My Last Saturday

Despite all of my wishing and hoping my last Saturday had arrived and Sandi, Natalie and I were going up to one of their favorite villages high up in the Dandenong Range for brekkie in the quaint village of Olinda. 

It was a lovely, sunny morning as we drove up the Dandenongs and soon we found ourselves in Olinda.  I don't recall the name of the restaurant but the food was yummy. 

It was kind of humorous to me when I took that first sip of my 'long black' coffee that morning...when I first arrived in Australia that first sip gave me quite a jolt...it was so strong.  Now having my last cup of 'long black' the first sip seemed pretty normal to me...no screaming taste buds from the sudden jolt of caffeine.  Had I really gotten used to that caffeine jolt?  It appeared so.

After brekkie we strolled down the boardwalk wandering in and out of the quaint little shops.  I found a key rack made of a board and square nails with an Australian penny embedded in the wood and picked it up for myself. 

Natalie had hated dealing with pennies when she was in the U.S. and because of her strong dislike I had sent her a paperweight that had U.S. pennies embedded in it as a joke.  I chuckled when I first got to Aus and spied that very same paperweight sitting on the ledge in my bedroom.

Pennies hadn't been used in Australia for quite a few years as it was taken out of circulation in 1991.  Much like the value of the U.S. penny the Aus penny was worth about .833 of a cent at that time so it made sense to stop using it.  I think we should consider doing the same thing here with the penny.  So I just thought it right that I have my own Aus penny to take home.  Anyways...
The day went by quickly and the next thing I knew Sandi was dropping us off and we were getting ready to head over to Natalie's mum's for dinner with Rob and Auntie Barb.  It seemed only fitting to spend my last evening in Australia with Natalie, Helen & Bob just as I had spent my first evening with them...only this time I would stay awake!!

The evening was full of chatter and laughter and once when I started to tell a joke Auntie Barb chimed right in and started reciting it with me and we both laughed...I surely didn't expect her to know that one!!

But, as was typical, the evening flew by and it was time to head back to Natalie's and finish up with last minute packing and get ready for the long flight back home to Minnesota.  I'm just not sure how a month's time could go by so damned fast but now, just over two months later looking back it was a blur of sights and sounds and people that can only be described as amazing.  For a first international trip I doubt if I will ever be able to top this one...truly a dream come true.

So until next time...wherever you are...have a wonderful day!!