(*) Wednesday's entry - at last (*)
Weekend walk... Saturday was such a perfect Spring day, sunshine, clear sky, lightest of breezes, so I went for a nice long walk to soak-up the rays. About 5 blocks from home I felt an old twinge in my knee remind me of an alleged weakness there - rubbish, I said, and pushed on, thoroughly enjoying the sunshine. I walked past the showground where there were some pacers training. I unexpectedly heard a loud thud/crash, and saw this lone horse bolting along the racetrack... one of the 'trailers' (or whatever you call those things a trotter rider sits in...) had come undone big-time, and this poor guy was shaking the dust off himself... he was fine, but it looked pretty funny seeing this horse just galloping off all on its' own sans rider! Later I popped into the new Visitors Information Centre - it's only been open a few months, so I thought I'd have a sticky. Picked up a brochure on Kiama (home of Charmain Clift - its somewhere on my agenda to spend a weeks' holiday down there... the $$$ I'd been saving for that trip ended going elsewhere for a worthwhile family need - that's OK).
Footy... then I saw that there was some rugby league playing at Carrington Park, the big 'stadium' here. What continues to astound me about living in the country is, after having grown up in the 'big smoke' of Sydney, you can walk into the local footy ground and sit in the comfort of a cool grandstand - for free! I kept looking around for someone collecting money at or near the gate, but - no-one! What's even more bizarre - and I still think it's pretty funny - is that people can drive their cars into the ground, park around the outside or along the 'hill', and watch the game from the comfort of their own car! It's so bizarre! You just couldn't so that in Sydney! The sun was shining, and after a while I practically had to move into the shade because I thought I was going to get sunburnt sitting in the comfort of this wonderful grandstand (it's still a bit of a novelty for me - as a kid you had virtually no chance to sit in the grandstand at a Sydney league match, unless you either owned the team or got there the day before...). The locals were in fine voice, cheering on their team - the boguns reign in a place like that! Anyway, the local team was leading by 30 - 0 at half time, so I thought I'd keep moving! The fresh air was calling me - plus maybe my knee was starting to stiffen up as well... no no...
Being a true dag, I dropped past the library in the general direction of heading home... I picked up a DVD of one of my all-time favourite movies, "Lawrence of Arabia", with Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness etc (1962). Wow! This is spectacular enough to behold, but on this remastered director's cut DVD - WOW! There are scenes and cuts in this that literally take your breath away. And, if you thought you were thirsty before it started, make sure you take a big bottle of liquid refreshment with you! The first half is really my preferred bit, but to watch how Lawrence (brilliantly cast with O'Toole!) goes nuts in the 2nd half is amazing as well. The DVD had some bonus behind the scenes and the making of stuff, which was eye opening. It was like 130 degrees f when they were shooting in the desert... there's no extras doing those long-shots of camels riding on the horizon - it's really them! Plus, there's pictures and maps of where Lawrence actually lived and worked while in Arabia in 1916-1918. Like I said, when you see the pictures of the real Lawrence against Peter O'Toole - it's a brilliantly superb piece of casting! Those eyes!
I managed to pick up a CD of "The Kinks" (that British pop group from the '60's) at the library as well. I have an LP of theirs in my collection, but it's kinda useless when I don't have a turntable to play it on. Well, I like some of their stuff, but listening to this CD made me realise something... why could I never really get 'into' The Kinks? It's bloody ray Davies' voice - I hate the sound of his voice! I think it wrecks a whole range of really good and cleverly written material - damn! Some of their stuff is vintage 60's garage punk - I loove it! While some of it is ruined (in my opinion) by poor arrangements and pretty lacklustre recording, some of the writing is really clever (if you can get past his voice! lol)
Random thought - I'm listening to The Beatles "Anthology 2" at the moment - first drafts of Norwegian Wood and Tomorrow Never Knows (just one chord!) - very cool. I love that middle period of theirs - that Rubber Soul/Revolver time. Getting into the whole recording experience, and just mixing it all up - and pop music has been the benefactor after all these years! (I'll get off my soapbox now... <blush>...)
