Getting Up And Doing Things

I felt a little better today... kind of. Besides, I had to take my car to the mechanic by 9am'ish, they don't open till 9am. The car's been missing on a cold start, chug, chug, chug, running on 3 cylinders for the first 15 to 30 seconds. I think I got there by 9.15, not bad since I had to drag myself out of my sick bed. Cough, cough.


It was a lovely sunny day, gorgeous. It was a lovely day to saunter up La Trobe Street. I always like the city as it is just getting going in the mornings.


I met Sam at 9.30 for breakfast, which we had at the Queen Vic Market. It is a good job Sam has, as he'd only been at work for an hour. We had Middle Eastern, yum. It is nice around the Vic Market, almost European, kind of. I could live around there, if ever I decided to live in the cbd. I wonder what it is like on “market days?”

I sneaked back – actually, I’m not sure why I sneaked back, but I did – and ate muesli and yogurt and drank more coffee and luxuriated in the open windows of a café on Queen Street and read the newspaper leisurely for an hour, or so. Lovely. It was a lovely day.



I walked home in the sunshine, still coughing, through the park. Ah, fresh air and sunshine and the blue sky, makes you feel alive, even if you are not feeling 100%.

A Day In Bed... That's What My Mum Always Told Me

I spent the day in bed... with my Buddy, my box of tissues and my lap-top. Every time I sneezed, Buddy would stretch out to me and lick me, or look at me concerned, as though he was asking if I was okay. I ended up with tissues on the floor all around the bed and my Buddy's head on my leg looking at me with his big brown eyes.

Bulldog paws under the coffee table

I'm Sick

I've got a cold, my nose is wet and running and I am sneezing. In fact, it all seemed to start last night with a sneezing fit in the kitchen, before which I felt kind of fine. It came on that suddenly, just like that. Then this morning I felt, kind of, fine, okay enough to head out to lunch with my mate Jill, you know, as you do.

Then after Jill had left, I just started feeling worse and worse and worse, so I took to the couch.

Now my nose is blocked, I am sneezing, my head hurts, my neck hurts, strangely, my foot hurts like hell and I feel like shit.

Bugger!

Is that Mad Behaviour?

Shane, so often, when he comes home from work, empties the contents of the kettle, refills it, invariably, to the top, puts it on to boil and then heads to his room never to return.

Almost every night.

Is that mad behaviour?

Oh, who cares, but I do think it is weird.

He moves out in four weeks, so that will be that. He's moving to Europe with no money, so that should be very interesting. (Read, in my opinion, a disaster) I wish him well and I hope he conquers the world... but somehow I doubt it.

Go on, off you go, is my constant thought.
No, I am no longer interested in what you are doing. No, really I am not. 

When I ask Shane something, for details, he has this habit of focusing all of his self importance into one attitude and, what would have been a relatively boring set of details, becomes the biggest drama I have ever heard.

Yes, sadly, I am over living with him. Go on, off you go, discover the world, have a fabulous time... but, go.

Home sweet home, flying in

We Went And Got Buddy

We got home at 11pm last night and almost immediately got into the car and drove an hour into the country to my sister's farm to pick Buddy up. Well, I wouldn't leave any other loved one alone on his own, so why would I leave him? My sister and her family had left for Europe that morning to go skiing and he would have been okay until the morning, on his own, with my sister's two dogs... but it had been 40 degrees today and bulldogs can overheat easily in the heat. Besides, I wanted to see him.

We got home at 3am.

He stank like a farm dog, he didn't smell sweet like an inner suburban pooch should, so a shower is the first thing on the agenda today. Good thing he is more than happy to slide his stumpy little body under the water.

The beach

Heading home

We headed off to Byron Bay for lunch and the beach, before we headed to the airport to head home. Yes, home, it has all gone so quickly. I'm looking forward to seeing the Buddy, I wonder how he has coped up on the sheep farm with the Kelpies? 
The weather report tells me, it is 40 degrees in Melbourne, still 35, or so, when we land at 11pm, that I'm not looking forward to. Ug!

It is beautiful up here in the hinterland, 26 degrees every day, as Mark likes to tell me. Could I live up here, far away from the rat race of the increasingly congested inner suburbs of Melbourne? I think I could. Dean was even having a cursory look at the houses for sale while he was here and one, or two, of them looked enticing, I must say. One had views and a river frontage and it seemed quite cheap. The house was probably crap, but houses can always be changed and improved, besides, I've always liked well used, fixer-uper's, really, despite living in an Edwardian terrace. I gravitate towards the mismatched eclectic, I kind of like that lived in'ness.

