We've got a rather strange week coming up as there are just two days with kids before a three day professional development block. The yearly EARCOS conference is on, and although the school pays our registration costs, we still need to get there. It's usually an attractive offer and we've been to Thailand a few times and also Vietnam as the conference backs onto Spring Break, where you can make the most of the airfare and extend the stay into a genuine holiday. We weren't overly keen this year for a number of reasons, primarily because it is on at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia at a resort which is described as "family friendly": we didn't really fancy sharing the resort pool with screaming faculty kids and others! The other reason we weren't keen this year is that Cassy is heading back to Australia for the week following, and it just seemed like too much back-to-back traveling. After looking at the "in-house" program that will substitute, however, we're both regretting our decision!
Another reason we're going to have an unusual week is a visitation by the travelling Lewy and Alison. They've been down in Singapore for the last 5 years now and with their Spring Break falling in the week preceding ours, they decided to come north and catch up with old friends. I attended a tiny party on Saturday night where Rock and Lewy and Wally H. all talked a lot, drank a lot and generally made the world a better place at Wally's house and garden. Molly and Alison went out to catch up with others and on their return, we spent even longer discussing all and sundry. Suffice to say, it was a pretty slow start to Sunday for me! We'll be heading to Patio 84 on Tuesday night for another evening, then possibly somewhere else again to watch the Cricket World Cup semifinal on Thursday....pheww!
Cass has been doing a little preparation for her trip home and partly in response to that, we did a monster shop on Saturday to leave the fridge groaning under the weight of a lot of produce. We've only got a boutique fridge anyway, just big enough to cater to the weekly needs of both of us, yet getting a bit extra to negate the need to shop in the week Cass gets back, really stretched the limits of its capacity! Fortuitously, the supermarket is actually closing down for a makeover in that week anyway, so it was lucky we made the decision to stock up. After loading down the scooter with the regular groceries, we motored through to Wendel's for more than a baker's dozen, raided Carrefour for mince and cheese, then picked up our pre-ordered gourmet pizza at Oggi for an authentic Italian flavour explosion later at home.
The weather has turned nasty again this morning and it looks like we'll have the squelchy boot on for a few days, dodging the downfalls on our 20 minute perambulating morning and afternoon commute. All this seems to be in defiance of the most bounteous burst of blossom from the riverside sakura trees over the last few days: the beauty passed so quickly! Other photos are of a patient, waiting squadron of Youbikes and Cassy with a neighbourhood buy, sell, swap and hire noticeboard. My kids continue to get amazing opportunities with using the 3D printers, this time a personal bust, and the supermarket announces its makeover. Stop Press: Lewy just sent me a couple of others: the other night with the boys and him in my office with Circus Jesus.