Crossword and not much else

I didn't do much more than the crossword this morning because of the inordinate amount of time I took to locate Francis Drake's 2-i-c. Eventually I did. Then we had leftover pesto for lunch while Sal dropped in for a mag and with a birthday prezzie for me (Archie Roach's autobiography). Naptime. I'm making bifteks hache a la Lyonnaise (otherwise known as fancy hamburgers) for dinner. They were not bad. Then Grand Designs, Lumley outtakes, then Trump. And now slow teev on Australian landscapes.

Papers and more shopping

After perusing the papers, P. and I picked up Rupert the Picanto and went to the Post Office to get a mystery undelivered (while we were home) parcel which turned out to be my free mug for donating to All Out the gay assistance overseas organisation. The last thing we need is more mugs but it is nice to have. We then topped up the shopping including cherry Roma tomatoes for Noel, delivered them to him and came home after getting sangos for lunch with chocolate eclairs (bad for us but delicious). Now naptime. P. is making chicken casserole with gremolata for dinner. It was superb. Then soporific Midsomer Murders, then Endeavour (good drama).

Review, phew! and cancelled concert

This morning, I finished off the review, polished it a bit then showed it to P. who said it was comprehensible. I'll let it sit for the weekend, reread it and send it off on Monday. I'm reading Randolph Stow's biography for fun. It's very long with very faint type but it is very well written by Suzanne Falkiner. We had soups for lunch, and now it's naptime. The modern opera which was meant to be in Fed. Square tonight was cancelled because of the shitty rainy weather. They are rescheduling for March. I am making pesto for dinner which turned out quite well in spite of the basil being sparse and on the turn (I added parsley and rocket and extra garlic). Afterwards it was Nutella (P. likes her), then much better Vera and Mystery Road repeats.

Shopping on a warmish day

P. and I went in Rupert Murdoch the Picanto and did the shopping, delivered Noel's to him, then came home for salmon patties. Before we left I did a bit more on the review and am nearly finished. After a nap, I made prawn bisque for dinner. Then the teev with Kensington Palace (actually better than it sounds), then France (not bad) then WWII then news.

Review

More work on the review this morning. One more day should finish it off. I also got an intriguing piece of non-fiction for report, so I have a novel and non-fiction to go on with. P. went up to the shops for bread (the old bread went mouldy) and brought back sushi and salmon with quinoa for lunch. Very nice. After a nap, we went off for our first dinner out in nearly a year, to Dohto Buri at Docklands (it was like going overseas even though we went on the tram). They do okonomiyaka at the table as a gimmick, but it was very tasty indeed with good service. Home again for soporific TV (QA and Last Leg) then news.

Orstraya Day: a quiet one

I got up late this morning, did a bit on the review book. It is good that the winner of Australian of the Year almost immediately said, 'Change the Day.' Malcolm Turnbull is a dill proposing the day a republic is voted should be the new Day. He obviously doesn't get that until the sovereignty question is solved, a republic can't be declared. But then, he didn't get the Uluru Statement either. P. went to the shops and got sangos for lunch. Now for a nap. Appropriately patriotic, P. is making rolled roast lamb for dinner. We watched Portillo trains (what is it with SBS and Portillo), then continued our Hitchcock festival with The Lodger. Then old Aust. day rock then news then bed.

One down two to go

This morning I finished and sent off the report on the autobiography and did some more on the review which I should finish in the next day or so. We had vegie soup for lunch, now for a nap. I made ham and spinach souffle for dinner, followed by trains, then Aaron Pedersen on Tasmania, followed by Royals leeching off Australia, then news.

Sunday normal

The big crossword was done with despatch and no problems. I had another quick look at the autobiography and a sneak peek at the new novel, but I'll have to get the autobio. off before I really satisfy my curiosity on that. I had a good mag with Barry D., partly about the Facebook avalanche about Edwardes Lake in ReservOR, then cheesy tomato soup for lunch and a nap. P. is reheating the chicken curry for dinner. The teev is so dismal that we will probably have to look elsewhere so after Grand Designs and Lumley in India we watched the Twelfth Man, on Carmel's recommendation, and it was certainly gripping.

Papers as normal!

Yay! The Saturday Paper is back with the inestimable Rick Morton giving the best round-up (pardon the pun) on Corona vaccines that I've seen anywhere. As well Gadfly is back, pointing out that Scummo has even less moral fibre than Bore-is Johnson. I did some more detailed work on the autobiography report and am almost finished. We polished off the leftover anchovy pasta for lunch and now it's naptime. I made a not-bad pesto for dinner then Midsomer Murders and Endeavour (both not bad) then news and bed.

More autobiography

After a bit of a sleep-in, I got down to serious work on the autobiography report while P. went off hardware shopping. He was very successful at a local small hardware run by two brothers who probably should be retired, but it is better than Bunnings and they have aeons of experience. He brought home savoury muffins for lunch which were delicious and a very old friend phoned about a novel she has written. It will arrive over the weekend, but now it is naptime. Lots of booking concerts and tickets arriving today. P. is making chicken curry for dinner. We then watched Nutella, Vera and Mystery Road then news.