Crazy weather... we have a few days of good rain, the a few days of glorious sunshine... you'd never know it's officially the last week of winter now, would you? The wattle trees are blooming like crazy out here - I picked a huge bunch of it on the way home, and it now graces the kitchen bench - a beautiful yellow splash of colour in the place. Loverly! Then, the very next day - rain! Lots and lots of it! Like 27mm (nearly 1 inch) in 48 hours after a gloriously sunny day! Crazy weather. Of course we need the rain out here - it's pretty dry around here (but not as bad as it is out further west tho...). Altho our small postage-stamp backyard grass has decided that a bit of rain and a bit of sunshine is a signal for it to grow like it's a wrestler on steroids! In literally 5 days, it just took off. I had to attack it with the whipper snipper... I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see the view out of my bedroom window otherwise... lol. Why not a lawn mower for the grass? simply because - there's not enough of it for a mower! All you'd have to do is start the thing up, and voom - the yard is done! Regardless of that, I love having a patch of green here - it's nice to be able to walk around in and get the green stuff caught between your toes... grass, that is! My flowers I planted back in March have taken off after their long slow winter hibernation too - whoo hoo! I really like living here. I sure hope I don't have to move too soon, anyway. My housemate seems pretty settled, so that means I'm pretty safe here. I've got 2 friends moving to new homes, so i hope it's not my turn next! Argh!
Election... well the PM finally called this farking election for 9th October - at long last! I've had to listen to 3+ months' worth of political points' scoring already - I'm well and truly sick of it by now. And now it's worse that the election's actually happening! Argh! The funny thing is, it's being held on the same weekend as the Car races up here - talk about a big <cufuffle> out here (at least it'll keep the poor sods manning the Absentee booths busy!)... but the local results' a bit of a no-result - the local independent candidate has what's been called the 'safest seat in the country' with a 25% majority - it's a foregone conclusion out here! D'oh! So, all this party crap and arguing is totally wasted on 'most' of us out here in this electorate!
I never thought that I had a 'political opinion' for years and years. I grew up in a certain area where we always voted for one party, and I never thought or questioned that. It hasn't been until the last 5+ years' that I've started seriously considering the whole political process in this country - and I've quite surprised myself as to what I actually think about things 'political'! (Well, I'm not going to turn this blog into a political forum now - pmsl!) Well, alright - one comment I heard on the radio yesterday... when asked about her protesting against Australia's involvement in the War in Iraq, she said, "I spoke up, and look what happened!"
I've managed to finish and post 2 Uni assignments in 2 days this week - that must be some kinda record?!? I suddenly feel as though I'm back on top of my Uni work once again - it's been a horrendous 6 months, let me tell you (ahh, that's what happens when you go mad...!) So, it's refreshing to feel motivated and inspired to get back into big-time again.
Thoon IV the fishiee is going well - he keeps dancing happily in his little watery world. It's still nice waking up and laying with my head on my pillow watching him first thing in the morning, trying to get me out of bed to feed him! lol About 2 months' ago i got one of those gravel cleaners for his tank, and it's really helped keeping it cleaner. I do that once a week, and the water quality lasts a whole lot longer than it used it, which makes him happy, I'm sure of it. You have no idea how sometimes something as simple as watching a little goldfish can be such positive therapy for a tired, lonely, mad old man somedays.
I saw my nieces (well, ex-nieces-in-law?!? lol) downtown on Monday. I haven't seen them in about 3 years now, and it was a bit of a spinout to see them again. (They're about the same age as Josh and Seb). The funny thing that took me by surprise is - the haven't changed at all! They looked the same since the last time I saw them! isn't that weird?! I know my three have changed heaps over the last few years - even Josh (the eldest), and I thought the girls would have too. But, well, there you go!
