A progress report from home
I did some more work on the non-fiction book report and it is nearly finished. P. made scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for lunch, then we went to Noel T.'s for dinner with his friend Robina. We had a very pleasant evening but left fairly early as he was not feeling terrific. Once home, we stayed up for the fireworks in both Sydney (on the teev) and Melbourne (out the window).
This morning, after the crossword, I did a little more on each of the memoir, the biography and the non-fiction book. All should be completed by early in the new year, but not before Christmas as I had hoped. We had tomato soup for lunch and soto ayam for dinner followed by baby cheeses. Maigret and more Mad Men followed. I found a photo of my grade five class on Facebook (Reservoir State Primary Duffy Street). Unfortunately, Blogger still won't let me upload photos.
This morning we got Franz the Corolla (no Frank) and went to Victoria Gardens for our regular shopping and a small shop for Noel which we delivered to his place. Home for salmon cakes for lunch then a nap. In the arvo, Sally S. arrived for a visit and we had a good mag about friends and relations. In the early evening, Kent P. picked us up and took us over to his place in Brunswick where we were joined by Wendy P. and Margaret N. for a pasta dinner followed by excellent baby cheeses. We nattered on till nearly midnight, viewed their renovations and had a very good time.
P. and I went to the NGV Tea Rooms to meet Lesley, Louise, Mollie and Michael for a brunch, partly to celebrate M.'s graduation and their arrival in Melbourne to live. It was a very pleasant occasion. Home again for a nap. We had leftover roast pork and veg for dinner and watched a rewarding Philomena starring Judi Dench on the teev.
This morning I slept in a bit then did a bit on all three things on the go: the memoir (one more chapter back to the author), the biography (so far 10,000 words cut, not nearly enough, about one-fifth of what's needed) and the non-fiction book (still reading). As it's a searing day today, we're having more cold leek and potato soup for lunch. After a nap, I went up to the shops to get the Green Guide then made soto ayam for dinner, a good dish for a very hot day.
This morning, I did some work (not a lot) on the memoir and the biography, just enough to get my hand back in and build some momentum. We had the leek and potato soup for lunch, cold. Oh, and in a surprising find in a ms., Ethel Malley, the sister of the fictional Ern Malley the poet, lived in the same street as Kit Brown. After a nap, P. is making roast pork for dinner. Two more episodes of Mad Men as there is nothing on the teev except repeats and royals.
P. and I exchanged gifts this a.m. I got a Billy Griffiths book on Australian prehistory I had been wanting plus a Vivica Genaux CD of Vivaldi to remember her superb concert recently. I gave P. a book of photos of Australian Gothic from the western suburbs plus a ticket to Calamity Jane, which has been much praised. In the cast is Tony Taylor, whom I haven't seen since at school when we were in plays together. (Perhaps I saw him at the Pram Factory, long ago.) Then I cooked some leek and potato soup, plus some potato to fry for the soto ayam tomorrow. Now, a bit of a rest before lunch. We finished off the French onion soup and fritatta for lunch, then I whizzed the leek soup for tomorrow. We might have it cold as there's a heatwave due. I decided to do no work today in honour of the baby cheeses (really because I don't feel like it). So now for a nap. Afterwards, P. and I went to Frank's place for his delicious pizzas. We exchanged prezzies and a few wines (sparkling and other) then retired home for more Mad Men. I think I'm hooked for the season.
Slept in this morning after a late night with Spooky Music aka Silent Witness. I have done a bit on the memoir but not much else before the cleaners came, lickety-split. P. went off for a walk while they were here. In the evening, he made steak for dinner while we settled back for the promised soporific television for viewers of the Alzheimer's Broadcasting Corporation. They think we'll have forgotten about the repeats anyway. They're right. We have.
