Yesterday we had a lovely lazy lie-in until about 8:30am and then Toowoomba got pelted with sheets of rain so deafening I was seriously fearing for the little tin roof over my outdoor area. It just bucketed down for about half an hour, drenching my every desire to start out for Brisbane...
Fortunately it cleared and we were off on our trek to the fair Bris-Vegas. Totally uneventful trip, with Elijah playing music man on the ipod, calling out each random play song and asking me if I wanted to play or skip (note to self: review future playlists. As funny as it was to have my son say the next song was 'Hey Asshole' it was likely rather inappropriate).
Reasonably sunny and just a little bit overcast the whole way, we then pulled up at Cathy's house in Paddington to see water halfway across the road. Obviously we'd missed a bit of rain, we assumed, until we saw the video that Cathy had made of the heart of one of the freakiest storms Bris-Vegas has copped in a while. Basically their lower yard was completely flooded and at the height of the shenanigans, water completely covered the entire road, prompting some caught-on-video road rage, much to our amusement.
So last time was bushfires, and now wild and woolly storms...
We couldn't believe we'd basically driven straight down only to avoid even so much as having to turn on the windscreen wipers...
Anyhoo, we then copped a further lashing later in the afternoon, prompting us to question our evening plans but deciding to forge ahead anyway.
So late as always, with NFI where we were going, we set off to Julie's house. Any Brisbanite would know you're either a northsider or southsider, and never the twain shall meet. Going over the river is like entering a different universe for us committed northsiders.
It was the highlight of my night to stop at the bottle shop at Bulimba to be chatted up by a rather cute (and age appropriate!) attendant who even gave me a discount on my de rigeur pink champagne. Come again...
Indeed.
What followed was a gourmet spread courtesy of Jules and some wonderful conversation with some amazing people...
And then came a crash of thunder that had us pretty much falling out of our chairs. Oh yeah, another freak storm hits...fark.
So radio set on 80s flashbacks at top volume (to cover sound of thunder) and Cathy and I singing at the top of our lungs (OK I let her sing louder), we made it home.
Several hours of chat sitting on top of her outdoor table (the only dry spot outside the house) and stalking people via Facebook on her ipad, we finally flagged sometime after 2am...
Woke up this morning to...you guessed it...another fricken storm.
After waiting it out we hit the road and made our way back up the mountain, stopping to collect some fresh coral trout (baked for dinner and DELICIOUS).
Lady luck was again with us with not a speck of rain the whole way home..we copped a few showers once we were home and safe but how lucky is that?
And I just log onto the weather website again and poor Brisbane is just about to cop another soaking, likely to be worse than any of the previous...
I lived in Brisbane during the floods last year and it was so devastating, but this is so much worse as there is no warning. I hope everyone I love is staying safe and dry.
So road-trip song of the day...Madonna, Like a Prayer. I think this is the last song she did that I ever liked which makes it all the more special. Sing along with it on your next road trip, you won't regret it!
Oh I was also lucky enough to read what Cathy has started to write of her memoirs regarding her father. It was one of the most amazing stories I've ever read and both of us were crying at the end of it (to date...she's not done yet). I feel so privileged to have been allowed this glimpse into an incredible man, the life he led was nothing short of gobsmacking.
Thank you honey for allowing me to be a part of it.
So I'm thoroughly shattered and happy and exhausted and thankful all at the same time...So lucky to have such wonderful people to share my time with but also so happy to be home in my own bed (no offence Cathy, but you're lucky I didn't scream the house down when your cat jumped on me while I was asleep).
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too! Stay safe Brisbanites!
xx
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