Last week I re-introduced you to a post I wrote last year, called Kirsten Smith VS Kate Middleton and included this photo at the end of it:
Now I was equal parts amused and horrified when a couple of readers commented over on Facebook that my side part in that photo was rather astonishing! I mean, yes, I agree, that side part is all sorts of astonishing, but it’s not actually MY side part. She’s actually some random I found on the interwebs, when I was googling pictures of 80’s hair for the Open Letter To The Guy At My Gym Who Thinks My Name Is Charmaine post.
But to be fair, the resemblance between myself and Charmaine is uncanny, so I really can’t blame you for getting the two of us confused!
Anyway, the whole Charmaine thing has kind of stuck and in an effort to undo that nickname, I’ve tracked down Charmaine herself! Yes, I’ve found her.
Turns out she’s quite shy and doesn’t want to be interviewed here on the blog, but I had quite a lengthy chat with her via her My Space page and even jotted down a few sneaky bits of information that I thought I’d pass onto you.
So welcome to this week’s Friday Five, the 5 Things You Need To Know About Charmaine edition!
1. Is Charmaine married?
Yes, she is! She’s married to a lovely bloke called Barry. He’s a FIFO (Fly In Fly Out) Boiler Maker, currently working in the mines. I asked Charmaine what exactly a Boiler Maker does and she said she didn’t actually know, but that not knowing kept things very mysterious between the two of them and was very James Bond like.
Charmaine also told me that she has a thing for men in uniform so when Barry walks through the door in is High Vis Overalls after being away for 3 weeks, well, it’s a bit of a turn on for her. Can’t say I blame her….
2. How did she meet Barry?
Would you believe they met at work?! Charmaine was a toll booth operator on the Gateway Bridge here in Brisbane and back in the day Barry used to work as a barista at a coffee shop at the airport.
He’d drive over the bridge everyday and always head for Toll Booth Number 4, where Charmaine was stationed. They chatted very briefly every time Barry slipped a $2 coin into Charmaine’s hands (“Morning! Geez your hair is looking good today Charmaine”) but it was a chat that was always interrupted with a rising boom gate in front and the occasional honking horn from the cars behind him.
So one day, after a few months of polite toll booth chit chat, Barry attached his $2 coin to a piece of paper which he’d scrawled his name and number on. It was a particularly busy day at the toll booth, what with it being peak hour and all, so there wasn’t a lot of time for a convo. Barry wound his window down, flung the note at Charmaine and yelled “call me!” before driving over the bridge and heading to the airport.
Charmaine did call Barry and he outdid himself by getting his boss to shut down the airport coffee shop for 15 minutes, so he could wine and dine Charmaine over a half strength mocha (him) and a vanilla milkshake (her).
It was pretty much love at first sip, although Charmaine did admit she was a bit embarrassed when she realised 7 minutes into their 15 minute date, that a barista and a barrister are two entirely different occupations.
3. What hobbies does Charmaine have?
Both Charmaine and Barry have a love affair with bridges. She likes working on them, while he likes climbing them.
Unfortunately Charmaine’s career as a toll booth operator ended several years ago, when the fancy automatic toll system was introduced and all toll booths in the greater Brisbane area closed down.
Nowdays, Charmaine prefers to drive over bridges instead of working on them and loves nothing more than feeling the wind rush through her hair every time she hops in her red Ford Capri in search of a new bridge to drive over!
Meanwhile Barry has climbed the Story Bridge in Brisbane and made it half way up the Sydney Harbour Bridge before having to turn around due to a lingering inner ear infection that affected his balance during the climb. Charmaine is saving her pennies at the moment and is hoping to surprise Barry with a trip to Sydney for Christmas, so he can attempt the climb again.
4. Does Charmaine have children?
She does! Her and Barry are the proud parents of 14 year twin daughters; Mersaydees (because Charmaine has always wanted one) and Saturday (because that’s the day Charmaine and Barry first met, it’s the day they were married AND it’s the day the twins were born. What are the odds?!)
5. What does her hair look like now?
It still looks like a frizzy perm, although it’s not quite a big these days. Mostly because crimpers and diffusers are hard to find. That and her mobile hairdresser keeps insisting on using a GHD to straighten her curly locks every time she comes over to give it a quick trim, which has resulted in Charmaine’s hair becoming quite limp and lifeless.
She relies heavily on Frizz Ease and hats in the Summer months, when humidity is not her friend and despite being asked on a regular basis if her hair is naturally curly or a perm, Charmaine has learnt to love her locks. So much so, that she is thinking about applying to be a hair model at her local TAFE so the future hairdressers of Brisbane can learn first hand how to cut and dry curly hair properly!
That’s about all the info I get out of Charmaine, but she’s given me her iMessage contact details and apparently she’s on Snapchat, so I’m sure we’ll stay in touch.
In the meantime, do you have a question you would like me to ask Charmaine?
Leave your questions for Charmaine below and I’ll ask her next time she messages me!
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