JUNE  2019  (3)   BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH A DIFFERENCE

On a Saturday in June we departed home, mid-morning, to drive to Melbourne. For me, it would be my first trip back to the Big Smoke since our move last year. John had been back once, when he drove down and stayed overnight, to attend a sister’s birthday party.

Couey was to be left home alone. She was quite used to us going out for shopping trips and the like, but this was going to be for a longer time. I was fairly confident she would be fine, but did organize with one set of neighbours – also dog people – to keep an ear out for any distress signals.

The drive to Melbourne was quite straightforward. Even enjoyable. The Calder Highway extends between Mildura and Melbourne. Conversion of its busier southern end to a freeway standard road began in 1972, the year my daughter was born, and continued in increments until last year. The completion of the Ravenswood junction then meant that, effectively, Bendigo and Melbourne are linked by some 135kms of freeway. Said daughter had now turned 46!

The drive from home to Fitzroy took us two hours. Once we left the freeway, the Saturday morning traffic through Brunswick and Carlton was slow going.

The reason for our journey was to attend a friend’s 80^th birthday celebration – and his wedding! The venue was St Mark’s Church – old and traditionally atmospheric.

St Marks Church, Fitzroy

We were an hour early for the service and sat on the lawn area outside, eventually finding some people John knew to chat to. The couple being married were long standing friends of John’s from before he and I met; in fact, he had been at uni with the bride. So the couple had been together for many years, but had now decided to formalize things.

After a very pleasant service, afternoon tea type foods and drinks were served as all the guests mingled outside on the lawns. Apart from the newly married couple, I knew no-one. Their home is in Canberra, so our social circles have not overlapped.

By 4pm, John had enough socializing and standing around and suggested we leave, even though the speeches were yet to begin. I was quick to agree. We had managed to find a parking spot in a side street not too far from the church, for which I was grateful, given the state of my back after all the standing about.

On the way home, stopped at the big service centre at Diggers Rest – toilet and coffee! John asked for an expresso coffee. He really did need to brush up on his coffee terminology. What he  thought he was getting was a cappuccino. What he received was a black coffee. Not happy.

Stopped off at a Chinese restaurant in Kangaroo Flat, where we’d had food from before, and bought some takeaway to be our evening meal.

All was fine at home. Our lovely neighbour had earlier texted that she’d gone to check on Couey and all seemed well. Dog seemed pleased to have her pack back, though – especially he who feeds her dinner.

I was pleased to have found out for myself what the drive to Melbourne down the Calder Freeway was like. It was new to me because, before we’d moved here, our route from these parts to the outer east of the city had been the “back way”, via Heathcote, Seymour and Yea.

A good day, but tiring. My back was sore from all the standing.

I doubt very much that we will ever again attend an 80^th birthday party like that one!