Catching up…Blues n Roots, Easter, No Job

I have so much to catch up on writing…the past few weeks have definitely been the best here yet starting with the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival. The Festival was amazing! So many good bands and just a full day of music and sunshine! I drove up by myself since I had the weekend off but ended up meeting up with some friends of my coworker who I met at a bar a few days before. It is so hard to pick favorites since all the bands were incredible but I have to say Buddy Guy was hilarious and John Butler Trio is just so iconic of Freo that it was great to see him from just behind the rail, really great performer. I saw pretty much every band with prime viewing right by the front rail, I endured hunger, a back ache and an almost bursting bladder to not give up my spot and it was worth it. After spending the night in my car, I stayed the next day and hung out in Freo and Perth, visited Kings Botanical Garden which was really just a path with lots of trees, nice but nothing too exciting. I was exhausted when I came home and just collapsed in bed. The past few weeks have been a blur really, I'm trying to even remember all the stuff I've done. I've been going to Malt for a Burger and Pint for the past few Wednesdays, pretty good food and pretty much the only place to socialize in this area unless you want to hang out with the Busso bogans.

Easter weekend was really fun as well, of course I got four days off. I went to Malt Good Friday night since they had a DJ, pretty strange selection of tunes ranging from Michael Jackson to Britney Spears and other singers who I forgot existed, better off that way really. It was fun though, I was pretty tired from going out the past few nights. I went to Lake Cave on saturday, a pretty small cave with a lake in the middle and lots of crystal formations including a huge one that is suspended from the ceiling. It was cool I suppose but not worth $20, plus I don't like natural things cluttered by walking paths, steps and rails and I'm not a fan of tour guides. I had some pretty tasty Thai food in Busselton with Drew that night and had a good Semillion Sauvignon Blanc from Watershed I think, I managed to finish off the bottle in the car while waiting hours for a taxi. The next day I hung out with Drew and went to see Alice in Wonderland which was amazing, I loved Alice's dresses and Johnny Depp's eye makeup was awesome. After lunch in a nice little café I went home to rest awhile before going out that night for a big easter Sunday session. I went to Drew's house and met a few of his friends, had a few drinks then headed off the Caves house which was where the biggest party was happening. Of course when we got there at 5:00 they were at maximum capacity (may people got there at 3 just to stand in line) but being with a group of kiwi boys we inevitably found a way in. As I crawled under the unsupervised back fence I watched a swarm of people break through the gate and we entered quickly without anyone noticing. It was ridiculously packed and I was in a party mood, really excited. I was already with Drew and Louis from work and some of their friends but we happened to see Steven from work too so we all hung out for awhile before heading to Malt. Malt was packed as well and we were lucky to get in just in time. So we stayed there awhile then went to Steven's house since he lived pretty close by. We got a taxi home around midnight, just so funny to me how early the night life ends here but I was ready to go home for sure by that time. I did a little touring with Drew the next day, went to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse which we didn't go in but walked around the path in the spitting rain, I saw some kind of lizard but I cant remember what it is called now. Then we went to the Margaret River Chocolate Factory for some free samples and a few treats, yummy I made myself slightly sick…the chocolate covered hazelnut clusters were amazing! We stopped by Saracen Winery/Duckstein Brewery to take a look at the beautiful facility and have a beer. The restaurant is surrounded by vineyards and has huge glass windows that look out onto a patio above a small lake. We discussed our plans for the day as I sipped my delicious Dunkel beer, Drew had the Alt beer which was good too. We were both pretty exhausted and it was gloomy and rainy so we decided to see another movie. It was nice to just sit for awhile but the movie was lame, The Bounty Hunter was the only show on. We sat at Cena eating pizza and watching people pass, we walked back across the street to my car only to find that it was dead. I have the hardest time remembering to turn the lights off because it doesn't ding or anything when I get out of the car and the battery doesn't like that of course. So I got someone to jump start it, it died again, another jump start, made it to the edge of the street and died again…third time was the charm and I let it sit awhile. Drew and I decided it was a great way to meet people though haha, first a guy who had just been fishing where we were earlier that day then some middle aged women from Illinois who were going to do the Indy Mini Marathon this year then a local lady who wasn't sure how to jump start a car. Interesting half hour. I left my lights on again yesterday so that makes 5 jump starts (including the 3 in a row) since I got the car a month ago, pretty good record.I drove Drew home to Dunsborough and we stopped for some groceries along the way, I did not leave my lights on. An incredibly exhausting and great weekend.

We were expecting a lot of the reds to come in the next couple weeks at work so I was excited to get some hours and make a little money since I had so much time off recently. So after a busy week and the prospect of rain to come, we got all the rest of the fruit in within a few days. As I walked out the door Sunday night my boss said, Amanda that was the last of the fruit so I wish you luck its been nice working with you thanks, and walked away. Um ok I was in a bit of shock since I expected at least another week of work and at least some notice. I almost cried as I sat at the plastic table in front of work drinking a Coopers with Drew and Alex, what am I supposed to do now. I went out with Drew that night and had a few drinks and just talked about possibilities. I am still really confused, there are so many details to work out like selling my car which I don't fully have the license to yet, getting a flight somewhere, deciding where I will go, getting a job first or once I get there, seeing things in this area that I haven't yet. I'm trying to just take one step at a time and not stress myself or worry about making sudden plans. Last night I went to the Drive In movie with Drew and saw the Fantastic Mr Fox and Avatar, eating lollies and drinking wine in the back of my car. Really great night, excellent movies to see at a drive in. I kept falling asleep through Avatar until it ended at midnight, I didn't have to work today but I felt sorry for Drew who had to drive home and go to work at 8am. Today it has been blowing rain all day and I've pretty much been on my computer since I woke up. I keep going back and forth with my plans. 1) Stay here, keep my car, get a new house and job but the social scene is getting old. 2) Move to Perth, get a job, keep my car, travel on weekends, already know cool people there. 3) Work on a pearling boat in Broome if I can get the job. 4) Go to Darwin and find a job, but not sure if it would be fun to live there for long since it is in the middle of nowhere. If I go anywhere north I will need to book a flight quickly which is more expensive and I have to make sure I can sell my car before I go. Ugh don't know, it would be perfect if I got the pearling job but I haven't heard from either of the companies I called, Darwin would be cool but I don't know about staying there 2 months. I feel like I haven't gotten the most out of this area and I may never come back, I've seen pretty much what I wanted to see once but there are places I'd like to go back to. This morning I was set on Darwin but this afternoon I am leaning more toward Freo since I know there is a good social life, I wouldn't have to book any last minutes flights and pack all my stuff and I could keep my car a little while longer. I could work there until July, go to Bali then if I want to go to Darwin I could work there a month before heading to Melbourne. I think unless I get a call from the pearling place that is what I will do. I would stay in Margaret River but it's just so small town, everyone knows everyone and goes to the same two places every Friday night, not my style really. Drew is my only friend here and I will miss him tons but at least if I'm in Perth I can come down for a visit sometime. So yeah I'm thinking Perth might be best due to the suddenness of my decisions. We will see…