic said "no!" (yes, loudly). In a way, that was good because it's better to crank at people you don't care about and it seems, for some strange reason, to be "easier" to not be truly mindful of what we say to friends.
Beasley saw the vet again today. His blood glucose readings are still very high and the vet wants to increase his insulin and do more tests next week. Poor Beasley ... but he is being very brave about having his shots and is settling into the routine very nicely.
The Plovers seem to be very happy in the paddock across the way. They have been sighted, although not by me even though I have been looking. I'll have another look tomorrow with the telephoto lens on Nik.
lf it had been me, I wouldn't have been able to do it regardless of how loud the music or the radio was cranked up or how much cold air was streaming through the open windows. People talk about getting out of bed on the wrong side and if that were something that was actually possible, I would have said I did it this morning. I was just totally ''out of sorts" and all over the place - and as weak as a kitten. I seriously considered not going to the office but my over-developed work ethic said "no!" (yes, loudly). In a way, that was good because it's better to crank at people you don't care about and it seems, for some strange reason, to be "easier" to not be truly mindful of what we say to friends.
Beasley saw the vet again today. His blood glucose readings are still very high and the vet wants to increase his insulin and do more tests next week. Poor Beasley ... but he is being very brave about having his shots and is settling into the routine very nicely.
The Plovers seem to be very happy in the paddock across the way. They have been sighted, although not by me even though I have been looking. I'll have another look tomorrow with the telephoto lens on Nik.
Saturday
It was raining cats and dogs this morning which meant there would be no breakfast out for Pearl this morning. She was a bit scared by the storm and after she came down to be with me, she asked to be let in with M and she seemed calmer after that. I can't imagine what she would have been like if we had caught the full brunt of the storm (like Toowoomba and Dalby) rather than just the tail end of it - or how we would have been it the power had gone out. It would have been more difficult to go out for breakfast if the power had been out. And it would have made it more difficult to do the treadmill - which I had done before the others were up as well as some computer stuff and, of course, making sure that everyone who needs it had had their insulin.
You could tell Pearl knew we were off somewhere - regardless of what people might think, she really can tell what day it is. She gave us her really long dog face as we drove off. Pearl would have enjoyed breakfast at Crave with us - but I'm not sure the rest of us would have enjoyed "wet dog" and we all know that there is nothing as friendly as a wet dog - so there is no knowing just how friendly Pearl - who always is - would have been!
After breakfast, S and I went out and about, ending up at the Gold Coast Arts Centre where S watched The Whistleblower which she described as good but hard work. While she was doing that I was having a walk and a coffee and tea at the Cafe there - and catching up on a couple of episodes of television - Terra Nova and Modern Family the latter causing me to laugh out loud a couple of times - which was fine (I like laughing) except I was sitting by myself in a cafe at the time! At least I had headphones on so I didn't look like I was just randomly laughing out loud at ... nothing.
We were going to go out to a dance this evening but another storm came over (not dropping hail on us but it did on other parts of the Coast) and the pull of music and gyrations was not enough to pull us out of the house - or away from doing my tax. There was some talk about possibly going to the dance later but ... not to be. Ah well, there's another one in a couple of weeks and the furries seemed happy to have the company on a Saturday evening!
You could tell Pearl knew we were off somewhere - regardless of what people might think, she really can tell what day it is. She gave us her really long dog face as we drove off. Pearl would have enjoyed breakfast at Crave with us - but I'm not sure the rest of us would have enjoyed "wet dog" and we all know that there is nothing as friendly as a wet dog - so there is no knowing just how friendly Pearl - who always is - would have been!
After breakfast, S and I went out and about, ending up at the Gold Coast Arts Centre where S watched The Whistleblower which she described as good but hard work. While she was doing that I was having a walk and a coffee and tea at the Cafe there - and catching up on a couple of episodes of television - Terra Nova and Modern Family the latter causing me to laugh out loud a couple of times - which was fine (I like laughing) except I was sitting by myself in a cafe at the time! At least I had headphones on so I didn't look like I was just randomly laughing out loud at ... nothing.
We were going to go out to a dance this evening but another storm came over (not dropping hail on us but it did on other parts of the Coast) and the pull of music and gyrations was not enough to pull us out of the house - or away from doing my tax. There was some talk about possibly going to the dance later but ... not to be. Ah well, there's another one in a couple of weeks and the furries seemed happy to have the company on a Saturday evening!
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