A progress report from home
This morning I got to the end of proofing the big biography. Now all I need to do is check the stylesheet is consistent throughout. Another hour or two I suspect. We had country farm soup for lunch, now for a nap. I reheated the rest of the Rakott for dinner, because the teev was so dismal P. finished off his U3A notes and I did the checking for the autobiography which is now sent to the author, as the notes are to the class.
This morning, I got up to three-quarters through this pass so should finish in the next day or two. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch. Now for a nap. We then headed for the Recital Centre. On the way, I tripped on a planter box at the tram stop and fell fortunately on my hands and chest, so I didn't hit my face and head. Two kind passers-by came to help. I was temporarily winded but okay and though my chest will be sore tomorrow, the only visible signs are a big bruise on my thumb, which took the impact. At the Recital Centre, we saw the magnificent Flinders Quartet perform two oldies (Clara Schumann and Margaret Sutherland) and two premieres of new Australian works by Melody Eotvos and Katy Abbott sung by mezzo Ashyln Tymms. Home again for leftover beef burgundy for dinner with 4Corners, Media Watch, India and news.
No Sunday paper today. I complained vociferously to the Age but it will do no good. I printed off a miniscule copy of the crossword which we had to view through a magnifying glass but we did it! Now I'm just over halfway through this last pass of the big biography and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We had minestrone for lunch, now for a nap. I made Rakott krumpli for dinner (for a change from beef burgundy) and we watched Barons (when it is going to finish?), then Life which did finish excellently, then Malta then a bit of bike race (I'll see the finish in the morning).
Yesterday (Friday), I spent most of the morning on the big biography, while P. went off to the Eye and Ear for a final check. After a nap, we joined Frank at Superhiro for a good quick meal then went to the State Theatre for a concert performance of Boito's Mefistofele. It was a super performance with the huge chorus doing a great job (and the orchestra and the principals). Home again for a bit of bike riding in Slovenia. Today, there were no papers AGAIN so a bit of the biography was done (nearly halfway) before going for a pleasant lunch and a mag with Fran B. at the Collingwood Hotel. After a nap, P. heated up the beef burgundy and mash for dinner, then we watch Father Brown, and from last night Gardening and Keeping Faith then a bit of bike riding.
I spent most of this morning on the big biography. Entering the corrections is slow so will take a few days as I am checking a few other things as well (fonts, date formats etc.) P. got some quiches with the shopping yesterday so we'll have them for lunch. After a nap, P. made beef burgundy for dinner, then we watched rivers, US First Nations stolen children, Q&A, Irish cops then news and a bit of biking (nearing the end).
Today we picked up Rupert after a long gap when he was unavailable when we wanted him and went to the Health Centre for pills, the post office for wine and the mall for shopping. We delivered Noel's then came home for the inevitable salmon patties. After a nap we headed for Northcote. We had a good meal at the Peacock Hotel then went up the road a few doors to the Open Studio where we saw Tarab, a big band playing Arab music from Morocco to Iran. They were very good as was the crowded shop-front venue (they even had affogatto!). We were at a table with Sami Shah, the comedian and writer and his girlfriend (they made it fairly obvious) and (we think) two gay Lebanese (?) men. A good night was had by all especially four Lebanese women on a girls night out. Thanks to Carmel B. for a good heads-up. Home again for news and a bit of bike race.
I started entering the corrections on the big biography. It's taking longer than I thought it would. P. went off to do some shopping and get a haircut. After a nap, we went to join more Queenslanders, Jan and Suzie, who are in Melbourne for the Opera, for a very good meal and a mag at King and Godfrey. Home again for news and bed.
This morning, I got to the end of proofing the hard copy big biography. Now I just have to enter the corrections. P. went off shopping and brought home sangos for lunch; now for a well-earned nap. We had a lazy dinner: P. heated up some chicken and leek pies with mash then it was standard Monday night teev with Four Corners and Media Watch giving good rundowns of the election. Then, appropriately for the times, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
There was no Sunday paper so I printed off the big crossword which we finished easily, though it needs a magnifying glass in its printed format. It's a bit of a gloomy day to start the new government, and I'm back to work on the big biography which I hope to finish in the next few days. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch (using up some tired camembert), now for a short lie-down before a concert. We went to Sacred Heart in Carlton for a concert by the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra with the Australian Boys Choir and their Vocal Consort conducted by Nick Dinopoulos. They did works by two Haydns (Franz Joseph and Johann Michael) and two pieces by Mozart. Sadly, the acoustics of the church are not up to a largish band and a big choir so it sounded fuzzier than it should have but it was a good concert. Home again for dinner (chicken byriani again) and teev with renos, surfers and Life.
Election day dawned with no papers again even though the old distributor has been sacked and a new one appointed. Bring back the old-fashioned paper boy (which I was back in the freezing day on my bicycle). It's not rocket science. Even an old fool like DLP Jack Little, our newsagent, could do it. However, I am back with the papers online and the big biography, so all is not lost. We had leftover fish-and-pea curry for lunch and now it's naptime before a night of election coverage and our very own democracy sausages. In the end, it was glorious to see the end of Scummo as PM and hope that Albanese's resemblance to John Curtin is not just a coincidence.