The sun sparkled and the sky shone blue in Byron. The traffic was crap, as it is in the peak season, but you know, not impossible. Besides, the slow crawl through the main street gave us a chance to perve on the hot boys walking along the foot path, Byron is full of them.

We ate at the sushi train and swam at Kings for the afternoon. There is nothing like jumping through the waves on an ocean beach. I worked out that smoking a joint perched on a high rock is very bad for my fear of heights... or is being stoned the closest thing to paranoia, I'm not sure? But once it hit me, the view was no longer magical and all I could think was that I wanted to get down.

Then the sun set and it was time to start thinking about heading to the airport.

The lookout

The falls

Lunch and Waterfalls

Dean arrived at 9am. He wondered if it was a little early for all of us, but then he thought, what the hell. We were all in bed. 9am and on holidays?

Dean isn't quiet at the best of times, so, as you can imagine, we were all awake in moments.

Dean drove us all to Bangalow for Hamburgers for lunch. The problem with Dean's driving is that he drives like an old woman. Mark complained. Bangalow is a gorgeous country town, a little spoilt by tourists, of course, but then anyone who has a vacant look and sunglasses on walking at a snails pace is a tourist to me. 

We came home and smoked a joint.

We went to Minyon Falls for the afternoon. Mark drove. I didn't really mind who drove. I didn't care if Dean drove slowly, I just didn't want them to still be pissy about it when we went to the falls, as the road out there goes along the top of a ridge with the ground falling away dramatically on either side. It sets my vertigo off, at the best of times and I would prefer it to be calm as we make the ridge crossing.

The falls are beautiful. Peaceful and calm. Dare I say, majestic. Such depth and space. Standing on the viewing platform, they fall away dramatically all the way down to the the gurgling water at the bottom.

Mark cooked pumpkin soup and quiche for dinner. We bought pumpkin and cantaloupe from one of those driveway veggie stands on the way home.

David and Mike (the new boyfriend) arrived home late looking tired, Mike felt sick. They spent a couple of nights in a local hotel so we wouldn't hear the biting and the scratching and the screaming and the gnashing of teeth sex post new years eve. No wonder Mike felt sick.

We went to see The Hobbit in Lismore. I saw the dragon and the gold and then I slept through the rest of the movie without a problem.

Dean exploring Minyon falls

Minyon Falls

What Day Is It?

I've been up all night, not bad for the quiet night in, hey?  Mark and Luke were heading to recoveries, but they gave us something excess to their needs, something to chew, shall we say. We watched a marathon of Modern Family. Cam's shirts were really colourful.

It was a lovely night with all of the doors and windows thrown open, us in singlets and shorts.

Thee party boys got home around 2am. It was the best party, Kate Munro was inspired. Fabulous! Fabulous! Blah, blah, blah.

Our buddy Dean came back with Mark and Luke, he was well enhanced. He talked, without taking a breath, for 4 hours. Non stop. no break to change subjects. He was so funny. Mind boggling. Some time, just after they got back, Dean started asking Sam and I what we'd been doing? Then he was emptying his pockets and tipping the contents of the small plastic bags down Sam's and my throats.

And here I am. The walking mouth had headed off to parts unknown. Mark and Luke have passed out. And Sam has hit the hey... er... hay. My head is spinning. It is day light outside.

I love that gentle hum. Sam is out to it under the mosquito net. I've just shut the windows and doors, the candle light burns gold on the walls. Just me and the gentle morning sun and the silence. The lovely silence and my spotty vision. I feel like writing, but I should go and cuddle my boy friend instead, like a good boyfriend should.

Home from the New Years Eve party

Well... I've been swimming. We glided down the hill to the river, everything was on slow. Velvet green, bright blue, sparkling sunlight, walking staffs, sun hats, towels. The thrump of the bass sounding like an echo in the base of my neck. Thick head. Birds calling in the distance. A gentle breeze.

The water was the perfect, skin temperature, as it lapped around the tops of my legs, like circles of extra skin; lapping at my balls, that is always the moment when I know it is time to dive in. The water was like velvet on my skin, as slid in. I lifted my legs up behind me and floated like a sea horse, with crocodile eyes.