Shopping plus abortive Bunnings

P. and I did normal shopping with Rupert the Picanto, dropped off Noel's shopping, then had a useless visit to Bunnings who, contrary to their ads, were very unhelpful finding mousehole stuffing. Now for salmon patties as usual. After a nap, I made fish chowder for dinner followed by baby cheeses and we watched Italian castles, French cooking and WWII, then news and bed.

Into the big smoke

This morning, I went into town to deposit a cheque (remember them?) and get some Haigh's creams for Noel as a treat. It also gave me a chance to read more of the book for review on the bus and tram. I've realised that my recreational reading has suffered because of the lack of concerts and dinners last year. Much of my reading was done on public transport. Now, home again, after some updates, we're going out for lunch with Sal, Jannie and Roger at Secret Saigon in Rathdowne Street. More reading on the bus and I've now finished this read of the book for review. Congrats to Sal for choosing a place with such good food. We had a very pleasant lunch and a good catch-up, then home again for a nap. I watched the MusicaViva launch for their 2021 season which was very boring (two guys congratulating each other} then we had takeaway pizzas, then Portsmouth, NITV theatre panel, then news.

Getting on

This morning I finished my first read of the autobiography and started making notes for the report, but I'll have to go back for more detail. I'm also making good progress on the book for review. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch and finished the leftover summer chicken. Naptime. P. saw a mouse scampering over the kitchen floor, but the pest man says we have to wait a fortnight. Also in the wildlife department, a dove died on our front veranda, so we've put it in the gutter in the hope that the council will remove it. Note: the dove died before the pest man came so there's no connection. P. made an unusual almost vego dinner except for the chorizo, with rocket, goat's cheese, red pepper and pui lentils. Then very good Portillo in Orleans and Reims, then drag in Ipswich (!), then Travelman. Better than expected then news.

Autobiography, pests and cleaners

First up this morning, the pest man, organised by P., came to eradicate the wasps from the back yard and the mice from the inside. We'll see. I went on with the autobiography and am now over halfway through. P. went for a walk after making delicious chicken sangos for lunch and the cleaners came late because of the pest control. So now we are clean and have no mice or wasps. I'm making anchovy pasta for dinner which turned out quite well, followed by baby cheeses. Then Midland trains, Barrier Reef and, for comedy, royals in Australia, where we pay to have them subjugate us. Then news and bed.

Quiet Sunday then movie

The crossword was okay today with no mistakes and fairly easy except for Faulkner. Otherwise all is quiet in Abbotsford. P. went up to the shops for more bread. We had minestrone for lunch, then headed for Thornbury on the bus and tram to the Thornbury Picture House for Sunset Boulevard in a restored print. It was gothic but enjoyable, as was the coffee afterwards with some of Teresa's film group. Home again very efficiently for leftover summer chook and potato salad. Then Grand Designs, travel with Lumley and US politics again.

Papers plus pills

Considerably reduced papers again today. They probably won't come good for a week or two, or ever. Now, before continuing with the autobiography, it's up to the Health Centre to collect some pills. I also got a sango and some sushi for lunch. Now autobio., I'm about a quarter way through, then naptime. I'm experimenting with a salmon souffle from the new Magimix cookbook for dinner. It didn't quite work out but it tasted okay. Then Midsomer (Yawn) Murders and Endeavour, good. Then news and bed.

Action stations

Things are starting to come alive again. In the last 24 hours, I've ordered cinema tickets, music concerts and comedy for February and March. I hope that they all happen. On with the filing. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch plus the leftover lamb tandoori chops which have got hotter with ageing. Just before naptime, when God closes a door she opens a window; two jobs came into my in-tray just as it was empty: a book review and an autobiography for report. Neither seems arduous and I can stop filing for now. P. made his yummy summer chicken for dinner, then we had a repeat of Vera on the teev, followed by news and the excellent country music series.

Shopping plus not much else

This morning we got Rupert the Picanto and did the shopping at Victoria Gardens then dropped Noel's off to him, plus the new keylock provided by Frank. Home for salmon patties for lunch then a nap. Then I made salmon bisque for dinner followed by baby cheeses. Then teev with Hampton Court (not bad), Rick Stein in the Perigord, then WWII. All okay.

Housekeeping

I sent off the novel to the author, then did some overdue housekeeping like filling the toner on the printer and, ugh, filing. We had leftover okonomiyaki for lunch, now for a nap. P. made tandoori lamb chops for dinner and Frank dropped by so stayed. He had brought a key lock to deliver to Noel's tomorrow. We had the last of the trifle for dessert and he headed off into the night. Then quiz shows on the teev. Rather teedzious. Then news then bed.

Novel finished at last

This morning, I finished the novel. Just a couple of things to check and I can send it back to the author. We finished off the French onion soup for lunch. Naptime. I'm making pesto for dinner before a travel night on the teev where we went to Spain with Portillo, bizarre Birdsville and around European food and wine.

Novel still

The gift that keeps on giving. I'm not finding much to cut in the novel so far this round and am nearly halfway through. It's still more like shaving or grating. We had minestrone for lunch, now time for a nap. P. made delicious okonomiyaki for dinner. We watched railways, Aaron Pedersen in the Daintree and Gryff with more snakes (what is this obsession?).

