Hello Children, it is I; Rhona!

Been a while since I blogged last, hey!  Yeah I was full of promise in my last post about mobile blogging.  It turns out that i'm not disciplined enough to blog from my phone.  Perhaps disciplined is not the right word, maybe I should go with 'couldn't be arsed'.  Yeah, let's go with that.

So, you want the big bad update then?  Hmmm, lets see what I can do.  (Yeah, okay, I know - you don't really care, but tough cookies...you're gonna hear all about it anyway!)

Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday, yesterday was Friday Friday Friday (sorry, couldn't resist).  Today really is Saturday though and I'm just sitting on G's couch, listening to some music on youtube.  Right now, I'm listening to a band called Hugo and their rendition of Jay Z's 99 Problems.  Och, here you go - click the video and be happy for 4 minutes.....



I actually discovered a new band on Youtube a month or so ago.  They are called Boyce Avenue and do acoustic covers of popular songs.  I especially love their rendition of Rihanna's Only Girl (in the World).  Here you go - take a listen...



Gives me goosebumps just listening to it!

I digress - back to the update.  Well, I'm still in Alice and i'm still alive (YAY!).  It's quickly coming up to my departure date and it's not fair!  It feels like i've been here just a couple of weeks.  My trip has had it's highs and lows but I wouldn't change it for a thing (well, maybe a couple of things but lets not get into that right now!)  One of the highs has to absolutely be the weather!  It's just been glorious here every day apart from 3 days where it was drizzling.  Can't complain at that and was in fact quite nice to be out in.  Of course, all  natives thought I was a bit mad at going out in it, but hey...i'm scottish!

Okay, something I'm not proud of.  Went out drinking last weekend with a bunch of guys.  There had been some fighting talk before my arrival that a certain Australian could drink me under the table.  Well, that theory was tried and tested last weekend and it's safe to say that at 0600 the next morning, I was still standing (not falling over!) and he was passed out.  I kept up with the lads all night, drink for drink, in fact I was a few drinks ahead by the end of it and at the end of the night I was still standing!  Just talking to G about it now and oh my he's pretty defensive about it!  He claims that I'm lying, but that's utter nonsense.  I was there, I know what happened, his male ego has taken a beating and he doesn't like it.  He says there's two sides to every story, and I think that everyone will find that they completely agree with each other.  I win, he loses, and okay, i'm a little proud!  Ut oh, G now looks like he could beat the crap out of me.  Okay - he gave it a good go and if the bouncers that he started on hadn't told him to drink water in the Casino then he would have probably given me a good run for my money.  (that's mollified him a little)

Let me tell you all about a night out in Alice Springs with G and his mates.  It all starts out good until someone wants to have a fight (as G just confirmed just now "i'll f***ing fight anyone!") then there's no stopping them.  We were having a nice quiet night, having a few drinks, having a few laughs, learning a few home truths(!) when a bully of a doorman (or yardman!) started in on one of G's mates for no other reason than the fact that he had had a few drinks and was merry in a loud, harmless way.  Sort of justified that G and friends should get defensive, however, no need for people to square up to each other and for WW3 to break out (okay, exaggeration, but you know what I mean).  We were moved on from that pub by the ensemble of bouncers that appeared out of nowhere to backup the doorman and we ended up in another pub where it took a wee while for the guys to calm down from their encounter.  There was live music in 'Rock Bar' which made me a happy chappy.  G is sitting next to me just now giving me his 2 cents worth - I've to make sure I tell you all that heaps of people were coming up to him to say hi - I won't deny that he's got a reputation in this little town.  "One of them even gave me a Wet Pussy" says he - a drinking shot. 

So, no fighting in Rock Bar.  But - i'm not even going to mention the taxi journey to the Casino as I don't  think I could even repeat what was said in that vehicle.  Let's just say that I doubled back and apologised to the taxi driver once they had all left it.  Alcohol has a lot to answer for.  We got to the Casino and straight away it kicked off.  One of G's mates was refused entry for looking intoxicated (hello!) so he swiftly verbalised a few swear words and threats to the big Samoan doorman.  This really helped in our goal of getting in!  J (the intoxicated one) walked out and went home, but not before pounding on the window from outside and threatening the doorman again.  G, being the loyal friend that he is, started in on the doorman for not allowing J in.  This swiftly made the doorman decide that another of his mates, M, was intoxicated too so he wouldn't get in either.  I do think it's fair to say that they were all intoxicated!  Yep, G quickly stuck up for M and had another go at the doorman.  25 minutes later, I was sitting on a couch at the entrance with D, G's sobour mate, whilst G and said doorman were still exchanging (not so nice) pleasantries.  EVENTUALLY another of G's mates managed to sweet talk the doorman and we ALL got in...on the condition that G and M drank water all night.  Hilarious!  It was pretty much the end of the night after that, G and M and said other friend decided to leave whilst D and I were at the toilet (not together!) - nice, huh! - so we stayed a bit longer and when we did eventually get home, G was sound asleep on the couch....sooooooo I WIN!  Woohoo!  Children - I'm not cool - don't aspire to do that next weekend!

