Sunday, January 18, 2009

Glowing Review

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Fifty something . . I should know better! And no . . I'm not wearing gloves but I am wearing a mask

The last three days have been wonderful and the lad has left a huge hole in my heart now that he's on board his Etihad flight home.

I think 2 weeks must be the benchmark to feel relaxed with someone you've never met and 12,000 miles from the familiar. He was fine with me but took his time getting to know the younglings . . stranger in a strange land and all that.

We had a wonderful day in town on Friday. He was happy, chatty, smiling, the boy I've come to know and love. We spent two hours spinning around Centrepoint Tower (revolving restaurant atop the clouds and still the highest building in Sydney) eating from the all-you-can-eat buffet, drinking iced water, beer and Sav Blanc and watching the view of Sydney below - God I love my city.

Wooloomooloo and Garden Island Navy Base
Pronounced 'woola mooloo'

Darling Harbour and the Maritime Museum

The day ended with a walk around town, painful due to sore and blistered feet for the Paduan. Some souvenir shopping and browsing the CBD including the Queen Victoria Building and Strand Arcade. Both restored to their Victorian grandeur


. . . but definitely for the ladies who wear size 8 . . . and like their bling) before catching yep . . . another ferry (he's mad about boats and the harbour) . . back to Pyrmont and home. We were tired so just watched a little TV, ate more Pizza and an early night was called for as paintball called early on Saturday morning.

The day started early although he was dressed primed and ready to roll while Adam was complaining about the earliness of the hour and two mates berating him through his bedroom window for still being asleep. Apparently there was some urgency to arrive by 7:30am for discounted 'something'. They high-tailed out to Paintball with 10 mates and came back battered and bruised, hot and sweaty at about 1pm after pummelling each other with small balls full of greasy red paint.

Erm no . .not D . . .h
e's shy! Paoli is not.

I wasn't inclined to trounce out at 7am to catch them on camera. Their wounds however, stand testament to the viciousness of the game. D now sports a round deep red welt on the back of his calf and half a dozen more on his elbows and back. What his mother will think of a son I send back with raw peeling feet, elbows and calves and multiple gunshot wounds, I shudder to think but he assures me, he's had the time of his life. Frankly my idea of a good time is a massage and a pedicure but then . .I'm a goil! Fortunately, he's straight into uni on his return so won't see his family until next weekend so maybe the wounds will have healed!

The afternoon was slow drinking by the boys, swimming, barbecuing, Guitar Hero, sharing war stories and the place has been kitted out with black lights, fluorescents and a fog machine . .As evening encroached, the partygoers arrived, donned their white gear and fluoro amulets, cranked up the fog machine, broke out some beats, played with lasers, and partied hard. Clare Adam and I got suitably hammered but poor possum crashed about 1:30am leaving the stayers who packed it in after a quick heat-up of some Samosas and the big crash at 3am.

Bright boardies are 'in' this year for more reasons than one . . .


The girls glowed . . .



Yep, that's me and D doing what we do best -
acting the goat
with fluorescent face paint . . he is the 'moon'

The Irish I have decided drink hard and fast, Aussies on the other hand have longevity, we take it slower but last longer. Although the creation of a new potion by Adam (shot of Sambuca, shot of Yaegermeister, shot of vodka and a can of Red Bull poured into a pint glass) is enough to floor an elephant! Tastes like cough mixture, with fizz, truly revolting and has been christened "The Duracell"and is strictly only for the bold and the brave.

I dropped him off at the airport this morning, checked in, had lunch, gave him a hug and sent him on his way. He took off (I hope) at 3pm, although we saw an Etihad plane fly over at about 3:45, for the 24 hour flight home then straight into lectures on Monday morning. It's been a lovely time having him here. The two of us have been through a lot over the past two years. He can be a little moody but as with many things, he was warming to everyone towards the end of his stay and understood what a 'servo' and 'lebo' was. He began to feel a little less far from home, a little less white and freckled, a little less a fish out of water, comfortable in no small part to Adam's doing (apparently he's the funniest guy D has ever met . . I concur!) He really enjoyed himself "The best two weeks of my life . . " were words uttered more than once. So endeth travels with my Paduan (which if I was a purist should be Padwan suck that and see Jack McMad!)

So, this afternoon, the big cleanup . . . hang up the hammock and fight Clare for a snoozoid! Needless to say I lost

Recognise the book?

Next week we begin the big health kick. Clean and sober . . salads and exercise . . size 12 by November . . . party's over dudes!

I might add that uploading this pissant of a post took me almost four hours thanks to my suck hole internet service. I swear, (frequently and loudly) it's just a matter of time before I throw a fist through the screen . . after all this time of posting, now there's a 'pop up' warning that I've never had before. Bastard internet fucketty fuck fuck fuck! I'm so ANGRY right now. . .GAH GAH and double GAH! And it's not the connection it's Blogger . . slow as slow can be. I can pootle about on the web without problems but uploading 41k pics seems to be more difficult that solving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The good news, Clarebear has a job and so with all three of us now working it's just a matter of weeks before we can get decent naked high speed DSL and upload until we go blind! Yes, we are serious internet nerds. Safe travels Paduan/Padwan.

Normal services resume tomorrow! Oooh me 'ed!

29 comments:

  1. Tops weekend!! That is one sexy hammock may I just say!!!

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  2. Anonymous9:37 pm

    Sounds like you gave that young man the holiday of a lifetime!

    Now go rest!

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  3. Is hammock envy a condition? That looks at that angle better than my own, although mines has the advantage of being next to a bar fridge of tremendous wonder...without it, I'd never get any writing done...

