Down South

So we are now ensconsed in the Bush House and enjoying the sunshine and good times of WA at play.

Yallingup was fun yesterday. We drove down around 6.30pm for a dip and ended up staying not getting dumped until about 7.30. Got to love Daylight Saving.

The other advantage of DS is that the sun doesn’t heat up our bedroom until 8 o’clock. Usually it becomes unbearably hot by 7. Loving the sleep in even more.

Anyway I don’t know when this will post because there is a problem with my hosting system which is causing errors in Blogger. Hopefully there will be a fix soon.

Annoying

So the last two posts haven’t appeared so I’m writing this from a different computer.

In fact I’m in the studio - a pre-recorded interview is playing - so how multi-tasky am I! There is only four minutes to go of my shift so…

One more shift before Christmas!!

Christmas Cards

I haven’t sent any.

It’s not that I don’t care about you, I do. But most people I would send a card to, I’m going to see anyway. You know all my news so there’s nothing to say and Christmas letters quite often sound like a litany of skite.

I do love receiving Christmas letters myself but most people I know who do the Christmas letter thang don’t have blogs.

Maybe what I really should do is send a card with my website address.

Hmmmm. Maybe next year.

In the meantime, I’m just a bad person.

Stylish

Did you catch on telly any of the Shane Warne press conference today. The first thing that struck me - apart from Shane’s zinc-free corporate look in a suit - was the backdrop. Not a logo in sight! Just plain black drapes. Tasteful. Stylish even.

Was Shane trying to tell us something about himself.

A clean slate?

Open for sponsorship?

Looking for a corporate gig?

Breakfast

I’ve discovered something about myself. I just don’t do breakfast well.

Sure I have coffee - always a winner - and sometimes OJ - which can be variable - but the whole “Irish Breakfast” or pancakes thing never seems to work out.

I don’t really like fry-ups - it’s all too much too early, and pancakes always sound better than they are.

This morning out at breakfast I ordered the pancakes special. Raspberry and Ricotta drizzled with honey - sounds nice doesn’t it. Meh.

The pancakes were too floury and doughy, the ricotta grainy, the raspberry stuff too rich.

Why didn’t I just order an omelette?

Christmas rush

I thought things were supposed to quieten off around Christmas but I’ve just been getting busier and busier.

Still only a few more sleeps before we can relax and for me that means two weeks dahn sath dahling chilling out on the decking with a glass or two of chardy… or maybe sav blanc. Wet and in a glass anyway.

This year I’m taking our coffee machine.

The question is - can I fit in time for a game of bridge? Must get the kids lessons as really, apart from slave labour - what are kids for? Making up a four at bridge is the least they could do.

In fact they are pretty good card players already. Don’t bet your house when playing them at Brag… and take your tricks early in 500. So it can only be a matter of time… mwah ha ha ha.

I’m really enjoying playing at the moment - apart from the cards themselves which don’t seem to go our way all that often - the social aspect is great, often staying past midnight waffling about what could have been if only I’d not led that diamond. Drinking wine and eating cheese… if only work didn’t interfere quite so much.

Beta check my comments

Moved to the new beta Blogger today and discovered 17 unmoderated comments - so here I was feeling rejected and you’d been trying to send me messages. I feel loved. Thank you. I think Blogger decided I should moderate comments for me but anyway…

Hey guess what?! I’ve done ALL my Christmas shopping! And it’s still a week to go til Christmas - more than a week. This is an absolute first.

Although I think the problem with getting it done early is that you keep finding other groovy presents which you are tempted to buy - at least when it is last minute you keep to your budget!

I’ve been busy at work - I thought it was supposed to slack off at Christmas time but no - but because I’ve been starting early - 4.30am - I have the afternoons to shop hence my efficentness.

Things are slowly falling into place - work next year will continue with me in the same role as this year plus Sundays - at least until June when the position will be advertised - the equivalent regional role (based in Perth) will be as well so… interesting times ahead.

My new favourite author

I haven’t done a book review for a while but I’ve just finished Paul Auster’s “The Book of Illusions” and I’m inspired.

It starts out as a story of grief. Our hero, David, loses his wife and two boys in a plane crash. One night - in a haze of alcoholic despair - he sees a snippet of an old Hector Mann black and white film which makes him laugh - for the first time since the tragedy. He becomes obsessed with the 12 films that were made by Hector Mann - and travels the world to see and study them and ends up writing a book.

He finds out that Hector disappeared after only one year of making films and so is shocked when he receives an invitation to meet Hector, who has read his book and wants to show him the films he has made, films that will be destroyed on his death.

The plot twists and turns - there’s love, passion, grief, surprise, shock, despair. There are the intertwined stories of the movies, and David’s and Hector’s lives.

It is brilliantly written and compelling to read.

This is the second Paul Auster novel I’ve read. The first, “Oracle Night” was equally brilliant. In that novel our hero is also recovering - this time from a near fatal illness. He’s a writer and has not been able to write since hospital until he picks up this notebook which seems to inspire him. Again we get the intertwining of stories - the main narrative with the parallel plot of the story being written by the protagonist.

In both the heroes are deeply flawed characters and yes in many ways the devices Paul uses - the intertwining of plots - are the same. I can only tell you that you are completely drawn into novels and are captive until the last page.

I have discovered that the movie he describes in The Book of Illusions - “The Inner Life of Martin Frost” is now being made. I hope to see it in the new year.

Skite Nite

Okay it’s skiting time!

Today went to my son’s graduation. How cool is that! The end of primary school. He came second top in his year… his WALNA tests were off the scale… and on top of that he won the Patron’s Award for Public Speaking. Mega awesome.

He also had a singing solo today. I am very proud.

As well my baby girl got into PEAC - which means she’s been identified as a very bright cookie (which we already knew but she didn’t). I am very proud.

And on a much smaller level - I’ve finally reached State Master ranking at bridge. Takes a while when you only play once a week and you take eight years off. Or at least that’s my excuse. It also helps to have brilliant partners - thank you one and all. I am not so proud about this but it’s still nice.

Photoblog

All the photos…
At the Gravity Bar at Guinness.

In their defence it was very very cold.

See, on the right… that’s us with the Wallabies…

Max and PC came over for a fine game of cards…

Hot whiskey - perfect on a cold day.

At the match. Final score Ireland 21 Australia 6.

Adare Manor. We stayed here.

Cliffs of Moher

Where Alcott and Brown landed the first trans-Atlantic flight.

Loved this sign.

Potatoes - a national food.

And this is where we went on the last day - created in 3800 BC - Newgrange.

All the photos…