B I T (Back In Town)

Somehow I went from nervously waiting out the last couple of days preoccupied about the return to Australia, to three weeks later on a plane to Los Angeles in the blink of an eye. How ? I have no idea but what a three weeks it was, and at the risk of sounding a little Lettermanesque I am going to do a top 10 list for my trip - So, in no particular order -

1. The look on my mother's face when she saw Marcelle and I appear completely unannounced at her 70th party. (Mind you I am still trying to work out what exactly her first words of "No, no, no you are not here" actually mean)
2. Clambering down the Grinders' cliff at break neck speed in the rain with brothers and others, to surf in freezing cold water, and still feeling as though I could keep doing this forever.
3. Watching the most unlikely of my brothers as new parents, nice work fellas and good luck - all that nappy foldin sure looks like fun !!!
   
4. Discovering that in my absence my nieces and nephews are rapidly growing up - from the 1.5 year old chatter box who was a wee baby when I last saw her, to the two teenage nephews who have literally grown feet since I saw them last. Its turns out to be quite pleasant to have a decent conversation with someone who calls you uncle - just don't mention the basketball incidents.
5. Sitting in a Lebanese bakery, eating Turkish bread, watching people of various stripes - Asian, Indian, African, Middle Eastern and Anglo - at ease, interacting with each other - thank God Howard and the fifties have left Australia forever. Gotta love multiculturalism - even if only for the bread !!!
   
6. Feeling Grand Final Fever grip Melbourne, and watching my footy team play once this year, in a grand final no less, and seeing them defy the odds and common sense to cream the Geelong Cats. Only to be topped off by heading down the local oval after the game with the boys to slot a few on the run from 30 out and rekindle every boys' dream.
   
7. Sitting on a beach in Sydney, eating fish and chips with the temperature in the mid twenties, the water just the right temperature to remind you that you are swimming, bodysurfable waves lapping the shore, watching Sydneysiders on parade up and down the beach.
   
8. Spending so many good nights out (and one crap one) with Damo, who despite my protestations proved once again that Melbourne is quite a cool place to live, and almost tempt me to give up my nomadic ways. As my friend says "What is a Damo ?", truly the un-knowable.
   
9. Sitting around the table in Anglesea without space for one more, after having cooked for everyone, and enjoying listening to the myriad of conversations going on about various things, and realising that whilst I might sound like a certain wacko Christian senator, family is kind of cool.
   
10. In the tiny window of three weeks managing to meet someone about whom the question will plague me for the entire time I am in Africa - touché Brendan, touché.
    

Need I say more.