Here We Go Again

Last minute preparations so van is ready to go when we head in to Bairnsdale for appointment with John Scarlett.  Assuming all is well we will head off straight away for Bendigo where we'll stop tonight.  Just pull up at Mark and Janine's for the night.  Heading to Swan Hill tomorrow.  Taking laptop (old one unfortunately, as haven't had time to transfer everything to new one) but don't know if I'll have internet access so this blog may be completed in retrospect when we get back home.

On The Road Again

Not quite such a lazy start to the day today as we had to pack up and head home.  We'd done a bit of packing last night.
Had to give the patio and outdoor table a good sweep and clean, because the lorikeets had made an awful mess with breadcrumbs.
Finally packed and ready about 10:30.  Went to give the key back, and to say goodbye to Cherie the Owner /Manager.  Bought two Beach Cabin coffee mugs as a memento of our stay.
Stopped at Pambula Market on our way though, and bought a ceramic pelican - very elegant.  About 9" tall.  Also had a plate of Dutch Pancakes.
Stopped at the little cafe (called "The Big Bite" I think) on the wharf at Eden for lunch.  I had Nachos, without Salsa, and Bill had Fish and Chips.
I slept much of the way home, well until Cann River anyway.  It made it seem like a very quick trip.  We arrived home about 3:30 and unpacked the car.  Well, Bill did.  I checked my emails!
It was an enjoyable few days away, and the weather was kind to us after the first day.
Pity the kangaroo wasn't kind to us on our way home from the Swanny pub where we went for a belated birthday dinner with Mum and Jim and Susan and Marty.  A great big ding in the rear passenger door where he banged into us!  As I said to Bill, it could have been worse.

Final Full Day

The weather was very nice again today. Another fairly lazy start to the day. We went back to the Boardwalk to look at a lovely pair of leather gloves I saw in a shop window last night. They would have been over $30 (at half price) but they were really nice. They were even a size large - unfortunately the lymphodema in my right hand meant I couldn't get that one one so I had to leave them. We tried in another couple of shops, including Rockman's where Bill convinced me to buy an owl pendant and a purple and silver pendant and earrings, eventually ending up at Swannie's where I got a nice soft pair of men's gloves, and Bill bought a pair of circulation socks and a wool jumper. Walked back down to the street and I bought a lemon gelato - the worst I've ever had. it was sticky and gooey, like toffee in parts, almost as if it had melted and refrozen, or the gelatin hadn't dissolved properly or something. I probably shouldn't have bought it as it all looked a bit odd in the tubs. At $4.30 for a small single scoop it hurt to throw half of it away!
Then we had a look at the bait and tackle shop but Bill resisted the temptation to buy anything.
We then headed off to the Merimbula Wharf and Aquarium to have lunch. I had a nice Prawn and Avocado Salad, Bill had a Wharf Burger.

Went back to the cabin for a bit of a rest.  Went back to the RSL for dinner.  We both had the lamb roast.  Quite nice.

My Birthday

I awoke to brilliant sunshine for my 58th birthday. Bill got me out of bed by telling me he had just seen a whale – blowing a water spout, and flipping its tail. It had gone by the time I got up, and we didn’t see it again.
There was a lovely card waiting for me on the coffee table, with a beautiful heart magnet in it.
I had slept reasonably well – my arm was the best it had been for a long time.
We had breakfast, then went for a drive to Tura Beach, where we looked at the new Safeway supermarket – really big. Had lunch at a little bakery in the next group of shops – I had a salad roll, Bill had a pastie. Then went for a drive to Tathra.
We went to pick up the photos we’d left for processing. I had a look in the old-fashioned lolly shop and bought some Milko Chews – an old favourite from my childhood. Wrapping was different, and the lollies themselves were fatter and shorter than I remembered. Tasted much the same though. They also had umbrellas (but only red ones) and choo choo bars (see my post in Reflections).

