Disappearing MD

But only for a few weeks, I promise.

As threatened, I have packed my laptop and flown the coop to beautiful Sweden. After a hellishly long 28 hour journey, I arrived this morning and was instantly bewitched by the natural beauty of this country. Fir trees, rolling plains, peaceful lakes - it's pretty much all you expect and more.

The trip that I'm on involves a rather tight schedule, so unfortunately I'll be around even less than I have been of late. I will be trying to commandeer some laptop time whenever I can but fear that inspiration may not come as often. Or if it does, you may be subjected to long, dithering rants about how much I miss Tom (I'm not seeing him until we meet in Malaysia 5 weeks from today).

So, dear friends, for now I bid you goodnight - but not goodbye.

Like any good temptress, I want to leave you wanting more...

A different sort of stimulus package

Yesterday was Dad's birthday and all the family gathered around. Sat around our dining table eating and fighting over gravy allocations were Mum and Dad, Anna and Dave and Tom and I.

It was the first time that we had all been together since the family wedding in Sydney, so it was inevitable that there'd be a slight recap. After all, it was a wedding. Although we'd all had a few, surely between us we could remember the entire event if we just put our heads together?

I couldn't resist sharing the story about Grandpa and his apparent keenness to become a great-grandfather. This came as a surprise to Dad, but not to Mum. Oh no. For Gramps had been on the phone that very day.

"He said he's going to write a sign with a dollar amount on it and whoever pops out the first great-grandchild gets the money. He's calling it 'Granddad's baby bonus'."

He didn't.

He did.

This revelation made my jaw slack with shock.

It made Anna ask, 'how much?' (And shortly thereafter made her boyfriend Dave turn a peculiar shade of puce).

He was kidding, wasn't he? Mum didn't think so.

According to Mum, he asked her to gently encourage Tom and I to get busy as he doesn't think my cousin and his new wife will be breeding any time soon. Apparently they're 'too career focused'.

I suggested Anna as an alternative - she likes kids. She's a primary school teacher, for heavens' sake and has ben with Dave for almost 4 years. But according to Gramps, she is probably too young. Which means that I'm the only one left.

Bloody hell. I never thought I'd see the day that a bounty was placed on my womb.

The things you find...

in the laneways of Melbourne.

In Degraves St last night for a photo shoot (don't ask - another part of the Swedish journey), I was posing next to a graffiti laden walls when I spied a poster advertising a Comedy Festival show, the title of which intrigued me.

Judge for yourself, but given my definition of cake, I think the answer is a definite yes.