Crossword, novel, comics and chowan mushi

The Sunday crossword was completed lickety-split. There were no errors this week. Then it was back to the new novel, now more than a third through plus I finished printing P.'s U3A novel. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch, then a nap. P. and I went to the Malthouse and saw Judith Lucy and Denise Scott do their stuff in New Disappointments. It was a very enjoyable show, helped by a gin and tonic from the bar. Home again via Readings (more anon) then P. made chowan mushi for dinner followed by two scalpel programs, then a Wagga mardi gras, then news and bed.

Papers and novel

The avalanche is becoming a trickle of the ever-diminishing papers (The Age book pages are down to two!). However, the Saturday Paper is still good value for content. I can't find on the internet or anywhere who the innocent-till-proven-guilty cabinet minister is. Then I ploughed on with the new novel which I have seen before. I am now about a quarter through and it seems improved on last time but perhaps not enough. P. made chicken sangos for lunch. Naptime. We're having leftover fish and pea curry for dinner tonight. P. is ploughing on with his book for American Lit. so I'll probably watch some stuff we missed last night like Vera.

New novel plus opera

I made a start on the new novel (which is partly an old novel which I've seen before) but this is a new version. Did some tidying and got ready for lunch while P. went shopping, leftover anchovy pasta. Naptime. Then we joined Frank to go to Acland Street where we had a very good and overdue meal at Cicciolino's thence to the Palais for a fine production by Victorian Opera of Respighi's Sleeping Beauty. We had seen this before but it benefited by being on a big stage (not the Playhouse) and with a corps of finer singers and better orchestra. It was the adult version, not the kids', with physical distancing. We have been very lucky in these covid times to see two live operas in a couple of weeks. Home to unwind with news then bed.

Shopping

No Frank today, but Rupert the Picanto, P. and I went to the Post Office for a missed delivery (wine), to Brunswick Street for coffee, then drugs received, went to Victoria Gardens, did our shopping and Noel's, delivered Noel's, collected a registered letter for him from Australia Post and came home for the usual salmon patties. Naptime. I made a not-bad fish and pea curry for dinner, then we watched Fontainebleu and Q&A, then Blood Simple, the movie, which was rivetting but signified almost nothing.

Lunch, fence and plays

After the usual tidying and making of chicken stock, I went to lunch at the Farm Cafe with Andrew, Ann, Lou and Jackie. Others, for various reasons could not make it but we had a good meal and mag. Meanwhile, P. dealt with Rory the fence man, here to measure and quote. Short naptime before playtime which involved heading to Fitzroy for dinner at Citrus, an all-you-can eat Sri Lankan in St George's Road (cnr Scotchmer Street). It was very tasty and extremely good value. We then had a quick drink at the Pub. (Citrus has no licence.) Then we went to Motley Bauhaus in Scotchmer Street which has a tiny theatre (and a bar) where we saw two 'gay' plays, the first about the relationship between a gay man and a trans man, Early Days, then another two-hander about a gay couple whose surrogate child died soon after childbirth (Dad Jeans)! Both were well written by D.L. Turnbull and a lot better than the 'drama' on ABC teev tonight. Well directed and performed, if a bit sotto voce at times, it was an enjoyable and reverberating experience. We were worried that we might be two old poofs surrounded by young gays, but in fact we turned out to be the only gays in the village, oops, audience. There might have been dykes but hard to tell.

Pills and plans

This morning after usual admin. stuff, I went to the Health Centre for pills, while P. went to the Convent to view their master plan projections and got quiches for lunch. After a nap, we had leftover chook and salad for dinner, then Portillo being condescending about Australian trains, then replay of The Eagle (thanks Carmel), then Aaron Pedersen on the coast then news, then bed.

My Aged Care plus various

This morning, I took the opportunity to tidy up some things, buy some tickets, then Christie Spencer from MyAgedcare came to register me for physiotherapy exercise and the program as a whole. She was very nice and efficient. We'll see. Our concert tonight with ARCO was cancelled because of travel difficulties. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch. Naptime. Because we are unexpectedly home tonight, P. is roasting a chook. We watched the mad train man, then Kakadu on 4corners, then Media Watch, then Sam Neill on Captain Schnook.

Organising, tidying and Tasmanian history

Being work-free for the moment, I started some organising and tidying but was diverted a bit by the Sunday crossword which seems error-free this week and was fairly easy. We had vegie soup for lunch, then watched the National Film and Sound Archive talk on Fanny Cochrane-Smith who recorded a Palawa song at the turn of the century. Bruce Watson did a marvellously moving presentation. It was sad to hear that his collaborator, Ronnie Summers, whose book I edited a few years ago, died last year. Naptime. I'm making anchovy pasta for dinner, then it's two scalpel programs (Harrow and Spooky Music aka Silent Witness) on the teev. I wish they would bring back mad Amanda to the show. Everyone she knew was in danger of death, really spooky.

