Christmas Hangover

Did the title get your attention? Good, but it is a lie. None of us had a hangover even though we drank quite a lot on Christmas Day (although some of us drank a little too much, didn’t we AT?). Boxing Day chased off Christmas Day and we awoke without headaches, and the prospect of a lot more fun in store for us as we were returning to Pauline and Greg’s for round two of ‘Eat Until You Explode’, a competition I was quite good at (although Ronnie can give me a run for my money). Again, we all spent a lot of time in the pool or chatting with Pauline and Greg’s family and friends. It was another great day and a fine end to the official Xmas period. However, we still had another couple of days celebrations ahead of us as we all headed off to Mount Gambier in South Australia to check out where Jayne grew up, and to meet up with more members of the Nash dynasty.

Beep, beep . . . . . . . . beep, beep, . . . . . . . . beep, beep . . . . . . . . snooooooooooze. Poke . . . . . . . . , push . . . . . . . . , rock . . . . . . . . get up! Dressed – check. Eaten breakfast – check. Suitcases packed and loaded into car – check. Bec and Lucy in the car – check. Leaving outlaws at home – check, check, check, check, . . . . check,  . . . . . . check,  . . . . . . . . check. Garage door open – check. Car working – check. Waving goodbye to outlaws – big check. We were on our way, yi-hah!

The journey to Mount Gambier was about four-and-a-half-hours along some very scenic roads that cut through valleys, forests and paddocks (huuuuuge fields to you and I) with mountain ranges and sizeable hills popping up every now and again just to add a little change in the scenery. The drive was great fun and seemed to end quicker than the time that had elapsed on our watches, and by 2:30PM we had checked in to our accommodation. After meeting up with Jayne and Ronnie we decided to find somewhere to eat since we were all a bit famished (the excitement of the drive had depleted my energy levels and I was in danger of falling into a coma fuelled by malnourishment). Luckily enough we came across a Subway (the sandwich specialists rather than a tunnel between two places) which was able to supply me with a life saving 12 inch Tuna special, but, just as I was about to devour it, came the shocking suggestion that we should find a more idyllic spot to devour our food. This would be hard to do since there aren’t many places more beautiful than an Australian food court. However, the general consensus was not in my favour and it was decided we should head off to find nirvana elsewhere, and after a little sightseeing we came across a satisfactory venue to eat our heaven-in-a-roll rolls. Take a look at the picture below to see why our new setting was only satisfactory:

Yep, we ended up eating our foot long life savers by the side of a lake in bright sunshine. So, as I said, marginally better than a food court (did you detect the sarcasm?). For a good hour we lolled about in the rays of our Solar System’s G2V star and even took time to explore some of the area we were resting in (well, Lucy played in the playground). Once we (well, me) had managed to get rid of that hippopotamus feeling you get when you’ve eaten too much, we headed back to our dwelling to ready ourselves for a BBQ at another Nash residence (although the thought of eating, again, was as appealing as a cow’s backside with a sign on it saying “sniff me”).

Showered – check. Deodorised – check. Fresh clothes – (after being nagged) check. Car started – check. Follow Jayne and Ronnie to destination – check. By 7PM we had arrived at Jayne and Pauline’s brother’s substantial house (and large grounds) for our next round of the game, “Eat your own Weight in Food”. Fortunately enough I was able to partake in the devouring of the lovely spread that was put on for us, as did everyone else. It was a great night and really wonderful to be included in such a warm family gathering. After a little resting up it was time to head back to our abode, and, after saying lots of farewells, that is exactly what we did.

As we closed the door of our apartment on the outside world we knew it signified the end to another great day, but we also new it would herald in the coming of a new day. A day that would be very busy, but you’ll have to wait a little longer for that update. BFN.

The Cassons 1st Christmas Down Under!

Okay, where do we start? Christmas Eve, probably. Up to this point the Yuletide atmosphere was minimal since it had been really hard to get in to the spirit of things when it is so hot and very sunny. Seeing gardens festooned with Santas, Reindeer, sleighs, Pine trees and other Yuletide decorations, in bright sunshine, just doesn’t foster the same feelings for the festive season as it does back in cold, wet, windy and dark blighty. However, the Christmas period only felt unusual because it wasn’t what we were used to, but given time I am sure we will adapt.

