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A journal for 30DBC and other feline musings. |
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"This...is my lab. And THIS...is my LABORATORY!" Seriously, though. This blog is gonna be where I throw paint at the wall just to see what sticks, and sometimes just to throw paint at the wall because it's friggin' relaxing to throw crap. Welcome aboard, and please keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. "In case of emergency, the exits are here-here-here-here-here-here-here... ANYWHERE!" P.S. If you recognize one or both of the above quotes...you are automatically my new best friend.  AlyCatAuthor
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30DBC December 8 Prompt: Today's another driving day, though we're making a stop after 5 hours at the Lake Woods Conservation Covenant , 16 hours at Mataranka to see the Bitter Springs, and then at 18 hours at Pine Creek Railway Resort, where we'll get a couple family cabins and stay the night. Once more, for safety reasons, we'll switch drivers every 8 hours.  Today is the first day I've truly regretted coming on this trip. The first five hours weren't so bad. And Lake Woods was gorgeous, so gorgeous. I could have stayed there all day, but Dragon is hiding   just wouldn't let up the pace. I know we needed to get going to see the rest of everything, but every nerve in my body screamed against getting back in that car for another 11 hours, even knowing that there were only a couple more after that leg of the trip was done. To top it all off, I knew I had to drive later in the trip, and my anxiety wasn't far behind my protesting sciatic nerve. We stopped at 8 hours to switch, and I missed my chance to get out and stretch, as I was fast asleep when we pulled into the gas station. I woke later with a back that hurt to move and a wicked drool spot on the window. Princess Megan Rose GOT Fox   kindly looked the other way as I mopped up my saliva hurriedly with a pocket tissue. I spent the next few hours half-dozing, half-nursing a massive headache and shifting around 10 times every five minutes to try and get some relief. Blessedly, we stopped about four hours away from Mataranka to get some grub and switch drivers. I ran around the gas station about 15 times, I was so happy to be out of the car. I ate standing again with Lyn's a sly fox  and almost cried when it was time to get back in the car, as it was my turn to drive. Thankfully, the four hours passed quickly, and soon we were out of the car for a while to take in the oasis-like beauty of Bitter Springs with its turquoise water and lovely shade. I let my cramped feet rest in the cool water for as long as was humanly possible before I had to slip my sandals back on and explore the rest of the Springs. I didn't think I could force myself to get back in the car, but Andre chased me back inside, and before I could protest we were off on the road again. The rest of the trip was a blur and passed quickly. I had to keep prying my eyes open, just adding to my anxiety about driving. It was good practice, though, and before I knew it we had made it to the Railway Resort. I grinned exhaustedly at the prospect of collapsing into a warm bed and stretching my throbbing nerves. Even though we'd made it, and I'd seen so many beautiful things, I told myself I was never coming on another crazy trip like this again. Even though something in the back of my mind told me I didn't really mean it.  The next day we explored Litchfield. I was almost too tired to remember most of it, although I do remember swimming, doing some of my laundry and eating a meal with Kit of House Lannister  and Brother Nature  . It was a fairly nice day, after the torture on the 8th. I slept more peacefully and didn't feel quite so convicted about never doing this again. It did have its priceless benefits, after all. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 7 Prompt: Hopefully everyone had a refreshing sleep last night- we're going to check out Anzac Hill and the {x-link:http://alicespringstelegraphstation.com.au/}Telegraph Station today, then driving up to Darwin tonight. We're back on the Stuart Highway this afternoon, though we'll stop at 3 hours at the Davenport Range National Park, and again at 5 hours at Tennant Creek, and stay the night at Bluestone Motor Inn. I do believe sleeping in an actual bed did me a lot of good last night. The covers were warm and dry, and I felt my tortured, sciatica-ridden hips settling down into the soft mattress with a relief which is hard to describe. I fell asleep in one position and didn't move the whole night, so I must have been more tired than I thought. The smell of freshly-brewing coffee wakes me, and I take in the delicious scent while staying huddled under the covers for a few minutes, blinking in the dim light which Lyn's a sly fox had turned on. Kit of House Lannister announces that breakfast is served, and so I drag myself out of bed, throw my uncooperative curls up into a loose bun, and snag a small cuppa joe before heading downstairs to the meal.Refreshed, with a full night of sleep, coffee in my veins, and food in my belly, I follow the others out to the cars. It's a much shorter drive today, for which I am grateful. Anzac Hill is really neat. We see a tall, white monolith marking the overlook, where we can see all of Alice Springs laid out against the backdrop of two gently-sloping hills in the background. The Telegraph Station is also a historical treat. We walk along the grounds with our tour guide, who explains that the Station was the birth of Alice Springs as a town and helped connect it with the rest of the world. We