Our friends (about 8-10 of us) in the apartment want to start a "sausage sizzle Sunday", so we are going to go down tonight by the pool. It's supposed to be an easy get together with just sausages on the grill, then put on a bun. I know these people and I don't have any hope that it will just be a lonely sausage on a napkin! Chips have shown up and a birthday cake at one point and of course the bottle of wine and cans of beer have been snuck down as well. We are quite the rebels! :)
On the 26th we drove down to Sunshine Coast beach. It was a bit windy and our sunshade was flapping about, but the sun and surf were worth it. They had a coffee shop on the top of the hill and so we grabbed that and a dessert.
January 31- February 2nd we went to Hervey Bay so that Dave could work. We were staying in the Ramada and this is how it went.....check in and say no to the bargain priced $25 buffet breakfast in the morning. This is a one time discounted rate, but no worries, I know we can eat somewhere across the street cheaper. They put us in a room on the first floor. All rooms are horse shoed around the pool area. This room had a nice patio with a glass wall around it. It was also a handicapped room....the sink came to below my waist and the bed was lumpy. At this point I might also add that people were out on their balconies having happy hour and watching us. Ok, then Dave goes to the front desk and says we would like another room and we go up one floor and over a bit. This room had a cement wall around the patio and if you were sitting in the chairs you couldn't see anything but the bright blue sky...sigh....we decide it's no big deal and Dave goes to wash up for dinner. "Happy hour People" have now seen us on two balconies...Dave gets out of the bathroom commenting that the sink was stopped up from him washing his face. Down he goes to the front desk to get us yet another room. We are now upgraded to a suite that has a kitchenette. The balcony has glass and we are happy. Meanwhile the "Happy Hour People" are being entertained and wondering why we keep showing up on different balconies!
Friday, July 25, 2014
January 2014
After a very busy December, our January is quiet.
Our tennis lessons with Andres has been so much fun! I think I've been surprisingly good....and when Dave plays just with Andres it's crazy great to watch! This is one exercise I don't mind
January 12-13 we are in Stanthorpe, which is wine country in Queensland. It's the off season and so very quiet around town. We started at Suttons for lunch. They are an apple orchard/restaurant which has the best and biggest slice of apple pie ever! On to Summit winery for wine tasting. An ok wine, but we are looking for better. Stopped into Castle Glen to see their selection. This is a huge building that looks like a castle and has flavored liqueurs and is a major tourist trap. We left there in a hurry! On the way out we saw The Dairy Shop. It has various cheeses and we tried several before buying a few. Still time to go to one more Vineyard and we picked Ravenscroft. Luckily for us we have hit the jackpot! These wines were incredible, his method of making wine is natural with no additives and I was able to drink his red wine without a migraine! The first red wine I've had for about 20 years!! We loaded up...hahaha. We were coming up to dinner time and checked into our #16 cabin at Happy Valley. Happy Valley is a brewery and also has these cabins set into some trees. We are eating at the restaurant that they have. During dinner we have some live entertainment in the form of two singers. If you didn't know the songs they were singing, you wouldn't know the words. I'm not sure they even knew more than two words to every song! There was a lot of mumbling going on...the couple sitting behind us also provided some entertainment, as they got up and started dancing. This is a big, mostly empty restaurant and they were the only ones grooving to he tunes! Brave
Sunday we had breakfast on the patio outside and went into town for the market. The market was in a city hall and very small. Not much to buy, but I did get a raffle ticket to win a quilt (which I didn't win) and some lavender oil. Girraween National Park is close by and we hiked up to Castle Rock. No one around at all and it took us 2 hours. Have I mentioned that Dave loves to hike uphill?? Sigh......for a well needed rest we found Wisteria Cottage on our way back to town and I ordered a mocha. What I got was a chocolate coffee with a scoop of ice cream on the top. We had time to stop into the town of Balladen for the Symphony Hill Winery and some wine tasting. This was also an exceptional winery and we picked up a few more bottles. Dinner this night was in the Barrel Room at Balladean Estate Winery. A husband/wife cook for the restaurant and the food was soooooo good!! Dessert wasn't half bad either!
Monday was the 3 hour drive home.....
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Our tennis lessons with Andres has been so much fun! I think I've been surprisingly good....and when Dave plays just with Andres it's crazy great to watch! This is one exercise I don't mind
January 12-13 we are in Stanthorpe, which is wine country in Queensland. It's the off season and so very quiet around town. We started at Suttons for lunch. They are an apple orchard/restaurant which has the best and biggest slice of apple pie ever! On to Summit winery for wine tasting. An ok wine, but we are looking for better. Stopped into Castle Glen to see their selection. This is a huge building that looks like a castle and has flavored liqueurs and is a major tourist trap. We left there in a hurry! On the way out we saw The Dairy Shop. It has various cheeses and we tried several before buying a few. Still time to go to one more Vineyard and we picked Ravenscroft. Luckily for us we have hit the jackpot! These wines were incredible, his method of making wine is natural with no additives and I was able to drink his red wine without a migraine! The first red wine I've had for about 20 years!! We loaded up...hahaha. We were coming up to dinner time and checked into our #16 cabin at Happy Valley. Happy Valley is a brewery and also has these cabins set into some trees. We are eating at the restaurant that they have. During dinner we have some live entertainment in the form of two singers. If you didn't know the songs they were singing, you wouldn't know the words. I'm not sure they even knew more than two words to every song! There was a lot of mumbling going on...the couple sitting behind us also provided some entertainment, as they got up and started dancing. This is a big, mostly empty restaurant and they were the only ones grooving to he tunes! Brave
Sunday we had breakfast on the patio outside and went into town for the market. The market was in a city hall and very small. Not much to buy, but I did get a raffle ticket to win a quilt (which I didn't win) and some lavender oil. Girraween National Park is close by and we hiked up to Castle Rock. No one around at all and it took us 2 hours. Have I mentioned that Dave loves to hike uphill?? Sigh......for a well needed rest we found Wisteria Cottage on our way back to town and I ordered a mocha. What I got was a chocolate coffee with a scoop of ice cream on the top. We had time to stop into the town of Balladen for the Symphony Hill Winery and some wine tasting. This was also an exceptional winery and we picked up a few more bottles. Dinner this night was in the Barrel Room at Balladean Estate Winery. A husband/wife cook for the restaurant and the food was soooooo good!! Dessert wasn't half bad either!
Monday was the 3 hour drive home.....
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Thursday, July 24, 2014
I'm back!
Hi all!
I am determined to catch up the blog and finish our time here on a high note! Lol
You might all want a cuppa and have a seat, because this might prove to be a commitment!
First week of December saw us back in Bulimba and happily tired from a great vacation. But no time to rest because the first week was packed every night with activities.....Tuesday was a going away luncheon for my dear friend Kitty. Her and her family will be going back to Taiwan and are excited to be near family again. That night found me at the bookclub Christmas party at Riverbend books. "Light" dinner consisted of one feta/watermelon skewer and one prawn spring roll. I came away being very hungry, but on the plus side I won at a game we were playing and the prize was a book! Of course....
Wednesday, my dear friend Pauline had a few women over for lunch. A four hour lunch at that! We were having such a great time and were still talking and laughing out the door.
Thursday was knitting night at our apartment and we decided to have a small nibbles dinner with bubbles. Everyone brought a wrapped gift and we played a passing game that was hilarious to see who received each gift. Thanks to Kath's partner, Arron, we didn't have to read and pass at the same time!!
Friday was the Cerner party at a bar in Fortitude Valley. It was nice to catch up with all my Cerner friends and start our weekend...
Saturday was a picnic at New Farm Park. We went with James and Di and met some of their family and friends. A long afternoon sitting on blankets under a tree. It was lovely.
Sunday was a golf morning for Dave and Dale, so Ria and I went out for brekkie and a catch up. The weather is just how I like it.....hot and steamy!!! For dinner we went to New Farm to he BBQ place called Smoke. I'm always dubious when a restaurant says BBQ (or Mexican!!!!!) since I know it's really a sad imitation. We met Heidi and Charles, Elly and Joe, Marina and Bob there and pretty much ordered a whole table of food! It was ok, but not BBQ that we Americans eat....so we will keep searching.
Of course in between these things and until Christmas we led our regular lives of work, coffee and lunch dates, tennis and workouts...
We were invited to over for Christmas at James and Di's apartment. They had invited 3 other families over. I was in charge of desserts...cause I know my desserts! Lol. I brought a berry trifle, sugar cookies and pecan pie bars. A lot of dessert for 8 people and a baby to consume after a full on dinner of many courses! But....every single thing was eaten and licked clean! I was so happy That there were no leftovers! We had a nice day, although a little melancholy for me, and we appreciated being near friends and great conversations.
Dave was not feeling so great on my birthday, so we are going to schedule something in January...
New Year's Eve was celebrated at our house with James, Di and Liz....the bubbles were flowing!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I am determined to catch up the blog and finish our time here on a high note! Lol
You might all want a cuppa and have a seat, because this might prove to be a commitment!
First week of December saw us back in Bulimba and happily tired from a great vacation. But no time to rest because the first week was packed every night with activities.....Tuesday was a going away luncheon for my dear friend Kitty. Her and her family will be going back to Taiwan and are excited to be near family again. That night found me at the bookclub Christmas party at Riverbend books. "Light" dinner consisted of one feta/watermelon skewer and one prawn spring roll. I came away being very hungry, but on the plus side I won at a game we were playing and the prize was a book! Of course....
Wednesday, my dear friend Pauline had a few women over for lunch. A four hour lunch at that! We were having such a great time and were still talking and laughing out the door.
Thursday was knitting night at our apartment and we decided to have a small nibbles dinner with bubbles. Everyone brought a wrapped gift and we played a passing game that was hilarious to see who received each gift. Thanks to Kath's partner, Arron, we didn't have to read and pass at the same time!!
Friday was the Cerner party at a bar in Fortitude Valley. It was nice to catch up with all my Cerner friends and start our weekend...
Saturday was a picnic at New Farm Park. We went with James and Di and met some of their family and friends. A long afternoon sitting on blankets under a tree. It was lovely.
Sunday was a golf morning for Dave and Dale, so Ria and I went out for brekkie and a catch up. The weather is just how I like it.....hot and steamy!!! For dinner we went to New Farm to he BBQ place called Smoke. I'm always dubious when a restaurant says BBQ (or Mexican!!!!!) since I know it's really a sad imitation. We met Heidi and Charles, Elly and Joe, Marina and Bob there and pretty much ordered a whole table of food! It was ok, but not BBQ that we Americans eat....so we will keep searching.
Of course in between these things and until Christmas we led our regular lives of work, coffee and lunch dates, tennis and workouts...
We were invited to over for Christmas at James and Di's apartment. They had invited 3 other families over. I was in charge of desserts...cause I know my desserts! Lol. I brought a berry trifle, sugar cookies and pecan pie bars. A lot of dessert for 8 people and a baby to consume after a full on dinner of many courses! But....every single thing was eaten and licked clean! I was so happy That there were no leftovers! We had a nice day, although a little melancholy for me, and we appreciated being near friends and great conversations.
Dave was not feeling so great on my birthday, so we are going to schedule something in January...
New Year's Eve was celebrated at our house with James, Di and Liz....the bubbles were flowing!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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