We polished off the crossword not the earliest ever because of both sleeping in a bit. Unusually the postie (not our usual one) arrived on Sunday bearing a postbag with a new manuscript, non-fiction, for assessment. When god closes a door, they open a window, so to speak. As one manuscript leaves the house, another arrives. It looks as though it is very interesting. I spoke to Nick and caught up with what his family are doing. And that is very interesting too. P. and I had salmon cakes for lunch then a nap. In the evening, we had oysters then garlic prawns. There was a very good program on SBS about the Wik judgment, then one about Sri Lankan orphans finding their mothers, ending with Spooky Music on the ABC.
This morning after a glance at the Saturday papers, we picked up Billy the Corolla and Frank the person. After buying coffee beans to keep us going over Christmas (literally), we shopped at Victoria Gardens, took Noel's shopping to him then had brunch at Melvin's, the reopened Bluebird Cafe. It seems okay but nothing special. Home for a nap. Frank came round in the early evening and we headed to Noel T.'s for dinner. We had a terrific dinner of curry plus accompaniments followed by chocolate mousse then we came home to watch Frank's borrowed: The Jeremy Thorpe Affair, which was rivetting and a good reminder of how things were, which we had discussed with Noel earlier. If we didn't know that it was a story that was true (albeit a dramatised version), it was very hard to believe.
This morning, I woke early and called the plumber. Shane came within the hour and fixed the leak under the sink. The cause was more interesting. Apparently the rise in the number of 'units' in the inner-city has caused the utility to lift the water pressure to cope with peak demand. This means that during non-peak times the pressure peaks and can blow the taps, as ours did. The solution is to install a pressure regulator at our (vast) expense not that of the developers who caused it. Fair, eh? Anyway, it is now done and we hope we won't have further problems. Feeling exhausted, P. and I trotted off to U3A for Teresa Pitt's screening of Frontline. It was good to see such a good film (I'd never seen it before). Lively debate ensued about the merits or not of the fifties which continued over lunch at Redbird. After a nap, we had leftovers (onion soup and fritatta) for dinner followed by baby cheeses. Telly was anodyne but not as anodyne as on Christmas Eve when ABC is treating us to a trio of Father Brown, Midsomer Murders and Grantchester, soporific TV at its best.
This morning, P. headed into town for shopping. I went up to Johnston Street to try the new trendy barber that has replaced (in not quite the same spot) old Joe the Italian barber. LeeAnne did quite a good job and I liked her (she lives nearby) though it is expensive. A parade of young trendies went through the place when I was there, getting nearly identical hairdos. Then I went to the Health Centre for pills and the supermarket for eggs. Home again with leftovers for dinner and very uninspiring teev. Disaster struck with a leak under the sink. It seems the house is falling apart. The only bright light is some entertainment turning up for January. More on that anon.
This morning, I finished off checking the novel and returned it to the publisher. Bon voyage! I then made French onion soup for lunch and P. made sausages and potatoes for tea. It wasn't an impressive night on the teev so we had more Mad Men which wasn't impressive either. Tomorrow, preparations for Christmas which are fairly minimal.
The novel author has returned her final version so now I'm checking through it, doing a final proof for errors. P. has gone up to Carlton shopping for Christmas. He came back and made guacamole for lunch which I had along with leftover soto. I made anchovy, lemon and breadcrumb pasta for dinner and it was not bad, even if I say so myself. Put off by Christmas teev we watched more Mad Men, which is still a bit slow-moving. After Treme, it seems as though it is limping along.
Last night, the author of the novel returned it, with modifications, so I checked those and returned it to her this morning plus cut the biography, this time a little more ruthlessly. P. and I had leftover fish curry for lunch and leftover chook for dinner. In spite of good teev early on (Rush on 7.30, Ricketson on Australian story and the Furneaux Islands on Backroads) we had to finish with Mad Men as things deteriorated with Charley Windsor.
