The forecast did not lie when it forecast rain. It was absolutely pelting down when we set off for Wahroonga at 7.30am. Arden were playing against Knox Grammar School, the school buildings lying on the Pacific Highway. We found our way there relatively easily and arrived fairly early. I had brough my rain jacket with me so I was able to get to the school relatively unsoaked. The only reason the match was still was one was because the school had indoor facilities, indeed there were two basketball courts side by side. However the rain had affected the interior of the building with large pools of water in the viewing area being mopped by by a gang of workmen with industrial hoovers. With two matches on simultaneously there was quite a large viewing public. Arden got off to a good start but by half time were only 8 points up according to the electronic scoreboard.
After practising with a couple of his mates in a squash court that doubled as a basketball practise area, we eventually left with Nick bound for Castle Hill. At least that was the plan. After driving some considerable time in the pouring rain, Robert checked the map and discovered we were heading in the wrong direction. Having rectified this mistake we ran into a solid traffic jam outside Castle Hill caused by an accident. By this stage the petrol gauge was hovering around the empty mark, whilst Robert's temper and language were at boiling point. When we got into the carpark, his temper was not improved by a woman driver refusing to stop to let him reverse into a parking spot and then having the temerity to accuse him of going the wrong way down a one-way lane! Words were exchanged!
After going to K-Mart and finding some Penguin cards that Nick collects, we went for something to eat. Nick having elicited from his father that he had no more money for further purchases, politely enquired how much money I had on me. I told him that I had $130. Having taken in this welcome information, he asked me if I could give him $10, and assured me that he would give me the change! And he was as good as his word and gave me back $3, coming away with another pack of cards. Castle Hill is a massive shopping complex and we had difficuly finding the carpark. When we eventually found it, it was the blue area and we had parked in the orange area. By this stage Robert's temper was definitely frayed and his language was at the rough end of the scale. We were eventually directed to the orange area and walked up and down the rows without find the car. A desperate inquiry off of one of the car park attendants elicited the information that there was another orange floor below the one we were on. At long last we found the car, and left accursed Castle Hill behind.
We dropped off Nick at Carlingford, which was Jingleless (he has gone for the snip), and then went over to Eastwood. Robert stripped all the bed clothes whilst I packed my suitcase and removed all my belongings. (We will go there on Friday to clean the place up in preparation for the new guests' arrival, and will drive from there to the airport Saturday morning to pick up the new arrivals at 6.30am.). I will probably go to the gaff during the day and stock up on essentials like toilet paper, Chardonnay, milk, tea, bread, butter, marmalade, crisps and the like. I have purchased two new bath towels one green and one blue - they'll have to fight over which one has which! I have hired the car from Monday morning along with a GPS, and will go in by train to Kings Cross to pick it up.
Anyway, back to Saturday afternoon. We went round the Pavela's around 3.00pm having called in at a bottle shop on the way. It was Zyvko's 75th birthday - he being Pav's father (Pav's real christian name is Michael but all his friends call him Pav). There was quite a gathering of the clan. Pav's sister Maria came down from Newcastle with her young daughter, Jason and his Mauritian wife and their children were there as was Jason's mother and her sister, as well as Jason's sister whose name I didn't catch. Leslie's mother Bev was present as well as Robert and myself. Robert and Pav were in charge of the bbq and despite the rain managed to do some tasty chops. After the meal it was down to cutting the cake and singing "Happy Birthday" and "He's A Jolly Good Fellow". I threw in "Sto Lat", which Zywko (a Croatian) seemed to recognise.
Bev brought along her photos from her trip to New Zealand and I went through them all, it certainly looks like a place with spectacular views, and in places a rugged landscape. Apparently the only castle in New Zealand is just outside of Dunedin. Although she was in Christchurch, to within hours of the earthquake, she failed to take any pictures of the place, apart from that of a tram. A shame as she could have got some irreplaceable shots. She was at a loss to explain her failure to do so.
Afterwards Robert, Pav and I accompanied by Maria and Leslie went down to the Epping Arms for a few beers. There I leant that Maria had had aspirations of being a singer but it never really happened for her, despite talks with several record companies, so by the age of 30 she gave up. Lucy, Pav's daughter is also a good singer, and at the age of 14 is well developed for her age. She got a stud put through her tongue this week, which sent Pav ballistic, as she had had it done without parental consent. It was out in a twinkling of the eye. There is talk of having her go to music lessons with a view to developing her musical career. If I've said it once I'll say it a hundred times, "Thank heavens we didn't have a daughter!" Thankfully Robert didn't turn out to be a girl, and nobody can argue with that! He had a go on the pokies at the Epping but lost his money, and borrowed $10 from Pav, and promptly won enough to stock up with drink for the rest of the night. I settled down and watched the Western Tigers (Nick's team in Rugby league) win their game (they lost their first one last week), and more entertainingly saw the Aussie's get beaten by Pakistan. I then nodded off in the early hours on Pav's sofa with the dog - a hefty lump called Jenny - for company.
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