Chuckler’s Musings

Guess where I’ve been this week? Mostly in Brisbane, but during the week, I had a little get-away.

“Where’d you go this time Callun, you crazy random road-tripper you?”, I’m sure you’re all asking. Well, it all started 8am Wednesday morning. I got a most unexpected (as most things I am involved with seem to be) call from my dear Katie. She and Richard had decided to go camping for the week. Richard’s dad leaves their tent, set up at Lake Cootharaba (sp?) for months at a time, mostly un-occupied. So, they took advantage of this, and went up.

The call was an invitation to come and stay, so I did - big surprise. I got there at noon, just in time for Richard to leave to go to work.

Lake Cootharaba is really shallow. Katie and I went for a swim, and waded 100metres out, and the water was lapping at our knees. By this time, our legs were tired from wading, so we just sat where we were.

Camping really takes it out of ya, so we snoozed for a little while. The sleep served two purposes - we were buggered, and we weren’t going to start drinking before 5pm. It’s important to have standards and restraint, I’m sure you all agree.

I met this Canadian guy who called himself a moden day Gypsy, and being durnk, I invited him to join us. He was a 70 year old bloke, who separated from his wife a little while ago (on good terms), because he wanted to travel, and she didn’t. Ever since, he’s lived in tents, in friends’ houses around the world, shipping his two most prized posessions around the world with him; a pair of Honda Goldwing Motorcycles.

I had a most enjoyable evening chatting with him, and I think Katie did. Richard came back from work, and things settled down a little. I had quite a bit to drink, so I slept where I lay - in the awning section of the tent, on top of bags of ropes, a hammer, and a camp chair. Best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.

As I was leaving on Thursday, work called me up to ask if I could work Friday. I gladly accepted.

We had dinner at Berny and Karen’s that night, which Dean will probably tell you more about. All I’ll say is that Karen went to a LOT of trouble, and it showed with a beautiful spread.

At work today, two blokes were leaving, so they had a bbq farewell, which was just tops. And now, tonight, Cebs is on. It feels like ages since I’ve been to Cebs, even though last time I went was only last Friday.