The crossword was despatched (nearly) before nine apart from one recalcitrant answer about Adam's clay, later uncovered. Then a bit of the biography trimming, then off to the city for lunch with my sister and bro-in-law. We had a very good lunch and chat with them and their friend Russell. Home again for a nap. In the evening, we had leftover soto ayam for dinner followed by a very weak night on the teev. Better to read a book.
The bulk Saturday papers arrived but I managed to tear myself away and get on with the memoir and biography. I think that by doing a little each day I will get them finished before Christmas. I've so far lost over 3000 words from the first section of the biography, probably not enough. I'll see how I go on the next section. We had salmon cakes for lunch, then a nap and P. made roast chook for dinner.
Up early this morning to get pills from the Health Centre, then P. joined me to pick up Barnaby the Yaris and Frank the person, off to the mall for shopping, thence to Noel's with his shopping which I think I got right this time. We then had a very nice brunch at Dr Morse which was buzzing with Christmas parties. I keep forgetting about Christmas. After a nap, I made fish curry for dinner then an evening with the teev and Mad Men again.
This morning, one of the fuses gave up the ghost (the one that operates the microwave), so we've called the electrician for this arvo. I went on with the memoir and sent the next chapter back to the author with few amendments. I'm now going on with cutting the biography. I might need to be a bit more ruthless and I am not even a quarter way through. We had leftovers for lunch (scalloped potatoes and smoked salmon), yum. The electricians arrived and fixed the fuse though couldn't really explain why it tripped in the first place beyond that modern fuse boxes added to old wiring often were a bit dodgy. Further, they said that from next year if you have any new electrical work done (e.g. a new power point) you have to have your old fuse box replaced! They offered a discount if they needed to be called again about the same thing. In the early evening, we went to Uncle for another very good meal. Thence to the very popular and populous Cumulus for a pavement g&t as we were still early for Bottomless, at 45downstairs. Set in the Broome sobering-up shelter, it was a brilliantly performed play with a stellar cast of seven (unusual these days). Although only an hour long, it encapsulated a lot of the issues in Indigenous affairs. It was our last theatre/music outing for the year and transmission doesn't resume until 13 January.
This morning, I started on the biography, a bit intimidated by the length, text (with notes) 209,000 words or thereabouts. Nothing daunted, I ploughed in. P. went off for a U3A committee meeting. In the evening, after a nap, we had more of the soto ayam for dinner plus baby cheeses. The teev was not very good so we watched more Mad Men which wasn't really either.
This morning, in a burst of early energy, I got the novel back off to the author and will await their response. Then I moved on to the memoir. I feel a bit less overwhelmed now that I can see my way to getting both big tasks finished (the memoir and the biography), if not before Christmas, then soon after. We had vegie soup for lunch, while I made most of the soto ayam for dinner which I completed after a nap, then we ate it and settled in for a night with Michael Portillo. Why?
Having done no work yesterday, I started with a burst of energy today. I've finished proofing the novel, and will now enter the corrections and do some more checking then return it to the author. P. went off to St Kilda to buy books for next year's U3A American Lit. class. In the evening, we went to 45downstairs to hear the group Mauvaise Reputation perform French songs from the thirties to the sixties. It was a very enjoyable performance with bass, accordion and two guitars (plus vocals). A bit too much Piaf but then... Afterwards, we had a quick meal at the wine bar near the European (or probably owned by them).
After talking about Nexium and reflux, in reference to Noel's pills yesterday, I had some last night (or I think it was). As a result I didn't sleep well and woke early, so we completed the big crossword by 9am. Then, tired, I went back to bed after breakfast and slept till lunchtime. Now I feel fine and ready for anything and will make the chicken stock for soto ayam. P. made scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for lunch (a la Herbert), then made schnitzels for dinner. We watched more Mad Men but it is wearing thin.
