The Saturday in Sydney

H,

Oooo - that early morning flight takes a bit of getting used to, doesn't it?  Sally and Andrew collected us at 4.15am in the Mighty Red Galant and we were checked in at the airport before we knew it.  Certainly before Mike knew it because he hadn't had any coffee yet!  Hahahah.

Sally and Andrew had Koru membership to ease their way so we ate at Mojos (my ham and cheese croissant was pretty good, especially with Toby's spurned egg from his bacon and egg sandwich).  Mike woke up with a jolt when he had his small cappuccino with an extra shot, not realising he wasn't getting the large one with the extra shot.  His coffee was strong.  Strong!

The flight passed easily with our television viewing.  I watched a great couple of episodes of an English chap learning to ride dirt bikes through lovely parts of the South Island.  It was fantastic.  Mike watched season 2 of The Hour.  I feel we'll be watching that this year then.  I then listened to some music (quite loud) and was surprised when an announcement came on that every passenger dreads.  No - not that announcement.   Another one.  "If there is a doctor on the plane, can they make their presence known by pressing the call button?".  I thought nothing else of it besides wondering what was happening and where.  But Mike said something to me a few minutes later so I had to whip off the headphones and then I noticed a kerfuffle int he back seat of the plane (just two rows behind us).  A line of medical professionals were lining up to peer at someone.  Ooooo - whatever it was that was happening was happening right behind me and I was oblivious.  I got the goss from Toby later as he had listened to everything.  (Turns out a man had taken malaria tablets earlier that day and was not feeling very funny indeed - so funny that they got ambulance people with a stretcher to meet our plane).

Off at Sydney and into Maccas to feed the hungry ones.  Then onto the train and then... off again.  Turns out that they decided this weekend was the weekend to fix the entire train line out to Karen and Scott's place.  We waited for a bus replacement service in Granville (where?) for a while then meandered around outer Sydney on a suburban bus most definitely not designed for international visitors with luggage.  It's just as if we lived on the Kapiti line and had to endure bus replacement services every other weekend.  Phew!  It took almost as long (probably twenty minutes difference only) to fly from Wellington to Sydney as it took us to train/bus from the airport to Quakers Hill.  At Quakers Hill we managed to extricate ourselves from the pile of people and baby prams (because suburban buses cater so well for them too - right?) and Scotty came to get us.  Mike and Sally walked home from the station, to give us room.

Now we have settled into the Sydney routine again.  Karen and Scott are looking after us and we have a great load of exciting things lined up for the week.  Of course, there are the three Bruuuuuuce concerts Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  And Abby is in the regional swimming final on Tuesday.  So it is all go, go, go!

Trivia night tonight.  I am hoping against hope that Mike's costume is a lot better than the one had rented last time for the work function that consisted of extremely brief lederhosen.  And I hope he didn't get me Guinevere's costume as he threatened!

I chatted to Shona for ages on the phone and heard all about her health concerns (less stress seems to be the key - let's all do that, eh) and her holiday to the South Island in January.  It was great to chat and chat.  Although Karen's landline crackle meant I stayed in the exact same standing position for an hour and then I noticed I had a sore arm from holding the phone for that long.  Hahahah.

Time for dinner soon.  We're a little bit out of whack with the eating times.

Have a great weekend.
Love,
Angela