Tuesday 23rd I could put it off no longer the time had come for my thyroid to be removed. I was admitted to The Mount hospital after I finished work and had a visit from the anaesthetist about 8.00pm as Kimbo was leaving. Kaye the girl in the bed next to me said she didn't envy me as she’d had hers done yesterday, had a terrible night last night and is going home tomorrow…..ominous! Time to sleep. Next morning I was allowed my last drink at 5.45am I was already awake…who can sleep in a hospital it’s so noisy! I wrote letters and generally kept myself busy until Kimbo came in about 11.0am to keep me company.   I had my pre-med about 12.30pm but didn’t go to theatre until about 3.00pm the next thing I remember was being back in the room with Kimbo and Annie with me and throwing up, which I continued to do all night.
After a terrible night’s sleep I began to feel normal again after having my drip removed and a lovely bath. Mr Edis (the surgeon) came in took my bandage off and said all looked well, to me the cut looked horrible. Kimbo arrived about 11.00am and stayed until 2.30pm when I felt like dozing off. He’d survived his first night alone and realised he’d be on his own again tonight. Annie was on today and took care of me. Stu rang and was pleased I sounded so well. I think he thought the surgery might have shut me up for a bit! Friday morning I was allowed to go home. I rang Kimbo and he bolted in to pick me up, I was gone by 10.30am. I didn’t do much just read and slept.

By Sunday I was back on top of things, although my neck looked a little horrible – it looked like I’d had my second head cut off. When we went out I had some serious stares and thought I'd scare small children so I decided to stay home for the week.
Wednesday 30th March Kimbo started work as a canvasser for Wheelchair Sports (26hr/week, 6day/week $300/week) having seen an ad in the paper. He lasted a day he just couldn’t do it as it didn’t seem right. He handed back his kit on Thursday and was told he would be paid 50% of all he’d collected. It made me think more about donation collectors.

We got to see INXS @ The Metropolis Club in Freo – a small intimate venue which was simply sensational and we just loved it.

We do lots of bike riding as Perth is so flat and they have wonderful bike tracks. On one trip I lost my concentration for a moment and rode into a cyclone fence. I don’t know what hurt more, my shoulder, my arm or my pride. It couldn’t happen on a side road, oh no, it was on Guildford Road a very busy main road. After I picked myself up, dusted myself off and realised there was no damage to my bike we rode home. I think it was all Kimbo could do not to piss himself laughing.

Red letter day 15th April Kimbo had his first ever interview and started work on 28th April at Marlows a spare parts business much like Repco and Autocheap. Once a spare parts interpreter always a spare parts interpreter it would seem. Funny to see him in a tie, he had to buy one as he certainly didn't own one. No more surfing for him during the week!

On one of our evening walks to the airport I said to Kimbo "isn’t it amazing, you’d think of all these people that arrive from Adelaide, we’d know somebody?" A flight from Adelaide was always landing when we were there. Well b***** me I turned around and there was Jim and Pam Wilton and their three boys, hadn’t seen them for years. While I was waffling on to them I was standing in Jeff McMullin’s (60 Minutes) way….gee so sorry Jeff. Very funny.

We try to get away as much as we can on the weekends when Kimbo wasn't working. One trip up the coast we visited Lancelin about 120km north of Perth the windsurfing capital of Oz which was no surprise once we arrived. On the way home we stopped at Ledge Point ( a surfing spot of course) and Seabird. Both places had massive houses and cray boats moored, so I guess there’s plenty of money to be made crayfishing. The best little town of all was Guilderton also on the coast but at the mouth of the Moore River. A gorgeous little town and we think we’ll be back for a weekend camping

Walyunga National Park not far from us just behind the Darling Scarp in the Darling Ranges was another gem. There were some fabulous walks and the one we did was a 6km walk from Walyunga Pool up to Syd’s Rapids along the bank of the Swan River. It was a gorgeous day for a walk.

More friends left the park to continue there travelling journeys. I always feel a bit funny when they drive away...I wish it was us. But loving all that Perth has to often.