anyresemblance

Exhale

Did anyone else find today hard.  Like when you have been holding your breath for so long and then it is ok to exhale but you suddenly realise how exhausted you are? Yeah, that.

This has been a long day.  The rain is good for the garden and bad for the paint drying.  Rain plus heat equals humidity.  Hideous.

This girl is nearly 17.  Not hideous at all.

Blue horizons

For someone who grew up in the heart of racing country and whose father proscecuted the father of a famous jockey and who loves to watch horses run, I have zero interest in the Melbourne Cup.  Thank goodness I had the excuse of being on a call with Korea to avoid the Melbourne Cup lunch madness. 

Racing in Australia seems far too much about frocks and hats and not nearly enough about race guides and binoculars.  I had many enjoyable forays to the races, flat and steeplechase in my younger days when I lived with someone who was horse crazy, but these days I can summon zero interest in it.

I fear this is akin to many of my dismissals of Australian cultural traditions.  Despite living here for longer than I have lived in any one city, I still don't quite believe I am here for long and therefore have no need to a) learn any Australian history b) engage in local cultural norms.  These days I find myself checking the London property pages trying to work out if I could afford to live there.  Don't get me wrong, I love my life here but I always feel like an immigrant.

 Yesterday, I had new screen doors installed.  It was a relief to see the tattered, bent ones removed.  The new one has a marvellous dog flap though it took a few dog treats to encourage the puppy to go through it.  Like the cats, he figures why would he put himself out when there is a willing human to call on.  Today the front door is being painted.  It is a cheerful blue and the painter is a nice, friendly man.   I am not all grumpiness, you know.

Remember, remember

As a child I loved Bonfire Night.  What's not to like about fireworks and sparklers?  Of course, I had no idea at the anti-catholicism of it all at the time, instead it was all about warnings not to carry fireworks around in your pockets.  Some years ago, msganching and I spent Chinese New Year in Macua.  The sound of firecrackers being tossed around with gay abandon made it sound like we were in the middle of a gun battle in Beirut.  Never mind those dire firework warnings about blowing your fingers off my handling fireworks. 

These days I live in a country which loves organised firework displays but frankly I miss the experience of your dad sticking rockets in old milk bottles and trying not to hammer the nail in too tightly to the catherine wheel so it still went round (and there I had no idea about St Catherine though my pal who went to St Catherines college and had a very premmie baby on 5 November did name her Catherine, I am confident she is now a healthy 21 year old).

So, no fireworks here tonight as the day has no cultural resonance but it is a reminder to start soaking my fruit for my cake and puddings.

Yesterday was another day of industry.  The puppy and I went to level 2 puppy school which was rewarding insofar as we both learned new things.  Then we came home and renewed the home reorganisation and moved my desk into the back room.  It is amazing that the removal of one piece of furniture (the desk my kids used) has resulted in an amazingly huge amount of space.  I am now working in the back room which is more peaceful (though will be icy in winter but I will deal with that in 6 months).  There was a satisfying amount of cobweb removal and skirting board cleaning.

I went to the supermarket, took the dog to the dog park for a giant play with other dogs, went to nursery to buy vegetable seedlings and herbs, had a relaxing bath, cooked dinner and watch telly with the kids.  While I was out the youngest continued her OCD approach to food organisation and cleaned and reorganised the fridge.  There is little downside to this.

 

The naming of things

The youngest added to her pantry order by labeling the shelves. Her own version of the Dewey decimal system.

Listlessly

Sometimes lists on the weekends can be a good thing and sometimes it makes the day seem as task driven as my work week. Pain with a purpose and all that. Today's lost also included complicated times.

8am - 9am 5km run. The last few runs have been very slow as I seem to have a mental block but at least I can say I banked the steps.

10 am - drop all knives for sharpening (the guy is only there first Saturday of the month) having first cut two slices of toast for my daughter.

10.30 - go to a house viewing for hints and tips on how they did their renovation

11 - pick up some paint samples so I can work out what colour to paint the front door

11.30 back home and youngest has commenced on cleaning out the pantry. She is slow but thorough and capitalizes on her need for order by putting the label maker to use

11.30- 12 take dog out and throw the ball around while listening to a Sara Paretsky story

12 go and inspect new ovens discovering that my current Westinghouse is not standard size and am shocked at how $$$ they cost

1 go to another house viewing in my old and desirable suburb. House has most hideous wallpaper known to humankind and very unfriendly kitchen. Also, don't these people know we all watch home improvement shows these days and know about their artful styling (plus half the furniture shoved in the garage)

1.15 - 2 take dog to dog park where he goes delirious with happiness at beautiful 5 month old border collie to play with

2 go home and decide to rearrange furniture and swap my study around. This task requires much wiping of skirting boards and hovering cobwebs from the back of the sofa. Abandon task half way as....

3.30 visit friends to have remedial class on duck minding (they are going to Sydney for a weekend and I have said we will look after them), admire her blooming garden and resolve to plant my tomatoes this weekend

4.15 go to the market for stuff for dinner and raise have forgotten to pick up the knives. Ponder what we can cook without need for sharp knives. Decide on lasagne with onion chopped in food processor.

5 make lasagne, finish another portion of room rearranging (desk needs to sit to tomorrow

6.30 run a bath. Dog and child come home while I am in the bath. Dog comes into the bathroom and tries to eat the bubbles

7 pour a glass of wine, eat lasagne and salad and watch doc Martin with youngest followed by two episodes of Whie Collar

10 bed, blog, bye

All saints

I'm cheating.  I am counting on it still being 1 November for some of you and trying to get my November blogging off to a good start.  November! How did that happen?

Since last we spoke, I have been to Korea.  That was a revelation.  I have no idea what I was expecting other than some Psy pop culture but it was fabulous.  First I had to leave super early on a Sunday morning as there were few flights out of my town and I was anxious I would not have enough time for the transfer between terminals (and for perusing the duty free cosmetics).  As it turned out I had time for that and a foray to the Qantas club.  The club is pretty nice in international with a bar where they bring special treats.  Sunday's breakfast treat was some kind of muffin with eggs and chilli jam.  Yum.  My pal and work colleague rustled up mimosas as well.  We were flying Asiana Airlines which was a new one to me but it was just fine with about 3" extra knee room and the usual revolving set of movies.  Since I had not travelled for a few weeks there were a new set of movies including To Rome with Love, Rock of Ages (has Catherine Zeta Jones every been so awful? sad), Spiderman (I hesitate to say I am tiring of perky Emma Stone when she has been my girl crush for so long but I loved Andrew Garfield) and People Like Us (I missed the last 20 minutes of the latter but watched it again on the way back).  The plane was shiny new, too.

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton which was everything you would expect and more with beautiful flowers and attentive staff.  We started early every day but it all went well and I was treated to a succession of beautiful dinners.  I tasted soju but that was an ample sufficiency as far as I was concerned. 

I had 90 minutes on the last afternoon to rush down to Gangnam and try out some wonderful cosmetic stores and buy cheap sneakers for my daughters.  I would definitely go back and everyone says Jeju Island is glorious.  Then an overnight flight and home.

Home is good but more on that tomorrow.