It was with some joy that I discovered that I had held this edition of Random Trek Tuesday over whilst in transit.
I think I can work out how to retrieve the master spreadsheet so I can work out what next week’s is which is also my last day in mandatory isolation and I’ll be going home!
The Enterprise Incident is an interesting episode, we get to see a lot more of the Romulans and there’s an element of fun and spy intrigue.
I’m not sure how well the whole affair is treated by the broader Trek canon as it raises questions about cloaking devices and Romulans using Klingon ships (that would be flipped in Star Trek 3).
Also Spock being less than honest is slightly out of character (not entirely obviously) but is this the event that puts him on the course to mentoring a half Romulan and ultimately the TNG series Unification.
The original will be available at some stage I don’t really know if it’s packed away in storage or with me.
So I’m experimenting around the room to try and get the photos at least semi clear and it’s a mixed bag but could be much worse LOL.
I watched the original Terminator a little while back and was massively impressed with how well it holds up and what a well crafted story it is. I still maintain that every film after T2 has chipped away at the credibility of the series.
I know the quote is boring but how can you go past it?
Hot Fuzz is better than Shaun of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead is better than At World’s End.
And I HATE only having a phone camera to capture the illustrations LOL – maybe I should watch some youtube videos on how to take photos of your drawings using only your phone and a lamp?
I watched Hot Fuzz the other day and it is so well done, I absolutely love the film. I really wish I’d thought of putting the swan in the background!
It would not surprise me if you’ve not heard of Future Cop or Trancers (they’re the same film just known by different names in different regions). They’re B grade films released by a production company called Full Moon or used to do a bunch of hilariously so bad they’re good films.
Trancers is b grade scifi horror gold and spawned a number of sequels. It’s basically the story of a cop in the future who travels back in time to inhabit the body of one of his ancestors to fight ummm I think they’re aliens but they may not be. It’s a great premise and I recommend them if you like B Grade films.
Remember where you are. This is Thunderdome. Death is listening, and will take the first man that screams.
As you can see, whilst I’m being detained in mandatory isolation in a government run facility scanners are pretty light on the ground. So I’m afraid for 13 days we’re just going to have to put up with the phone scans.
I haven’t watched Beyond Thunderdome in years but I remember when it came out and I think any film who’s description starts with “In post-apocalyptic Australia…” is probably going to appeal.
Especially in these trying times.
I don’t know if it was brilliant casting or a head scratcher but Tina Turner just jumps off the screen as Aunty and maybe I’ll save Max for one of the others.
The prospect of staying the night in the Melbourne Airport was unappealing originally and downright terrifying after actually arriving. Brisbane airport felt like it was closed but but in such a small space the passengers that were there took the edge of the desolation.
Melbourne airport is huge by comparison and had the feeling of complete abandonment, I’ve been here a few times and whilst I’m completely over the term unprecedented it really describes the situation.
With barely anyone there and what felt like most of it closed the prospect of finding a corner to curl up in and hopefully grab some sleep was more than a little daunting, though it would definitely be quiet.
The Melbourne Airport ibis budget Hotel which is where I’ve sought shelter for the night is barely a ten minute walk from the T1 terminal and is better than I could have hoped for. The word budget in the title didn’t conjure up much hope but the staff were extremely welcoming and friendly and the room is clean, affordable, simple and perfect for my needs.
I don’t even know if there’s wifi – it doesn’t feel like it but maybe there is, I’ve brought my own because I was a scout and our motto is be prepared.
I’m just more than grateful to have a couple of walls around me!
I think a few people might have been screwed over today by third party flight companies like Webjet – I only knew that my flight had been cancelled because I was confirming on the Jetstar site my baggage. There was no email, text or call from Webjet and as I mentioned a couple of days ago after five hours on their web chat I had to pack it in. Their phones are off as well.
It’s hard to blame them with this horror scenario for them but I can’t imagine the people who showed up at the Jetstar counter today expecting to check in to their flight to Hobart only be told that it was cancelled would be feeling as generous.
As I type this my flight is still a go for tomorrow and I’m expecting despite the ball of anxiety in my stomach to fall asleep reasonably easy tonight – I carbed up on veggie burgers and fries at MacDonalds and am feeling extremely wiped after only four or so hours of sleep last night.
It’s a sleep in tomorrow!
Also I excitedly reset my phone’s home timezone to Hobart.
It’s the little things.
Not long to go now and then government enforced isolation and then April 15th I’m home!
I was gearing up for a bio hazardous stay overnight in the airport.
Today has been pretty rough as I sit on the edge of my seat waiting to see the words cancelled on a text or an email.
