End of the Giro plus biography

Up on a very cold morning when I would rather have stayed in bed but I wanted to see the end of the Giro. Major placings remained unchanged in spite of a couple of thrills and spills in the time trial into Milan (one fall and one puncture). Congrats to Egon Bernal. There seem to be no replays of the Dauphine, so it will be a case of watch to the finish or wait until the next night to see the result. (I can always look it up on the net but it's not the same as seeing it.) Back to the bio. I'd like to get this pass finished before I talk to the authors at the end of the week with any queries. P. went for a walk and got sangos and sushi for lunch. Naptime. I'm making ham and spinach souffle for dinner to allow the beef burgundy to mature. Then it will be normal Monday night teev: Aust. Story, 4 Corners, Media Watch, an i-voo of a very good Maralinga doco from Larissa Behrendt then watched the Dauphine to the end. It was worth it both for the drama and the scenery.

Nearly the end

Up early in zero temperature to see the end of last night's Giro. Bernal seems to be in the box seat even though rival Caruso won this stage. We'll find out tonight when the Giro finishes and the Criterium du Dauphine starts in a part of France we don't know, around Issoire. (God opening and closing windows again.) Then P. and I whizzed through the crossword without difficulty. Now to the biography. I'm now over halfway through. Sally dropped by on her walk, at a distance of course. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch and now it's naptime. P. is filling the house with good smells as he makes beef burgundy for dinner. Tonight, drama with Wakefield and Smother (both very drawn out) then the twin delights of the end of the Giro and the start of the Dauphine in the Issoire area where we have never been, so the scenery will be interesting.

Hotting up in the cold

Up early in the cold to see the end of last night's Giro. Simon Yates won the stage and gained nearly 30 seconds on Bernal who still has about two minutes ahead of him. Two more stages to go. The commentators are trying to make it sound close but it probably isn't. Piles of papers to wade through. I got on with the biog. and am now about one-third through the first edit (it's quite short). We had leftover chook for lunch and it's naptime. We're having leftover rakott krumpli for dinner which will be very filling and warm for a cold night. Then it will be picturesque railways (which were), a half-baked bonnet program and back to the Giro, for the second last day. Sob! The Italian countryside and mountains have been glorious.

End of Giro stage then shopping

Up early to watch the end of last night's Giro stage: leader unchanged and Bettiol the stage winner. Now for getting Rupert Murdoch the Picanto and off to Victoria Gardens for the weekly shopping. We dropped Noel's shopping off to him and had a good mag about Macbeth and the lockdown cancellations. Home again for the inevitable salmon patties. Now it's naptime. I made beer-battered fish for dinner. We watched the usual Gardening, Vera plus the start of Giro. So far lockdown is quite cosy.

Lockdown, biog.

I was up early to see Dan Martin win the stage of the Giro. Egon Bernal is still well in the lead. I've had a pleasant exchange with the biography authors and am getting on with that as we look like headed for another lockdown of some sort. P. is heading off for his gym appointment which seems still on while my physio class is cancelled, though I'll still go for my Covid vax which went efficiently and painlessly at Cohealth, Collingwood. The next three upcoming concerts and plays have been cancelled/postponed. Naptime. Now that there's no concert tonight there's plenty of time to assemble the rakott krumpli for dinner. A fairly lacklustre Q&A tonight, then Giro in part.

Biog. progress and lunch

I made some progress on the biography this morning, making some mechanical corrections and contacting the authors. Then P. and I went to Mario's where we had lunch with Barry D. and a good mag, plus a look at Louis D.'s exhibition. Now it's naptime after perusing the increasing EOFY pleas for money. So far the concerts and play coming up are holding on despite Covid. P. is making steaks for dinner with mushrooms. Apart from normal Wednesday teev it's back to the Giro tonight. Only three nights to go plus the final sprint into Milan.

More biog

I went on with the biography this morning and have only about ten pages to go when it was lunchtime. P. went off to the quacks and shopping. We had paleo bone soup with lentils for lunch. We wont't have it again! Now it's naptime. While I was napping, Kent P. visited with his homemade bread. Before dinner, I got to the end of the biography and will clean it up tomorrow before talking to the authors. P. is making leftover chook for dinner, with fairly quiet Tuesday teev to follow including a show about caring for aged parents and a weird NZ series called Creamerie about a world without men. No Giro tonight as it's a rest day. The new Covid restrictions probably mean some cancellations for us over the next week.

