Cars, Coffee and Celebrations...

My trip to Melbourne ended pretty well. The only downer to it was that my luggage didn't make the same flight home as me and came in on the next flight the following morning. I was very happy that it did arrive home of course!

Celebrate the Bean was a huge day on Sunday, with many people being drawn to the Coffeesnobs stand. I think the aroma of roasting coffee was what drew them in first! We had popcorn poppers, bread makers, stainless steel bowls with heat guns and of course a range of commercially available home roasting devices on display.

As well, the display that had people really amazed and fascinated were the open containers of coffee that went from uncooked through to dark roast. Many people did not know that coffee is green before being roasted to brown!

It was a hugely fun day and I enjoyed working the stand along with some fellow coffeesnobbers who also showed me a lot about roasting! And considering that I was very kindly given a coffee roaster, I needed to learn all I could!

Yes, I'm now going to delve into the realm of home roasting. It has been something that I've tried to resist doing, on the grounds that I just don't have time for it. But this little machine has shown me just how easy and quick it can be to do. There are many benefits for someone like myself to home roast, particularly as we are so far from any roaster. I must admit, when I got back to work the other day and had a coffee there, I was disappointed and frustrated with the taste of it.

So, I'm on the quest to have coffee the way I like it...all the time!

Apart from having a blat in the M3, we also went and had a look at what was on offer at the Melbourne Motor Show. A little disappointing in the way of great concept cars but there was enough to keep me amused. It's been funny this week to show friends a picture I took of the lime green Lambourghini and then tell them that its my new ride, whilst also explaining that it comes in yellow to match my bike and that it was a hard decision to chose colour! One lady wanted to race out the back of the shop and see it then and there!

Next weekend, I'm off to Bathurst on the bike for the National Ducati Rally. So this week will see me detailing and getting it ready. Cleaning it won't do too much good, however, as I'm sure by the time I get there, it will be covered with 6 hours worth of road grime again! Oh well, it'll make me feel good I guess!

A very busy week this week, one that has been touched by tragedy...

Last weekend, I spent riding the Duke to Armidale. As part of my trip there, I had been challenged on a forum to take a photo of the bike in front of a local landmark which is big! I chose the big golden guitar at Tamworth.

Actually, come to think of it, I think I became the tourist attraction at the golden guitar as when I was saddling up to leave, a group of people had gathered to watch! So, you can believe me when I say that I was extremely careful and cautious as I was going as I didn't want to do anything stupid like fall over or leave my stand down!

As there was a function on at the school for my son's boarding house, I made the effort to get there. Thankfully the weather was great and so I had a terrific ride up the hill! Once there, I was to meet another parent who had lost her husband last year to a heart attack. Her son is in the same dorm room as mine and it seems that they've hit it off.

One thing about going to boarding school functions is the awkwardness of being a single parent and especially a single female parent. Even the married women tend to hang around with their own husbands and so the couples tend to stick together. So, it's times like these that you definitely don't want to have any name tag and all you really want to do is be somewhere else!

However, I think that really, all my son wants is for me to be there and that being the case, I will do my best to do so!

On Tuesday, 26th of February, the town was rocked by the news of yet another aircraft tragedy in the district. This time, unbelievably, two aircraft were involved. One pilot managed to miraculously survive the impact with the ground and got away from his aircraft which had caught on fire. The second pilot unfortunately did not survive his crash.

It seems inconceivable that seemingly so soon after Mark's accident, here we are facing another one. It is more inconceivable that this one involves not only our bosses plane but his brother in law is the pilot who has survived. Once again, our boss is going through investigation from ATSB and insurance people. We haven't even had Mark's accident finalised yet. It is hard to say at this stage if this will make it all harder or easier.

On Thursday, I travelled to Melbourne. This was a trip planned months ago, way back in December last year. I would not hesitate to say that it was part of God's plan to have me away from home at this time. As the trip plans had fallen so easily in place when I had made them a couple of months ago, it can only have been His influence. I seriously don't know how I would have coped being at home this weekend, as there is another memorial service being held out at the same hangar that Mark's was held in. Either way, I don't think I would have gone to that service this weekend.

I know that this tragedy has affected me, as on the flight down, I spent quite some time quietly weeping. There was no point holding it back, it actually felt like a great relief to be able to do so.

So, I'm now in Melbourne. Today I had a great day with my girlfriend, we took her husband's M series BMW for a blat down to the Peninsula to check out their newly purchased holiday house. It was a fun day of two friends having a laugh, remembering some good times, talking about some bad and wondering why the blokes were having a look at them in the car! (We remembered that what we were driving was bright blue and stood out like a sore thumb!)

But good times and a great way to try and put the tragedy of the week behind me.