A progress report from home
This morning I worked very hard and got to the end of the autobiography text and got an okay for the length from the publisher. There is still the stylesheet to update and zillions of notes to check but that can wait for tomorrow. We had French onion soup for lunch. After a nap, P. did some shopping and made pork sweet'n'sour for dinner. There's lots left over. Followed by Vera on the teev.
P. went off this morning to Wallan for the U3A regional meeting while I got on with the autobiography. Last night I made a modified shepherd's pie from the leftover lamb, so we'll have that for dinner tonight with the leftover chilli con carne. And tonight I made French onion soup for lunch or dinner tomorrow.
I did some more on the autobiography this morning. I'm now about two-thirds through it on this pass. P. went off to the U3A Yarra AGM. After an arvo nap, P. made delicious roast pork for dinner, then we watched i-voo because of the paucity of teev.
This morning I did a fair bit of work on the autobiography while P. went off to do some preparation and photocopying for the U3A AGM tomorrow. The cleaners came lickety-split. P. came home early and we had soup for lunch. Then he was off again and I had a short nap. We had leftover chilli con carne for dinner, then went off to the Recital Centre. The Australian Chamber Orchestra did a mainly Bach concert which was excellent and absorbing with a new piece by Brett Dean as a prelude to Brandenburg no. 6. Home for ABC Monday night, this time with Hamish on Q&A.
After P. and I despatched the Sunday crossword, I spent the rest of the morning finishing the poetry manuscript (translation). We then had salmon patties for lunch before a nap. In the early evening, we joined Frank at 45downstairs for Lobby Hero, Kenneth Lonergan's play set in a New York apartment lobby. A four-hander, it was very well acted and directed, though the play could have been cut a bit (2 and a half hours without interval is a bit much to ask). Prize goes to Charles Grounds for a brilliant performance as Jeff, the lobby hero. We all then had a quick meal at Tazio then home to the teev.
Flood of papers this morning. I finished reading Candide and noted its echoes in the new novel. I unsuccessfully tried to ring the author of the autobiography and left a message. We had leftover chook casserole for lunch then a nap. I made salmon fillet for dinner then we settled down to watch i-voo on telly because there wasn't much on. The new series of Unforgotten is quite good.
I did a bit of work this morning, which was hardly work, rereading Candide for the novel project. Then P. and I picked up Billy the Corolla and Frank and went to Victoria Gardens for a very satisfying shop (or so it seemed). Thence to Noel's to drop his shopping. Afterwards, we had a very good brunch at Addict where all our dishes were over-ample but very tasty. Dropped into the health centre for pills then home for a nap. P. and I then went into town and found that owing to an 'electrical fault' the Vietnamese place we were going to try was closed so we went across the road in Swanston Street to Dumpling+ for a good meal. Thence to the Recital Centre where Ensemble Liaison teamed with violinist Nemanja Radulovic, in a very peculiar outfit (why wear your negligee with Doc Martens to a concert?), but he played superbly. They did pieces by Bach, Handel, Khachaturian, Bartok and Brahms, some substituting a clarinet for a viola. Two encores later we left very satisfied.
Lots of work yesterday morning (Wednesday), including the novel, the autobiography and a new book of poetry which arrived today. P. had lunch in town with Robin S. then we had a nap, then the HUN Aria at the Recital Centre after a good meal at Blondie with Frank. It turned out to be better than expected, though my pick for the winner didn't even get a consolation prize but what would I know? It is hard to come down after 10 powerful arias. Today (Thursday), I did some cleaning up on the novel and the poetry/art collection. Now it's time for leftover lunch (cold roast lamb and potato salad, thanks P.) . Then back to the autobiography. The chilli con carne which I made for dinner (thanks Margaret Fulton) was not bad and used up a few leftovers in the fridge but made its own leftovers for next week after shopping tomorrow. Teev tonight the ever-watchable Vera.
