Saturday 3 January – Little Plugs

Morning

I drove to Supercheap to buy the little plugs that hold the heat resistant mat under the bonnet on. I can’t remember what else I did.

Sunday 4 January – Wivenhoe

Afternoon

I drove to Maz’s, then out to Bronwen’s, then out to Wivenhoe Dam.

Monday 5 January – Work, Driving & Dinner

Day

I drove to work. I had planned to continue using public transport to get to work, rather than driving, but after the trip home, I think I may have to change that. I left work around the same time I normally would, and arrived home 7 minutes after my train would normally have left the airport station. It’s hard to justify taking something that much slower when I’ve got the car sitting there.

Night

I went around to Bronwen’s parents’ place and had dinner there.

Tuesday 6 January – Wallace, Gromit & Chocolate Cake

Morning

I met Natalie at the airport and drove to DFO for lunch, as she was waiting for her Mum to fly in but the flight had been delayed an hour.

Evening

I went over to Maz’s, who was baking a cake. We picked Bronwen up from Kangaroo Point Cliffs, got some pizza, and watched Wallace and Gromit in half-hi-def—you can see fingerprints on the characters, which is cool—then ate chocolate cake.

Wednesday 7 January – Banks

Lunch

Drove to the bank to sort out some things of Dad’s.

Night

Went to Maz’s. Popped down to Bronwen’s to say goodnight on the way home.

Thursday 8 January – Amanda

Morning

I drove to work, arriving a little late due to leaving a little late.

Lunch

Went looking for Thai takeaway but nowhere was open early enough. Ended up with cold salads from Coles.

Evening

I drove to Amanda’s, and had dinner there.

Night

I drove up to Maz’s, then up to Kieran’s, where they’re playing around with Windows 7.

Friday 9 January – Work

Morning

I drove to work, arriving nearly on time.

Evening

Bronwen arrived at my abode.

Saturday 10 January – Caloundra

Afternoon

Maz, Bronwen and I drove up to Caloundra, where Maz’s mother, brother and his wife and baby were staying. The traffic on the way up was awful, with us stopped frequently on the freeway, but on the way back it had cleared.

Night

I went and picked up Dina, who has just come back from Dubai. I hadn’t seen her since uni.

Sunday 11 January – Slumdog Millionaire

Afternoon

Maz and I drove to Indooroopilly for lunch, then on up to Kieran’s, staying for a while.

Evening

I drove down to Bronwen’s, brought Bronwen back to her work, drove Mi up Mount Coot-Tha, and then we all went and watched “Slumdog Millionaire”—which I found surprisingly good, before dropping Bronwen at work, driving Mi back home, picking Bronwen up from work, picking up Raymond, driving to Domino’s Pizza with him, then back to my place, then dropping Raymond home, then going to bed.

Monday 12 January – Insanity

Part One: The Awakening

Today began in the morning, as days are wont to do. Perhaps not too early for most, but too early for me – I don’t frequently sleep.

I awoke, got up, and prepared myself for work, as one does. Then, taking my life in my hands – somewhat literally – I drove to work.

Part Two: Economic Progression in a Materialistic World; or Money, Time, but not both.

Having somehow survived the journey to work, I began surviving work itself. A combination of busy and slack, somehow the day passes.

Not content with risking life getting here each day, I had cold salad from Woolworth’s for lunch – perhaps the food poisoning won’t be in these tubs.

Part Three: The Return of the King

Tired from another strenuously exhausting day sitting in front of a computer, I engage mental autopilot, get in my car, and sometime later, find myself at home – car still complete, no obvious damage, no loose parts from other cars to be found – not even a blood stain. Other than the sadly ludicrous amount of petrol this uses, there’s nothing to say I actually drove anywhere.

Now, I relax, king of my own domain. If only someone else would put my washing on.

Tuesday 13 January – Raining Up North

Day

I drove to work. It’s raining a lot up Cairns way, so I’m going to have to cancel my airfares. It’s looking like Maz may buy a car in Canberra on Friday or the weekend too, so I may go down there to drive it back with him.

Wednesday 14 January – Worked

Day

Worked.

Night

Drove to Gold Coast from work to see Natalie. Stayed there for dinner.

Thursday 15 January – Down to Canberra

6am

I didn’t get to bed until late last night, and decided to pack when I got up this morning. Now that I’m up, I don’t have time to pack before work, so instead I am throwing all the things I might need into the car and driving to work.

7am

Worked.

Midday

Packed everything into my camera bag so I can have only carry-on luggage.

3pm

Rushed to the airport where Maz had already collected my ticket and waited for our 3:40 flight to Canberra.

6:20pm

Arrived in Canberra after an uneventful flight. Met Clint. Went for a drive. Had curry for dinner.

11pm

Clint dropped me off at Erica’s. She’s not here yet—on her way back from a band.

2am

I am off to bed, having had a pleasant chat with Erica.

Friday 16 January – Driving Back

Morning

After a lovely and refreshing sleep at Erica’s, while Maz slept at Clint’s on an air-mattress so uncomfortable (it wasn’t flat, having a bump in the middle) that he had to deflate it, and then got so cold that he had to put another air mattress on top of himself, I got a lift to a nearby shopping centre where I waited until Maz came and picked me up.

Afternoon

Maz and I drove from Canberra to Pittsworth in around eleven hours in his new BA MK2 XR6T—the same car as mine, except the turbo sports model. It’s his favourite purple, and he was impressed to find out that the backlighting for the instrument cluster and dash is also purple.

11pm

We arrived in Pittsworth, after what was an enjoyable and non-eventful drive. The car performs wonderfully, the rather firm ride offset by the power and reassuring feeling that the car is actually going to stick to the road regardless of the often uncertain road surface on this truck-ridden b-grade highway. After a short chat to Maz’s parent’s, we went to sleep.

Saturday 17 January – Back to Brisbane

Morning

I awoke, followed shortly after by Maz, and we washed his car, bought a few things from the local supermarket, chatted to Maz’s parents, and had some breakfast.

Afternoon

Maz and I drove back to Brisbane, driving to Kieran’s, where we stayed for a while before dropping me at my car at the airport, which I then drove home via Maz’s aunt’s place.

Sunday 18 January – Cleaning

Morning

I tried my best to clean, but really didn’t get very far.

Evening

Having failed to make any significant impact on cleaning, and finding I don’t have any secateurs so can’t do the garden-tidy-up I need to do, I drove to Woolies, bought secateurs, and went over to Maz’s, staying there until Bronwen got back from visiting her grandfather in hospital up the coast.

Night

Maz and I drove up to Bronwen’s parent’s place in Maz’s car and drove Bronwen out to her place and back again. Maz then parked his car in his garage—not something that’s overly easy to do—and we chilled out for a while before driving in my car to KFC and Hungry Jack’s for dinner—it not being worth the effort of getting Maz’s car back out of his garage.