Waking this morning, the weather report was scrutinised. 30 degrees, dry, becoming overcast.
Brilliant!
By 10.30, two loads of washing had been done - a solid half load of coloureds and the bedsheets, which would have been done on the weekend except it looks like rain, so better to get them done now.
As my 'drying room' as I call it, is out of action, I've been hanging out the washing downstairs on the communal lines. This isn't something I like doing, as being in a large block, you don't know who's about the place. Also, being inner city, washing can go missing. Then again, the downstairs neighbours always use the lines and haven't had much trouble over the years. Still, I keep an eye on the washing, getting it off the line as soon as its dry. When the spare room is not filled with crap, the washing normally gets strung out there.
It is a great washing day.
It's now 2 pm and all of the washing is in. The underwear has been folded and put away. Working from home has its benefits. The rest of it is on the back of the couch, ready to be ironed tonight - duvet covers, pillow cases, a couple of pairs of cotton/linen trousers, t-shirts. And yes, I iron all this and will put it away. Duvet covers and pillowcases don't feel right if they're not ironed. The cotton and linen stuff looks better when pressed. Don't say I don't have any pride.
And you have no idea how happy this makes me.
Looking at this, I realise that I am really just a clone of my mother in some ways. The is the main one.
We had a Faber workshopping session last night, and once again, I feel like a fraud. I always feel like a fraud. It's imposter syndrome at its best.
Four of us put out stuff for workshopping.
We have some excellent writers in my group. One of us is nearly finished the second draft of a wonderful historical novel about a woman murderer in Melbourne in the 1890s. There's another who's also well into the second draft of her Cyber/Bio punk novel. Another who's well into revising her YA fantasy novel.
And there's me, struggling to find the story - ore more to the point, find the way to tell the story that I want to tell.
I managed to cobble together 1000 words for workshopping, which was something, using two Furious Fiction pieces I'd written months ago. At least something got handed up.
But they liked it. Sure, it needed work, but they like the premise of it all, which is something.
But I still feel like such an fraud.
So tonight, after I get back from the gym, I'll be starting the next push into this book. Get plotting. Work out where I want this to go. I need a whiteboard.
It's not an easy thing to do.
I've got those chapters in to that publisher. I don't think I'll be hearing from her in a while.
Saturday mornings used to be the time when I'd get up, either make a cup of coffee - which was probably Nescafe Gold Blend, make some poached eggs or beans on toast and then it would be back to bed to watch the Saturday morning kid's shows. I was in my early 20s. If I wasn't working there was a chance I had a hangover. What else are you supposed to do on Saturday morning?
Saturday was always the day Mum let you watch a few hours of cartoons.
Growing up, Saturday morning was the best telly time ever. The cartoons were a part of your life. Hong Kong Phooey, Wacky Races, H.R. Puff'n'Stuff, Scooby Doo...
One of the stalwarts later on was Saved by the Bell (as was the original X-Men cartoon, which, in my humble opinion, was better than any of the spin offs of the last 25 years.)
Saved by the Bell was silly, dopey, stereotyped, but it had a lovely heart to it. There was Zack the cool kid, A.C. the jock, Screech the nerd, Lisa the rich kid, Kelly the girl next door and Jessie the brain. They were all there. Five years out of high school, Saved by the Bell was something you watched on a Saturday morning. Everybody did it, whether they want to admit to it or now.
So it was really sad to wake to the news that Dustin Diamond had passed away, aged 44.
I always had a soft spot for Screech, the quintessential misfit, who seems to fit in by not fitting in. A born comedian, forever trying to be the centre of attention.
After the show, alas, Dustin, the actor was typecast for life. A string of G-grade, made for television series, a few run ins with the law, a sex tape and a lot of acrimony between him and the rest of the Saved by the Bell cast left him in a bit of a wasteland.
To hear he died of cancer, three weeks after his diagnosis, at the age of 44 is all terribly sad.
The New York Times left him a rather awful obituary on the front page of the masthead. The one in The Age was a bit better.
