Tress and I sat at a table by the window on Friday night, and watched the rain bucketing down onto the cars parked outside the restaurant. It was that sort of a wintery day and the desert was a coconut ice cream which we looked at and I had no interest.
My mind wandered to the horrible news earlier that morning – Barcelona, one of my sentimental favourite cities in Europe, had experienced the horror of what has unfortunately become a familiar account. A van was driven through Las Ramblas, mowing down and killing over a dozen people and injuring scores of others. I remember having a meal in the outdoor dining area of a café at Las Ramblas, nearly 20 years ago now – on the main walkway itself – and seeing a group of English tourists doing a runner. They were chased down and hauled back by the café’s waiters. They were ushered inside to the back of the café and I wondered if they paid with interest.
The rain made the Friday night dinner more subdued than it should be. Payom Thai is a local Thai place we’ve been to numerous time and it’s always a good experience. We quickly left when the rain eased up.
We went back and watched a little bit of the footy – Swans playing away to the Crows was always going to be a good contest but not 15 minutes in we decided to watch Suits on Netflix instead, and binge watched till neither of us could keep our eyes open any longer.
The weather the next morning was equally dull. We slept in a little bit and then I decided to take the little fellow for a walk before it poured again and before Amber arrived. It started to rain as the little jedi and I were heading back. He got a little wet and that annoyed Amber as it would be harder for her to clip the wild growth off his follicles if it was wet. As she groomed him we had our coffee and brekky and after he was done Tress and I left for our usual weekend chores. I also picked up the new plates I wanted to put on the Miata.
Later that arvo we met with Nadine, a real estate agent whom we’d asked to help with the proposed sale of an investment unit. If that works out we’d probably miss it but otherwise we’d be happy to keep it and let the current tenants continue on. Nadine appeared to be cautiously confident it’d sell so we’ll have to see how it goes.
We went back late arvo, binged on Suits a bit more, before switching to the EPL to see United chalk up an impressive second big win. Mourinho has certainly brought some mojo back.
We had a Ridley lecturer speak on Elizabeth I and her influence on the fledgling English reformation. She mandated uniform use of Cranmer’s work throughout England and entrenched important truths amongst ordinary folks. I often baulk at modern day churches’ disdain for traditions and I couldn’t help but wonder how many of Melbourne’s scores of little independent or ACC churches appreciated the roles of the likes these early protagonists. Without the likes of Tyndale and Cranmer and without Elizabeth I’s clear mandate, church history would probably take a very different trajectory and one can only wonder what that would mean for these little churches in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne today.
After lunch we took the little fellow for a walk – the weather had vastly improved and the sunny conditions were perfect. Later that arvo I cooked the week’s lunches and Tress did the ironing. We then rang her dad and my mum. We had in recent days said to ourselves we hadn’t done that for a while so we said we needed to ring them this weekend. It was good talking to my mum again and she sounded well. Life is just moving along for her – she now has May and her two boys with her and so the house now has 4 of them instead of just her alone and that has to be good.
Maybe it’s old age, or maybe the reality of mortality continues to dawn, especially given the news this morning that a 7-year old Aussie was amongst those killed in Barcelona late last week. As diabolical rains bucket down on our lives, one hopes the sunny conditions aren’t too far behind and they’d stay when they arrive.
Ante 