Kerin and Me

It was overcast and grey and cool and humid, all at the same time. Our weather changing, really? Who’d have thought that? It is not obvious at all. Ha ha. Melbourne never used to be humid, it always had dry heat. 

Floods, bush fires, famine. We are all fearful of summer now, Mr rAbbott, what do you think that means? There never used to be bush fires, every year? There never used to be yearly floods? As a kid, I don’t remember any floods. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe floods just aren’t on a kid’s radar. There never used to be doubts year in, year out. 

Mr rAbbott is, of course, the guy who famously said climate change was crap.

I eat my muesli and read the news. 

Sam told me off for washing the dishes this morning… instead of last night. I asked him what difference it made. 

He replied. “a lot.” 

Apparently, I am just too… he didn't finish the sentence, I presume it was supposed to be lazy. I can’t see what difference it really makes? Last night. This morning. Who stresses the small things, I ask you.

I get to work early, before 8am. Kirin is in, she is always in. Her hair stacked up on top of her head is silhouetted against the window behind her desk, in the morning.

Kirin was in training all day. I don’t even know what training she is doing. I guess she has probably said, but I don’t remember. I can’t even think now what it would be. Manager training, I guess. Maybe. I know she goes off with a hang-dog expression, that matches her thin almost pageless idea of a writing pad and biro, she always looks like she couldn’t hate it any more.

Whatever?

Kirin heads off as soon as Kerin arrives. She says something about us doing work, kind of hesitates maybe for an answer from us, and when none comes, she heads off to training anyway.

Kerin and I have a lovely, easy day when Kirin is away. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Kirin except she is kind of negative, a glass half empty type, of gal. Kerin and I chat away. 

Roz calls to say she had sorted some of mum’s finances. She thinks I should get enough to pay off my remaining mortgage. Yay! Good news. Of course, that poses another problem, I would have to live within my means, no more mortgage to draw down on.

Still, a problem most people would like to have, I assume, and it makes me smile.

Kerin and I did the Cosmo personality test. 

I got. 

Witty and sarcastic with a penchant for cynicism. An extremely intelligent individual who's eyes see beyond the falsity of masks and charades, your trust is never given and only won by few. You do not take the world at face value, and rather loathe those who do. Society is full of imperfections, regardless of how far we think we've come, and you'll be the one to expose its true face - Brick by Brick.

Kerin got.

A smart girl with score exceptionally high on Openness to Experience and low-to-moderate on Conscientiousness regarding career drive. Perhaps a "contented observer"—intellectually curious and perceptive, but entirely unmotivated by status, ladders, or traditional markers of success, with a strong lean toward The Protector/Nurturer profile due to its focus on family and tradition. Sensing type who finds deep satisfaction in the concrete, daily realities of homemaking, cooking, and child-rearing. However, the "smart girl" loves deep, abstract intellectual concepts. Her decision-making is guided by personal values, harmony, and the well-being of her loved ones, rather than cold logic or corporate metrics. Values stability, structure, and predictability, which aligns with wanting to settle down and build a secure family foundation. 

We both seemed happy with what we got. We laughed at it. We couldn’t have done that if Kirin was around. We did work after that.

We both left work at 5pm before Kirin came back from training. We felt kind of naughty the two of us as we slipped out the door and headed home.

We walked Buddy to Woolies. He needed a walk. I think that is four days in a row.

We ate Jamie Oliver chicken for dinner. Do you reckon Jamie Oliver would have a nice drumstick? We ate green tomato salad with mango.

It was humid and sticky.