I did it.
30 days. An average of 12,000 steps a day.
I was very consistent. It wasn't a chore.
And I did it.
The other great thing is that I raised around $400 for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. The donation page is still open and you can donate here if you would like. It's a great charity. https://www.steptember.org.au/fundraisers/AmandaPearson
I'm too tired to write at then moment, but here are a few things that put a smile on my face today.
1) I created avatars for most of my team - with a great deal of success.
Everybody had the right for refusal, but the team were happy. Here's what mine looks like. I got the hair and lipstick right anyway.
3) Somebody is coming over tomorrow to fix my couch. At a reasonable price. Better fixed now that never. And it can be done while I'm at home.
4) I walked in on the cat having a wank tonight. He's a tripper. It makes him happy - I just left the room and let him at it.
5) The view from the top floor at work was really nice tonight. The light was amazing. Pity about the bird poo.
7) I'm having a haircut tomorrow.
8) I'm having all sorts of great ideas for the novel - and writing things down.
9) I'm not, nor have I ever been, with Optus for a phone carrier.
10) I have the knowledge that my tax is finally getting done tomorrow.
11) Now that I have written something, I can go to bed.
That will do.
Today's song is in memory of Coolio - it's the only song of his that I know.
With two days to go, it appears I've gone a little bit above and beyond on this Steptember Challenge.
Am I surprised? Yes.
Am I proud of myself? Yes.
That I've raised a bit over $360 for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance - I'm stoked about that.
Friday I'll make sure I get my steps in.
Hopefully, as of 1 October the steps will keep coming. 10000 steps a day is not a stretch. If I was still running, I could be doing a lot more, but this is a bloody good effort.
Tomorrow, work is doubling any donations, so if you feel like donating, it would be a good day to do it.
The link to my fundraising page can be found here.
One of today's tasks was to create an avatar of myself for some corporate webpage. As somebody who hates being photographed and being easily triggered when my photo is on the internet, I'm a bit more comfortable with the idea of an avatar to represent me.
We were give a website to go to (bitmoji.com) given some basic instructions.
It wasn't hard. The day itself had had some challenges. I was looking forward to a Bahn Mi for lunch, only to find my closest decent Vietnamese bakery was closed and the other two decent ones had long queues coming out of them. (the closest bakery to home isn't great and their Bahn Mi aren't a patch on the ones down the road).
So I login to this site and follow the instructions.
Thing is, I don't have a bloody clue what I look like.
Sure, hair is easy. My long curly mop was catered for. Even the baleage in my ends I could do.
My eyes are dark green. Fine - but their shape? I couldn't see an almond shape in the options - but are my eyes close set, or way set or normal? I don't know.
Then the nose. IT's been described as a snout. It's also been described as a downhill ski run, the tip being raised. Again, I don't know.
And the options didn't do double chins. And don't ask me what my face shape is. Sort of oval? I don't know.
There was a make up option. I put some red lippy on, gave myself a heavier set body with big boobs.
Oh, and they had no Harry Potter glasses option. These were the best I could find.
And this is what they came up with.
Cats, by nature, are creatures of habit, and Lucifer, being a cat, is no exception.
Some of Lucifer's quirks include:
It's been a big day. Masons days are already big days. Days when you give somebody their third degree, evne more so. So I'm knackered.
Questions, as always, provided by Bev and Kwizgiver at Sunday Stealing. (Bev's computer is on the fritz)
1. If you were trapped in a room with the person who asked this for 24 hours, what would you do? The answer cannot be romantic or sexual.
I have no idea what's being asked here. Being locked in a room with anybody sounds like complete torture. Next.
2. If you could learn any language instantly, what would it be?
I would love to be fluent in French (if not Spanish). My French is reasonable, but I wish I got to practice more.
3. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Controversial opinion, but I'd probably pick up James Joyce's Ulysses. I've only been trying to read it for 30 years... but again, this sounds like torture too.
4. Favorite song lyric?
"Throw down your guns, don't be so Reckless."
I love that whole song.
5. Favorite album?
One of the following - and that depends on the day:
6. Which time of day would you say is best for you work-wise?
Strangely between about 3-5. I seem to be able to concentrate best then.
