Newcastle Adventure: Day 6 and 7

Not sure if you can read this, but the Anglican Church's sign reads simply, "O M G" - indeed.

I am home in my own bed now and am much too sleepy to write anything too long or exciting, but I did just want to finish up my Newcastle posts. I’m really grateful to everyone who’s been reading these. According to my stats page (that I watch like a lonely child watches a full playground), these blogs have gotten the sameish number of views my weekly blogs usually get. DON’T WORRY I’m not about to start blogging daily or anything, but it is nice to know you’ve all been following my adventures in the blogosphere.

You should all check out Alex’s blog, given that she was one of the official bloggers of the festival, and also because she is good at things. Her blogs give you a different perspective, and focus less on things like “and then I caught a bus, and then I ate some breakfast” and more on things like… you know… interesting stuff. Plus she asked me to do a guest post. CHUFFED. I manage not to mention breakfast, though on further consideration I do mention chocolate in the first line.

Ok. So yesterday I slept in, which was AMAZING. And then I read a lot of emails and minutes from meetings I have missed while I’ve been away. That was also good, I’ve been easing myself back into reality slowly, so I don’t go into shock tomorrow. [This may still happen]. Then Fin and Alex and I made a waffle plan, which fell through but resulted in me eating French toast and bacon, which I would still consider a win. The coffee shop served our tea on Little Golden Books. Odd/excellent.

The festivals were all pretty much over but there was still “Show us Ya Early Work” hosted by Alex at the Bowls Club. This event basically involved people reading out things they wrote in their youth. Youth being a rather broad term, ranging from Grade 3 to last year. It ended up being a really entertaining time. It made me wish I’d brought a copy of The First Story I Ever Wrote which I do speak about occasionally to people. I wrote it when I was 8, and I always thought it was about a snake that learns how to crow like a rooster. Only upon finding it recently, I discovered my 8 year old self had actually written a story that involved the snake tricking a rooster into teaching it how to crow, eating the rooster and then, being so fat with rooster it couldn’t climb the fence to crow anymore and the other animals laughing at it. I may be related to the Grimm brothers, not sure.

THEN Alex and Fin took me to Dungeons and Dragons! Well, actually it was a game called Paranoia, but it follows the same premise. I’m still not sure quite what happened but I had a great time and would be all for doing something similar soon. Is anyone I know a closet D and Der? Can I come play with you? Cool. Let’s do that.

This morning I checked out at 10 but had all day to kill. So, I know you’ll be surprised to learn I went and ate breakfast. And this time, I got the waffles. Delicious. I loitered in the café for quite a while. I’m reading George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire Series (i.e. Game of Thrones) and I am hooked. Once you get started it’s really quite difficult to put them down. So I did a lot of reading in that café while sipping a hot chocolate.

I went for a wander of Darby Street and bought some things, including a cryptic crossword book and a t-shirt with an Enid Blyton reference on it. Winning. Tiger Blood. Etc.

I walked for ages, through town and out to the beach where I nutted out some cryptic crossword clues and read some more and witnessed a man practicing backflips off a ledge. Then I witnessed that man axe his foot on the aforementioned ledge and hobble off. I walked again, Newcastle has these ocean bath things. The concept is pretty cool. If it weren’t so freaking freezing I would have loved to swim in them. Then I followed the other beach back into town, observing a carnival full of screaming children along the way. Then a bus back to my backpacker’s, where Kerry my personal taxi driver was waiting. A taxi drive, some more cryptic clues, a flight, more reading, a train journey, more clues, and a final taxi ride and I was home.

It’s been one hell of an adventure. I will do it all again next year, without a doubt. Now, to face reality that is going back to work tomorrow. Also it’s just over 3 weeks until the 2high festival, so stress land is upon me. But from now on, I shall have the awesomeness of this week just gone to carry me through. That, and a Famous Five t-shirt.