I was pondering slash fic and wondering how long it's been a convention to mush a pairing's name together? (ie: Harry/Snape = Snarry, Spike/Buffy = Spuffy etc. [<snerk> Thanks, Mags...] ) I assume it's more prevalent in fandoms where the names are a bit more ordinary, I mean, Qui Gon/Obiwan = Goniwan? : ) I think it's fairly recent, too; I can't see it having being applied to one of the original (television) pairings. Spirk? Kock? <titter>

Back from a few days at Mum's. Heh, I actually feel like I've had a break this time. We were busy, but no one got too gribbly (and I don't mean just the cubs) and we had fun. Mum drove down and picked us up then I drove us out to the Healesville trolley ride. <g> Not overly crowded today, nor wet or too hot. A lovely, pleasant trip, and cos I wasn't sitting jammed up next to someone I wasn't forced to interact and so was able to spend twenty or so blissful minutes alone in my mind, contemplating Snupin smut.
While we were there the cubs spent most of their tooth money on quite nice pull-back models of (guess what?) steam trains. Happy cubs, followed by a quiet afternoon watching Fruits Basket - which Mum didn't get at all. <g>

Monday morning, while Mum was in her exercise class, I took the cubs swimming; or rather, I watched them splash about in the water while I roughed out a short fic. Then we trekked out to the Trestle bridge - a longer journey than I remembered - and after the cubs had frolicked about up there for a little while we were all ready for lunch. Stopped in at the only shop in Powell Town, a milk-bar/general store/pub, where I had a really nummy burger sandwich. (It was sposed to be a steak sandwich but they'd run out of steak. Eh, didn't matter, I just wanted red meat.) After we got home I napped while the cubs watched I, Robot, and then it was time for dinner...

Tuesday was a full day. Up early, ready and out the door before 9.30 a.m. - something of a miracle. We drove out to Coal Creek Heritage Village, somewhere the cubs wanted to go cos there was an old steam engine they could explore. I've never been to the place and it's been years since Mum was last there - and her navigational skills are on a par with my own. I found myself driving along a very long, very straight dirt road. "I don't remember this..." said Mum, helpfully. Fortunately that detour only took us a little bit out of our way and we still got to the Village in under an hour and a half.
Coal Creek is a construct. As the mining towns in the district closed down and died, notable buildings were rescued and brought to the present site: a courthouse, railway station, Masonic hall, Mechanic's Institute hall, doctor's residence/surgery, smithy, bank, school house, shops, studios, miners' and farm dwellings. Restoration is ongoing and while it's nowhere near as flash or big as something like Sovereign Hill, or as pricey, but it still makes for a fascinating visit. Mum refused to come with us into the short - and very damp - exhibition mine tunnel, but alas that was my only brush with the comfortable underground. The mine tour's been closed for a while.
The cubs loved the engine, a 'K' class 2-8-0 (hah! I know what that means, now!) and had a great time clambering all over the cab. I had fun poking around the carriages and Mum quite happily spent half an hour talking to the volunteer guide.
There was a dearth of tourist tatt which was probly just as well cos I was running out of money by then, but I did splash out and buy a bottle of peppermint cordial. Very interesting. All you can really taste is the sugar syrup base but it leaves your tongue tingly and cool, and there's a lovely, lingering minty aroma. Mmmm...
Finally, after 4 hours, we prised the cubs out of there with promises of food. We ended up taking another completely different route home - that still had little to do with the actual route planned on the map - but at least there was no dirt road this time and we still made it home in less than an hour and a half.

So that was yesterday.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the cubs managed to lock themselves in Nana's bathroom. <rolls eyes> She has a sliding door; it was slammed shut too vigorously and came off its runners. Cue cubs wailing about being left in there to die!! Oh, teh drama. I didn't bother telling them that, as I was bursting to go to the loo I certainly wasn't going to let a jammed door get in my way for very long. However, the cubs were very prettily grateful when we all worked together and they were liberated. <sigh> Dramaqueens - no idea where they get that from...

Snaffled from Rakina:

Hee, and I wasn't even trying to skew the results...