Biography

The cleaners came early today and whizzed through the place while P. went for a blood test and brekkie with Frank. I've got through about a third of the biography. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch and now a nap. I made parmesan souffle for dinner (with too many peas). Then we did normal Monday teev with the feds showing their expertise at chook raffles (vaccine rollout) then more Giro in the Dolomites.

Crossword, Giro and opera

Up not too early this morning to do the crossword easily with P. and watch the end of the Giro from last night. We had leftover pasta for lunch then headed for town to see Macbeth. Frank joined us at The Maj. and it was a wonderful performance with the sinusitis-ridden soprano miming to another soprano in the pit. It was a good production especially in the circumstances which played well. Afterwards, P. and I had a good quick meal at Yamato Exhibition Street, then home for soapy Wakefield, Smother then the Giro.

Papers, admin and bio

Up for the pile of papers including Planet Janet giving us the pearl that relationships are complex. Lots of organising of Bourke/Sydney trip then a wee bit on the bio which seems to keep eluding me. Leftover paprika chicken for lunch. Sally dropped in briefly on her way to an ANAM concert. Now it's naptime. P. is making roast chook for dinner, followed by a promo for Swiss trains, a Jane Austen bonnet program then more Giro in the north of Italy. Very scenic and exciting.

Giro, movie then teev

Up early to see the finish of last night's Giro (major placings unchanged) with great scenery. Then off to Rushall to see Double Indemnity, Teresa's latest film offering for U3A. It is a fantastic Billy Wilder film noir classic which is rivetting throughout. It has a great cast though it is hard to see who is worse, the femme (literally) fatale (Stanwyck) or her silly gull (McMurray). Home for minestrone and leftover fish curry for lunch then a nap. We had leftover tomato pasta for dinner, then Gardening and Vera and Giro.

End of stage, biography plus dinner

We watched the end of last night's stage of the Giro this morning with Schmidt the winner but Bernal still in the lead. Then I started on the new biography (when god closes a door she opens a window). It is relatively short. P. went off to post-colonial lit. After a nap, we went down to Prahran where we met Ben B. and had dinner at the restaurant where he works, Golda. It was a splendid dinner and we got a staff discount so it was almost economical. It was also good to catch up with Ben. Home for more Giro.

Shopping plus Giro

We had unusual shopping this week with nothing for Noel, so just P. and I rattled around Victoria Gardens. Home again for salmon fishcakes, then naptime. I made fish-and-pea curry for dinner, then we watched the Giro for scenes around Perugia and Lago Trasimeno which were specially meaningful as P. and I stayed by the shores with his aunt and mother in the 90s.

Giro end plus novel plus opera

I watched the end of last night's Giro this morning (won by Peter Sagan), then got back to the novel. It is now finished and I just await one query being resolved by the authors and it can go to the publisher. We had chicken soup for lunch. Now it's naptime. We met up with Frank at Barre for a not-bad meal, thence to the State Theatre for Ernani, which was incomparably better than Aida last week. At last a clever, thoughtful production with good singing and music that made the best of a fairly crummy opera with good tunes. Making the silliness a virtue was a good idea and the show within a show worked well. Home for some news and bed.

Late start and novel

I was up late this morning (Giro's fault) so was also late getting on to the proofing of the novel, so won't finish today but made good progress. We had vegie soup for lunch; now for a nap. I watched the end of the Giro, very thrilling, which P. had seen last night. We're having leftover Hungarian chicken for dinner, then normal Monday night teev with a bit of Giro at the end.

Giro, crossword, novel and musical medicos

Up early to see the rerun of the end of last night's Giro, then P. and I finished off the crossword quickly, then I got back to proofing the novel, last run. I'm over halfway through so should finish it tomorrow. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch then a nap. Then off to the Recital Centre for Corpus Medicorum performing Beethoven's triple concerto (with Monica Curro: violin, Stefan Cassomenos: piano and Michele Wood: cello) conducted by a slimmed-down Michael Dahlenbrug. This was followed by Beethoven's eighth symphony. It seemed that the medicos, I suppose all amateur musos, were a bit precise. Rather than asking them to relax, which they couldn't, the conductor, Dahlenburg, emphasised the volume variations. It worked. We had a good meal at Superhiro to follow then arrived home to find the power off, but it was restored after about an hour in candlelight. Then Smother and the Giro.

