Stobes

 Stobes is another one of my besties. I met her when I was working at the Outdoor Education Group. I owe her a lot.

At the time I met Stobes was the asthma instructor and also a groupleader. She is a qualified nurse who used to work in the emergency department of a Melbourne hospital. She would have been very good at that job but the stress got to her in the end and she ended up with Bell's palsy and one side of her face had a mini stroke and has now dropped.

She was super skinny and fit when I met her. She had a non-committal boyfriend at the time who used to be a mercenary in Afghanistan and would disappear to do that kind of work. Her nursing background meant she diagnosed him with testicular cancer well before perhaps he realised he had it.

They were both cyclists and somehow or other Kate got me signed up for the Audax Alpine Classic. If it wasn't for her insistence that I go riding her all the time I may never have been fit enough for the 120km ride from Bright to Mount Buffalo and back. She would just lob, on her fancy ride bike on the back deck of the trout farm house and we'd be off for a ride around the hills of Eildon and Thornton, Skyline road, over towards Taggerty, everywhere. 

Sam, Stobes, Joe and I

Stobes, always on the bloody phone haha!

One time we even rode from Eildon through Bonnie Doon, Mansfield and stayed the night at Mac's Cove or Jamieson (I can't remember!) and then road in through to Eildon triumphant with our peloton and had a very hearty breaky at Jackie Ash's café.

She's very caring. She knew how desperately I wanted to have a baby and listened to my story about trying to conceive, the diagnosis of "unexplained infertility" which is worse than having a reason because there is no clearcut treatment, all the kooky stuff I tried, naturopathic tonics, giving up alcohol, giving up coffee and then finally AIH or artificial inseminiation by husband which is a monitored cycle. It is supposed to have the lowest success rate but I fell pregnant.

She and Chrissi both kept it a secret from everyone at work until I was past the 12 week period and I think I even waited an extra week or so just in case. 

Stobes is also in a very small circle of friends with whom I feel comfortable to drink plentifully and every year she and her partner stay over on the way to the Tour Downunder I know my liver is about to get a workout. We are always trying something new. This year it was margaritas which she loved and supped on wherever she could get one in SA after trying them at my place.