7. What do you think people assume about you from first glance?
I try not to think about that as I've spent years in therapy trying to not worry about what people think about me. I know that I get approached by charity muggers regularly, so I imagine they think I look friendly.
8. Favorite city that you haven’t visited?
San Francisco. Seattle. Bilbao. Tokyo. Vancouver.
9. If you received $10,000 but had to give it away, what would you do with it?
Probably give it to a Leukaemia charity. I give a bit to that one. If not to Fred Hollows or Catherine Hamlin Fistula Charities. Maybe I'd divvy up the money between the three of them.
10. What is one book you wish you could get all your friends to read?
Up until yesterday I'd probably say Louis de Bernieres Captain Corelli's Mandolin - it's always been a favourite. But I finished Julia Baird's Phospherenscence yesterday and was bowled over for it. As a non-fiction book it's amazing.
11. What is one movie you wish you could get all your friends to watch?
The Princess Bride - no scrap that, all of my friends have seen The Princess Bride. You can't be my friend if you haven't seen The Princess Bride. This week I'd be telling my friends to watch one of my English films. Either A Royal Night Out or The King's Speech. Both are wonderful.
12. If you could create one thing, what would it be?
An automatic cat fluff piucker upper. Some would call that a Roomba. My house is too messy for a roomba.
I've always wanted to play the piano. I wish I had the time to learn it now.
14. What is your favorite item of clothing?
My black dress with cherries on it. It's gorgeous. A bit 50s. Very unlike me.
15. What is your favorite card/board game?
Cards Against Humanity. I'm not really into board games, but that one is good fun. Very funny.
Geelong supporters will disagree with me, but that was a bloody boring Grand Final. Seriously, a complete snooze-fest. (Not helped by not caring a fig who won - absolutely no investment in the game).
I did my normal trick when it comes to the footy. I met Blarney and Barney at the pub. At half time. Why prolong the boredom?
I sat down, ordered a pot of cider and started to watch the match.
After five minutes, I decided to put the time to better use.
I got out my knitting. I took my glasses off so I couldn't see the big screen clearly. Why bother seeing the game clearly. It was apparent it was going to be a walkover from the end of the first quarter.
Other than a couple of semi-inebraited Cats supporters in front of us loving every minute of the game, nobody was cheering. Nobody appeared to care. What was the point in being there?
So I spent the third quarter of the game talking to Blarney and Barney knitting. It was pretty obvious Sydney weren't going to show up to the match.
One guy came up to me at three quarter time and asked if really was that boring, pointing at my knitting.
I had to smile and nod.
We left the pub as the fourth quarter was commencing, checking the final score when we got back to theirs about ten minutes later. There was no point staying. It wasn't going to get any better.
Barney turned on the Bledisloe Cup. I got my knitting out after the only interesting bit of the rugby. The Haka. Gotta love the Haka.
And I went home at half time. That wasn't looking promising either. (It wasn't, the Wobblies got drubbed).
There might just be a pattern going on here.
On the good side of things, I've nearly finished this sleeve.
With a week left on the Steptember challenge, I'm pleased to say I will go above and beyond the required 300,000 steps I set out to do at the start of the month.
As of this evening, I've done 287,000 steps - which when you think about it, is a bit of an achievement.
What's even better, I'm enjoying the commitment to this challenge. Take today for example. It was a day of knitting and selling stuff on Facebook Marketplace (I'm getting rid of a heap of stuff I don't need - and it is wonderful) and having a quiet one. At about five thirty I looked at my steps - 2000 for the day. So the trainers were slapped on and I did a big circle of Richmond, taking in Church Street, Bridge Road, along the river, a quick trip to the supermarket, then home. I was up to 12000 steps when I got home - feeling a lot better for the schlep.
Another good way of accumulating steps is Annie's cardio class - which unfortunately will be stopping next week as she'll be taking a well earned break. Her half-hour tabata cardio class, which has you lunging, skating, squatting - you name it. I came away with another 2000 steps in my Apple watch. It's a good hack to know.
But with a week to spare, I reckon I'm going to try and see if I can make 400,000 steps for the month.
I like the challenge.
If you'd like to sponsor me, click here. Proceeds go towards assisting those with Cerebral Palsy.
