/karen/

Victoria trip Friday 18/1/08

Saturday, 02 February, 2008

This is our “fluff” day. (And the picture above is a Scully from Monsters Inc stuffed toy—with Mike on his arm. I bought them for Anita when we were in Disneyland two years ago. I think Scully makes a great stuffed toy.)

It was suggested that we go and follow the Heidelberg trail—named for the Heidelberg school of artists (i.e. Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Frederick McCubbin, Charles Conder, etc.) who used to go out there every other weekend and paint. Their work is considered to be Australian Impressionism, and they were the first artists who tried to capture the Australian landscape the way it looked, instead of trying to make it look like Europe. (Our trees just aren't that green.)

That would have been nice, but it was a two-hour drive just to get out there. We decided it was best to leave that for another time and spend the day just having a rest for a change. So we all slept in—except for Liwen who has, unfortunately for her, lost the art (she got up to read). I think I was the last person to be up and showered on that day (also Anita's landlord came over and I had to hide in the bedroom because I wasn't respectably attired). So I ended up just having a banana for breakfast because, as soon as I was out and dressed, Anita suggested we go to the Brandy Creek Winery for brunch.

It was then we found out that Warragul is situated in the middle of wine country, with the Wild Dog Winery (where they perform Shakespeare sometimes) and other wineries not far away. Apparently the area is good for growing pinot wines (cue obligatory Sideways reference):

Maya: You know, can I ask you a personal question, Miles?

Miles Raymond: Sure.

Maya: Why are you so in to Pinot?

Miles Raymond: [laughs softly]

Maya: I mean, it's like a thing with you.

Miles Raymond: [continues laughing softly]

Miles Raymond: Uh, I don't know, I don't know. Um, it's a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right? It's uh, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's, you know, it's not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it's neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression. Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and ... ancient on the planet.

The Brandy Creek Winery has a beautiful café/restaurant which serves tapas. They have tables in this outdoor patio area with grape vines climbing all over the trellis. It was very pleasant to just sit there and enjoy the view of the vineyards and the bush (though the flies were a bit annoying).

I think Jacqui started to think I was quite odd because I kept photographing the food:

We ended up ordering churros for dessert, and they were delicious.

After lunch, we headed back into Warragul. Anita needed to buy a wireless modem and she was hoping to get the internet connected at her house that day. We all tagged along—me because I was hoping to be useful (being the most knowledgeable among the four of us) and Jacqui and Liwen probably because they were being polite. In one of the computer stores we found this gorgeous red laptop bag that looked like it had been made especially for women: it was fashionable, it had a removable cosmetics pouch and proceeds from the sale would be donated to breast cancer research. It's nice to see certain sections of the computer industry recognising that not all computer users are men in suits.

We also visited some of the music stores. I searched in vain for OK Computer for Anita (everywere it seems to sell for $20!) and ended up walking away with some cheap DVDs: The Parent Trap (the original one), War & Peace and Paris When It Sizzles (I seem to be forming a rather solid Audrey Hepburn collection).

We drove back to Anita's and I helped set up the modem. It seemed to be working fine but I couldn't surf the web or download email on Anita's laptop. After a lengthy period of time on the phone with a tech support guy who sounded like he was in India, we worked out that Telstra had failed to connect Anita and Jacqui's broadband properly even though they claimed to have done so several days ago. So they had to spend an extra slab of time on the phone with Telstra, who were quite unapologetic, trying to get that fixed. At least the problem was not my incompetence!

I suggested that we watch some Firefly, and the other girls were up for that so I put on some episodes. They got really into it and wanted to keep going, so we did (Anita and I knitting away on the couch). We had a break to eat dinner (ordered in gourmet pizza; and I also showed them the photos I had taken so far on the television, though first I had to go through and re-orient them all), and then kept going. When the clock struck midnight, we had watched 10 episodes. I looked at them all, wanting to know what they wanted to do.

“Well,” said Anita, “we've already watched 10 ...”

So the general consensus was to keep going. We ended up finishing the series several hours later (“Best torture scene ever,” said Jacqui about “War Stories”). Here's my favourite Firefly quote:

Wash: Psychic? Sounds like something out of science fiction.

Zoë: We live on a spaceship, dear.

We ended up going to bed around 4 am.

Current:

Blinks:

Blog archives: ----------- January, 2012 November, 2011 September, 2011 June, 2011 April, 2011 March, 2011 February, 2011 January, 2011 December, 2010 November, 2010 October, 2010 September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009 December, 2008 November, 2008 October, 2008 September, 2008 August, 2008 July, 2008 June, 2008 May, 2008 April, 2008 March, 2008 February, 2008 January, 2008 December, 2007 November, 2007 October, 2007 September, 2007 August, 2007 July, 2007 June, 2007 May, 2007 April, 2007 March, 2007 February, 2007 January, 2007 December, 2006 November, 2006 October, 2006 September, 2006 August, 2006 July, 2006 June, 2006 May, 2006 April, 2006 March, 2006 February, 2006 January, 2006 December, 2005 November, 2005 October, 2005 September, 2005 August, 2005 July, 2005 June, 2005 May, 2005 April, 2005 March, 2005 February, 2005 January, 2005 December, 2004 November, 2004 October, 2004 September, 2004 August, 2004 July, 2004 June, 2004 May, 2004 April, 2004 March, 2004 February, 2004 January, 2004 December, 2003 November, 2003 October, 2003 September, 2003 August, 2003 July, 2003 June, 2003 May, 2003 April, 2003 March, 2003 February, 2003 January, 2003 December, 2002 November, 2002 October, 2002 September, 2002 August, 2002 July, 2002 June, 2002 May, 2002 April, 2002 March, 2002 February, 2002 January, 2002 ----------- Amusement Anime Canada/USA 2005 Comics/graphic novels Craft Depression Depression Talk 2006 Divorce Dreams and nightmares Forgiveness Gender Hong Kong 2007 Links Love and relationships Melbourne 2005 Melbourne 2006 Money Moore College MTS Notices Photoblog Pregnancy, birth and parenting Quotes Reading Recipes Reflections Scribbles St George Girls High Story of my life Talks The Arts Victoria 2008 Web geekery Writing ----------- Current archives: ----------- September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 May, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 December, 2009 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009 December, 2008 November, 2008 October, 2008 September, 2008 August, 2008 July, 2008 June, 2008 May, 2008 April, 2008 March, 2008 February, 2008 January, 2008 December, 2007 November, 2007 October, 2007 September, 2007 August, 2007 July, 2007 June, 2007 May, 2007 April, 2007 March, 2007 February, 2007 January, 2007 December, 2006 November, 2006 October, 2006 September, 2006 August, 2006 July, 2006 June, 2006 May, 2006 April, 2006 March, 2006 February, 2006 January, 2006 December, 2005 November, 2005 October, 2005 September, 2005 August, 2005 July, 2005 June, 2005 May, 2005 April, 2005 March, 2005 February, 2005 January, 2005 December, 2004 November, 2004 October, 2004 September, 2004 August, 2004 July, 2004 June, 2004 May, 2004 April, 2004 March, 2004 February, 2004 January, 2004 December, 2003 November, 2003 October, 2003 September, 2003 August, 2003 July, 2003 June, 2003 May, 2003 April, 2003 March, 2003 February, 2003 January, 2003 December, 2002 ----------- Bible Books Concerts Exhibitions Graphic novels, comics, manga Movies Music Musicals Series Talks and lectures ----------- Twitter archives: ----------- January, 2012 December, 2011 November, 2011 October, 2011 September, 2011 August, 2011 July, 2011 June, 2011 May, 2011 April, 2011 March, 2011 February, 2011 January, 2011 December, 2010 November, 2010 October, 2010 September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 May, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 December, 2009 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009

More /Karen/ ----------- Blog About me Testimony Favourites Wishlist Contact me ----------- Writing ----------- Articles Mixed Poetry Prose

Hippocampus Extensions H/E Ben Shots fired Sermons

Open links in new windows

Feeds

• Full posts
• Full posts and del.icio.us feed
• Excerpts only
• del.icio.us feed only
• All comments

Social media

• Flickr
• Last FM
• LibraryThing
• Listal
• Ravelry
• Twitter