First day in the field

OK, so it was Friday, the goal was to stake all drilling locations and meet with the utility locator to get them cleared. We drive about 30 km away from town (still in the sprawl) to Dandenong (say Dandy-nong) Treatment Plant, an old wastewater treatment plan that they are reclaiming. Already onsite are two test-pitting GAP crews. Once we get there, get our bearings, and place the first stake, I thought it would be good to get some practice driving because at least there would be no traffic (the site is basically just open fields with some random tank areas). 30 m away I sink the ute (SUV- which really is just one of those boxy vans that is a 4x4) in mud up to the hubcaps. So off we go to stake these locations in grass up to our knees (OK, most of it was mowed, but not that well!) across this km+ site. Luckily the test pit crew took pity on us and had an excavator come over and nudge us out of the mud around lunch time. How does the saying go? "If it weren't for bad luck..."

No more drama there the rest of the day, though I did hear my first Australian "Crikey!" due to traffic.

Later that evening I went with one of my office mates to the Spanish Film Festival in South Yarra. A "posh" neighborhood between Hawthorn (where I live and work) and Melbourne. I went with Lorenzo, an Italian who recently moved to Oz, to meet his friends Lydia and Jorge, Spaniards, and Julia and Peter, Frenchies. Double cheek kissing all around. The movie was good, though shocking as only a spanish speaking transvestite musical can be, and then we went to a bar down the road that was relatively empty, but it had big couches. After the bar we went to an Indian restaurant that was just about to close and after giving the owner the sad eyes, he let us stay and eat, but only if we left by 11. (I think it wasn't really the sad eyes so much as the fact that Lydia and Jorje were regulars.) I was able to ward off the curry and everything was good.

OK, so now I am off to do grocery shopping near the Uni on Glenferrie Road before heading downtown. Lots of trains in my future today.