On reflection, it's been a strange day of coincidences, leading to an assault on my sensibilities which I find both shocking and saddening.
This morning, I went for a swim with Jay. She has a lovely heated pool in her complex and I love having the chance to go for a swim. Being in water is one of my favourite things. While puttering around the pool we got chatting about this and that. High on the list of things to talk about was the disaster awaiting North Melbourne Football Club, of which Jay is a stalwart.
We're both horrified at the allegations levelled at the Hawthorn Football Club. For once, the night before, I'd tuned into The Footy Show. These allegations sound horrific. But as Jay said, this racism, which they are trying to stamp out, is all around the place. (She even told me of a time in the last year or so where a well known aboriginal footballer was in a local pool with his toddler minidng their own business. The lifeguard came up to him and said he'd been asked to have him removed from the pool because he was making some old, bigotted white folks uncomfortable - I got even more angry about this. How dare they! Ignorant, racist wankers.)
All of this racism crap makes me rage. Aren't we past this? Surely, we've become a lot more aware of the sins of our past. We acknowledge the lands on which we stand. We hold smoking ceremonies. We're finally looking to have an indiginous voice in parliament. It's well overdue.
One of the trailblazers for indigenous voices was Faith Bandler (AC). An Islander woman, she fought for the rights of Aboriginal, Islander and Torres Strait Islander women to get the vote in 1968. You have to remember that before this, the indiginous peoples were treated as flora and fauna in the eyes of the government. Faith Bandler's was a national treasure.
(Image sourced from https://www.nationalwomenslibrary.org.au/)
I was born in 1968.
To think of this makes me sick to my stomach.
Regardless, Faith Bandler was a bloody good egg. I've been looking at her smiling face as I go down a laneway on the way to the supermarket. The mural has been there for years, along with a Jewish saying, "If not us, who? If not now, when? (Bandler's husband was an Austrian Jew who, as a refugee, immigrated to Australia after World War II.)
I've been saying hello to Faith's image as I shlep down to the supermarket/gym/shops for years.
So I've been thinking about these sorts of issues all day.
Then, on my second walk of the day, looking to get my steps up, I set myself off to the shops, audiobook in my ears, entertaining me as I walk through the twilight streets. I take more photos of random stuff you find on the streets of Richmond, all the while taking in what Julia Baird has to say about finding the light within. I'm loving her book, Phosphorescence. Tonight, walking down the lanes, she was talking about street art, and its transience.
She made some great points. Learning to let go, nothing being permanent, street art is testimony to this. There one day, gone the next. Hell, have a think about what goes on down Hosier Lane in the city.
Walking down the cobblestone laneway this evening I found this.
That a piece of street art has been defaced normally wouldn't bother me, but this is has been done out and out racism - it's not mindless vandalism. It's sickening. This isn't just mindless tagging.
That's we're on an extra long weekend means that the council won't be able to do anything about this until next week.
I'm going to miss Faith's wry smile and twinkling eyes. She was a fighter. (Julia Baird has a bit to say about her. You don't get the honours bestowed upon her without be impresive).
Even more thank missing this once lovely nod to a great Australian, I'm really pissed off that this has happened. It shouldn't. It's racist shit. Arseholes.
Last night, after book group, one of our throng posted photos of her recent trip to the red centre, where her choir performed at multiple venues to great success. She had a ball - it's right up her alley and gives her so much joy.
Looking at the photos, something struck me. Where do the men go after they turn 50?
My friend's choir, from what I can see, is made up of women in their 50s, 60s and 70s. She's often told me I should go along to this choir, but I can't carry a tune in a bucket. But where do the men go when they age?
Sure, I'm a single woman. I have a lot of single women friends. Most of these women have active hobbies. Football. Theatre. Movies. Choirs. Bushwalking. Handicrafts. You name it, they do it, often in pairs, or groups. They meet for book clubs, movie clubs, they go out out to dinner, make connections. They do this regularly and often.
If you look at the theatre crowds, it's obviously skewed towards a majority of women. The same with movie theatres (although you get some films which men go to more readily).
Or so it appears.
I just want to know what men do, when they're not partnered up and dragged along to things by their wifes - what do men do and where do they go once they get older?
