Last minute -

This morning was a late start because of parent teacher interviews last night. I spent some time playing with the cats in the sunshine.


















Tonight I did two hours of pilates (which was perhaps a bad choice - I hurt and I'm tired and I'm hungry).














And now I am supposed to be packing for SS09. I'll let you know how that's going for me.














Leaving for the airport at 4am.

Looking at you -















I put one of those google analytics things on the blog because I was curious. I often think there is only one person reading the blog and I tend to write it for her and I tend to get surprised when other people I know mention something I've mentioned here. [as a side thought, I started writing this to keep in crafting contact with Bec when she went away, now that she is coming back, do I stop].

Anyhoo, the analytics thing seems to suggest that there is some one in Pelotas, Brasil reading. And Massachusetts - a name I used to like getting my (now not) housemate to say because I can't. I get why Vancouver and Seattle show up, knitting friends live there, but I read that someone in Kaluga, Russia is reading and wonder who.

It hurts my brain less to go back to thinking just Bec reads.

Off Johnston Street -

On a corner -

Saying No -

I am rubbish at saying No to someone, but I have been practicing. Rather than saying No to requests from strangers to knit things, I tend to go with 'I can teach you to knit'. The other night I told someone I know slightly that I am going to SS09 and when she got over her astonishment she said 'Wow, you must really love knitting socks', and started to ask me to knit something. I ran my line past her and she said, 'No, no, I know how to knit, this is different.' I smiled one of those funny gastrointestinal-discomfort-looking smiles and said No again. She said, 'But this is for a dear woman I teach Pilates to and I just know she'd love a pair'. And I told her I couldn't and class started and she didn't talk to me again.

The part of me that fears conflict had fled across the room and was hiding under some sports equipment. The part that gets bored silly knitting stuff for people I don't know and love was bloody relieved.

Full -

Last night we went to anada. We had 12 courses of the most delicious food I have eaten in some time. I had just done two hours of Pilates, so was suitably ravenous. It was pretty awesome.

I have a two blurry pictures of recent good things.

Last night's birthday girl.














My kids getting an award for the film they made. I love these guys so much and they were so elegant and articulate.














I think there will be no knitting here until after SS09. Life has been full of replacement bank cards being sent to remote rural locations and trips to the dentist (if you need a fantastic dentist in Melbourne, I can recommend this one) and organising either a new housemate or house/cat sitters.

I should probably go and have breakfast, but I think it is going to be a while before I can face eating again.

Wanting -

I want this cardigan.










When I started reading the books (at the time I was living and working in a boarding school in an old castle in the middle of the countryside in England and the third book was just about to come out. The girls lent me their copies, but would only let me take them overnight... I went a couple of nights with no sleep to get them read) I loved them. I particularly loved the three main characters. I particularly loved the bossy, over-bearing little know-it-all for whom I felt a certain sister-of-the-heart affection.

I read them curled up in my little half-room, tucked away under the roof, looking out over the orchard. The bed was old and creaked and I had to share toilet and showers with the oldest girls (they were about 14, the youngest were 6 or 7). They had a 'rota' in the mornings and evenings and I fit in around them.

A lot of the time I was there I felt like I was just having a bad dream and when I woke up I'd be back in Australia. This was exacerbated by most nights' vivid dreams of being in Australia and panicking about how I would get back to the school in time for duty the next morning. The dreams felt more real than the living. It was a learning experience and a little bit of escapism felt like a very good thing.

Litany of Woe -

Today has been one of those rather astonishing days that ends in a headache.

So here is my tale of woe. It sort of starts last night when I had one of those life changing conversations with someone. It was perfect, uplifting, thrilling. I left feeling high as a kite. As high as a very high kite. The high continued through Pilates and on through the night. At 10.44 I crashed and retired to bed with my step-sister's new book.

I woke before the alarm and got up to practice the presentation I was giving today. We were each given seven minutes, but I was only getting it under seven half the time. blah blah blah, then I went to leave the house with enough time to walk to the venue. One of the cats exploded, I cleaned it up and realised I only had enough time to get there if I caught the tram. Got to the tram stop and couldn't find my wallet. Fine, I had just enough time to get home for it... except I couldn't find it. I looked through house and car and figured I had dropped it at the supermarket the night before. Rang to put a block on my cards. Phone ran out of battery. Had just enough coins to buy a two hour tram ticket.

