Saturday, lunchtime.
Dean's just finished work for the morning, Ant, Em and Jac have left, Jac leaving me with a request for an eraser from the Ginger Factory, we're finally packed, despite every time I put something in the bag, Jasmine takes it out and cracks a wobbly!
Yay! So we set off up the highway for Coolum...going great till we get to the first true Aussie long weekend tradition. Around Burpengary traffic slows to a crawl (no exaggeration). I guess everyone else was working on the leave-early-and-she'll-be-right-mate theory.
Now there's many things you can do while stuck in the crawl, play eye-spy (Jas not too good at it though), look for horsies/cows/trucks/buses, or do what we did...count the Combi vans, ratio of how many of them were broken down on the side of the highway, and remark constantly about how many bloody cars have Australian flags attatched!!!!
Did I miss something this year? Cos I've never, ever seen so many flags on cars any other year!
This had me wondering, does it make you look un-patriotic NOT to have one I wonder?
When the traffic finally thinned out, paying more attention to the radio, an ironic and/or fitting set of songs is being played, one of them being "Working Class Man" Ok, now feeling very Oztraylyan!
More traditions encountered, obviously the heat and humidity...pointed out to us by everyone when we got up the coast, what, do we look like we don't notice? Is our sweat less noticeable maybe? This problem was promptly solved by a swim in Poppy and Nanna Julie's pool, which Jasmine enjoyed so much she didn't want to get out even after the pruny stage. It's pretty cold that pool, but was a great relief. Even Dean got in!
The great Aussie BBQ for dinner was great, felt just like Xmas again, eating so much yummy food cos it's just too damn good!
Sunday we set off to the Ginger Factory at Yandina. Really code for, we HAVE to go to Nutworks across the road, the best flavoured Macadamia Nuts anywhere! The Sour Cream and Onion are the best, closely followed by the Hickory Smoke flavour yummmmmm. I was adventurous enough this time to try the Wasabi flavour ones too, hot in the moment for sure, but passes quickly. Anyway, we set of on the Coolum-Yandina road, a really nice scenic drive, lots of moo moo cows for Jas to see and even a donkey! Nice views of the mountains and canefields...which started one of those "internal music connection" things happening (don't expect me to explain it lol) well the canefields made me think of that GangGajang song "Sounds of Then", (some may know it as "this is australia") I know it's in some ad but can't think of it off the top of my head.
So another patriotic-feeling moment, minus the "lightning crack over the canefileds" cloudy, but no lightning to be seen. We get to Ginger Factory, we've been hundreds of times cos how many other places are still free admission? Not a lot to do really but some good window shopping. We took Jasmine on the "choo choo twain" ride, that weaves around the factory buildings etc, but she was far more interested in the ducks, chickens and roosters that would run alongside the train!
Everything there pretty much is all about ginger, but resisited trying the "gingerbread" ice cream and had some scrumptious lemon cheesecake flavour instead, which we had to eat fast, was melting too quickly to truly savour it. Also wonder if Jas is the only kids I know who DOESN' T like ice cream! Weird if you ask me lol.
Then we get our nuts and go back to Coolum, which was hotter then before we'd left argh! I'll stop complaining about it being hot at home now I think, seeing as I sit here without even the fan on! Good excuse for another swim!!! Well, Jas went in with Nanna Julie and Poppy, I dangled my feet in, Dean blissfully enjoying the all-channels access of the cable while we were up there, I'm too stingy to pay for the movie channels, we wouldn't make the most of them I reckon.
After her swim, Jas went off to the beach with the grandparental units....ALONE! Dean was beside himself worrying she would be naughty or cry for Mum and Dad, but I had to just quickly get her ready and usher her out the door with them before he tried to go along too LOL.
Of course she was just fine when she left! I got to have a nice long un-interrupted shower (no water restrictions there yet) and he probably did enjoy the quiet TV watching time. They returned a good hour and half later, she was nicely worn out and wet and sandy!!! She had a ball! Hopefully will have no trouble convincing Dean to let go a little more now.
You'd think after all the time in the water, a bath to remove the sand would be welcomed, but no lol. Screams and protests followed the forced removal of wet clothes...funny thing too she has the same reaction to getting wet in the rain! Can't make her realise it's all water.
Monday, Australia Day...I must have run all out of patriotism over the weekend, cos it just feels like a normal day. Packed up, ready to go home. A mixture of bummer and glad to go home, have been wondering how the cat is coping with the solitude...probably annoying the absolute crap out of the bird, hopefully not finding a way to reach the fish...
Traffic on the way back was flowing smoothly, still lots of flags to be seen. Stop for a break at Caboolture, discover there's a Krispy Kreme there now...damn dangerous knowledge, now Dean may be able to gain access easier! Usually has to rely on my coffee runs into the City and gives me a shopping list for KK!
Very dangerous when he needs to drop some kilos, Dad is going to take him sky-diving in a couple of months...why jump out of a perfectly good plane anyway? He can have it! Might make some good photos though.
Finally home, very much cooler, the cat and bird are fine, we lost one of the siamese fighters, RIP Mori. So no time for relaxing, clean out the tank before Kasai is lost through contaminated water. Unpacking and all the usual...then spur of the moment decide to go to the pool! Which is a miracle in itself as Dean usually has an aversion to using public swimming pools. But another good time had by all, and you can't beat half-price time!
The day comes to and end, time for dinner. Well what do you know, the oven is busted!
Final Aussie tradition for the day, pile into the car and go out for some take away LMAO! Will make more of an effort to be more Aussie next year I reckon... OI OI OI!
. She's currently sleeping on the mouse mat quite peacefully while I type, swear at my typing, and drink cold coffee.
. I of course said the obligatory "oh god!" and started to cry.Forgot to say yes though, but that was clearly implied ;)
tested 
My life has been sooooo boring since my last blog..that is unless you count a heart attack!