Well... I knew I'd had a lot to blog blog bloggity on about, but there ya go! No wonder I didn't wanna do it late at night when I was too tired to even think straight... ahh, the joys of sleep! Now, if only I could stop missing capitalizing the letter 'i' and type an apostrophe instead of the letter 'l'! lol Ahh, the joys of being a 5-fingered typist, I guess - and old habits die hard for this old man, I guess. lol.
Footy... then I saw that there was some rugby league playing at Carrington Park, the big 'stadium' here. What continues to astound me about living in the country is, after having grown up in the 'big smoke' of Sydney, you can walk into the local footy ground and sit in the comfort of a cool grandstand - for free! I kept looking around for someone collecting money at or near the gate, but - no-one! What's even more bizarre - and I still think it's pretty funny - is that people can drive their cars into the ground, park around the outside or along the 'hill', and watch the game from the comfort of their own car! It's so bizarre! You just couldn't so that in Sydney! The sun was shining, and after a while I practically had to move into the shade because I thought I was going to get sunburnt sitting in the comfort of this wonderful grandstand (it's still a bit of a novelty for me - as a kid you had virtually no chance to sit in the grandstand at a Sydney league match, unless you either owned the team or got there the day before...). The locals were in fine voice, cheering on their team - the boguns reign in a place like that! Anyway, the local team was leading by 30 - 0 at half time, so I thought I'd keep moving! The fresh air was calling me - plus maybe my knee was starting to stiffen up as well... no no...
Being a true dag, I dropped past the library in the general direction of heading home... I picked up a DVD of one of my all-time favourite movies, "Lawrence of Arabia", with Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness etc (1962). Wow! This is spectacular enough to behold, but on this remastered director's cut DVD - WOW! There are scenes and cuts in this that literally take your breath away. And, if you thought you were thirsty before it started, make sure you take a big bottle of liquid refreshment with you! The first half is really my preferred bit, but to watch how Lawrence (brilliantly cast with O'Toole!) goes nuts in the 2nd half is amazing as well. The DVD had some bonus behind the scenes and the making of stuff, which was eye opening. It was like 130 degrees f when they were shooting in the desert... there's no extras doing those long-shots of camels riding on the horizon - it's really them! Plus, there's pictures and maps of where Lawrence actually lived and worked while in Arabia in 1916-1918. Like I said, when you see the pictures of the real Lawrence against Peter O'Toole - it's a brilliantly superb piece of casting! Those eyes!
I managed to pick up a CD of "The Kinks" (that British pop group from the '60's) at the library as well. I have an LP of theirs in my collection, but it's kinda useless when I don't have a turntable to play it on. Well, I like some of their stuff, but listening to this CD made me realise something... why could I never really get 'into' The Kinks? It's bloody ray Davies' voice - I hate the sound of his voice! I think it wrecks a whole range of really good and cleverly written material - damn! Some of their stuff is vintage 60's garage punk - I loove it! While some of it is ruined (in my opinion) by poor arrangements and pretty lacklustre recording, some of the writing is really clever (if you can get past his voice! lol)
Random thought - I'm listening to The Beatles "Anthology 2" at the moment - first drafts of Norwegian Wood and Tomorrow Never Knows (just one chord!) - very cool. I love that middle period of theirs - that Rubber Soul/Revolver time. Getting into the whole recording experience, and just mixing it all up - and pop music has been the benefactor after all these years! (I'll get off my soapbox now... <blush>...)
