After a couple of thousand kilometres on the road we’re back in Sydney and resting up for the New Year. Bang! Fizz!
We went down to Dad’s place on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria for Christmas. You know you’re back in the country when one of your brothers asks you to take a possum trap out to the farm. I want one of those traps in Sydney. I nearly stole it.
After taking my first beer out of the fridge in the shed Dad asked me to ‘read the instructions’ and kick the fridge door closed.
Sure enough, written in texta on the bottom left hand side of the fridge door KICK HERE TO CLOSE.
We had a great day, and a wonderful road trip even though the radio/CD player died before we got to Cleveland Street. All my plans for driving back listening to the cricket were buggered. I had to ask a bloke in the Holbrook RSL who batted on Day One and how it all went.
Wallington’s plans for an Amy Winehouse/Lucinda Williams done-me-wrong-fest went wrong.
Apart from that everything went right. Lots of family and food and dodgy rules sporting events.
I accidentally walked into work this morning only to find that it was a public holiday where I work! Unbelievable. I took my book and had a sook and stopped for a coffee and Belgian chocolate brownie at Sappho’s Bookshop on the walk back home. I turned it into a morning walk. A good idea after two thousand kilometres in the car.
Always look on the bright side of life – and whatever 2015 throws your way I hope you hit it for six. Thanks for reading this year.
I’ll be back with more vigour in 2015!
redsall 
Every day is a holiday in the beanbag isn’t it?
How was the traffic on the way back?
We pulled off the Pacific Highway at a traffic jam through Macksville and had lunch at the Nambucca Hotel as the Brisbane Test was drawing to a close. The locals seemed to be self-medicating adequately.
We nearly joined Phil Hughes 5km south of Macksville though. We were but one bead in a long, well organised and courteous necklace winding our way north along the Nambucca Valley cane fields when my attention was drawn to a ute slowly manoeuvring ahead at the shoulder with flashing yellow lights and a dot matrix display slowly scrolling at 10 words/minute which read:
“CAUTION … QUEUING … TRAFFIC … (yes, yes, get on with it FFS or we’re not going to finish this book) … AHE”
PHARK! “Stopped traffic in 20 meters” is what it should have read. Anchors were thrown overboard and 2500kg of troop carrier screeched to a halt while considering options left and right of the car in front which had become stationary in much the same manner we did.
I hope you and Wallington have a great New Year. For the sum of a few good yarns and a couple of margaritas I’ll help you fit a new tape deck to the old bus when I come around.
See you both soon.
Jerzy
Glad to hear we’re all still alive so far! Traffic was OK but for a short squirt on the ring road out of Melbourne. Have a great NYE and see you in 15.