Papers and novel

I perused the Saturday papers then got back to the novel. I've now reviewed it again and sent some comments off to the author. P. went up to the shops and brought back pies for lunch. Naptime. P. made a yummy beef curry for dinner with rice. Then Death in Paradise and two on-demand programs on Edinburgh and its castle, which were quite good. The novel author got back with thanks. Then ABC news, then bed.

Shopping day

Because of various other commitments, we are shopping on Friday. This time Frank joined us and we went to Noel's after shopping. Home again after dropping Frank then salmon patties for lunch. Naptime, no work today. It's fish chowder for dinner, preceded by oysters. Then baby cheeses, and on the teev Gardening, Vera and Mum. A good night.

More notes

I got on with more novel notes while P. went off to LIVE U3A colonial literature. He was having lunch out so I snacked for lunch. Naptime. P. cleaned out most of the leftovers in the fridge for dinner. Then Romanian castles (!), the not bad Q&A on tech. companies, then a doco on Murdochs.

Medic and more notes

First thing this morning, after coffee and breakfast, I had a call from Genie the nephrologist. As I was told by Dr Joanne on Monday, all my indicators are good, so it's off for another three months. Good value from Medicare this week. Now it's back to notes on the novel. P. went to the shops and brought back takeaway lunch. Naptime. I'm making onion and rosemary fritatta for dinner which was quite good. Then there was a good program on the history of Manchester, then all the way downhill on ABC with the Weakly, and two weak as piss dramas. Who is losing the plot?

Novel notes

I've started going through the novel again, making more notes for the author. We had tomato soup for lunch. Naptime. I made a reprise of pesto pasta for dinner which was not bad, then Swedish railways, Catalyst on koalas, Aaron Pedersen on the desert then bed

Novel still

I've spent the morning on the novel, which I'm enjoying. I'm about three-quarters of the way through and it's sucked me in. We had minestrone for lunch and even though it's now naptime I want to know what happens. And now I know it's time for a late nap. P. is making sausage casserole for dinner as a rest from pasta. It was very nice and nearly all gobbled up. The zucchini fritters with it were good too. We watched the mad train man, then Four Corners on Russia, then murderers (You Can't Ask That).

Novel plus crossword

The Sunday crossword was despatched fairly easily though I couldn't confirm 'sprag' as the cleats on sports shoes though it appears likely. Then on to the novel which I'm about halfway through. Looking good so far. We had bacon and eggs for lunch and now it's naptime. I'm making pesto pasta for dinner while P. watches Fiona Bruce do her stuff in his favourite Antiques Roadshow (it's the English in him). Tonight there are two scalpel shows on the teev: Harrow and Spooky Music (Silent Witness). Can I bear it? What is the ABC up to: trying to make us frightened of death? What with Midsomer, Endeavour and Vera haven't we got enough pathologists on TV?

Lockdown Saturday

Even though we're in lockdown, the avalanche of papers arrived and I delved into them before getting back to work on the novel which I've now sent back to the authors with some suggestions and comments. Now back to reading the other novel but I've still got a ways to go. We had leftovers (prawn bisque and anchovy pasta) for lunch. P. has vera bolognese bubbling on the stove. A lockdown special. Naptime. We had the bolognese for dinner, delicious. Then Death in Paradise, on-demand final episode of World on Fire (inconclusive, there's another series coming), then Endeavour, good as always then news, then bed.

Lots of medicaments

We were very lucky having dinner and two concerts last night, just in time. This morning was not so pleasant as I was fasting for a cholesterol test along with my normal blood tests for Genie. Helen the new vampire is very good. She comes on Thursdays and Fridays. In spite of getting to the Health Centre before opening, there were two people ahead of me. Then another woman bumped me with a sob story. I should have made up my own: I'm starving cos I'm fasting (I was). I also picked up some pills, then came home exhausted for a short nap and a snack lunch. It looks as though Dan the Dunnyman's strictures will do in our play and dinner on Saturday night and our drinks with the Victorian Opera at the Palais on Wednesday.

Shopping plus musica

We picked up Rupert the Picanto and Frank the person this morning and did the shopping, delivered Noel's to him, dropped Frank and came home for salmon patties. Naptime. Then we had a night like the good old days. We had a good meal at Superhiro (ex-Yoyogi) then walked down to the Athenaeum. where we arrived early so had a drink at Bistrot d'Orsay. Then we were part of the audience for the Melbourne Digital Concert Hall with two concerts, the first members of the MCO performing Brahms Piano Quartet, then Latitude 37 performing 17th century Italian pieces. All very enjoyable. Home again for news.