Crossword plus novel

Today's big crossword was pretty easy with no errors. Now on to the novel, home stretch but still not quite finished. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch. Now for a nap. I used the remaining bifteks to make traditional hamburgers, then we had more of P.'s delicious trifle. The teev had a fairly fatuous Fiennes piece on Egypt, then news and China's rubbish.

Papers plus novel

The papers are even more reduced today with the Age emphasising it by sending an email about the Best of Good Weekend for 2020 on a day when there is no Good Weekend in the paper. Now it's back to the novel. I'm making good progress but still have nearly 100 pages to go. We had more of the French onion soup for lunch. There's enough left for one more lunch, I think. Naptime. P. made delicious bifteks (hamburgers) for dinner followed by his magnificent trifle. We watched Midsomer Murders then Endeavour then news.

Tidying

There was lots of computer and accounting tidying this morning (GoGet etc.), then I got on with completing the French onion soup for lunch. Unfortunately, the new Magimix is so good that it minces the onion rather than chopping it. The soup was still nice though. Naptime. I'm making the (I hope) last of this batch of soto ayam for dinner. P. is cooking up a storm with old-fashioned trifle like his mum used to make. Then it's Nutella repeating (burp) which Carmel calls 'Cook, Eat, Throw up' (even better) and Vera, always good, even though probably third time, then news and country music.

Chaos in US but shopping for us

I awoke to scenes of chaos in Congress while we got ready to go shopping. How humdrum and necessary. We went to the PO and posted our old Magimix off to the Magimix museum in Sydney, then picked up Frank and did the shopping at Victoria Gardens, delivered Noel's shopping to him, then P. and I went home again for salmon patties. Naptime. We're having oysters then fish chowder for dinner, followed by baby cheeses. The teev is bearable: Schonbrunn Palace and a choice of Burgundy or WWII. Maybe both.

More novel plus

After a small sleep-in and various computer tasks like Luminosity, I started in on the novel again. I'm making good progress but few cuts. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch and now it's naptime. We had takeaway pizza for dinner which was quite good: then a program on Lincoln, the UK town, on the teev but following that were fairly lousy UK comedy panel shows, then an Australian one (not bad) on women comics.

More novel plus leftovers

I powered away on the novel after a bit of a sleep-in and am now halfway through. We cleaned out most of the fridge for lunch, stock making and the makings of dinner. So there, it's naptime. The stock is nearly cooked and I'm about to resuscitate the soto ayam for dinner. Tonight's teev is so awful apart from railways that we'll resume our Hitchcock festival with The Lady Vanishes.

Cleaners plus no lunch out

This morning, the cleaners came more brisk and lickety-split than usual but did a great job. I did a whole lot more work today on the novel. I'm now about a third of the way through without cutting much or even grating. I'll go through it at the end one more time to be sure. P. and I set off to join Sal and Roger for lunch but it was aborted on the way to the venue due to Covid hotspot fears. Maybe next week. Home again for tinned soup for lunch (sigh). Now it's naptime. P. made a delicious steak dish with mashed sweet potato for dinner, the teev had railway structures (the railways keep on giving) then it was red centre time, first with Aaron Pedersen then Griff whoever (more life-threatening creatures, this time crocs).

Crossword plus

This week's big crossword didn't have mistakes but the solution to last week's confirmed an error ('retro' doesn't fit with 'eugene') and 'trio' is a type of cocktail. Who knew? Now for a very quiet Sunday. Again, I managed a little cutting on the novel, almost a grating. To get out of the house, I went up to the shops to get sangos for lunch, very undistinguished, but not so the leftover guacamole and summer chicken. Naptime. I'm making cheese pudding for dinner with peas, which was quite good: then calm, Hitchcock's first Man Who Knew Too Much, then space and news.

Reduced papers

I really miss the Saturday Paper and Richard Ackland's dumping on people (Pantsman Porter is one of his best). However, the greatly reduced Australian and Age both had roundups of books to come in 2021 none of which set my world on fire (three books about Scummo!). So it's back to cutting the novel briefly before lunch. P. has gone for a long walk. Naptime. P. made very chili guacamole to go with the cold summer chicken. Tonight's teev is so bad that the highlight is The Sound of Music! However, we watched ANOTHER English travel program about Australia which focused on snakes and other death threats. What is it with these poms? Then Endeavour repeated but good.

End of month

I did the end-of-month accounts and, after all that, my business activity statement shows that the Tax Office owes me the princely sum of six dollars. I won't spend it all at once. Having done that and saved all of my computer files to the remote hard drive (long overdue), I've gone back to the novel, but in the many versions I have I can't find the version of the end I like the best. Perhaps I'm making it up because that's what you do with a novel. We're having quiches from Coles for lunch then a nap. I'm resuscitating frozen soto ayam for dinner which was not bad. Then fairly indifferent teev (a cheap rehash of The Vicar of Dibley, where most of the previous cast are dead, and Nigella making hash) but then lighted on a rerun of Simply Ballroom which was not bad, then Australian Story on the 'Spanish' flu.