How are you today?
I feel uncomfortable.
I feel stripped.
I feel sad.
I feel broken.
I feel sick.
I feel pain.
I feel squished.
I feel alone.
I feel suffocated.
I feel lost.
I feel tragic.
I feel despair.
I feel sullen.
I feel tired.
I feel blue.
I feel abnormal.
I feel offensive.
I feel unwilling.
I feel insecure.
I feel helpless.
I feel distressed.
I feel ...
When i was single, i never actually felt lonely. I sought comfort and solitude from being on my own. It was invigorating being complete as one.
Being in a relationship that is in a transitional phase has emphasised to me, that i am more alone now than i have ever been. We are two trying to act as one, but there is an umbilical cord between us that is very lenghty. That length has ultimately made me feel the way i feel today.
We are detatched but semi attached and its depressing.
I can't even voice my opinion or feelings as it will affect the outcome of this transitional phase if i speak my mind. How shitty is that?
I use to feel tired and go to bed. The moment my head hit the pillow i was in sleepy land. Now, if i try to go to bed, even though i am tired, i snap back to being completely alert the moment my head hits the pillow. Because in the darkness and silence of my room i no longer switch off like i use to, i switch on now. All has been reversed.
*grrr*
Can you make things better?
No, not really...I can only keep myself busy and try to stay away from thinking too much, because thinking is torment on this occasion. It actually rests in his hands and i dont want to influence his decision.
I think im starting to affect my family...its depressing them to watch me get depressed. My brother took me out for ice cream last night...he never takes me out for ice cream! (Maybe because im not a kid anymore...but all the same!)
I need some resolution. And if possible, the sooner the better. I need closure.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
The morning After an Afternoon...
Unfortunately, Mraz didnt sing that song...although Riss had ask him to when she bumped into him outside the girls toilet and gave him a hug...she incidentally forgot to grab his butt and cop a feel...but oh well, he is suppose to return in July...so he said on stage towards the end of the show...she could try then?
If i sound mechanical, forgive me, but i was in the city until after midnight and then i had to drive home from Ashfield - where i had left my car and when i got home i had to take a shower and when i popped into bed, i just couldnt sleep...not after the concert...
It was AWESOME! I'm not sure if i would say that it was better than the first concert i went to at The Metro...the first has always left a lasting impression, which is why i was so crazy enough to stay out so late on a Sunday night...knowing that i have to wake 10 minutes to 6am, to get in to work!
Getting into bed at 1:45am and waking at 5:50am really sucks...it sucks more atrociously cos its a Monday morning and i usually suffer from Mondayitis.
I'm so glad he sang a lot of older tunes and only a couple of songs from Mr A-Z. Its not that i dont like Mr A-Z...i was listening to it as i was driving to Ashfield...and maybe it was because i was painting all day that, i dont know, i appreciated the creativity that was put into those songs...a mutual appreciation from another creative mind???
BUT i do love all his other songs...and i absolutely melted when he sang You & I Both...somewhere in the middle of the concert he asked for some phrases so we could make our own song up...some phrases thrown at him were: "Its just not cricket"..."Hoochy Momma"..."Were happy little Vegemites"..."Your the voice try and understand it"...etc. Basically what he ended up doing was using these phrases to the tune of Bella Luna from Mr A-Z. It was cute and funny.
I didnt leave disappointed...but now im suffering for it...makes me wonder how i use to study until 2am and then go into uni for a 9am exam??? It must be something to do with age...i was younger then...
I obviously cant go to a Mraz gig and not have an embarassing moment! And last night...Cookiez and i went to the Ladies...as we climbed the stairs there were a couple of people outside...one gentleman pointed out to us that the ladies was to his right, we thanked him and as we walked through the door, we were like..."Hey, thats the drummer"...I was like "Yeah, thats Toca!"...Cookiez and i giggle like little school girls in the toilet and then we hear a knock while we are both in the cubicle!
I'm thinking "what the???" and then we hear someone say "Ladies, you can calm down now!"
*RoFL*
It was Toca...we were busted for being complete teenie bopper groupies!
The next time we went to the Ladies, Cookiez and i were contemplating on bringing her camera or not...and we thought "nah...cant be bothered!" What a mistake that was...
I went inside and left to wait outside for Cookiez, because it was getting crowded...as i walk outside, i see Toca again, and a photographer and someone else that im assuming is management. There is another guy...a guy with a grandpa hat...and YES, it was Mraz.
I'm completely dumbstruck and then it hits me! F@#$, Cookiez left her camera downstairs...and how to do i tell her without getting overly excited, as she walks out of the girls toilet???
As we walk past to leave, i give him a wave, but i sheepishly turned before catching him wave back, but Cookiez said he waved...and thats good enough for me! hehehe...
I'm so gay!
Maybe i will have better luck in July...and maybe he will actually sing 1000 things when i request it next time!
If i sound mechanical, forgive me, but i was in the city until after midnight and then i had to drive home from Ashfield - where i had left my car and when i got home i had to take a shower and when i popped into bed, i just couldnt sleep...not after the concert...
It was AWESOME! I'm not sure if i would say that it was better than the first concert i went to at The Metro...the first has always left a lasting impression, which is why i was so crazy enough to stay out so late on a Sunday night...knowing that i have to wake 10 minutes to 6am, to get in to work!
Getting into bed at 1:45am and waking at 5:50am really sucks...it sucks more atrociously cos its a Monday morning and i usually suffer from Mondayitis.
I'm so glad he sang a lot of older tunes and only a couple of songs from Mr A-Z. Its not that i dont like Mr A-Z...i was listening to it as i was driving to Ashfield...and maybe it was because i was painting all day that, i dont know, i appreciated the creativity that was put into those songs...a mutual appreciation from another creative mind???
BUT i do love all his other songs...and i absolutely melted when he sang You & I Both...somewhere in the middle of the concert he asked for some phrases so we could make our own song up...some phrases thrown at him were: "Its just not cricket"..."Hoochy Momma"..."Were happy little Vegemites"..."Your the voice try and understand it"...etc. Basically what he ended up doing was using these phrases to the tune of Bella Luna from Mr A-Z. It was cute and funny.
I didnt leave disappointed...but now im suffering for it...makes me wonder how i use to study until 2am and then go into uni for a 9am exam??? It must be something to do with age...i was younger then...
I obviously cant go to a Mraz gig and not have an embarassing moment! And last night...Cookiez and i went to the Ladies...as we climbed the stairs there were a couple of people outside...one gentleman pointed out to us that the ladies was to his right, we thanked him and as we walked through the door, we were like..."Hey, thats the drummer"...I was like "Yeah, thats Toca!"...Cookiez and i giggle like little school girls in the toilet and then we hear a knock while we are both in the cubicle!
I'm thinking "what the???" and then we hear someone say "Ladies, you can calm down now!"
*RoFL*
It was Toca...we were busted for being complete teenie bopper groupies!
The next time we went to the Ladies, Cookiez and i were contemplating on bringing her camera or not...and we thought "nah...cant be bothered!" What a mistake that was...