Okay, I know golf links are an older man's natural habitat. Sailing clubs another. A lot go cycling, turning themselves into the ubiquitous MAMILs (Acronym: Middle aged men in lycra)
But it really is a paradox. Where do the single men go once they hit forty. Like middle aged women in shops, do they just disappear into the background? Or do they stay sitting on the couch, watching the football, beer in one hand, their balls in the other?
Don't they have interests? Don't they want to keep their brains active? Don't they want to stay a part of a community?
Or am I just being blind?
Just out of this month's book group and what can I say - I'm having an awesome run of fantastic books.
For book group we read Elif Shafak's The Island of Missing Trees, a family saga set in the troubles of Cyprus in the 1970's where a Muslim Turkish girl falls in love with a Christian Greek boy and of course, all hell breaks loose in a big way. This is offset by our view of the couple's teenage daughter 30 years later and what she is going through with her fractured family. It's an interesting take on things, particularly as part of the book is narrated by a fig tree which is living in the back yard. It's a small epic - one that took me about 100 pages to really get into, but by then I was too invested in the whole scenario. What made it a little better was having Cypriot friends in London - the book explained a bit about why they were where they were. Mind you, by the time I was in London, the worst of the troubles were over. Shafak is a master writer. I still preferred her Ten Minutes, 38 Seconds in this Strange World, but this was still very good.
Then yesterday, I finished my audiobook - Damon Galgut's The Promise. There is so much to unpack in this one. Yet another sweeping family drama, the book relates the story of the Swart family and the book takes place over four funerals over a period of 30 years. It starts when the country is in the last days of Aparthied, and flows through into the release of Mandela, through the Zuma years until the present day. The narrrator is of that close third person omniscient type that can feel claustrophobic at times.
This also won the Booker Prize last year, and I can see why.
Having been around South Africans for years, it was an interesting perspective (mind you, this family were Afrikaaners, most of my friends are of the British / European variety) but what it was presenting was the stuff that most families go through, from the fights, to the grief to the shock, the the family memories which nobody can really know if the promise made actually happened - and why this has never been resolved.
I'm thinking of putting this up for book group next year. It's extraordinary.
And finally. My new audiobook, started today, is Julia Baird's Phosphorescence.
And now for the next dilemma - what to read next? Maggie O'Farrell's The Marriage Portrait? One of the two Sally Rooney's I haven't read? The last Sofie Laguna which I haven't read that is sitting on my nightstand? Or should I read next month's book group book now (Diana Reid's Love and Virtue) .
I have too much choice, I'm afraid.
Driving to the gym the other morning I spotted this small piece of insanity as I waited at the lights.
Crossing the road in front of me were a couple of teenagers on those green e-scooters which are littering the streets of Melbourne.
And were there more than one person on these e-scooters. No - for a change there was just one. I've seen these scooters with two and three people on them regularly. It appears these monstrosities are the new Ubers.
Now, I've seen everything. Not only were these two kids riding these scooters without a helmet, they were also sitting on BEER KEGS! It's 9 in the morning and these kids are riding on scooters sitting on beer kegs.
I'm just asking myself why? And how safe is this? And are the kegs full or empty (odds on they're empty)
And I rounded the intersection with a very sick sense in my stomach.
How is this safe?
Or am I just getting old? (Say's she who's been taken home in a shopping trolley in the past. Maybe beer kegs on e-scooters is the new shopping trolley experience.)
It's a wet weekend here and I'm waiting for break in the weather to go see Blarney's cats. It's a good time to get this done.
Questions supplied by Bev and Kwizgiver at Sunday Stealing.
Do you have any Pepto-Bismol in your house?
I think Pepto-Bizmol is an American thing. I think equivalent here in Australia is either Gaviscon or Mylanta - if it's like an antacid / stomachic, then yes, I have some in the house.
Do you have a favorite flavor of vodka?
Vodka is vodka - I prefer the normal, non-flavoured vodka.
Is your backyard big enough to fit a trampoline? ...and then some.
I live in a flat. I don't have a balcony, let alone a back yard. And no so children, so why would I need a trampoline?
When was the last time you had eggs?
This morning.
How often do you blow dry your hair, and what color is your blow dryer?
I blow dry my hair probably once a month. My hairdryer is black.
Have you ever gone to bed later than three AM?
