Our Engagement - Remembering How It Happened

Last weekend Jess and I spent a fantastic couple of days with one of the most wonderful couples around – Sam and Fryze (Ryan). We find ourselves laughing at how similar we are to these two and when we are together its always great fun! On Saturday we spent the day tiki-touring around Brisbane – New Farm Park, a City Cat 'cruise', Southbank (including Max Brenners of course!) the city and then up to Mt Cootha lookout. 

On Sunday Jess and I headed down to the Gold Coast and had a great lunch at Kurrawa Surf Club followed by a trip to The Dracula’s Haunted House at Sam’s request. Jess wasn’t a huge fan of the haunted House, which she made us (and most likely most of the Gold Coast) aware of by the caliber of her screams.

It was quite suiting that we spent the weekend with these two. It was one year ago on an evening with them to Launceston’s Festivale, that I received a very important phone call. A call that made Valentines Day 2011 one we will never forget. I don’t think anything I do this year could compare but on the eve of our one-year ‘engagement anniversary’ I thought you might like to read the story of how Jess and I came to get engaged on national TV, which you can watch (here).

Jess in Manly the day before we got engaged

The Year of Love and Heartbreak

A couple of nights ago I had a really great night. Not because anything particularly exciting happened but because it was just one of the evenings when it was great to be alive.

Monday was a really hot day. The type of hot where this Tasmanian could have very easily decided the only thing to do was lie under the full force of the air con and wallow in self-pity. My black and white baby however had her heart set on a walk. Puppy eyes win every time. I stripped down to what I deemed the bare minimum of clothing required to be walking the dog and stepped outside. I am so glad I did. The rivers edge was abuzz with people making the most of the cooler part of the day. The heat-hazed sky was a palette of pastels that faded into dusk as we walked. The full moon then appeared casting its light across the calm river. This stunning evening was an eerie contrast to the same day one year prior.

Back to Base

A bit over a week ago I took a City Cat to meet Cameron for date night sushi and to view a laser light display over the city that was part of the Brisbane Festival. While there is nothing particularly unusual about date night, as I sat there taking in the sparkling city lights and marvelling how beautiful the river and the dusk skyline was, it dawned on me that I was admiring the same thing that had caused nearly a year of uncertainty; admiring the beauty of the river that 9 months ago flooded our newly renovated ‘shoebox’.