I went inside and left to wait outside for Cookiez, because it was getting crowded...as i walk outside, i see Toca again, and a photographer and someone else that im assuming is management. There is another guy...a guy with a grandpa hat...and YES, it was Mraz.
I'm completely dumbstruck and then it hits me! F@#$, Cookiez left her camera downstairs...and how to do i tell her without getting overly excited, as she walks out of the girls toilet???
As we walk past to leave, i give him a wave, but i sheepishly turned before catching him wave back, but Cookiez said he waved...and thats good enough for me! hehehe...
I'm so gay!
Maybe i will have better luck in July...and maybe he will actually sing 1000 things when i request it next time!
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
M is for March...is for Meeting people - again.
I have been bumping into people i havent seen in a long time, if ever.
Quite odd indeed.
I was catching the train yesterday afternoon and nearly walked into a friend who was in the city because he was on his way home after finishing his exam 3.5 hrs earlier on. His office is based in North Sydney, so i never catch him while at the train station or on the train. So, it was funny how we almost walked into one another.
While talking to this friend on our train ride home, i saw a guy sit down in a row in front of us who looked really familiar, but at the same time he looked different. As i suspected, it was my old workmate...when he got up to get off the train i said hello and asked if his number was still the same and told him i would call the next day to catch up.
So, i called during lunch today and he told me where he was working now. I told him that i bumped into another workmate from our old work place...she is now actually working with my client. I bumped into her when i was at the main office for a meeting! How weird is that?
The fact that i met up with my uni friend who i hadnt seen since our graduation day until now has been quite amazing...catching up is great...time apart hasnt changed us so much that we are unable to reconnect. We have matured i think, but personally, were still ourselves.
I was talking on the phone with a girl from this company and as we were talking i could distinctly tell that i had the control of the conversation...although, technically she should have had the upper hand. As i was asking her for help...but yet i was in the lead to manipulate the direction of our conversation.
It made me feel old and it pointed out how new she was in negotiating over the phone...
The fact that im "revisiting" people is pointing out the obvious.
Its funny how i am fast approaching my 25th birthday and im meeting all these people from my past...i wonder if its like some cosmic way for me to close things off in full circle? Laying to rest all the questions i have in my head so that i can move forward...to start the next phase of my life with a new slate...
hmm...
Quite odd indeed.
I was catching the train yesterday afternoon and nearly walked into a friend who was in the city because he was on his way home after finishing his exam 3.5 hrs earlier on. His office is based in North Sydney, so i never catch him while at the train station or on the train. So, it was funny how we almost walked into one another.
While talking to this friend on our train ride home, i saw a guy sit down in a row in front of us who looked really familiar, but at the same time he looked different. As i suspected, it was my old workmate...when he got up to get off the train i said hello and asked if his number was still the same and told him i would call the next day to catch up.
So, i called during lunch today and he told me where he was working now. I told him that i bumped into another workmate from our old work place...she is now actually working with my client. I bumped into her when i was at the main office for a meeting! How weird is that?
The fact that i met up with my uni friend who i hadnt seen since our graduation day until now has been quite amazing...catching up is great...time apart hasnt changed us so much that we are unable to reconnect. We have matured i think, but personally, were still ourselves.
I was talking on the phone with a girl from this company and as we were talking i could distinctly tell that i had the control of the conversation...although, technically she should have had the upper hand. As i was asking her for help...but yet i was in the lead to manipulate the direction of our conversation.
It made me feel old and it pointed out how new she was in negotiating over the phone...
The fact that im "revisiting" people is pointing out the obvious.
Its funny how i am fast approaching my 25th birthday and im meeting all these people from my past...i wonder if its like some cosmic way for me to close things off in full circle? Laying to rest all the questions i have in my head so that i can move forward...to start the next phase of my life with a new slate...
hmm...
Thursday, March 16, 2006
How do you measure success?
I bumped into a girlfriend from highschool that i hadnt seen pretty much since then.
We caught up talking about our respective lives and then *WHAM* i get hit in the stomach with the gut-wrenching thought that "I'm not successful!"
This all happened in a 50 minute train ride on my way to work.
Great way to start the day?!
She told me about her current role and what she was doing previously...that her thesis is now a chapter in a book...she has travelled all over the world...and i was so envious.
What have i done?
I dont know of anyone who is envious of me...
I work a 9-5 job that i dont know if i should consider as prestigious in any way...i dont really have a hobby...i stopped painting and drawing ages ago...my family life is pleasant and simple but not particularly notable...i do have great friends though...but i have yet to explore the other side of the world, and that grieves me to bits!
After sitting and listening and ultimately comparing (i know i shouldnt have)...i just felt crappola!
The only difference that was sorta in my favour, was that she was currently out of a relationship and i am currently in one.
It made me think...would i be happy in her position? If i had her life, would i kick back and think that i was "successful"...would it make me happier than where i am at now?
Before bumping into her i had been feeling pretty good.
Sunday - Just got back from my trip to the Hunter and visited my bf. My belated Xmas present had arrived just in time for our 18 month anniversary...it was an ipod nano, 4G...which was out of stock and only recently came back in stock. I felt so spoilt! And it felt great!
Monday - Work had been keeping me busy, but not too busy that i had to stay back...just busy enough to get through the day without twiddling my thumbs at any point. Got home and then went out to dinner with the family.
Tuesday - Meetings and more meetings, but it was alright, it meant i got to travel to and from offices...different places, different sceneries...makes the day interesting. Went and visited my bf after work.
Wednesday - Met the friend in the morning...made me start the "I am a loser" argument in my head. Workload was just as busy as Monday, which is always good. Another meeting...and then the day was done. After work i had my yoga class...my standing balance is getting better, pity i cant say the same about my moving balance motion. Yoga took my mind off "I am a loser" for the while...but it drifted back into my mind when i got home.
Thursday - After some real rationalisation and a lot of dissemination before i went to bed last night...i finally felt okay about myself. Work is really getting busy and I need to start on the monthly financial report. I have never done one before and there is a $50K penalty if there is an error...great!
-_-"
Friday - Bumped into the friend again and whilst i started battling with myself cos "I am a loser" started marching in front of my eyes...i slowly came to realise that she was only talking about work...when i asked her about her brothers...she replied with what occupation they were doing...not that they are good or a short: "oh yeah, my two brothers they are doing well...etc..." Instead i got told that one was at Optus. The other was at UTS. And that was about it.
She just continued talking about her work history...
I sorta mentioned that I didnt think i could go to work and stay back all the time...she leaves for work when i do, sometimes earlier...and finishes about 6pm, at earliest...dont even mention how late she could end up leaving.
What i was trying to say to her was that that wasnt the lifestyle i wanted. But before i had the chance to actually talk about lifestyle...she said that she is fine with it, she does it not because she has to, but because she wants to. I'd like to think she stayed back at work because she had nothing else to do in her life...cos in my ultra selfish self conscious state, that would make me feel a whole lot better! But i think she is just passionate about her work...to a point that she doesnt know when to or perhaps she doesnt want to, push back and say "i'll do it tomorrow, but i'm going home now."
