Saying goodbye

You can’t see it clearly in my photo, but there was a little rainbow over the headland at Bilgola Beach yesterday evening.

I decided it was the universe sending me a sign that I’d made the right move to race up the coast for a last swim before winter arrives.

It was so beautiful in the water, bobbing beneath the pinks and yellows of the sunset.

DD piked on me. I asked if we could go for a swim together, but he said it was too cold. So I got all steely eyed and determined and went without him. Don’t worry, I was just splashing in the shallows.

When I emerged from the surf there was a text message asking where I was: he’d changed his mind about having a swim.

You snooze, you lose.

The water was divine, warm and gentle and reviving.

I needed that soothing swim after a visit to Silverwater Correctional Centre. I always find it a little harrowing to visit jail. Kathy was off-kilter too – she found watching the first week of the inquiry into her convictions pretty distressing. Listening to the awful details about the autopsies carried out on her children was hard.

The second week of the inquiry kicks off today. My friend Tracy is down for it. She’s steadfastly attending every court day, which is pretty amazing – and exhausting – as she lives up Coffs Harbour way.

During the drive to jail the freaking “top up oil levels” signal in my car came on yet again. It really is the vehicle that keeps on giving. It cost me $300 for brake pads on Saturday and the mechanic reckons it could do with new brake discs as well, on top of the $230 I just paid for new front tyres and $390 for a new battery.

Sigh. Money pit.

I will need to refinance my mortgage if I keep haemorrhaging cash at this rate.

On the drive home, I stared longingly a roadside advertisement announcing a Qantas sale on flights to Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Oooooh, how I’d love to go to Ningaloo Reef. It’s on my Top 10 travel bucket list.

I’m tempted to check how much the airfares are … yeah, I’m broke, but you only live once …

Nah, I’m way too sensible for that. About as reckless as I get is buying a lottery ticket … and frolicking solo in knee-deep water at sunset.

Better buy that lottery ticket.

Goodbye Indian summer swims, you were gorgeous.

Song of the day: Kylie Minogue “Lucky”