Marine radio operator, tick.

Ben passed the marine radio operator certificate course with a score of 88% and, according to our lengthy Facebook chat, he's "got a card and everything".

The subsequent demonstration went something like this:
here ill do one for ya
John1857 John1857 John1857 this is HandsomeBen1990 HandsomeBen1990 HandsomeBen1990 position is Derby going to scottsdale to buy vanilla slice over

Gems haven't arrived back from Thailand yet, there's an invoice to be paid first. Ben sent an email which began with "Dear Wallet". No trip to Hobart to watch the title fight either, maybe next time.

Ordered Lego Mindstorms.

Is it possible? Could there be traces of a Tasmanian accent in this message?

One year ago - Austin Texas.

Team Chris Thormann
(web image)

Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment, Ben flew to the USA for his first-ever visit. The occasion was a World of Warcraft regional tournament in Austin Texas, followed by a flight to Newark New Jersey, a road trip to compete in another tournament in Raleigh North Carolina and a flight back home via Florida and LA.

That was just one year ago.

Cheddar, chillies and chives.

A few items of Pyengana Dairy Company produce arrived in the brief visitor's luggage. "Devilish gourmet cheddar with bite" looks interesting with crumbly mature cheddar, chillies and chives. Probably best eaten before 7PM if you're an older person who wants a decent night's sleep. There's also a mild cheddar and a jar of homemade (non-dairy!) raspberry jam. The dairy itself is an interesting place. The cows have learned to enter a particular gate, push a large button which opens another gate, saunter around a corner and then stand under a large rotating brush which gives them a delightful back scratch. The dairy's cafe, named Holy Cow Cafe, serves excellent food at very reasonable prices. Don't buy a steak anywhere else, at least that's Ben's recommendation and he would know.

Proof of life.

A rare image snapped two days ago in the dim light of a north-east Tasmanian Myrtle forest. He looks well, perhaps a bit taller even?

Ben's in Hobart today, first-time crewing on a sail boat. The morning weather report mentioned fog and 3kph winds so sailing should be very smooth and not all that fast. Perhaps the wind will pick up as the day progresses.

The brief visitor returned to Melbourne last night. There are photos to be posted once the iphone feels like coughing up the images.

It's just a coincidence surely.

Meanwhile, back in
Melbourne, training
continues.

I sent this SMS to Ben today: Flooding! St Mary's pass, St Columba Falls rd Pyengana, Binnalong Bay causeway all closed. It's just a coincidence surely. Hello to mum.

Don't know why really, the sun usually shines when I visit but there's a history of bad weather coinciding with visits from mum, see March for example.

From today's news: "The weather bureau is predicting flooding as north and north east Tasmania continue to be hit hard by rainfall... Rain has again closed the main road to Tasmania's east coast, St Mary's Pass - it was closed for six weeks and only reopened in June after rain caused extensive damage. Other roads closed include... St Columbus Falls Road at Pyengana... The Binalong Bay causeway and upper Scamander Road are also closed." Source: ABC news.

 (The hypothesis will be further tested at the end of September.)

A fine day.

The last few days have been spent in and around Hobart, staying overnight in Cambridge. Ben attended a family party in Hobart. The family belongs to an artist who lives in Weldborough and Ben had the honour of being the only non-family attendee. On a trip into the city, his near-new Kathmandu sleeping mat dislodged itself from the bike, landing somewhere along the highway and never to be found. Today there was a visit to the Kathmandu store to buy a slightly bigger sleeping mat. Ben also bought a mid-sized tent since the one-man tent is too small and the steel sections of the old $80 Aussie Disposals mid-sized tent have rusted through. This evening he sat the test for the Marine Radio Operator certificate. Results won't be known for a while and he has to return to Sandy Bay tomorrow morning with a signed passport-sized photograph. And why was it a fine day? Well, Ben was nabbed by the police twice. The first policeman gave him a warning and the second, on the same stretch of road and not long afterwards, fined him $110 for riding without displaying an 'L' plate. It seems the second policeman was attracted to the bike because of a tail lamp that hasn't functioned for many months. The broken light globe has now been replaced at a cost of around $10. Speaking of family, a family member from the mainland flies into Launceston tomorrow morning for a brief three-day visit.