get some ice cream from the Trail Station Wi-Fi Cafe on the way out and eat it out in the sun. The cool treat in my hand and the warmth of the midday summer sun combine to create that nostalgic summer feeling, and I sigh with contentment. I am kind of sad to get back in the car, though a 3-hour drive is cake compared to yesterday's torture session. The time passes more quickly than I had imagined it would. Though the others are chatting excitedly around me, I decide to just listen, and then when things quiet down, I pray my Rosary and do a bit of reading, as much as I can stand to while in the car. Our next stop comes soon. We arrive at the Davenport Range National Park. For a minute, as I read the sign, I think my eyes are crossing. But the word on the sign really is this: Iytwelepenty. I ponder over how to pronounce that word for a moment, but decide the tour guide will surely say it at some point during the tour and put it out of mind. As we walk through the park, we see beautiful, red rock carved by the winding rivers running through the park, and lots of beautiful bush-land. There are also many native bird species that we can see flitting about, and the tour guide explains one that I find interesting in particular. "The Spinifex pigeon," he says. "Quite a striking bird, no doubt." Its rich, orange-brown and gray plumage blend in with its red rock surroundings, though back home in the States, I can only imagine how much this pigeon would stand out among its gray-and-white cousins. Tennant Creek doesn't come as soon as I would have liked, though the 5-hour drive is still nothing in comparison with what we all endured yesterday. Thankfully, our hotel is here, and not 1,000 more kilometers further up the road, so the longer drive is endurable. We pile out of the car, check into the Bluestone Motor Inn, and are left free to do as we wish. Though Tennant Creek is a fairly large town, I feel like doing nothing more than jotting down some story notes and writing in my journal. I also check out the third installment of the Cosmic Trilogy, "That Hideous Strength," in audiobook format and begin to listen as I take my clothes to the laundry and in general take care of some housekeeping for my own sanity's sake. Being up and moving, and taking care of personal business, is very helpful for my back which is still complaining about the car ride. Later that night, I eat dinner with Princess Megan Rose GOT Fox and BlueMoon after they come back from their adventures. We chat amiably for a bit, and then it's off to bed for everyone, as we'll undoubtedly have an early start getting to Darwin in the morning. I call my husband, tell him goodnight, and settle down into bed, less exhausted and feeling a bit more like a human being.AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 6 Prompt: It's roadtrip day! We're driving 15 1/2 hours up Lasseter Highway through the Outback to get from Lake Eyre to Uluru National Park, where Ayers Rock is, and then another 6 hours from Ayers Rock to Alice Springs. We'll switch drivers around the 8-hour mark and after Ayers Rock for safety reasons, but hopefully nobody gets carsick! We'll be staying the night in Lasseters Hotel once we get to Alice Springs. Good heavens. A day of bliss followed by a day straight out of my worst nightmare.To be fair, being in the car for what amounted to 17 hours after all the pit stops and meal breaks is some decent exposure therapy. After the first five hours, I start dozing, only to be woken up an hour later by BlueMoon for our first pit stop. I gratefully clamber out of the car, stretching my aching hips, to find my sciatic nerve is complaining at me. I groan. "At least 10 more hours of this to go." I plod inside the gas station we stopped at, noting that it's in the middle of literally nowhere. The cashier smiles kindly at me as I purchase my coffee and in the back of my mind, I wonder where he lives. Surely he doesn't drive 6 hours to get to work every day. But going back outside, it's still just a hot, dry wasteland, with a few scattered shrubs and a lot of red sand.Shrugging this off, I reluctantly get back in the car and settle my hips back against my lumbar support pillow. Thank goodness my husband had insisted I take it for the trip. The hours pass dully, and I watch the track the sun makes in the sky overhead. When I get tired of listening to my music (the same playlist has been on repeat for hours), I try to read a book on my Kindle app. When that only results in a nauseous stomach, I give up and turn on a podcast. The words go in one ear and out the other--my mind is far away, dreaming of being back at my desk in my cozy little office, frantically outlining the scenes that are playing in my head. We stop for dinner later. Even those who had been chatty had long since quieted or dozed, but seeing each other face to face outside of the cars seems to perk everyone back up. I commiserate with Brother Nature and Apondia  about their cramped legs and actually eat my meal standing to give my poor sciatic nerve some relief. One sandwich, two bags of chips and two bottles of water later, I strap myself back into the car with the others, not feeling so terrible about the remaining four hours of driving.Once we finally get to Ayers Rock, we're all so worn out from the ride that it's hard to enjoy it. But as the sun sinks behind the massive plateau of rock, we're all dazzled by its enormity. Its bulk eclipses the fading sunlight and glows a dusty orange-red as we look on in awe. We don't stay long after dark, as we're all still tired and eager to lie down in a nice, soft hotel bed. After another switch of drivers, we all settle in, and most of us are asleep long before the sun has completed its descent below the horizon. After walking around, though, my sciatic nerve feels much better, and I decide to do some reading since it's dark and my eyes can't see the stupid road outside to get car sick over. After one more pit stop and a few more hours of driving, we make it to the hotel in Alice Springs well into the early morning. FINALLY. Everyone stumbles out of the cars and prays that we'll have some time to get some decent sleep before our adventures here in Alice Springs tomorrow. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 5 Prompt: We are well and truly in the outback now, so make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and aloe vera in case of sunburns! December is summer in 'straya. We're travelling 5 1/2 hours by car in the early morning today up to Lake Eyre National Park - and camping out there for the night- we're making our way up to Alice Springs in Northern Territory via Stuart Highway and will continue doing so in the morning. This. This is what I've been waiting for. Not the car ride, of course. If I had the intelligence and gift of invention, I'd make my own teleporter before I stepped foot in a car again. Y'all should know this by now. No. It's the beauty of a new world, an entirely different world from my own. It's Lake Eyre National Park. Before we get there, I am studying pictures of it on Google Maps on my phone. the Wordy Jay has kindly sat beside me in the van and suggested I look forward to the destination, since I can't enjoy the journey like I want to, due to my anxiety. So I'm doing exactly that. The pictures tell of a world that reminds me vaguely of what I'd always imagined Mars being like--red sands everywhere, a crater of indigo water for a lake, small shrubs and vegetation and more wildlife than I could have ever imagined surviving in such a seemingly arid land. It's like an alien landscape, and I can hardly wait to be there. When we finally do arrive, I'm shaken awake by Princess Megan Rose GOT Fox . Thermos in hand (I can't relinquish my hot coffee even in summer), I sit up and glance out the window. The images in my mind and my dreams had become real. Excitement pulses through me. I'd managed to fall asleep in the car. We'd made it safely here. And now I had all day to explore this fantasy land. The day is a blur to me now. I laughed and danced and basked in the almost-suffocating warmth of the sun. I took more notes and pictures than could fit on my phone, spilling over in messy ink scribbles into my bullet journal. And now, as I sit here in the tent I'm sharing with Apondia and Dragon is hiding , I lay back and listen with amiable pleasure to the conversations happening all around me. I'm tired, burnt despite the sunscreen, and too elated to sleep. But the aloe vera is cooling my skin, and even as I smile I drift off to my first deep, peaceful sleep since the journey began.AlyCatAuthorAlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 4 Prompt: Early start today, though the non-drivers can sleep in the car. Chances are, we can rent 2-3 8-9 seater vans and cram everyone and their stuff in it. Hopefully you're all travelling light! Once in Port Augusta, we'll be staying at the Majestic Oasis Apartment Port Augusta and checking out the arid lands botanical garden . There'll also be an outback day tour from a local for those interested. We'll leave later tonight to avoid other cars on the way to our next destination. Good grief. Why does 6 AM come so early in the morning? Despite being used to getting up at such an early hour back home, here in Australia, it does nothing but bring back a sense of that jet lag I'd been fighting the first two days. I drench myself in cool water from the shower and pack my coffee nice and tight in my thermos before piling into WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024  's car. Though the drive is three hours, I can't fall back to sleep. My travel anxiety is kicking in full force now that we're on the road for an extended amount of time. SB Musing  asks me what's wrong and in general distracts me from the road, for which I am grateful. It makes the time pass quicker, for sure.Once we are in Port Augusta, we check in to our hotel and then head off to the botanical garden. Everything is so beautiful, despite all the plants coming from what I'd imagined to be "dead land." I take lots of pictures as the tour guide talks. The day tour is also quite interesting. We ended up riding horses, some of us with an inherent grace, others of us, not so much. It is still fun and a learning experience for sure. I've had enough of people for the day, and my nerves are shot, so once we pull back into the hotel, I eat dinner alone in my room and write some in my journal, jotting down some ideas for new plant species to include in my fantasy world. I also call my husband and we pray our Rosary together before I crash utterly for about 45 minutes. Then, with a sense of reluctance and wonder, I stagger out of bed and back into the cars for the long trip to the next new place, making sure my phone is fully charged and my music turned up to drown out my anxiety. AlyCatAuthor |
| (Running behind here, guys, sorry! Had no time on Sunday after all to write--was out of town. 3 entries in one day!) 30DBC December 3 Prompt: Hope everybody is enjoying themselves so far. Our next destination is Adelaide! We are staying in the Playford Mgallery in Adelaide, South Australia for today. We've got a free morning for exploring the city, and lunch will be a packed picnic at {x-link:https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kingston+gardens+adelaide&FORM=HDRSC2 }Kingston Gardens{/x-link} on our way to the Beaumont House from 2-4:30. Make sure your watches and phones are set in the correct time zone- Adelaide is 2 1/2 hours ahead of Perth and Broome! We'll spend the night in Adelaide, but tomorrow is an early start- we're driving 3 hours up to Port Augusta at 6 am, to get there by 9 am. Hope nobody gets carsick! Huzzah for free mornings! But whose brilliant idea was it to create a time zone that's 2 and a HALF hours ahead??? Scratching my head at this new concept of time, I take a quick shower, wincing as the hot water hits my sunburnt arms, and down a cup of coffee. Being the intense introvert I am, I decide to spend the morning in the hotel. Hotels always create a sense of adventure for me, and sometimes I feel like I don't ever have time to truly appreciate the amenities of any hotel I stay at. I walk out onto the balcony with my second cup of the day and simply breathe in the foreign air of Adelaide, taking in the sights and sounds of the city. I meet up with Apondia when it's time for the picnic, and we sit together at Kingston Gardens and chat about The Chronicles of Narnia and admire the scenery. Then we head off to the Beaumont House and admire the architecture and explore all around the house, feeling very much like Polly and Digory in "The Magician's Nephew" when they decided to explore the rafters of their townhouse. We even wonder if we'd stumble upon a magical wardrobe!Sadly, we don't find a magical doorway to Narnia, but dinner at Orana  is lovely, and we all head back to the hotel early so we can rest up for the long road trip tomorrow. I feel like I need it in particular--road trips are always a nasty business for me ever since my car wreck last year. Nevertheless, amid my nerves, I feel a particular sense of excitement and allow myself to look forward to Port Augusta tomorrow.AlyCatAuthor |
| 30 DBC December 2 Prompt: It's day 2, and we are in Perth! Perth is still in WA, so we won't be changing time zones just yet. We're checking into Adina Apartment Hotels nice and early today, because we're going on the Fremantle Lunch cruise from 9:45 am to 2:45 pm. Hope you got some shut-eye on the plane! If not, you can always use the time after our cruise to catch up on your Zs, or explore the city and buy more souvenirs. Just make sure you're back by evening so you don't miss the flight to Adelaide! Thank heaven for little miracles. The time zones didn't change, which means this tired cat gets some relief from the persistent jet lag I've had over the past couple days. Our apartment hotel was nice and warm when we got in early--I'd been shivering in the cold air conditioning the whole flight long. After we checked in and I had a cup of , I felt a little more human. I threw on some eyeliner, pulled my hair back, and said my morning prayers before Kit of House Lannister called me from outside the room. "Come on, AlyCat, we're gonna be late for the cruise!"Getting to the cruise wasn't exactly the most fun part--we had to cram into a couple of taxis and head to the port. Thankfully, I like all of my co-travelers, but it was still a little uncomfortable sharing what was supposed to be one seat with three different people.  But, wow. The cruise took my breath away. Gorgeous clouds skittering across the strong sunlight glinted on the waters as we ate and chatted on the deck. I even saw the shadow of a dolphin close to the surface! I reveled in the warmth, remembering belatedly to put on my sunscreen (oops). I decided to go solo through the city and find a nice cafe to write at, or maybe a bookshop where I could fill my tote with new reads. I found a quaint one--www.millpointcaffebookshop.com.au-- and settled in to read my newest purchase--Book Two of the Cosmic Trilogy by C.S. Lewis, "Perelandra". It was almost time to meet the others before I realized I'd read the whole thing in one sitting--and that the bookshop owner was standing by, asking me if I'd like another cup of tea. I politely declined, but bought a small pastry to thank him for the time he'd let me spend in his shop and caught a fast taxi back to our meeting place near the airport. We all piled on board the plane, some of us sunburnt, some exhausted, but all of us smiling. Overall, Day 2 was a smashing success. Now to hit the hay and hopefully banish this jet lag for good so I can be prepared for the beauty of Adelaide tomorrow! AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC December 1 Prompt: G'day everyone! Welcome to the land down under, or Down Under, as we like to call it. I am Just Dragon- 30 DBC in AUS!, and will be your Australian blog tour guide for the month of December. I hope you're all ready for a month of adventure and fun; we are in Broome, Western Australia (WA) today, so once we check into our hotel, Kimberley Sands Resort/Spa , we're going on a half-day seaplane tour of the city at 11:14, then you'll have the rest of the day to yourselves until we fly out to Perth in the evening. And after that, if you are interested in becoming a designated driver for the month, please reply to "Re: December's Activity." ! *Cool* Well, I finally checked into the hotel and bolted out the door as soon as I got my keys. The seaplane tour was way more fun than I expected (after I figured out how to get there). I'm terrified of heights but the lovely blue waters below calmed my spirit. Later on, I learned how to drive with Dragon is hiding and met the others in the airport. We all had a lovely chat and I fell asleep after takeoff due to the jet lag. My first day Down Under was a blast! Looking forward to Day 2 in Perth!AlyCatAuthor |
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