Friday 16^th March

Just in case I’m not in internet range tomorrow…happy 4^th birthday darling Jemima, swing-girl extraordinaire!

We were, of course, in range yesterday, but so busybusybusy I didn’t get a chance even to look at my computer.  Such is inner-city Melbourne life!  Well not just inner-city…

In the morning I tootled along to the supermarket on my trusty bike to retrieve my missing groceries (steak, coffee, potatoes.)  With all of these items, plus a few new ones just-in-case of hunger amongst the 2Xs Boys, I made my way through the rain with bags slung on the handlebars and backpack bulging and finally got back to the YE Marina area.  I had planned to make a quiet cup of coffee, play WWF for a bit, and eat the kitkat I had secreted in a hidden (SECRET!!) place.  But…Pete, James and Michael were waiting impatiently for me; they hadn’t gone to the Grand Prix after all, and could I please get into the ute right now because we were off to Robert Trethewy’s farm, south of Geelong.  Oh OK, change of plan, no problems, so long as I can have my cup of coffee before embarking on this trek.

I always love a farm tour, and Robert’s farm, Leighburn, in Shelton, is very beautiful, a typical Western District (Vic) farm. (Or so I imagine…)  Sheep, cattle, crops, and some lovely chooks which provided us with a dozen beautiful fresh eggs.  Robert drove us around the farm.  I oohed and aahed and said, how lovely, how interesting, well done, what gorgeous calves! etc etc while James and Michael asked intelligent questions about farm machinery, crop rotation, fertilisers and Pete benignly opened and shut gates.

We drove back to town and had half an hour back on 2XS before it was time to go to Mike and Helen Smith’s for dinner.  James took a photo of me leaning over the parapet at their 19^th floor apartment; I look very gleeful but I’m not sure the full effect of the HEIGHT is visible…

This morning, eventually, Pete, James and Mike did go off to the Grand Prix, in variable weather conditions – a bit of heat, a bit of sun, a bit of wind, and quite a lot of rain.

I had my own Melbourne adventures.  First I walked into town from Docklands.  Melbourne is so beautiful, so majestic, with its stately Victorian buildings. I was very impressed with the immense Supreme Court and hope never to cross its hallowed portals… Once in town I (how surprising!!) bought some postcards and had a cup of coffee at Ca de Vin. 

After a teensy bit of shopping for clothes to inspire me to return to work happily I caught the tram out to the Richmond Ikea store.  Simple – find the bathroom cabinet Katy has her eye on, buy it, get out, go back to 2XS, then ride my bike along to look a the galleries.  But…no.  Nothing so simple!  I made my way through the maze which is Ikea, found the cabinet, and attempted to buy it.  There is only one available in the Southern Hemisphere, and fortunately it is here in Melbourne, two minutes from here.  Go to the checkout desk, pay for it, then pop along to the warehouse to pick it up.  (All of this from an extremely bored young Ikea Chick.)  Two minutes, yes... IN A RACING CAR!!  A good 15 minute trudge along the hot (yes temporarily it was hot) street, a long wait in a queue, and the very heavy flatpack was mine mine MINE.  Now just pop in a taxi and back to 2XS with the unwieldy load.  Forty minutes later my taxi turned up… I kept getting calls from the taxi depot – Where are you??  The driver is looking for you outside Ikea!  I did explain each time I was a block or so away, at the WAREHOUSE but the message only got through after lengthy consultations.  I was faintly hysterical by the time my driver arrived, although not from hunger - I had chosen to have an Ikea lunch of Swedish meatballs.  $4.25 and…not all that yummy but now I can say I have eaten Ikea meatballs, in case anyone ever asks.

Pete rang from the Grand Prix – could I ride along to Docklands and pick up the parcel which had finally arrived at the marina over there.  It is small, he said, cajolingly, and light.  Well it was light but not at all small.  The two Janes (lovely young women, yes both Jane,) at the marina office were thrilled to bits with my predicament.  They helped my tie the (yes again) unwieldy package onto my bike rack, and took a photo as I set off with it firmly MacGuyvered in place.  It only fell off once or twice, well not completely off, just dragging unattractively along the ground behind me in the puddles.  (James has just looked at the photo; he said, You look like a Vietnamese.)

So what I did I do next?  Other than cook a chicken curry for – ummm - maybe for tomorrow tonight, maybe for our 2XS-ers yet to return.  Yes you guessed it, I got my hair cut, at Papillion Salon, right next to the marina office.  The trouble with having a shorter hair style is…you have to get it cut all the time, every six weeks, otherwise it looks just frightful.  I hate having it too short… Just right lasts for about two weeks, and my two weeks is just about over.  A lovely young stylist with pink hair, Samantha, came to do my bidding, and I said I REALLY only wanted a very slight bit of a trim.  She cut my hair brutally short, with a sweet smile, and we had a lovely chat about. life, love, the universe, everything.  My brutally short hair has passed the test – so far, Pete, James and Jabba have seen me, have smiled kindly, and have …not noticed. 

The crowds are massing on 2XS.  My chicken curry is not needed tonight; tomorrow, at sea, no doubt it will be A HIT.  We are off to Victoria Street, to a Vietnamese restaurant – maybe I should ride my bike, with a big load on the back…