I get her mentality of when you start doing something tricky and you are on a roll with it, you dont want to stop and have to pick up again tomorrow...thats fine...i do that sometimes, cos if i lose the momentum and have to start again on another day, it will take a while to get the ball running again...so i'd rather finish what i have started. But you cant always be doing something that challenging, where you cant stop at some point and say, "i get the process now, so i can stop and i'll complete this in the morning."
Listening to her, made me realise that im not typically "successful"...but im successful in my own right...cos im happy with where i am at. And my life doesnt revolve around work, but thats because i dont want it to. I knew i wasnt going to be doing something that i'd be utterly passionate about, because i dont even know what it is at this point in my life.
I also know that working is a means to do the things i like (outside of work), not to mention survival. I am still envious that she has travelled around the world...and i am still waiting for my opportunity to travel...but my time will come, because its on my "To Do" list and i will make it happen...i just cant make it happen now...i would make me feel a whole lot better, though, if i could do it now!
I guess in the mean time i'll stick to reading about Stephanie Plum's mishaps...she always makes me feel less of a loser.
*LoL*
We caught up talking about our respective lives and then *WHAM* i get hit in the stomach with the gut-wrenching thought that "I'm not successful!"
This all happened in a 50 minute train ride on my way to work.
Great way to start the day?!
She told me about her current role and what she was doing previously...that her thesis is now a chapter in a book...she has travelled all over the world...and i was so envious.
What have i done?
I dont know of anyone who is envious of me...
I work a 9-5 job that i dont know if i should consider as prestigious in any way...i dont really have a hobby...i stopped painting and drawing ages ago...my family life is pleasant and simple but not particularly notable...i do have great friends though...but i have yet to explore the other side of the world, and that grieves me to bits!
After sitting and listening and ultimately comparing (i know i shouldnt have)...i just felt crappola!
The only difference that was sorta in my favour, was that she was currently out of a relationship and i am currently in one.
It made me think...would i be happy in her position? If i had her life, would i kick back and think that i was "successful"...would it make me happier than where i am at now?
Before bumping into her i had been feeling pretty good.
Sunday - Just got back from my trip to the Hunter and visited my bf. My belated Xmas present had arrived just in time for our 18 month anniversary...it was an ipod nano, 4G...which was out of stock and only recently came back in stock. I felt so spoilt! And it felt great!
Monday - Work had been keeping me busy, but not too busy that i had to stay back...just busy enough to get through the day without twiddling my thumbs at any point. Got home and then went out to dinner with the family.
Tuesday - Meetings and more meetings, but it was alright, it meant i got to travel to and from offices...different places, different sceneries...makes the day interesting. Went and visited my bf after work.
Wednesday - Met the friend in the morning...made me start the "I am a loser" argument in my head. Workload was just as busy as Monday, which is always good. Another meeting...and then the day was done. After work i had my yoga class...my standing balance is getting better, pity i cant say the same about my moving balance motion. Yoga took my mind off "I am a loser" for the while...but it drifted back into my mind when i got home.
Thursday - After some real rationalisation and a lot of dissemination before i went to bed last night...i finally felt okay about myself. Work is really getting busy and I need to start on the monthly financial report. I have never done one before and there is a $50K penalty if there is an error...great!
-_-"
Friday - Bumped into the friend again and whilst i started battling with myself cos "I am a loser" started marching in front of my eyes...i slowly came to realise that she was only talking about work...when i asked her about her brothers...she replied with what occupation they were doing...not that they are good or a short: "oh yeah, my two brothers they are doing well...etc..." Instead i got told that one was at Optus. The other was at UTS. And that was about it.
She just continued talking about her work history...
I sorta mentioned that I didnt think i could go to work and stay back all the time...she leaves for work when i do, sometimes earlier...and finishes about 6pm, at earliest...dont even mention how late she could end up leaving.
What i was trying to say to her was that that wasnt the lifestyle i wanted. But before i had the chance to actually talk about lifestyle...she said that she is fine with it, she does it not because she has to, but because she wants to. I'd like to think she stayed back at work because she had nothing else to do in her life...cos in my ultra selfish self conscious state, that would make me feel a whole lot better! But i think she is just passionate about her work...to a point that she doesnt know when to or perhaps she doesnt want to, push back and say "i'll do it tomorrow, but i'm going home now."
I get her mentality of when you start doing something tricky and you are on a roll with it, you dont want to stop and have to pick up again tomorrow...thats fine...i do that sometimes, cos if i lose the momentum and have to start again on another day, it will take a while to get the ball running again...so i'd rather finish what i have started. But you cant always be doing something that challenging, where you cant stop at some point and say, "i get the process now, so i can stop and i'll complete this in the morning."
Listening to her, made me realise that im not typically "successful"...but im successful in my own right...cos im happy with where i am at. And my life doesnt revolve around work, but thats because i dont want it to. I knew i wasnt going to be doing something that i'd be utterly passionate about, because i dont even know what it is at this point in my life.
I also know that working is a means to do the things i like (outside of work), not to mention survival. I am still envious that she has travelled around the world...and i am still waiting for my opportunity to travel...but my time will come, because its on my "To Do" list and i will make it happen...i just cant make it happen now...i would make me feel a whole lot better, though, if i could do it now!
I guess in the mean time i'll stick to reading about Stephanie Plum's mishaps...she always makes me feel less of a loser.
*LoL*
Monday, March 13, 2006
Hunting the hunted with a hunter in the Valley...
*Warning - Very long post*
My 2nd trip to the Hunter Valley was a hoot.
A tiring hoot...but a hoot none the less.
Friday - Was a scramble to coordinate and leave the city. We were suppose to leave just before 4pm...to avoid traffic...but "someone" held us up and we didnt leave until 4:30pm. Got stuck in traffic and we were all hot and bothered. In some ways, we did alright, even though we got stuck on the Freeway for some time. We got to our accomodation by about 7pm...the sun was still up, thankfully, otherwise we would have missed the driveway up to the homestead and barn.
The homestead was lovely and the barn was functional. We were under the impression that we would have the whole house, not just half of it - as it turned out, which was a disappointment to me, as I was led to believe it was so when I made the booking!
It was starting to get dark so we scrambled to get settled into our rooms, Cookiez & I were sharing the loft in the barn with Ranger...Ranger got the double bed and we threatened a few times to jump in there with him, but it didnt eventuate. I think we may have scarred Ranger for the rest of his life...we made him feel like a piece of meat...but who can blame us, when he waltz past our beds with only a towel draped on one shoulder and some low slung shorts on in the middle of the night?
...*mmm*...
*RofL* I couldnt help but call SMJ at about 11:30pm to tell her about this juicy detail...as she is the one with the *HUGE* Ranger crush...if you dont get this, then you arent actually privilaged to understand...and its okay! Well, its better if less people know...
=P
Anyways, after we unpacked we decided to have dinner outside the barn in the BBQ area with the massive table outside, but by this stage the sun had set and the mozzies and bugs were out creating a lot of havoc. The lady who owns the homestead provided us with some chardonnay which was chilled already. We had some chicken and salad and wine...and then we heard a "moooooooooo" while everyone is getting bitten by mozzies, we all seem to stop and go "wtf?"...its not every day you get out into the country and hear a cow moo.
