Debra McLaren – the saga continues

I visited my sister and brother-in-law while they were cleaning out some cupboards and found the magnificent Chadwick Speedee Add-a-Matic. It’s an adding machine as old as I am and I love it. I asked for it to be given to me for my birthday.

Freda fish has passed on to the other side. Freda was surly, aggressive and had a violent temper. In many ways she reminded me of my students. She passed away after a short illness. A latin mass was said at 7am followed by interrment in the compost heap. Donations in lieu of flowers to the R.S.P.C.A.

From 20070130 Freda

To the best mum in the world.

Lisa and I went to Coffs Harbour for the weekend to have a break from our family and to let our family have a break from us. The mantra for the weekend was “nobody knows us here”. We stayed at the Country Comfort in a family Suite. It was a bit shabby but it was only for two nights.

Friday night we hit SSS. SSS is about to open in Port so this was a reconnaissance visit. The meals were huge and really tasty. I had ribs which was messy but delicious.

We hit the shops on Saturday, particularly Voluptuous, a size friendly store with great service and fabulous clothes. Port Macquarie doesn’t have a big selection of clothes for the amply blessed (Big W and Target really) so it was great to have to make a which? decision rather than no decision. I ended up with an orange crumpled skirt, a striped crushed top and a pair of slinky olive trousers. I don’t usually go for those colours but I felt like a change. It was also a lot hotter than I’d packed for so I was glad to buy some cotton. I also picked up a new denim jacket at Big W.

I found a great store called Puzzles Downunder which was a geek’s paradise. The first thing I saw when I walked in was a set of dice with integers. I couldn’t get the smile off my face for the rest of the day. I invested in the dice, a Rubik’s Cube and a book of lateral thinking puzzles. However, the item that I’m going back for is a puzzle ring. I would have bought it before I knew it was a puzzle just based on looks alone. So I’m saving my pennies.

The rest of the night was spent solving the cube (using the world’s smallest instruction sheet) and playing with our new purchases. We ordered in room service (chicken satay skewers) which were OK but neither of us were really hungry.

On Sunday we headed off to the Pet Porpoise Pool which was really fun. I kissed all the mammals that were up for it (a sea lion and a dolphin) and we watched the show. I got some great photographs particularly of the fairy penguins and turtles. I’m really cross that I didn’t take my 300mm zoom.

The trip to and from Coffs was occupied by top-of-the-lungs singing from musicals.

I’d forgotten how much I loved the musical Chess.