So many people

The people are the only thing wrong with the park

And still the people keep coming

Did a tour bus just pull in?

The people, they keep coming

The people, the people

Look at that glorious sun

Want To Come Over For A Lamb Roast

Monday off, it has a nice ring to it, now doesn't it. It is what most of the world aspires to... don't they. Apparently. Well, I guess it isn't apparently really, it is common knowledge. Lucky me.

Buddy and I got up early and ate olive bread and drank coffee with Sam, then we walked him into the city for work. It is nice to be up early, it always makes me feel alive, it always makes me feel like I am making the most of the day. We walked Sam to the top of La Trobe Street, then we walked around the Exhibition Gardens before we walked home. There were a lot of white, puffy terriers with their owners, they were the dog du jour. It was nice, in our winter jackets warm against the brisk morning air. Well, I was in my winter jacket, Buddy was in his winter bulldog suit. (the one with the new zip. He he)

We got home before the rain fell, or as the rain fell, in its beginning of fine mist, like a translucent veil. My jacket was damp, Buddy's fur was too.

9am, just in time for coffee. I pissed around on my computer for most of the rest of the then grey day. I lit a fire. Lovely, hey?

Late in the afternoon, I went to the supermarket and bought a leg of lamb for dinner. Sam had left definite orders for some kind of roast for dinner. I can smell sage and garlic, and there are potatoes and carrots and sweet potatoes, now all sizzling away. I also got beans and corn on the cob.

Jill invited herself for dinner, when she heard what I was cooking. It was right after I told her I had bought a lot of food.

"I bought a bigger roast than I really needed, I don't know why."

"I'd love a lamb roast," she said

Which I didn't respond to... I was thinking about why I hadn't bought the smallest roast and what good will become of the extra lamb, which, in itself, I guess, is quite rude. Cold lamb sandwiches like Mark always likes. Lamb with sauce? I always think that cold meat tastes of fat no matter how much sauce you smother it in...

"Hint, hint, hint," she actually said. "Hint, hint, hint."

"Oh?" Back to earth. "Yes, of course, come over for dinner. Lamb roast."

"I'd love to," she replied... as if it had been my idea.

"7pm."

"Lovely."

Now, Jill is always late and 7pm means 7.30 in Jill time. Still, it was late in the afternoon by then and I had to get off my arse and prepare it all.

I could have panicked but I didn't. I could have drunk wine, but I didn't do that either. Maybe, I should drink more wine. I normally don't drink any, unless I am out somewhere. I would have had a joint, once, but I don't do that anymore. I haven't smoked for, well, I'm not really sure now how long, but I think it is 8 weeks and then that was just for 4 weeks, or a little longer and other than that I haven't smoked for most of the year. Who said quitting was hard. (Ha ha, it has only taken me ten years)

I just reminded myself that I can, actually, cook and I got on with it and it was done in 10 minutes, easy really, not hard. And in the oven. Shrug. Why do people think cooking is hard?

Then I made tea.

All those leaves

Sundays Are Great... Just Lovely

Sundays are kind of sad, in a way, as they mean the weekend is, at least, half over...  

It is like being in your thirties, they are great, the best time of your life, but they mean you are going to turn forty, next big birthday.

Like a sunset in the western sky.

Melancholy...

Bittersweet. 

It Was A Gorgeous Morning Walking To The Supermarket

I'm glad I remembered my camera, the sun was gorgeous, as Sam walks away from me

The sun was shining down beautifully

Some girls were out in their happy little car, cute isn't it

The sky was a lovely blue

The architecture proud and grand

Late Into The Afternoon, We Took Buddy To The Dog Park. We Staid Until It Was Quite Dark

And then it was night, and it was beautiful. The colours were magic

Down the dog park with Buddy

There is something magical about dusk

The world slowly lights up

It is kind of beautiful, I want to stay longer to drink it in

Now, where is Buddy?