Crazy weather... we have a few days of good rain, the a few days of glorious sunshine... you'd never know it's officially the last week of winter now, would you? The wattle trees are blooming like crazy out here - I picked a huge bunch of it on the way home, and it now graces the kitchen bench - a beautiful yellow splash of colour in the place. Loverly! Then, the very next day - rain! Lots and lots of it! Like 27mm (nearly 1 inch) in 48 hours after a gloriously sunny day! Crazy weather. Of course we need the rain out here - it's pretty dry around here (but not as bad as it is out further west tho...). Altho our small postage-stamp backyard grass has decided that a bit of rain and a bit of sunshine is a signal for it to grow like it's a wrestler on steroids! In literally 5 days, it just took off. I had to attack it with the whipper snipper... I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see the view out of my bedroom window otherwise... lol. Why not a lawn mower for the grass? simply because - there's not enough of it for a mower! All you'd have to do is start the thing up, and voom - the yard is done! Regardless of that, I love having a patch of green here - it's nice to be able to walk around in and get the green stuff caught between your toes... grass, that is! My flowers I planted back in March have taken off after their long slow winter hibernation too - whoo hoo! I really like living here. I sure hope I don't have to move too soon, anyway. My housemate seems pretty settled, so that means I'm pretty safe here. I've got 2 friends moving to new homes, so i hope it's not my turn next! Argh!
Election... well the PM finally called this farking election for 9th October - at long last! I've had to listen to 3+ months' worth of political points' scoring already - I'm well and truly sick of it by now. And now it's worse that the election's actually happening! Argh! The funny thing is, it's being held on the same weekend as the Car races up here - talk about a big <cufuffle> out here (at least it'll keep the poor sods manning the Absentee booths busy!)... but the local results' a bit of a no-result - the local independent candidate has what's been called the 'safest seat in the country' with a 25% majority - it's a foregone conclusion out here! D'oh! So, all this party crap and arguing is totally wasted on 'most' of us out here in this electorate!
I never thought that I had a 'political opinion' for years and years. I grew up in a certain area where we always voted for one party, and I never thought or questioned that. It hasn't been until the last 5+ years' that I've started seriously considering the whole political process in this country - and I've quite surprised myself as to what I actually think about things 'political'! (Well, I'm not going to turn this blog into a political forum now - pmsl!) Well, alright - one comment I heard on the radio yesterday... when asked about her protesting against Australia's involvement in the War in Iraq, she said, "I spoke up, and look what happened!"
I've managed to finish and post 2 Uni assignments in 2 days this week - that must be some kinda record?!? I suddenly feel as though I'm back on top of my Uni work once again - it's been a horrendous 6 months, let me tell you (ahh, that's what happens when you go mad...!) So, it's refreshing to feel motivated and inspired to get back into big-time again.
Thoon IV the fishiee is going well - he keeps dancing happily in his little watery world. It's still nice waking up and laying with my head on my pillow watching him first thing in the morning, trying to get me out of bed to feed him! lol About 2 months' ago i got one of those gravel cleaners for his tank, and it's really helped keeping it cleaner. I do that once a week, and the water quality lasts a whole lot longer than it used it, which makes him happy, I'm sure of it. You have no idea how sometimes something as simple as watching a little goldfish can be such positive therapy for a tired, lonely, mad old man somedays.
I saw my nieces (well, ex-nieces-in-law?!? lol) downtown on Monday. I haven't seen them in about 3 years now, and it was a bit of a spinout to see them again. (They're about the same age as Josh and Seb). The funny thing that took me by surprise is - the haven't changed at all! They looked the same since the last time I saw them! isn't that weird?! I know my three have changed heaps over the last few years - even Josh (the eldest), and I thought the girls would have too. But, well, there you go!
Well... I knew I'd had a lot to blog blog bloggity on about, but there ya go! No wonder I didn't wanna do it late at night when I was too tired to even think straight... ahh, the joys of sleep! Now, if only I could stop missing capitalizing the letter 'i' and type an apostrophe instead of the letter 'l'! lol Ahh, the joys of being a 5-fingered typist, I guess - and old habits die hard for this old man, I guess. lol.
Cyalayta
Mal :o)
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"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, it's the light of the oncoming train." (Robert Lowell)
posted by Mallard at 1.9.04
Online Blog Diary of the Malster - with some of my Thoughts, Ideas, Comments, Observations, Editorials, Musings, Rantings, Ravings and Current Objective Critical Relative Subjectivism of Maljam the Loopey Mallard ... lol
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