Meg's House

It's been around a year and a half since I last saw Meg and the family, and the dynamics are so different this time around! Kids have grown (Loughlin is taller than me at last, it was bound to happen), Ailis and Mayar are now living downstairs (with a new baby!) and Fitz the puppy has joined the clan.

Fitz is the biggest puppy I've ever met. At one year old he's already a giant, but he's a friendly one who loves people, pats and soft toys. There are two cats who've joined Mr. Norris, the cranky orange senior cat, and Onyx; fur-child of Ailis and Mayar. Fitz has discovered the joy of sleeping on my floor mattress and many mornings here I'm greeted by a very-excited giant puppy rumbling down the stairs. Vinnie loves his belly-rubs as much as last time, along with standing hopefully by the dinner table with pathetically cute doggy-eyes.

The area is beautiful, surrounded by hills and greenery. I'm laughed at for my multiple layers of clothing - this little mainlander feels the cold! Other than much mutual teasing ("Where were you for the birth Mem?" "Why didn't you wait, like I'd told you?"), things are pleasant, albeit a little louder than I'm used to. I'm well cared for with delicious meals, and work hard at my laptop while Meg shares ridiculous and hilarious facebook posts with us.

Actually, work is an issue. I suddenly have a handful of deadlines all due this week, and I'm learning that Harry Potter is a serious distraction. However hard I try to focus on the computer screen, the

television is hypnotic. Meg gives me the first book to read, and I suspect that once I start reading, nothing will get done. Back to work.

I've finally tracked down a second-hand jacket. It's a kid's size, so the sleeves are a little short, but the rest fits fine and it will do the job. I test it while I'm hanging out the laundry - the wind is crazy down here. Meg takes me to a nearby town with four charity stores and I stock up on warmer clothes. It's amazing what great things you can find in an op shop and I wonder why we bother buying new clothes at all. Surely there's enough fashion in the world now?

On Saturday, Angus and I make a visit to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. 8 1/2 year-old Angus is a massive dinosaur fan and as his parents have promised, he talks my ear off for the best part of the morning. We see sandpits for archaeological "digs", moving models with fur and feathers, and a blue screen where kids can dress up in a dino costume and see themselves onscreen alongside their favourite dinosaurs. Angus flies through the exhibition, comes exploring another section on Antarctica for a while, then suggests that perhaps I'd like to revisit the dinosaurs before we leave, just in case we've missed something.

On our way out, we visit a small display of traditional Aboriginal life and handicraft, and Angus and I discuss why it's important to keep this knowledge alive. In Tasmania, the Aboriginal population was all but destroyed. It's an awful part of a shameful history of settlement, and it's the least we can do to learn a little about the traditional way of life, before the white man came.

I grab a curry from the local vegan cafe, where Angus turns up his nose at anything vegan - even the cakes on display! It makes for a very interesting conversation on the way home, ending with Mr 8.5 in fits of laughter, telling me I'm an expert "roaster." Guess I always was good at debating.

There's a cafe called Veg Bar that I visited last time I came to Tasmania. I'm keen to check it out again, so Meg and I meet the new parents for dinner. Baby Solfryd is an instant celebrity, not even a week old and already charming the tables around us. The couple next to us are particularly enthralled and we overhear the young man say to his girlfriend as they walk out, "I want one!"

Food-wise, Meg seems to have made the best choice with what she insists was a very nice nachos. Mayar and I both order the classic burger, which is possibly one of the most underwhelming things I've ever eaten. Not wanting to end the meal with disappointment, I make sure to follow it up with a blueberry crumble, complete with coconut ice-cream. There, that's better.

It's not much of an adventurous week. Between new babies, work deadlines and visitors (hi Katy! Was lovely to see you!), we spend most of our time at the house. As always, it's great to see Meg face-to-face, particularly since my recent habit of calling on the drive home from work coincides with her cooking dinner. She's stuck with me this week, and how nice it is to giggle over life together again.