For his faults, for the tribulations former child stars appear to have, I'll always remember Dustin Diamond as Screech - my Saturday morning friend. The funny guy you watched as a young adult on Saturday morning as you tried to shift your hangover. A benign presence in a guilty pleasure who was always there to help you move forward into the weekend.
And for this I thank him and will always remember him well.
How has a month gone past? Please, how has this really been a month?
And as I do at the this time, I look at how far I got with my goals and set the next months things to work towards.
So here we go.
January I wanted to:
At least half an hour of novel writing a day
Didn't happen. Next.
Exercise five days a week
Nearly, but not quite. I'm always in the gym three times a week, but the extra exercise didn't happen. I did spend a lot of time up a ladder, in my defence. Thankfully the painting is nearly finished.
Paint out the flat
Pretty much done. There are a few doors and archtraves to do and I want to see to a few patches on the ceiling, but this has, for the most part, been completed.
Read four books
More than done. Over the month I read the following:
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo (Audiobook - and it was phenomenal)
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Audiobook - also excellent, particularly as I couldn't get into it on paper.)
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe - which was a bit mind blowing.
See three movies in a cinema (COVID Allowing)
Done. I saw:
Promising Young Woman
Music
Wonder Woman 1984
The Dry
All had their very good things about them. Love being back in the cinema.
And my February Goals:
At least half an hour of novel writing a day
Try this one again. I'm in the headspace to do this now.
10000 Steps every day.
Exercise did not go well in January - it's time to get my exercise time back. I feel better for it. Walking is good for my mental health.
Read Four books over the month
I like this goal - my reading has really perked up because of it.
No takeaway
This one is a bit harder, but in an effort to save some money and stick to my diet, eating what I have in the house is a must. It's back on the plan after two months off. This will not include work lunches - as it appears I'm back in the office two days a week from next week.
Finish the painting.
There is so little of this to do - I just want the paint cans off of my kitchen floor now.
Be in bed by midnight
This is being driven by the return to the office, there will be none of this rolling out of bed at 8.30 and working in my pyjamas any more. Time to get back into some good sleep habits.
That will do These are acheivable. Starting tomorrow.
I have other writing to do today - I also have a recalcitrant cat wanting my attention, so no preamble, other than the heat has gone away and been replaced with humidity. Joy.
My favourite animal is my cat, Lucifer - because he is my cat, and despite all of his foibles, we love each other very much. He's a treasure.
2. Are people animals? What separates humans from animals?
Yes, I believe humans are animals. Unfortunately, humans have the need to self-destruct - most animals don't have that.
3. Which animal is the most dangerous?
After the human being? Probably the average house cat. They would rule the world if we let them.
4. What should you do if a bear approaches you?
No idea. Probably stand completely still, close your eyes and pray. We don't have bears in Australia.
5. Do you like dogs? Why do people call the dog, man’s best friend?
I love dogs. You can't get a friend more loyal or loving than a dog. I'd have a dog if I had the room and the time.
6. Do you enjoy going to the zoo? Some people consider zoos to be cruel environments for animals. What do you think?
I like well designed, animal sensitive zoos, where the animals welfare is paramount. Thankfully the zoos in Australia are like this - lots of open range zoos, education and what appear to be well tended, happy animals. If the animals' welfare is not the first thought, the animal shouldn't be there.
7. Where is the best place to see animals in your country? In the world?
I hate to say this, but I love seeing the kangaroos from my mother's kitchen window. I never get tired of this. For a more commercial venture, if you want to see Australian animals, Healesville sanctuary on the outskirts of Melbourne is great. I could spend hours in the platypus house.
8. Are you a vegetarian? What makes some people give up eating meat?
Not a vegetarian, but I do like to ensure my meat is ethically sourced. The ethics around eating meat are fraught. I get why people go vegan or vegetarian for ethical reasons. Doesn't mean I'm going to do it.
