/karen/

Wednesday night adventure

Saturday, 17 April, 2004

So we went to Duncan and Christie's house for dinner with Jono. Duncan (not that Duncan) studies Arts at Wollongong (though the other Duncan also did Arts at Wollongong) and for some reason we got it into our heads that this Duncan was really old (like in his forties) because one of the other girls on staff told us about him and how he was a mature age student. But he's actually around my age and he and Christie have been married for a couple of years now (I think it's a couple of years). They recently moved into the house of a family friend and we'd been saying for ages we'd go up and see them. So Ben and I hopped in the car and went to pick up Jono from the Lads' (the Lads' is another story—oddest house I've ever been in) and set course for Camden via Picton Road. Half an hour into our trip, driving in the dark in the middle of nowhere, Shamgar started making funny noises. Ben said, “Uh oh, I think we're out of petrol.” “You're joking!” I cried. But unfortunately he wasn't. We kept going slowly and eventually we started to see houses and realised that we were entering Picton. Then Shamgar finally conked it halfway up a hill. Ben pulled over, put on the brakes, hopped out and went running down the road to see if he could find a petrol station. Jono and I tried to work out where we were from our Maxi street directory and find out that the nearest petrol station isn't too far away (a fact which Ben also finds out by asking the locals). By this stage it is about 7:30 pm at night. Jono and Ben went knocking on people's doors asking if they can give us some petrol. One nice lady had a jerry can sitting in her garage with a little bit in it—a very slim amount. That's enough to get us over the hill and then the Shamgar conked out again and we went coasting down the hill and onto the flat for quite a while before we lost momentum. Jono and I got out and pushed, then Ben swapped with me so that he and Jono are pushing and I'm steering. We pulled over just before the intersection of Argyle and Remembrance Drive and then Jono and Ben went off to the petrol station to see if they can get some more petrol to get us around the corner. They are away for an awfully long time. I started to worry. Then Jono showed up with two strange guys who pushed Shamgar around the corner and into the nearest petrol station. As we were driving in, I saw Ben flat on his back on the ground with one hand to his forehead and thought, “Goodness me, what's happened to him?” Turned out he was feeling a little faint because of all the physical exertion and so had to go have a lie down and drink lots of water. We thanked the guys who helped us, then I filled up the car, Ben paid for the petrol and we got on our way again. After another half hour, we reached Camden and Duncan and Christie's house. Their place used to be a miner's cottage. It's got three fireplaces, wooden floorboards and a different type of cornice in each room. The back has been extended so there is an extra lounge room and bathroom. Out the back there is a very nice trellis-covered porch, then a lawn boasting a Hills Hoist, playground equipment, an unfinished cubby house and a shed big enough to house a proper artist's studio. When I started exclaiming over the basil, Duncan told me to help myself to as much as I want which is great because I haven't been able to buy any fresh basil anywhere in Wollongong for several weeks. Their crop has almost inspired me to grow my own but perhaps I will refrain as I'm generally quite bad with plants and my parsley is only barely surviving. Joined by Christie's cousin, we ate pasta and salad for dinner (the Fords are vegetarians) and then apple pie, ice cream and custard for dessert, while listening to lounge versions of famous songs by major Christian artists (eg. “Jesus Freak” by D.C. Talk and “Never Going To Be as Big as Jesus” by Audio Adrenaline). We retired to the lounge room following dinner and had an interesting discussion about how to become like those “super Christians#8221; who pray for three hours every morning and seem so “switched on”. Then it got to 11 o'clock and we hopped in the car again and drove back to Wollongong without incident.

