Originally Posted by MissBetty (Post 10602805)

Ok so I'm back from a few days away and it was interesting to say the least!

I went to a place called Mermaid Beach, I used to live there my first two years in Oz and I loved it - it was always my 'what if' place. 'What if', I'd stayed there and never moved to the Outback? 'What if', I moved back there - would I feel differently about leaving? When I get fed up I always go back there for a few days, it has an amazing beach and I feel so happy when I am there, I'd even considered buying a place there at one point. Needless to say I couldn't wait to get back even though I was feeling rather sad it would be my last visit. Well.................................

I got there just fine, the minute I came out of the airport I was so happy with the cooler climate and then, I tripped over. Just a little stumble but boy did it hurt, hobbled to the bus stop to my waiting bus but the bus driver just looked at me, shut the door even though I was waving him down and drove off - not bloody happy!!!!! I waited another hour for a bus as the half hour one didn't show - grrrrr!

Finally I got to the motel, cheap but cheerful and clean, have stayed there many times before to find ........ the reception locked at 1430 in the afternoon. Knocked on the door, as I could see a girl inside playing on the computer, but she just yelled at me - "You'll have to wait" Wtf??? Hot sun, throbbing toe and a heavy bag - double not happy!!! Finally the owner came out and said rudely "What do you want?" Um the key? To the room I booked and paid for? Maybe? She started to be a bit nicer and gave me the key so I shuffled off to my room.

I decided to cheer myself up with a walk to the pristine beach so off I hopped and when I got to my usual spot - a wooden landing with steps leading onto the beach - I found to my horror.......................the beach was gone - literally. The landing was fenced off and the steps finished in mid air. Where there had once been a fantastic beach there is now a sheer drop onto rocks below, uprooted trees litter the beach and the sand is grey not white. All the result of a 'superstorm' they had back in January - devastated!!!

Trailed back to my room to have a shower, found it was mouldy and that night was spent hobbling around with my flip flop smashing cockroaches which kept scuttling across the floor - yuk!!!!

The next day I awoke to a painful swollen foot, so caught a bus to the shops, all lovely walks cancelled due to no flippin beach and injury sustained - sigh! Thought oh I'll go to my favourite clothes shop and buy myself something nice to cheer myself up also the girl that works there is English and we always have a good laugh. So I get there and...................... the shop is gone. Gone, closed, boarded up no sign of my friend - nothing. I sense a pattern forming here!!!!

I get to catch up with a friend for dinner and no disasters so I relax a bit. Check out next day, no one at reception so can't be arsed, leave key in room and hobble to bus stop to get to station to catch train to Brisbane. A man gets on the bus, he stinks to high heaven and is muttering to himself, he looks very dirty. I pray "Please please don't let him sit next to me." There are hundreds of spare seats on the bus, I make no eye contact, I look at my phone. He sits next to me. Damn.

The smell is so bad I'm gagging so I make my excuses and change seats even though I feel a bit mean. He gets off at the station stop, same as me, and drops an ID card so I pick it up and shuffle after him to return it. Tap him on the shoulder and give it back only to have him start to yell at me "Where did you get that??? You STOLE it!!!" Oh God. He's raging now and I'm trying to explain I was just returning it but everyone is looking and my face is a red as a beetroot. I back away from the yelling still trying to explain, a man pushes past me in a rush to get his bus and in the process treads on my foot - the bad one. Tears well up in my eyes - OWWWWW the pain. I limp pathetically to the station to see.............. my train pulling away. FML.

Finally I make it into Brisbane, meet friends for dinner and make it to the airport with no further mishaps. I don't like Brisbane, I find it a soul less place but Mermaid Beach was always my happy place. No longer! Mermaid I am done with you, we are officially OVER!

I am now back in FNQ, off sick for two days with a ?fractured toe, propped up by pillows taking strong pain relief every 4 hours and still just counting the days. UK here I come - all lingering doubts are now officially gone ha ha ha!!!!! :rofl:

Originally Posted by MissBetty (Post 10602887)

I think I will join South Central Ambulance Service when I go home just so I can have this fab response car - love it!!!

http://youtu.be/0Fh9VIMDiJA

Originally Posted by perthhomeschool (Post 10603344)

Oooh yes, love minis. First car I ever drove in the 1970s was one of the old models. Did you see the movie The Italian Job? Best actor in the whole thing was the mini :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by WhoFan63 (Post 10603459)

Michael Caine was first...the mini was second..LOL
"You're only supposed to blow the bloody DOORS off" :D

Originally Posted by perthhomeschool (Post 10603908)

Oh should have said I meant the remake with Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. LOVE Michael Caine. It's his 80th birthday today :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by WhoFan63 (Post 10604129)

Yes it is and SIR Michael still looks as handsome as always :) :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by Snap Shot (Post 10604342)

Sir Maurice if you please. Michael Caine asked to knighted as his real name is Maurice Micklethwaite in reference to his father who he was fond of.

Happy Birthday anyway. Him and his wife Shakira Caine seem like a lovely couple.

Originally Posted by lf1 (Post 10604357)

OH is a big Michael Caine fan, so quite a few years ago, I gave him a copy of Michael's autobiography as a Christmas gift. On Christmas Day, I decided to open it up and I was hooked on the first paragraph. Needless to say, I read the book before he did and I will always remember Michael Caine's introduction to acting.:)

Originally Posted by Snap Shot (Post 10604370)

Nice one. He seems like a nice man. I don't think he had a very nice childhood though. I like him in the film, 'Little Voice' he plays the part of a cheesy, 1950's car driving, local talent scout very well. Oh his drunken rendition of Roy Orbison's song, 'It's over' is just excellent. Especially as he mutters during the song, whilst on stage, 'it's ****ing over now, innit !' Priceless !

Originally Posted by perthhomeschool (Post 10603336)

:eek: Miss Betty, this was meant to be...see? No more collywobbles :rofl: Seriously, I hope you heal up soon. Damn lady, you have the fortitude of an ox. I'll say it again, if you don't write that book I will force feed you a laptop. Hope you will continue to give us updates when you are back. Something tells me that the adventures won't end in Hastings...let's just hope they are more pleasant ones though :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by MissBetty (Post 10602805)

Ok so I'm back from a few days away and it was interesting to say the least!



Oh you poor thing.. (say's she who's rolling around on the floor laughing :) )

It definitely does sound like a scene from Monty Python and I can just hear it now... 'Always look on the bright side of life...da dum, da dum, da dum, da dum, Always look on the right side of life... "

If that wasn't a big wake up call.... anti collywobbler..... decision maker.....deal breaker I don't know what more you need.. LOLRest up..and hope your toe heals quick....need a TOW truck?? LOL Sorry, couldn't help it.. :)

Originally Posted by curleytops (Post 10603492)

Sounds like you had the holiday from hell. On the upside, it was a great 'second thoughts' killer. Hope the foot heals soon.

Originally Posted by Snap Shot (Post 10604370)

Nice one. He seems like a nice man. I don't think he had a very nice childhood though. I like him in the film, 'Little Voice' he plays the part of a cheesy, 1950's car driving, local talent scout very well. Oh his drunken rendition of Roy Orbison's song, 'It's over' is just excellent. Especially as he mutters during the song, whilst on stage, 'it's ****ing over now, innit !' Priceless !