Birthday gifts and visiting my brothers.

I got my new net connection in the mail before I left Friday afternoon. It took ages on the phone though before it would work, because of a technical problem with the new unit. It hadn’t been registered properly. It took about an hour of speaking to 3 techinicians before they could get me on the net again. But all is good now.
I got to Melbourne just as it was getting dark. The traffic down the Hume Freeway was tremendous. Mostly cars returning from the school holidays and some trucks. I was so glad no one called my mobile, because if I had stopped to answer it, I doubt I could have got back on to the highway easily. The cars stretched for miles behind me.
I stayed at my niece’s on Friday night, then went out early in the morning to pick up Evan’s birthday gift, a guitar case from Melissa and Luka. I managed to disguise it with 2 big garbage bags, and decorated it with bows and ribbons, then videod him opening it, so Melissa can see it when we go to Sydney tomorrow.
I had got him a book he wanted, and a wristband with Rage Against the Machine on it as he’d lost his last one, or maybe it wore out. I also managed to get him a genuine guitar pick that had been used by Bad Religion and though I thought was just a bit of plastic he said it was a good strong one and he’d use it playing his guitar.
Then we went to visit my brother Ian. My other brother Drew came as well. Only Dorothy was home when we got there so we had time to have an in depth talk about how he was before Ian got home from the city. He spends his days just travelling on public transport which is free for him now, with Dorothy hoping he’ll arrive home safely.
He came in and to our surprise he hugged and kissed both Drew and me. He was never one for showing us any affection so I was nicely surprised. He didn’t know Evan and even when I told him, I’m sure he thought he was just a stranger.
Apparently he had lost a lost of money gambling on line, buying shares and buying a time share in the US. All lost money according to Dorothy. His driving licence and car have gone too as he had an accident and just drove off. Dorothy was worried he’d get on the computer and spend more money, so after I had checked her email (Dorothy doesn’t use the computer) and deleted and blocked some sites, her daughter put a password on it so he can’t get in, and Dorothy told him they no longer had the net. But he has no credit cards anyway.
He was happy and smiling, but had no communication apart from what he had done that day. So while we all talked and reminisced, he could only nod and laugh. Sad to see my big brother like that, but at least for the moment he’s happy. But the future of course is unknown. He could go on like he is for 10 years or suddenly go downhill in 10 days.
Then I drove Evan home as he’d been up for 24 hours doing interviews at some convention in Melbourne. Then had run in to some friends he hadn’t seen in ages and it was 5am before he got to bed and I had to wake him up at 9am! No wonder he was tired.
Sunday I spent the day with Betty. Her daughter in law Rose is expecting in late May early June. Her son married late as he was an extremely shy person and I don’t ever remember him acknowledging me over the many times I stayed there. However, after he got married he was like a new person. His wife is very bubbly and out going and she has had a tremendous impact on him. Now he sits talking to us and laughs and jokes. It’s wonderful to see. And now he’s going to be a dad.
Sunday evening I drove home, deciding not to stay until Monday, as we’re going to Sydney on Tuesday morning.
I have to go back to Melbourne on Friday to see Evan again and visit my SIL as we’re going to Betty’s for the baby shower. I’ll be worn out by then but the weather had been really nice so I’ll survive as it’s nice driving weather.
I got a nice message from Melissa in the early hours of Sunday morning. For some reason I woke up at 2.55am feeling totally rested. I lay there for a bit wondering if I was ever going to sleep, when suddenly a text message came through. It was Melissa saying “I just called to say I love you. I know it’s late but the song came on and it reminded me of how lucky I am xx”. She was catching up with old work friends when the song came on the radio and she just had to message me. I messaged her back saying that must have been why I was awake. I was waiting for her text!
She apologised the next day as she’d had a few wines and just had to message me. But I didn’t mind at all. It was lovely.
So that was my weekend. Next we have 3 days in Sydney and the weather is supposed to be good, so I’m packing my shorts, which I can fit into now! Yippee. However the weather report has just said torrential rain for Sydney!
OK off to read some entries.

Bye……..