How did I get here?

It has been a massive three days in HouseGoesHome land.

The youngest turned 18 on Friday and we went to the coolest place called The Surf Deck to celebrate. Sitting in the restaurant feels like you’ve gone on holidays – the decor is tropical and the view is divine.

We ordered Pina Coladas and soft tacos and pizza and I felt like I had been transported to Dukes on Waikiki Beach, without the long plane flight.

The youngest had asked for surprises for her birthday – in addition to the gifts she’d chosen for herself – so my ex and I concocted a plan to get her a car using some early inheritance money from her grandparents together with cash we kicked in.

Despite being desperate to get a car for ages, the youngest had made no effort to acquire one, other than sending random me carsales.com ads for totally impractical vehicles.

She had been too busy partying, going to uni classes and driving my car.

As youngest is very particular about everything, I had sounded her out on acceptable models and colours. She had her heart set on a 4WD, but the only ones in her price range were made last century – literally, which didn’t feel like a practical choice for a teenager who hasn’t found a job yet.

So we went with a more practical 2011 Subaru Outback.

We gave her a gift wrapped box at the restaurant with the key inside it. The car was parked outside.

It sounds like one of those joyous video moments that people put on Facebook.

It was not.

I will leave it at that.

I am running a little low on resilience after the ups and downs of the past few years, so I spent the weekend riding a rollercoaster of desolation and elation.

The elation was created by driving up to Pokolbin on Saturday for DD’s bestie Scott’s 60th.

I missed the Friday night pre-celebration due to being at the youngest’s 18th. Apparently people were still dancing at 2am, then they all backed up for a gorgeous lunch at Restaurant Botanica.

DD made a snap decision while we were having pre-lunch bubbles that he would give an impromptu speech based on Talking Heads’ ‘Once in A Lifetime’ …

You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile

And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife

And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”

According to songwriter David Byrne, the song is about the unconscious.

“You know, we operate half awake or on autopilot and end up, whatever, with a house and family and job and everything else, and we haven’t really stopped to ask ourselves, ‘How did I get here?’,” he told NPR many years ago.

DD used the lyrics to highlight how his mate had gotten to such a good place in his life.

The party kicked on at the house next door that the friends had rented and it continued until midnight. Blimey, who knew 60-year-olds had that much energy?

I was knackered the next morning, but perked up over a Restaurant Botanica brekkie of corn and cheddar fritters with smashed avo.

Then I swung past my parents’ place for a coffee and natter on their balcony before heading back to Sydney.

The plan had been to head to DD’s for a swim and dinner, but I arrived home to discover the youngest was too tired from her weekend of partying to drive back to uni in her birthday car.

She decided she was staying the night at my place and wanted to know what was for dinner?

So I cancelled my plans with DD and went to Woolies and Chargrill Charlie’s instead.

And now it’s Monday. But fortunately it’s a short week. I will get that swim I missed sometime over Easter when I drive to the Northern Beaches to give DD back his Saab, which he kindly lent us for the last five weeks or so while the youngest was using mine at uni.

How was your weekend? Hopefully a little less tumultuous than mine.

Song of the day: Talking Heads “Once in a lifetime”