Day 244: Local Landmark 6

I was in the area for a meeting today so I pulled up for a quick photo. Normally I take a bunch of photos and then sort through them before editing and then posting. Today I had a fair bit on my plate so I literally stopped, hopped out of the car, took one photo and got back in the car to head back to work.

I liked the way the sky looked today, and with a little Snapseed Dramafication it kind of steals the focus from the Local Landmark being Old Parliament House. But I don't mind that and I quite like the photo.

Day 243: Sick Day

Henry was sent home early from Day Care yesterday afternoon with quite a high temperature, we took him straight to the Doctor and were told to keep him home for the next two days and bring him back on Monday to see how the Antibiotics were working.

He was far from his normal self today, until he talked me into taking him outside. Now, when I say 'talked me into' I really mean he stood at the back door with tears in his eyes crying 'ousside! ousside! ousside!' until I caved in. It wasn't very warm out and normally Monkey and Bear stay inside, but today Henry insisted that they come outside with us. All three of them had a few runs on the slide and Henry was finally smiling, he was even helping Monkey and Bear climb the ladder of the slide.

After only a little while outside I had to pull the pin and drag Henry, Monkey and Bear back inside. The cold was making Henry's nose run like a tap and with that, my reprieve from the grizzles was gone... at least for a while. Eventually, after Henry had calmed down, we had a nice, quiet day at home together.

Day 242: Another Day, Another Forgotten Photo

So I didn't take a photo again today and instead of resorting to another 'Arty Farty' photo as there have been a few too many lately, I thought I'd just dig up something interesting about todays' date.

Is it a special date? Well, no. Not really. Unless you're a massive fan of Ingrid Bergman, Michael Jackson, Lenny Henry or Slobodan Milosovic and were looking to celebrate their collective birthdays. Or maybe you're mourning the loss of Ingrid Bergman (yes, she died on her birthday 20 years ago), Lee Marvin (15 years ago) or John the Baptist (Beheaded 1,983 years ago) who all passed away on this day, although there was the odd year or two between them all.

I'd like to thank Google for the information contained in today's ramblings.

Day 241: All Tuckered Out

I picked Henry up from Day Care this afternoon and he seemed a little tired, instead of his normal big smile and funny little run over to meet me he just kind of stood up and strolled over for a cuddle.

From Day Care we headed to Jenna's place to pick her up for the night and barely 5 minutes up the road I looked back and he was asleep. He stirred a little when picking Jenna up but was fast asleep again in a matter of minutes.

Unfortunately I had to buy some stuff for dinner tonight on the way home which required a stop off at the Calwell Woolies with the kids. I would normally have just taken them in to help with the groceries, but instead of waking Henry up I left him in Jenna's care, locked in the car.

Today's photo was taken with the iPhone before I hurried into Woolies, I thought it was cute how he had flaked out with his sunnies on.

Day 240: George Is Wet

On the way back from Wallerawang today we decided to have a little rest stop at the Lake George lookout. There is quite a bit of water in Lake George at the moment and it's something of a novelty because for so many years there was nothing there but an enormous, flat, paddock.

The drive home from The Wang was a sedate affair and this little stop was a good opportunity to stretch the legs a little and take a quick photo of the 'Lake'.

After getting back to Matts, unloading his bike and then hooking the trailer back up to my car I headed in to Fyshwick to pick up the Ginger Ninja. With both bikes in tow I made my way home, unloaded, rearranged the garage and then went in to the shops to replace Henry's sun glasses that had been eaten by the dog while I was away. By the time I finished all that, Belinda was home with Henry and any ideas I'd had of a quiet nap had gone out the window... although I did squeeze in a little Nanna Nap on the couch before Henry's bath time.

I'm back at work tomorrow and am feeling like I need a week of to recover from my weekend. At least this time I didn't come home with 6 stitches in my face and the need to replace the handlebars on my bike like I did last year.

So for me, the score card reads like this:
Great riding, check.
Great company, check.
Drinking too much with the boys, check.
No bike damage, check
No injuries, check.

5 out of 5 - a perfect score on the Funometer.

Day 239: So Long, Sofala

I don't know about the rest of the guys, but I woke up feeling a little dusty this morning. We had an early start with a full day ahead of us and the guys from Sunny Corner Trail Tours kicked it off for us with hot coffee and Egg & Bacon Rolls hot off the BBQ, these guys are brilliant. The breakfast was just what the doctor ordered, I was feeling much better and ready to tackle the trails our guides were about to inflict on us. There was talk of Mt Horrible which had a few of us a little concerned, but that was due later in the day.

The ride was, for the most part, fairly gentle today. Even Mount Horrible wasn't that bad, although there were a few who didn't make it up first go and a few others who either walked or were doubled on the back of one of our guides bikes while someone else rode their bike to the top. I made it on my second attempt, my mistake was attempting it in 3rd gear. I just wasn't going fast enough to keep the revs in the power range in 3rd, but in 2nd it was a great climb that I enjoyed. One of the guys made it most of the way to the top, he was had a few hundred meters to go when his chain snapped. It was still very steep where it broke but between 5 of us we were able to push it up the remainder of the hill taking a few breathers on the way. I think we were all glad the chain broke on a small 250cc bike and not one of the heavier 450cc or >500cc bikes.

Eventually we made our way back to Wallerawang and packed the bikes away in the cellar again. Then it was back into the pub for an end of the tour celebration, the pub had put on a roast for us and we all had a few helpings along with many beers. The evening then took on a life of its own when someone brought out a round of shots... I don't remember who started it, but I do remember continuing on with it and then laughing with the guys before collapsing into bed that the publican would think he'd been robbed when he came in tomorrow because the entire top shelf was missing... at least he'd think he'd been robbed until he looked in the till.

Day 238: Stopped For A Breather

Last night went on for a while, it was around 2am when I finally climbed into bed only to be woken by my alarm again at 6:45. We had our riders briefing scheduled for 8:30ish and I wanted to be ready, so after a quick shower I took a wander down Main St to find some Coffees and Egg & Bacon Rolls. The Wang bakery didn't disappoint and I made it back to the cabin that Matt and I were sharing to have breakfast and get geared up for the day ahead.

We all rode off not much after 8:30 and within minutes we were winding our way through twisty little trails and up steep climbs that were either rocky or muddy or a combination of both. My photo for today was taken at one of the many stops we made to catch our breath and wait for the last guys to arrive. At this stop, directly behind where I was standing to take it, we all watched some clown in a Jeep try to negotiate a very boggy bit of track that had already been chewed up by previous four wheel drives. He didn't make it far before all four wheels were spinning while he was stationary, it kept us amused for a little while before we headed off again on our way to Sofala.

The trails we rode were great and varied, there was every thing from tight single trail to open fire trails and some dirt roads with long and slippery causeway crossings. I can see why our guides like living and riding in this part of the country. By the time we made it to Sofala it was cooling down and we all took turns in the shower before heading downstairs for a few beers before dinner. At dinner we pretty much filled the little restaurant in Sofala, the food was quite good and the company was great. After dinner it turned out to be another fairly big night at the bar, I think the red wine with dinner may have been a mistake after all the beers both before hand and after. One of the guys even bought some white Port which was shared as a bit of a night cap.

It was another great night out with the boys and I hadn't laughed so much throughout the course of a night in ages, the conversations at our table had me in stitches. Unfortunately most of it, or at least the parts I remember, really shouldn't be repeated.