It wasn't a bad year really. I didn't die in spite of spending more time with medical appointments than I wished for, and we didn't need to attend a funeral.
We haven't travelled overseas but we've had some terrific local Australian holidays, visiting Sydney to see Moulin Rouge and lunch on the Mail Boat on the Hawkesbury River with our friend Victor and his mate, Adelaide by train and visiting the terrific Adelaide hills, Brisbane and the astonishing Parklands Gardens and a river cruise, and the Gold Coast, along with a number of local stays within our state.
Next year is looking like a trip to Fiji with many family members to celebrate Ex Sis in Law's 60th birthday.
We quaver about a visit to England. R has has found half price business flights to England via Sri Lanka. We are too old now to fly in cramped economy for 22 hours and if we can't afford to travel business, we won't go. But really, R is struggling with walking long distances as you do when travelling and I simply hate airports and all that is involved. R gets stressed and distracts me from my focus on what we have to do. My arthritic pain is at its worst mid morning, but what time will that be elsewhere? If Border Force takes one more pair of my manicure implements away from me, I will scream. Clearly an old white multi generational Australian man with nail clippers or a nail file has nefarious intentions.
At least I haven't been explosive tested in the past like R was at the age of 70, Brighton Antique Dealer at the age of 84 or our late friend David at the age of 78. Once R had to take off his shoes for some stupid test. It is not actually flying I hate, but airports.
With few friends now, family has become very important to our lives. Mother lives on, but for how long? For how many years can she say I won't be with you next year, until it actually happens that she isn't.
Imaginations about what I would do in retirement have died, and I don't care. I am quite content with my life. I will continue in 2023 to get out and about and investigate and find things to perhaps share with you.
I thank all of you who have stuck with me. You are not just blog addresses to me, but real people who I may wake up thinking about.
A very happy 2023 everyone.
PS We have bitten the bullet. Travelling Business Class with our national but privatised airline Qantas (QANTAS) return would have cost us over $11,000 each. We have booked the same with Srilankan Airlines for under $6,000. There is a half day stopover each way in Colombo but the airport hotel is nice, cheap and doesn't require border clearance. I have changed from being negative about the UK trip to being somewhat excited. Closer to the time, we will start booking trains, Colombo, London and York accommodation. R's family are all so nice, funny and kind and it will be good to see them all again.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Happy New Year to you. Your trip will be well worth it.
ReplyDeleteThank you JayCee. The same to you.
DeleteI am thrilled to hear that you have bitten the bullet - and look forward to vicariously enjoying travelling with you again. And you are right about blog friends. They become very dear to us.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you, to R and to your extended family.
EC, yes flights paid for now. No going back. Happy New Year to you.
DeleteLooks like a nice event to go to Fiji and UK in 2023. I do not like airports either - long walks, inhumane, over-priced duty-free craps and rip off foods served in there.
ReplyDeleteRoentare,. I don't really want to go to Fiji. It has never been on my list of places to visit despite knowing a couple of Fijian Indians here in Melbourne. As you list about airports, quite true.
DeleteThe world has had the worst 3 years since WW2, and I don't just mean because of Covid. But perhaps Australians did better than the rest of the world. I love to hear you are travelling all around the country and having fun.
ReplyDeleteHoping 2023 is safe and healthy
Thanks Hels. I am so pleased you are here of course. Happy 2023 to you.
DeleteHappy New Year to you and yours! And, happy travels!
ReplyDeleteThanks Peace Thyme. A happy New Year to you.
DeleteWho knows - it might be your last ever trip to Merrie Olde Englande.
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased that you managed to put the unforgivable destruction of "High Riser" behind you in order to keep on blogging. If you care to visit my blog you will see that you have received another award from The Laughing Horse Committee. Happy New Year Andrew!
YP, I had just read it before you commented here. I thank you. It took time for my resurrection to get underway and there is still a little more to do.
DeleteHere's a tip: pack your manicure implements in the check in luggage not in the carry-on. It looks to be an eventful year with going to the UK AND Fiji. You'll have to let us know what business class is like, in detail please. Have you ever travelled First Class? Will you?
