Saturday, October 28, 2023

HI Revisited - Act 8 - Departure

Opening Scene: The Winds of Change

There is no doubt that we struck it lucky with the weather during our time on the isle. Our chatty co-moater yesterday told us so and therefore it must be true.


Waking in the morning the view across the passage had a distinct smoky look to it. The fires creating havoc up north and inland had been painting the sunsets that particular hue and the change in weather was now blowing it our direction. Time for the rest of the cast to leave.

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The packup, cleanup, liftup (the baggage up those stairs) all went well. The script called for luggage collection at the front door at 8:30am and that’s exactly when it happened (Good to see some of the crews are still engaged). It was with happy regrets that we closed the front door of the wing, mounted our obedient beasts and traversed the terraces of the castle one last time, leaving behind a plethora of memories that will resonate through the ages – thanks to digital era enhancing our fallible organic repositories.

Play of the Day Scene: Departing

It all went very smoothly, dispersing across the island and then coming back together. OS.No1 and Companion took the white beast back to its stables (where the stable hands will groom, feed, rest and prepare it for the next set of warriors) and hung around the Koalas, consuming coffee’s and waiting for Blogger to pick them up. As he was riding the black beast and depositing Non-Blogger on the harbor-side coffee outlet and then getting confused as to where he was actually meant to be getting his coffee from. Luckily no-one was in any sort of hurry so it all looked as if went to the original script. With everyone eventually appropriately caffeined the four remaining cast members rode the black beast to the airport, stabled that one, collected their luggage, and waited in the queue to check in.

Great work by the efficient staff in the shed, they realised that our queue was critical (time wise) and processed the next scheduled flight whilst telling everyone else to wait. Fabulous to see people with steam coming out of their ears… we were here before them…we’re in the shorter queue… why should we wait to be processed after them?... just because they’re leaving before us?... so what? What about the fact that I’m here… standing… not being processed…I don’t really care if their plane gets held up as I’m not on that one…. I want to be processed ahead of them so they can see me being processed ahead of them…after all, I was here first… in the shorter queue… and I have my family here as well....we’re all suffering the indignity of having to wait whilst others are being processed ahead of us… aarrgggghhh.

As we dropped off the oversized luggage (golf clubs) we directed the cleaner over to the check-in area in order to sweep up the debris of exploding heads and then wandered casually into the departure lounge, efficiently herded onto the plane and took off only 10 minutes late (thanks to 3 peeps who somehow managed not to board – can’t figure that one out – there was literally nowhere else for them to be in such a small establishment).

3 uneventful (apart from OS.no1 Companion having to sit next to a gin spilling – let’s not make an embarrassing fuss cleaning up the mess – fellow passenger) hours later we arrived back south of the border to become Mexicans again.

Closing Scene: Curtain falls

Melbourne arrivals always delivers some exotic traveller’s surprise, todays was all the luggage being placed on the wrong carousel. Luckily one of hundred or so passengers realised what was going on – otherwise we’d all still be standing there watching two lonely bags do the loops whilst ours were all spinning around behind our backs.

Easy pickup with the carpark bus. Being no 53 was insightful and created a very entertaining conversation with the driver. Melbourne was sunny and almost pleasant weather wise and so the drive back was easy, also missed a major traffic jam thanks to OS.no1 Companion guiding us through the back streets of Royal Park.

Swapped OS.No1 and Companion for OS.No.2 in Abbotsford and an easy hop home to meet the overexcited pooch who then helped with the washing.



As so the curtain falls on the cast as they take their bows – pointing to the script writer in recognition of her efforts - and her dearly departed, which were inspirational in bringing the fam together on this occasion - strengthening the bonds that tie us and give us strength that helps us move forward in our individual journeys.

Footnote:

Poignant words from OS.No.2 as she was departing yesterday “That was the best ever” and then when queried “what about around Aus?”, “what about Europe?”. Reply: “oh yeah – they were good too”

 

 

 

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