The AFL Grand Final or the Melbourne Cup??

One of them is Melbourne's biggest day.   Football or horse racing?   Despite my best efforts, I can't think of anything that rivals these events in excitement, numbers and fervour.   I don't particularly follow a footy team and I  rarely have a bet on the races, so I have no vested interest in either.   So, why can't I think of other events that can match these two?
Anyone have a suggestion??   Aussies, that is.  We have to compare oranges with oranges.

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Jerilderie

Those of you who have travelled with me for years, will know about the numerous Ned Kelly appearances in Jerilderie, so I won't mention them.  Anyway, I didn't see them this time.   I didn't wake up until we were in the caravan park.  Ahead of me, I saw people smiling and pointing.  As we passed them, they smiled widely, so I gave a feeble wave, from my reclined position, with my feet up on the dashboard.  Doesn't everyone travel this way?

I don't know what we've left behind --- we shovelled in the last few things without looking!   Steve was coughing his head off and I was snorting, gurgling and felt about to breathe my last.   We, along with our Tasmanian friend, Sue, all caught a rotten cold at the same time.    Richard missed out.    For those who haven't heard my story ---- my Dad said that we had colds, not flu.  Then followed a lecture about the thousands who died of flu in the 1900s.  Although most people called it flu, Dad stuck to his guns.  When we were sick, notes were written to the school, saying that we had a cold.  One day, a nun settled an argument with me by saying, "But you aren't as sick as she is;  she had the flu and you only had a cold."    But still Dad didn't change his mind!   He is totally to blame (or thank) for my kids never having the flu!!!!!

A nice young man on a motor bike, directed us where to park.  He had very precise hand gestures, like an air hostess, or whatever you call them these days.  Steve felt obliged to obey.  The result of these precise hand gestures is that we can't put the TV antenna high enough to get all the channels and the van is on a lean.   Steve was too pooped to level it and didn't think that it was much of a lean.  I struggle out of my armchair and hunch over to get up the hill to the bedroom!   He barely notices the lean.  I think it's because I'm much closer to the ground.   He suggested that he could tie octopus straps to me and to the railing at the bedroom steps and then shoot me back and forth!!

By the way, this is the first trip for our new armchairs.  They are soft, cuddly and recline to almost flat out.  They fit in with my purple colours, being called "cranberry". 

And so to bed ....... with my head higher than my legs.

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Melbourne Surprises

Here we are in Melbourne, supervising Maddy 14, Josh 12 and the Chinese student Jiaming, 16, while Talitha is working in Gippsland.

Last night, I cooked a silverside roast beef.  This was no easy task, as the oven never seemed to get hot enough.  After battling with it for 2 hours, I was told by Josh that it was a bad oven and that his Mother and Maddy hated it.   So I turned it up full bore and after a total of 4 hours, some of which was in the microwave, I pronounced it cooked, ready or not.
I carved off some and gave Josh his to eat.  Steve and Maddy were out and I didn't know where Jiaming was, so I planned to dish the meal up for everyone and heat it up when they arrived home.
Just then, the phone rang and Josh picked it up, in the lounge.  He called out that his Mother wanted to talk to  me so I walked to the lounge and straight back to the kitchen.   This small "journey" was too long.  I arrived back just in time to see the big Labrador, Zack, with the roast sticking out of either side of his mouth.  He wasn't going to drop it --- he chomped hard and fast.  Away went the roast.  Josh said it was nice too!!!  The look in Zack's eyes said the same thing!!

Ziaming still wasn't home at 10.30pm and the kids informed me that he had never been out that late before.   I was worried.  We didn't know his second name,  his phone number or any of his friends.  I couldn't ring anyone to enquire after him and it seemed a bit ridiculous to ring the police when we had only his first name.    Talitha knew all of these details, of course but I didn't want to worry her.
Ziaming walked in at 11pm, only moments after I had wailed, "He could be dead in the gutter somewhere."    When I told him this, he thought it was very funny.  As we're here for another week, we exchanged mobile phone numbers and I discovered his second name. 

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