It was a productive day though as it dawned on me that there are hotels right there at the airport within walking distance. I was gearing up for 24 hours in an airport full of people who are all potential carriers of not just the COVID-19 virus but all sorts of colds and flu. But now I’ll be barricading myself in the closest and most affordable accomodation available before heading off on my second flight into the arms of the Tasmanian Government and their state run isolation facilities that I’m expecting to be on par with my “close and affordable” accomodation at the airport.
And that’s not a complaint, Tracey pointed out that we’ve been apart for 14 months now due to circumstances outside our control and two weeks where ever the Government want me to be is fine as long as I know at the end I’ll be home.
So tomorrow I fly out and I’ve checked in and confirmed the flight and it feels like it would be unusual for Qantas to do a snap decision to cancel now. Of course if they do I have a back up flight waiting in the wings.
My Jetstar voucher came through just now so I’m covered if I need to rebook the following flight which is a huge relief.
There’s a few people that I’m not going to name (for their modesty sake) that have made this whole mercy dash possible and I hope each of them know how much this means to us.
I’ll be trying to keep everyone updated throughout the next couple of days and then hopefully my isolated quarantine. The best way to keep a track is over on Twitter for live updates (#VoyageHome), Facebook for not as live here and there and haphazardly on instagram.
I’ll be doing daily recaps here though as well.
I generally sleep very poorly the night before a flight anyway and I suspect tonight will be double so.
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions over protective gear! I have 2 x P2 masks, 3/4 of a travel bottle of hand sanitiser, disposable gloves and of course my glasses which aren’t quite goggles but are reasonably large. Oh and I have some cliff bars to reduce snack interactions.
My intent is to go straight to the hotel and get into the room as soon as they let me and staying put until check in for my Jetstar flight.
Previously on the worst season of The Amazing Race:
I’ve been stuck in Brisbane for the last couple of months finishing up a contract and trying to get our house sorted for sale. The sale fell through because the bank dropped the finance for the gentleman who was buying it (he is a gym owner). So that fell through so I was trying desperately to get out of Brisbane and down to join my wife in Hobart.
At first I was going to be in self isolation at home there for two weeks – no problem at all. Then Jetstar cancelled my flight with about 19 hours to go. I since scrambled for another flight but it means that I’ll be in mandatory isolation for two weeks at a “government run facility”. Again I have no great issue with this it’s a strong measure and it is what it is.
So the flight that was cancelled is caught up in a voucher that I’ll get sometime in the next 14 days so I booked my next flight through Webjet – Qantas flight to Melbourne then a Jetstar flight to Hobart.
The Jetstar flight was cancelled two hours after booking it.
So I have booked ANOTHER flight to Hobart and it’s the only flight for the day on the next day so I’m hopeful it’ll go ahead but I’ll be spending 24 hours in the Melbourne airport.
I also have a backup flight booked with Qantas just in case the Webjet flight gets screwed up (since it’s a two flight itinerary). Of course if that flight is delayed them I’m royally screwed. I have a window of an hour to get off that flight and on to my other flight. Which fills me with a LOT of anxiety.
So I’m going to document the voyage home as best I can along the way and hopefully on April 15th I’ll be walking through the door and giving my wife a big non socially distanced hug.
It’s an unfortunate reality that sometimes there are bigger things happening in one’s life and occasionally you need to put some things on hold and see them through first.
The big move that almost happened four or five months ago is finally upon me and I’m headed down to Tasmania to join my family.
The house is under contract and everything is being packed up. As I type this I can hear the sound of packing tape giving life to new boxes.
So what this means for my projects.
The 366 Characters from 366 films is going on a short break (a couple of weeks) and I’ll be posting two characters a day until I’m all caught up. There will be 366 characters done this year but I just can’t do the daily thing right now.
Random Trek Tuesdays will also go on hiatus – I have one ready to go but I’m going to hold it off until I’m back online properly.
Picard scribbles, I’m hoping that I’ll have two ready for the finale weekend. If not they’ll be posted as soon as possible the first week I’m back online fully again.
The shop is going to close down overnight and reopen in a few weeks, anything which has been bought over the last couple of weeks will go out this week (except for stationary but I’ll follow that up directly).
Patreon updates will continue though obviously there will be less scribbles to share. All outstanding NoGum cards will be printed and sent in a few weeks after in Tassie properly.
All commission pieces are still in a holding pattern but I’ll be in contact in a few weeks to confirm and proceed as desired.
In the meantime I’ll be around on social media and when I get over this immediate activity I’ll possibly be well and truly up for a chat LOL.
