Yes, you're correct - it has been a long time between drinks for the blog! Just after we last wrote, we caught a strong NE to Sydney in one hop. Our friends Bob and Marion came up to Coffs to make the passage south with us. It was pretty lumpy all the way and poor old Bob was sick from Korff's Islet to Port Jackson - two days. We kept him hydrated and shackled him to the backstay on one of the aft seats we use for reading and relaxing underway on passage. Then, as soon as we rounded North Head and found calm conditions, he was back to his normal talkative self until we tied up at the Squadron.
Only a day or so after making it home, our son Tom, who is at university in Canberra and works part-time in hospitality, was seriously assaulted without any warning or provocation by a customer and had to be hospitalised for surgery. He has since had further surgery and seems to be on the mend. So we have really, as you can imagine, been 100% pre-occupied with this business - driving back and forth between Sydney and Canberra and arranging the best specialists for Tom. The culprit has been caught and charged.
There have been some significant birthdays - Shauna is now 50!!!!!! She ain't happy about that either.... We had a great birthday bash for her in the Bennelong Room at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. It was a memorable night.
Our niece Sarah turned 21 on the same day so it was a double celebration, and then Sarah had her own show at the Dural Country Club a couple of days later - lots of family and old friends.
Meanwhile we are full-on into the Surf Lifesaving scene again - John instructing the IRB trainees and driving the duck on patrol, Shauna keeping the First Aid situation under firm control and instructing the Advanced Resuscitation trainees.
Our dear friends Mike and Lynn from Wombat are currently in the States - they were over there for Christmas and returned but a family illness took them back again - we expect them back in Sydney in a week or so. Before he went home for Christmas Mike installed an electronic antifouling unit on Wombat, and seems pleased with the results so far. Time will tell.
We promise that, now things are more stable and Tom is mending, we'll stay in touch more regularly.
Cheers from us.