Then saw some jewellery in the Everything Earthy shop – we bought a paua shell / silver pendant and earrings for my birthday. Really lovely.
Back to the cabin for a bit of a rest before we went out to dinner.
Pier One was wonderful. I enjoyed every mouthful of my Crispy Skin Atlantic Salmon on a rosti, with beetroot relish. Bill enjoyed his seafood salad with crab, kingfish, scallops. We even had a sweet. Bill had Vanilla Pod Crème Brûlée and I had Pear and Walnut Strudel with Brandy Englase. Yummy!!!

Day 1

Still pouring rain! I didn’t sleep much last night. My arm wasn’t too bad, but I just didn’t sleep. We went for a bit of a drive, went shopping to pick up a couple of things we’d forgotten or needed anyway. Had a bite for lunch at a nice little café in the arcade in Merimbula. Went back to the cabin so I could have a bit of a rest.

Then went for another drive out to Wheeler’s Oysters to see if we were going to go there for my birthday dinner. Their menu on the internet seemed to have quite a few things we could choose from. But the menu at the restaurant was rather limited. We realise it is a seafood restaurant, but there wasn’t much to choose from and the seafood platter for two, at $150, only had ½ a crayfish (among other things, but not much cray when it all boiled down) which made it very expensive. So we decided to give it a miss. In the end Bill investigated Pier One restaurant on the Boardwalk, and booked us in there.

We went to the Merimbula Bowls Club for dinner. I had a lovely almond crusted pork medallions with bacon and spring onion sauce. It was delicious, but far too much as usual. Bill had a seafood platter, which made him feel a bit crook because the prawns had garlic in the batter. I made a point of telling the waitress that there was nothing wrong with my meal, in fact it was delicious – just that there was far too much.

Finally On The Way

Well, the day began well – Bill came to get me up just on 9, but I was already getting dressed. Just as well, because the District Nurse was there before 9:30. We had asked for an early visit so we could get away on our holiday as soon as possible. It was Rob, and Bay (?) a trainee doctor who was doing the rounds with him. Trouble was my port wouldn’t behave. Rob had three goes, but it just wouldn’t back flash, and he couldn’t get anything to push in either. So he rang Ray to see if he could come out to do it. We gave Rob a coffee for his trouble – Bay didn’t want one. To top if off, it was pouring rain, and Rob had a problem with his windscreen wipers, which Bill was able to ‘patch up’ for him. Ray arrived just as Rob was leaving. By this time it was nearly 10:30. Guess what, Ray had trouble too – it just wouldn’t back flash, nor flush. He was worried it had clotted off. So he rang Oncology, only to be told I would have to go to A&E, and if necessary they would call Oncology.

But in discussing it further after Ray had rung A&E he decided he’d try to bypass A&E altogether and see if Lyn Davies could help out in the District Nurse office. So another phone call set it up and we all hot-footed it into Ross Street. At first it looked as if it might have been blocked, because Lyn had a bit of trouble too, but all of a sudden everything worked and all was OK. So much for our early start. By the time we got home again and finally got everything packed in the car it was 2:30 before we left home.

We stopped at Cann River for a drink, where we had a bit more drama. I took off my pressure pad (usually only left in place for about an hour) but one of my needle marks immediately began bleeding! So we called around to the Bush Nursing Centre to see if they could give me a couple of pressure pads as I wasn’t sure the re-stuck one would stay stuck.

We finally arrived at the Cabins just before 6pm. Poured rain all the way.
Went to the Merimbula RSL for dinner.

Nearly Time

Only two days until we go to Merimbula. Not taking the caravan, so we don't have to get it packed, but we will have to pack clothes tomorrow. Also got to go into town to collect the preparation, from the hospital pharmacy, that I have to take the day after we get back from Merimbula before I have my CT scan. Will take Squawky Bird in to Susan's so she can look after him while we are away. Hope the weather is a bit better than it is here today - it's raining and cold.