9. Which animal is most helpful to humans?
Dogs. So many tasks they take on. Companionship, service animals, friendship, burgular alarm, ball collector, drug sniffer, quarantine officer... the list is endless. And they like belly rubs which is good for humans as they take away stress.
10 If you could be any animal (besides human), which animal would you like to be?
A well loved house cat. I think they have great lives. Get fed on demand and sleep all day. What more could you want?
11. Who would win in a fight between a tiger and a lion?
I don't know and I don't want to think about it.
12. What do you think about hunting animals? Would you like to try it?
Hunting animals? This comes down to two camps. I think hunting big game animals should be completely outlawed and those who participate should be sent out into the veldt and hunted themselves. (A la Trump's sons - like to see them last more than five minutes without their guns) When it comes to pest control, do it with a clean kill. If the beast can be used for meat, even better.
13. Books like “Watership Down” and “Animal Farm” give animals human characteristics like human thoughts or language. Is this how you think animals really are? Or are those really just stories about people?
You can do university courses on anthropomorphy and it's uses. These are really stories about people.
14. Some animals are endangered due to illegal poaching. How do you feel about this issue?
See question 12. It makes me very, very angry. Poach the poachers I say.
15. If we can bring an extinct animal from the past back with genetic engineering, should we do it? Which animals should we bring back?
I don't think we should bring back animals as what's done is done, and genetic engineering. If one animal could come back, I'd like to see the thylacine come back. Thylacine - the Tasmanian tiger. There is so much we don't now about them - they've always fascinated me.
Unfortunately, I think we humans have wreaked more destruction on the world than any other creature. It's tragic.
I was told this wasn't worth viewing. I was told it was a bit crap. I knew that this had been slammed by the critics. I know I could have paid Amazon $30 to view it on my television.
In need of some light entertainment and being able to get cheap tickets to the local Hoyts, and not in the mood for a movie about a magpie, I took myself along to this last night.
And was pleasantly surprised. Okay, my expectations were low, but this was not as bad as people were saying. I mean it was definitely better than say Aquaman or the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Okay, it's not up there with the Marvel stalwarts, but I quite liked this.
So there.
Yes, there isn't much of a plot past an oily, corrupt snakeoil salesman gets possession of a powerful crystal which grants wishes and attempts to take over the world. It's up to Diana Prince (Wonder Woman / Gal Gadot) to help save the world. Thrown into this is a sulky Kristin Wiig, a reincarnated Chris Pine and a cameo by Linda Carter, the original Wonder Woman, at the very end of the movie. In the role of Maxwell Lord, Wonder Woman's nemesis, Pedro Pascal shines in his awful eighties suits and dreadful long flick haircut. Cinematic gold. Did we really dress that badly back then?
That's about as complicated as it gets - a good movie for a Friday night decompression session and easy to take in. For somebody who doesn't like too much bloody violence, this ticked my boxes.
And what did I like?
Well, the eighties fashions were superb. Brilliant even. Down to the exercise gear and the bad perms and the shoulder pads and everything the 80s had to offer.
My other joy from this film - women were allowed to have lines on their face. There's not skinny minnies, women are strong, vital and athletic - and they are allowed to age with grace. This is a great thing. Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright are testement to this.
And it's a clear cut good versus evil type story. It's not that hard to understand. The action builds to a nice crescendo. Everything you'd expect from a DC film.
Standouts for me were Kristin Wiig as Barbara, Diana's downtrodden colleague. Pedro Pascal as Max was over the top as a good baddie should be. Chris Pine and Gal Gadot were as expected in their roles as Diana Prince and Steve Trevor - good - fine - on form - but not outstanding. And that's okay too.
Maybe, after the spate of excellent Marvel films we've grown to expect too much of our action films. I went to this hoping to be entertained. I was. Job done. As somebody who's not a real action aficionado, it provided enough of a story to keep me interested, even if it was a bit twee.
Also, I think seeing it on the very big screen was a good move. I think it may have lots a bit translating onto the telly. All the little things from the eighties that stood out here could be missed, and they were part of the film's charm.
