9th January - beautiful Tasmanian summer days

Saturday 9^th January 2016

The past few days have been picture perfect – sunny, warm and gorgeous.  People are sauntering off the big cruise ships with a look of glazed contentment and admiration.  Oh bliss!  What a lovely city!  A gorgeous island state!  This is exactly where I want to live FOREVER!!  I feel like issuing a caution…it is not always so sunny and warm… True hardened Tasmanians cope well with the odd icy blast, the odd bewildering plummet in temperature, but it must be very disconcerting to people accustomed to a more moderate climate, suddenly to find themselves sweltering/shivering from one day to the next.

During the week Michael and I went to MONA.  He hadn’t been before and wasn’t at all sure that he would like it.  But…he did!  He was particularly interested in the actual building, which is quite sensational in its own right, regardless of the art work.

Michael really liked the waterfall of words

Pete and I tried to go to see Star Wars in Gold Class (I got tickets for Christmas.)  We parked at what is probably the last parking meter in captivity - oh how cute, how quaint!  (Obviously I am very easily impressed…) 

Pete has never seen a Star Wars movie and he was quite looking forward to seeing this one.  Very fortunately, we couldn’t get in – all of the gold class seats were sold out.  Fortunately because I discovered later in the evening that he would have hated it.  We had been in JB HiFi earlier in the day, and I had bought a highly recommended movie – Guardians of the Galaxy.  My JB friend Rik, who is endlessly helpful with all of my computer issues, had told me it is the Best Movie Ever.  It was on special, so I bought it, and we sat down happily to watch it on Pete’s big TV screen instead of Star Wars.  And…he hated it!  From start to finish.  I didn’t really enjoy it – the racoon/person was quite interesting, I thought, but I never enjoy endless intergalactic battles so I snoozed gently in my chair for most of the movie.  But Pete didn’t just dislike this movie, he HATED it.  Furiously and vehemently!  Ahem…I think just possibly maybe he would also hate and loathe Star Wars!

The West Hobart bus service is great.  There is a bus stop a few meters from Pete’s house, and the big buses trundle past every hour, up and down the steep hills.  So convenient, so easy, so nice.  But…a few weeks ago there were announcements in the media about changes to the timetables.  I only listened with half an ear.  I thought Rik Goddard was very witty and amusing on the local ABC breakfast show when he said that the buses wouldn’t be going up step hills any more – too funny, Rik!  Hobart is entirely comprised of steep hills!  I chuckled mildly and thought no more of it.  But yesterday when we were trying to go to the movies, we saw a sign at the bus stop…the buses, as from 10^th January, will no longer come up Summerhill Rd… We are totes devo… I immediately wrote to Metro Tas, and signed furious beseeching petitions but I fear it is all too late.  I should not have been so complacent and apathetic!

Too little too late!

(By the way I have just re-read what I wrote about Michael last time…very misleading!  I meant that he has just RETURNED from an eight month desert posting… He is safely in Australia now for the foreseeable future