14/12/2025 hot summer days

A balmy 40 degrees today with a hot breeze.  The air con seemed to be struggling a little under the pressure! Julie and I spent a few hours in the pool in an effort to keep cool but that damn pool cleaner thing still followed me everywhere I went, it didn’t follow Julie at all.  I feel harassed, alarmed and distressed and wish to make a formal complaint.  

Julie went and met her friend for some lunch and I had a few hours to myself so o was able to drop the mask for a bit. It’s exhausting pretending everything is fine in the world because you don’t want to drag everyone down to your level of abject misery. Again, I feel so ungrateful, because these wonderful people have been amazing and I’ve so enjoyed seeing them and spending so much time with them, and it would all be just perfect if Si was here too.  

Once she got back we went to the mall for weekly food shop,  while Julie did it I went and got her a little present to say Thankyou for putting up with me. While i was in there a ring set caught my eye, not dissimilar to my engagement and eternity rings but in silver and they made me so sad, I really miss not wearing Si’s rings , I left them at home because I know if anything happened to them while I was travelling it would finish me. Dramatic I know but that’s simply how special and precious they are.

By the time we got home, the sky had started to go black and rolls of thunder were rumbling close by. We scuttled inside when the first fork of lightning lit the sky closely followed by big fat rain drops. Within minutes the rain was bouncing up off the roads and pouring down the drains. We heard later that some areas flooded badly, but being on a hill we were fine.  It lasted half an hour and the temp dropped 10 degrees but it was still humid. It would definitely have been beneficial to the firefighters working on the bush fires flat out over the last few days.  

Tonight we had dinner over in Joondalup with Mama, Carey and Ray. Once again the food  didn’t disappoint and was perfect.  As it’s coming up to Christmas they were offering special cocktails, I didn’t fancy one but Carey had a Christmas cookie one that looked like a meal in a glass and tasted insanely good. So good in fact she promptly ordered another one, mainly because once we’d all had a taste there wasn’t much left for her!  I was happy enough with my pink grapefruit gin and tonic, check me out drinking like a grown up.  All I seem to have done since arriving in Australia is eat out. I'm hoping to get into a normal eating pattern in NZ …. Or I’m going to need new clothes!  

When I went and paid the bill the waitress was really apologetic. She’d given another table our bill and they’d paid and left. It worked out in our favour because our bill was significantly more than theirs was and they didn’t check it was right when they paid. It saved me $180! Not to be sniffed at. Although I don’t understand why you wouldn’t check the bill before paying!  

Got a bit emotional saying goodbye to Carey and Ray at the restaurant, they’ve been so fantastic and really looked after me the last few weeks.  

Aidan was watching The Croods when we got home he’s been out doing karaoke with his mates and they’d had a tab which I think he’d drunk the most of, he’s an awesome drunk.  We watched the end of his film with him with the last can of cider for me, and Percy a pigs, a splendid combination. 

I’ll pack in the morning because tonight I’m very tired, Very emotional and I need my top packing game on to get the sturdy one packed. Si packs usually, he’s better at it  than me. I’m good at not taking much, he’s epic at  getting it all into the smallest bag possible with space to spare. 

Much love

Mrs Leonard 

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