Twitter

Blinks:

Blog archives: ----------- May, 2012 April, 2012 March, 2012 February, 2012 January, 2012 November, 2011 September, 2011 June, 2011 April, 2011 March, 2011 February, 2011 January, 2011 December, 2010 November, 2010 October, 2010 September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009 December, 2008 November, 2008 October, 2008 September, 2008 August, 2008 July, 2008 June, 2008 May, 2008 April, 2008 March, 2008 February, 2008 January, 2008 December, 2007 November, 2007 October, 2007 September, 2007 August, 2007 July, 2007 June, 2007 May, 2007 April, 2007 March, 2007 February, 2007 January, 2007 December, 2006 November, 2006 October, 2006 September, 2006 August, 2006 July, 2006 June, 2006 May, 2006 April, 2006 March, 2006 February, 2006 January, 2006 December, 2005 November, 2005 October, 2005 September, 2005 August, 2005 July, 2005 June, 2005 May, 2005 April, 2005 March, 2005 February, 2005 January, 2005 December, 2004 November, 2004 October, 2004 September, 2004 August, 2004 July, 2004 June, 2004 May, 2004 April, 2004 March, 2004 February, 2004 January, 2004 December, 2003 November, 2003 October, 2003 September, 2003 August, 2003 July, 2003 June, 2003 May, 2003 April, 2003 March, 2003 February, 2003 January, 2003 December, 2002 November, 2002 October, 2002 September, 2002 August, 2002 July, 2002 June, 2002 May, 2002 April, 2002 March, 2002 February, 2002 January, 2002 ----------- Amusement Anime Canada/USA 2005 Comics/graphic novels Craft Depression Depression Talk 2006 Divorce Dreams and nightmares Forgiveness Gender Hong Kong 2007 Links Love and relationships Melbourne 2005 Melbourne 2006 Money Moore College MTS Notices Photoblog Pregnancy, birth and parenting Quotes Reading Recipes Reflections Scribbles St George Girls High Story of my life Talks The Arts Victoria 2008 Web geekery Writing ----------- Current archives: ----------- September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 May, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 December, 2009 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009 December, 2008 November, 2008 October, 2008 September, 2008 August, 2008 July, 2008 June, 2008 May, 2008 April, 2008 March, 2008 February, 2008 January, 2008 December, 2007 November, 2007 October, 2007 September, 2007 August, 2007 July, 2007 June, 2007 May, 2007 April, 2007 March, 2007 February, 2007 January, 2007 December, 2006 November, 2006 October, 2006 September, 2006 August, 2006 July, 2006 June, 2006 May, 2006 April, 2006 March, 2006 February, 2006 January, 2006 December, 2005 November, 2005 October, 2005 September, 2005 August, 2005 July, 2005 June, 2005 May, 2005 April, 2005 March, 2005 February, 2005 January, 2005 December, 2004 November, 2004 October, 2004 September, 2004 August, 2004 July, 2004 June, 2004 May, 2004 April, 2004 March, 2004 February, 2004 January, 2004 December, 2003 November, 2003 October, 2003 September, 2003 August, 2003 July, 2003 June, 2003 May, 2003 April, 2003 March, 2003 February, 2003 January, 2003 December, 2002 ----------- Bible Books Concerts Exhibitions Graphic novels, comics, manga Movies Music Musicals Series Talks and lectures ----------- Twitter archives: ----------- May, 2012 April, 2012 March, 2012 February, 2012 January, 2012 December, 2011 November, 2011 October, 2011 September, 2011 August, 2011 July, 2011 June, 2011 May, 2011 April, 2011 March, 2011 February, 2011 January, 2011 December, 2010 November, 2010 October, 2010 September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 May, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 December, 2009 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009

More /Karen/ ----------- Blog About me Testimony Favourites Wishlist Contact me ----------- Writing ----------- Articles Mixed Poetry Prose

Hippocampus Extensions H/E Ben Shots fired Sermons

Feeds

• Full posts
• Full posts and del.icio.us feed
• Excerpts only
• del.icio.us feed only
• All comments

Social media

• Flickr
• Goodreads
• Last FM
• LibraryThing
• Listal
• Pinterest
• Ravelry
• This Is My Jam
• Twitter