Moving Out and The End Of 2007

This week would be the last week I live in Sydney. I'd move out of SUV and live on the hospitality of anyone who'd take me. Bananahome took me in which made me happy, especially considering the alternative (Tom's house Wiggy) which gave me odd rashes everytime I dropped in.

There was an interesting GamesNight this week which ended with Damon's new The Card Game cards being tested. If you're not sure what The Card Game is, here's a summary:

1. Make cards by writing small dares or funny stories
2. Gather all cards, add to collection, shuffle
3. Deal out 5 to each player
4. Take turns playing cards on people
5. Be amused
6. ...
7. Get naked

Although point 7 is not a rule it's just so common that you can assueJosh* it happens. The combination of cards played was very amusing; for example: the Damon Pants card (players swap pants) followed by the Whoopee! card (when certain words are said, throw your hands up - yell 'whoopee!' - then pull down your pants). The group's interpretation of this card was that Damon's pants were to be pulled down on whoever was wearing them. I had to pull up the pants I was wearing quite a few times that night. In the end dignaty pillows were lost and replaced with other things. Oh, come on! When else'll I have the chance to do that again? You're all a bunch of prudes...

* assueJosh - To make an ass of you and Josh, as opposed to assume which makes an ass of you and me; it's interesting how many words a group can make up for their own use, huh?

I really wanted to go back to Watomulla in the Sutherland National Park before leaving, luckily Gav was easily convinced to ride there with me. Gav and his energy legs made a mess of me and my not-so-energetic legs. My knee hurt! Waa! By the way, I worked the morning of the ride from 5.30. Times were though. Good thing that we're such manly-men, eh?

I'd like to tell you everything we did there once we arrived, but I can't. We were there on a secret mission to search for Meike's present, so we have no choice but to keep it hush-hush for now. I can say that Gav described what we did was as 'beyond epic' and that he now has an all new level of respect for me. Not to boost myself too much but the shit is not bananas, it's me - I'm kind of a big deal. Both my adductors and one foot cramped by the water; I was flexing my toes to arch my foot over a barnacle at the time. I swore and pulled it back, I was in enough pain already. Oh god, those hills were epic. Not so epic for some though; Gav was in his lowest gear and had trouble going as slow as I was.

On the train ride back from Waterfall Station we had time to recover (I had time to recover, Gav the bastard was fine). Talking about next year while thinking fondly of this one took us to Redfern. Althoug we'll miss having fun in Sydney I still think it's the right time to more on. After all, it's best to stop playing a game before it gets boring, no? That way you'll always want to do it again! Gav asked me to give Meike the message that he rode me hard and gave me a sore arse - hehe!

That night we all saw Alien Vs. Preditor Requium at the George St. cinemas in the city. If ever there was a best bad movie, this would be it. It was non-stop tribute to all past movies, which got a few laughs. It even had teh Arnie quote 'get in the chopper!'. Every significant charector with a story dies. Main love interest? Dies! Good cop? Dies! Main guy's brother? Kinda dies a bit... Then suddenly, just as the credits are about to roll, a new charector is introduced with NO connection to ANYHTING! Wow, plot-tastic cinema. On the way home as we walked along back streets to the bus stop, we saw something interesting on a shop window: Santa giving Xmas the bird. Giggle!

The day of the move I took off work to get a good start into packing. So as you may have guessed, we all went to Clovely beach for snorkeling. We are getting more and more people coming out with us these days; a pre-med Marty and a post-thesis Trieste tend to have some time on their hands. It was a shame that her thesis was an arts thesis: meaning that my suncream was put on in an artistic way. Perhaps she was going for minimalism, we're not too sure. We climbed on rocks and later swam from Clovely to Gordons Bay. Rough ocean was worth the sea sickness, many things to see.

Tom helped me pack the hire van. Nice of him. The drive home was good in a diesel - it felt like it had some grunt. All these details are riveting, I'm sure. That evening I saw my Newcastle home's Xmas decorations. Extravagant, eh?

Talking myself up twice in a single post, that'd require a really good reason. But when the fact is that you're the man you just need to tell people, right? I carried Mike's washing maching by my self down 6 flights of stairs :-) At that, Mike was convinced I truely am crazy. Later I found out that it's the norm for removalists to do it that way (thanks for taking the wind out of my sails, Meike). Mike and I moved his washing maching, fridge and lounge to Castle Hill in the afternoon. This little adventure taught me to read the fine print; the van had a per-kilometer surcharge which went unnoticed until I saw the bill. I'm a idiot. Trie most graciously cleaned my room and bathroom (even though I didn't ask her to clean the toilet). Her Womens Colleage instincts kicking in I guess.

Luke, Josh and Mike went into the city with everyone else who lives in the greater Sydney area. Packed trains, loud morons, crowd barriers - the city was buzzing. I ran off over the bridge to see Jude and Karl in Kirrabilli, which had a great deal of security - every appartment complex had a security guard with a list of names. I was on it, tee hee! Even with the greatest location in the entire city to watch the fireworks, sadly it was better to leave before 12 to make to home.

Home? I don't have a home anymore :( Arriving at Kelly's house on the opposite side of Missenden Rd. felt strange. I no longer had a place to go back to after fun-times. No place to crawl into and be alone. Now, every day would be saturated with people. You know what - it felt good! It also felt good to be standing beside Kelly's pool naked with only a beer bottle (held by Ben) to cover my parts. It felt good to sit on the balcony (clothed) and listen to the white noise of 1am new years day. I felt good to talk to Lizanne about her sunburn, while Trie was madly snogging Mitchell behind the pillar, and in the lounge room Kelly was passionately pashing Bec. Happy new year Sydney! 2008 means the end of an erra and the beginning of new adventures - or so Izzy was weepily-telling me as she burried her head on my shoulder. This night would have made a good stew of things if you could only taste it. It would taste like a meal you've made with friends from the left-overs in your fridge when you'd not been shopping in a while - a mix that by some mirracle, just worked and all enjoyed.

Visited SUV 7201-2 for the last time. I was not my room anymore. Someone else was in it only 3 hours after handing in the key, cleaning and complaining that there was dust behind the bed. I wonder if she'll find the departing grafiti I left behind - under the desk Sam was here 2002 - 2007 Giggle! I guess I'm temporarily living at Mike's now.

End 2007 - Begin 2008