Half a Century

Late last year HR, Hagalicious and CR (her hubby) and I went on four day cruise. It was fantastic fun a relaxing cruise from Brisbane to Hamilton Island and back. Each couple had a mini suite aboard the Pacific Dawn and nothing to do but relax and sip the odd cocktail or five.
Whilst on this short but sweet holiday we received an email extolling the virtues of the Pacific Aria and how for a paltry sum we could have a seven day cruise to Cairns in a balcony room with a premium drinks package and $300.00 room credit ( because of who we work for we each got another $100.00 each person making it $500.00 per cabin). Cairns is a favourite destination for the four of us so that was a good enough reason to book the cruise. That and the fact that day two of the cruise was HR's 50th Birthday!!
At the end of the short cruise we immediately booked the Aria for August 2016. That was a hell of a long wait for the next cruise and so much happened between the booking and the cruising (have a read of my Reflections blog). Due to me moving 'down south' we had to travel back to Brisbane to go on the cruise. We decided to take a few days extra at the end of the cruise and go visit Mother, the kids and my gorgeous grandsons.
HR and I had great cruise. What's not to like? Everything is done for you! Someone cooks, does the dishes, makes the bed, cleans the bathroom, mixes the drinks and never do you have to do a damned thing you don't want to. The Aria does not have a Buffet for casual dining. The Aria has 'The Pantry' a series of small eateries that serve anything from fish and chips to a chef's salad to any pastry you'd like – total yummy-ness.The speciality restaurants were awesome, although the Luke Mangan Salt Grill was a little disappointing. We had some lovely wait persons in our favourite bars especially Minelli!.
After the cruise we went to visit the Boy Child and my Grandsons, then off Toowoomba to catch up with the Mini Brat (we had seen the Normal Autistic Girl before the cruise in Brisbane). Of course we went to visit Mother as well, took her shopping and spent time helping her do a few things. We stayed in a perfectly serviceable motel in Toowoomba. I even visited the folk at the Mausoleum!
While travelling around Toowoomba we passed the Ford dealership many times and HR drooled over the new Mustang sitting in the pride of place in the yard. He had also complained incessantly about the shortcomings of the Beast (Mazda BT50)
The afternoon before we left to return 'down south' we had said our goodbyes to family and friends and had a few hours to kill. 'Go to the pictures or go looking at car yards?' I asked HR. 'Car yards' he answered. 'Ford or Kia' I asked again 'Kia' he answered. So off to Kia we went and saw Grant the dealer who sold me two Cerato's earlier this year and Lachie.
We just wanted to have a look at the Sportage. We wanted a vehicle that was comfortable for the travelling we do all over the place. Quite frankly the Beast gets very uncomfortable after four hours driving and we generally like to travel 4-6 hours a day when we're roaming the country. I also wanted to get a vehicle that was easy to get my Grandsons in and out of but still had plenty of room and comfort.
Lachie showed us a few different models and then let us test drive Grant's Sportage Platinum.
The Platinum is top of the range with a moon roof, sat nav, blind spot mirror doovey, heated/cooled seats, electronic seat adjustment and all manner of other really cool options and this one is a diesel as well so very economical. HR was bowled over and so was I!!! What a great vehicle! Alas the Beast is a lease vehicle and we have too many years till payout and owe too much etc etc etc.
Grant and Lachie commenced the wheeling dealing part of the equation. Try as they might they couldn't get enough for the Beast to satisfy the lease and it looked like we would wait for the Sportage like we first planned. Que Sera and off we went back 'down south' a great trip in itself. HR and I DO love to travel.
The day we got home there's an email from Grant -' if you want to buy the demo you drove we can get the extra you need to pay out the lease (on the Beast)what do you think?'

Three weeks later HR drove the Beast back to Brisbane. I flew in (business class what a blast) and after spending the night in Brisbane we picked up the Normal Autistic Girl and drove off to Toowoomba to pick up the Sportage. While we did the paperwork and swapped out the cars the Normal Autistic Girl met up with the Mini Brat and went off to spend my money.
An hour later we picked up the girls and went to lunch in an early birthday celebration for the Mini Brat. After lunch we drove back to Brisbane and went to see my grandsons for a few hours.
The next day we stared our drive home in the new car. What a great trip! the Sportage was amazing and so comfy and HR didn't hobble/limp after driving for four hours.
I do need to mention The Stockmans Hotel in Tamworth. A truly awesome room with a bathroom to die for. A huge spa bath you can lie down in, twin vanities a huge shower all beautifully presented! The room had a huge king size bed with a fifty inch flat screen, lounge and table. The mini bar was fabulous and extremely well priced. Breakfast was simple food well cooked and reasonably priced. I thoroughly recommend this hotel to everyone.
So, HR had a cruise AND got a new car for his 50th birthday. Me? I ended up with a bad case of the flu that kept me away fro the Crypt for ten days. Swings and roundabouts people…swings and roundabouts.