So...
This Friday was the Christmas party. Apart from Salsa on Monday night, Going back to the Barossa on Tuesday, going to the pictures again on Wednesday...

I’ve not been to the pictures so often for years. It was Elizabeth this time. Cate Blanchett carries the film, not a patch on the first one. Forget all the outcry from the Catholic Church (it was a fair cop), the imagery was just so obvious. Catholics – wear black or red, walk around dark garrets, speak foreign language, mutter a lot. The English – wear colours, live in light filled rooms (which looked very much like a gothic cathedral), etc. And Walter Raleigh personally saves the day with a ridiculous act of heroism. You get the picture. Not much subtlety in this one.


Tanunda

The Barossa trip was just to go shopping. To a couple of wineries, plus to go to some of the food places that are almost as good. Hahndorf (the “German” village actually in the Adelaide Hills) has a Strawberry farm that does PYO (sadly no Raspberries), and sells Jams / Sauces etc. Maggie Beer’s is an extremely cute (and fairly expensive) farm shop overlooking a lake. Worth it for the view alone, but the food is good too. It’s only available in Fortnum and Mason back home, apparently. Hmm. Maybe I’ll just take advantage of it while I’m over here. And then Angaston has a shop that sells dried fruit.

Friday night was at a hotel in town. By the time I’d got home, been late to the hairdressers (then had to wait 20 min to get served), and got ready, there wasn’t a taxi to be had for love nor money. I tried. So I had to drive, and dump the car somewhere. There were a lot of the nurses there (but it is a large dept), not many of the consultants – just the usual faces you expect to turn up – and actually not many of the doctors until later when several of then had finished work. The food, which we were supposed to be “ordering” at 7, came just before 9, so there was quite a lot of wine had been drunk by then.


So a bit of dancing was done. One of the guys there has been doing salsa for a little while so I had a dance with him (obviously limited given the few steps I know – and it wasn’t easy communicating which I did know, at that stage. I mean that the music was loud and I lost my voice. Not any other reason for having difficulty communicating, you understand).

I’m not sure any of my photos will be any good, perhaps I will have to get a more portable camera. That’s the one drawback of using the phone – no flash.

Anyway, we got chucked out of the hotel at midnight, and ended up walking to the Stag which is at the other end of town. (That’s one thing about Adelaide – if a venue is at the other end of town, you know it’s a mile away). That’s obviously the place to be – bouncers with too much power, pants music, expensive drinks in bottles and everything. After several attempts to leave (thanks James, Lesley, Kitkat), I got away to get a cab and was home about 2:30.








Irritatingly I was awake at about 9 the next morning, with a real craving for greasy food. So I just had to go shopping to get some bacon and eggs. Plus I had a few christmas pressies to get in the post. Not cheap, but I’m nearly there. Such a good feeling.

In the afternoon, pretty much rehydrated, I met up for coffee on Unley Road with one of the girls from the Salsa class. She’s (I think) in need of an ear as she’s in the process of splitting up with husband, but it was a pleasant afternoon. And I managed to find the ice cream place where we went a few weeks ago, so a bit of a bonus.

Yesterday I was awake early, despite any intention to sleep in, so I cycled down to the rowing club. Sadly the Learn-to-Row session was cancelled as there were no boats in Adelaide suitable. My fault for not phoning earlier to find out, really. It was just starting to spit with rain as I got home, but sadly got no wetter. There are now pretty serious bush-fires out there, particularly on Kangaroo Island (maybe I won’t be going for a couple of months) and the Yorke Peninsula (ditto bracketed comment), and one person has died so far. Much, much earlier in the summer than usual.

Anyway, I had a migraine by the time I got to work probably just too knackered). Thankfully it was a quiet shift – which is very unusual for it to be so when you need it to be, and I got away at 12 and didn’t get called. The treatment for migraine here is an injection – my arm is now starting to feel a little less as though was involved in last night’s title fight.

And today, I’ve got most of my Christmas cards in the post. So the ball’s back in the court of those whose addresses I need (the address book was another casualty of the 20kg weight limit that Malaysian Airlines ridiculously impose). And I’ve just got to find some christmas decs for the house. I’ve made the mince pies today, plus some Italian biscuits (which should be interesting) for work and our christmas meal in a couple of weeks time.

So nearly there. But still I’m not convinced it’s Christmas.