Our first Ozzy Xmas was going to be spent with Pauline and Greg (Jayne’s – Bec’s best friend from Sydney – sister and brother-in-law), Jayne and Ronnie, Alex and Sharon (friends of Jayne and Ronnie, and us) and Bec’s mum and dad. Phew! So, at 11AM, the Cassons, and outlaws, rocked up to Pauline and Greg’s abode to join in with the festivities that had already begun; and begun they had. Jayne had been up since silly O’clock preparing a punch and a chocolate based dish that she was pleased to have created. I refrained from the latter offering but did indulge in the punch, which was yummy. After sinking three glasses of it in a very short time the world seemed a woolier place and fuzzy around the edges. Hmmmmm! What was going on here? After giving this sensation a few seconds thought I decided that a lager was needed to balance out the spirits I had just hurriedly taken in, and it worked, sort of.

For the next few hours we opened presents, and ate some food, opened some more presents, and ate some more food; followed by some laughing and tomfoolery interspersed with some eating of Christmas themed food. By 2PM we were all starting to flag and were in need of some heartier sustenance, and Pauline and Greg didn’t disappoint (thank you to those two). When the dinner bell was rung we were greeted with a wealth of choice that featured four different meats (barbecued of course), mixed salads, an array of vegetables and potatoes, as well as dressings galore. For the next two hours we helped ourselves to whatever we liked and ate ourselves stupid (well I did), and by 4PM we had indulged enough.

After repairing my chair that had broken under the increased weight it had to deal with, I retired to bathe in the sun and make walrus noises of contentment. Lucy and Ronnie, on the other hand, had other ideas and decided to have a swim in Pauline and Greg’s pool; and not to miss out on the fun I bombed in too. After cries of ‘Save yourselves from the Tsunami’, Greg refilled the pool so that Jayne could also partake in the watery fun; and for the next hour-and-a-half we all messed about in the water.

Once Greg had reassured the Greenpeace protesters that I didn’t have to be returned to the local Walrus colony I was able to get out of the pool and dry off in the warmth of the early evening sun. This was followed by round two of overeating as our hosts informed us that a cold supper was ready for our consumption, and guess what we did? We / me ate until we could eat no more, and a little while later the familiar groans of overindulgence could be heard echoing around Pauline and Greg’s wonderful house.

The rest of the evening went by at stupid speeds and before we knew it it was 11PM, and time to leave. Our first Ozzy Christmas had come to an end but had been wonderfully enjoyable, and made all the more special by being with a great group of people; which is what Xmas is all about: sharing. We will always be grateful to Pauline and Greg for welcoming us into their house at this very special time of year. It was very comforting to have so many great people around us at this very special time, and reminded us of some of the Christmases we had had with friends back in the UK.

We hope that everyone reading this blog, like us, had an enjoyable Christmas Day too.

However, our celebrations didn’t stop there. We did a lot of travelling over the next few days and you will be able to read about that over the coming days, so until then good readers, BFN.

Tinkers Return from Tasmania!

Hello good readers, just a quick update to let you know that Mum & Dad have returned safely from Tasmania!  They really enjoyed themselves on the island and were looked after very well.  In order to keep them active, we packed this weekend full of fun!  On Saturday, we headed to the Great Ocean Road and also visited Lorne.   We had a picnic on the beach, watched Lucy bounce on the in-ground trampolines, visited the pier and ate ice-cream until we burst!

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On Sunday morning, Dad went swimming with Lucy.  She is doing great in her lessons and has already advanced through many of the levels. 

In the afternoon, we went to Queenscliffe to visit the harbour and see if we could spot any rays……….. As you can see from the picture on the right, we were in luck!

 

Paul and Lucy are looking forward to starting their last week of term next week…….it seems very strange that they are about to  have six weeks off for their SUMMER holiday at CHRISTMAS……still, I am sure we will get used to it!

More news another time…….

Happy Christmas, CoGG style!

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Hello dear readers.  I just wanted to share with you that we have just been to my works Xmas do.  It was awesome! CoGG (City of Greater Geelong) hired a HUGE ‘hanger’ and inside there was countless inflatable slides for kids, a laser tent, craft making, skateboarding, Xbox (so Paul was impressed!) and there was also a disco.  In addition, there was loads of yummy food; bbq, pizza, pasta and rolls, together with chocolate fountain and ice-cream.  To drink, there was a choice of soft, hot or frozen drinks.   We also received a complimentary gift bag that contained sweets and biscuits and lots of vouchers for free entry to various attractions in the local area! And Guess What?  All this was FREE! Can you imagine that?  We were well impressed!  I have never experienced that before whilst working in Government in the UK!  It made me feel really appreciated, as a staff member, and happy that I had made the decision to work there – and also not wait to get a job!!  Check out the images from the event….

