Since we don’t live by politix alone (I sincerely hope), what did people get up to this weekend? Join in, share some tales, regulars and lurkers all!
24 Responses to “Lazy Sunday!”
Leave a Reply
Please read the comments policy. If you would like an icon beside your comment, please register a Gravatar.
There is a Comments Preview function below the typing box which activates when you start typing.
Just settled in to watch:
Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany
Wow. So far, it’s excellent. I paused to set up a better stereo system.
Well, Friday 13th wasn’t unlucky for me.
I have been battling Telstra since July about an intermittently noisy line, having had to replace various pieces of equipment which were declared faulty when the problem was obviously elsewhere.
Then, on Friday someone turned up who (a) knew what he was doing, and (b) listened to me. I explained why the fault was in the line, and he went off down the road. He called back ten minutes later saying “Is that fixed?” – and it was.
I drove to Sydney on Friday to attend a reunion of the my classmates who sat the Higher School Certificate back in 1969. Gee there were a lot of old people there! It was a hoot.
Today I dropped off a painting at the Exhibition Room of the ACT Legislative Assembly. My painting will be in an exhibition that is part of Canberra’s month long SpringOUT festival. I’ll be going to the opening tomorrow evening.
A very pleasant day …
Went up to the Frenchs Forest Organic Markets with Hubby — a passable lentil burger was consumed while some wannabe muso sang Time After Time. We stocked up on organic dog food.
In the afternoon we visited Kokoda Park at Concord with the dogs — they always love that.
The atmospherics of the day were somewhat dampened by the announcement on agriculture and the interminable braying from the radio comms about “the tiger”. Try as I might, I can’t for the life of me situate paying one of the richest men in the world $3million of public money to grace our shores and hit a small white object about within anything one could call equitable or rational policy, especially when it undermines Austrail climate policy. Apparently even the airline paid for the privilege of hauling his carcass here — $14,000 or something. Hmmm … it’s a crazy world.
I recall hearing the other day that some Victorian town — Rumsey I think — managed to get pokies banned. Now I’ve never been interested in pokies and I’ve long wondered about the attraction. Apparently Australia has a disproportionate share of the world’s pokies.
I can’t help wondering if some enterprising person could figure out a way of devising some work-related task as boring and mindless as operating poker machines whether he couldn’t get the sad kind of people who go for this sort of thing to do it for prospective income, offering them between 3 and 10 dollars and one beer an hour to do the “work”. Surely it would be better than them blowing all their hard-earned super/pensions/rent money?
Apparently it is 150 years since Edwin Blake drilled in Titus, Pennsylvania for what was called “rock oil” and created the world’s first successful oil well. Apparently, up until then, rock oil had been used as a topical application on injuries to donkeys. Nobody had thought to burn the stuff but they eventually created the first kerosene for lighting. SUVs were still a long way off …
Just sent an email of congratulations to Nathan Rees for sacking Joe Tripodi. It took guts for him to take on the factions. What a victory for decent government to get Tripodi out of the way. More power to NR ! The Libs must be spewing.
That’d be Romsey, Fran.
I used to pass through there frequently. It’s situated roughly halfway from my previous house and my mother’s – we were about 45mins either side.
I’m very pleased to hear that. Congratulations to the community. I’d be against pokies anywhere, but Romsey’s a small enough country town that a handful of badly designed and built units right near its heart were enough to alter the whole look and feel for the worse. Thank you, speculative builders! I was dreading the effects converting the hotel into a pokies joint would have had, and for much more than just aesthetic preferences.
Apparently the ruling sets something of a precedent as the socially negative aspects in pokies wwere decisice in the court’s ruling, even though Romsey isn’t seriously socially disadvantaged.
Let’s hope so …
That said, there are lots of ways in which one could allow pokies but make them much less harmful …
I invoked an evil ritual and installed windows 7 on my iMac. Now I feel greasy and kind of sinister…
Four hours of swinging a agricultural hoe out to get rid of prickles this morning in the paddock,finished just after twelve.Very pleasant morning it was,flies not up and careering around,moos keeping their distance and soft soil after rains to lift and separate the prick from his roots.The satisfaction of tossing with an action of a wrist a large prickle,makes prickle surgery one of the better jobs.Some are Gay,or play Cricket or watch in awe the Ghoulfier,like he was descending from the Eiffel Tower.But the swing and twist of an experienced prickle surgeon whilst plovers make noises overhead is the ancient man renewing himself.Sure I have my daydreams out there,to be admired from a distance,or,to be a mystery beyond comprehension.Or plainly seeing the fall of prickles as a worthy example of aggression in the ranks of agricultural workers.A dance ,a swing,a wrist action,and the partnered plant lies down looking up at the sun.I must surely be the first and last of my type!One better than the example that hasn’t been set.I might soon go high tech. I will eventually own a Vortex Tube Exair product,and blast said pricks with very cold air or very hot air,and move on to make Fireweed feel doomed, rather than me stooping to conquer with rugged surgeons gloves on and a twist and a tug! I spent some of the rest of the time avoiding sleep by doing so,sleeping!Eating from Berri fruit ice block things in plastic tubes,and descended onto the computer to rage against those who find some fault in what farmers are getting.Some prefer sending congrats to Rees for this and that.I read what Fred Nile said or heard it.And isn’t it fair we have a resultant BUST!I thought of girlfriends unchallenged by me for being that with me,and using said Vortex Tube in a manner suited for ancient flesh to be stimulated back to cohering muscle rather than the Via the Agrophobia approach.No one said I love you Phil!And I said nothing of the sort too!I laughed at MacNamara on Sunday,Australia All Over suffering coincidence in place and event.Rense.com helped my avoidance of people complex.Wasn’t a bad Sunday really!
