Well......I'm finally bloody here!

 I actually posted a blog on this site last night (spending about 2 hours on it just to make it look perfect), and the computer crashed just as I pressed the 'Save' button - so obviously computers in Australia are clearly not as well built as England!!!! I was a tad annoyed to say the least.......anyway I'll try and remember it all, so here goes......

 Before we begin can I just ask all readers to save their questions and remarks till the end please as we have alot to get through today, so just sit back, relax, maybe grab yourself a coffee (or something a little stronger for you Lawrence) and we shall begin.

 So I would say my trip started the night before I actually left the UK. After having a few drinks with some close friends as a little goodbye I managed to stumble home and thought it would probably be a good idea to finish off my packing as I was going to be leaving for the airport in 6 hours and sleeping was still on the long list of things to do before I went! So as I was we were discussing the possibility of asking at the ticket desk whether there would be any free upgrades available. Apparently a little birdie told me that the best way I was going to stand a chance of sitting with the Toffs in 1st class was to dress up smart - Some would say 'Attire Discrimination' I know, but us 1st classers just don't want to be sitting with any old riff raff you know!

Anyway so I decided to go for the old Shirt, Tie, Black Trousers and extremely shiny shoe combination......and to be honest it worked pretty god damn well! I looked like I could be captain of the bloody plane, not just a 1st classer! So as I strolled up to the ticket desk I was greeted with a slightly camp man behind the desk who really wasn't a talkative type....this was gonna be tough.....I thought I'd pluck up the courage to ask over the next couple of minutes and then WHAM......Just as I was about to say it he came out with "well the plane's half empty, so there should be lots of available seats on the plane (they only bump you up to first or business if the plane is full in economy by the way). So that was it....hopes and dreams of rubbing shoulders with the likes of Royalty were shattered in one sentence......I was livid!

However, whilst I was on the flight I was asked if I wanted to move seats to a middle row of four free seats, so all was not lost and it was a good flight (Quantas if anyone wants to know - Highest recommendation from myself). The entertainment system was working this time so it made it a little easier to get through the 22 hour trip - however there was a distinct lack of adult themed movies which was particularly annoying to me and the 5 year old by sitting on the row to the side of me, we really hit it off and discovered we both have the same likes and dislikes.....and mental age too which was nice!!!

So after the flight I arrived at Sydney airport and got my Visa stamped by a young woman that I think even if she had won the lottery she would have struggled to muster up a smile. Then I went out into the gate and couldn't see Lauren (the one and only thing I came here for - so I was slightly concerned at this point as you can probably imagine), then after being asked about 20 times if I wanted a taxi by the same bloody driver (a cabbie with alzheimers is not a pretty thing!), I got a phonecall from Loz saying her train had been delayed and she would be there soon........the next bit is very sloppy and mushy, so I'm gonna skip over it and just say that it was well worth the wait to get out here.

After we'd met up we went back to the flat in Manly on the train and the ferry and I unpacked in the first 5 minutes - possibly the only good thing about travelling light!  Then we decided to pop out for a drink or 2 after meeting the others (who are all very nice people might I add - check out Lauren's site www.statravelblogs.com/emandlozinoz if you want to see them now, but if not then you can wait till I put up a few pics and mention them in my blog), anyway, afer sinking a few beers and a couple of shots, it was apparent that going out for a drink was not a good idea and if Loz hadn't been there to carry me home I think I would have quite happily slept on the pavement or anywhere else with bed-like qualities! Yes the Jetlag and lack of sleep was starting to kick in already!

 Over the next couple of nights we just settled in (well I did) and we wnet out for a few drinks to a bar/pub/club as a goup with a couple of others that the other guys had met with along the way......this ended up getting pretty messy and me and Loz stayed up till 9.00am out on the balcony just drinking and chatting (we obviously had alot to catch up on, but I can't remember half of it now so we'll have to do it again sometime in the DISTANT future). The age old lines of "I'm never drinking again" were rife within the apartment the following day to say the least!

Since the settling in period I've been the general b**** of the household, doing the chores, cleaning, licking the toilet clean etc.....and to be honest with you I think I'm gonna be looking to do it full time when I get back to the UK, so anyone who's interested I will do it semi-naked too, at a higher rate of course! I've also........ad the lads at home are gonna have a field day with this.....especially Lawrence.....

BROUGHT MYSELF SOME ROLLERBLADES.................

 There, I've said it now, it's out in the open (but I still prefer women to men). I've been cutting some serious shapes up and down the seafront and am seriously thinking of getting some red hotpants to go with them.......I look hot....ssssooooooo hot! Also I've been doing a spot of sufing and am hoping that one day I might even be able to stand up on the damn thing!!! (check out the photos of our place at the moment if you haven't already)

 Anyway, I'll keep you posted on any goings on as and when they happen, but in the meantime in the words of the legend Jerry Springer.....

"Take care of yourselves.........And each other"

Peace Out x x x