Dinner with the Beatels

Last Saturday evening we drove to Cairns to the Reef Hotel Casino where we enjoyed Dinner with the Beatels, and yes, that is the correct spelling for this tribute band. We were joined by four friends and as Philip has become a teetotaller until the Dirt and Dust Triathlon, he was our designated driver.
We arrived at 6.45 and were shown to our VIP seats.  As soon as we were seated our drinks waiter took our order and we sat back and chatted until our drinks arrived.....20 minutes later!  I kid you not.  It was the slowest service any of us had ever experienced.  We straight away ordered the next round of drinks with the knowledge that it would once again be slow service.
It didn't take very long before first course arrived.  I ordered the beetroot soup and it was certainly a good choice.  It was full of flavour and just the right quantity.  The other choice was a vegetable tart that everyone said was quite dry.
No sooner had we finished our entree...... and.... the lights went out!  There was a severe electrical storm that passed over the Cairns region and thousands lost power.  However, the venue had a back-up power supply so it didn't interfere too much with our night.  The only problem that the venue had was re-adjusting the sound equipment for the band and they just didn't get it quite right as the instrumental overrode the vocals. Ah well..
Main was served before the Beatels made their appearance,  and there was a choice of pork or chicken.  I chose the chicken but I think Philips pork choice was much tastier.
As soon as the meal was eaten and the plates cleared from the table the Beatels took to the stage.  We all took guesses at what would be the opening song and Jane was the winner......"Love Love Me Do".  It was a great opener and I have found myself humming this song often in the past week.
The concert was fantastic and the real Ringo, George, Paul and John would have been pleased with the tribute.  We tapped, clapped and sang the night away.  Some made their way to the dance floor but it was a very tiny space and could not comfortably cater for more than just a handful of couples.
Our dessert was served during the musicians break and the fresh fruit and custard tart was exactly the right thing to serve us.  Everyone enjoyed it.
After the break the Beatels returned to the stage in Sergeant Pepper outfits.  Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of my very favourite albums and I believe it or not, I know every single song off by heart!
At the end of the night we once again guessed at the closing song and I won that guess with "Hey Jude".  Actually it was a slightly educated guess because as long as I can remember when we went to cabarets at the local pubs in the 70's that was almost always the closing song.  That was the time of night when you could have a slow dance with your boyfriend before they shunted you out the door.
It was a great night and full credit to the management at the Casino for bringing this show to Cairns all the way from Sydney.  They would certainly have been pleased with the audience participation and hopefully we will get to enjoy more of these tributes in the future.

The Beatels

Noosaaahh...

We have just arrived home after spending a week at Noosa for a wedding.  We haven't had the pleasure of staying at Noosa for many years so we were surprised at how fast it has grown!  Hastings Street, where we stayed at Bella Casa Apartments, is extremely busy - especially on weekends. But thank goodness weekdays were much quieter.
We spent many hours walking the National Park path that meanders around the headland between Noosa Main Beach and Sunshine Beach, and lazing on the beach or bobbing around in the ocean.  One day we drove to the Maleny/Montville area and another day we made the two hour journey to our sons place at Gundiah.
My mum joined us for the week and it was very special to be able to enjoy her company.  Mum is 81 in a couple of months and is still quite active.  Good work Mum!  We all met up at the Brisbane Airport where we picked up a hire car.  Mum arrived by bus from Toowoomba and returned the same way.  It's a really great service.
The wedding we were invited too was the youngest son of our very dear friends Lynn and Jack.  It was a beautiful wedding held in a very romantic place.  The wedding ceremony was laid back and so refreshing.  Words spoken were spoken from the heart and we truly felt the love between the bride and groom.  The only thing that probably spoilt it a tiny little bit for the bride was that it was such a windy day and her beautiful blonde curly hair was almost straight by the end of the ceremony!
The wedding was a canapé wedding at the famous Bistro C restaurant in the heart of Hastings Street. We ate, danced and drank the night away.  I don't think I've enjoyed myself more at a wedding.  I certainly have never danced so much!
Here are a few photos from the week.

Meet and Greet at The Beach Club

Lynn and Jack congratulating the happy pair and welcoming Kelly to the family

We always seem to be busy.....

I don't know how we manage it but we always seem to have everything happen at the same time.  Take for example our week two weeks ago.  We drove to Cairns on Monday to drop our camper in to have a new hot water system installed.  We drove back to Cairns on Tuesday to pick the camper up.  We drove back to Cairns on the Thursday to have the Toyota serviced and then on Friday we trucked cattle (see my last post).  Why we organise these things to happen all in the same week is beyond me!
Anyway it gave us opportunities to go to the movies to see Pitch Perfect 3 and The Post and to have a couple of really nice lunches.  Our favourite place for lunch at the moment is Ozmosis at Edge Hill.
We both ordered refreshing and energising smoothies to start and then Philip had a Chicken Ceasar Salad while I ordered the Turkey Club Sandwich.  The meal was delicious and very fresh.

Last Monday was Philips 62nd birthday so I invited a few friends and family to help us celebrate.  My hubby certainly did celebrate and had the pain the next day just to prove it!  I didn't get any photos from the lunch but here is the menu....

We continue to eat as healthy as we possibly can and my weekly trips to the Mossman Markets give us a bountiful supply of fresh vegetables.  I love wandering through the markets to see what is in season and then plan in my head, the meals that we will eat the following week.

I enjoy trying new recipes and I found a Pineapple Fried "Rice" recipe this week that sounded interesting.  I have lots of pineapples growing in the garden at the moment and I also had a bag of cauliflower "rice" in the freezer so it was a perfect way to use the produce.  We had some fish fillets in the freezer so I crumbed them and served them with the "rice".  It was very healthy and delicious.

We are heading to Noosa next week for a wedding so I have been trying to get a little colour on my body before hitting the ocean.  I find that if I do that I don't have to endure sunburn, and besides it's nice to have a little tanning on the body.  Of course when I set up my chair on the lawn my faithful lab, Hudson, comes right up beside me and makes himself at home.  He turned 11 in December and it looks like he will be around for a long time yet.

When we built our Queenslander back in 2006 we didn't really think too much about the maintenance involved in owning a timber home.  My goodness me.  It never stops.  Last weekend we spent a whole day guerning down the verandah railings.  This weekend we are attacking the slats around the bottom of the house.  I guernied the slats this morning and now Philip has started on the painting.  It is a joint effort that we hope to complete over the following weeks.  

That's a wrap for this week my friends.  Hopefully next post will be all about Noosa!