Report off

This morning I finished off the report on the non-fiction and got a nearly instantaneous favourable reponse. P. is off for lunch with Margaret N. at the Railway Hotel while I have a quiet lunch at home. Naptime. I woke up to find P. coming home from a very long lunch, then we had leftovers for dinner, followed by Edinburgh, The Weekly and some stupid drama/comedy, then news, then bed.

Non-fiction nearly

This morning, I nearly finished working on the non-fiction report. One more morning should do it. I also whizzed off requests for two more quotes for the fence. We polished off the leftover Vietnamese for lunch. Naptime. P. made potato salad (delicious) which we had with leftover roast chook. Then Portillo on railways, then wetlands in Kakadu with Aaron, then cats then news. Bye bye Eddie and James.

Catch-up

This morning was spent catching up on the weekend's correspondence so no work was done yet. However, the quote for the fence is now done. We await with interest the quotes for the fence and the veranda tiles. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch, then naptime. I'm making anchovy pasta for dinner. We then watched railways with the odd presenter, Four Corners on Joe (yawn) Biden, then Sam Neill on Captain Schnook (very good).

Bendigo or bust

Yesterday, P. and I went to Bendigo in Rupert Murdoch the Picanto. We drove up in one hit for about two hours and had lunch at the art gallery, then perused the exhibitions which were not all that impressive: their drawing prize in which few of the drawings were outstanding, their permanent collection and not much else as they are installing their upcoming Quant exhibition. We then checked into our motel and had a quick nap before having our first 'dusk' concert in the Capitol Theatre: works by Crussell, Chopin and Beethoven. We then went and had a good quick meal at Malayan Orchid (where we've been before) then came back to the Capitol for the Mayor's Gala with works by Bach, Schubert and Mendelssohn where we were lucky enough to have two 'concertmistresses' in the band. Back to the Oval Motel for a good night's sleep, then after a hearty breakfast, delivered through the 'hatch' in old motel fashion, we went back to the theatre for works by Bach, Gershwin, Mozart and Suk. We headed for Melbourne, lunched at a somewhat chilly Woodend and returned home to meet up with the veranda tiler who came to assess for a quote. We completed the Sunday crossword easily and P. made roast chook for dinner, then we had Grandiose Designs and Harrowing, then news and bed.

Mostly admin.

In spite of doing a bit on the non-fiction book, I spent most of this morning on various admin. things like Musica Viva tickets, wine purchases and other virtuous things like quotes for the veranda tiles and the fence. P. made quiches (storebought) for lunch and now it's naptime. We then went off to Bistrot d'Orsay where we met Frank and had a good meal and a catch-up. Then across the road for Das Rheingold by Melbourne Opera. It was a creditable production with some very good performances (Alberich, Loge). It passed my major criterion for a good Wagner production: few longeurs. We look forward to the next two instalments next year. Home again for a nightcap.

Happy birthday to me

P. gave me a copy of Bruce Pascoe's new book which I really appreciate. Roll on the grey nomads. We then went shopping with Rupert and delivered Noel's shopping. He seems much better after a bit of a rough trot. Home again for salmon patties, then naptime. I made fish chowder for dinner, then teev: King Ludwig's folly, Hamish on Q&A (indifferent) then very good World on Fire, then news.

Non-fiction then zoom

I made good progress on the report on the non-fiction manuscript this morning, though there's still a bit to go. P. went up to Smurf Street for a haircut and some shopping but got delayed by erratic buses so I've gone on with a lone lunch. He's still not home yet, so naptime. We had a zoom meeting with kit and Nick and caught up on all the news. Then Vietnamese takeaway, followed by indifferent ABC Wednesday night teev: nothing remarkable. Then news then bed.

Non-fiction plus

I did some more work on the non-fiction book today, then we had leftover bifteks with gremolata and tomato for lunch. Naptime. P. made a pork casserole for dinner then Portillo in Sicily on the teev, then more houses (which weren't bad) then Richard Ayoarde on travel then news then bed.

Busy Monday

This morning is end-of-month with all attendant accounting. Cleaners are coming and P. is going to the health centre for an exercise consultation. He came back with some pills for me and lunch. I've sent off the review and started on the non-fiction which is very good and illuminating. Now its naptime. P. made leftover chicken casserole with gremolata and broccoli for dinner, then on the teev, train stations (St Pancras), Four Corners on Trump, then firefighters then news, then bed. I got the review back with a tick.