We sat on banana lounges, with a shade umbrella and straw hats and listened to the breeze in the trees. We slept a bit... towels over our faces.

I've eaten runny yolk, poached eggs on toast. I had an amazing shower. I've slept for two hours. I've kissed my boyfriend. But some how I'm still not tired, despite liberal applications of the antidote. Hands in the air. The party was good, lots of boys, as you would expect, wearing very little, some of them... big eyes, as you would expect. There were lots of people having a good time, it was a happy party, the fruits were tropical, the weather perfect. Although, it was a little chilly at 5am. There was a drag queen with enormous fake tits, she managed to keep them in place all night, good for her I thought on the way out. The music was fine, it all went so fast. We danced a lot. Of course, I took up smoking again New Years Eve, weak as piss. I'll stop again on the 5th back in Melbourne. If I haven't before, if I already haven't. That was last night and this is a new year.

I'm sitting on the deck, it is 29 degrees, it is sunny and warm, with a gentle breeze. Everyone is now sleeping. The breeze blows, the sun touches my back like warm honey. Just the rustle of the leaves, the occasional drop of something to the ground, thud, a bug chirping.

The cicadas are just starting to call.

My head is thick, my neck is sore, it crunches when I close my eyes and turn it. The sun turns the insides of my eyelids bright orange. The air is amazingly fresh, as it blows against my face.

Frangipani

Happy New Year

What a beautiful day, just gorgeous. The sun, the breeze. I had to wear a t-shirt, like some old nana, when I went for my swim. "That's it gran, cover up the sun is mighty powerful." 
Too much sun and swimming all week, I am beginning to feel the sting when the sun hits me. It is the curse of fabulous pale skin.

Still, the water was just perfect, once I got under.

There is something magical about a fresh country river. There is a certain tuning into the earth, a feeling that we are all one entity, ashes to ashes, of the earth. I always feel that. It is the silence, apart from the wind, apart from the splash of the water, apart from the call of a bird.

I've taken lots of photos, but I only have an iPad with me and it refuses to upload anything into blogger. Oh we'll.

It is the perfect temperature, for shorts and t-shirt... you know, up near Byron. I've worn one pair of shorts all week.

It is Tropical Fruits tonight, so we'll see how the temperature holds out, nudge wink.

Lazing Around in our Bliss

We swam in the river for the afternoon, with our own beach, lounge chairs and shoes to protect our feet from the scattered rocks on the river bed. The sun shone down brightly, my skin may have a red hue, I can, perhaps, wince, feel it.

Sam can't swim, so I taught him to float. He mastered it quickly and then he just wanted to practice floating on his back, beneath the dappled sun light spread across the surface of water, which sparkled in full sun light. Just his face showing... like he was learning it, catching up... very pleased with himself. I love it when he smiles like that.

We went to see Les Mis last night at the movies, at the local multiplex, in the nearest, biggest country town. Everyone was scrubbed up nice and shiny and they all looked over exposed to vitamin D. Fresh. New. Corn fed.

I didn't really care for the stage play that much, despite seeing it several times, but the movie I liked, it made all much clearer. Yay. (Perhaps, I could be a philistine after all?) Russell Crowe was 
stupendously awful, (editors note - his voice was stupendously awful) but apart from him, the rest of them were good. What were they thinking when Russell Crowe was cast? 

How cute was Marius, though, not to mention that amazing voice.

Soft and Green

I'm sitting on the veranda over looking the rain forest just in front of me. It is still, early. I could reach out and touch the trees between my finger tips. It is beautiful, a cacophony of green. The frogs, I think, are croaking. There is a lot of bug noise anyway, over yonder... like ringing bells. The birds are singing. They are, kind of, chattering like monkeys, actually. Some birds call with a beautiful whistle, some squeak, some squark, some sound like a drop of water falling. I'm waiting for the giant lizard thing to crawl onto the veranda and demand her maggots, with trepidation. Nobody else is awake. Will she eat me? It is beautiful here. Lush. Remote. Wet in the air. Vividly green. It smells like a river bank. Mossy tree roots, dissolving. Bracken. A carpet of leaves and twigs, damp, soft, like wool slippers. There is mist on the furthest mountain tops, floating above the tree tops.