Of course I have. I was young once. I attended unversity.
Have you been to a surprise party before?
Not that I can recollect.
What is your least favorite month?
Either January or February. It's mid summer and I don't like it too hot.
Have you ever gone to see a movie the day it came out?
Plenty of times. I'm a movie buff. I remember seeing the Harry Potter movies on the day they came out.
Do you like movies/books about drugs, and why or why not?
I don't mind them. It's always interesting to see how other people live and the struggles they go through. Wild by Cheryl Strayed comes to mind as a great one. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh another.
Do you have scrap paper by your computer desk?
Of course. Always need to jot things down.
Have you ever kept a bag from a store because you liked it?
I have a couple of canvas book bags from Dymocks (a book store chain over here ) which I use as handbags. Love them. And nobody is going to rip a shopper off your arm like the mugger did with my handbag a few years ago.
Was the last thing you drank carbonated?
I have a glass of chilled fizzy water in front of me at the moment.
Do you own any yellow clothing?
I think I have a pair of yellow socks. Oh hang on, I have a mustard coloured print dress I wear a lot in summer. It's not a bright yellow, bit it is yellow. It gets a lot of compliments.
Last person you argued with?
Not so much an argument but some difficult words with some members of the Masons this this morning about the difficulties running the building. As soon as the AGM is over I will not be running the building any more.
The Production: Come From Away
Where: The Comedy Theatre
Until: 16 October unless extended
Stars: 5
I don't normally like musicals, but I adore Come From Away, and this was the third or fourth time I've seen this.
It doesn't get old.
For those who don't know about the story of the show, it's simple. It's 9/11. American airspace is closed to all planes for close on a week and those people in the air on international flights were diverted to the nearest airport. More than 35 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. What used to be a refuelling stop in trans-Atlantic flights was now a veritable ghost town of around 9000 people. Overnight, with the human cargo of these planes, the town's numbers swelled to nearly 15000.
And the people of Gander took all of this in their stride, took the people in, treated them with kindness and compassion and made friends with many of the "Plane People". Over the five days, they fed, clothed, medicated, counselled and befriended these people stuck on an island basically on the edge of nowhere.
It's also fun, funny, high energy, touching and sweet. Each cast member plays a Townie and a Plane Person, providing different perspectives and Gander grapples with a diverse mob of people with different needs, religions, back grounds and viewpoints. And as the Ganderites keep saying, what else were they supposed to do? People would do the same if the circumstances came their way.
Of the Melbourne cast, in this new production, it feels like there's about half the cast who were in the pre-COVID run, and a lot of newbies. And it's still great. As our of my friends said on the way out, the theatre may have been half full, but it didn't feel like it. The curtain calls were loud and enthusiastic.
I wont say any more than this. If you've not seen this gem, get a ticket and give it a go. If you've been before, go again. It will restore your faith in the human race.
Having seen this four times now, seeing it again in a few weeks won't go astray. It's just that wonderful and I won't have anything bad said against this little diamond that has stolen my heart.
Film number 33 of 2022
Film: Ticket to Paradise
Theatre: Hoyts Victoria Gardens
Stars: 3
Ticket to Paradise looked pretty rubbish from the trailers but there were some things that piqued my interest.
They were:
I remember the day I saw Westminster Hall.
The wonderful thing about being Australian is our complete ambivalence to the age of anything. Although our country is tens of thousands of years old, we only have two hundred and thirty odd years of recorded European History. Our cities are mostly less than two hundred years old. Adelaide was founded in 1836. Melbourne around the same time.
So when you go to London and walk down those chartered streets and see the age of things on plaques and statues, when you recognise faces and buildings and know from this history books it's all a bit trippy.
My visit to Westminster Hall came one day when I was temping nearby. The office was in the basement in a building on Birdcage Walk, spitting distance from Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I remember going to visit Westminster Abbey in my lunchbreak.
I was asked to collect something from this venerated building. I'd gone there with a colleague.
I didn't get to see much. We collected the required papers - but I did get to stick my head inside Westminster Hall before we left.
All I remember is that it seemed big, and old, and drafty.
And I remembered that this was the place where kings and queens have held counsel, lay in state, been accused of treason and ordered to be beheaded... you name it, it's happened in there. For nearly 1000 years this has seen so much history which has been painstakingly documented for centuries.
