the fallout

Dawn broke over the remains of my Going Away Party like a rotten, extremely smelly egg. Luckily we were still all asleep. It took another 5 hours before our hangovers and hunger got the better of us and myself, abdulla my boyf, leah my sister and Dan her boyf tumbling out of the house and hiding out in a pie shop until we felt brave enough to return.

In an attempt to get back my $1000 bond (which will essentially cover my drinking money for the Swedish equivalent of O-Week, very important) we rolled up our sleeves and Got. To. It. There were toasted marshmallows thermally binded with the carpet. The kitchen wall strangely resembled a pincushion. And all the non-alcoholic drinks we'd thoughtfully bought were still in the fridge.

When all was said and done we dragged the couches outside onto the footpath and finished off the rest of the soft drink. A perfect day. As the infamous Brunswick Demented Italian Birdman ranted away to a speechless Leah and Dan (serves you right for taking your lounge suite onto the footpath, i guess) I started to get all sentimental-like. Times like this you probably couldn't get in any other country.

Trans-state back to Indigo Valley to see the family in their natural habitat. Spent a couple of relaxing days going to the annual McGowan family wattle picnic, where my travel-worn aunts and uncles warned me about 'Tullamarine tears' and my grandpa asked me about my sex life.

Then, just like a car I got myself checked out before the big trip, and I went in for the gold service. Firstly, eye checkup at Fraunfelder and Peachy in Albury. The genetic blight which is my shortsightedness is apparently not just a phase i'm going though, so I bought a spare set of glasses 'just in case'. Ever the tightass, I went straight for the cheapest pair - commonly known as the 'pensioner' set, $124 for a hideous lavender-chrome frame. Across to Wodonga for the dental checkup. No sign of wisdom teeth thank the sweet lords above.

Leah and I have just completed the census over a cup of tea. We're feeling like good civic citizens, so now we're moving onto the hard liquor, courtesy of a Swedish-themed bottle of vodka from Alastair. Two days from today. Still so much to do. So little time. But right now i'm going to hit the sack, and hope that some sleep can get rid of my ulcers and crap skin.