December 2021

2021 winds up. Two years of a pandemic that was still dragging on. Nick struggling with his health but looks to be getting on top of it, James & Keno working primarily from home in Oxford, Olivia has spent a busy but fun year in Adelaide and the Oldies continue working in Brisbane. December saw Olivia making it to Brisbane (it was touch and go) for Christmas with Jan, Jim and the whanau; Nick moving in with his friend in Ballina until he gets some matters settled; Olivia's birthday, and Stephen & Paulie making a dash to Adelaide to deliver a replacement for her hail-damaged car. And then Jon has bad news but comedian friends help out, The local rag runs Jon's pal Mandy's soapbox section that reads well.

1 Dec 3 - something funny is happening with AL & Jacko at dinner	2 Dec 5 - Shari drops in on a quick visit from the Clan Dunlop patriarch & matriarch	3 Then Stephen tries to get into the new hammock	4 Dec 7 - Olivia's birthday celebrated remotely
5 With housemates Diana and Fred	6 .	7 Followed by their Adelaide festivities	8 .
9 Dec 8 - literally flying down Mt Cootha	10 Still time to chat with the red gums	11 Dec 11 - pal Lyndon comes to check out the car Olivia is thinking about buying to replace her written-off hail damaged car. The challenge? It's in Brisbane and Olivia is 2,020 km away.	12 Adelaide celebrations continue
13 Some feline (quiet) festivities	14 .	15 Dec 14 - a check in on James in Oxford	16 Dec 19 - Olivia continues her fitness training
17 Dec 20 - the decision is made. Olivia buys the Brisbane VW Polo.	18 Which just fits in storage under the house until it is decided what to do with it.	19 Teaching Rosie to shake hands?	20 Dec 22 - David and AL have Stephen & Paulie over for dinner
21 Olivia is wearing Scrubs from The House Of Turnbull's designer Pauline	22 Dec 24 - Christmas Eve. Nick comes up from Ballina and the Traynors join us for dinner.	23 But not all can make it to Christmas Eve or indeed Christmas dinner! Shari and Pete have to isolate as Pete's son was in close contact with a COVID positive pal...	24 ...so we drop in emergency beer and a few Rapid Antigen Tests
25 What to do with ham Pete cooked for a family gathering? They won't starve.	26 Dec 25th - the smallest festive group photo. Olivia flew up from Adelaide late Christmas Eve	27 And her car was officially handed over. Still unsure how to get it to Adelaide.	28 Dec 25 - Rosie agrees to join a Christmas photo before the humans head out
29 Claudie and Jess are without mother Shari given her quarantine, but handle a Christmas breakfast without raising a sweat!	30 The "adults" just sit back and relax. Ho, ho, ho.	31 The boyfriends on BBQ and table setting. Great work	32 Quickly home just before it rains, so gutter cleared and then...
33 .... off to Clan Dunlop's Christmas dinner. Sebastian Rubinsztein-Dunlop has time off from Lismore and Broome hospitals	34 And to prep the Nordic Nibbles, Gravlax	35 Time for kids to get gifts	36 .
37 .	38 .	39 Dec 26 - a 600 metre drive to Stef and Adrienne Dunlop's pad tho inspect recent rennovations	40 .
41 .	42 .	43 .	44 The gals head to the beach
45 .	46 Then more food	47 The trio head home after the beach visit. Starting a tricky jigsaw on the 27th	48 Which is making progress by the 28th Dec
49 That evening it's wine tasting with Oxford. Both teams taste a McLaren Vale red	50 ... apart from Paulie who can't drink red wine. Thankfully a rosé was chilled)	51 Looking for some tasting notes on the "Tipple" App	52 .
53 Both rank their wines at 3 out of 4.	54 .	55 .	56 Dec 29 - a quick visit to the St Lucia Athertons. Chris handed over a gift. The proud proletariat look.
57 Dec 30 - Time to return to Adelaide	58 .	59 .	60 Dec 31 - 6:08 am. A few days back Paulie and Stephen decided that delivering the car in person might make for a fun 2,000 km Roadtrip.