So let’s see… activities across the last few days have included a visit from Canberra’s lovely yet rarely-sighted-in-the-wild Michael Barry and his family, lunch in leafy Kirrawee with Keith Stevenson and Nicola O’Shea. I’m still recovering from the industrial grade Jamie Oliver chocolate mousse they served as desert. I think I’ve passed the diabetic coma danger zone but I’ll be sticking to the boiled carrots and lettuce soup regime for the rest of the week just in case. Keith’s accepted my short story ‘Beautiful’ for his next anthology Anywhere But Earth, so I’m pretty chuffed about that.We saw ‘Predators’ at the cinema. The movie was fine but the print so dark, grainy and fuzzy that I really have to wonder why we bother with cinema when we have a crisp and clear plassy & blu ray set up at home. Plus, our loungeroom usually contains fewer bogans and better quality…
Continuum 6
Just a few snaps from Continuum 6: full set here on Flickr.GOH Kim Westwood with Paul Hainesme with events and fundraising organiser Julia SvaganovicFelicity Dowker with Halinka (Alan Baxter’s partner and I really should remember her surname… D’oh!)Trudi Canavan with her hand knitted Dalek. And yes, it does say EXTERMINATE!I spent a lot of the weekend on various forms of public transport and ended up unexpectedly staying with three sets of friends. I also ate too much, drank too much, went shopping with money I can’t really spare, attended many panels and the masquerade, spoke on two panels, bored the tits off everyone talking way too much about recent developments in my own writing career, made some new friends and generally had an excellent time.
Melbourne
Make the long trek from Wollongong, NSW to Croydon South, Vic yesterday: walked to Conniston station, caught train to Wolli Creek, changed to the domestic terminal line, flew Virgin Blue to Tullamarine airport, caught the city Xpress bus to Southern Cross station and then the Met train to Croydon where Sarah picked me up in her car. Bizzarely, each connection was timely and flawless. I didn’t have to wait long at any point.Sarah and Jamie’s new house is stunning. One of those solid old double brick houses with many rooms, high plaster ceilings and a massive backyard. They have 3 chooks. I had no idea you could pat chooks and that they follow you round like little dogs! Aside from the chook pen, the yard also features a slab hut circa 1880, a well and three ancient, stoic trees.In a little while I’ll be going into the city to oggle…
hanging with the gang
Spent Friday and Saturday with Toula and Robin, then dove up to Sydney for a yummy Mexican dinner at Nick and Adrian’s placeSometimes it takes every bit of willpower I can muster…… not to steal all the fab toys off their shelves.This was another one of those times…the flea incident shall not be mentioned.
Kiama
Spent a pleasant and leisurely afternoon in Kiama visiting Alan & Halinka. Kiama is about half an hour’s drive south of Wollongong, utterly gorgeous and somewhere we have never bothered to visit up until now. It’s best known for it’s blowhole, quite literally a tourist trap as several idiotic foreigners have jumped into it with deadly consequences over the years.Rob, Alan and Halinka on the back deck eating delicious gluten-free chocolate and orange cake.
blasts from the past
Had lunch in North Sydney yesterday with Ruth, Kribo and Nat, three women I went to school with about a million years ago. Ruth and Nat were at primary school with me as well as high and the cafe we had lunch at was about two blocks from our old playground. What I like most about these sorts of gatherings is the complete and utter lack of bullshit. No need to get all dolled up and attempt to impress each other. We know who we are and accept each other as such. Lots of laughter across the table. Looking forward to catching up with them again next year.