Sunday 31 December 2017

When Australians, sensing from the accent that we're aliens and ask from where, Jan always answers Canada without divulging that only some of us are so sprung. I usually don't clarify as Canadians are universally liked and this allows Aussies to develop any potential antipathy to me without the help of a preconceived notion. This regrettably has the effect of besmirching Canada's reputation as few are aware that their citizens can be that loud and rude, but hey, that's not my problem.

Won't belabor the details, but this vacation has been a wonderful celebration of finishing the hard yakka of chemo and radiation. Two weeks to fit in Brisbane, Tweed Valley, Port Macquarie, Yamba, Port Stephens, the Hunter Valley and Coff's Harbour and seeing all our mates has been far too short. We'll continue to go places, see people and do things during breaks between shots and boat preparation while we count down to the end-of-the-tunnel July departure for Cocos Keeling and points west.

One aspect of the last two weeks should be noted in the massive ingestion of food and drink. Production of enzyme cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), which multiplies to metabolize alcohol as consumption increases, is at an all-time high along with blubber. We will contemplate reclamation concepts as we waddle blearily through airports on our way back to Darwin. Remediation will, needless to say, not begin tonight as we ring in the new, and undoubtedly better, year with buddies Shayne & Lisa in the Hunter Valley wine region with the requisite immoderation.

Jan & I wish everyone a prosperous and paradisical new year.

Jack