a new post to lessen the length of the last one

By 'eck I ramble on. To split things up I'll start a new post. Budget Rental Cars, Sunday morning and I got a newish Toyota Camry to drive to Mount Duneed and then to the airport. The rental place, on Melbourne's Southbank had a sign proudly stating you could collect you car here and drive all the way to Sydney without incurring a 'different drop-off' fee. Unfortunately you could not pick up a car in Melbourne and drop it off at Melbourne Airport without incurring the $33 fee. Excuse me? Mind boggling, but I was fortunate enough to find the aforementioned Toyota was from their Melbourne Airport location, so after they called and got the OK for me to hire that car (I kid you not) I was able to hire the larger car for the same price as the cheapest and cheerfulnessless one I had intended to hire. So that was nice.

To make sure I was first in the queue, a queue that consisted of me, I arrived early and had time to wander off, get a coffee and take a few more pictures, not of graffiti. I also had the opportunity to get rather annoyed at not being allowed to take a picture of a coffee machine. It was a grand old thing, all brass and reflection and in my minds eye I had the black and white picture I was going to take. So I asked if I could take the picture, barista asking person two if that was OK. Person two wanted to know why I wanted to take a picture and I said it was a nice machine and it would make a nice picture and she said, nicely, sorry - no. Fair enough said I, barely disguising my hurt, it's your machine. I left the building, the coffee now a little more bitter.

Two things; if the answer was going to be no why ask what I wanted the picture for? That is me externalising. The other thing; if I was not prepared for "no", as clearly I wasn't, why did I ask? Note to self - make sure you are prepared for all possible answers to the questions you ask. The reason I asked, by the way, is politeness and my sense that it was the right thing to do. Dick head. I went to get the car.

As I got the car Sal was still in bed so it was a good job I called to wake her. I crossed the river, we bade JCJ and Susan farewell and headed to Torquay and the start of the Great Ocean Road. We had enough time to look at a couple of beaches; obviously Bells (nice clean waves but small) and the unimaginatively named Torquay Surf Beach before heading to The Rose for breakfast. I link to them so you can see their pictures; I was by now passively stressing about new dog and took no pictures. Shame on me.

After a wolfed-down breakfast and a chat with the surfiest surfer dude waiter in the land we headed to Mount Duneed to meet Rowlf for the first time. We spent a fair while with our breeder (I'll name no names, not because she - ooh! a clue! - asked us not too but because I didn't ask if I could) and the seven-to-become-six Irish Water Spaniels she was living with. Of the litter there were three pups left. We met mum Belle, a grand 13yr old fella, Finn, the other two remaining littermates and Cara, a wonderful to behold but somewhat grumpy girl. Should have taken loads of pictues - didn't. We played and ooed and ahed over her dogs, collected little Rowlf and bade her a fond farewell.

And with that I think I have covered most of the main points of the weekend.