One Of Terry's Corners Of the Online World

My mothe and my sister Linda flew down from Sydney on the weekend to help Sal and I celebrate Mum's 70th birthday. We picked them up at the Jetstar terminal down at Avalon airport, which is basically a large air-conditioned shed split in two for arrivals and departures. It's way out in the boonies surrounded by sheep paddocks and the rather tit-like You Yang ranges in the near distance. But it's only a twenty minute rip down the freeway from home, so not too bad. Lina brought down some Krispie-Kreme donuts, which seems to be the Sydney-to-Melbourne equivalent of a passport. It was a lovely gesture on her part, but I dunno what all the fuss is with Krispie-Kremes. They're donuts, big fucking deal. If they were, for instance, kirsch-dripping black forest cheesecakes, I might be enthusiastic.

We spent most of Saturday tooling around town. Brunch at Joe's Garage on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy and a browse through the Rose Street Artist's Market. From there it was a trip to Highpoint where we looked around the shops and I drank chai latte at the Villa and Hut cafe. I'm getting into chai tea these days. Love the spices. Mum's not as agile as she was so the walking was slow at times. We went through Borders but I was uncharacteristically good and didn't buy anything.

Home for a rest, then it was dinner at Attitudes in Williamstown. Sal's parents joined us, and I had my usual favourite entree, the crab bisque followed by a delicious lamb wellington with chat potatoes and a rich lamb jus drizzled around it. I drove home with Linda and Mum, Sal going with her parents. The reason for this was that Linda and I wanted to have a talk with Mum about some of her attitudes toward me. The conversation didn't go particularly well. I'm not sure that Mum understood what we were trying to say to her or why. Back home we cut the cake and played card while showing Mum Dirty Sanchez on MTV. She laughed but was a little shocked too. (To be fair, so were Linda and Sally... not me. I'm shocked by nothing that twentysomething drunk guys do. It's not sophistication, just realistic expectations of their behaviour.)

Sunday morning, Sal's other bridesmaid, Alicia came over for brunch. I cooked up masses of scrambled eggs (with and without chorizos), bacon and toast. Sal, Linda and Alicia networked bridestuff while Alicia's partner Archie and I watched the Brian De Palma movie Femme Fatale. Weird flick, but it had enough violence and a jewel heist that included some hot girl on girl action (essential to the plot, of course). By mid afternoon we had to take Mum and Linda back to the airport for their flight home. It was a hectic weekend, but a good one. Maybe I got some things sorted out with my mother, maybe not, but I did get closer to Linda and the marriage plans got a big boost.