Seafood Special

This is living....

HR and I trundled off to Batemans Bay today. Not an onerous journey at all. Some lovely scenery and quaint towns on the way, though the traffic behaviour left quite a bit to be desired. Yes Mr NSW Ford Territory, I am looking at you you tailgating fool!!!! HR was quite cross and was seen to apply the brakes in an effort to dissuade Mr NSW Ford Territory from getting any closer, apparently HR could not see the car's grill in his mirrors.

Batemans Bay is a very pretty place.

This is the view from the room at Mariners on the Waterfront.
Mariners on the Waterfront is perfectly positioned. Close to all the shops and eateries, has picturesque views and a hotel/restaurant attached. Perfect one would think. But alas the rooms themselves leave a bit to be desired. At $150.00 a night in coastal NSW I would expect a little more luxury than we have. On the website the rooms look lovely, frankly I have paid less for better in country NSW.

Rooms aside the food at the restaurant/hotel was really excellent for pub meals and the views from the pub's decks and balconies are pure awesomeness.

HR and I had several pre dinner drinks on the deck over looking the bay. As the daylight faded (and the level lowered on HR's beer) we made our way to the dining room.

HR availed himself of a 250gm steak with mushroom sauce (the Philistine eats it medium to well done ugh). The steak was cooked as ordered and the gravy was really quite tasty not the usual mass produced from a tin of instant one normally gets from a pub. The salad dressing was not the usual pub french dressing.
I ordered the seafood platter. A very tasty and nicely presented plate with fresh prawns, local oysters, beetroot cured salmon, salt and pepper squid, seared garlic scallops,fish in tempura, chips and salad.It was a freaking huge plate full!!!!! The salmon and the fish were the best part of this meal and the squid was cooked perfectly. I do like tempura , it's cleaner and crisper than your average batter.
The meal was so huge there was not even a hint of a thought of dessert.
A perfectly acceptable dining experience!

Back in the room and HR made me a lovely cup of Madame Flavours Delicate Green Jasmine and Pear tea ( see my blog 'Lets Talk About Tea') and we watched the last quarter of the Giants v Hawks game. A great end to a great day as the Hawks got hammered by 75 points. Last years Premiers not looking quite as good as they could (see my blog 'Up There Cazaley' for an explanation ). Of course that is yet another result that has screwed my tipping up this week. Ah well, we all know tipping is a mugs game......

Anyway the Cats are eclipsing the Suns and I have yet another cup of tea. Tomorrow we shall return to the home front and commence preparations for another fun filled week at  The Crypt!!

Settling in

Previously on my blog HR and I abandoned 18 years of history in Queensland and moved to New South Wales (NSW) (yes HR left 18 months before me but whatever) and we did the whole negotiate a price for the house whilst driving across Australia.
Several weeks have passed and we have moved into a rather nice abode (rental) and started the next phase of life.

I now work in the same building as HR but thankfully we rarely cross paths. If I thought the previous place of employment was a Mausoleum I truly had no clue, at least that place had windows!!!! I will heretofore refer to my place of employ as 'The Crypt'.
My new job has quite the story attached. The day I started a lovely young lady met me in reception and after introducing herself she advised me that she would teach me the role I was to have in this organisation (she had been dong the job temporarily and was about to return to her own organisation). For three weeks we worked closely together and I dutifully learned the ropes. But wait, there are rumours flying, it seems that the hierarchy don't want the young lady to leave, it seems the hierarchy might have a cunning plan to keep her (all well and good but where does that leave me?).
Upshot is that the hierarchy had their way and the young lady was spirited 'upstairs' with the role she was supposed to hand over to me.......  oh well I still have a job just no idea what it is (and the extra remuneration I was slated for went with the work)
The following week I front up to work and the boss calls me in and explains her vision for me. As I walk out from a very good meeting she asks me to prepare the forms for the extra remuneration (woohoo). So now I have a focus and some extra pennies and I am quite happy with it all. And yes I have applied or some other jobs but as a promotion where I am (fingers crossed)

Right so while all the above is transpiring the saga of the house sale continues.I swear the bloody real estate agent is actually working for the buyer not us. Making all the demands for the buyer and when I demure she's their advocate!!!!!!

So the house is officially under contract, the contract is unconditional and settlement is next week. The Moet is in the fridge.

But what about the cat I hear some of you ask...
Well, the poor kitteh was placed in a cattery for the first time in her life while we cleaned house, drove interstate and set up the new place. Kitteh has NEVER been away from home before and she has certainly never been on a plane before!!! HR picked her up from the airport. Our once aloof skittish kitteh is now the biggest sook ever!! She sleeps on the end of the bed, snuggles up on the couch in the evening and is even nice to us. Of course she absotively LOVES the stairs and thunders up and down them regularly.

Anyway, back to HR and me.  I haven't killed him yet.

We have a reasonable division of labour going on. I have some weekends to myself and he has some of  his weekends during the week so there is still a degree of separation. 

This weekend is one we share so we're off to the coast. The blogging will be more regular now as I will be reporting on where we go and the experiences we have.

Patience is a VIRTUE!!!!!!

I am so close to cutting my nose off to spite my face. You may ask why would one do that?Well...

Tuesday the removalists turned up and we were busily packing when the real Estate agent calls: 'Can I bring someone through today...'
Well sure but you know we're moving and the place is trashed and
'Oh that's ok. They don't mind'
So through the punters trundle and we play dodge the buyer.

Wednesday we are madly cleaning. The Real Estate agent rings: 'It ticked their boxes but I didn't get the high five moment. Will keep you up to date'

Thursday 40 minutes into a six hour drive the madness begins. 'They made an offer it's this many days and this many whatevers and the offer is...' and the phone cuts out in a black spot.
Drive madly to the next major town for coverage and get the offer which is madly below the asking price.
The next four hours of the drive are spent playing phone tag with the Real Estate agent and HR (HR is driving the Beast and I am driving my gorgeous little KIA). We finally negotiate a price and the contract is emailed to us.

We arrive at the day's destination and are hassled by the real Estate agent to get the contract signed and back to her.  Umm we have no printer/scanner they can wait till tomorrow when we get to the final destination. 'Oh well they're awfully keen' YES and I will get stuff done when I can get to the technology I need and a chance to read the bloody contract.

Friday another 6 hour drive punctuated with texts as to where we are at with the contracts!
Arrive at the final destination and call the agent and she informs us the buyer has said if we don't have the contracts to her/them by 0900 tomorrow he will rescind the offer.
GUESS WHAT SUNSHINE...GO A FUCKING HEAD!!!!
You KNEW from the start we were packing and moving and you've been told on several occasions we're driving so how about you exercise some patience!!!!!!!!

So now COB Friday has come and gone and I have the contract signed and witnessed and scanned in, attached to an email ready to send...Some one needs to make me hit send....cos I don't want too
Don't poke the bear people.....I hate being threatened!!!!!