Almost there - how many more sleeps?

Well it's been more than a week between adventures but that does not mean that we have been idle. As you know our adventures took us further afield 2 weeks ago. It was great to see everyone in Perth again and we had the best time catching up with you all. After a long delay in the Qantas lounge (the smoke from the bushfires in Victoria had the Melbourne airport in chaos, which in turn held our plane up) we were finally on our way home at 5.30pm Sat.

We woke on Sunday to a city shrouded in smoke, an amazing sight that we have seen repeated many times over the last 2 weeks. Yesterday was the worst we have seen it so far (photo taken from home). I do hope they can get some relief from the fires soon but the weather as it is just keeps it burning & spreading. On a lighter note, the Kylie concert on Sunday night was excellent. We got as much entertainment from the boys in the crowd as we did from Kylie on the stage.

Bill headed off to the airport again on Monday morning for a week in Qld and I was back there on Tuesday afternoon picking Tammy up as she arrived from Perth for a weeks R & R after school finished. Also to go to the Robbie Williams concert with us on Saturday night. Tammy & I had a great few days hitting the shops as with my leg on the mend I was able to get out and about with her. Still a bit slow but able to wander round fairly well now. Just as well as the Christmas shopping was not going to do itself, was it. And the concert was great too.

My other adventures have been of the medical nature, first to the Dr who is very pleased with my progress and is sending me back to work on the 15th Jan. It had to happen so I am now making the most of my leisure time left. Still lots of exercises but I am looking forward to being able to enjoy the next few weeks with Bett, BB & Gareth who will all be visiting from Perth during this time. The physio was so pleased with my progress that I have been discharged but must keep up the good work with the rehab. I will!

The giant Advent Calender in Federation Square has been a feature this year as we count down to Christmas. Each Tram trip we take at the moment takes us past or to Fed Square so I have been watching with as much anticipation as the kids to see what comes up next.

As no-one seems to have complained about my offerings this year I look forward to entertaining you all further in 2007. So with only 4 more sleeps till the man in the red suit comes we wish you a very Merry Christmas & a safe and Happy New Year.
Enjoy the festivities with all your families & friends and have a drink for us.

Until next time.........

Sink or Swim

A great weekend with a nautical theme prompts this weeks title. The fun started on Friday night with the 'Hill's' Christmas do.

The venue was The Titanic at Williamstown. We had to board by 7.00pm and on arrival we discovered that we were to be sitting in 'Steerage'. Mmm would Leonardo be there? No such luck. In order to get to Steerage we were ordered into a small lift, by an officer who obviously did not think he should be dealing with this class of people. The lift proceeded to groan & shudder it's way down where we were ordered to get out. (Did we really go anywhere?) On arrival at our table we were amused by the old songsheets and were subsequently entertained by roving musicians who took requests from the sheets or as we found out, random songs as well. I guess this rebel group really did belong in Steerage. Between Main course & Sweets the ceiling above us opened revealling Fisrt Class and we were entertained by a 3 act musical telling the story of the night the Titanic sank, including the hitting of the iceberg.

Now I guess you have all figured out that The Titanic is really a themed Theatre Restaurant. First Class is upstairs and people dining there are required to dress for dinner just as they would have at that time. In steerage we could be ourselves. It was great fun with the staff in character all night.

Saturday had no nautical overtones unless you consider the election as just a big fishpond filled with fish all trying to eat one another. Still no matter what we think of them we had to vote and to finish off such an exciting day we watched the 'All Stars' basketball game on TV.

After our quiet Saturday we were ready for some more adventure on Sunday, so decided that this would be the day we would finally make it to the Melbourne Aquarium. (Thanks Lorraine & Hans). We had a great time checking out all the fish and many other sea creatures they have on display there. It was really cute watching the little kids looking at the coral reef sections. Not one of them said "look at that fish", they all said "look, there's Nemo". The Sharks & Stingrays looked pretty mean as they swam over the top of us as we wandered through the 'Great Fishbowl' in the middle.

A trip into the city to get some photo's completed our wanderings and we got our own back on the scary sharks by having fish & chips for dinner that night.

So our sculpture today had to be of a nautical nature as well so we go back in time to Festival 2006 when the Games were here. As I have mentioned before there was all sorts of things happening, Fish on the Yarra, A beach at the Art Centre and also a wreck on St Kilda Beach. It was a reconstruction of The Lady of St Kilda shipwreck which was meant to be taken down after the Festival but the people of St Kilda liked it so much it stayed longer than intended. St Kilda was actually named after this schooner which sailed in Port Phillip Bay in 1841. She was shipwrecked in 1842 in Taihiti.

What adventures await us this week, you like me will have to wait & see

so until next time.........