Super Sis and Superlise

My Lovely Sister (the one in the wedding dress)


Other than what appears to be happening at my beloved Chelsea, if the last week were a poker hand it would have been K-K on a flop off K-9-3 off suit.

Well what wonderful events have occurred this past week

1. Sisters birthday. My lovely sister Ailish had her birthday last week and sent me an email, here are the opening sentences

So – here’s the setting - I am in a camper van with no electricity or power somewhere random on the east coast of Oz and I manage to get champagne and a cake delivered to your table in a restaurant in Gib for your birthday....
Meanwhile yesterday you are in some flash hotel in Melbourne and you cant even manage to send me a text or an email even when I reminded you of my upcoming birthday??!!!!!!!!!!
A very fair point and extremely well made, sorry Sis, I will attempt to bribe my way back into your good books when I get back (Shoes, Champagne etc)

2. Super Lise. Those of you who read the Stanspokerblog will remember a little Scottish urchin I used to manage called CD. He has a lovely girlfriend called Laura and she in turn has a lovely best friend called Annalise.

Annalise and I had met each other twice and had a good laugh. The 2nd time we went out for a good bevy and somewhere along the night the Oz trip came into conversation and she said she fancied it, I said come along, go for it, end result, I met a somewhat dazed Superlise at the airport Saturday morning. We gonna do some travelling together and enjoy a few laughs.

Superlise has many ‘Bridget Jones’ qualities about her, clumsiness being one of them. Within 5 minutes of hitting the streets of Melbourne yesterday she tripped over a Japanese tourist and later screamed in fright at a passerby who was checking to see if she was ok, resulting with him screaming in fright. We have been able to rent a flat for a couple of weeks, today I tossed her my favourite tennis ball, which she promptly fumbled and dropped, out of the window. I shall have to look after Superlise methinks but it will be no burden as she seems to be a Super young Lady and funnier than a barrel full of monkeys on laughing gas.



Superlise aka Bridget J

3. Food. I love food and Melbourne is a food lover’s paradise with literally thousands of restaurants of all types all over the place. The standard of food and range of produce is frightening. Tonight a few of us are going for a budget blowing gourmet dinner at one of Australia’s finest chefs new restaurants; after that it will be a firm tightening of the budget belt and reducing the blubber that is interfering with my other belt. Happily Superlise is on a fitness regime so I may well join her in her early morning jogging moments.

4. Cinema. As well as great food Melbourne has great cinemas and I have discovered the beauty of paying a little extra to attend the ‘Gold Cinema’. Here you get seats that recline so far back that I managed to inadvertently put my head on the lap of the Lady behind me whilst all my change fell out of my pockets. I quickly rescued the change and myself then pressed the in seat attendant button which alerted a waitress who bought me a decent glass of Chablis and I settled down to enjoy ‘The Queen’, (great film well worth a watch).

5. Poker. Melbourne has been kind and the poker players kinder with many of them clubbing together and contributing towards the ‘Paul Spillane has expensive taste so lets make it a little easier on his pocket’ fund. So far I have not had a losing session, a combination of playing small stakes and not getting unlucky have enabled me to have a nice little run and cover a lot of the recently incurred expenses.

Tennis. The Swan and I have seen some great games and great players (Mauresmo, Sharapova, Williams, Roddick, Federer, Safin) but the 2 best games where the Gaël Monfils match and last nights Murray v Nadal. Sadly the mighty Brit was defeated in 5 sets but what a game and what a great performance; Nadal 21 Monfils 19 and Murray 19 look the most likely contenders to Federer’s throne. We have also continued to be invited as Willie’s guests to breakfast with the great and good of the tennis world though the novelty has worn off now.



This is the picture of him on wikepdia, he obviously gets real excited when he wins a point

6. Action Dave and Amanda. My friend Action Dave has been on great form and with his lovely Missus Amanda, invited Superlise, The Swan King Richard and I to a party on Saturday night over in Brighton, a well to do suburb of Melbourne. Jell-O shots, Abba, Mojitos, Cigars and Blondie are all staples of a good party and where provided in abundant measures by the host Lolly whose 21st the party was in aid off.

King Richard won the ‘Oh no I’m gonna regret this in the morning prize’, in fact he also won the silver and bronze in a performance that has ended up with him booking himself into a health farm in Thailand for a week, marvelous stuff.

Other things of note, the weather. This place has the strangest weather in the world, one day 30+ sunny next 14 and raining, next 44+ and humid, next 17 windy and torrid rain. It’s all to do with the wind apparently.
Also as mentioned I was able to rent an apartment bang smack in the middle of Melbourne, which has saved a fortune on hotels and yet is a little more comforting than the hostels we are soon to encounter. I’m extending my Oz trip and am now not sure when I have to go back to reality, as soon as the money runs out I guess.

Things planned for this week other than tonight’s dinner are

Wednesday: trip to food markets to pick up grub for dinner party we are hosting for those who have assisted us in Melbourne so far.

Thursday: Weather permitting picnic and beach day

Friday: Australia Day, carnage potential massive

Saturday: Hangover day

Sunday: Men’s final

After that we have a couple of other things on the wish list then its ‘Outback’ time, Gawd help us.