Aeroguard was found in the barn and everyone sprayed themselves, funnily enough, i wasnt bitten like everyone else...which is weird, cos i get bitten in Sydney during summer, like all the time! I guess these huge mozzies in the country dont like my sugar infested blood.
We tried to play games and stuff after dinner, but some of us just werent up for it...we had a long day at work, and a long drive to the Hunter, and we were just buggered by 10:30pm and we managed to stretch it a bit further to past 11pm...but Cookiez and i just wanted to sleep at that point.
We had been in the main homestead and walked back to the barn and it was stinking hot, which is why i started asking Ranger 20 questions, since we couldnt sleep. But Ranger is the strong silent type and doesnt answer unless he wants to. But for a while there, he was pretty cooperative and answered my very intrusive questions.
But it came to a point when i had asked him if he was still awake, and there was no response. Cookiez and i thought we should quit it and try to sleep...since he must be asleep and we didnt want to disturb him. But sleep took a long time to enter my pillow...there was a lot of tossing and turning from Cookiez king single bed too. The breeze from the river outside the barn was drifting from a southerly direction which our easterly facing window did not catch.
It appears that some bugs had decided to crawl in to Ranger's bed during the night...my thought is that since his window faced the cool breeze, the bugs got cold, so they crawled under the bed to join him. While it was stinking hot for Cookiez and I, the bugs didnt want to be boiled alive under our sheets...which is all for the better for us - cos we dont like bugs!
Saturday - Cookiez and i woke up pretty grumpy...lack of sleep does it to me, and Cookiez had less sleep than i did. Ranger probably caught more sleep than i did and was already down stairs cooking when i went to the bathroom to wash my face. OR maybe Ranger didnt like the company he had in bed, so he decided to hop out of bed when he had a chance and make do with a nice brekky instead.
Because the others who were sleeping in the main house, and they only had half of the main house, which meant that they didnt have a kitchen...so when they were ready they headed to the barn for brekky, cos we had a kitchen and the food supplies.
We had bacon and eggs and toast and cereal...we thought we should load up on greasy and carbo type of foods so that when we got to our first winery on the tour, the alcohol would be soaked up quick and easy and we could be on our way to the next winery.
We waited around for the Bus driver/Tour guide for the winery tours. We had requested a couple of wineries to attend - Iron Gate, Audrey Wilkinson, & Mc Guigans. Iron Gate was really booked out so we were supposed to go in the afternoon, unlike what was indicated on the sample itinerary that was sent to me.
Before we left, i asked the lady who owned the homestead if she had a portable fan, Cookiez and i wouldnt be able to handle another night of little sleep like the night before, if it was going to be hot and humid again! She said she didnt have any, but she was going to get one...i was grateful that she kept to her word!
So, the Bus driver arrives at the homestead to pick us up, just slightly after 9:30am and he was a bit late, cos he had missed the driveway up to the house a few times. But we all piled into the car and started to head off. First stop was Ernest Hill. A pretty new boutique winery which has been opened for a couple of years now, it started making wines under the Ernest Hill label in 2002.
Our Tasting Presenter was a man named Hamish and he was pretty entertaining and I really enjoyed the pointers he told us. It felt like a lesson and because of him, throughout the day, i felt like i knew my stuff...well at least what i liked and why i liked it and be able to tell someone so. And i was also able to tell another person why i didnt like a particular wine - usually due to the content of the tanin.
Ooh, and he let us taste some premium really well oaked wines...it WAS like silk.
For this session we were actually sitting around a lovely table with really nice carved chairs, all in a room of our own. When the taste testing ended, well all rushed into the room next door and each of us all bought a few bottles. I bought a Cyril Semillon, a Stakeholders Shiraz, and a Silver Moon dessert wine. I got to tell you, i dont drink alcohol, and yet here i was buying wine. I think I have now developed a taste and appreciation for it.
Some of us - SMJ, NV, M&D bought a couple bottles of the dessert wines...thats how good it was!
While feeling quite happy with our huge stash, at the first winery we stopped at, we were also feeling a bit sullen...cos some of us had spent quite a lot at Ernest Hill and realised that if Iron Gate wasnt next - they might not have enough money for the Iron Gate Sweet Shiraz.
And Iron Gate wasnt next...the Bus Driver explained that they were really booked out and that we would stop in the afternoon. He realised that we liked our dessert wine and advised us about the "BEST" dessert wine in the Hunter, which was owned by Peterson's - it has won 5 glasses (the highest award in terms of the best wine). I asked if we could stop there, because there was no point in teasing us with such detail and not stop there for us to try it. And so the Bus Driver made a phone call while we were at our next stop at Tallevera Grove. The view here was pretty spectacular...but our taste testing was inside and turned out to be less than spectacular...
We all went in and sat by the bar, the presenter showed us some of their wines...the only notable ones was the rose. They had a pretty good cab/sav which i bought for my manager (due to a blackmail). We left with only two bottles here out of our group of 8 people. But we did take a group picture...which we didnt get to do at Ernest Hill, because we were too happy with the wines we bought, we had totally forgot to take a happy snap there.
When we all hopped back on our bus, the Bus Driver told us that we can make a quick stop to try the dessert wine at Peterson's, and we were all ecstatic - well the girls were anyways! We back tracked and when the bus stopped we all jumped out and made way to the Peterson's cellar door. The 4 girls rushed to the bar and asked to try their Botrytis Semillon - 2005 Riverina...and g'dammit, it was so yummy, i made a comment to the girls that i will not repeat now, but it expressed how good that wine was!
And then we tried their Reserve Muscat and by george, that was yummy too! And the moment it got to my tummy...my cheeks, ears, neck were all rosey like the colour of the wine! So, we all decided to buy a bottle of each one. *LoL*
Next stop was Audrey Wilkinson...Once again a spectacular view but ordinary wine...the peppery or acid like after taste just doesnt go well with my palette. We took a group photo with our Bus Driver here, as he had a friend that we were able to ask to take a foto for us. Took a few shots before we were happy with the quality of it.
By this stage we had developed an appetite and i was particularly famished. But before we stopped at the Blue Tongue Brewery for lunch, we stopped at the Binnori Cheese Company to do some taste testing. Their award winning fromage were delicious, especially the herb and garlic variety, and their chilli and rosemary feta was to die for. I walked away with a marscapone - dessert cheese. Everyone else grabbed that the herb and garlic fromage and the chilli/rosemary feta.
We got back into the bus and were driven across the road to the Blue Tongue Brewery, so that we could grab some lunch. The Bus Driver advised us that we had about 45 minutes if we wanted to fit in our sit down session at Tintilla. So, we shouldnt order anything from the kitchen, because they were ultra slow. We listened and ordered stuff from the counter, but for some reason i was given a number and was advised that my food would come out later...
They made me wait far too long...I was about to stab NV at some point because i was that hungry! hehehe...And then my food came. Cookiez and SMJ were right, the pie needed sauce...or something to give it flavour...it was really bland. But at least the mini pizza i shared with SMJ had flavour, i mean, you cant go wrong with salami.
