BUT, we still had a blast on new year's. and, in fact, it wasn't that hot. actually, it got quite chilly and breezy where we were. team gardner travelled southeast to the coorong (anyone seen "storm boy"?)/kingston area (if have been REALLY paying attention, you might remember that kingston is the home of the giant lobster) to "the block". the block is about 98 acres of land that belong to our friends nikki and glenn harrington (with daughters zara and laila) which abut the southern ocean. a pretty impressive place - their own "bonny dune" (that is my second reference to globally obscure, but nationally (australian national) famous movies - the first was "storm boy" and you'll recognize bonny dune if you've ever seen "the castle"). anyway, glenn and nikki have hoisted a very nice, large shed on their block, part of which they've turned into a room for the family, and the rest of which houses necessary toys and tools... and their friends' tent when it is too windy outside to set one up. yeah, we "camped" in the shed (more like a four-bay warehouse). it was much quieter and the tent wasn't getting flattened by the 20-30 knot winds at night. a sea breeze can be a hell of a thing.
glenn, payton and i were the only ones to make it to midnight, and after the first watch struck twelve, we pretty much high-fived, then high-tailed it to bed. one of the days we were there, we drove down the beach one morning and hung out until it got too windy and cold and the boys did some surf casting (no luck). we also visited the little town of robe, a very cute tourist spot with a great local coffee roaster. and of course, we spent some well-deserved r&r time just hanging out on the block while the girls played on glenn's old spring-horse and boris (the yellow lab) ate our watermelon.
The other most exciting event in January was the Tour Down Under, where we were graced by Lance's presence. Payton has been getting more and more into road biking (already his mythical aerobic strength is being recognized by his fellow biking co-workers who, despite being clean-shaven and lycra-clad, cannot keep up with payton's billowing t-shirt, baggy mountain-bike shorts and hairy legs on the uphill). We all flocked to the criterion - the opening event of the tour - where nova's attention was held captive for at least three or four laps - she clapped, she cheered, she waived - before it was time to spend the rest of the event sprinting around the park that served as the holding pen for spectators. Payton and some others caught some of the other stages (all the rides are around adelaide) on long lunchtime bike rides.
the starting lap of the criterion.
lots o' lycra there.
a tour down under inspired nova. hilary and joe, i'll have you know she wore her spider t-shirt, "future cyclist" to the criterion. although, currently she is fully embracing the winter olympics (not quite as popular down here as they are in north america) by jumping of the couch when the ski jumping is on and completing short program interpretive dances with the figure skating (though in lieu of sequined costumes, nova prefers to perform in the buff). so it appears we have some sort of future huckster on our hands - which, i suppose - could ultimately be on a bike as well. yikes.
i'll get back to ya'll after march. mom and dad are coming for a visit and march in adelaide is festival month - fringe festival, adelaide festival, adelaide cup (horse race), womad (world music adelaide) - and the weather is supposed to be (at least has been, historically) a delightful 20 - 30 degrees (70 - 80 deg f).
cheers, all!
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