SPRING ROLLS

SATURDAY 19th FEBRUARY

  It was an early departure at 7.30am to arrive in Epping in time for Nick's basketball match at 8.30am.  We stopped off at a drive-in McDonalds to sustain ourselves with an egg and bacon McMuffin.  Nick had been to school on the Friday, but didn't look normal self.  He wasn't one of the first set of players on the pitch.

But he came on with the rest of the team and made some good runs and dribbles, but at times he seemed to drift off and lose interest in what was going on, he obviously still wasn't himself.

As I'm not totally au fait with the scoring in basketball, I just kept the score in terms of the number of baskets each side had got.  The game swung backwards and forwards with the lead changing hands many times.  By my reckoning Arden had won 11-10 but apparently the score was 19-14 to them, whichever they won.  Nick was fairly exhausted by the end and declined to talk to anyone, including Doug and Narni who had come to watch, let alone his parents or me!

We walked down to Banjo Bookshop with one of Nick's mates Locran, and whilst the two boys looked at the books we went into the cafe and ordered some refreshments.  I had a coffee and cherry flavoured chocolate slice.  There were papers to read but as I didn't have my glasses all I was able to read was the headlines!  Jane ordered a milkshake and a banana bread for Nick, but Rob drank most of the shake and the bread got wrapped up and taken home.

Apparently Nick recovered sufficiently by the afternoon to go swimming with some other friends.  We headed back to Oakhurst where a gathering of the Cacares family was scheduled for a massive cooking session of spring rolls.  A portion of these rolls gets eaten on the day and the rest are frozen for future consumption.  These rolls also contain either minced chicken or beef and pork fillings. There was a full gathering with sister Kathy and husband Nick and their three children, Charlene and fiancee Sam, mum and dad (Juan And Rita), Jerri (Jeannette's daughter) with her fella Pat, Jeannette's two sons, not to mention Pav with wife and son.

Juan and Rita with daughter Kathy. Jeannette and Leslie in background.

Robert and Pav with Charlene's fiancee Sam

Charlene between her parents, Kathy with her back to the camera.

Jeannette in the kitchen

Charlene and Sam are recently returned from a trip to London, Paris, Rome (where Charlene shook hands with the Pope) and Egypt.  She is about to be married to a member of the Coptic Catholic faith, which initially didn't totally please her Roman Catholic father, but I gather Sam has won him over.   Sam brought back a present for his future brother-in-law Nick, which he brought over and set up with banana flavoured tobacco.  Several people had a puff.

                                          So what do I do with it?

Cor blimey O'Reilly!

Pav at one point decided he needed to go and stock up on Peroni beer and purchased a case, all of which was duly consumed.  Not that Rob and Jeannette were short on beer, with several large cannisters of Heineken in the fridge.  A feisty argument ensued after I casually threw in the comment about who was this Oprah woman who had come over to Australia larging it up.  Kathey and Leslie were very pro this so called celebrity, whilst Rob and I were totally disparaging with Pav tending to side with the two of us.  Anyway nothing like a good debate to stir the passions!

Gradually members of the family drifted away, until there was only Pav, Leslie and their young son left.  They decided they had had to much to drink to drive (I don't include young Jack in this statement), and elected to stay the night.  Leslie adjourned to bed with her son, Jeannette stretched out on the settee, and Rob, Pav and I had a few more beers.  About 1.30am Rob and Pav decided it was the perfect time to go to the pub.  I decided to forego the pleasure and instead took Reilly for a quick walk and adjourned to bed.

Last picture of the evening!