NEON KALEIDOSCOPE

The title is a fitting, not exaggerated description of my mind’s activity the other morning....early morning. 

Around 3.15 am I was rudely awoken by Nature calling.  The call came not on my landline, nor via email, if you get my drift.  Once impatient Nature’s  (“She” who cannot be ignored) needs had been attended to, I hopped...well...not quite hopped...back into bed; drew the covers up; apologised to my two unimpressed furry bedfellows for disturbing them, and then shut my eyes. 

Immediately upon doing the latter, the lights in my mind switched on.... technicolour neon lights a-blazing.  There were enough bright lights illuminating my mind to light up this whole plateau on which I dwell...and the valley below!  Even the Gold Coast would have noticed the illumination lighting up the western skyline.

Becoming more frustrated as each minute passed, I waited, and waited...and waited... for sleep to take hold again...for my mind's shutters to close.  But, no...there was no chance of that happening.  Sleep had packed its bags and left town.  Sleep had broken the self-isolation restrictions.  It escaped, with no intention of returning. 

Have you ever had one of those nights/early mornings when once having woken, the mind stays awake and alert, refusing your pleas to shut down? 

Like a misbehaving, tantrum-throwing two-year old, during those wee small hours of the morning my mind refused to settle. No matter how I tried to quieten it... to dull it; to shut it down and off... my mind just wouldn’t shut up, or switch off!  It was a hive of activity.  A full-blown party was going on up there!

For whatever reason, my mind flew...not drifted...flew back to my time spent living and working in various northern regions of this wonderful state of ours known as “Queensland”.   

During my time spent in the north, I not only had two cats, Pushkin and Rimsky, but I also adopted my brother’s dog when he was unable to keep his pet at his new home base.  Without a doubt, Missy, a black and grey cocker spaniel was the Dame Edna Everage of the dog world.  Missy was in my life...and the bane of Pushkin and Rimsky’s lives...for five years. 

She was lovely old girl, who really didn’t deserve the whacks across her nose she was given every now and then by the feline duo. Pushkin and Rimsky wanted to make sure Missy understood who ruled the roost, and for her to know her place on the ladder.

I’ll cease my ramblings, and return to my early morning mental roaming that stopped me from falling back to sleep....

The managers of the motel/restaurant, in which I was the cook/chef at one stage, not only had a cuddly cat named “Tiger”, they also had a dog...a lovely Irish setter.  And, he was the cause of my mind getting bogged in the deepest mire. 

For the life of me, during my early morning mental activity, I couldn’t remember the dog’s name.  I could see him as clear as day!  I loved that dog.  We were the best of buddies; but his name escaped me.  No matter how or what I tried, his name deserted me.  The more I tried the more awake I became, and the more frustrated.  I tried my oft-used method when trying to recall a name. I began at the beginning of the alphabet, letter by letter, from A to Z.  Failed!   I was at an impasse.  

Out of the blue, around 5 pm that afternoon, many hours later, the dog’s name came to me.  “Bundy”.  My sandy-gold Irish setter mate, the same colour as “Jimmy”, the beautiful Border Collie who lives across the way...was named “Bundy”. 

One day while I was staying at the motel, looking after Bundy and Tiger, I jumped in my car to shoot back to my abode to check on my own pets.  

As I was driving down the road, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. 

Turning my head, I came face to face with Bundy's smiling face staring eagerly and excited at me!  He wanted to come along with me.  I stopped the car, opened the passenger side door...and let him in.  Bundy was a very happy, contented passenger, more than pleased to go along for the ride.

After my early morning neon light, kaleidoscopic frustration, that night, after finally remembering my Irish Setter mate's name, I slept through, undisturbed, until the sun had risen way above the eastern horizon. 

No mental neon lights a-blaring; only happy memories of “Bundy!

Avo-Go Eggs & Bacon:  Preheat oven, 218C. Cut 1 medium avocado in half; remove seed. Scoop out a little flesh...just a little to make room. Crack 1 egg in each half; sprinkle with a little grated cheese; season; top with cooked  chopped bacon; cook in oven 14-15mins.

Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Beans: Combine 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1tbs hot-smoked paprika, 4tbs dried rosemary, pinch of salt and 4tbs olive oil. Slash 1x2-1/2kg lamb shoulder all over with a sharp knife; rub in the mix; marinate up to 24hrs, but not essential. Heat oven 150C. Heat 1tbs olive oil in roasting pan over med-high heat, add 2 roughly-chopped onions, 4 roughly-chopped carrots and 1 garlic bulb, cut in half; sizzle 5 mins until onions and carrots are softened. Pour over 500ml chicken stock; bring to boil. Nestle lamb in pan; cover, then transfer to oven; roast 2 hrs. Uncover and transfer lamb to a plate. Stir into the stock, 3x400g cans drained and rinsed butter beans, 460g jar drained, roughly chopped roasted red peppers, and 300g jar pitted black olives.  Sit lamb back on top; return to oven, uncovered, for 1 hr 30 mins. Transfer lamb to a board; shred using two forks. Stir 4tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley through beans; serve. 

Bananas & Rum Syrup: Put 2tbs butter and 3tbs brown sugar in pan over low heat; stir until sugar dissolves and begins to bubble. Simmer 2mins; add 2 bananas, cut in half, then sliced lengthwise; continue to simmer; turn bananas; simmer a minute or so. Add 1-2tbs Bundaberg rum; stir; remove from heat. Place scoop of ice cream into 2 bowls; top with banana; drizzle with syrup.