As an Australian, this is very hard to get your head around.
So seeing this on the television, where our old Queen is lying in state, looking around this building, thinking how I wish I had more of a chance to look around the venerable place, soak in some of the history.
But we had to go back to work, so I only had the opportunity to stick my head in the door.
Now I see crowds lining up to view the queen's coffin, lining up for miles. And I wonder, if I was living there, would I be in that queue? Thinking about it - I probably would be there - just to have a decent gawp at the building - for no other reason. I'm just an architecture and history nerd.
The plan for tonight was as follows:
I'm rather proud of myself.
It's Day 13 of the Steptember Challenge - and as of today, I've made my 10,000steps a day or more every day of the challenge so far - so much so that I'm ahead of schedule - I reached the halfway mark today when it comes to steps - I've gone over the 150000 mark.
It's all about consistency.
On Sunday, I felt like I walked all day. Walking to MONA from my cousin's house, walking around the gallery for three hours, then walking back, I had 13000 steps on my pedometer by just after lunch.
Today, by comparison, things went a bit South. With some impromtu meetings, a visit from a tradie and a bad case of the CBFs, I got to 6 pm and there was only 3500 steps on my pedometer. It took a walk down to Victoria Gardens (1500 steps) Two laps of Ikea (2000 steps) a lap of the rest of the shopping centre (1500 steps) and a walk home to get me back on par.
I'm enjoying the committment. I love that I'm actually doing this - and feeling good for it.
Even better, any sponsorship money is going to assist Cerebral Palsy research.
Thank you to those who have already sponsored me. For those who might like to chip in a few dollars for the cause, you can sponsor me here. (The link takes you to my fundsraising page).,
Thanks in advance. It's a good cause.
Coming from the one place in Christendom, which until a few years ago didn't celebrate Boxing Day (or St Stephen's Day. or the day after Christmas) public holidays have always been a topic of discussions.
Okay, in Adelaide's case, the reason for not having Boxing Day was because we had Proclaimation Day on 28 December, two days later to commemorate the birthday of South Australia. This meant that various dignitaries would meet under the Old Gum Tree in Glenelg to wish the colony a happy birthday.
What I remember of this was working in a Department Store, having to work back on Christmas Eve only to return two days later, normally really early in the morning, to open for the Christmas sales. No chance to sit around, eat the remaining ham / seafood / salad, go to the beach and play cricket, meet up with friends... Having to work on a day when the rest of the Christian world is relaxing sucked big time.
I've just checked the South Australian gazette - it appears the government has seen sense sometime in the last 30 years and they've rolled Proclaimation Day into Boxing day on the 26 December. Maybe retail workers complained loud enough to get this changed.
And don't get me started on the Queen's Birthday. Our last queen had a birthday in April. The public holiday is held on the second Monday in June in some states, in October for others. I don't quite get it.
Besides, does anybody really care when South Australia was proclaimed a State? Victoria doesn't have a similar day?
But then we come to the pointless public holidays.
In Victoria we get a day off for a football match AND a horse race. And the horse race is on a Tuesday, which means most people take an extended weekend.
If you don't give a toss about football or horse racing, you're sitting around doing very little. At least the shops are open on these days. Business owners complain that they have to pay penalty rates on these days. Workers either love getting the extra money or hate having to work when everybody else is dossing off.
And now we're having yet ANOTHER public holiday. A National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.
Here are the things I don't get:
There were two reasons I came to Tasmania this weekend. One was to see if I could finally get my cousin to the Museum of Old and New Art - also known as MONA. The other was to see if my cat can survive with my downstairs neighbour popping in and feeding him.
I'm certain about the latter - I've been getting reports. Although she hasn't seen him, Lucifer has been eating and drinking and pooping - so he's fine. I'll be in the dognhouse when I get home, but thems the breaks.
The former I wasn't so sure about - seeing the last time I tried to get her there she ended up babysitting her grandchildren and I went alone. I had a marvellous time pondering what is one of, in my opinion, the best art galleries in the world. She lives less than two kilometres from the place, in the same suburb even - but has never been there. It's the way it is. I've never been the to Melbourne Cup, rarely go to St Kilda and only go to the football when coerced with the promise of mid-strength beer and a loss for The Crows.