Couldn’t Even Sell ‘em at the Market

Okay, straight on to business as it has been a while since I last furnished you avid readers with a blog entry. On Saturday 5th December 2009 the Cassons and Tinker outlaws headed off to a country town called Bannockburn (no, not the one in Scotland) to sample the delights of the Golden Plains Farmers’ Market. It was a small affair and probably had twenty stalls selling a variety of produce, but not much of it was free to taste. This was quite disappointing since I was unable to eat my fill at no cost to myself. Damn! We waltzed about for about an hour or so, happily discussing what was on offer whilst admiring the township of Bannockburn.

The outlaws soaked up the typically quaint country fare feel and meandered from stall to stall, whilst Bec, Lucy and I looked for things that might be of interest to us (ice-cream stall, BBQ, spice tasting and freebies). After a little while we came across a bouncy castle opposite a BBQ with a coffee van placed, pleasingly, between them. I looked around for signs of Nirvana because this was as good as it could get, but I wasn’t there; and I should’ve realised that because there was no sign of a soccer pitch or Pizza Hut nearby to complete this heavenly scene. After a spot of animal petting, and wrestling Alan away from the Pet Corner owners after they mistook him for one of their wild boars, we headed off home as Lucy and I had a game of baseball to watch at our local stadium (which also happens to be Victoria’s main stadium for national baseball). Bye For Now.

   

Tinkers do Torquay

Hello good readers!  Just a quick update to tell you of our latest adventures with Mum & Dad.  After sending Paul and Lucy off to school this morning, we went to the local mall and began the day with a massage!  Then, we took a picnic lunch to Torquay [AUS] and ate it on the water’s edge before walking on the beach and visiting ‘Torquay Central’, a local shopping outlet [a little smaller than McArthur Glen outlet in Ashford, Kent!].  Tonight, we had fish and chips on the beach in Geelong before going to the cinema to see the film: ‘cloudy with a chance of meatballs’.  Check out the pictures below.  Just as I took the picture on the right a big wave came towards Mum & Dad and wet them a little bit [well, quite a lot actually!]…..

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More news later…………….

The Freudmanns Fly In

  I was lucky enough to meet up with Tony and Eleanor Freudmann this week.  They were visiting their son who is now working in Melbourne and they came to Geelong for the day.  The last time I saw Tony was when we were working on the Kent-Virginia project.  It was really good to catch up.  They both enjoyed their visit to Geelong very much and raved about the Waterfront.  At the weekend, they even chose to visit Geelong over seeing the Twelve Apostles (a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria)  So, that’s it, you’ve got another endorsement from two more intelligent people (the others being Paul and myself of course – silly!).  Therefore, you have no excuses about coming to visit us!  More news later……….

The MA of Early Christmas Presents….

Thanks to my wonderful husband for his introduction to the visit from my Mum & Dad.  In my defence [to not switching the alarm clock on, which led to us being LATE to collect Mum & dad from the airport] I have an EXCEPTIONALLY good reason.  I was VERY distracted by the following e-mail I received from the University of Kent on Friday:

‘I have good news for you: we’ve received the examiners’ reports and they’ve recommended awarding you the MA without corrections… So, congratulations! I’m delighted with this decision and very glad to see that your abilities and all the efforts you put into the thesis have received their just reward. You’ve been through a very difficult time but you’ve pulled it off nonetheless and I must say I’ve been very impressed with that.’

SO, after receiving this news, I wasn’t much good for anything else – especially things like remembering to turn on the alarm clock……!  Nevertheless, Mum & Dad understood once I told them about my MA at the airport….and they were thrilled.  Even more so, when I mentioned that I hope to come back to the UK for my graduation ceremony to be held in Canterbury Cathedral in July 2010, they were ecstatic!

Mum and Dad have been slowly acclimatising to the Oz weather (they have had temperatures of 27 and 29oc so far) and they have done lots of exploring.  They have visited all the shopping malls and some museums in central Geelong; they have mastered the bus system (and the very technical ‘myki’ system, which is the State of Victoria’s equivalent of the cash free ‘Oyster’ card system operated in London) and they have wined and dined on the waterfront of Geelong.

Its has been divine to see them with Lucy and Lucy has equally enjoyed cuddling them (and making flapjack with Grandma).

I am very much looking forward to Christmas with a triple celebration: Our first Christmas Down Under, Mum & Dad are here and I have been awarded my MA.  I cannot ask for better than that!

I am certain we will be posting many more stories of our adventures with Mum & Dad….but here are a couple of pictures so far for your enjoyment…..