Being together with Old Mate since 1983, I would have thought I knew everything about how to be in a successful relationship.
Before my dad died, the year after Old Mate and I got together, he told me how to do it: “Just agree with everything they say. If you think you are right, you probably are, but don’t tell them that and you will be bonza.”
Just like Bonza, the failed airline, I have hit some turbulence over those 42 years.
I have managed to stay somewhat on course, although the past three weeks I nearly ended up like Bonza – wrecked!
The past three weeks, due to circumstances I can’t discuss, we have been spending nearly every waking hour together.
What a treat that has been.
I have been a full-on bird butler, which wasn’t going so well until my grandson, Ryder, got on the payroll.
That has probably saved me half a house and he gets a new surfboard. Win win!
Being together for so long, you’d think I would know where everything is. Well, no.
Bird cages have been my biggest challenge. Seeds go exactly here. Fresh food exactly there. The birds get this nut before they go to bed (I’m not sure who the nut is).
Washing up, apparently, doesn’t self-dry if it still has suds on it. Who would have guessed?
I have vacuuming down pat – apart from the fact I do it too quickly. So, I mustn’t be doing as good a job as Old Mate, who takes way longer.
Of course, among all this happiness and me biting my tongue (thanks to Dear Old Dad), we had a pending cyclone, which had added pressure for all and sundry.
Having 29 birds inside the house, sandbags and emergency pot plant storage made for fun times.
Did I mention the only thing that outnumbers the birds are pot plants which, apparently, I am in charge of watering when they finally resume their original position?
Like me, they are looking a bit under the weather.
So, I get sent to water all the pot plants with an accusing stare that means “why haven’t you been?”.
But what I tell you next probably sums up what Old Mate has to put up with.
She comes out to check on my watering skills and just bursts out laughing: “What are you doing? You know those plants are plastic.”
Dad would be so proud.
Ashley Robinson is chairman of the Sunshine Coast Falcons and Sunshine Coast Thunder Netball, and a lifetime Sunshine Coast resident.