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  4. Yes it is Clare . . those Bolivians or Peruvans or whatever have a good sense of colour.

    GM . .I'm going back to work for a rest but gotta tell you that retirement sounds lubly.

    Miley . .beware the green monster. . the bar fridge of tremendous wonder? Fabulous . .our bar fridge is a massive two door full of beer and soft drink . .no champers *sob*

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  5. god i just read this but it's way too much and too rich to comment on yet, so i'll just say good morning to you (my time) and i'll be back. oh, one small comment: that picture of you in the hammock made my day, my week, my month, maybe even my year. oh one more thing, you, hb baino, are kind of incredible...
    :)

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  6. Anonymous1:00 am

    "The best two weeks of my life" - that's quite an accolade. Well done you. Servo and lebo?? Still a mystery to me. You and alcohol are as bad as the Irish - the oldies here seem to compete to get as hammered as the teenagers!

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  7. Anonymous3:51 am

    First time I have seen a Leinster rugby shirt in that colour!

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  8. I have no idea what the background to these posts is but I've enjoyed reading them anyway. Good luck on the health kick, I'm a week ahead of you there and stiff as a plank!

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  9. dang! - you know how to welcome a guest! - party on!

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  10. Anonymous6:53 am

    You're gonna miss that kid, aren't you? They're tiring, for sure, but they do brighten the place up!

    I'm glad you had fun on your last day. Hope the blisters heal for him!

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  11. going to work to rest up sounds about par ;) lol

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  12. I was going to buy a hammock whilst travelling South America, but then I realised that we have no trees in the garden to attach it to. Shame, because they are very comfy.

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  13. I have really enjoyed watching all the touring and fun you have been up to down there with the Paduan!

    Great book! :)

    Have a good start to your week, Baino!

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  14. TSUP*!* That's a wonderful compliment he gave you Baino*!*

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  15. Anonymous8:03 am

    If there was an award for being the 'hostess with the mostest', you'd win it hands down!

    Isn't it crazy how you look forward to getting back to normality when you have visitors staying but when they leave, you miss them like mad!

    I can't get over the dry terrain in the hammock picture. I can almost hear the twigs cracking in the heat.

    Hope you have air-con at work!

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  16. Haha sorry kj I really must write shorter posts but there's been so much on to document. Actually, that's Clare reading your book!

    Aww Nick, to be fair it's a rare occasion when I get hammered! "servo" the service station, "Lebo" a little more derogatory and a reference to our Lebanese community.

    Ian he has a passion for Rugby and soccer shirts. Bought an Irish one for Clare. They're just a little hot and sticky in this weather.

    Terrence, I've been documenting a two week visit with an ex blogger Irishman who came to visit us. Much fun.

    Quickie, I haven't done it for a while but yep, the hostess with the mostess. Except my connection is lousy and I don't have an XBox

    Yep, sure am Jay. We've had a full itinerary over the past two weeks. I wanted to do as much as possible in that short time. He's already emailed from Abu Dhabi! It's LONG flight home.

    Ha! Got in this morning and I have 105 Hotmail emails (I don't access that account generally) and 402 Outlook emails despite putting an Out of Office notice up! GAH . . that's today's workload.

    Aww DBM that is a shame, just the colours are gorgeous. She bought a travel back in similar fabric.

    Thanks Melissa . . back to the hum drum!

    Bimbimbie, he's very frugal with praise so yes indeed. A very nice thing to say.

    It's very dry here at the moment. We've had three weeks of blistering heat, the odd storm and no respite from the sun. Very crunchy underfoot! That's one good thing about work . . it's so cold I'm wearing a sweater today!

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  17. The party pictures are so cool. You really know how to party. All quiet once again and back to work for you. It's a good thing I am here to trip your balance!

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  18. I'm so sad it's over.

    Honestly, I don't know how you are alive after all the things you've done these past few weeks. Amazing woman! Thank you so, so much for sharing them with us.

    I'll leave you to get on with your horrible hundreds of emails...

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  19. Ah Ces, I can't take credit for the fluoricity, that's all the kid's doing. It was good tho except the fog machine leaves a layer of greasy stuff on everything. It eventually dissipates but is a bit yukky! Trip my balance? or 'tip' my balance. Either way, you keep me on my toes!

    Emails all done now Megan. And I've added another person to the Wonder Wall and realised how fantastic my PC is at work!

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  20. Anonymous8:22 pm

    I can haz irritability towards Ireland

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  21. Notso, you've only been back 3 hours! Sleep it off Paduan you'll feel much better.

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  22. I realy meant trip because you were just standing there and I tripped you, not tip the scale.

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  23. I used to make fantastic UV jewellery for clubwear... wish I coulda got fotos like that of folks wearing it... coulda sold loads online (except the internet was still a baby back then...)

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  24. How old did you say you were...? ;-P

    Sounds like you had a blast too, Baino!

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  25. Ces you're wicked. Although i don't need any help 'tripping' do it all the time!

    Gleds you're a hidden talent, you should get back into it as a distraction and an earner! I'm told fluoro clubbing is still in style. Well in San Sebastian anyway.

    AV I know, I know, growing old disgracefully. I'm going to see the Prodigy on Saturday night . . all hope for me is lost!

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  26. If I ever forget how to live, I shall come to you for a reminder!

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  27. Love the names of your city. Wooloomooloo!

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  28. Can I have the same kind of holiday with you sometime?

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  29. Ha if I live through this without forgetting, you're welcome!

    Good aren't they Ted although there are many copycat names that the youngling notices (Liverpool, Newcastle, Llandilo to name a few)

    Kath you can but can we have long lunches instead of Oporto burgers?

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