Today I did more on the autobiography and the novel while P. went into town to pay bills etc. After a nap, we headed to Carlton to see a free movie, Pavarotti, a preview screening. We preceded it with a good meal at Tiamo, then crossed the road to the Nova. The film is a bit of a whitewash making Luciano look better than he probably was, the charmer, but it was worth it for the singing and the excerpts from operas. I still remember seeing him in the Sutherland/Pavarotti season in Melbourne where we couldn't afford our Joan but saw Luciano in The Elixir of Love, which one of his daughters in the film said was his favourite opera because he didn't die in it, like most of the others. Home again for baby cheeses.
Now I've started on the editing jobs, one an autobiography which is fairly easy as it only needs a bit of cutting, otherwise it is fine. The other is a novel which might be a bit more problematic. Ah well! Away we go. Around lunchtime, Reece arrived with the blinds and began installation. P.'s baked eggs for lunch will have to wait as one of the blinds is in the kitchen. When the blinds were installed, apparently perfectly, the eggs were delicious. After a nap, P. made roast lamb for dinner which was equally good. Normal Monday night teev from the ABC.
Yesterday (Saturday) it was the usual rush of Saturday papers followed by reading some more of the biography. We had soup for lunch and a nap and P. made a delicious chicken casserole for dinner. We rewatch Call Me by My Name which we had seen at the movies on SBS. It is overlong but quite charming the second time. Today, I finished the biography (up to now) and sent notes off to the author. More soup for lunch. I can now get onto the two books for editing after all those reports but that will have to wait till tomorrow. In the meantime, P. and I went to the Malthouse to see our only foray into the Melbourne Festival (apart from Musica Viva) for The Death of Eddy, a two-hander (if you don't count the woman who operated the four TV screens) based on a bestselling French book about Eddy Belleguele, a young French teenager growing up in a poor, small industrial village. It detailed his experiences (horrible in the family and at school) and his escape. A splendid theatrical experience. Then home for leftover fish curry and some teev.
I did a bit of work on the last autobiography for report this morning, plus got a second, cheaper quote, on the leadlight. Then P. and I hiked off to the library for Teresa's Sassy Dames film group. This one was Ball of Fire, directed by Howard Hawks, with Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper. It was a tour de force (script by Bill Wilder and others). Very funny and deserves a second look. Thence to the Health Centre for pills and home for lunch and a nap. Then P. and I went to Albert Park where we had a really good pizza dinner at an eatery associated with DOC (Carlton and Mornington). Thence to Gasworks for Victorian Opera kiddies opera The Selfish Giant, based on a fairly punk story by Oscar Wilde. It was well done, enjoyable but of no great significance whatever. Home again for baby cheeses.
This morning I did do a little bit of work before we went shopping and delivered shopping to Noel and ourselves. Amazingly, we got a quote back on the leadlight repair overnight. Salmon patties for lunch. After a nap, I made fish and pea curry for dinner (two curries this week) which was not bad and will probably make another meal on Sunday. More teev including my favourite, Vera. I think we have similar curmudgeonly characters (in common with Louise L.).
This morning, I did lots of administrative things due after a few days away like answering messages from the blind man (they are ready for installation) and fixing up the landline. It turns out that P. had a handset stashed away and IT WORKS. I just have to learn some of its intricacies for messages and blocking calls but I can make calls in and out. Phew! Now for the leadlight. A small pane was broken somehow over the weekend, I suspect by an overenthusiastic newspaper thrower but I don't know for sure. Now to fix it. I've done it before so I know it's possible. We had soup for lunch, now for a nap. No work today so far. Maybe tomorrow. In the evening, I made a not-bad anchovy and breadcrumb pasta even if I say so myself. After dinner we had some of the yummy fudge we bought near Colac.
