Engineer Andy's Journal: Third monday in Cairns - arrival of Friends

Two of my good friends (sisters) from Brisbane have come up for a week's holiday, and have set themselves up in a unit on the esplanade. They are gourmets, and are the sort of people who make it a habit to know the best restaurants / wines / delicacies to be enjoyed in any given area. They invited me out to dinner Monday night to catch up. We went to Barnacle Bill's, a superb seafood restaurant right on the waterfront. It is one of those restaurants where you won't get a table on any night of the week if you don't book ahead.

I had a superb seafood pasta dish - prawns, scallops on linguini in a cream sauce. It was very good. Drinks on the pier finished the night off really well.

They've penciled in dinner with me every night this week, as they'll be eating out anyway, and know first hand how lonely things can get when you're in a strange city. They were amazed that I couldn't claim back whatever it cost for me to live away from home, and their jaws dropped when I mentioned what the daily living away from home allowance was (didn't quite cover the cost of the main at the restaurant we dined at). Engineering is odd like that.

It was great to have friendly faces I could chat with, and enjoy being with. They're planning a high flying trip - headed on a reef trip guided by marine biologists with a short helicopter ride. Another day has them sea kayaking, another has them on a fishing trip. All aquatic activities. All very classy, and very desirable, but largely pricier than my stomach will bear for one day activities, and higher than I'd allowed for. They are both in the health sector, where RDO's (rostered days off - for the kiwis among you, is an Australian oddity where in addition to your annual leave you get one day a month which you can take off at your leisure) are present, and six week's annual leave is the norm. They suggested that I take a day off to go fishing with them on Thursday. It is very tempting, but the project timeline isn't going to allow for it. They tried to wrangle me into coming to the reef with them on Tuesday saying I could throw a sickie, but I was too chipper when I left work, besides the fact that it's not something I would do to misuse sick leave.

There is an Italian restaurant we'll be headed to Tues night which should be a really nice time out.

On work, I am hitting my head against a brick wall trying to resolve issues with some other parties. Slows down getting real work done when you have to fight over each and every minor detail. All I want to do is get a set of documents which reflects what everyone wants, but doesn't take a dozen iterations to get there. My patience and my time doesn't allow for it.

mood swing :)

[the boat rocker]

looks like things have swung effortlessly from feeling isolated to having a bulging social calendar. will your friends be hanging around for the weekend when you might have some free time? it seems a shame not to be able to appreciate the tropics with friends.

Re:mood swing :)

[Engineer Andy]

They fly out Friday afternoon as one of them has a Christmas party South. would have loved to have taken them exploring though, as they're carless, and weekends are the one time i can get one of the work cars for personal use.

Bulging social calendar is a very nice feeling.