Return to Aus

Yet another brilliant play on words – perhaps average might describe it better – BUT it doesn’t beat the James Bond one back in an earlier blog. It literally flashed into my mind following the final drive ‘oh gees I miss that car.’ I’ll reproduce it again (tautology?) – concentrate on the last word.

This would provide a fantastic catch phrase for a db5/bond experience

Scene – bond is strapped to a metal slab presumably gold with a laser beam aimed at cutting him into two. Bond had been captured after breaking into Goldfinger’s factory where he overheard snippets of the plan to rob fort Knox. To try and save himself Bond bluffs and ask Goldfinger a question

Bond: do you expect me to talk Goldfinger?

to which Goldfinger gives the following response

No Mr Bond! I expect you to D (r) I (v) E

But like every great anecdote, phrase, saying, quotation or catchphrase, it’s only good if someone takes it on board and uses it so that all and sundry can latch on to it. Time will tell!

So, return to Aus – what’s that all about? Well Lyn and I had planned to take a last holiday to visit and hopefully stay with our now antipodean offspring, partners and their offspring.

But as we know, me and me bowel put the kibosh on that expectation. Although a few of the medical profession we spoke with gave it a thumbs up, we and particularly yours truly didn’t have the confidence to stride out and chance me arm. From what’s been revealed lately it appears I was lucky to get home let alone make it to Aus. That has all passed and we planned for this year, until the gods of disaster struck again – b…..ds.

It was the home children who conspired to get dad out of their hair for a month, their justification was that you will have lived more than twelve months with me ‘carry your own compost bag’. None the less it still sets the need for worry beads, lucky charms and plenty of medical supplies.

So what seemed a lifetime away and easier to handle because of that, is now sitting on my shoulder (which is on the verge of collapse) whispering ‘time’s up’. So it’s prep time, and with the fact that anyone I tell what is about to occur offer me nothing but support and encouragement, the fates have set me on another path where I am a lone traveller (not exactly as I will be with Tina and Jess,) no longer spouse, partner or companion to the love of my life, who now must take these trips on a different plane (no not a different route).

The fates have never let me down in any big way, so I shall let them and the children guide me, watch this space.

When asked what I would like to do while there apart from spending time with the relatives etc as part of or even the start of a bucket list, I’ve indicated that I would like to visit dish array at Parkes, which everyone will know is the hero of the movie called ‘the Dish’. If you haven’t seen this film, it’s one to beg, steal or borrow. The humour in it is a delight, with some fantastically funny one-liners, superbly delivered by the cast, then when you’ve seen and understood why I wanted to see it, we’ll talk some more about it. The one downside is that it’s roughly 380kms from Tina’s home, to which Damien (bless him) said we’ll make a couple of days out of it. An absolute diamond!

Breaking news! It strange how little things connect and transform the original work of art into a different study.

As part of the Christmas get together with friends and relatives, we always plan a visit with our American friends. We try to make the visit to our home at Christmas mainly to Russ and Faye a break for what to them is a busy time of year, with Russ being a methodist preacher, and that we traditionally partake of

Thanksgiving at their home. This feast provides a table that always looks like Christmas times two with all the wonderful food, recipes from both countries, spread out for all to drool over (figuratively speaking)

I learnt that Faye has read some of the blogs because during the run of conversation regarding food the word ‘pea carn’ was uttered. It took yours truly a couple of seconds, during which time the word was uttered again, for it to dawn on me that I was being wound up, but it lead to a few minutes of gentle banter – nice one Faye

In turn we provide a ‘Sunday type dinner’ for the families and enjoy the company and usually chat on for ages about the food, recipes and similar topics.

Unfortunately, Russ was unable to be with us this year – health.

This year however, things was different ad the chat come round to my break to Aus. We spoke about things I hoped to do, and of course the visit to the Dish entered the conversation.

Alan: ‘I don’t know, but have you heard of the film: ‘The Dish?’

Faye & Hannah (as one) : one of their favourite movies, they watch t regularly, and when they do they are repeated interrupted by Russ (in another life was a signaller in the American navy) who gives them all the technical data about the dish and all it’s parts. They both said that Russ would be so jealous – I promised to send pictures.

So here I am sitting in the dining room waiting to be collected by Damien and Tina for a trip out to Blenheim Palace, one of the major tourist attractions in the country – the birthplace of the greatest Englishman ever: Sir Winston Churchill (reminds me of an old joke – notice outside religious establishment

“What is missing - CH..CH ?” answer “UR”. ) Wonderful word play.

This of course means that all the jobs on my “to do” list must start tomorrow!