Last Thursday, I picked up Billy the Corolla, said goodbye to Nick who was off on a bikeride before he headed off, we packed and went off on our journey towards Port Fairy. On the way, we had lunch at the excellent Thyme Cafe in Winchelsea. Highly recommended. Then we stayed at Cobden at the excellent Heytesbury B&B, a former hospital which has been renovated. Not so good were the eating possibilities in the town. We tried the pub, which was an intriguing and interesting anthropological experience but my meatballs seemed to have survived as rocks from the Neolithic age. Breakfast next morning was excellent and we went to Warnambool where we had a coffee chez Julie Eagles and Bruce Campbell and discussed lots of things including their bees. We lunched on arrival at Port Fairy at the Bank Cafe which was excellent and more than made up for the previous night. We checked into the very comfortable Comfort Inn motel for a short nap, then went (briefly) to the opening reception of the Festival in the Drill Hall (a couple of sangos and a wine and mercifully short speeches) then had a not-bad dinner at the Caledonian Hotel opposite. Then it was the opening gala at the nearby theatre which was a slow burn moving from solo piano and adding instruments until we got to the premiere of a piece by Shauntai Batzke (who also happens to be the daughter of boxer Wally Carr, whose autobiography I edited). The next two days, Saturday and Sunday, were full-on festival with highlights aplenty ranging from flute, cello, quartets (the complete quartets of Richard Mills), vocal music with the Melbourne consort and Dimity Shepherd channeling Louise Hanson-Dyer. A definite knockout was the Orava Quartet from Queensland joined by Stefan Cassomenos for Milhaud's Creation du Monde and Schumann's piano quintet. The other two galas did not disappoint with an amazingly risky Ode to Joy which didn't fall apart and to finish on Sunday another new work by Batzke and a chamber version of Das Lied von der Erde. In both, Liane Keegan was superb as was tenor James Eggleston. We finished off the weekend with an excellent dinner at the Merrijig Inn. Next day, Monday, we headed Melbourne-wards, stopping at Tower Hill and the Tower Hill cemetery, where we found (you can't miss it, said Rennis) the monument to William McLean, shot and later died for his union activities late in the nineteenth century. We had an excellent lunch at the Schulz Timboon Cheesery. We stayed at the serviceable Midcity Motel in Colac (it wasn't in the middle of town) and had an okay hotel dinner with fawlty towers service. Back again on Tuesday for a nap, then to Musica Viva for French group Nevermind who played pieces by Telemann and Bach very well.
Having some loose time this morning, I rang Westnet (iiNet) to try to get the landline fixed post NB installation. Some hours later it still hasn't happened and it has been referred to 'faults'. Nick went off on a bike ride, and Maggie has been delayed by SIX HOURS in Sydney. Meanwhile, I went on with yet another autobiography, another one for report. It seems quite good, if a bit bland. I'm about a quarter of the way through. P. has gone off for a U3A committee meeting. Nick and I are having the leftover chook for lunch. Nick went off in the arvo to pick up Maggie from the airport (delayed because Deathstar cancelled two flights and gave her $16 to spend up big at Sydney airport)! P. and I went by bus and tram to the Cornish Arms in Sydney Road for a new thing: pub style vegan food. Not bad but not brilliant either. Nick gave Maggie and David a lift back to Regent, and us home. It was good to catch up with Lesley, Louise and Michael as well. Michael is being worked to death at work (legal practice). Landline is still not fixed.
Last night, I had a bad dream and pushed away a malefactor, but in fact tipped over P.'s chest-of-drawers. Much mess. Nick and his son David went off cycling after breakfast and got rained on. Nick came back for the last of the soto for lunch. Then I went off to the hospital for ENT. After a two-hour wait I got a good doctor who succeeded where others had failed in getting a probe down my throat to find - no cancer. Everything is fine. Home for pesto for dinner. Nick came home from his dinner with a friend.
The Health Centre rang this morning to cancel my appointment due to the absence of a quack. I explained I only needed some scrips renewed and they said they would arrange it, which they did so I just had to toddle up to collect them (and incidentally Peter's as well). Home again to continue the NEW biography which I finished before lunch (tomato soup, tinned). Now for a nap pending Nick's arrival. He arrived earlier than I expected from Wagga just as I was going for a nap so we all had naps then a delicious dinner (chook with harissa) cooked by P. followed by baby cheeses.
