On Tuesday, 20th June at 7.50 am we were confronted with a burst hot water service at a very inopportune time, and there-in lies a story.
It goes like this:
On 15th June, Bernadette celebrated a birthday. At our time of life all birthdays are special. Bernadette did not consider this one so, but our family evidently did. They gave us a big surprise!
Working through Peter (our second son), it was arranged for us to fly to Sydney to view the Disney show, Beauty and the Beast, and to spend the night in overnight accommodation. Jacki, our daughter, was to pick us up and drive us to catch the plane in Albury.
That was at 8 am - we had discovered our faulty hot water service at 7.50 am!
In very heavy fog we drove to the airport. This was to be the first flight for either of us in many years. Anyway, we flew from Albury at 10 am and arrived in Sydney some time after 11 am. A chauffeur picked us up and took us to our accommodation. To our surprise we were booked, not into a motel, but into the Sebel Quay West Suites overlooking the Opera House, The Bridge and the Sydney Harbour. We could see all this, near-by, from our balcony.
We were booked into dinner for 5 pm (I have never before seen a "Parma" like mine!) The chauffeur, 'Sam', of Chinese descent, picked us up at 6 pm, producing a box of hand-made chocolates for Bernadette.
Sam was very chatty, and seemingly very family oriented. He was complimentary of our family for giving us this surprise and told us that he was going to treat us as "special". He drove us to the Capitol theatre and ensured that we were there in plenty of time to see the show.
We had excellent 'aisle' seats in the theatre, with another outlet just in front of us, so that we had a wonderful view.
Beauty and the Beast was a stand out stage show and we were thrilled.
There was, however, a minor glitch, as the show blacked out at the very climax when the beast was being set upon. However, patrons were very patient and the show resumed in about 5 or so minutes, when the Beast was saved.
Sam, the chauffeur, picked us up from the theatre, and, on driving us back to the Suites, queried what we had planned on being discharged at 10am in the morning. He proposed that he pick us up and drive us to see the Sydney sights to fill in time before our return flight to Albury.
And so he did! Not only did we see the sights, he took us to his 'office', which was situated in the same building as Krispy Cream Do-nuts. He provided us each with a coffee and a box of a dozen mixed do-nuts. He also promised to provide a limousine for us when we returned to Sydney to celebrate my 100th Birthday, in May 2032.
On saying "good-bye" to us, Sam gave us both a big hug, with a special kiss for Bernadette. And so we were left at the airport for our return flight.
We arrived at Albury at about 4.30 pm and were met by son Peter and grand-daughter Evie, for the drive home.
We arrived at a little before 6 pm, to discover that a new hot-water system had been installed, with the old one waiting to be taken to the tip.
And so... "...One moment this year!" started at our back door with a burst hot-water system at 7.50 am on the Tuesday morning and ended with a replacement system in place at 5.50 pm on Wednesday 21st June, after so many .... many ..... many very pleasurable moments in between.
JUST HOW GREAT IS MY FAMILY!!!!!!!
Ray O'Shannessy
November 2023
It goes like this:
On 15th June, Bernadette celebrated a birthday. At our time of life all birthdays are special. Bernadette did not consider this one so, but our family evidently did. They gave us a big surprise!
Working through Peter (our second son), it was arranged for us to fly to Sydney to view the Disney show, Beauty and the Beast, and to spend the night in overnight accommodation. Jacki, our daughter, was to pick us up and drive us to catch the plane in Albury.
That was at 8 am - we had discovered our faulty hot water service at 7.50 am!
In very heavy fog we drove to the airport. This was to be the first flight for either of us in many years. Anyway, we flew from Albury at 10 am and arrived in Sydney some time after 11 am. A chauffeur picked us up and took us to our accommodation. To our surprise we were booked, not into a motel, but into the Sebel Quay West Suites overlooking the Opera House, The Bridge and the Sydney Harbour. We could see all this, near-by, from our balcony.
We were booked into dinner for 5 pm (I have never before seen a "Parma" like mine!) The chauffeur, 'Sam', of Chinese descent, picked us up at 6 pm, producing a box of hand-made chocolates for Bernadette.
Sam was very chatty, and seemingly very family oriented. He was complimentary of our family for giving us this surprise and told us that he was going to treat us as "special". He drove us to the Capitol theatre and ensured that we were there in plenty of time to see the show.
We had excellent 'aisle' seats in the theatre, with another outlet just in front of us, so that we had a wonderful view.
Beauty and the Beast was a stand out stage show and we were thrilled.
There was, however, a minor glitch, as the show blacked out at the very climax when the beast was being set upon. However, patrons were very patient and the show resumed in about 5 or so minutes, when the Beast was saved.
Sam, the chauffeur, picked us up from the theatre, and, on driving us back to the Suites, queried what we had planned on being discharged at 10am in the morning. He proposed that he pick us up and drive us to see the Sydney sights to fill in time before our return flight to Albury.
And so he did! Not only did we see the sights, he took us to his 'office', which was situated in the same building as Krispy Cream Do-nuts. He provided us each with a coffee and a box of a dozen mixed do-nuts. He also promised to provide a limousine for us when we returned to Sydney to celebrate my 100th Birthday, in May 2032.
On saying "good-bye" to us, Sam gave us both a big hug, with a special kiss for Bernadette. And so we were left at the airport for our return flight.
We arrived at Albury at about 4.30 pm and were met by son Peter and grand-daughter Evie, for the drive home.
We arrived at a little before 6 pm, to discover that a new hot-water system had been installed, with the old one waiting to be taken to the tip.
And so... "...One moment this year!" started at our back door with a burst hot-water system at 7.50 am on the Tuesday morning and ended with a replacement system in place at 5.50 pm on Wednesday 21st June, after so many .... many ..... many very pleasurable moments in between.
JUST HOW GREAT IS MY FAMILY!!!!!!!
Ray O'Shannessy
November 2023
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