We finished our food and headed to Tintilla for some more wine. The last time i was in the Hunter, my bf had hired a horse and carriage wine tour and Tintilla was one of our stops for some tasting. I wasnt impressed then, and i attributed it to the service of the lady who was there that day. She treated us pretty dismally and it has stuck ever since. But this visit was more pleasant. This time, the lady was accomodating and that made the experience better, but it did nothing for the wine. Not to say that the quality is bad. I just personally didnt like the taste of them. Perhaps they were too strong on the tanin for me? Perhaps the wines i tried hadnt aged enough?
We left Tintilla without purchasing any bottles, felt a bit bad since we had a sit down session, but what can we say...we just didnt like their wines all that much.
So, we all got up and hopped back on to our bus. I think at this point, we were all wined out. The Bus Driver had been teasing our sweet teeth by talking about fudge tasting...and so that was our next stop.
We didnt bother to taste any of the Lindeman's wine, and we headed directly for the fudge at the cafe section of the Lindeman's cellar. I think we had tasted almost all of the variety was there...obviously we walked away with some...the passionfruit fudge was scrumptious! After buying the fudge...we walked back to the bus and were informed that Iron Gate was closing at 4pm! We looked at our watches and panicked...it was 3:30pm.
The lady "Patricia" had told our Bus Driver that they were busy and we wouldnt be able to do any tasting. He told her that we knew what we wanted and just wanted to purchase some bottles. She then said, okay, purchases only - no tasting.
Fine by us, we just wanted to buy their Sweet Shiraz.
So, we hauled our butts over to Iron Gate and had about 20 minutes to closing time, but there were HUGE groups around and they were busy buying their supplies of wine. At some point a large group left and we were approached by a man and he asked us if we wanted to taste some wines? Given this opportunity, we took it and asked if we could just taste two - the Sweet Shiraz and the Sweet Semillon.
So, he whipped out 8 glasses and some other people wanted to taste so they joined in and then the dreaded Patricia woman came by asking the man if we were from our Bus Driver's group...i started feeling bad, i didnt want to get our Bus Driver in trouble. He was on the bus with the aircon on, to keep our cheeses cold...so i didnt want him to get a phone call and cop an earful because of us from the lady.
But anyhoo...we were able to taste the two wines and started to decide on how many bottles everyone wanted. M&D wanted 7 bottles - 6 red and 1 white, SMJ wanted 2 red and 1 white, Cookiez wanted 1 of each, 1 red for me, 1 of each from Alan, and Ranger wanted 1 red. Basically, we left Iron Gate spending $434. It was messy to start with and it was messy to end with, but we had left the place unscathed and were ready for some chocolates.
For the chocolate tasting we went to Peterson's Champagne House and Chocolate Factory. We tried some rock chocolates, chilli chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate. They had one of those "magical" fountains...spilling yummy milk chocolate (fondue style)...and what you do is pay $2 for some strawberries or grapes or mashmallows skewered on a stick covered by the liquid chocolate.
=P~
Some of us walked away with other sweet goodies, but the fondue was enough for me...and it was a fabulous way to end our tour of the Valley...or so we thought!
While finishing up on the fondue strawberries, the Bus Driver asked us if we wanted to stop at a place to taste test some more wines, and it was only suggested because they had beer to try too! We all thought what the heck, we might as well go...it was on the way back home, so it wasnt an inconvenience to the Bus Driver.
So, this is when we headed to Tatler's (which is also a restaurant serving tapas style food). When we walked in we were greeted with friendly jovial men and it was fun. It was a shame that i didnt like the wine, although, i desperately wanted to buy a bottle from the guy, cos he was funny...we tried their wines which were supposed to be sweeter on the palette, but i found that they were too strong on the acid/alcohol taste and it was dry for me...but then again, it was the last winery we had visited and to be honest, i dont think i could really taste much. Which is a shame, because we were really entertained there.
We returned back at the homestead at about 6-6:30pm and it had been a long but enjoyable day.
We wanted to start the BBQ and have dinner before the sun went down - to avoid the mozzies, but that didnt happen. We were full on the wines and cheese and fudge and chocolates. And maybe some of us were suffering from heat stroke...i felt that way. So, half of us went to nap. Cookiez and i were watching White Chicks on DVD and just bumming around. We had discovered that there was a standing fan near our beds and were so relieved that we would be able to sleep that night!
We didnt start the BBQ until it was 8pm, it was well and truly dark by this stage. Cookiez and i prepared the salad, Ranger was manning the BBQ. Since it was dark, we decided to eat indoors. Dinner was very filling and we had left overs in which we decided that we would have it for brekky or lunch the next day.
After dinner some of the party retired to shower...some were just bumming around.
When everyone returned the group divided into two. Either watching a DVD called "Let the Blood Run Free" or playing "Texas Hold Up". I was watching the DVD because of NV and SMJ...and it disturbed me for a while there, not because it was scary, but because of the parallels it had with our HI movie...so i retired and had a shower.
After my shower, i was beat...so i went to bed...and uno, i slept pretty well that night, although, i could feel my heart racing as i was resting...it was pretty freaky...but i knew it was all the alcohol i had had in during the day!
>_<
The crew were still playing Texas Hold Up after i went upstairs to sleep...NV and SMJ had gone to bed too...apparently after they went to bed and the others finished their game...the ones playing the cards went to NV and SMJ's room and jumped into bed with them!
*RofL*
NV told them to get out, but they didnt until he jumped onto them while they were in the bed...ahhahaha...of course i heard this second hand from NV...so i cant vouch that it is totally true.
Sunday - Slow start for the day. Half of us woke up and were having breakfast around 9:30am. Others didn't come over for breakfast until after 10:30am...and the other two were only finishing breakfast at 2:30pm.
We bummed around the house for a bit, playing Big2 and then Texas Hold Up...first time i played and i just went all out. Later we decided to go to Mc Guigans to round off our trip.
NV was suppose to go to the main house and tell the two sleepy ones that we were going to visit Mc Guigan's on our own and will be back at 3pm to load our wine and bags and then leave. But he listened at their door and didnt hear a sound so decided not to tell them, he didnt cough at the door, or knock on the door, he silently listened and then came back and said we could go now...and so we all headed out and left the Homestead.
In the car, i thought we should tell them where we had all gone...i sms'd M&D and told them that we thought we would leave them be on this lazy Sunday...that we had gone to Mc Guigans and that we would be back at 3pm to leave the Homestead and head back to Sydney.
Driving to Mc Guigans, was a long one...because we didnt have a map between where we were and where the winery was...it was tricky to place. My last visit was 2 years ago...the fact that i sorta remembered anything was amazing! But we got there unscathed and went in to try the cheese.
I never thought i would ever pay so much for cheese...but i walked away paying $40 for 2 cheeses: 1 small washed rind and 1 tiny brie and a tiny tub of quince jam. I was flabbergasted. But they are yummy with a fridge life of about 6 weeks.
