Padma has made a beeline on V/Line for Melbourne to visit her sister whose son is studying at Monash. She was going for just one week but I suggested two; after all, I need a holiday too!
The fridge is stocked with a huge pot of congee, another full of chilli con carne, and a third of chicken curry (boiled soft within an inch of its life to assist with my impaired swallowing), all of which should see me through the first week. In week two, it's back to ALDI and the occasional barramundi sans chips at the Soldiers' Club, all of the foregoing washed down with a glass of Chateau de Cardboard, thanks to Thomas Angove.
For brain food, there's a whole pile of as yet unread books (including such oldies as Thor Heyerdahl's "The RA Expedition"), a stack of DVDs ("Educating Rita", "La Gloire de Mon Père", J. Bronowski's 11-hour epic "The Ascent of Man", and scores of others (I may even sit through the three hours of "Doctor Zhivago", if only to listen to Lara's Theme again).
waiting for me in front of the new boathouse under construction
As for companionship, there's always my friend Stanley!