Papers then brunch then another concert

After dealing with the pile of papers, P. and I went off to King and Godfreys for brunch with Lesley P., Louise L. and Michael P. We had a good mag and a revelation, then went to Readings to get a book I wanted (an anthology of Aboriginal short stories) then home for a nap. After that we went to the Recital Centre for a meal at Blondie then a Musica Viva concert featuring the ANAM orchestra directed by Sophie Rowell with works by Mahler, Schnittke, Tchaikovsky etc. It was a joy. Home again for a bit of news and Giro.

More Giro then shopping

Up early for the replay of the end of last night's Giro, then pickup of Rupert the Picanto and Frank to go shopping at Victoria Gardens. We dropped Noel's shopping off and had a bit of a chat. We dropped Frank at his place then went home for salmon patties. Naptime. We then went to the Town Hall for the Yirramboi Festival black comedy night which was excellent, both political and funny at once. Then to Tazio for a good meal, then home for i-voo Vera. A good night.

Novel and physio

After a bit of admin and ticket buying for the MSO (who have a very lacklustre program for the second half of the year), I went on to a third check of the novel. Fortunately it is short. P. went on to the Leisure Centre to organise ongoing exercise. Then after pea-and-ham soup for lunch, I went off to physio feeling a bit queasy. I don't know why, but I completed most of it. Naptime, short, because I want to watch the rerun of the Giro which was quite thrilling with Caleb Ewen's stage win. P. is making potato stuffed with mushrooms for dinner which was delicious. We avoided Albanese by watching a repeat of Something Fell which was a bit of a fizzer, then Q&A which fizzed as well. Then David Attenborough and news then a bit of a very chilly, rainy Giro then bed.

Novel nearly finished

I got up early this morning to watch the highlights (and the finish) of last night's Giro d'Italia. Then it was back to the novel and I've now finished this time through. There are a few more things to check and I can send it back to the publisher. We had leftover pasta for lunch, and now it's naptime before the opera. We had a good quick dinner with Frank at Superhiro, thence to the State Theatre for a rather overblown production of Aida (very Sydney, said Frank). The singing and music were great but the director deserves to be shot. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean that you should, and the second half worked much better without the flimflam. And the ballets should have all been cut, full stop. Home again for a bit of teev and Giro.

Mozartian piano

P. and I went early to the Recital Centre for an ANAM piano concert for four and eight hands. They were works from Mozart's youth, a duet he played with his sister Annerl, to more mature works including arrangements of the overtures to Flute and Figaro. It was very enjoyable followed by lunch at Blondie, equally enjoyable, though I felt I was already in the old folks home. Home again for a nap while P. went off for his vaccine. We had leftover Hungarian chicken with noodles for dinner, then Bert Newton on Who do you think you are?, then a bit of budget (ho hum) and Giro d'Italia in the rain.

Proofing, proofing

The cleaners came in a troop today, while P. went on a walk to give them space while I spent this morning in the office proofreading the YA novel and it's just as well I did as I found a few errors, not many, but enough. I'm now about halfway through and it's lunchtime where we had tinned minestrone. Now it's naptime. P. made spare ribs for dinner while we watched part of a replay of the Giro d'Italia (we watched a bit of it last night). The spare ribs were delicious and all gobbled up. Then a good doco on the Olsen family and 4Corners on medical technology (very moving) but how did the gay guy afford all that high tech? Then Greta Thunberg, surprisingly informative, then more Giro d'Italia then bed.

Two concerts, lunch and dinner

Yesterday, P. and I and Rupert did the shopping and took Noel's to him. He seems a little better. Then home for salmon patties for lunch. After a nap, we went to the Good Shepherd chapel for an ANAM concert arranged by David Thomas, head of woodwinds: Mozart's Gran Partita, very well performed, with Frank and Brent A. We all went back home for my Hungarian chicken casserole (courtesy of the ever-reliable David Herbert). There are lots of leftovers f'rafter. We had icecream and Kit's walnut liqueur for dessert, then coffee. The guests departed and we watched the news. Today (Sunday) we got up early, did the crossword then went to the Deakin Edge for an MSO chamber concert of works by Ravel, Elgar and Wagner (for Mothers' Day!). The Ravel Quartet was particularly impressive. Then we trained home to Dr Morse for a good lunch, and now it's naptime. I'm making smoky fish chowder for dinner, then it's normal teev with Wakefield (overpraised by the critics) and Smother, a new series, with a family with multiple problems and a bit formulaic but the Poms sure know how to do this kind of series. Bedtime.