We walked next door to the cellar and went in to try some wines for the heck of it, just cos we were there. At some point SMJ, Cookiez and i were talking about taking their cute little glasses. Initially, us three girls were standing on the wrong side of the bar...and SMJ turned around and saw Ranger being served by a lady so, we quickly marched over and cramped his style! We all think the lady wanted a piece of him but with us three girls there...it just wasnt happening...although, she was very attentive towards him...because she found out that he liked reds, she kept fishing by serving suggestions, but she wasnt going to catch our fish! *LoL*
After we had tasted the dessert wines at Mc Guigans, i looked at SMJ and said "i want one of the glasses"...and so did she...she was half way taking the glasses and Ranger gave her an "oi..." and that was enough to make us guilty for a life time...Ranger has a way in instilling higher morals. The fact that he went to church that morning made us feel even worse!
So, we walked out of the wine hall and Ranger went to pay for one of the reds he did like...i turned to SMJ and said "should we go back?"...and she replied "you do realise if we go back now, its classified stealing not temporary insanity?" *LoL*
Since, we were already in the heart of the Valley, we decided to drive across the road to Tempest Two. This is when SMJ noticed the restaurant "Oishi"...which happens to be the nick name NV calls her by. We walked past Oishi and head to the cellar and try some of their wines. Last time i was here, my bf bought their dessert wine, because i liked it the best. But when i tried it again, i didnt like it. After 2 years, i find that i now prefer a lighter honey flavour in the dessert wine. They had another version of their dessert wine and instead of being in an oak barrel, it has been in a stainless steel barrel and that particular dessert wine was fresher in taste and texture...very easy to drink and us three girls were in love with it and its bottle!
;)
But we restrained ourselves, because we were running low on cash...but the next time, i think i'll buy it. At least i know where to go and pick it up!
We realised that it was 1:50pm and decided that we should start heading back finish off the remaining food and get ready to go home. So, we drove back and along the way i think i dozed off, and then i woke up while we were lost - due to a detour forcing us to take a different street home.
Thankfully Ranger was navigating and we found our way back. It was about 2:30pm and we all hustled into the barn and found the two sleepy ones washing up from their breakfast/lunch.
We all tried to finish the food that was left and then we all washed up and packed and were ready to rock and roll.
I went over to say thank you and good bye to the lady and in a short amount of time we all got into the car, ready to get back to the pollution and civilisation. But not after getting stuck in another traffic jam on the Freeway!
Since all the cheese we bought were in SMJ's esky, we decided that we would meet at her place and separate our things. After unloading and reloading in the appropriate cars, we said our good byes to eachother...and the good byes were more like -"Thanks, but no thanks! See you in 3 months...Dont call me, i'll call you!"
*hehehehe*
Its not like we hate eachother now...its just 72 hours of being in the same room or same house or the same vehicle really makes you think and appreciate the time you have apart from your friends!
=P
I dont think im going to suggest another trip until the end of this year...maybe!
My 2nd trip to the Hunter Valley was a hoot.
A tiring hoot...but a hoot none the less.
Friday - Was a scramble to coordinate and leave the city. We were suppose to leave just before 4pm...to avoid traffic...but "someone" held us up and we didnt leave until 4:30pm. Got stuck in traffic and we were all hot and bothered. In some ways, we did alright, even though we got stuck on the Freeway for some time. We got to our accomodation by about 7pm...the sun was still up, thankfully, otherwise we would have missed the driveway up to the homestead and barn.
The homestead was lovely and the barn was functional. We were under the impression that we would have the whole house, not just half of it - as it turned out, which was a disappointment to me, as I was led to believe it was so when I made the booking!
It was starting to get dark so we scrambled to get settled into our rooms, Cookiez & I were sharing the loft in the barn with Ranger...Ranger got the double bed and we threatened a few times to jump in there with him, but it didnt eventuate. I think we may have scarred Ranger for the rest of his life...we made him feel like a piece of meat...but who can blame us, when he waltz past our beds with only a towel draped on one shoulder and some low slung shorts on in the middle of the night?
...*mmm*...
*RofL* I couldnt help but call SMJ at about 11:30pm to tell her about this juicy detail...as she is the one with the *HUGE* Ranger crush...if you dont get this, then you arent actually privilaged to understand...and its okay! Well, its better if less people know...
=P
Anyways, after we unpacked we decided to have dinner outside the barn in the BBQ area with the massive table outside, but by this stage the sun had set and the mozzies and bugs were out creating a lot of havoc. The lady who owns the homestead provided us with some chardonnay which was chilled already. We had some chicken and salad and wine...and then we heard a "moooooooooo" while everyone is getting bitten by mozzies, we all seem to stop and go "wtf?"...its not every day you get out into the country and hear a cow moo.
Aeroguard was found in the barn and everyone sprayed themselves, funnily enough, i wasnt bitten like everyone else...which is weird, cos i get bitten in Sydney during summer, like all the time! I guess these huge mozzies in the country dont like my sugar infested blood.
We tried to play games and stuff after dinner, but some of us just werent up for it...we had a long day at work, and a long drive to the Hunter, and we were just buggered by 10:30pm and we managed to stretch it a bit further to past 11pm...but Cookiez and i just wanted to sleep at that point.
We had been in the main homestead and walked back to the barn and it was stinking hot, which is why i started asking Ranger 20 questions, since we couldnt sleep. But Ranger is the strong silent type and doesnt answer unless he wants to. But for a while there, he was pretty cooperative and answered my very intrusive questions.
But it came to a point when i had asked him if he was still awake, and there was no response. Cookiez and i thought we should quit it and try to sleep...since he must be asleep and we didnt want to disturb him. But sleep took a long time to enter my pillow...there was a lot of tossing and turning from Cookiez king single bed too. The breeze from the river outside the barn was drifting from a southerly direction which our easterly facing window did not catch.
It appears that some bugs had decided to crawl in to Ranger's bed during the night...my thought is that since his window faced the cool breeze, the bugs got cold, so they crawled under the bed to join him. While it was stinking hot for Cookiez and I, the bugs didnt want to be boiled alive under our sheets...which is all for the better for us - cos we dont like bugs!
Saturday - Cookiez and i woke up pretty grumpy...lack of sleep does it to me, and Cookiez had less sleep than i did. Ranger probably caught more sleep than i did and was already down stairs cooking when i went to the bathroom to wash my face. OR maybe Ranger didnt like the company he had in bed, so he decided to hop out of bed when he had a chance and make do with a nice brekky instead.
Because the others who were sleeping in the main house, and they only had half of the main house, which meant that they didnt have a kitchen...so when they were ready they headed to the barn for brekky, cos we had a kitchen and the food supplies.
We had bacon and eggs and toast and cereal...we thought we should load up on greasy and carbo type of foods so that when we got to our first winery on the tour, the alcohol would be soaked up quick and easy and we could be on our way to the next winery.
We waited around for the Bus driver/Tour guide for the winery tours. We had requested a couple of wineries to attend - Iron Gate, Audrey Wilkinson, & Mc Guigans. Iron Gate was really booked out so we were supposed to go in the afternoon, unlike what was indicated on the sample itinerary that was sent to me.
Before we left, i asked the lady who owned the homestead if she had a portable fan, Cookiez and i wouldnt be able to handle another night of little sleep like the night before, if it was going to be hot and humid again! She said she didnt have any, but she was going to get one...i was grateful that she kept to her word!
