Tuesday
Rain – storms – shopping – more rain – more storm

Our theme song for today is – Stormy Weather!

We went out late this morning to drive around in the pelting rain, doing boat-related chores in Brookvale and North Ryde, with the help of the not-so-trusty NavMan. Every so often, our guide with the dulcet tones would just close down shop and leave us with a blank screen. This was not – ahem – a good thing… I would hold NavMan tenderly on my lap, doing reiki and uttering cooing sounds which I hoped were of a computer-healing nature, while Pete tried to find our way with staring eyes and muttered curses. Inexplicably, NavMan would start up again, with our ever-calm guide saying, “At the traffic lights in 400 metres, turn right,” just as if she had never left us in a heavy rainstorm in the middle of God-Knows-Where.

Our plan had been to get back to the boat and catch a bus into the city, to look at the Archibald Prize exhibition, then stroll to the Opera House, have a meal at a nearby restaurant, and then go to one of the smaller theatres to see Haunted, a play by Edna O’Brien starring Brenda Blethyn. Delightful plan, don’t you think?? Sadly…it was not to be.

We were delayed, ofcourse, on our shopping exhibitions from North Ryde to Brookvale, and we didn’t get back to the marina until five. By then we had had a phone call from one of the managers, Anthony, saying could we please come straight back and move 2XS to “a mooring somewhere” because of the violent weather about to hit Middle Harbour.

Oh goody…we are now still at the marina, waiting for the Spit Bridge to open at 8.00 so we can scarper up into a safer area. We are also rather hoping that maybe we can stay here; this is our comfort zone after all.

Instead of a gourmet meal in a cool Sydney restaurant, I made tuna mornay with tinned peas, served with a mash of potatoes and pumpkin. It was very filling but – very much nursery food…

Never mind. We are watching the news on the wonderful new TV, and the storms further north have been just horrendous. We are fine.