Yesterday (Saturday), we did normal shopping and delivery to Noel, who seems in good spirits. We had salmon patties for lunch, then a nap, then went to South Melbourne to Belota Bar for a very tasty and quick meal (mostly seafood). Then on to ANAM for Brass Explorations directed by guest trumpeter Hakan Hardenberger with composers you've never heard of: Schuller (New York), Staern (Swedish) and Lindberg (Finnish). They then followed with the everpopular West Side Story suite, this time for brass and percussion. A few weeks ago we had it for four pianos and percussion. We saw the whole show last Friday so we might be said to have a surfeit of West Side Story. A good proportion of the audience at ANAM were at the opera last night. Today (Sunday), daylight saving caught me unawares but we have just managed to finish off before going off to the Kelly Memorial lunch. Sally picked us up in Carlton and drove us to Rennis' place where we had a feast of shared food, nibblies, herbed ricotta, my fritatta, vegies etc. then baby cheeses and cakies from Castlemaine, then coffee. We also had a great mag about everything from transgender to politics. Sally had to leave a bit early so we trained home in company with Ann and Polly. Leftover soto for dinner and lousy telly.
This morning I worked on the report on ANOTHER autobiography while P. went off to American Lit. of U3A (Joan Didion). Now for a nap. P. and I joined Frank for dinner at Bistrot d'Orsay, then went to the one-night-only Australian premiere of Krenek's Jonny Strikes Up at the Athenaeum. The cast, orchestra etc. had put in an enormous amount of work into this essentially fun piece about the love between a singer and a composer (lots of self references) and a missing violin (the Maguffin). It was beautifully done.
This morning, I went off to the cobbler/elves (Geoff) at the hospital to have my nose re-attached to my reading glasses (it came off). It took about an hour then I did some shopping for lunch (quiches from Parisienne Pate) and dinner (soto ayam). After lunch, the NBN guys came and went and we are now connected. Yay! I hope nothing goes wrong. I tried it out then went on making the soto ayam for dinner. It was not bad for a scratch soto. We then did a very ordinary night on teev with a highlight being Vera.
This morning I did the end-of-month accounts and the quarterly Business Activity Statement which took most of the morning. P. made soup for lunch. We heard that Tricia's brother John's operation went reasonably well on Monday but the longterm prognosis is not good. Now for a short nap. Afterwards, P. and I went to the Recital Centre to hear the Melbourne Song Collective sing some American songs. They were by Amy Beach (to texts by Browning) and Ned Rorem to 12 texts by women. The Rorem cycle was superbly sung by Jacqueline Porter. Then followed a bracket by Gershwin of songs and piano pieces. It was a great concert, sadly underattended. We went afterwards for dinner at Trotters. Tiamo was unassailable. Home to make chicken stock as a prelude to soto tomorrow (comedy tonight!).
We're back home after a few days in Sydney. On Saturday, we caught the train to Croydon using our new Opal cards. Kit met us and took us off to visit Neville in the respite home. He seems okay in the circumstances which are good but not ideal. We then had a great brunch near Newtown Station at Cuckoo Callay, then off to the Brett Whiteley studio, in Surry Hills, which was quite interesting. In the evening we had a pub meal at the local pub next door to Allie's bottle shop, though she was away at a party in Wollongong but got back later that night. Next morning, Sunday, it was a nice sunny day, so we went on a ferry trip to Neutral Bay and walked UPHILL to Nutcote, the old May Gibbs home. It was fascinating and in a gorgeous position looking across the Harbour. The old May had a very interesting life when women were women and men were wealthier. We had lunch at a cafe on the wharf at Neutral Bay, then went home for a nap. In the evening, we went up to a very depressingly quiet and empty Kings Cross but finally found a very upmarket eatery, Bistro Rex, where we had a good, but not cheap meal. Home to bed. Allie was working tonight. Next day, Monday, Allie joined us in a walk UPHILL to the Art Gallery of NSW which had a very interesting exhibition of public art projects which John Kaldor has been involved with. We were joined for lunch by Keren L. and it was nice to catch up. In the evening, we joined Kit and Ben at Bar Stitch for a drink then went to Bistro Papillon for their raclette night where we stuffed ourselves on raclette, potato and cold meats. Our last day was today, and just P. and I enjoyed the Museum of Contemporary Art and their exhibition of Shaun Gladwell's work which fascinated the kiddies (it was school holidays) and we had lunch at their cafe overlooking the Bridge and the Opera House. Home again to say goodbye to Allie, collect our bags and go to the airport. We had a drink then some tapas at Movida and flew back to Melbourne after a good few days. We emptied the fridge for a scratch dinner.
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.
