anyresemblance

Post apocalyptic romance

Every so often, a piece of television comes along which is so moving and beautiful, you just want to watch it again and again.  I've got hooked on The Last of Us (possible spoilers) and if I tell you it is a quest during a post apocalyptic zombie world you might think that is not for you but actually it all about love.  Last night's episode (3) was the story of two older men finding each other during this time and their years together growing intimacy, bickering, tenderness.  It blew my mind to see love between middle aged men shown this way on screen.  At the end the Murray Bartlett character says something to the effect of I won't say every day was a gift from God but I would rather have spent these days with you than anyone else.  The pitch and the acting and the script are just wonderful.  I can't stop thinking about it. 

Sidenote: Linda Ronstadt on heavy rotation this morning.

Under the weather

It is rainy, hot and humid here, a rare combination for our inland and high altitude city.  It is vile and saps every ounce of energy out of me.  I have been sitting at my desk trying to do the tiniest of tasks and not concentrating at all.

However, it was a good weekend and here are ten things:

1. Finished painting S's apartment with the help of her dad who was super helpful and worked with speed
2. Went to see What's Love Got to do with it which as instantly forgettable but mildly entertaining.  Honestly, did not thing I had the mental fortitude for Tar right now
3. Eventually got the spinach pie to work and it was tasty
4. S made cauliflower tacos for dinner last night and they were delicious
5. Finally watched the Bake Off final where my favourite won but felt like everything is becoming about sculpture not flavour (noel has excellent knitwear)
6. Watched all four episodes of Poker Face which is hugely enjoyable and has a range of wonderful guest stars
7. Listening to the Caroline O'Donoghue podcast on Gilmore Girls and immediately commenced watching a couple of episodes from Season 5 which confirmed all her observations.  Rory is a terrible kisser!
8. Washed the dog as he decided to lie down in a smelly stream on Saturday but at least he is now sweetly scented
9. Got an amazing, if remarkably ugly, cushion thing off Amazon which really helps elevate my legs while in bed or on the sofa
10. Had a pedicure

 

What day of the week is it: episode 873

Yesterday's public holiday was on a Thursday and I booked today as leave but I am so behind so don't know whether to cancel my leave and just put my head down or keep my leave so at least I can do a number of errands without guilt between calls.  Also, that waking up and having no idea which day of the week it is has me struggling.

It was so hot last night in the house and despite a cool breeze coming through nothing seemed to come in through the screen.  I watched In Bruges for the first time and then a Jennifer Lawrence movie on Apple TV that creaked along and gave up after an hour.  I had a cool shower and cracked open the latest Garry Disher.  It wasn't my favourite and I would have decried the plot for being far fetched if it were not for that covid denier/sovereign rights shit playing out with tragic results in recent weeks.  He is such a great writer and I will always read his books. 

Charlie is home from his farm stay and we walked along the Foreshore this morning and met our favourite psychiatrist and border collie owner and her lovely dog who we have known for nearly a decade.  It is always a calming experience talking to her.  She told me she has her own dog classified as a therapy dog so she can take her to work everywhere.  I love her imperfections (the dog, not the medic) - when a motorcycle when by, she has to be held as she has a camp dog predilection to despise motor cyclists and chase at their heels.

Always was, always will be

I spent today thinking about an essay I read by Kim Foster on Substack, titled Delinquent: Kids who get lost.  She is an astonishingly good writer and in this essay I kept thinking that everything she wrote was relevant to the shocking high number of indigenous kids being incarcarated for being "raised with difficulties outside of their control" and putting them in environments removed from their families, their communities and their siblings.  Added to this the generational trauma of land being dispossessed, so yes, no wonder changing the date of our national day would be the very least we could do.

This morning S and I did another coat of paint in her apartment.  We've now done two coats of undercoat and the deep teal green is just about covered.

I've still got minor (I hope) health stuff going on.  I have had various tests and see the cardiologist next week.  The technician did not gasp in horror when she did my echogram but I am sure having a poker face is a requirement of the role.

 

Monday miscellaneous

I managed to edit a spreadsheet on line this morning for a task I have been avoiding and it took me all of 5 minutes so now I am winning at Monday.

Someone close to me is struggling with sorting something out so I am trying to be helpful and not judgemental.  The latter is very challenging but I chose to spend Saturday engaged in painting walls in a flat.  It was a lot harder than I recall painting to be and not helped by a step ladder that was too short but I made a good start.  I co opted someone to help me finish it this week on the public holiday and hopefully the whole thing will be under control shortly.

