Someone from the INTERNET came to PERTH!

If you've got friends that live far away, you'll know that it is a big deal when you get to see each other face to face. Thing is, pretty much no one comes to Perth because PERTH. I actually like this little city and think it has a lot to offer. Yes, even stuff that outweighs the exorbitantly high property prices and abundance of high vis gear.

When any of my east coast friends come to Perth it is a HUGE DEAL. There are confetti cannons, official welcomes and flocks of black swans flying in formation, spelling out your name. Or, more likely, me waiting at the airport to pick you up, with a packet of Cheezels in my hand.

Kim Foale - "professional mud hardener" and she of Frog Ponds Rock and Kim Foale Ceramics fame - headed west to the Sunset State to attend an Arty Farty conference in Kalgoorlie. I've been to Kalgoorlie and it doesn't scream conference to me, but hey, what would I know?

She got up in the morning in Tassie and had to use water to get the frost off her car windscreen, then got all the way over to Perth where we were experiencing a very comfortable 25C. Comfortable is, however, a relative term. It was just a nice way to help transition her to the week of 35C+ in Kal, though. You're welcome, Kim.

Pink hair meets Purple hair

We only had a few hours together, so a quick trip to King's Park to see the Boab Tree, have some lunch and then a detour to Freo for some hipsterwank non-alcoholic drinks at hipsterwank prices and it was time to head back to the airport. But what we did actually didn't matter. Just seeing her with my own eyes. Hearing her voice. Feeling her hugs. It was awesome. I kept thinking I was in one of those super realistic dreams. How are you here, in my car? You're meant to be on the other side of the country.

We chatted about blogs, kids, arty farty stuff (I didn't keep up very well), and the knack I have of driving terribly and becoming lost whenever I have a passenger over seven years old in my car. She let Bobbin, who she'd never met before ("you've grown a whole human since we last saw each other"), delve in to her salad at lunch. There were salad leaves and grainy things (quinoa?) all over the table and it didn't matter. Bobbin thought it was the best fun ever.

Bobbin developed a greater appreciation of quinoa at lunch

I expected to leave with some awesome memories and a cuddle, but I also left with gifts, which is great because PRESENTS! Kim had made me a beautiful glossy, swirly thing (it probably has a name but I don't know it), a pendant, and best of all, some amazing fairy houses for the kids. Tricky saw them when he got home and flipped. Real fairy houses!

Fairy houses, LEGO dude, cars, dinosaurs and a half eaten cracker. Bliss.

The best thing about this blogging caper, by far, is the people I've met. Most of those I have only "met" a handful of times, and some I haven't even "met" yet. All of a sudden, I feel like singing a Michael Buble song.

Do you have "online" friends?