Lunch Walk

 We had never seen Brisbane City central before and to walk  from South Bank to the Eagle Street Pier area took us right thru the middle. We traversed Queen St Mall, passed the old Treasury Building now the Casino.  There is another spot where a museum has been set up in the old commissariat. Laura thought their might have been high tea in the post office but we could not find any there. It took 45 minutes of slowish walking to get to the Wine Bar. We had previously paid $150 deposit to reserve a seat in a place that was 100% empty.  It was not suitable for babies so they gave us our money back and we moved around to the Fatcow which had plenty of customers.  We all had seafood dishes which were very tasty. Evie was mostly well settled and we just took her for a walk if she got restless.  The walk back was similar with mostly drizzle coming down the whole time.

Fat Cow

old style arcade

Mantra Breakfast

 We noticed the Mantra restaurant has reopened. We stayed there last time during a much lesser covid time yet we could not eat in hotels. Even with premier Anna in panic mode this time around, the restaurants are opened again. There is no figuring her thinking. My solution to stop the craziness at testing stations is to close them all. Rick cooked tea last night, breakfast was had at the Mantra and todays New Year's Eve lunch was booked two weeks ago, on Natalie Taylor's recommendation.  So that means there is no more cooking for us for at least a week.  It's much hotter in Melbourne at the moment only 26° here today.  We have been able to get the QLD checkin App going and get the vaccination certificate attached but no-one is asking to check it. 

Mantra omelette

The exhibition centre is across the road here

Hotel's roof top play exercise area

Novotel Brisbane South Bank

 Our flight was good, Evie did have her moments with the lack of sleep today but eventually we got her calmed down enough for 30 minutes sleep on the plane.  Hire cars are gouging as much back as possible after their 18 months of slow business. I reckon prices are doubled as we are paying $200 a day.  Rick cooked up some rissoles and potatoes for tea but the special norgenvas chocolate ice cream will have to wait.  The hotel room has a view towards the city but no balcony. We will make do.  The QLD whole entry approval scheme came to nothing when the police at the bag carousel just ignored us, so we waltzed in with noone checking us.

Club House balcony

Home again

Virgin lounge calm

 We are having lunch in the lounge and everything is calm. I could mention how Evie's test result seems to be slower than the rest of us. I could mention how Debbie's phone broke this morning at the critical time of obtaining more test results. So we filled out the forms and lied about getting the results. On the drive to Melbourne the Samsung man got the phone going again but we could see results on her watch. Also the Respite nurse rang up to say a covid positive  person visited the home Nana Beryl was meant to go to today, so it was shut down indefinitely and so we spent an hour reorganising a new move to Caulfield.  No Phasements.  We did get in one hours visit though.

Not Nana Jill or Grandma Jill  just Jill

Evie Beach Day

 Evie has fast hands when it comes to putting things in her mouth, like Sand.  Three of us were watching but sand went into her mouth three times.  The water was shallow and warm but the breeze was a bit cool which she didn't seem to mind. After that we just had her on a blanket and was happy to sit and chew on a bottle.  We have started to fill in the QLD application forms even though the results have not come thru yet. It has aslo been confirmed that much embarrassment has been suffered by QLD govt so the whole border pass fiasco is being dropped two days from now. Great two days to late for us.

Its not over til its over

 Everyone has packed up and headed to new destinations but I have lost count of the washing loads today. I think it must have been eight, good thing there is a slight breeze with Sun out as well. Great Grandma and Great Grandpa have travelled down to see baby Evie.  On the whole she has behaved really good even though there have been a lot of strange faces around.  Many photos on photos on photos.

Human window cleaner

great grandpa

The 1km three hour drive

 Somebody remind me never to do this again, as that is four hours I will never get back. We left at 12:30 and it is now 4:40pm.   What a slow crawl it was to get this COVID test done. We found out today that the 5 day Test has now been cancelled as a bad joke. The QLD Govt could not properly organise it, as it was taking up to 6 hours and noone from QLD was checking the results.  We were hoping the entry test would also be dropped as well but that review is Jan 1, two days after we get there.  Evie should get a medal as she spent the entire four hours entertaining us and being entertained. Right now she is being driven around and around the block until she wakes up.  Katrina Rowntree was in the queue ahead of us and was firmly told no favouritism.