Yesterday (Friday), I did some more proofing on the novel. I'm now more than halfway through. P. went off to American Literature at U3A, this time for poetry. In the evening, we had a quick meal at Yoyogi with Frank then went to the Recital Centre for a concert with Vivica Genaux, mezzo-soprano and coloratura par-excellence singing with the Orchestra of the Antipodes. It was a great concert which left us reeling. This morning, we picked up Barnaby the Yaris and Frank the person and did the shopping at Victoria Gardens and the pharmacy, delivered Noel's to his place then went home for lunch while Frank went off to a birthday arvo. We had salmon cakes for lunch, then leftover chicken curry for dinner, then because there was not much on the teev, we started watching Mad Men on video.
Well, not quite. I sent the report on the novella off today, so that is one thing off my desk. Now on with the proofing of the novel. The memoir and the biography will have to wait until that is finished probably by early next week. Then I can send it to the author for approval and get on to the two behemoths. We had minestrone (tinned) for lunch after P. had got the Thursday paper. P. made a very good curry for dinner tonight before settling in to an evening of teev.
This morning, I finished off this pass of the novel, then printed it out for proofing. For a bit of variety, I went back to the report on the novella, which I will finish off before I do anything else. I've still got both the memoir and the biography looming. We had quiches for lunch which P. got from his visit to Smurf Street for a haircut. After a nap, we went for a very good meal (not cheap) at Blondie at the Recital Centre then enjoyed an Australian Chamber Orchestra concert of sonatas for strings with works by Sculthorpe, Debussy, Ravel, Elgar and Walton. With small forces (11) it was probably a cheap concert for them but it was very enjoyable. Home again for the final episode of Missing.
It sounds like I'm complaining, but I'm not. I'm enjoying it but there's just too much of it at present and I'm not sure I can finish it all by Christmas and keep everyone happy. On with the novel... Soup for lunch, then a nap, then leftover pork belly, rice and veg. for dinner. We finished the series Treme tonight and it was very good, a very human drama.
More work this morning on the novel (the one I'm editing, not reporting on). I've now got two massive non-fiction books to work on (though not edit) plus the report. Busy, busy. Midst all that I went up to the Vietnamese hardware to get tape to put up the renovation notices which fell down in the massive storm a couple of days ago. It's a moot point whether they'll last long. Our notice is also up on the Council website WITHOUT the details. Leftover leek and potato soup for lunch. In the early evening, P. and I went to the Recital Centre for a Plexus concert. They are always good but this one was superlative. In the first half, there were three world premieres plus an excellent US piece. It was interesting that they were gender stereotypical. The women's pieces were ethereal and dreamy, the men's pieces were vigorous, thumping and boisterous. In the second half, actrine Helen Morse read French fin-de-siecle poetry while the trio played Stefan Cassomenos' arrangements of music by Boulanger, Debussy, Faure, Ravel and Satie. Superb. We had a good quick meal at Trotters then home for some more boring Australian politics.
For the first time, we finished the crossword before 9am. Unfortunately, there was an error this week with Baz Luhrmann mispelt in the solution. Late in the morning, we headed off to the Arts Centre for Rebecca Barnard channeling Joni Mitchell over 'high' tea. She and her accompanist Peter Farnan, guitar, piano and vocals, made a good fist of the classic songs while we munched on sangos, party pies and cakes, followed by scones and jam and cream. It was very good value and a filling lunch. Home for a nap, then P. made delicious pork belly for dinner and we watched the new Sherlock Holmes' series. Very slow and boring.
The Saturday avalanche of papers yielded some good reading, especially in The Saturday Paper. I then did the necessary for the end-of-the-month financials. By then it was lunchtime and we had fish cakes (no salmon ones this week). In the evening, salmon fillets, cooked by me then more teev. The last few state seats left are rivetting, a couple down to only a few votes difference. It should be clear by end of count tonight but maybe not till next week. Meanwhile, the Liberals are deferring their leadership vote.
Live in a two storey house with Peter, work as a freelance editor and like good food! I'm not an Aries as the computer says but Aquarius. I'm a Pig not a Rat. Peter is an Aries.
