Day 16: Talkin Shop and Misfired Spears

Today was an early one. Didn't sleep much, I suspect one of the naps I took the day before is culprit. I was up before the sun today. Mark "The General" and I were picked up by Carl and Rachael around 6:30, the General off on some adventure, and I tagging along to a PADI conference.

The conference would be taking place at a country club in North Sydney (if my bearings serve me). The Fallons and I arrived an hour and a half before the conference started. So naturally Carl and I pay for a round of golf. And despite my years of golfing in high school, my ass was thoroughly handed to me. To be fair, we only played six holes. I guess come-from-behind wins haven't made it to Australia yet.

Around 9 AM, we were forced to give up the gentleman's game to sit down for the conference. Although incredibly long and, at some bits, horribly tedious, I found the talks to be very informative. It was a Business Solutions Seminar, so we spent the better part of the day learning how to bring in customers, and how to run marketing campaigns. Things of that sort. Had a rather fancy lunch, which included the tale of my burst eardrum, naturally. The final talk was a tad long for my taste, although not entirely uninformative. Managed to make it home in record time, which made me just in time for dinner. Which came in handy.

Around 6, Carl rang me, and gave me directions to his friend's house, just down the street. And because I'm still deaf in one ear, I got lost. After my brave rescue by Carl and the gang, and a bit of carrying boxes I was volunteered for, we settled in for a sort of housewarming dinner. And after dealing with some Portuguese-style chicken, Carl and I sat on the balcony with Neil/Pixie (Carl's friend). Of course the talk turned to scuba diving, and I brought up how excited I was to go spearfishing. Pixie just happened to have a spear gun, and that's when things got, as the kids say, b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

Carl decided to make a show of his manliness, and stretched back on of the rubbers to fire the gun (when not in heavily residential areas of course). The butt of the gun pressed to his sternum, Carl pulled with all his might to pull the huge rubber band back. Unfortunately, all his might couldn't get the band back the last half inch, and the rubberband took flight taking the spear gun with it. We watched in awe as it took flight over the balcony and land in the garden a story below, in what may have been the neighbors garden. I managed to climb my way down the building and retrieve the spear gun before the nice gentleman who's plants had just been speared could notice me. Carl, the consummate professional as always, made the executive decision to put the gun away. That's why he's my mentor.

Left soon after, arrived home to find Lois a bit tipsy from her girls night out with the women-folk from the dive shop. After agreeing upon a time to wake one another up, I set the soundtrack from Up! to lull us to sleep. But I skipped "the scary songs," as Lois says.

Yours in Strange Soundtrack Selections,
Robert