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I was coming back to the apartment this morning from a coffee at Hernandez, when I noticed quite a bit of commotion in the Lobby. For guests of the Altair the lifts can be difficult (for the residents they are are usable but cantankerous). It was smack on 11am and there were obviously a few apartments open for inspection. There was this blonde, wearing a designer tracksuit, who was having a particularly tough time of it. Her boyfriend came back for assistance from the concierge while she waited by the lifts. I immediately recognised the fella as Peter Timbs, one of the contestants from the original Big Brother. The girl therefore must have been...... Sami Lukis!

I was also going up to the open apartment on level 12 so shared the elevator with Peter and Sami. After we'd all had enough of looking through the apartment (which was very nice - similar to ours but 2 bedrooms, and opening out to both North and South aspects) we got back into the lifts to leave. Sami had said something to the real estate agent about wanting to see the pool and gym to which the agent said she'd need to go back and see the concierge. I thought I'd save the couple a trip all the way back to level 1, so offered to show them around the level 4 rec area.

Peter seemed quite funny and personable - made a quip about a couple in the pool being keen (it was a cold day - he didn't realise they were in the spa). I showed them both gyms before taking them back to to the lifts and saying goodbye. They seemed grateful for the assistance.

I had wanted to do that fabulous Billy Birmingham gag - you know the one - where a few kids come up to Richie Benaud asking "How 'bout an autograph?" to which Richie replied "Sure, why not". "Who do we make it out to, just Dear Richie?" was the cheeky kids response. But they seemed like such a nice couple and Peter looks like he can fight, so I let it be.

UPDATE:

The Sydney Morning Herald today had a little 'puff' piece on Sami and Peter. They can be our neighbours anytime!

Laura's bike riding friend Bia invited us to ride with her on a group ride along Putty Road. So getting up at the crack of 7:30 we rode to the meeting point at the BP on Anzac Parade. Amazingly we were first ones there, and for a brief scary moment thought that we were late and everyone had left already. As it turned out, Bia was running late, and the others supposed to be meeting us at the first checkpoint had changed their minds about coming.

So our trip started and we headed back through town and over the Harbour Bridge with Bia leading the way. We made a minor wrong turn which fortunately didn't cost us, so Bia suggested that I might like to lead. Truth be told, although I have been living here for nearly 3 years, I still have no sense of direction in Sydney. Despite it being a case of the 'blind leading the blind' I managed somehow to get us back on track. Along the way Bia pulled over suddenly because she had run out of petrol - something was wrong with the reserve tap on her ZZR. Fortunately she came to a halt opposite a Caltex, so I didn't have too far to walk with a jerry can.

We got rolling again and a short trip further down the road we made it to the second check-point - Parramatta McDonalds. Met the next few people including Kellie, Many, and a few others whose names I forget because I have a memory like a sieve.

The next stint was a short one - Parramatta McDonalds to McGraths Hill McDonalds for breakfast. There we met up with a few more of the group, and while the others tucked into McMuffins and Hash Browns, Laura and I went up the road for a burger at Burger King.

After breakky we took on the long trip along Putty Rd via Windsor and Colo until we got the the Halfway Roadhouse at Garland Valley. Laura and I were the last to arrive at that stop - until we realised that Bia was missing. We started to panic before one of the riders who passed us on the way said that she had suffered mechanical difficulties and turned back at Windsor. A good thing too, as the Roadhouse was the last fuel stop for 170kms.

After a quick bite, fuel/toilet/beverage stop it was onwards to our lunch destination at Wollombi. Unfortunately at the Broke turnoff at Bulga, Kellie dropped her bike on loose gravel - a bit bruised but not too badly hurt. It was an unfortunate reminder of the perils of loose gravel. We stopped at the turnoff for a bit - performing a few running repairs on Kellieś bike and allowing her some time to regain her composure. We got moving again - pulling over in Broke to juice up a bit more and check Kellieś bike again.

Next stop was lunch at Wollombi, but to get there we had to traverse some tight roads and even a stretch of dirt-track. After what seemed like ages we finally rolled into Wollombi for a very much needed lunch and cleansing ale. I got the ale, but as there was such a huge delay on meals (it was over an hour from order to pick-up) we decided reluctantly to forgo lunch, and instead planned to have a late feed at the Mt White Cafe.

We took one final fuel stop at Kulnurra before deciding it was too late for lunch, that we´d had enough for the day, and it was time to head home. We still had to go via Mt White to Hornsby and finally back home. Laura and I were exhausted - that was the longest ride I been on in years, and for Laura was more than she had previously ridden in her whole life.

Ian, one of the riders, was kind enough to send me a marked up map to show our journey (which I've highlighted in blue). He also helped with most of the place names, because even though I've been living here for 3 years - I really don't know more than a few suburbs.

Laura has already done a few activities with Girls' Ride Out, but this one was to be the biggest to date. Just before 9:00am we were met out the front of our apartment by the Eastern Suburbs girls (oh, and Steve). So Tara, Bianca, Steve, Angie, Sarah, Laura and myself (I think that was all) headed to the first meeting poing - Spit Bridge at Manly.

We got there and met up with the next group - bringing our number to around the 30 mark. We met Sarah (AKA TrixieChick) the leader, who gave instructions and had us sign waivers and disclaimers. A bit more of a break and we were off to the next meeting point at Terrey Hills.

We got to that point (the Tavern) by sometime before 11am so we weren't quite up for beers, so it was coffee, coke and a game of pool while we waited for the final group. Once they arrived we all congregated around the bikes (I think there was around 50) before taking on the next leg to Palm Beach. Although I wanted to go in the speedy group, I was happy to settle in behind Laura in the intermediate group.

Once we arrived at Palm Beach we had another rest/stretch (waiting for the slow group) before back-tracking to our final destination - some pub at Newport whose name I have forgotten. The pub was incredibly popular and the line-up for food very long.

After lunch we said our goodbyes and rejoined our Eastern suburbs buddies for the trip back home. Laura and I had a ball - her riding is really good and safe and I'm sure she'll get her license in no time at all.

I've been very busy the last few months doing a few private jobs - helping a couple of smaller Architecture firms setup new computer networks. Its been great, but occupying the vast majority of my spare time.

So it was nice when our neighbours Sue and Jimmy invited us to join them for dinner. They live in apartment 1505 which has spectacular views over Potts Point and out over the Harbour. You can see the City, The Harbour Bridge, and I think if I recall the Opera House.

Also at dinner was Kerry and his partner Michael (but more about him later), Joshi, and Sue's brother Steve.

Michael arrived just after we did and Laura seemed a bit thrown. She asked Michael how old he was (28) and whether he had lived in Perth (he had). Apparently Laura and Michael had been in the same class at Springfield Primary School in Perth. Just remarkable that some 20-odd years later they are now living in the same apartment building in Sydney.

The meal that Jimmy and Sue prepared was magnificent - an Indian Banquet which I would struggle to now describe (mostly because I'm just really ignorant about foreign food). But it was delicious!

No photos of the night, because I stupidly forgot to take my camera. Possibly a good thing, as we were there until 2:30am (on a school night) and somehow managed to put away 8 bottles of wine (having first started on beers).