I hope this isn't too tacky in Adventures in paradise

This time tomorrow, I plan to be back in Brisbane, with the dinner over with and the cake-cutting over with and Toowoomba in my rear-vision mirror (although it'll be dark, so I won't see it - probably a good thing). I pay out Toowoomba waaay too much. It was an exciting city for me growing up as a kid, because to this country kid Toowoomba was 'Capitol City' to The Simpsons as it was to me. I laugh at that these days. But hey, my sister has lived there for however-many decades now, and she seems to handle it just fine.

I went to the movies tonight with Alex and we watched 'How To Train Your Dragon 2'. It was different to what I was expecting, but then again I didn't know what to expect. It was surprisingly sad! Anyway, I'd bought us both tickets online as it was opening night here and I didn't wanna risk it selling out. I bought some snacks as well. Alex shouted me Grill'd afterwards, so it kinda worked out even. We had a good time.

I was telling him about how I had to go to Toowoomba tomorrow to my nephew's 21st, and how I wasn't looking forward to seeing my dad after pretty much a year and how I was going to the gym again and hanging out with Vish that night, so I apologised I couldn't hang out with him some more. I did actually see two different guy-couples holding hands at Southbank tonight, so that was nice to see! I walked Alex to the bus stop, where his bus was waiting, so I gave him a quick hug and walked back to the city.

I had planned to go home and grab some gym stuff and then go back out to the gym, but I decided to just go straight there. I didn't have a towel with me, but I did have my access card and figured I was only doing legs tonight anyway, so I didn't really need it. The only machine I used was the leg-press and I just used my jacket as a towel to sit on for that one. So I made do. Man, I've got some work to do to get back up to the limits I was doing. I started with wall-squats to warm up, then moved to 45-degree leg press (only doing 120kg though, when I know I WAS comfortably doing 160kg previously, with my PB being 200 a few years back), then I did weighted squats (only 20kg) and finished with a bit of abs on the ball again, although I was wearing my canvas shoes and they just kept sliding, so I pretty much gave up on abs tonight and decided to just be happy with the lower-half workout. I prefer leaving abs as part of the upper workout anyway. So I've been two nights out of two so far since rejoining. I'm not sure how tomorrow night will go, given I'll be away, but I figure if I get to Toowoomba too early, I can probably use the gym there, although I wouldn't want to turn up to the restaurant all sweaty haha. My hair is waay too long and it would be obvious, even though I don't sweat much. I'm predicting it will also be freezing in Toowoomba, like it usually is. But hey it's an option. I'm leaving a little earlier to try and beat traffic, but I think I already mentioned that.
I repeat myself a hell of a lot in this diary/book - man it feels weird calling it a book.

Anyway, so backtracking a little - after I woke up and before the movie, I went shopping for my nephew's present. I really had little idea what to get him, so I went with that present that I saw advertised in the email that was on sale. I'm just really hoping that he doesn't find the present too tacky. This is what I've gotten him.

Yes, it's a brain book. For a neuroscience student. ^blinks^ I guess if it was me receiving the present, I'd probably groan because I'd be sick of seeing things to do with the brain. I did put a bit of effort into researching what I wanted to get him however, so if he doesn't like it, he can... I dunno, regift it? haha.

I wrapped that up, and was annoyed I still only had double-sided sticky tape left, so it's sticky on the outside ergh. I really should learn. I guess it's good to use it up.

I am fearful about the seating arrangement at dinner. I really am. If I happen to be seated next to my dad.... well I dunno what'll happen. I can't even look in his eyes. I won't be able to. Not out of shame. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Out of pity for him, I guess. And anger and frustration at his backdated views. I have waay too much anger toward him these days.

After gym tonight, I had a quick shower and headed over to Vish and James' place, as they invited me earlier in the afternoon. I went over there and Vish was busy doing some math equation that he didn't want to give up on, so I just chatted to James for a while. Eventually, Vish came over to the table and I saw what the equation was.

"Using 5 of these odd numbers, and only using addition, make them add up to 30. The numbers are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. You can use any repetition of any number more than once.

We thought about it for a while, until I realised it was a riddle. I had to explain to Vish what riddles were, and that they were made to drive people crazy. I actually googled it on my phone to make sure, and sure enough it was. You can make it add up to 30, but the trick comes in the use of the word repetition. Anyway. We then spent the night reading out other clever riddles. I couldn't remember the clever one that was going around work sometime last year, unfortunately. So now Vish is obsessed with riddles and wants to do them every time I'm over. Yeah, I dunno about that haha.

But once again I was bitching about my dad, to Vish. At one point I was exasperated toward him, saying stuff like, "Who TREATS their own child like that?? Whatever happened to "Unconditional love"?! If I ever have my own child, there's no way in HELL I'd ever even THINK of treating them the way he has toward me over the last 11 years. I'd love them no matter what they did!"
I was really going off on a tangent and told him how much I hated what religion was doing to the world, using what's going on in Iraq and the Sanni(sp?) as an example. Drives me nuts.

I ended up telling Vish I was going home to sleep, but I'm up writing this and watching the soccer.

FUCK I'm gonna deserve an Oscar for my acting abilities at that dinner table tomorrow, or rather tonight, esPECially if I'm seated next to that stubborn man.

I must remember, this isn't about me. I can handle roughly four hours. And if I'm already thinking negative about the situation before I'm even there, I know I won't even give myself a chance of having an alright time.