“♫ ♪  I’m Just a Girl who Can’t Say No  . . . “  ♪♪♫

Wednesday, 22 September
Number of Kilometres Run = Ø
Number of Kilometres Cycled = Ø
Number of FortiJuice Consumed = 3
Number of Calories Consumed = 900kcals
Number of Computer Problems Fixed = 5
Number of Good Deeds Done = ???

The morning started well enough:  I was having a cup of instant decaf (save the caffeine for the real stuff later, please) with Rad; replacing the laces in my lairy Forster shoes with elastic and half dressed in my running gear.  Bob knocked on the door in a panic needing computer fix it services for the laptops and a couple of printers among the three members of the Team Management.  Now.  Barefoot, I trot down the hall and start on Bob’s problem.  “Suzie needs you now, her need is more urgent”.  Go next door and start on that.  Most things were relatively easy, although I was still working on downloading printer drivers for Bob on a v.e.r.y. slow dial-up connection at 11:30am.  

I then remembered that I hadn’t had my medication, went back to the room and grabbed a FortiJuice, and put on my running shoes.  More running around buying supplies for the overworked management team, a quick registration with Rad, returned to help Suzie with the uniforms and the need to get plastic bags to pack them.  Another trip to the market, and most of the uniforms were sorted out.  I had lost all track of the time.  A mercy dash to deliver a phone charger and I found that I was very dizzy.  Backtrack to grab a second FortiJuice for a very late lunch.  I still had yet to spend any time with Bob (we had been hoping to have a coffee together), he had been called away suddenly when an excellent age group competitor went through the windscreen of a car that morning.  We sought to sneak away for a few minutes (I hadn’t had a chance to speak to him since before the Canberra Times on Sunday); although his phone didn’t stop ringing and we had to wait for a media interview with the local ABC.  

It was too late for a coffee, so I suggested a quick pint at the local pub – being Newcastle there were two to choose from within metres of each other.  With the option of The Royal or the Ducks Nuts the choice was obvious.  This proved to be a very interesting choice!  Some sad looking Jatz, cheese, and carbonosi sat on the counter.  I was the only woman.  I had to mention to Bob that a woman in a purple bra had walked past – he hadn’t noticed.  She came around the room a second time, carrying a tray and seeking orders.  Bob did notice this time that she was only wearing a lacy purple bra and teeny weeny underwear (and heels of course!), with very little back coverage.  On her next ‘lap’ Bob ordered another schooner of Old, and gave her a very generous tip (no other change of course).  She was a very pleasant, pretty, and articulate young blond, probably working her way through Uni and with a hell of a lot of self confidence!

This unfortunately had to end, and I undertook to grab Bob some Indian takeaway for his dinner.  I hoped to walk, it being a pleasant evening, and having had no exercise.  We went via the car on the way back to gather the Newcastle Street Directory, and just as I locked up a tearful young woman came up to us.  She knew Bob from Canberra, and her car had broken down on arriving here.  The NRMA were unable to fix it, and it needed to be towed, however she had still to check in to her accommodation on the other side of the Bay at Stockton.  Bob went back to his room to attend to bush fires, and I helped her transfer all the gear, bikes etc from her car to ours and drove her there.  On the way back I drove to Darby St to pick Bob up an Indian feed of Garlic Naan, Palak Paneer, Sag Gogst, and plenty of rice!  I had to dodge flying bottles as a school load of over exuberant peri-adolescents celebrating some milestone spilled from the pub they were being belatedly thrown from (the eldest couldn’t have been 15).  I drove back to the hotel carefully, arriving after 8:00pm  to pass the food on to Bob, had a quick, warm (yuck) FortiJuice in his room before heading back to my room where Rad had already collapsed in bed.  

Tomorrow – Must Ride and be a bit more selfish!