I arrived late, but in time to give my talk... except that they had started early.

I walked home - it took a little longer than I expected. By the time I got back, a blister on my foot had started bleeding. I looked again for the wallet, nothing, not in the car, not in my room, not anywhere. I was running late for Pilates, but decided to make a dash for it. Got in the car. Saw my wallet sitting under the windscreen wiper. I must have dropped it coming in last night and one of my neighbours picked it up (suddenly glad I know the neighbours).

Immediately called the bank to get the block taken off my card. They wouldn't. I tried to explain that I had 20c to my name and couldn't wait 7 days for a new card. They said the risk was too great. I was put on hold while the nice man spoke to a senior manager.

I drove to Pilates while I was on hold. Although I complained explained again that I only had 20c cash to my name, my card was cancelled.

Left Pilates and drove through peak-hour traffic to get to the Brighton Cinema where my kids were given an award for the short film they made. I was half an hour late, but didn't miss their film. Their film with me in it. There is something pretty cool about seeing yourself on the big screen. And they thanked me in their acceptance speech for giving up my lunchtimes and frees.

From there I drove to the city to catch up with a friend for his birthday. I flaked pretty soon on account of being tired and hungry.

The low fuel light came on halfway home. I wondered how much fuel you could buy with twenty cents.

But it's okay, I have beer and eggs in the fridge; plenty of flour and porridge in the cupboard; and a two month supply of bonsoy behind the kitchen door. I am going to catch up with some friends on Sunday for Harry Potter, they are practically family, I am sure I can hit them up for cash.

Game -



















The concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name

1. Home, 2. 365:2:94 .. Apple of My Eye, 3. 13 is my lucky number, 4. Fork In The Road - Walnut Creek, California, 5. You know what happens when you dream of falling? Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly., 6. Sunrise welcome, 7. Eilean Donan Highland castle, 8. A new day, 9. teeth, 10. .freedom., 11. Daydreaming, 12. ceels

Confluence -

Lots of things collided this week, in a good way. I have been thinking a lot about love. It feels like I have caught up with a person I used to love and a person I didn't once love, but do now; I am losing someone I love; I may get the opportunity to spend some time with someone I have loved for a very long time; and I have been thinking about the people I work with, a majority of whom I love to distraction.

I remember learning a number of words in Ancient Greek that described different aspects of love - I can't remember the words but they go something like this: 'mmmm, that was tasty cake', 'I love you, mum', 'Scuba diving is awesome', 'I feel happy when I see you', and eros - longing (not necessarily, but not excluding, sexual longing). I remember thinking that the English word 'love' woefully inadequate, but I think I like that it's so nonspecific. I love you.

I saw a man in the supermarket at home who was wearing a fantastic jumper. It is hard to see in the photo how very beautiful and gentle he is. If I meet someone for the romantical love, I hope he grows old like this man has.


















I am sitting on the couch with two kittens snuggled together, curled up tight on my lap. I have spent much of the day sprawled in the sun with them. I don't know if they love me beyond my roles as bringer of food and a warm place to sit, but I love them.














And the weather lately has been clear and crisp, perfect for wandering. It reminds me how much I love this city, and that I don't really want to move anywhere else in the world.

C for Clever Cat -

I am hiding out from life in my parentals' house in the country. I took the cats with me. They have had a troubling few days. They took a long ride in a car. They met horses. They met a dog. Who comes in the house. We took them for a walk around the verandah. We let them loose in the mouse-ridden garage.














They have been exploring a house about three times the size of my apartment, and finding new places to ambush each other from. The girl cat tried to tell mum who was boss and now won't go near mum. Mum fed the boy cat roast lamb and now he follows her around in case she does it again.














Until last night when she went down to my bedroom to say hello to them (they have been sleeping on my bed and using my room as a safe room where they think the dog can't get them) and couldn't find him.


















Until I pointed him out. Lord of all he can see.














I figure I'll get them home and they'll either be bored out of their minds or pathetically grateful.

There has been no knitting. All I have managed is to drink tea and read Eddings.