Following last year’s successful merging of our blogs (more successful for me than him really – I got way more hits), The Brad and I had a further team up last night. (And apologies to the regular readers that I am jumping around chronologically in the blog, I have loads more about to Charlotte and getting here to Maryland to post.) The Brad is so up to date though and has already posted his write-up here.
So The Brad and I headed to Outback Steakhouse for, he said giggling behind his hand, a genuine Australian meal. Now while the decor was not as evil as I was expecting (for indeed I have been here where my eyes bled)
(Can I just mention in my efforts to keep up with The Brad I am writing this in Ray’s car heading towards the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I am rocking all over the place cos Ray likes his speed. )
The menu at Outback, of course, was delightfully inane. Their speciality is a ‘Bloomin’ Onion” which is carved fried onion that you peel off the petals of the onion and place it in some sauce. It was pretty but I’ve never seen one in Australia. Nor have I seen cheesy chips (fries with cheese on top…bleh) anywhere other than England. We didn’t have either of these though. In fact we had kookaburra wings (chicken wings) and The Brad had some Mahi Mahi (a type of fish) and I had a Melbourne Steak which allegedly is a “really tasty porterhouse”. But, in actual fact, was a really sinewy T-bone that was impossible to eat. I had to get Brad to look away each time I took a mouthful of sinew and had to spit it out.
The Brad is fun company. We discussed the world’s problems and then some. We had our requisite Doctor Who discussion and, now that I’ve seen it, the Curse of the Black Spot was complete plop, Brad.
Then we got kind of deep. We had this fascinating discussion on evil in the world and how sin is responsible for this. As a Anglican with a low to moderate knowledge of the Bible versus the Religious Education Teacher who knows his stuff backwards, it was Daniel versus goliath all over again. I considered it a tie (well I thought it was a tie and Brad would be too polite to disagree with me.). I was impressed. With the quality of the conversation and the fact that we could agree to disagree on some topics without killing each other.
I left him with homework which I hope he does. I was worried I was overwhelming him with my religious questions, I didn’t want to seem like I was one of his student nor that meeting me was a continuation of work, which is always a pain. Again he was polite and said that my questions were far more… cant remember the word but let’s say intense… hehe.. than his students. Yay me, dinner with intensity. Poor bastard.
Fortunately the meal and the waitress were far more impressive than our last visit. We had pictures taken together in front of this scary ass three-dimensional map of Australia. If you believe the map, where I live has a giant wheat sheaf cutter standing on top of my capital city.
I was appalled at how fat I looked in my picture (silk purse and sows ear… my personal trainer is going to have a fit) so asked this very kind lady to take a picture of us in front of the outback sign. She was a bit challenged, shall we say, as to taking pictures. We were in the frame but, God love her, so was half of Maryland.
The night was incredibly pleasant. I had fun. Brad had fun (I think.) We get together again next year to discuss which of us was right with our Doctor Who theories. The genius thing about meeting new people is what they teach you. And finally, The Brad gave me a nugget of wisdom I will take to my grave. I was complaining that everywhere I went I took the sun with me, despite my desperate need to be rained upon. Brad asked if I had read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and was referring to this quote:
“And as he drove on, the rain clouds dragged down the sky after him for, though he did not know it, Rob McKenna was a Rain God. All he knew was that his working days were miserable and he had a succession of lousy holidays. All the clouds knew was that they loved him and wanted to be near him, to cherish him and water him.”
— Douglas Adams (The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide)
Now, through the power of The Brad, I realise I am a Sun God and the bloody sun is worshipping me by keeping me away from the rain and snow and cold and all the things I would much rather. I am sure this could be marketable….
Away For A Bit 