sun shades can be so handy

Testing Day

 We hope we can get COVID tested today and I will sleep better when these pesky unnecessary travel tests are done.  Our plan was to go early, however with a 4:00 am Estelle wake up time, which hasn't happened in months, has thrown us out a bit. So morning sleeps are being taken all round right now then we will just drive from test station to test station until we get get in a queue.  It was an earlier night last night and since all the leftover smoked meat disappeared for lunch, we opted for the fish and chip meal which tasty OK seeing they cooked them up for 20 people.  James, Heide and Estelle have packed up and headed off now but have a 6 hour drive to the next spot. Daniel, Bianca and Asher went back last night but slept in their own beds before their long drive.

sunset on another Christmas

more robots

Afternoon Sun

 Two hours were spent over at the beach as the clouds cleared away. There was  some wind and there was some sea grass but the snorkel masks were put to good use by Quinn and Lincoln.  Estelle had her firstbeach outing and seemed  to survive ok.  Evie was an old hand at this beaching stuff and Asher took a bit of coaxing but was in for a good while.  There was plenty to see, like jelly fish, other small fish, urchins and sea snails that keep kids entertained. Not to gorget the bucket and spade.  Today's joke of the Day - When Evie got a mouth full of sand Julie thought she had finished her lunch beacause of the the sandwich.

newest beach babe

Is the Sky Blue?

 This question has been asked and answered many times over the last 30 yar. It seems that enough is enough and after another two hours of grilling last night, it has been finally determined that the answer is NO. I have been asked many other similar questions, Like is the sky chairs? also a NO, So to emphasise the thinking on this there are the following questions and answers.

Is the answer Yes ?         Yes

Is the answer No ?           Yes

Is the answer meaningless?     No

So ponder this while philologysing and just ask the Cycologist. One of the hardest questions I had to say no to was "Does it have anything to do with the alphabet?"

Another Day more presents

 An afternoon going into night of food and drink which finished around midnight.  The weather was a little chillier than last year but we did have the mega gas fire and a spare gas bottle for it.  After the huge barbecue lunch the even huger spit and smoker evening meal also went down well.  The smoky pork was the winner.  The presents  for kids took an hour or so even though ecven if was just for kids but there are a lot of them. It may be a beach afternoon but golf is definitely booked for 9:30am.

Why am I always asking these questions.

Smoke gets in your Thighs

James has been tending to the food all day with a Spit for tonight's meal and smoked pork for tomorrow. Mind you we did also have a barbie lunch so there is no shortage as long as you eat meat.  We moved the big outdoor table to the front to make more room for the cooking and to seat the hordes in close proximity.  This spit and smoker temperature is monitored on your phone.

 

Boxing Day presents

It's organised mayhem here but somehow around 9:30am we gathered around the tree. There was the usual wrapping paper everyhere and mainly toys being uncovered. Estelle just managed to last out the session which ended in multiple robot cleaners being unwrapped.  No more cat hair.  The Smoker has been started and James is tending to its every need. We will see the result in about another 6 hours.  The Clancys have piled off the boat earlier and will be here in the next hour or so. There are many many photos from at least six cameras that I could count.

Christmas Cousins

There is a lot to be said for a small Christmas Lunch gathering like only three of us but the cooking and the eating was tilely, leisurely and less pressured.  Mind you we did have to get to the Airport by 3:00pm so there was a schedule.  The plane was on time so we had Laura and Evie on the road by 3:30pm and at ur place around 5:00pm.  The two cousins have crossed paths a few times and Estelle seems to be the more forward type while everything seems to be wide eyed for Evie. 

Mmmmmmmm..  food noises

Grab hold Estelle

Late Beaching 2

 Another day of preparations but we also wandered over the road at 5:00 pm to finish off with a dip.  The seagrass is causing some havoc again but as the forecast for Boxing day is crap weather at 16°  so beaching may not be an option.  It is the opposite of that right now as I see 26° outside.   We found yet more new towels in the linen cupboard as it has not had a cleanout in the four years we have been here. We have positioned James cooking gear according to function.  The smoker is out in the back courtyard and the spit is in the middle courtyard.  

Elf not on the Shelf

Hot Cherry Soup

 We have gotten into cherries more so this year than previous. Bianca gave us a cherry gun bobber a few  weeks back and I have been using it heaps. At first just a punnet or two, now a great box load.  The cherries in jelly this year are not the tinned variety we have used previously.  I must have spent an hour or so on the cherry cooking part and getting the pits out of the cherries is the stickiest blood red business, even using the gun. If you are not careful pip bullets will shoot along way in ricochet. The cherries have now been boiled up and are in the cooling phase, as is the cherry soup.

Cherries that give you the pip