Spent most of the weekend taking notes from various books on the battle of Bunker Hill. Have a post on my blog on it I put up a few days ago.
Today I did a final edit on chapter 3 of my book – might cut out one more paragraph and fix up linking sentences yet. Rather enjoyed ABC1 moving about Jane Austen.
Walked from South Hobart to Howrah Beach along bike / pedestrian path. Semi-fun but proof-of-concept really. Only bike rider to use bell was small child. Learned new term for lycra clad bike riding arsehole – ‘Candy Bum’.
Also learned to throw (and catch!) boomerangs.
On Saturday, purchased a TransLink ticket that was to have taken me to Chermside and back, but only got as far as the CBD where I purchased Conqueror and Flood by Stephen Baxter and The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov.
Sunday, purchased a TransLink ticket which took me to Lota, where I strolled around the seafront past the mangroves before purchasing a generous serving of fish and chips and eating them in the foreshore park. Then strolled some more past the Manly Marina, through the Manly Markets and then to the Manly station for the train home.
Played a couple of fun gigs in Adders, caught a couple of Sth Australian fish in my spare time – basically all of which was spent at Glenelg beach thanks to the insane weather.
Recently married bass player lost his wedding band in the water, and despite prompt location marking, frantic duckdiving, borrowing of child’s goggles, then returning the next day to hire proper snorkels, then pay a hobbyist with a metal detector to wade around at low tide, no luck.
Confucius say recently married bass player must apply sunscreen with fingers of right hand only, if he wishes to retain the affections of his lovely wife.
I wish you’d tell us where you’re playing in Adelaide in advance, FDB.
Having never (to my knowledge) heard you, it would be a new and interesting experience for me.
Yeah, sorry. I seem to remember you or someone else saying something similar before. Mme Cat, peutetre…
A promoter I ain’t.
Although, I think I sometimes unconsciously avoid it online, not just cos it’s a tad crass, but also cos one of the nutcases who I once called such might use it for stalking, or what have you.
As they say… [cue informercial presenter voice] there’s got to be a better way!
Perhaps that way is, as they say… [cue talk show guest voice] getting over myself. In this case, as getting over myself would entail talking about myself more, I think I could manage it!
We played the Wheatsheaf on Sunday, and the audience, though modest (as again, they say) was very appreciative and purchasey-of-CDs, so we’ll definitely be back there. Plus I love the venue. If the people who run it weren’t so awesome and generous with their rider – seriously, you’re going to keep not charging me for these microbrew draughts till my cab leaves for the airport? Ooo-kaaaay – and the folks who frequent it weren’t such open and lovely music-lovers, and the resident sound-lady so excellent, my take-home impression would be “holy fuck, did I just play 2 sets in a tin shed in 40 degrees with no aircon in a weird little industrial area of Adelaide? Why????
February is most likely for a return to Adders, on the back of the album we’ve got in the bag.
Apropos of nothing, while in town I purchased a second-hand pair of what were referred to on the label as “Don Dunstan Shorts”. Baby blue short-shorts; now that’s a premier.
I’d like to retract half the commas in that last comment.
At least you didn’t buy the hot pink ones FDB …
The Wheatsheaf is a nice pub. I’ve seen CW Stoneking there once or twice, and a mate speaks highly of their collection of single malt whiskeys.
February, eh? Cool.
Sunday: watched the 1979 VFL Grand Final on the work telly, wondering why it was the only decent choice amongst the 20+ channels now available.
Finally figured out how to play “Okaeri” on the piano; a feat I’m rather proud of achieving with no sheet music, a piano, a tin ear and a full-orchestral arrangement CD.
Cursed the Cricket Ground Trust and the Qld Govt for closing Stanley Street on the weekend so they could do some repairs to a grandstand.
“The Wheatsheaf is a nice pub.”
Furious agreement.
“I’ve seen CW Stoneking there once or twice”
How great is CW? Very, that’s how.
“a mate speaks highly of their collection of single malt whiskeys.”
I heard that too, but poverty and heat conspired against me.
“February, eh? Cool.”
Fuck, I hope so. But I really really doubt it.
FDB are you playing in Brissie in a few weeks? I just did some quick stalking and if your band is the band I think it is I wouldn’t mind seeing them.
We are indeed.
*scurries back under fridge*
Somehow I managed to lose track of what day it is, it’s been a rush to fit everything in…driving to and from Adelaide for the Memorial service. The heat, much drinking, people I’d not seen for many years, my granddaughters wonderful song to her mother and the moving reminiscences from family and friends, the long session into Friday morning, the trip back with a nephew and my amazing second eldest daughter who almost single-handed put together a truly lovely memorial. No religion, celebrant or MC, just family and friends. I’d like to just once again thank all who sent condolences and apologize for maybe seeming a bit irrational over this long stressful time.
I’m very glad to hear the service went so “well” Zorronsky. To the extent such things can.
I haven’t noticed you being irrational, but would certainly undetrstand if you had.
All the best eh?
Thanks FDB, the luck of the draw there I s’pose.