I was in a play once

Sydney, 2000

It was called Cowboy Behave.

hey Dad

Germany, 2005

Visiting me in Germany.
Not stern at all,
Just doesn't like photographs.

I walked past these

Elwood, 2005

once I took a boat from Germany to Denmark

This happened too

Somewhere in Europe, 2005

Somewhere in Europe, 2005

I saw a house with a red roof from a train window.
Seeing things by train is my favourite kind of seeing.

Another time I saw another house that looked more like a painting.

This happened

Copenhagen, 2005

I saw ice on a lake in Denmark.
Ducks walked on water.
And down at the ocean's edge, the North Sea froze on the rocks.

once

St Kilda, 2004

We had a party in our crumbling old flat in St Kilda.

It was a going away party for a friend.

She was moving to England.

Then

St Kilda, 2001

Visiting Melbourne.
Drinking beer, dancing stupidly to a bad funk band.
The only person we knew here.
Moustaches added anonymously much later.

lately

things from today that make me smile

Flowers and Pigeon letters in my basket.

A letter from my dad.

anticipation

Is there anything more exciting than a parcel from overseas?

wondering...

Since when did films begin to 'drop'? I always thought that they 'opened'.

But then again, maybe it is a better description given the mushroom cloud of marketing we endure when they do.

daily good

A poppyseed bagel for breakfast that was still warm from the oven.

hi ho, hi ho,

Makin' pigeons packs
Makin' pigeons packs
Gettin' ready to pigeon
Makin' pigeons packs

relief

I was very happy to find that I am too young to enjoy Its Complicated.

sunday scatergories

Last night was the beginning of Sunday Roast Night, a new tradition that is completely ours and has never, ever been done by anyone else. How could it? Roast on a Sunday? How perfectly original.

But anyway.

It turns out that roasting is no quick cook meal. It takes awhile.

*sigh*

So while we waited for the oven to work it's magic we started another new tradition, playing Scatergories While Waiting for Things to Cook. Here is my award winning* answer sheet. It disturbs me that I knew more sports than books.

Despite a bitter defeat, Nicky decided she hadn't had enough of word games and created a little table poetry.

Rumour has it that next month's Sunday Roast Night will actually be homemade Nutloaf roast. I'm not sure of the cooking time on nutloaf but I do hope I'll be able to improve my Scategories game.

*I did not actually win an award. In fact I did not even win.
** The Warren Zevon LP served as a classy place mat when I discovered I had no Traditional Sunday Roast place mats. He was joined by Bette Midler and Tom Jones.

crime scene

the dubious use of 3 words I now know

nonjuror - someone who refuses to take a required oath, as of allegiance.
'The Scoutmaster swore quietly under his breath when the young boy turned out to be a nonjuror and would not make the Scout Promise.'

occipital - of or relating to the back of the head.
'Sparks flew when the woman discovered he had an occipital fetish as she had just gotten an undercut.'

malediction - a curse; the utterance of a curse.
'The Scoutmaster's malediction was much louder when some of the older boys proved to be drunk on sherry.'

why?

Why is the sun perfectly sunny and the air perfectly warm but my list of things to do imperfectly long?

pancake makeup

pea with ham

rockferry

I recently bought this album ... mostly for her hair.

breakfast in Richmond

'nice weather this'

Sometimes, in certain circumstances, I wish Victorian-era social codes still existed. Not for the taboo conversation topics, iron-clad class system, or disenfranchisement of women, but just so that I would know what to do in awkward social situations. Sometimes these things would be easier with rules! Like do I go for the cheek kiss of someone I have met several times, but don't know very well at all. And is much older? Is shaking hands too formal? How about some fall back conversation topics?

That stuff used to be taught and at times I wish it still was. Instead I flail about trying to think of things to say, not wanting to overstay my chit chat in case I should run out of things to say and then stand there awkwardly wishing my beer was empty so I can escape to the bar and get another. All the while conscious that I actually want to get past this awkward stage with this person because I actually quite like them and want to have a PROPER CONVERSATION with them.

I wonder how many potential friendships this overwhelming awkwardness has gotten in the way of, how many invitations to post-function drinks have been missed and how many more Facebook friends I would have if I could just get past the weather. But mostly I wonder if they are feeling the same.

reminder

Am so exhausted after a day of taking calls from people who are dealing with a shitty process in a stupid way. But at least it reminds me why education is important.

wall

until I think of something to say here are some Tron stills*

Like a neon Metropolis.

*For my friend Nick. Maybe I need to photoshop an iPad in?

now

is about letting go.

leaving work

behind him

creeping up, creeping in

'Son, where did you get that gun? '

 

Today my work took me to a Police Academy. It was in an old monastery with parade grounds and an imposing looking chapel. The recruits wore white t-shirts and blue tracksuit pants, the women with their hair pulled back into tight pony tails. There weren't any doughnuts in the canteen but there was a glass case of old batons in the foyer. Apparently, somewhere on the grounds there is a fake village for the trainees to practice their policefulness.

I looked around for Steve Guttenberg and that guy who makes siren noises, but when it became apparent that they weren't going to show, I left.

walking home

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

Lankwood makes all the dough

things I learned

Two things I learned upon my return to the "Music Festival Scene":

1. Sweat can blind you. When squeezing yourself between bouncing bodies in an effort to get closer than 100 metres of the stage, your sweat - or possibly someone else's - may drip down your forehead, behind your sunglasses and into your eyes, temporarily blinding you and increasing the chances of navigating yourself into the armpit of an older, sweatier and shirtless man.

2. Basic physics and the law of gravity. If you are a big, beefy man and you decide to climb onto the shoulders of your smaller, sweatier and weaker mate, you are not going to stay up there long. The resounding crack as you both fall back onto the concrete will cut through the sound of the band onstage and make it clear to those around you that you are a dick.

today looks

... content.
Sunlight, red paint, blue sky and green leaves.

summer, don't leave us

 

fixed

I love that I just saw Lankwood grab a hammer from the toolbox and then march off purposefully down the hall.

Something is gunna get fixed.

on the wall

Collecting street art inspiration for six and seven year olds.

have Lach