On Saturday evening I went to see Ottolenghi in conversation.  I've heard him interviewed several times, and listened to his own podcast a few years ago, but I found him very engaging and warm and interesting.  He was hosted by Alice Zaslavsky who was an excellent interviewer.

My daughter is sad because her half brother and his wife and her beloved nieces are moving to Dublin. I was quite shocked when I heard this as they have been in Australia for 20 years and 11 years respectively but M decided it was time to go home and be closer to her family.  It kept me awake on Saturday evening thinking about going home.  I like to think I would be back in the UK in a heart beat if my children were not here but I am not sure starting over would be that easy. 

S is house sitting this week on a country property so has taken Charlie with her to hang out with the other dogs and the alpacas who he is very uncertain about.  She said he followed her to the gate this morning when she went to work so I hope he works out how to be a proper working dog.

I started watching The Last of Us on my colleague's recommendation.  It's good and I think I am going to like it.  Other than that I can't find the thing that fits my mood.

 

A rare night out

I went out tonight but am way too tired to write. 

A trying day

It’s late and it’s been a day of biting my tongue. I made a mediocre  macaroni cheese for dinner but some excellent baked peaches and from scratch custard.

The only upside is I kept thinking it was Wednesday so I’m delighted to realise it’s Thursday.

Too late, too little

I
was at the office all day and it was busy. I managed to get mansplained by 3 people (ie, men) in a meeting. I called it out but they don’t really listen.  

There was a terrific thunderstorm this afternoon which has done nothing to dispel the heat. 

I am rewatching Happy Valley in anticipation of season 3 but I’m finding it so sad so interspersing with cooking shows. They made iles flottante in the custard episode of Bake Off which are my favourite so I might have a go at those.

A glitch

Not sure what was going on with typepad but could not log in yesterday.  I keep reminding myself it is a platform at the end of life and I really need to do something with my archives before it collapses in a heap.

Yesterday was a work day and I can't recall a single thing that happened.  I went to the office, it was deserted, I came home at lunchtime, I worked at my desk and then I went to the dr which was maddeningly inconclusive.  She upped my medication which is tedious but I have to check in later this week to see if it makes a difference.  I made dinner - Bon Appetit's sweet and spicy pork noodles which were delicious and  I watched an episode of Great British Bakeoff which is not the bin fire the reviews led me to assume it was.

This morning, I happened to meet a friend while I was walking Charlie and we arranged a catch up in a couple of weeks, I made an arrangement with another friend to go and see Ottolenghi in conversation on Saturday night (could I be any more middle class?) and I checked in another friend who had surgery.  Office was slightly less deserted and my boss is coming to town tomorrow which probably means a lot of people will show up being shiny and ready for the year ahead.

I had a very frustrating call with the cardiologist's rooms who gave every assistance short of any actual help and three calls to my own GP's receptionist (who was surprisingly helpful) about getting the referral sent.  None of which means the cardiologist agrees to see me given he does not get back from holiday until Thursday.

 

Sunday stocktake: cinema edition

1. Watching:   I've not been feeling crash hot today but I did meet my friend at the cinema to see The Fablemans.  I spent the whole movie trying to work out who Michelle Williams was which shows how much attention I had been paying.  I did smile to see how the father's recruitment to IBM was a pivotal arc in the movie.  As usual, if I had known it was 2 and a half hours long I might have resisted but I found the unfolding family tragedy captivating, no wonder Michelle Williams is being touted for an Oscar.
2. Eating: I went to the market after the cinema.  It was strangely deserted, probably because of the heat and the impending storm.  I bought lots of salad stuff as all I want to eat is watermelon and feta and mint like things
3. Wishing: a cool breeze would come through. Another hot day and this afternoon has brought thunderstorms which have failed to lower the temperature.
4. Looking: at my art, having put my large piece by Leila Jeffreys up in my study.
5. Smelling: the branches of eucalyptus I bought at the market. I know I could have gone into the bush and snipped some for free but it smells so fresh and cleansing.
6. Cooking: fried chicken sandwiches with coleslaw.  S and I watch a lot of low demand tv cooking shows and have recently discovered Donal Skehan and this is one of his recipes.
7. Reading: the latest Kate Atkinson (I am sort of procrastinating on the Harold one)
8. Liking: my clean dog who went to the groomers on Friday and smells delightful 
9. Loving: my new Sony headphones which I bought coming back from Perth as my tiny earphones did not cut it for noise cancelling on the way over.  They are so comfy on the ears and make it possible to vacuum and listen to a podcast at the same time.  I rationalised that I can put a proportion forward to my tax and sell my existing Beats on marketplace.
10. Sipping: tea, Pepsi max, water.  I've stopped drinking alcohol while I try and sort out my medical ailments.