Tour of Booty: Black Friday

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My hands were a little black from the grease and other associated fluids from pulling out a radiator from a Datsun 200B for Karen (Gordon’s daughter). It was only 10am and already the sun was pounding down some awful heat on us. Gordon popped out his head from under the car and asked, “Are you a little dirty there, John? I bet you arts students never get your hands dirty!”

“This is what retirement is all about”

After finding a radiator that we wanted, a side steel fitting of the radiator just didn’t want to hold on so we had to try and weld it on. We probably could have just left it out in the sun to bake and that would have nearly done the trick. We’re trying our best to weld it on but the daylight is making it hard for Gordon to see the flame and he singes himself a few times before deciding to make a move for his physio appointment with Karen in tow. While we wait, she’s weighing up the pros and cons of having kids…

“…if he’s not gonna hold my hand during labour, he’s probably not going to be there anyway!”

Gordon brings up the topic of genetics, and tells me that Avalon’s (Karen’s daughter) father was a Sicilian-that meant that I could stop looking through the newspapers for Cyclone Avalon-LOL!

Gordon decides in compensation for no Barossa today, he’s giving me the option of the Adelaide Hills (east) or the beach (west). This is remarkable because coming from the East Coast, I’m used to seeing the beach looking east. Not this time, as Adelaide is on the Eastern shores of the Spencer Gulf. I didn’t bring my trunks or anything like that but OH MY GOODNESS. Gordon is here and he’s telling me all that I need to know (including where Nottie lives…LOL). He’s lucky to live here on Henley Beach, one of the most spectacularest (not a real word but have a look at the view), couthest, scorest view to ever see!!!!! They still have a pier here and people are jumping off them, into the ocean and cooling off. Glenelg is to the south from here but Gordon doesn’t rate it. I see no reason to go anywhere else. This has to be one of the best sights on tour so far.

On the way back, it’s peaktime traffic and damn I have never, ever seen so many semi-trailers in my life on the road in front of me. They are rushing to and from Port Adelaide, going out or coming back from interstate destinations, flowing up and down the blood vessels of Australia, carrying all those much-needed supplies.

“The occasional road train chugging through town reminds you that the outback is never too far away”
TNT Magazine, ‘Adelaide’, Feb. 2004.

We’re sitting down for a few more minutes again before we have to get to the Para Hills Uniting Church meeting. Every month the congregation gets together on an evening, has supper as well as talk and sing hymns. Last month, Gordon’s brother was here to talk about his recent visit to East Timor and I suppose tonight they had an East Timorese person here in person! It’s a bit hard trying to talk about the country I’ve never been to so conversation somehow centred on second generationalism..and of course, Sydney.

As soon as we leave the congregational meeting, the heat has gone and we can feel the gully winds. The wind sweeps over the Adelaide Hills and rushes towards the sea, bringing with it coolness from the higher altitudes.

“Everytime I play Scrabble, I make the word ‘At’”
Butterfingers, “Everytime”

To cool off and relax, we play scrabble and Gordon ends up beating us. I check up on the old score sheets and he’s thrashed it in some games, but he’s won all of them. It’s time to get some sleep before the big heat strikes…

K’s: Para Hills-Elizabeth-Modbury-Para Hills: 41.38K
Running Total: 3995.5K

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