BEEN a VERY BUSY MARCH this one.

Had enough round about now so I have. The Job ends. The house is up for sale. I have visited the Kids and left them again. re-Met my sister and  now we are packing another flat up and moving another fridge. Hectic. With more to come – seemingly.

STILL SHUGGLING

Walking in the Valley.

Rain falls again today in Drought City. I am not even going to try it not even for the last day. Not even for one last 7 am train from Ipswich to Central Station. Not even to take the Central lift with the large lady from the West and exchange one small greeting and one lift hop of companionship. I was tempted to go in. I was tempted to experience once more the shove of a guard sardining us into the carriage so the doors could do their automatic close. But – I am not. I was out most of the day yesterday. Izzy wanted to get mandolin strings for the Bloke for his birthday. 8 string mandolin. Bullamakanka is playing Club Banora on Saturday night and the Bloke has broken another string so I set off in the rain for Allen’s Music in Queen Street Mall. Sentimental as the time in Brisbane comes to an end. Took the Auchenflower train. Rode the escalators at Central. Smiled at the busker and assessed the food in the food courts. Then I hunted up and down Queen Street Mall and located Allen’s music Store. Level 1. Up another escalator – confident. Crumpler bag over my shoulder and lynx sandals on as well as the black shorts I had found in St Vinnies in Woody Point on our dugong following tour of Northern Moreton Bay. I had 3 graphic downloads of the 3 required sets of strings and instruction on locating the store. Nothing to worry about.

A young man on training leads greeted me and rather than check the shelves took to the computer only to discover that they had NONE. He referred the matter upwards to another smartly clad Cool Customer Service Assistant who also checked the computer to discover that they had none. And if I had only read the internet correctly I would also have known that they HAD NO FENDER MANDOLIN STRINGS let alone for an 8 string mandolin. They ORDER THEM IN with a 10 DAY WAITING PERIOD. Not humanly possible to do it any faster than that says Brisbane’s largest music store. So I stood there in my lynx sandals and crumpler bag slung over my shoulder and chest in case of a random mugging. Holding the 3 downloads – one in full colour – attempting to find any message which said WE DO NOT HAVE THEM IN STOCK. THERE IS A 10 DAY DELIVERY TIME. I couldn’t find any such message but undoubtedly it will be there.

The result was – NO MANDOLIN STRINGS FOR THE BLOKE and no repeat business from me or mine either.

I took off to the food court lower down Queen Street Mall. I LOVE BRISBANE’S FOOD COURTS and straight to the CREPE CAFE. A Florentine crepe seemed the best idea for soothing down. And I added one bottle of PEPSI to drink right at the Allens Cool Lads.

Then across the ways and by-ways to St Andrews Church, Presbyterian which is a comfort when Izzy and I are encountering Presbyterians all over the place as we research Melinda Kendall. And again as I trace the Scottish Bells ( my own family ) right back to JAMES BELL – tried for housebreaking and transported for 7 years in 1831. he lived at Gallow Gate Glasgow.

I sat a while in the meeting in the church and then in came a young woman – the one with chiselled features and True Cool , not Allen’s Cool. She’s the one from whom I learned how to wear my Crumpler bag with a certain casual nonchalance. She pulled her chair beside me and I leaned across and asked whether she knew of any music stores in Brisbane where I might be able to buy mandolin strings. The Valley said she . Billy Hydes. Now I had heard of Billy Hyde’s. Mad O’Brian had asked me to go there once and Izzy knew them in Sydney. Off I took on an Ann Street walk to the Valley. Stopped at some lights and asked a young gentleman who sent me left and right and there they were. 3 large blue stores and much more appealing than the slick and hip inner city. There was Billy Hyde Orchestral Billy Hyde Drums and Billy Hyde everything else. They didn’t have Fenders either but they did have another brand whic Izzy checked via my mobile and gave the appro to. So out I came with 2 sets of strings and one red kazoo and the lads in Billy Hydes WERE cool as well as smart, astute helpful. Bravo Billy Hydes in the Valley.

So I took the last chances to see more of the Valley than I have previously done . Bounced into a Chinese Store looking for suitcases. I am on a quest for perfect travelling bags and shoes and clothes after my last purple suitcase experience and a year of coming and going. Hither and thithering . Didn’t see the perfect suitcase but did find watchbands. $3. $4 – fitted and sure enough the gentleman had his jewellers tools out and the band fitted in no time for $4. Thats better than $47 for the band alone in Tweed City. Did some looking about in Fortitude Valley and was checking the bus times when another mega cool young man took hold of me and said – Here’s your city bus coming now.

Well I didn’t actually want to go back to the City for a hour or so – but I do not like to discourage cool young people who are helping my generation out so I took the 370 back to the City with him. Mebbe some other time I shall see more of The Valley. Took the chance in the City to look for a Trekking shop in the ongoing hunt for the shoes and bag. Found one too and the BEST shoes. Almost took a caribbee bag but it wasn’t quite right. The shoes were quite right. However they were also quite expensive and need some more thinking about. Nevertheless I know now that they do exist.

Carol W from Austlit wore the perfect boot to the Brekkie for Peter Knox. Thats what set me off. I usually wear Blundstones when I am not in Lynx sandals but Blundstones are heavy and no longer made in Australia.

Being out and about after a week of being unwell – I decided I had best keep right on going whilst I was able. West End remained one place I hadn’t even seen after one year. So I went searching for West End buses. Looked down in the underground bus station first. Down in the bowels under the Queen Street Mall. No West Enders there. Then tried Elizabeth Street. None there. Ended up back at the Information Booth in the mall and was directed to Stop 47 at the top of Adelaide Street. The 199 Bus. Took a seat up the back and down sat another 2 young cool ones. Brisbane breeds a most polite and generous young person so it does. I asked them where I should get off to see West End and they filled me in on the best spots , stops and ways to the City Cat wharf.

So now I have been to West End and am again impressed. Cafes and op shops and more magical tropical buildings. The Young Man had been very clear about my not being able to walk as far as the City Cat wharf and that lit the walking fire in me. So I walked the length of Vulture Street and took the few twists at the end and arrived at the wharf intact despite a phone call from Tanya Tauszky on the way which left me a little hard of breathing and a sense of urgency about getting to UQ by 4.50 pm to get a lift with Izzy. Turned out just fine and I still had my $3.20 all day concession. I wanted to take some fotos of his last days at UQ so I did.

Then we Took ourselves to Bardon for dinner at the Nepalese . All in all – a very fine second last day in Brisbane except for tidying up.