The Gang Comes Over

I was awake at 4am. I tossed and turned until 4.30am when I finally gave in and got up. I hoped the fire would still be going when I got downstairs. 

It was, but only just. A few red coals. 

I built up the fire from near extinction. It was eerie walking in the back yard collecting the wood. It was so dark. And not that I am scared of anything, with all our gardens being semi open, there is always branches cracking, and things falling, that do kind of sound like I am not out there alone. 

It's one of my few skills, getting a nearly dead fire roaring again.

Buddy came in and curled up next to me and slept.Awake just long enough to get comfortable again. 

The fire spat a hot chip onto the carpet and burned the carpet for a second time… before I got the screen back in front of it.

I wished Tulli happy birthday on Facebook. I was weak, it was 5am. My defences were down. Ha ha, do you like that? 

Sam and Mark and I, cleaned the coffee table. Somewhere in the cleaning up, we lost my mouse. Yay! Just what I love from the clean freaks, a tidy house where I can’t find anything.We pushed the furniture around. We got some chairs from upstairs. The house was set.

Luke was cooking.

Sam and I went to Masak Masak for lunch, our favourite Malaysian restaurant in Smith Street. 

Jane and Jay had arrived and Jane had taken up the spot behind my car, without swinging right in next to my car? 

“LouLou won’t fit if the cars are parked like that,” I said to Mark.

Sam had to work on his computer, upstairs to get away from the noise.

I fell asleep on the couch for the afternoon. I had a good four hours sleep.

I was woken by Mark, and his and Luke’s friends, Brad and Esperanto… no, that’s not right. (I was half asleep, just waking up when he said his name) He’s kind of cute, too. They were sitting on the couch closest to the kitchen, sometime around 6-6.30pm.

The house was polished around the edges a bit more, namely candles deposited all over.

The cars had been moved and now were parked correctly.

Rachel called to say she’d stop out the front to drop off the tiramisu. I stood out the front, watching a swish looking VW Gold convertible reverse park, I particularly took note of the LED rear lights, as I waited for Rachel to drive up in her new VW Golf. 

It wasn’t until Sam came out and immediately started helping the person getting out of the convertible, did I realise it was Rachel.

“You didn’t tell me you were getting a convertible.”

“Oh, didn’t I?”

Clearly, she meant not to mention that small fact. Not sure why? 

LouLou arrived and took up her reserved parking spot out the back, sometime after 7pm.

Adriana, Bill, Matt, Perry, Wesley, Kim, Chris, and Lily all arrived in due course.

Luke made Pumpkin and Leak Risotto and Spaghetti Bolognese and rhubarb apple crumble. Rachel made lemon tarts.

People kept congregating outside, so it couldn’t have been too cold out there.

And a good time was had by all. It is always fun when the old gang get together. 

Sam and I cleaned all throughout the evening, so there was not great clean up needed.

Sam and I went to bed around 3am, leaving Luke and LouLou to chat.