And so I was back in the city for a mere week, so was going to do everything I could to remind myself that I was in fact, in the middle of civilisation, and not, miles from anywhere on a farm!
Sadly, Monday only brought a dentist appointment, which was booked a couple of weeks ago, when my tooth and jaw were in agony - thank god they don't hurt anymore, but it rendered this apointment rather useless, with them eventually deciding that it may have just been my wisdom teeth pushing about in my gums, but with no real conclusion I was told to return if they hurt again. Fine. As much as I hate any dentist work being done I was rather hoping he could see a problem, and ultimately fix it - now I can just live in fear or it returning again! Hurray - I'll wait with baited breath! On my adventure into the City I also organised some photos to be printed to go in my Christmas cards, also, because I had to wait in the dentist reception for 20 minutes it meant I also lost the chance to go to the shoe shop on Smith Street and replace my old red shoes, with a lovely new pair. I did manage to put my photos into the shop to get them printed, but even that wasn't instant, and I have to wait 24 hours for them too. So, after what seemed like a bit of a wasted day, I headed back to the station, and in my haste to get home I got on an express train - which just speeds past Yarraville. So, getting off at the next station, just a little bit annoyed, I managed to do it again and ended up back in Footscray - maybe my time in the country had meant I had forgotten how to use such joys as public transport, but, on my third attempt I actually made it to Yarraville, and bought some goodies to bake Chitty's Truffles and her Chocolate Cake - I brought a little bit back with me from the farm, and Will requested more, and as I have just managed to obtain the truffle recipe I want to give it a go and see if they are the right ones? And, they were! So, with a mountain of Chitty's Chocolate Cake and truffles in the fridge I decided it was a job well done, and sat down to test my creations - damned good - I think I will have to ensure I only make the truffles at Christmas, or I will end up the size of a house!
On Tuesday I got my bike back from the repair shop who had been putting a chain on the thing, and I also invested in a brilliant horn for it too! It's great, and much better than riding Will's bike which is far too big for me! And so, I pottered about on the bike for a while just giving it a test and then went back to the house to sort stuff out on my computer which had been sorely neglected during my time on the farm. And so, the rest of the afternoon was spent sitting in front of my computer getting more and more frustrated, but with the job finally done I felt I had a fairly productive day!
Wednesday I decided it was time for some breakfast at Babka's on Brunswick St. and on the way I went to collect my photos whcih had been printed and perused them when I was on the tram on the way to get my brekkie. I decided to go all out, and instead of my initial idea of just having a cake and some coffee, and ordered a cooked breakfast, with the full intention of then ordering a cake as well. Although slightly extravagant, I looked at the pile of Christmas cards I had ready to be written, and decided the 2-course approach was probably the best. After about an hour of eating and writing, I had finished, and went to pay - and they only charged me for half my food - I did try and explain to them, but the lady behind the counter seemed too busy to listen to me, and half way through me trying to list what I had eaten, she had moved on and taken the order from the man behind me, so, feeling remarkably lucky, I left. As I was full to bursting, I thought it would be best to leave Brunswick St. before I was drawn into another establishment, so jumped on a tram to meet Will in the City, and, after almost giving up on the idea of replacing my red shoes, we went into a store, to find them in the right colour, in the right size, and, most importantly, on sale. Jackpot - gorgeous shoes for $120. And, if they last me another 8 years, like the last ones, it'll be a bargain! They are DM's though, so should last a while - fingers crossed. We went out for dinner that night at two of Toni and Will's friends house, and after yet another disaster on public transport, which left us waiting at North Melbourne Station for much longer than necessary we had a lovely evening, eating drinking, and being merry.
