Day 1. Narita, Japan

Well here we are in our rather warmish hotel room (the Nikko Narita) watching CNN Japan which has live coverage of the Pope extending personal and heartfelt farewells to his 240 cardinals.  And look, there's George Pell! We are particularly enjoying the Japanese voiceover. Geoff would prefer to watch the porn channel but I won't allow it.  He will have to be content with the porn channel brochure instead - it has a pic of a young woman who boasts a 95 cm J cup.  Goodness, almost as well-endowed as me.

The flight from Sydney wasn't bad but the main meal was pretty horrible.  I had a minced gumboot masquerading as a hamburger, served with noodle, salad, salami and potato salad. Filling, if nothing else.  Geoff had teriyaki chicken which he pronounced inedible without even a bite.  Still, there was plenty of beer and wine to tide us over, so all was well.  We watched Argo on our 4 inch screens - I thought it was a rattling good yarn but Geoff described it as 'mawkish American triumphalism'.  That's my boy! 

Off to London tomorrow - woo hoo!  Narita airport is far more civilised than Sydney. It's huge but very efficient and clean.  Yesterday we had to stand in a virtual rubbish dump outside Sydney airport with about 200 other people waiting for a shuttle bus to our hotel. Narita is far more civilised.

No pics with this post alas - my phone's not working and I haven't got a cable to use the camera.  Pity, as I took an excellent pic of Geoffy wearing his brocade smoking jacket and reclining on his futon.  More tomorrow from the Old Dart!  XXXX   

PM for a day. Or Journalist. No, wait...

When Susie wants a work experience gig, she doesn't faff around with menial jobs in sweatshops.  
"PM for a day might be just the ticket", she said.  And Ms Julia agreed.

"Or perhaps Journalism might be a goer," Susie mused. And Philip Adams welcomed her to the fold. 

 Lots of blank space here.  Not sure how to eliminate it.  Maybe if I rabbit on for a few sentences it won't look too bad. 
We're off tomorrow on our rip-snorting adventure. (Anne and Geoff that is.)  "Pack lots of spencers - it will be v.chilly," said no one, so I didn't.
Moving on.... ahh.  There's Laurie Oakes.










 So Laurie, what's the scoop? (And don't get excited - I don't mean icecream.)

Billie 'La Stupenda'

I'm not one to bandy epithets freely but I do think La Stupenda is most befitting for our Ms Billie.  What a magnificent, enigmatic creature:  aloof, yet affectionate, passive, yet dominant, contrary, yet agreeable, blonde, yet ranga.  Thank you Ms Billie, for all your permutations.    XXX

Adieu, Loretta

Sadly, Geoff's goldfish, Loretta has left the building.  She was a strapping gel of several kilograms, a tad more than the standard goldfish weight of 10 grams. Bariatric surgery, Lite'n'Easy home delivery, and Berlei foundation garments were of no avail.  But it was a good life, well-lived.  She had a befitting farewell at Wimbie Beach, NSW on 10 November 2012.  Au revoir, Loretta.  Derp derp.