Behind the scenes

Interesting bit of tittle-tattle today. Who was it who refused to share the headset mic with anyone else and forced the purchase of a second exclusive set just for them?

I don’t know either but I want to find out.

Just when you think you know people you find out something like that. Like - what can you catch from a headset? Dandruff? Nits? Girl Germs?? Ego??? Or are they more worried about the mic bit? Could they catch a cold? Flu? Hepatitis C? Bizarre. Did they have their own mic before? Their own headphones? Maybe they did.

And now I’m thinking are there any outlandish requirements could I ask for? To “make me comfortable” I mean. Perhaps a special chair? Or a coat rack? Or maybe a little heater under my desk to keep my tootsies warm. Who can be bothered?

Which reminds me of a story in this morning’s Age. Maybe I should take inspiration from Pavarotti?

Schnappi

Can you believe this is no 12 on the Australian Singles Charts?

First weekend

Well I’ve had my first “weekend” on a Wednesday/Thursday and now I’m nearly at the end of my first working weekend. It is a bit to get used to. On the one hand it’s quite nice working weekends because it is quiet - and I am much more efficient. I get to have my own show and there is or seems to be less interference. On the other, it stuffs up my social life a tad as Friday night is a write off because of the early Saturday start and of course most people socialise on the weekend so that could be a problem and you tend to be forgotten at work which is sometimes not such a great thing. And the Wed/Thur weekend doesn’t really feel like a weekend because everyone else is in work mode - I don’t see the kids but I have free time - we’ll see. I do like having a couple of days mid-week to get things done in.

On-air things seemed to go relatively smoothly - there are a couple of things I want to sort out in the studio like which are the best mikes for guests and the phone thing but overall not too bad - the new studios are lovely to work in if a little bit like a goldfish bowl.

Mmmm I’m tired. Can I go to bed at 4pm?

Pottering

Last weekend I bowed to commercial pressure and bought the new Harry Potter book. Finished it Sunday night. What was it like? It was a Harry Potter book. Better than 5 I thought. I’ve always said 5 needed a better editor and I think JK agrees - according to an interview I read somewhere she said it was a bit long.

So yeah - I liked it. Who dies? Well you can probably guess from the first couple of chapters that it is between two significant characters in the novel and from there it comes down to whether you are more like Harry or more like Dumbledore as to who you think will die. That’s as close as I’m coming to a spoil.

Back at work properly now. And it felt good to have a proper defined role and to finally unpack my boxes. All that means that today is the first day of my proper weekend. It feels weird to have a weekend in the middle of the week but at the same time it allows me to potter about getting my washing sorted and looking at lighting/paint/carpet etc.

Today I have to design a breakfast bar, take my library books back, pay a couple of bills… oh and have lunch with Melissa. Tough eh?

Fat in the Fryer

Hey you know magnets right? How like poles repel? So is there an argument for fighting fat with fat?

No.

There isn’t.

So how come, on my first day at the gym for years, Rory not only has the brand new deep fryer (he bought it not me) out bubbling away, but it turns out he has made curry puffs (my favourites), including the pastry with ghee (clarified butter). Fat ain’t going to fight fat is it?

And having gone to all that trouble could I say no?

Well… it would be rude wouldn’t it. So I had one… or four. They were delicious.

He ate the rest though and this morning felt sick having eaten a weeks worth of calories in one sitting. He put away the fryer and got out the juicer.

We had weightwatchers curry for dinner.

London and Stupidity

First of all London. I have been really impressed with how the English have handled the bombings. Their response has been fantastic. First the emergency workers, then the police and now stopping for two minutes to pay their respects. Dignified. Uncowed. Impressive. Makes me glad I married a Pom. The Queen as well - great.

Now some may knock the Queen: “Well I guess she’s learned something after Diana” was one uncharitable remark heard earlier - well maybe she did but she had my vote ever since I heard the contents of her message to the people of New York after 911 “Grief is the price you pay for love”.

I think that is a brilliant quote. Maybe she wishes she had saved it for now but in fact now, the dignified stiff upper lip silence is perfect. She got it right. It’s not easy being Queen you know.

Now stupidity. http://www.somethingwrong.co.uk/crazy_frog_baseball/

Everyone’s checked in

Yay - have heard from Sally and she is okay (thanks Karina) - this is from her email -

yeah I am okay… was with Mum and Dad over here… had been on a train just
before it all happened… very eerie day… everything shut, all shows were
cancelled, everyone was wandering around in shock.

So that’s good.

We in the meantime spent my last weekend at leisure down south at the bush house. Crystal clear days - warm if you were baking like a lizard in the sun - freezing cold if not. The wood fire was hot and cheery and we sat around it like cavemen. The rain gauge was overflowing so they’ve had plenty of rain - at least more than 260ml anyway.

And Dad is back from his sojourn up in the Kimberley - I’m looking forward to seeing some of his photos - he took two 256mb cards worth of pics with his new camera!

Thank Goodness

We’ve heard from Katharine and Martin that they are safe following the London Bombings - they live near the Edgeware Rd -

Yes, thankfully but reeling all day. Martin came with me to Georgia’s
violin exam in Hampstead this am otherwise might have been caught up in
the tube. Friend of mine was working in Russel Square and heard bus
blow up. Everyone walked everywhere and its quiet and eerie.

Abi and Evan also report that they are safe but fleeing.

Has anyone heard from Sally?

Happy Birthday Debbie

But oh, what a day to have a birthday when London is, if not burning, shellshocked. Debbie is safe - still waiting to hear from Sally and other friends who live in London.

I was at work waiting to see if it would rain which would mean no cricket which would mean I’d be producing early evenings but instead it didn’t rain, cricket was dropped and they networked between current affairs and Melbourne. The good part was watching our news team in Perth swing into action and watching Sky News Coverage.

I’ve also heard from Janet who is having a great time in Greece - this from her email:

We have seen so much so far I can’t list it all. We have seen Nestor’s palace, Agamenmon’ s palace, we have been to Argos, ancient Corinth andNavarone.
We have seen mountains, beautiful bays and lots of churches. We love Greece.

So long and thanks for all the Fish

This is Dippity and my favourite song at the moment - the theme to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, the movie. We sing along to it with or without the backing track and now we have the official words. So we thought we’d share them with you.

You can sing along to a flash animation here

So long and thanks for all the fish lyrics Thanks to Kitzzy

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear

You may not share our intellect
Which might explain your disrespect
For all the natural wonders that grow (around you)

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

The world’s about to be destroyed
There’s no point getting all annoyed
Lie back and let the planet dissolve (around you)

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your
Pregnant women

so long, so long, so long, so long, so long,
so long, so long, so long, so long, so long,
so long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

If I had just one last wish
I would like a tasty fish

If we could just change one thing
We would all have learnt to sing

Come one and all
Man and mammal
Side by side in life’s great gene pool

so long, so long, so long, so long, so long,
so long, so long, so long, so long, so long,
so long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

So Long & Thanks for All the Fish (Reprise) Lyrics thanks to stlyrics

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear?

You may not share our intellect
Which might explain your disrespect
For all the natural wonders
that grow around you

So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

The world’s about to be destroyed
There’s no point getting all annoyed
Lie back and let the planet dissolve

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your
pregnant women

So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

(yeah)

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear?

(oh dear)

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your
pregnant women

So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long and thanks
for all the fish

:)

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