Tomorrow (Sunday), G and I are taking a mini road trip to Uluru (Ayer's Rock).  We're going away for a couple of days and incorporating another couple of touristy places aswell which I just know is going to be awesome!  I can't wait to see the big rock and the other stuff we'll be visiting. 

YAY it works!!!

RB

After 38 hours of gruelling Quantas flights, indifferent flight food and completely skipping Friday 13th, I made it to Australia!  The journey was pretty unremarkable (i.e. no famous celebrities on my flight like there was last time:  Tim Minchin).  I got chatting to the girl that was sitting next to me on the big 16 hour flight and went for coffee with her when we got to Melbourne.  We both had an hour to kill before I flew onwards to Alice and she flew onto Tasmania.  Was quite nice to have some company for the flight, broke it up a bit and didn't make the trip seem as long.  Of course it was, but you know what I mean!  Stupid thing happened in Melbourne though - I was sitting on the 'dunny' (see what I did there!?) having a pee when all of a sudden my nose started bleeding.  It was kind of inevitable because of the dry air and the fact that you just have to look at my nose and it starts bleeding.  It was a bit of a nightmare  because I had to try and pull my trousers up whilst trying not to look like I had an uncontrollable period!  I ended up getting blood all over my top and right through my hair (don't ask!)  Even when I came out of the stall and there other ladies all over the place, not one person asked if I was okay.  I mean, I probably would have just said yes and not accept any help from them because I get nosebleeds so often, but THEY don't know that!  What if it was my first ever nosebleed and I was really upset!?  Unfriendly travellers!!  Anyway, after that palava, I got on my final hour and a half journey to Alice Springs.  Thank goodness G was waiting for me and thank goodness my case came round on the conveyor belt!!

The air wasn't as humid as I thought it would be so at least I wasn't sweating too uncontrollably!  The airport is relatively small, so I met up with G before I had to panic about my case maybe not being there so I wasn't as flustered because I had somebody to distract me and therefore not allow me to get all hot and bothered!

We got back to G's and all I wanted was to hop into bed for a few hours kip and have a nice hot shower!  Oh, but there were pretty things to play with!!  First off, G has the CUTEST dog ever!  Although L is a staffy, he is pure pedigree and has a gorgeous head on him.  I was a bit apprehensive about him being a staffy because they've got such a bad reputation, but I do have to admit that I've fallen in love with him!  He's got such a lovely personality, never barks, never growls, never disobeys, never whines and just wants attention all the time.  I'll try and upload a photo soon.

Secondly, G has a blinking huge Crane in his yard!  So of course I had to have a shot of that before I did anything else!  I learnt all the hand signals for lifting the boom, etc.  I could totally be a crane operator!  Check me!

I'm now 3 and a bit weeks in of my 3 months here.  It doesn't feel like i've been here 3 months at all!  I'm having slight computer withdrawal because the only laptop in the house is G's office laptop and so I don't have free access to that.  I do have the internet on my iPhone, but it's not as good as sitting at a monitor typing away on a keyboard!  Ah well, the break will do me good!  Also means i'm hardly ever on FB, which can only be a good thing!

Next weekend we're going away camping for Finke 2011 (check it out:  http://finkedesertrace.com.au)...i'll/ try to blog from my phone after the event and let you all know how it goes.  Not looking forward to camping out in the desert, in the middle of nowhere, with just a swag to keep me safe, but I suppose i'll be able to say "i've done it!" afterwards!!

Right, going now to figure out how to blog from my phone!

Chow for now dearies!

Rhona out.

Good morning fellow bloggers/readers/friends/enemies/strangers/people-who-have-ended-up-here-by-accident!
How are we all today? It’s a misty day in Edinburgh today, which is rubbish. Let’s hope it clears up into something beautiful by lunch.

To start: I have this song stuck in my head today: