And Down Came the Rain

I did some serious bookshelf hunting with Dad early this-morning. There are books beginning to pile up on my floor which is fairly scary as it shows I'm becoming more like mum. No such luck as the size we were after only came in a Colonial style - which is about double the price (even for a Bargain Centre that makes furniture by the truck load) and besides, it looks decidedly ugly. I need something boring plain, and as big as can fit in my not very big bedroom. Checked out some cars on the way back, no such luck. I got dropped at Bayswater station - not my usual line and managed to get the next train to Flinders fairly quickly. I was early. Sammy (of the Airways or Smedley variety) rocked up when she was supposed to. This having all been arranged around 11:30pm last night, she coming all the way from Bendigo. Burkie was 20 minutes late and in our wandering we let him have another few waiting on the steps under the clock. Trammed it down to St.Kilda area and watched this magnificent storm move in from the bay. The clouds were the blue of the wall in my room and angry and powerful and beautiful. Burkie's face was attached to his camera and if he puts any up on flickr I might just provide a link (which will go right here if he does, give me a yell if that link is not okay Burks). The rain came and we made a run for Luna Park and stood in the doorway out of the wet, that however didn't help much and so we pulled another runner to the McDonalds and watched as the rest of the world splashed around, came up the stairs laughing and held count downs to move from location to location. Jess and Belle met us there shortly after, the rain temporarily slowed. We found a very nice cafe somewhere along some street - oh how observant I am. Sat for a good while with our coffee and cameras, of which I was poorly the odd one out and talked. We eventually went back to Luna Park to see if we could find an open roller coaster for Belle. No such luck, instead found another down-pour or three, one next to a baloon popping prize stand and the other again in the doorway. Burkie attempted to hail a taxi, standing in the pouring rain with no shoes and finally got one after the fourth or so try. Sammy, Burks and I left Jess and Belle, who got picked up a moment later and we made our way to Burkie's 'apartment/flat/house/thing' whereby he drove us back into the city. Sammy's train was at 6pm so I decided to wait around with her. We plunked ourselves in Gloria Jeans. She hit the coffee again and I decided to attempt their Chai Tea which was far too sweet and gave me a headache. We talked solidly for almost two hours, sussed out what her train was doing and parted around a quarter to six. My train was meant to leave Spencer, sorry - Southern Cross by 5:53pm. No such luck as it always is with me and Connex so it was the 6:13 Belgrave train. I get to Ringwood. Lilydale passengers are refused board to the Lilydale line train and I watch as this guy is ranting around inside the end carriage and smashing his head against the window several times. The driver and other staff are standing outside, the PA gives systematic, "Do not board the train" - you couldn't anyway, the doors were barred shut. I was fairly cold and I found company in the rest of the bored, curious, underdressed for the weather passengers waited and waited and waited. Two policemen eventually came down the ramp and entered through the drivers end. The guy, who was fairly young, extremely drunk, hardly able to walk and was led off between the policemen. Here's to excitement and train delays of a shapes. There was some confusion over which train to board as the PA said one thing and the crowd said another, but we all ended up on the train that had been closed and not what the station told us which turned out to be correct. I got home 1hr and 40minutes after I left, which is about 45 minutes longer than the train is meant to take. By that stage I had a full blown headache, I was out of water but did satisfactorily finish the last page of my book the moment we pulled into the station. I like timing like that. Home. The crickets were ricocheting noise between my ears creating this horrible accompaniment to the pain in my head. A shower cured most of the headache, but not before dinner and blahing an explanation about why things too so long. A long day, but a good day if I can exclude the spat with Connex. I'd do it all again.