Mar 8 - In Two States

  I've literally been in two states today.  Hot and steamy Victoria and then cool and drizzly Queensland.  And no, I didn't get those two mixed up, strange as it seems the weather appears to be all switched around!

  It was a long but enjoyable week in my new job.  I still feel like the role is going to be doable and I have a much better idea now of the priorities.  The week had a funny end to it.  My goofball baby sister, Gub, rang me about an hour before I was due to head off to Mr Smart's and from there to the airport.  She was packing herself at my place to go to Adelaide and then home to Cambridge for a few weeks.

 "Ummm.. I need my passport.  It's in your safe."  "Shit, I have the only key on me"  The options as we discussed were to take the safe with her (it's only a fire-proof safe to keep documents safe) as Dad has the other key, but since it weighs about 10kg that didn't really seem feasible.  The other option, the one we went with was for me to walk the key over to her friend who also works in the city.  As a result of this I ended up doing an impromptu walk after work before heading off to Mr Smart's.

  I arrived to find Mr Smart in a very in depth game of SimCity.  I gave Pizza Cat a new piece of ribbon and earned her contempt by having the audacity to pick her up and pat her.  We caught up on our weeks so far and then braved the rush hour traffic trip to the airport.  I always prefer to leave a lot of time for getting there.  I'd rather sit at the airport for an hour than miss a flight.  We got there in plenty of time, said our goodbyes and Mr Smart headed back home.

  While waiting at the airport, Pengi revealed that he had stowed away in my suitcase.  He didn't want to be left home all along for the weekend.  I told him he could come if he passed the weight limit.
  An older man watched me take photos with a curious but amused grin.  When I returned Pengi to the suitcase he nodded as if saying 'I approve of this quirky behaviour'.
  I explained that Pengi belonged to Mr Smart and I and that I had thought it might be nice for him to have an adventure with me.  He laughed and said in a kindly fashion, "Well you have to make your own fun" or something to that effect.
  I sat down and finished a book that I bought in Smith Street on Wednesday, Proust's Overcoat by Lorenza Foschini.  It follows the story of bibliophile and perfumier Jacques Guerin who pretty much single-handedly saved every available hand-written manuscript, object and memento of Marcel Proust's life, including his bed and quintessential overcoat.
  Soon after I finished reading it was time to board the plane.  I got up but then sat down again.  They boarded the plane from the back, rows 13 - 28 first, and I was lucky enough to score 7C so I got on pretty close to the end.
  It was a smooth flight despite rather a noisy take off, but I am dismayed to find that they don't feed you on a night flight any more!  Just nuts or cake, 'supper' as they call it, so by the time I reached Brisbane I was ravenous.  There was no one to greet me at the gate so I went off in search of Earnest and Lord Koshington.  I got out to the front of the airport and called Earnest's phone.  I heard a phone ring behind me.  The two of them had been tailing me for I don't know how long and I simultaneously got two text messages, one from each, saying 'Behind you'.
  I stated the need for food, and quickly.  We headed in to Fortitude Valley to Cyber City, a game parlour with a Chinese restaurant inside.  We ordered and our appetites were sated promptly.  I had to laugh at their fish tanks on the way in.  I'm guessing they have trouble with drunk people interfering with their stock.

  Today's food and exercise were:

• Breakfast was a quarter cup of Carmen's Classic fruit and nut muesli with Roaming Cow reduced-fat Greek style yoghurt.
• Morning snack was a large yellow-flesh peach.
• Lunch was a Mad Mex burrito containing rice, black beans, shredded pork with garlic, onion, lime and cumin, pico de gallo, salsa, cheese and sour cream.
• Afternoon snack was Royal Gala apple, cored and sliced.
• Exercise was a 1 km walk.
• Snack on the plane was 45g of dried apple, sultanas and maple spiced almonds.

• Dinner was a mixed entree of one dim sim, one spring roll, one curry puff and one sesame prawn toast followed by squid with green beans, ginger and shallots at Cyber City.

   When we got back to Earnest's place we sat around chatting and played Lego Pirates of the Carribean.  I gave Lord Koshington an Iron Man bobble head as a thank you for doing the airport run and he was very much delighted.  Lord Koshington headed home around half past midnight and Earnest and I watched The Crow while I wrote the blog up.  I am now so tired I could drop off at any second, Pengi and I are going to bed.
  Jess