I'd also spent some time the evening before trying to sell the place to my cousin's husband - a salt of the earth type who's into football, racing, MMA and all things that have no interest at all to me. He thinks art is crap. That's okay, that's his opinion. I gave it my best shot.
Also, Tasmanians go free to this place. If your from anywhere else, it's $35 entry. And it is worth every cent.
Well, this morning, after a two kilometre fast hike on foot, we made it!
We got there early.
We met the old governor of Tasmania having a coffee. She rebuked my cousin for never coming along before this. I'd already introduced her to some of the outside art works - the metal flatbed lorry and cement mixer, made from cut rusty iron had her gawping. I was already bounding around like a labrador puppy. I love this place.
I'm going away for the weekend, so I'm doing these questions early to give myself a break for a bit.
Thanks to Bev and Kwizgiver for getting out the questions on Sunday Stealing. I hope Bev's computer get's fixed soon.
What flavor Popsicle is the best?
Popiscles? Ah, American for ice blocks. I'm a fan of the Banana Paddle Pop and lemonade ice blocks. I also make my own ice blocks smushing up lychees, passionfruit and sometimes adding a bit of mango. Yum.
Do you have a DVR feature with your cable?
Cable telly is an American thing. We have free to air, which is sort of okay (think PBS, but with more commericals) and we have streaming services, of which I have a few (Netflix, Stan and Disney). But the cable services are run by Foxtel which is a subsidiary of Newscorp and I actively try not to give Rupert Murdoch any more of my money than necessary. I also have a DVD recorder, still, not that it has been used in years.
How many drawers does your dresser have?
Five. Two small drawers for socks and undies and three larger ones for everything else.
Is your closet a mess?
Yes, my wardrobe is a mess. But I am slowly culling things out of it I haven't worn for years.
Have you ever solved a Rubik's Cube?
Yes. I was one of those geeky kids who could get out a Rubik's Cube in around two minutes. Yes, I was that kid in the eighties.
Describe your favorite pair of pajama pants:
I can direct you to them online. They're made of bamboo. They are black and they are very comfortable. I'm wearing them now. Love Boody clothing.
What color is your wallet?
Blue and aqua - again, I can direct you to it. It's an Israeli brand, MyWalit - they make gorgeous Italian leather products. I bought this second hand. Still love it.
Do you find flea markets and thrift shops enjoyable?
Yes I do, but I don't go very often as I have enough clothes. Op Shops are great when you've got a dress up party to go to. I do buy most of my clothes online and secondhand. Recycling is good.
Have you met amazing people online?
Yes. I was a member of a online diet club over ten years ago - I'm still in contact with a lot of the group.
Would you be happy if I colored a picture for you?
Absolutely. Can I put it on my fridge? That's what you do with pictures like that. And as long as it's not a picture of a cock and balls, it's all good.
What show do you think 'made' the 90's?
Oh, that's a toss up between The West Wing and This Life (It was on in England and it was great). Mind you, Friends was great, and Ally McBeal.... As was Drop the Dead Donkey.... too much to choose from.
Are you happier now than you were last year?
Yes. Things have settled down.
What are you currently drinking?
Currently?I have the last of my bubble tea (Lychee Oolong with Aloe pearls) mixed with dry ginger ale. Aloe pearls go amazingly with dry ginger. No alcohol. I have to be up early.
Do you trust people easily?
No. I've got major trust issues - but once you've got my trust, you've got it until you step all over me. Most people don't do that, thank goodness. But also, I think trust comes in stages. Initial, low level trust - sure. Deeper trust is harder.
What are you looking forward to in the next three months?
Looks like my Spidey-senses were on point last night. Like the rest of Australia, I woke to the news that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away. Our Head of State for the last seventy years had passed peacefully in the afternoon.
May she rest in power and peace.
I've nothing but praise for the Queen. Although I'd rather see Australia a Republic, this is not the right time for that discussion. Let this phase pass. Let her have a funeral. Let Charles the Third take the reigns and settle in. (I still smirk at the fact that Charles I was beheaded and Charles II lived most of his life in exile after Oliver Cromwell threw him out of the country). Then get on with moving us from a Constitutional Monarchy to a Republic. But let the dust settle for a few months at least.
