Welcome to "Retirement" - Monday, March 2

[Photo above: view from the condo’s living room balcony]

I began my day bright and early this morning with a beautiful beach-front walk with my Mom. Bliss. The weather is perfect – hot but not disgustingly so. We walked 7km. My knee didn’t bother me at all.

We returned for a breakfast of French toast and tropical fruit – papaya, mango, pear, and apricot. Everything tastes so fresh and flavourful here. After breakfast we headed to the beach first taking a stroll and collecting seashells. I then took a boogie board we found in our condo’s storage locker out to catch some waves. I had fun despite the fact that the board was pretty useless. I definitely want to surf instead as soon as I can line up a surfboard.

The afternoon had an unusual twist. My parents and I went to the Coolangatta Hotel and they pulled out coupons so we could each get a $15 cocktail for free – mine a mix of rum, butterscotch, and ginger beer was fantastic! We then entered a gaming area off the main bar that was full of slot machines (pokies in Aussie lingo). Mini Vegas in Oz! My parents then handed in another three coupons and we were each given $3 to gamble. I love the way seniors operate! Those playing between 2:30-3:30 pm were eligible to win a cash prize of up to $500 just for playing. So we played for a little while. I lasted half an hour before I quit. That was pretty good for me as I’m not a slots fan. My mom quit with me. My dad lasted the whole hour and got entered into the draw but unfortunately did not win.

Monday nights are free movie nights at the [social] club nearest my parents’ place so we showed up at Twin Towns for a light dinner and a movie. The movie was not fantastic. It was too soon for me to sit still for that long after my journey here. I felt like I was back on the airplane watching another endless movie only this time I could not flip through a magazine or do a Sudoku puzzle while it was on! It was another early night which suited me just fine as I was anxious to get up early for another beachfront walk.