April 2006
This month: Ferry Ride > Art Lovers > Lili comes to visit > Thanks! > Harbour Cruise > Happy Easter!! > Farewell Sadie > Centrepoint Tower > Message Board
Monday 24 - Ferry Ride
Guess who we bumped into at Manly Wharf on Monday? Spiderman, Mr Incredible, Max, Lili and various significant others (Vicki, Leonie & John). Alright, we did pre-orchestrate the meeting, but there was a slightly surreal, bumping-into kind of feeling as we found ourselves surrounded by unexpected superheroes and relatives in the midst of our familiar Manly haunt.
We enjoyed (some endured) a rocky ferry trip to the city, by the end of which John appeared to be in great need of a strong drink (probably closely followed by a nap), since he was assigned the task of knowing where all the children were at any one time. (Have superheroes, will travel!!). Actually, non-superheros have been known to travel also, and at one point we were all enlisted to search for Lili who somehow managed to disappear into thin air. Of course, she was blissfully unaware of the minor panic she was causing, having a whale of a time staring out a window, hidden in the general throng of the holidaying masses.
Lunch was a little less eventful. Hot chips for the kids, 10% of which the adults felt it their earned right to surreptitiously remove single chip at a time whilst various trains and wild-life distracted the chip-owners.
A lovely time was had by all and we must do it again sometime!
From the left: Lili, Mr Incredible (aka Henry), Pa, Max, Spiderman (aka Alex) with jacket
Three sitting boys. For a total of 3 minutes....
Max enjoying the waves
Lili, having a lil day dream
Hmmmmmm.... chipppeeeeeees
Us mob
Thursday 16 - Art lovers
Yesterday we ventured in to town to peruse the Archibald Prize despite it being the school holidays. The rationale behind this move was: how many people would take their kids to see an art exhibition? Well, not many actually, but as it happened, every man and his dog was there anyway. OK, there weren't any dogs, but there may as well have been for all the space we could find to stand and admire the aforementioned artworks. Needless to say, it was the quickest admiring of artworks I ever did do. There were however, less people in the portrait photography section of the exhibition, so once I had secured a precious piece of wooden bench space for Pa (atopped with his boney-you-know-what cushion of course) I left him to admire the works from a distance while I proceeded to indulge my art-loving sensitivities at closer range. I have to say I was more taken by the photography than the Archibald paintings.
The winning entry was not very cheery
Pa's pink shirt made up for that though
Art lover in situ
Saturday 15 - Lili comes to visit
Lili came down with Vicki this weekend. We went down to the water in front of Pa's to have a wee frolic and relieve Lili of some of her boundless energy.
Lili having a dip in next door's pool
You can see the brown roof of Pa's house up the top and his boat shed in the background
Sunset Lil (or 'lil sunset)
Click here to see Lili's lovely artwork.
Friday 14 - Thanks!
By the way, thanks everyone for the messages you have left. Sorry I don't respond to them individually but I figure that the message board is your domain and I've got the rest of the site. But I do read them all and also read them to Pa. We are enjoying them immensely so keep them coming!
Thursday 13 - Harbour Cruise
Well, we've had quite an adventure today. We booked to go on a Captain Cook harbour cruise with buffet lunch a couple of days ago when the whether was fine and idyllic. You can never tell when it's going to turn (the whether that is) because largely the whether man is as unpredictable as the whether he is aiming to predict.
It started quite cloudy and it did look like it might rain eventually, but I optimistically decided it was going to be much later in the day. I really thought there wouldn't be many people on the cruise but it was packed. I guess they also booked when it was fine and idyllic. Actually, the queue was so long (and we were at the end of it) that I decided I should take a liberty on Pa's behalf and just casually, without looking to the left or right, head Pa straight towards the front of the line. This was a good move as I think no-one was going to argue that a 92 year old should have to stand in line all that time. It's like being with royalty!
The cruise was great. I mean it possibly would have been greater had there been sun and blue waters, but the commentary was very informative, right down the the details of some rich person's garage in double bay (it rotates so the car doesn't have to turn around and risk getting scratched etc. etc.). And did you know that Neutral Bay was named that because it was where foreign ships were allowed to anchor because they couldn't see the main settlement and therefore weren't a risk to security or something like that (I had half my mind on the food). The food was great too. As long as there's prawns Pa's pretty happy.