Of course, the media are at saturation point with the coverage, and I've been watching a lot of Netflix to get away from this.
I'm looking at this from a different vantage point. And I think to my dear old aunt who died earlier this year, also with the now familiar dates - 1926-2022.
Earlier in the week I saw the Queen looking happy, but very frail. She swore in Liz Truss as Prime Minister of England. (It was said in one of the satirical papers, the Queen has lived through World War II, The Blitz, The Falklands War, Nine Eleven... but Boris Johnson did her in.) There was a noticible bruise on her hand. From a canula maybe, maybe not. But she looked happy - and peaceful. With her ever-present black handbag over her arm (in her own home - how strange...)
And then I put myself in the shoes of people my age with aging parents.
You worry about them. You visit when you can. You know they are being looked after, with any luck.
Then the news comes through that things have changed - and they've changed quickly. You drop everything to make your way to see them, be with them. The family rally. The Prodigal grandson comes back to the fold to join the Chosen One - not that they've spoken for years. Even the Barmy Uncle tries to make it to see his mother - on the quiet. He was always her favourite before his actions threw him out of favour.
Some get to see their parent and grandparent, some don't. There is some relief in the fact that they didn't have to suffer a long, debilitating illness. Quick and peaceful when you're old is always a blessing, even if it feel suddens. At 96, it's a good innings. A life well lived. They're allowed to go. They've done their time.
Then you have the readjustment, the grief, the sorting out the funeral, the reconnecting with family - all of the rituals you go through.
My heart goes out to the Royal Family who have to do all of this in public, every blink recorded by the press. May they get sometime to mourn in private. How must it be to not have your life as your own when you're going through all these changes.
Of course, many will say that this is the richest family in Britain and their fortune has been accumulated on blood money and being Royals this is what they do. But did any of the family really sign up for this? I'm sure there are members of the family who'd rather being curled up with a wine and a pint of Ben and Jerry's with the phone set to silent.
To have to go through something so personal in such a public way must be excruciating.
And then there's a matter of what happens to the corgis.
Listening to breakfast telly, I heard Kevin Rudd relate a story of how he and his wife were having dinner at Buckingham Palace. Nearing the end of the meal, the couple got to meet the corgis, who did what dogs do and stole the show. When his wife pointed out that one of the corgis looked a little different to the other pure bred canines, the Queen piped up, "Oh yes, that one. Her mother was a trollop."
I love that the Queen loved her animals. Animal people are good people.
We'll be looking at her face on our coins and bank bills for years to come. I'm good with that.
It is, however, going to take some time to get used to hearing and singing "God Save the King." It's been seventy years (and it's still a dirge.)
She's going to be missed indeed.
I've been struggling for something to write today.
And now I have it.
The Queen is under medical supervision at Balmoral - the Royal Family are rushing up to see her.
I wish her well - where ever she may go, whatever happens in the next days, weeks or months. That the family is rushing to her side is concerning.
Don't get me wrong, I don't wish her ill, or dead for that matter. Although I'm somebody who wishes to see Australia a Republic, the service to the world that she has done over the last nearly eighty years (seventy on the throne) have been exemplary. She's pretty incredible, both for what she's done, and for her age. And for her strange, over-media soaked family. At 96 her tank must nearly be empty
But she is 96 and frail. And if it's her time, it's her time. Her family are on the way up to see her. She is well loved.
And if it happens, it happens, if not, then may she continue to have good health, be happy and pain free.
Bless her. Even if you don't agree with the royal family's existence. or heaven forbid, the fact that she is technically our head of state, I only wish her well.
Hmm. I think I need to watch a bit of something funny before I go to bed. Schitt's Creek? Frasier?
Not sure I'm ready for the media frenzy which would follow the death of a reigning queen, especially as she's the only one I've ever known.
Ah, found something to make me happy. A picture of Albo with a puppy. He's going to be in trouble with Toto when he gets home, but I love the smiles on both of their faces. (Picture from Anthony Albanese's Facebook page)
I discovered a new recipe, thanks to Recipe Tin Eats.
Firecracker sauce.
Like, who knew if you mix the following together it would taste so good:
