There were a lot more photos that I thought - and most of those are of kangaroos! I have cut them down to a very select few.

This was the view from the second place we stayed in Hunter Valley. The first night we got completely ripped off - but then that was partly our own fault for not doing any forward planning, and just expecting to be able to stay at the same place we stayed last time. We couldn’t, and the Tourist Information office was closed. So we just stayed at the first place we came to.

This was taken while we were waiting for the wine tour bus to come and get us - it was not the nicest of days, but was marginally better than the huge thunderstorm we had had the night before.

The next picture was my first kangaroo - the driver of the minibus was very sweet, stopped the bus so I could take a picture. If you squint, and peer very closely, you can just make the kangaroo out between the trees.

The wine tour was okay, apart from the stupid people we were on the bus with. There were two Brits - from Yorkshire, very reminiscent of the Harry Enfield sketch where he played a Brummy who was “considerably richer than yow”. They were half way through their annual 4 month stay in Australia, where they owned a villa on some island off the Gold Coast.

There was an American couple. Now, to put this in context we had watched this Michael Moore documentary the previous night (I told SE I was extremely disappointed he hadn’t found a Hugh Grant soft porn movie this time - the first time I got his startled giggle - all was well with the world) about some small town in Michigan, with this mad woman bashing the brains out of rabbits. SE asked them where they were from, and how I kept a straight face when they replied, “Michigan” I don’t know. I had to walk away when SE then engaged them further, asking whereabouts, because I *knew* exactly what he was thinking, and he knew what I was thinking, and we would have both collapsed into hysterics.

Finally there was an Australian couple - friends of the American couple, who they had met 30 years ago on another holiday, and had kept in touch with all this time.

For lunch we got taken to this cafe place, and all sat at the same table. I didn’t realise that this was where the contraversial conversation began. I was too busy crying into my chicken and chips, at the Aussie guy’s attempt to be ‘with’ the American and British slang. When seeing the size of his pizza, and realising he wasn’t going to finish it all, and I suggested he bring it with him, because during the afternoon, when we’d all had more wine, we’d all be fighting him for a piece. And he looked me straight in the eye and said, “Should I ask for a pussy bag?”

I was literally crying. SE missed it, had no idea why I was sat there, tears streaming down my face, unable to actually speak.

Then began the annoying conversation (or at least when I became aware of it, SE had been listening to it while I was laughing at ‘pussy bag’). I think it was started by the Brits, who were complaining about, “These damn Muslims, they come over to our country and refuse to fit into our ways, they don’t bother to learn our language, they expect us to bend over backwards to fit in with *their* ways….” This theme was continued for some time, with the American and the Australian couples joining in too. It was all I could do to stop myself from turning round and asking, “So, you live in Australia for 4 months of the year, exactly which Aboriginal language do you speak? And you, you Michigan freaks, which native American language do you speak? What have you done to actually fit in with the culture of the people who lived in your country before you ever got there?”

I did manage to keep my mouth shut. SE says I should have said it. If he’d have thought of it, he’d have said it. Probably a good idea I didn’t tell him until the end of the day.

The next day we headed off to the Blue Mountains. It was cold again, but clearer and dryer.

Amazingly, we bumped into Mr and Mrs Michigan, and Mr and Mrs Australia in the information office. SE spoke to them for longer than me, I just said hello, and ran. I don’t see why I should spend my time with people like that if I don’t have to.

The is not the most flattering of pictures of SE. He looks ’special’, and is wearing his ’special’ shiny shoes!

This is what LELI gets up to while I am away!

Still not sorted out some pics for the blog. Been busy at work, and started the exercising again. Tonight I am off oop norf for a meeting in an airport. What a glamourous life I lead!

“What do I need to do to prepare for the dishwasher?” I asked.

“Nothing, as long as you have a space 600 wide that it will slot into, that’s all you need,” the man lied.

Last night I emptied the cupboard where I wanted the dishwasher to go. This was much easier than I thought - just goes to show how badly I have everything arranged in the kitchen that I managed to find space for everything in that cupboard elsewhere. Then I got up extra early (well, for a Saturday anyway), vacuumed, the downstairs, mopped the kitchen floor, then set to work on removing all the screws from the cupboard.

I almost managed it, but there were 3 remaining screws I couldn’t get out - hidden by this stupid plastic box thing, my screwdriver just couldn’t get a bite on them. Oh well, I am sure the man can remove them.

Oh yes, the man can remove them, easily.

But I have two problems.

One, I don’t have the right connections to the water. His first solution was to get a plumber in, but then rethought, and apparently I need a ‘Y’ connection, which he would be able to fit, but it would mean I couldn’t run the dishwasher and washing machine at the same time. No problem there then, since I never intended to anyway.

The other problem is there is no hole in the cupboard wall for the pipes to go through.

That’s a bit more than the 600 wide space I supposedly only needed.

However, the beauty of using a local shop, they have booked me in for next Saturday morning, first thing, and they will come and fit the ‘Y’ connector, then plumb in the dishwasher.

All in all, pretty good service, and better than I would have got from somebody like Comet.

Today was bonus day - and the added bonus for me was that they based it on my salary as at 31st December, rather than on what I earned last year. My promotion came through on 12th December, so the bonus was substantially bigger than I was expecting.

Good job given how much I spent on the holiday.

Also good job since I just thought I’d go see how much a dishwasher would cost from the local appliance shop on the way home from work, and they are delivering it tomorrow afternoon! I have to figure out how to remove the cupboard and drawer, plus clear up the path to the kitchen (I have a huge heavy desk in the way - maybe I could ask them to bring it in the back way?).

Still need to sort out some pictures from the many that I have - it’s difficult to choose which are the best views, and which are the best kanagaroos…. And of course, which are the best pictures of SE.

Still not got the new car, delivery date is now given as ‘late March’, whatever that means. I’ll chase it the middle of next week.

Back to work today, which was hard. I went to bed no problem at 10.30, but got up about 5 times in the night to pee - damned jetlag!

Also hampering sleep was this small ball of fur which was surgically attached to me for the whole night - including pee time! Bless - it makes me feel wanted.

Actually, the cats have been great - when I went to pick them up from the cattery, I could see them both peeping through the trellis, trying to see where they were being taken, and I called out to them. Well, I have never seen Mister’s mouth go so wide, or heard him meeow so loudly. Madam, gave a little mew, and then left all the vocalising to Mister.

It’s been Mister who barely left my side. They were both hungry when they got home, and I went to bed for a couple of hours. Mister then came up, and spent the whole time either lying on my legs, my back, or coming up to sit on my arms for a cuddle. Madam was nowhere to be seen. They both went out when I got up around 6.30, but Mister was back by 8.30, and still refused to leave my side. He spent the whole night either on me, or pressed right up against me. Madam only spent part of the night pressed up against me - which in itself is a miracle, given that Mister had claimed the bed as his.

Work wasn’t as bad as I expected, although I was very tired. I managed to stay put until around 4.30, which I think is pretty good going.

Have taken the photos from my camera, now need to select a choice few to display on here. So many bloody kangaroos to choose from!

Arrived home about half an hour ago. I am pretty tired, but not feeling too bad - more hungry and thirsty than anything.

I had the *best* holiday ever, even though I didn’t manage to catch up with either Mosh or Rosa.

I love SE to bits. Absolutely to bits. I am missing him already.

Photo’s and stories to follow, once I have warmed up (it’s bloody freezing here).

I am so looking forward to this.

And so is he, by the email he sent me yesterday -

Ok, I have book the rental car from the same place as last time. We are booked Sunday thru Wed morning. I think we should leave Sunday at our leasure and then drive back Tuesday at our leasure. This way we are not rushed on Monday. I want to get all the wine drinking & olive tasting we can done. I want to taste them all. No wasting time. I want to taste the vanilla and the apricot and the rotten plum in the wines. And, I want that one kid to point them out to me. And, I want to have conversations about the wine.

He makes me laugh.

He hates olives.

Back in 3 weeks!