I got stuff and did other stuff!

Whoa, big weekend just gone!

Not big like in the old days, which would have meant starting drinking Wednesday and finishing sometime Sunday night. But big in adult ways befitting the new mature me.

It started Saturday arvo. My parents were down from the country and staying with us so they could look after Sophasaurus on Saturday night. They owed me a few presents so we agreed they could buy me a new bbq. Dad and I ducked out to get one which became a saga in itself.

We went to a big department store with a specific bbq in mind. Black steel 4 burner, nothing flash just a good solid sausage blackener. While looking at the display models we noticed the 6 burner was EXACTLY the same price as the 4 burner and as bigger is always better we decided to go the 6 burner.

To cut a very long story short, after much stuffing around where they had stock, then didn't have stock and other stores wouldn't hold stock, we got a guy to say they had one and he would have it at the loading bay waiting for us. He even went so far as to tell us how the other staff were well meaning but just didn't know how to really look for stuff. So we paid our money and headed around to the loading bay.

As Dad and I stood in the bay watching our new mate load the bbq boxes onto a pallet jack, Dad said to me "looks like you are getting a stainless steel one afterall". I didn't particularly want a stainless steel bbq, but they are more expensive I wasn't going to argue. I then looked a bit closer at the box and realised that not only had they given us the stainless one, but it was also the next model up from what we brought = WIN. No wonder they have stock control issues!

I always wanted a barbie big enough to cook a person in! It is the next model up as it has the recessed wok burner, rather the raised wok burner lid.

Once we got the bbq home it was time for a quick shower before the wife I barrelled out to the Bluestone Restaurant in the city for our anniversary dinner. We started with a drink in the bar before a beautiful meal accompanied by some nice Champagne and a glass of red. Post dinner was a bar hop (to stay out of the rain) until we found a nice lounge bar for some post dinner cocktails. Finishing with a not so fun 25 min queue for a taxi home. All in all a very nice night out with a beautiful woman.

Sunday started slowly but quickly built up speed with furious bbq building. It took a couple of hours and a couple of attempts, but I finally got it together. Just in time as my BIL and SIL stopped by for a couple of hours with their two kids. They left early enough that I was able to undertake the day's most important mission - console hunting.

I decide a few weeks ago that I was going to buy either a PS3 or an Xbox. The problem was, which one do I buy? I hassled friends, family and game store clerks looking for advice and at different times was 100% committed to each console. Logic was pointing me clearly in the direction of the PS3 but my gut was telling me I would get more use out of an Xbox. Even standing in the store having traded all my PS2 stuff I was still vacillating back and forth until I finally went with the gut and got an Xbox. Now I just need to buy a Sony Bravia TV and get a free PS3.

Dinner Sunday night was a bbq on the new barbie with my parents, followed by a couple of hours playing James Bond on the Xbox. It's almost a relief to be back at work this morning.