ReplyDeleteRiver, I will do that. The problem is when we go away for a week or so, we manage with just carry on and nothing to check in.
DeleteSo happy for you that R's itch to go home can be scratched. And it sounds like a comfortable flight. I've really gone off flying due to a bad experience, real bad, in New York last time. And old lady travelling alone with two passports (Irish, Canadian) waiting for a flight to Dublin was a huge threat to America's security apparently and I was hauled off for many hours (sans luggage twirling merrilly around at the carousel by itself). It was terrifying. I did write about it and resolved to never darken US soil again as long as I lived.
ReplyDeleteLast was internal to Nova Scotia and it was brill. Wheelchair and help all the way.
XO
WWW
That is appalling M. What possible threat could you have been! I've heard this about over zealous yet ridiculous US security before with others. Touch wood we were ok and we won't be chancing it again. Our own is bad enough. I'm pleased you could travel so easily in your own country.
DeleteHappy New Year to you both, Andrew. The blogging community has become very dear to me over the past couple of years and you are right up there.
ReplyDeleteRetirement isn't all it's cracked up to be but we make the best of it. I blame those ads with smiling white haired gits living the life of riley.
Have a wonderful 2023 - I look forward to seeing it through your eyes as you always put an interesting slant on things and often challenge my way of thinking and observing life.
Thanks Caro. It did become dear to me many years ago when I began meeting bloggers. I am not normally an outgoing person and so there have been a few opportunities I have missed and I regret that, especially Jackie in Toronto who offered to drive us from the airport to our hotel. But with a new airport train line direct to our hotel, and it being public transport, I declined the offer and did not meet her and her husband. I am so cautious because I have to think about R and whether he will like the experience of meeting strangers who I know on the www. So far, I have got it right. Your words are kind and oh those API insurance ads do my head in with the subtlety stylish not so old people.
DeleteGlad that you are quite content with your life and have the courage to fly to UK. We have lost our mojo about long haul flights but then we are a bit older than you.
ReplyDeleteDiane, we can only do it by flying business class. Maybe I will order a wheel chair for each of us. Yes, you are older but literal age means little, as the two old women who came in last in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
DeleteGood for you to bite the bullet and just go! There will come the time when you will be unable to do these things. Enjoy your life. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteDebby, for us it is closer than you might thing for long flights. We can only fly the 22 hours if we go business class. Thanks for your good wishes.
DeleteBelieve me, I get it. The transatlantic flight about did me in, and you're only talking about six hours. Honestly, being pinned in is an awful feeling. 22 hours of it would be more than I could stand.
DeleteDelighted to hear you are visiting the UK again this year. Hopefully we will be able to meet up once again. Let me know the dates. Happy New Year to you both.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie. Happy New Year to you too. I will do about the dates when we sort out when we will be in London. Feature story tonight on our news about Battersea Power Station, which I already knew about, but it will be high on our list to see.
DeleteHappy New Year and happy trip to the UK, whenever that may be.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of you hijacking a plane with a nail clippers made me chuckle.
Thanks Kirk. It is absurd as a rich 80 year old woman being tested for explosives.
DeleteHappy New Year. Enjoy the trip to the UK.
ReplyDeleteThanks TP. I am sure we will enjoy ourselves.
DeleteYOu'll manage well on your trip to England. If I was to travel I would want you as my guide, as you always seem to figure it out. Your border guards must be extra paranoid, as far as airport security goes, to explosive test someone like R and other old guys.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, maybe I paint myself better than reality, but we do seem to get it right. I won't be the guards themselves who decide such things but departmental stupidity. Meanwhile people who should be checked are not because the guards are busy with little old ladies packing dynamite.
DeleteGood for you, we are still wavering on travel but have enjoyed our travels within Canada lately. It will be business class for us when we do, too. I have been checked several times for explosives!!
ReplyDeleteJackie, local travel is my preference now too. There is so much just in my own state I have not seen.
Delete