Thank God for Friends. And Other People's Friends.

Saturday, October 29 - Sunday, October 30

So yeah, although I've now been up for just shy of 24 hours, I am feeling a little better.

The rental car has been returned, although, granted, just to some random parking guy so god knows what they'll charge me for being an AWOL foreigner for 6 hours.

I'm CHECKED IN.

And they were really nice about it. Losers.

I'm sitting in the swanky Qantas club with a lot of people who are looking at me like I'm scruffy. Which I am. I'm having a cup of tea and some fruit while I sit and watch the sun rise.

Then, in 20 minutes or so I'm chucking back a Gravol and hopefully, waking up as I hit Sydney.

Where Sandy got the text message in time and has also brought a car. Which means I won't spend the day lugging things around and wanting to cry.

Rather than right now, wanting to cry with relief. Which is a completely different thing.

Anyways, let me back up a little to my FIRST arrival at the airport. I was here 40 minutes before the flight. They said I was too late and then booked me on the next one. While being very impolite. Which seems to mean here that they'd overbooked my original flight and were just glad I was late and they could tell me to piss off. (Melbourne Cup and all.)

Then they tell me that the airport CLOSES and I HAVE TO GET OUT.

Nice.

Well, at 11 pm on a Saturday night the rental people are mad if they think I'm giving back the car.

I figure, hey, I'll just call Jen and Dan and get directions back to the party.....

....except like the fuckwit I am.... I threw their number out when I cleaned out the car.

Now. Hmm. Who else do I know who might have their number? Yeti? Nope, he's at the mine.

Yup. You guessed it. Mr. Man Matt.

So, I bit the bullet (so to speak) and I called.

He didn't answer.

So, like the amazon hunter gatherer woman I am I actually found my way back to the house party!I'm getting SO much better at this getting lost thing.

Whereupon the people who were still standing (or still standing even without their pants on) made me feel much better and managed to calm the shaking of my hands with a couple glasses of wine.

The couple that were dressed as terrorists were quick to drunkenly enact revenge scenarios for me as well. Which was very cute.

Then they gave me free run of the house and all tottered off to bed about 1:30 am. Hence my previous post.

So, I'm torn - loveperthhateperthloveperthhateperth.

At least it'll be a couple years before I see it again. And I'm sure Matt'll be happy that he's no longer got to share all his best mates with me.


I guess if that's the worst that happens in my travels, I'll be blessed. But the little upsets are good practice and that's what this trip is all about, after all is said and done.

My, what a pretty sunrise.