Saturday Morning Doctor, Lunch And Shopping

It was 9 something when we woke up this morning. I slipped as I got out of bed and landed on my arse on the Persian rug at the edge of the bed. Sam looked bemused, as I was startled, looking back at him, I guess, also bemused. Shit, hey?

I went to the supermarket and got milk and bananas and ciabatta bread, which is nice with butter and Vegemite for breakfast. Remember, Sam hates cereal, with a passion. 

"Boring fucking food, I don't know how you eat it."

I also got peanut butter and hazelnut spread, lovely. There was also spreadable marshmallow called Fluff, which I looked at, inspected, turned the jar over and felt how light the whole thing was then placed it back on the shelf with a reproachful shake of the head. I have never seen something so white.

I remember, in America they had a product called (something like) Fluff n Udder, which was striped marshmallow and either jam and/or peanut butter.

It was a lovely morning for a walk and I was sorry that I didn’t take my phone to take some photos.

Sam had to see Doctor Johnny at 11.30am, the continuing saga of his wart on his heal. So we headed off down to Victoria Street on our usual Saturday morning walk. It was cold today, so I pushed Sam over to the sunny side of the street. Doctor Johnny is always running late, so I stopped off at the only coffee shop in Victoria Street to drink coffee, rather than sitting dutifully in Dr Johnny’s waiting room, much to Sam’s chagrin. Sam wanted me to sit with him in the docs waiting room on the hard chairs reading the year old magazines. I had fresh coffee instead and the latest newspaper.

Victoria Street was kind of deserted, something you rarely see, which will become rarer and rarer due to the idiot decisions of this governments planning minister, Mathew Guy, and the over abundance of flats which are now being built at the far end of Victoria Street.

You don't often see Victoria Street clear like this... is is just about always a car park

After Sam was finished getting his foot wart seen to, of course he asked the doctor no questions yet again, it was time for lunch. I ate Pad Thai. Sam ate Gravy Noodles. The gravy noodles looked horrible, but were, actually, quite tasty. I don’t know why, just lately, that I have had a hankering for Pad Thai, but I have.

We went shopping after lunch. 

I have got a second pair of glasses recently and I decided that I should buy another glasses case for them, rather than just making do. So, I went back to the shop where I bought my current glasses case from to buy another, as I really like the one I have now.

The other day, when I was cutting back the creeper from the top of the side wall I threw the pan and brush from the top of the veranda across the back of the house. The pan landed badly and the corner cracked off leaving the pan useless, so I wanted to buy a new pan and brush today. 

I had already looked in one shop for the pan and brush, so with my new glasses case in my hand I asked in that shop what pan and brushes they had. They had a faux straw broom and a long handled pan, or some dinky minute brush with an equally useless pan, so I headed off to the supermarket where, I thought, I should have looked in the first place, instead of pissing around, as I had been doing.

I stood in front of the pan and brushes in the supermarket seeing that they had two sizes. I needed to put my glasses on, which I was carrying in my hand. I didn’t even notice the plastic covering the case, it wasn’t until I had opened them that I noticed that the colour inside wasn’t the colour of my usual glasses case. It was the new case that I held in my hand. I had walked out of the other shop with it in my hand, without paying for it. I was so used to carrying my glasses case in my hand that I hadn’t realised. I was surprised, perhaps a little shocked. I had walked straight out of the shop with their merchandise in my hand, just like that.

Oops.

I was surprised by what I had done. Sam told me I was a thief. He shook his head and reiterated my criminal behaviour, “You stole a glasses case,” when I said I wasn't going back to pay for it.

"No, come on, let's get out of here," I said.

"Thief."

"Oh, shut up, I have bought plenty from that shop..."

"Really?"

"Come on... let's go."

“Just like that?” he said.

“Just like that,” I said.

Secretly, I found it kind of thrilling. I pulled something off that I would never dare to do normally. I know that sounds pathetic, as I did it completely unconsciously, but that is how I felt. There you go.