A time capsule of break

I went away this weekend, to a place where I went with friends Easter last year. It is a getaway where it seems to just take away and drain the worry of stuff (even though we dont have that much to worry about in relation to... antelope drinking at a waterhole) It is just a peaceful place, and there is no schedule or plans, which I am not used to. So it leaves me having no idea what to do! So hung with my friends, read a book, watched the rain fall on the ocean (was a wet weekend) and went swimming A LOT. So much so, Ross and I thought it would be smart to do the following:

- Snorkel in murky water, then decided, hey lets find a clearer spot.

- Oh look there is a clearer spot, on the headland, lets walk there.

- Luke, follow us, it will be fun. Luke disappears and then we discover (only when we got back from our adventure later) fell into a hole amongst the rocks and scratched his body with rocks, during the fall. We just thought he was being Luke and doing his own thing.

- Hopped along the rocks, and whenever I do this, I picture being an Aboriginal person 2000 years ago, hopping along the same rocks and imaging how much easier it would have been, with tougher feet and agility and stuff. These two things we did not have.

- Saw a goanna and due to past experience as a child with goannas (large lizard) stepped quickly to the left, which is more rocks further down, and stumbling and getting a bit of a fright, oh ever so much (Enid Blyton anyone?) . The reason for the fear is a goanna did not act scared last time I approached one and it bolted towards me and tried to run up me. Nah, not a tree. This time he was chilled (assume he was a he.. ) and we continued on.

- Got to the point and stood on a large rock that said "caution submarine cable".

- The waves were crashing over this rock, we put on our snorkel gear and after some hesitation (some, meaning a lot) jumped into the murky water.

- Couldnt see a thing, and so we paddled along the headland.

- Decided we were tough and decided to swim back the 500 m we just walked. In the surf in murky water.

- Have not mentioned to this point, Ross is a marine biologist and decided to mention, Bull Sharks LOVE murky water after a thunderstorm (it stormed an hour earlier) and usually you hear most people being attacked by Bull Sharks are during these conditions.

- Foggy goggles, do not help the paranoia there is something in the murky water.

- Both act tough and pretend we are not out of breath and ignore flashes of newspaper articles in my mind of two males caught in rip in middle of bay.

- Under the water glimpse to see what stroke Ross is doing, because I was slightly doing doggy paddle and slightly doing breast stroke. He was doing some sort of underwater freestyle thing. Good I wasnt the only one looking crap.

- Gradually get back there, and avoid rocks under the water.

- Get to beach and act casually that it was fun and an adventure.

I had to go for yearly health check up the other day, and part of this involved blood tests. Here in Australia, you are usually sent to a pathology lab to get these done. I fasted for 12 hours which you are supposed to do and went the next morning. The local pathology lab near work was... well.. not what I expected. It was a small brick building next to a car park and ferns and it was slightly raining and very humid. The "waiting room" was outside under an orning and there were 7 people standing uncomfortably around, noone sitting on the chairs that were there. What was wrong with the chairs? I assumed there had to be something wrong so did not sit there. But, what if the person before me and then the person before that just assumed the same thing and there ACTUALLY wasnt anything wrong with the chairs. With this logic, I sat on the chairs. It did not break but I got a death stare from an old lady. Sit down then, lady.

45 mins past and no movement in the queue. This huffing woman near me with two babies, turned to me and said, "I know where the other pathology lab is across the road. Take my baby and follow me and we can go to that one"

"Er, OK" What else was I to say...

We got to a freeway and she casually stepped out with her other child and assumed traffic would slow down, which.. it did. I carried this other baby in a small carry crib thing and we got to the other side. She wasnt even overly friendly, she was just on a mission and I was now involved with it.

We got to the other one, which was an even worse run down shack and sat outside, she got me a chair at least while I worked out how to carefully place the baby on the ground in this carry thing, while the small baby (girl?) stared at me, with the same blank assuming smile the mother had. Not adopted.

This roof dripped and after 15 mins and a few old ladies bitched about the wet grass and the health system, I got in and saw the pathology nurse and 5 mins later was out and heading to work.

Sitting here on a Sunday night and ready for the week ahead. Boss is back from overseas and no doubt it will be a full on week, but unlike a few weeks ago, I am more ready and bring it on I say.

Why do small hatchback cars stay in the fast lane and go 20KM under?

This is the view from the house at Mackerel. Peace and stuff.