January 12th - Auf wiedersein

9.00 a.m.
Tonight at 10.10 (8.10 a.m. Wednesday in Melbourne)we are scheduled to fly home to a city where the temperature has been more than 50 degrees warmer than what I've become accustomed to.

Today they will have launched the new system at work. I wonder how it went.

There are a few things I'm looking forward to:
Seeing Hil, Rob and "Celly"
Not having to wear 78 items of clothing whenever I leave the house
Flat white
Celebrating our 40th anniversary
Catching up with some cricket
De Bortoli chardonnay
The Saturday Age
The Sunday Age
The gals at work (and AL of course - gotta say that)
Regaining the power of speech
My daily games of Alchemy and Word Mojo Gold

I'm going to start implementing my New Year's Resolutions too. No more unachievable, high flown stuff but something practical, i.e. memorising my mobile phone number and labelling all the mysterious dollops in the freezer. That should be do-able.

What I'll miss:
The Triple Ms - Mere, Matt 'n Mads
The cheese
The bakeries
Being so close to other European cities
Efficient transport system
The Kulture
Just knowing I am in Europe
The excitement of travelling
New experiences

2.10 p.m.
Just back from a farewell lunch with Mere at Textorbar. I had a chardonnay, a real one with body, flavour and discernible alcoholic content, not a wussy Euro one and it's gone to my head. I have to rest up.

Das es alles. Tchuss!