I spent the next morning just pottering about the house and then in the afternoon I cycled into Yarraville to meet Toni and eventually go and see 'A Social Network' which was a great movie - some critic said it was the 'Citizen Kane' of my generation, and I'm not sure if it will be that profound, but, it is absolutely fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, complete with a choc-top and some lollies. On the way home we got some Thai food for dinner to finish off the night. On the way home Toni also revealed some amazing strobing bike lights you attach to the wheels, so I rode home feeling slightly like a mobile disco, but they do add to the ridiculous nature of my bike, and now all I need are tassels for the handlebars and it'll be complete!
The next morning it was time to be productive, and Will had been hassling me enough for me to finally pick up the phone and try and sort out my next move. I phoned up about getting a job in Adelaide at the 'Garden of Unearthly Delights' and was pretty successful, and phoned up Locheilan farm again, to ask if I could go back. I couldn't quite believe I was doing it, as I was so pleased to get back to Melbourne, but I was desperate to try and get some more farm days under my belt and sorted, and as my only options were that, or cherry picking, it was the lesser of two evils, and after a brief chat with the lady, it was all arranged that I would be going back there for another fortnight, Oh Jesus. So, with those two major things sorted I decided the rest of the day was for doing nothing, so just pottered about the house sorting stuff out and watching tele. My evening was only disturbed when one of our flatmates friends came over to inform us that he had fallen off his bike, been taken into hospital, broken his hip, and was going into surgery that night. Not exactly what I expected when I started my night with a bottle of wine, and Harry Potter 6 on DVD. And so, we all tried to pack up some stuff he might need over the next few days, and they headed off back to the hospital. It is safe to say the rest of the night had been slightly marred by this news, and I finished my bottle of wine, and film feeling slightly guilty!
The next morning me and Will rode our bikes to Footscray hospital to visit our flatmate, and on the way stopped off at Coles to get all the essentials you need when visiting a cripple! Grapes, strawberries, and fruit juice! By the time we got there it was pretty clear that Melbourne's summer had finally broken and as I puffed and panted along the road I cursed my bike being stuck in such a stupid gear. Will's bike was also stuck in a single gear, but his seemed much more effective than mine, and when we eventually got there, I was ready to just curl up in the foetal position and try and regain control of my breathing again! We also strolled up to his bed both holding bike helmets, which seemed incredibly bad-taste as soon as we got there, but regardless, we spent the next couple of hours just chatting to our invalid friend and Will even managed to get told off by a nurse for swearing too loudly! Brilliant! We took the scenic route home along the river, which was so beautiful, and there was a much appreciated breeze by the water too! We also rode past the 'Lonely Planet' building, which is big, and ugly, but produces pretty good travel guides! By the time we got home I was very grateful of the iced coffee and turkish delight we had bought on the way home, and after they both had a 10 minute blast in the freezer we both sat down to recover and cool down. We were even adventurous enough to attempt some gardening in the afternoon, but swiftly decided it was not gardening weather and the only thing to do on a hot day like this would be hide from the sun. Something seems quite backward about that idea, but it is what we did, and had a lovely chilled out afternoon.
The next morning I sorted out all my stuff and packed my bag again, ready to go back to the farm. Oh god. I knew it would be worth it when I get my 2nd year visa, but, I still could't convince myself that it wouldn't be hell! And so I was off again, and got the train to Hurstbridge, which was the market she was at, and by the time I got there I was all hot and bothered owing to the stupid clothing choice I had made in the morning, and quickly got changed out of a pair of thick black jeans. The actual train ride there was beautiful, and was through a valley with so much greenery it was great, really nice to get out the middle of the city, and then, we were off again, to Locheilan Farmhouse and B&B. I couldn't help myself but count the number of days I had to spend there, and another fortnight seemed like an awfully long time, but, I just had to grit my teeth and get through it - god, it sounds like a prison sentence!
So, I am back in the land of giant mozzies, fighting dogs, and lots and lots of cows. But, on the up side, amazing cheese, fresh milk, and more tractor driving! Bring it on! Just noticed, that this wasn't a very good week for photos, in fact I have none, so sorry, I promise lots in the next one...I hope!
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