So we got back to the Quay (just as it started to rain) in time to make a 'dash' over to wharf 3 to get the ferry back to Manly. We just made it! But then... what are they saying?? The ferries have all been cancelled???? Indefinitely?? Oh poo and bother.
They informed us that buses were being organised to take people back to Manly. I contemplated the joys of this and decided it might be even more joyful to catch a cab home, so we made our sorry and soggy way to the taxi stand. Alas! A lack! A lack of taxi's that is. Poo & bother. So I took Pa over the other side of the street to the bus stand which boasted both shelter and seating, then dashed back to the taxi stand side to wait in line for a taxi. Overhearing a conversation about 'Manly...' I asked the couple at the head of the queue if they might like to share a taxi to Manly with us. And shortly after that we were all bundled up in a cosy dry cab, happily homeward bound. Turns out the lady was the manager at Manly wharf. Apparently they are currently pulling down a section of wharf 3 and have just discovered asbestos. Hence the cancelled ferries. I had imagined it must have been a freak swell or something. Anyway, when I brought out my wallet to pay for our half of the fare, she said, "Oh no... Sydney Ferries will pay for this". You beaut! Well, that put a smile on the dial. What an adventure... (!!)
Pre-adventure... I thought Pa looked a bit like a park ranger... perfect!
Lunch... (what a tough life we lead)
Boat deck
Just to give you an idea of the size of the boat...
Park ranger Pa waiting forlornly in the rain...
Monday 10 - Happy Easter!!
Haaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! Thanks Karen for sending me that.
Easter is great and so are easter bunnies, especially the chocolate variety, but let's face it, they're pretty hollow!
Empty!
Just as the easter bunny is empty, so, I think many of us have a little place of emptiness inside. Chocolate is great. Oh my gosh, I love it! But it really does a temporary job of filling the void - doesn't it? I mean that lovely release of endorphines is great, but there soon follows the regret and remorse as that little saying pops into your head: 'a moment on the lips, and a life-time on the hips'.
If you are interested in an easter alternative to the empty bunny click here
Sunday 9 - Farewell Sadie
Sadly this week Ju Ju's dog Sadie died. She was nearly 14 (!!) which isn't bad for a canine, but she will be greatly missed by everyone who was subject to her yelps of delight and insistent demands to being loved and adored (in the form of pats and undivided attention) when visiting Ju Ju's house. She will be missed even more by Ju Ju of course, so I've put together a few pics of Sadie for a memorial page so that we can all remember the little dog with the big underbite.
Saturday 8 - Centrepoint Tower
Pa and I went to Centrepoint Tower for lunch this week. Yes, we do get oot & aboot! I noted quite a look of concern on Pa's face as it seemed like we were in the lift going up for a very long time. I had the advantage of being able to see the little light making it's way up the image of the tower, indicating the position of the lift, so that helped put the time into perspective. I think considering the incredible view, I was expecting an incredible restaurant. Actually, it was rather shabby. Same carpet since 1970 or whenever it was. Food... well, you know, it was ok, but the VIEW!!! Totally amazing. Especially since the restaurant revovles. We went round once and a bit and were totally captivated, working out where certain landmarks lie. Very worthwhile and highly recommended.
A dood came around, within 30 seconds of us sitting down, to take a no-obrigation-foto which was printed and framed by the time we had eaten. I think Pa felt obriged...
He IS having a great time, just concentrating on the prawns...
Views to the west... Darling Harbour, and Anzac bridge in the background
Self-portrait (go-go-gadget arm)
Views to the north-ish
The prawns were very good
Hyde Park, complete which shadow
Saturday 1 - Message Board
Finally I can start a fresh page instead of adding to the neverending March page. I'm wondering if there is actually a limit to the length of a webpage or whether it could actually go on indefinitely... forever...
If you've missed any postings from March (or you just loved it so much you wanna see it all again), you can now find that page to your right under Archives...
Karen and Anthony and Annabelle came to stay with us last night. Anthony sat down at my computer and in one sitting taught himself php coding (which enables one to program internet forms) and voila!! I now have a message board for marniemoo.com
Thanks Anthony!
So if there's something you just gotta get off your chest... post a message!! (It's down the bottom of this page or you can hit the Post a Message!! link to your right).
Kazza & Annabelle having fun on the balcony
Pa's boat-shed
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Berowra Bush
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