Blog 41 = other bits of aus.

With plans made for my second solitary visit I was preparing for my standard visit transportation, bus to Kellyville Metro, Metro to Barangaroo, ferry to Manly -  sorted.  Emergency survival kit (you know the sort of stuff) emergency finances (cc for gifts) cash for coffee, and opal for transport -  sorted – good to go, in the blocks, on my marks, ready steady…..  I’ve changed my mind (long sigh in the background) – what the heck?  Plan B now kicks in.

With plans made for my second……………… (you’ve got it),  this time I’m determined to achieve this goal.   I have made the decision to not head across the bay to visit Manly, walk the sands, enjoy a Messina by the tram station, a gentle ramble around the bay, instead I’m heading for Swing City, excuse – my stomach feels as if there may be a very moment or three, which would detract from the visit. So it is decided by management to do some exercise that proved beneficial. 

So let’s do it!!!!  Part 1 bus to Kellyville, on our marks, get set, go, with a dashing start from the house, to the bus stop. The short walk takes less than five minutes without incident, and TW stands patiently in the sunshine, waiting for the Dam Busters bus, instead the other squadron vehicle passes sedately past as if thumbing it’s nose. Check the timetable - 13 minutes to the hour, 17 minutes past the hour. The sun moves slowly across the azure sky, moving the light fluffy clouds out of it’s path, TW checks his watch, upset to find 13 to has been and gone. He waits without regrets, either for a late 13 to or for an early 17 past. No chance, the only vehicles the bus company provide go the wrong way.  Distraction Alert!! TW stands, legs aching and sun scorching, and surveys the surrounding area and spies a school for the offspring of the local inhabitants, who are playing in the fields adjacent to the school. But guess what else TW sees?  – why it is his own offspring – dressed in the garb of a schoolteacher – coincidence – the same day last week TW saw his same offspring again dressed in the garb of schoolteacher, funny day to have a fancy-dress party, but Hey! Ho! She would be very convincing if she looked angry – oh she does, back to my journey.

The Dam Buster’s omnibus arrives 55minutes late or 6 minutes late if they left a bus out. The temperature is slowly rising as TW proceeds with his journey, undelayed, unencumbered on the Metro to discover that he is travelling in the wrong direction realising that he is three stations from his intended destination and going the wrong way. He swiftly alights at a station named tingtongtammallamadingdong or was it castle hills? Being new to the experience of getting lost when you only have to travel one station, TW (it) decides to bluff it out to the thousands of fellow travellers who are not looking at him, didn’t know he was there, couldn’t give a monkeys’ anyway if some stupid ancient foreigner can’t be bothered to check which of the platforms his train would be arriving at. Considering there are only two – DER!!!

TW mounts the Metro making sure he has the right (or was it left) carriage and as the vehicle accelerates into the glorious sunshine prays to the god of travel (he might not be, but he seems to be god of everything else) Apollo and St. Jude, patron saint of lost souls. YAY!!! We’ve just passed the station where this all began which means – er? something positive. With much aplomb and sass TW gets off at the station he was directed to by D2 in his early morning briefing, exits the station and looks west in the alleged direction of the swinging city (careful! It might sound posh but it could be wrong) or swing city (that’s better) as it is known locally. A passing stranger is accosted by TW, ‘ear mate! Which way to swing city?. The stranger offers TW directions at which TW nods his head, not in understanding but in a WT? manner.  So he presses on encouraged by the strangers’ confidence that SC is only 1kilometre away. After a marathon (walking) TW stills sees no sign of SC, so ventures to ask another stranger, who gives directions with a passing “you know it’s about a kilometre away?”. ‘No problem, all this walking reminds TW of sas training where the instructors keep saying “climb that mountain and you’re home”, sound advice, but he doesn’t tell you there are 20 smaller mountains hidden between where he was stood, and the one I ‘thought’ was home.

After months and hundreds of kliks (about 15 minutes) the nets of SC appear, and are only just around the corner. TW steps out the last part of the hike seeing an ice-cold bottle of water drawing him in.

As soon as this now wreck of an individual, staggers to the bar, orders his drink, and plays the bar-room scene from “Ice-cold in Alex” in his mind - fantastic!!  After achieving the cooling off period TW speaks to the person who knows what’s going on “how much?” (polite soul) “twenty dollars!” – “Done (I have been)”. TPWKWGO tells TW that “you are in booth 13 – that’s 1  3”.  TW takes umbridge (twice daily- lol) and explains to TPWKWGO that ‘he old – not stupid!’, takes his ticket and proceeds to his booth. After being given an array of games TW elects to practise his driving using the irons, and with great success, attaining a 120m shot and a number of high ninety and hundred + metre strokes..   TW completes his time, and has gathered huge fatigue, and decides to call GD1in aus. and begs a lift back to home, but to ensure the deal TW temps GD1 with the promise of (Messina) ice cream. TW just finishes the phrase and is about to tell GD1 where he is when he hears a shout “I’m over here TW” and incredibly there she was, so close he nearly trips over her.  GD1 and TW heads immediately for the ice-cream parlour and orders and then devours this manna from heaven. Apart from the incident in the underground car park which we don’t talk about outside the family (she got lost!!) we concluded this splendid day of fun and frolics , but with TW as kyboshed as he is the “frolics” whatever they are will start tomorrow.