Novel and Vera

I printed off most of the YA novel today to proofread it carefully. P. went off to Bargoonga Ngangjin for American Literature. After a nap, I made scratch pasta sauce from the cupboard and the fridge which wasn't bad, then we watched Gardening, Vera and the final of Faith, then news and covid. Then bed.

Novel, biog.and Baroque

I checked the corrections on the young adult novel this morning and they are all okay. Now I just have to proofread for a final check. The biography extra chapter is fine too. We had leftover fritatta and mushrooms for lunch, now it's off to physio. It went well. Now home for a short nap then P. and I went to Superhiro for a cheap and cheerful meal, then to the Recital Centre for the Brandenburgs. In spite of Paul Dyer being a bit irritating, it was a great concert mainly of Handel with Sara MacIver and Russell Harcourt (countertenor). Home again for the news, then I watched some of Baghdad Central which is good but on a bit late. I'll have to catch up on SBS on-demand, though finding the time is hard.

End of month

I finally caught up with the end-of-month accounts today (because of our few days away) and other housekeeping like the washing (but not enough). I also talked with Keren L. about our trip to Bourke and Brewarrina. It seems she might join us. We had vegan, tinned soup for lunch. As P. asked, 'How many vegans would eat tinned soup?' Now it's naptime. It was a normal Wednesday night on the teev finishing with whatever Fell episode three, one to go, and fairly predictable. I made onion and rosemary fritatta for dinner which wasn't bad. From being free of work, I now have the young adult novel and a biography (part thereof) back on the desk.

Concert and dinner

This morning, P. and I went to the Recital Centre for MusicaViva Morning Masters with Arcadia Winds. They performed works by Vasks (Latvia), Ravel (France,) Sdraulig (Australia, world premiere) and Taffanel (France). A woman next to me was very grumpy about no coffee and cake (due to Covid) and no program (they'd run out). I offered her ours to read but she refused and said, 'It's a bad world.' I said, 'No, it's not' and ended the conversation. The beaut concert might have mollified her a bit. We went straight home to avoid a possible storm, had cheesy tomato soup for lunch then a nap. After that, we went to the Yorkshire Stingo hotel for a meal organised by the Collingwood Historical Society as so far their meetings for over a year have been on zoom. Frank came as well and we had a good mag with a few people from CHS. Home again for horrorshow teev about women in Turkey, then bed.

Four days away

On Friday, we picked up Rupert and headed for Yarra Glen. We'd never been to the Yarra Dairy (just before Yering winery) but it was well worth it. We had coffee, bought fudge and cheeses, then went to Tarrawarra which had a very good curated exhibition about water, about half Indigenous artists. It was interesting though some was a bit opague in spite of long written captions. Then we went to Healesville where we picked up some food for the next day and had a very good lunch at Innocent Bystander. On to the beautiful Black Spur, then to Narbethong where we spent the night at the Black Spur Inn with a not-bad dinner. The place is for sale. Next morning, we went towards Mansfield, via the Cathedral Ranges. When we used to camp there, many years ago, it was often deserted. Now, on a sunny Saturday, it was teeming with campers, walkers and sightseers. Perhaps a symptom of the internet age or becoming a National Park. We arrived at Mansfield, checked into the caravan park in a motel-sized cabin, had a nap and waited for Sara and Nick to turn up, rather exhausted, from their 100k bike ride. After they showered we had our booty from Healesville for dinner. Next morning, Sunday, they headed off, we went to the Mansfield wetlands then drove to Yea. On the way, we all met up at Anne and Joe's at Merton for pumpkin soup for lunch and a good chat. We went on to Yea stayed at the Royal Mail Hotel, met up with Sara and Nick again and had a not bad dinner at the pub. Next morning (Monday), we tried in vain to have breakfast in Yea but settled for coffee and croissants from the bakery. Pickings were similarly slim on the way via Kinglake, though the scenery was splendid as it was for the whole trip. Eventually we had a pie in the much-developed Mernda then on to home. P. made steak and baked mushrooms for dinner after a nap, and it was teev with the Olsen family (part one), then Four Corners and Media Watch.