So, the Bus driver arrives at the homestead to pick us up, just slightly after 9:30am and he was a bit late, cos he had missed the driveway up to the house a few times. But we all piled into the car and started to head off. First stop was Ernest Hill. A pretty new boutique winery which has been opened for a couple of years now, it started making wines under the Ernest Hill label in 2002.
Our Tasting Presenter was a man named Hamish and he was pretty entertaining and I really enjoyed the pointers he told us. It felt like a lesson and because of him, throughout the day, i felt like i knew my stuff...well at least what i liked and why i liked it and be able to tell someone so. And i was also able to tell another person why i didnt like a particular wine - usually due to the content of the tanin.
Ooh, and he let us taste some premium really well oaked wines...it WAS like silk.
For this session we were actually sitting around a lovely table with really nice carved chairs, all in a room of our own. When the taste testing ended, well all rushed into the room next door and each of us all bought a few bottles. I bought a Cyril Semillon, a Stakeholders Shiraz, and a Silver Moon dessert wine. I got to tell you, i dont drink alcohol, and yet here i was buying wine. I think I have now developed a taste and appreciation for it.
Some of us - SMJ, NV, M&D bought a couple bottles of the dessert wines...thats how good it was!
While feeling quite happy with our huge stash, at the first winery we stopped at, we were also feeling a bit sullen...cos some of us had spent quite a lot at Ernest Hill and realised that if Iron Gate wasnt next - they might not have enough money for the Iron Gate Sweet Shiraz.
And Iron Gate wasnt next...the Bus Driver explained that they were really booked out and that we would stop in the afternoon. He realised that we liked our dessert wine and advised us about the "BEST" dessert wine in the Hunter, which was owned by Peterson's - it has won 5 glasses (the highest award in terms of the best wine). I asked if we could stop there, because there was no point in teasing us with such detail and not stop there for us to try it. And so the Bus Driver made a phone call while we were at our next stop at Tallevera Grove. The view here was pretty spectacular...but our taste testing was inside and turned out to be less than spectacular...
We all went in and sat by the bar, the presenter showed us some of their wines...the only notable ones was the rose. They had a pretty good cab/sav which i bought for my manager (due to a blackmail). We left with only two bottles here out of our group of 8 people. But we did take a group picture...which we didnt get to do at Ernest Hill, because we were too happy with the wines we bought, we had totally forgot to take a happy snap there.
When we all hopped back on our bus, the Bus Driver told us that we can make a quick stop to try the dessert wine at Peterson's, and we were all ecstatic - well the girls were anyways! We back tracked and when the bus stopped we all jumped out and made way to the Peterson's cellar door. The 4 girls rushed to the bar and asked to try their Botrytis Semillon - 2005 Riverina...and g'dammit, it was so yummy, i made a comment to the girls that i will not repeat now, but it expressed how good that wine was!
And then we tried their Reserve Muscat and by george, that was yummy too! And the moment it got to my tummy...my cheeks, ears, neck were all rosey like the colour of the wine! So, we all decided to buy a bottle of each one. *LoL*
Next stop was Audrey Wilkinson...Once again a spectacular view but ordinary wine...the peppery or acid like after taste just doesnt go well with my palette. We took a group photo with our Bus Driver here, as he had a friend that we were able to ask to take a foto for us. Took a few shots before we were happy with the quality of it.
By this stage we had developed an appetite and i was particularly famished. But before we stopped at the Blue Tongue Brewery for lunch, we stopped at the Binnori Cheese Company to do some taste testing. Their award winning fromage were delicious, especially the herb and garlic variety, and their chilli and rosemary feta was to die for. I walked away with a marscapone - dessert cheese. Everyone else grabbed that the herb and garlic fromage and the chilli/rosemary feta.
We got back into the bus and were driven across the road to the Blue Tongue Brewery, so that we could grab some lunch. The Bus Driver advised us that we had about 45 minutes if we wanted to fit in our sit down session at Tintilla. So, we shouldnt order anything from the kitchen, because they were ultra slow. We listened and ordered stuff from the counter, but for some reason i was given a number and was advised that my food would come out later...
They made me wait far too long...I was about to stab NV at some point because i was that hungry! hehehe...And then my food came. Cookiez and SMJ were right, the pie needed sauce...or something to give it flavour...it was really bland. But at least the mini pizza i shared with SMJ had flavour, i mean, you cant go wrong with salami.
We finished our food and headed to Tintilla for some more wine. The last time i was in the Hunter, my bf had hired a horse and carriage wine tour and Tintilla was one of our stops for some tasting. I wasnt impressed then, and i attributed it to the service of the lady who was there that day. She treated us pretty dismally and it has stuck ever since. But this visit was more pleasant. This time, the lady was accomodating and that made the experience better, but it did nothing for the wine. Not to say that the quality is bad. I just personally didnt like the taste of them. Perhaps they were too strong on the tanin for me? Perhaps the wines i tried hadnt aged enough?
We left Tintilla without purchasing any bottles, felt a bit bad since we had a sit down session, but what can we say...we just didnt like their wines all that much.
So, we all got up and hopped back on to our bus. I think at this point, we were all wined out. The Bus Driver had been teasing our sweet teeth by talking about fudge tasting...and so that was our next stop.
We didnt bother to taste any of the Lindeman's wine, and we headed directly for the fudge at the cafe section of the Lindeman's cellar. I think we had tasted almost all of the variety was there...obviously we walked away with some...the passionfruit fudge was scrumptious! After buying the fudge...we walked back to the bus and were informed that Iron Gate was closing at 4pm! We looked at our watches and panicked...it was 3:30pm.
The lady "Patricia" had told our Bus Driver that they were busy and we wouldnt be able to do any tasting. He told her that we knew what we wanted and just wanted to purchase some bottles. She then said, okay, purchases only - no tasting.
Fine by us, we just wanted to buy their Sweet Shiraz.
So, we hauled our butts over to Iron Gate and had about 20 minutes to closing time, but there were HUGE groups around and they were busy buying their supplies of wine. At some point a large group left and we were approached by a man and he asked us if we wanted to taste some wines? Given this opportunity, we took it and asked if we could just taste two - the Sweet Shiraz and the Sweet Semillon.
So, he whipped out 8 glasses and some other people wanted to taste so they joined in and then the dreaded Patricia woman came by asking the man if we were from our Bus Driver's group...i started feeling bad, i didnt want to get our Bus Driver in trouble. He was on the bus with the aircon on, to keep our cheeses cold...so i didnt want him to get a phone call and cop an earful because of us from the lady.
But anyhoo...we were able to taste the two wines and started to decide on how many bottles everyone wanted. M&D wanted 7 bottles - 6 red and 1 white, SMJ wanted 2 red and 1 white, Cookiez wanted 1 of each, 1 red for me, 1 of each from Alan, and Ranger wanted 1 red. Basically, we left Iron Gate spending $434. It was messy to start with and it was messy to end with, but we had left the place unscathed and were ready for some chocolates.
