Christmas cards

It's a long time since the blog was updated with new material!

Here are three of Alex's many 2015 Christmas cards designs.

Back to Ettalong

Another quick trip up to the Central Coast to meet up with family friends.

View from the hotel terrace.

Some nutter waving from the balcony of our hotel room.

The hotel pool was obviously a highlight for Alex!

Once the logistics of working out how to get a wheelchair past this barrier were solved by Alex's wonderful friends...

Alex had his first experience of being able to go up a bush track to a lookout with views like these.

Spotto that huge hotel!

And all indicators suggest he was pretty with the experience!

Sydney visit

We travelled to Sydney (with the air con in Alex's car broken...arrrggh!) to check out Evan's new room for the year ahead and catch up with family and friends.

First the room...here is his window's view across to the St Andrew's Oval at Sydney Uni.

The room...probably the last time it won't look like a tip.

Just up the steps is King St Newtown.

We killed a little time at the Newtown Hotel where the music was much to Alex's liking.

Then caught up with the VIPs for a lovely dinner at Urban Bites.
Strangely, they didn't offer Grain Waves on the menu.

Then off next day to early family Christmas gathering.

And a gift lucky dip/steal game

Alex scored the ukelele in the gift lucky dip and, after strumming it the conventional way for quite a long time, decided it was time to test out its rhythmic potential as a sound board.

Apart from driving in 34 degree temps without air con, it was a good trip away and "holiday bed".

Weddings, parties, anything

Alex has been doing a mixture of things in these past months of slack bloggery...Here's a selection.

He went to his friend's wedding in the spectacular gardens of one of our beautiful local heritage homes:

Waiting for the bride to arrive

Beautiful day for a wedding.

There's been a bit of pub music:

Lousy photos, but a good time had by all.

He's enjoyed having his brother home for a short while longer:

Lots of hugs

They'll miss each other next year

Mid-winter gathering

Our mid-winter village gathering

But never manage to get everyone looking at the camera at once!

Caught up with our fave people from the coast

And our favourite "locals" 

Did some 'secret men's business'

And some music appreciation.

Concert!

Alex went to his first large concert in a major venue last night. He's a big fan of Tool's music, but doesn't always like occasions where the volume is too high for him. Luckily the first fact overrode the second and the gamble on buying a ticket and seeing how he liked it was well worth it. He was mesmerised throughout the whole thing. It's unusual for Alex to watch something for a long time and to give it rapt attention.

Before the concert, Alex enjoyed watching the crowd.

Waiting beforehand. Venue was reportedly sold out

This was pretty much the look throughout the concert.

Alex smiled every time he heard the first few bars and recognised the song, then for some he sang along loudly or swayed from side to side, but didn't say a word to us until intermission. Found these other images people took online:

Alex caught up with other concert goers he knows afterwards...just didn't want to go!

We'll have to keep an eye out for other concerts he'd enjoy.

Another year older

Big week! 23 years old this week and a really enjoyable birthday.

Plenty of loot over brekky in the morning

Like the sound of the electric toothbrush more than actually using it :)

Had a happy night at the pub

And when everyone at the pub sings you happy birthday...

 

...you just have to clap and sing along as loudly as you can !

Central Coast trip

Alex started preparing for this trip early by saying "Ettalong! Ettalong!" every chance he got. We stayed near the water at Ettalong.

Wasn't hard to miss the hotel when we were looking for it.

As usual, Alex enjoyed getting used to his "holiday digs" especially his king sized bed.

There are lovely views walking along the waterfront

We met up with our favourite residents of the greater Gosford area (all Ettalong to Alex)

Visited their house, which was the highlight of the trip for Alex.

Exotic lounge sitting

Had a picnic of toasted cheese sandwiches on the lounge...had to get used to the multigrain
if you're wondering about the face. 

Lovely water views there too, once you get through the "filtering"

And interesting inhabitants

Alex got to go out and do cool things while the 'rents went out to lunch together.

Alex:"Maybe should have shut my eyes under the spa!"

All in all, it was a happy holiday with plenty of "Ettalong! Ettalong!" every morning.