A Topsy Turvey Day with a Peculiar Conversation

It started late yesterday afternoon...my youngest daughter rang and asked me what I was doing today. Gabbie had her trials for the U17 Queensland netball team and Harry didn't want to go...I could understand that, so it was arranged that he be dropped off here to play with the kids next door and over the back.

That duly happened and at 7.45 this morning he arrived. I wasn't sure whether the kids next door were out playing as I couldn't hear them so I told Harry to wait until I had finished the file I was on and we'd go and see. However, I heard voices and he wandered out to the back door where they had come to get him.

The particular file I was working on took longer than first thought and when I had finished I went to see where Harry had gone. I meet up with Jane, Fred and Ken and ended up having coffee with them (after ascertaining Harry was playing Playstation games with the others).

I had breakfast then started work again, but by this time, I'd lost interest and only worked another half hour before I logged out and turned the computer off. I had been given a chocolate cake recipe by Jane and decided to try it out. I had no sooner got the recipe out when I spotted a vehicle coming up the driveway. It was the honeymooners on their way home from having disembarked off the Pacific Sky which had docked earlier.

Darryl got out of the car and I grabbed my sunglasses real quick! He was wearing the brightest hot pink shirt printed over with huge white hibiscus flowers. I heard Fred give a yell (he was watering the garden out the front), probably something uncomplimentary...you know how blokes are, and they came inside.

They'd had a wonderful time, especially Cooper, who was made much of by their cabin stewards. Toni was bemoaning the fact that she had put on 5 kg after having lost weight for her wedding. Anyway they gave me a lovely big Island bag...blue with white hibiscus flowers...wonderful for the beach or the gym and a lovely white cotton tee shirt (see photos below) with self same fringing around the sleeves and bottom, which will be wonderful to wear on Christmas day after a swim in the pool. Saves me having to get changed and I won't get too sunburnt. So I was very pleased.

They left and I made the chocolate cake (which is very easy...put all the ingredients in the bowl and beat furiously for three minutes) then, when it was cooked, decided to get my fruit and veg and had the ensuing conversation...

Me: Harry! Harry!

Cockatoo: Yeah?

Harry: Yes, Nan?

Me: I'm going to the shops. Wanna come?

Cockatoo: Yeah!

Harry: No, thanks.

Me: I won't be long, then.

Cockatoo: Right.

Harry: Okay, bye.

Me: Hooks, I'm not talking to you, butt out!

Hooks: Hello, Cocky!

If you remember Hooks, the barking cockatoo, (she does bark when anyone arrives...wo wo wo!), well she's the other party in the conversation.

So, I go and get my veg and something towards lunch for the kids. Over to Jane and Fred and they offered me lunch, too. I accept and we're sitting there munching and Suzie arrives from the netball trials with Gabbie and Brooke. A plunger of coffee is made and we sit down again to hear how the trials went. Gabbie played well, shot goals beautifully...and we have to wait for the selectors to contact her with yay or nay.

We sipped our coffee, Jane showed Suzie her great buy of Suzy Poole porcelain from a garage sale this morning (a small sugar bowl and creamer for $3...do you know how scarce and old that stuff is?) and as they are both eBay fanatics, there ensued a conversation about Royal Doulton, Royal Albert, etc with Fred sitting there looking totally bemused. The phone rang and it was for him...much to his relief, I think.

Eventually, Suzie and her lot left and I came home...and had a nap.

Fred found this zygo in full bloom...isn't it lovely? Well, it's wine o'clock...oh, that reminds me. Oz Lotto has jackpotted to $30 million this Tuesday so we've formed a syndicate with our very social neighbours and called it "The Wine O'Clock Club"...now that should be lucky. If you hear that name on the news on Wednesday being the winners of $30 million, you'll know who it is. Wish us luck!