For the chocolate tasting we went to Peterson's Champagne House and Chocolate Factory. We tried some rock chocolates, chilli chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate. They had one of those "magical" fountains...spilling yummy milk chocolate (fondue style)...and what you do is pay $2 for some strawberries or grapes or mashmallows skewered on a stick covered by the liquid chocolate.
=P~
Some of us walked away with other sweet goodies, but the fondue was enough for me...and it was a fabulous way to end our tour of the Valley...or so we thought!
While finishing up on the fondue strawberries, the Bus Driver asked us if we wanted to stop at a place to taste test some more wines, and it was only suggested because they had beer to try too! We all thought what the heck, we might as well go...it was on the way back home, so it wasnt an inconvenience to the Bus Driver.
So, this is when we headed to Tatler's (which is also a restaurant serving tapas style food). When we walked in we were greeted with friendly jovial men and it was fun. It was a shame that i didnt like the wine, although, i desperately wanted to buy a bottle from the guy, cos he was funny...we tried their wines which were supposed to be sweeter on the palette, but i found that they were too strong on the acid/alcohol taste and it was dry for me...but then again, it was the last winery we had visited and to be honest, i dont think i could really taste much. Which is a shame, because we were really entertained there.
We returned back at the homestead at about 6-6:30pm and it had been a long but enjoyable day.
We wanted to start the BBQ and have dinner before the sun went down - to avoid the mozzies, but that didnt happen. We were full on the wines and cheese and fudge and chocolates. And maybe some of us were suffering from heat stroke...i felt that way. So, half of us went to nap. Cookiez and i were watching White Chicks on DVD and just bumming around. We had discovered that there was a standing fan near our beds and were so relieved that we would be able to sleep that night!
We didnt start the BBQ until it was 8pm, it was well and truly dark by this stage. Cookiez and i prepared the salad, Ranger was manning the BBQ. Since it was dark, we decided to eat indoors. Dinner was very filling and we had left overs in which we decided that we would have it for brekky or lunch the next day.
After dinner some of the party retired to shower...some were just bumming around.
When everyone returned the group divided into two. Either watching a DVD called "Let the Blood Run Free" or playing "Texas Hold Up". I was watching the DVD because of NV and SMJ...and it disturbed me for a while there, not because it was scary, but because of the parallels it had with our HI movie...so i retired and had a shower.
After my shower, i was beat...so i went to bed...and uno, i slept pretty well that night, although, i could feel my heart racing as i was resting...it was pretty freaky...but i knew it was all the alcohol i had had in during the day!
>_<
The crew were still playing Texas Hold Up after i went upstairs to sleep...NV and SMJ had gone to bed too...apparently after they went to bed and the others finished their game...the ones playing the cards went to NV and SMJ's room and jumped into bed with them!
*RofL*
NV told them to get out, but they didnt until he jumped onto them while they were in the bed...ahhahaha...of course i heard this second hand from NV...so i cant vouch that it is totally true.
Sunday - Slow start for the day. Half of us woke up and were having breakfast around 9:30am. Others didn't come over for breakfast until after 10:30am...and the other two were only finishing breakfast at 2:30pm.
We bummed around the house for a bit, playing Big2 and then Texas Hold Up...first time i played and i just went all out. Later we decided to go to Mc Guigans to round off our trip.
NV was suppose to go to the main house and tell the two sleepy ones that we were going to visit Mc Guigan's on our own and will be back at 3pm to load our wine and bags and then leave. But he listened at their door and didnt hear a sound so decided not to tell them, he didnt cough at the door, or knock on the door, he silently listened and then came back and said we could go now...and so we all headed out and left the Homestead.
In the car, i thought we should tell them where we had all gone...i sms'd M&D and told them that we thought we would leave them be on this lazy Sunday...that we had gone to Mc Guigans and that we would be back at 3pm to leave the Homestead and head back to Sydney.
Driving to Mc Guigans, was a long one...because we didnt have a map between where we were and where the winery was...it was tricky to place. My last visit was 2 years ago...the fact that i sorta remembered anything was amazing! But we got there unscathed and went in to try the cheese.
I never thought i would ever pay so much for cheese...but i walked away paying $40 for 2 cheeses: 1 small washed rind and 1 tiny brie and a tiny tub of quince jam. I was flabbergasted. But they are yummy with a fridge life of about 6 weeks.
We walked next door to the cellar and went in to try some wines for the heck of it, just cos we were there. At some point SMJ, Cookiez and i were talking about taking their cute little glasses. Initially, us three girls were standing on the wrong side of the bar...and SMJ turned around and saw Ranger being served by a lady so, we quickly marched over and cramped his style! We all think the lady wanted a piece of him but with us three girls there...it just wasnt happening...although, she was very attentive towards him...because she found out that he liked reds, she kept fishing by serving suggestions, but she wasnt going to catch our fish! *LoL*
After we had tasted the dessert wines at Mc Guigans, i looked at SMJ and said "i want one of the glasses"...and so did she...she was half way taking the glasses and Ranger gave her an "oi..." and that was enough to make us guilty for a life time...Ranger has a way in instilling higher morals. The fact that he went to church that morning made us feel even worse!
So, we walked out of the wine hall and Ranger went to pay for one of the reds he did like...i turned to SMJ and said "should we go back?"...and she replied "you do realise if we go back now, its classified stealing not temporary insanity?" *LoL*
Since, we were already in the heart of the Valley, we decided to drive across the road to Tempest Two. This is when SMJ noticed the restaurant "Oishi"...which happens to be the nick name NV calls her by. We walked past Oishi and head to the cellar and try some of their wines. Last time i was here, my bf bought their dessert wine, because i liked it the best. But when i tried it again, i didnt like it. After 2 years, i find that i now prefer a lighter honey flavour in the dessert wine. They had another version of their dessert wine and instead of being in an oak barrel, it has been in a stainless steel barrel and that particular dessert wine was fresher in taste and texture...very easy to drink and us three girls were in love with it and its bottle!
;)
But we restrained ourselves, because we were running low on cash...but the next time, i think i'll buy it. At least i know where to go and pick it up!
We realised that it was 1:50pm and decided that we should start heading back finish off the remaining food and get ready to go home. So, we drove back and along the way i think i dozed off, and then i woke up while we were lost - due to a detour forcing us to take a different street home.
Thankfully Ranger was navigating and we found our way back. It was about 2:30pm and we all hustled into the barn and found the two sleepy ones washing up from their breakfast/lunch.
We all tried to finish the food that was left and then we all washed up and packed and were ready to rock and roll.
I went over to say thank you and good bye to the lady and in a short amount of time we all got into the car, ready to get back to the pollution and civilisation. But not after getting stuck in another traffic jam on the Freeway!
Since all the cheese we bought were in SMJ's esky, we decided that we would meet at her place and separate our things. After unloading and reloading in the appropriate cars, we said our good byes to eachother...and the good byes were more like -"Thanks, but no thanks! See you in 3 months...Dont call me, i'll call you!"
*hehehehe*
Its not like we hate eachother now...its just 72 hours of being in the same room or same house or the same vehicle really makes you think and appreciate the time you have apart from your friends!
=P
I dont think im going to suggest another trip until the end of this year...maybe!