I am now getting close to finishing the non-fiction report. I haven't been able to work for a couple of days due to other (pleasant) commitments. We had minestrone for lunch, I finished the report and sent it to the publisher and now it's time for a nap. P. made chicken byriana for dinner, then we watched election news, gardening, Keeping Faith, then news and some cycling north of Genoa, then bed. Tomorrow: elections.
This morning I went to get Merly the Ceranto to go shopping after picking up P. We went to Victoria Gardens for our shopping and Noel's, then delivered his and did his post. Home for the inevitable salmon patties and now a short nap. I made fish-and-pea curry for dinner. Then we watched ABC Q&A, then weird Irish cops then news and a bit of cycling then bed.
Yesterday (Tuesday), I did some more work on the report then after lunch (sangos) and a nap, we headed for the Arts Centre for a good dinner with Frank and Sally (after a small administrative hiccup). Then we went to Lohengrin presented as GRAND opera by Opera Australia. In spite of a rather silly set and some strange direction, it was an absorbing performance, very well sung and played by a uniformly fine cast. Today, we picked up Merly the Ceranto and went to East Melbourne to see Genie the nephrologist. All is fine and I am perfect as usual, at least as far as P.'s kidney is concerned. Then we went into town to pick up Sue H. from Brisbane and we went out to Heide where the main game is a big Sid Nolan restrospective, which strangely left out his spray paintings in the last part of his career. Perhaps they didn't fit the Paradise theme, or perhaps they are just no good. We lunched lightly at Heide, dropped Sue in town, now it's time for a nap after dropping off Merly. Then we went in to town to meet Frank and Susan H. for a very good meal and a mag at Hiro in Fed. Square. Home for news and a bit of cycling.
I went to the Health Centre this morning for pills (I forgot one on Saturday), podiatry and a blood test. The podiatry verdict was okay with some good tips for foot care. Home again where P. made mince on toast for lunch, and now for a nap. P. made roast beef for dinner, followed by normal Monday night teev.
We did the crossword lickety-split. There were at least two mistakes in the clues this week. Then it was off to the Convent again for the next concert (having missed the early one). We saw that one then had a quick lunch at Kappaya then dived in again for two more. Home again to takeaway pizzas (we were in a state of exhaustion from too much attentive listening) then renos, then surfers then Life and finally news, then a touch of cycling.
This morning I went to the Health Centre for my flu shot for this year and some pills. Sadly there was no pathology on duty so I'll have to do that on Monday when I go to podiatry. Home again for lunch after which we headed to the Convent for instalment two of the ANAM Set Festival. Some very good pieces and playing. We will miss the next concert for a nap then dinner. P. has been making vera bolognese all day and we had that for dinner. We went to the next concert then P. retired but I stayed for the last. All were splendid but I think I might be getting concerted out and we might miss the first in the morning. At home, we watched gardening on i-voo then the start of the Giro.
I forgot to mention, I've got a book proposal to evaluate, so I got on to that this morning. P. made poached eggs with smashed avocado for lunch, then went off to his eye and ear appointment. Time for a nap. I reheated the chickpea and sweet potato curry for dinner but P. was late from the eye and ear so we went straight to the opening concert of Set at ANAM. It was a kind of sampler of the weekend's offerings and was excellent, virtuosic and listenable. Home again for the curry which had matured as far too hot. Then Smother, news, a bit of cycling and bed.
I made good progrss on the first half of the big biography. P. went off to get the Green Guide and we had cheesy tomato soup for lunch, now for a nap. We went off to join Margaret G. for a quick meal at Yamato then crossed the road to the Comedy Theatre, which I love, for Girl from the North Country, a pastiche of Bob Dylan songs intertwined with a rather odd plot. It was very well sung, performed and played but in the end didn't amount to a hill of beans. Home again for news and Giro d'Italia (a bit).
We did a very small amount of shopping for Noel today plus our own then delivered it to him and ourselves. We had salmon patties for lunch (surprise, surprise) then I went for a standby appointment with Dr Joanne who referred me to St V.'s post-polio clinic, renewed my prescriptions and booked me in for the next flu shot. Home again for a short nap. Then I made fish chowder for dinner, followed by baby cheeses. We watched so-called comedy on ABC preceded by a good doco on the Thames and followed by news incorporating a report on the last 'great' debate between Scummo and Albo (yawn).
Today I moved on to the first half of the big biography. I am feeling as though I am reaching the end, though I'm not nearly there. I suppose I mean I can see the end. P. went off to get pills from the Health Centre and got sangos for lunch then it was naptime. We headed off early to Superhiro for a good quick meal, thence to the Fairfax Studio for a 6.30 start for Hamlet by Bell Shakespeare. It was a workmanlike production but seemed to lack a bit of energy and spirit. Perhaps because we saw it near the end of the Melbourne season after longish seasons in Sydney and Canberra. Home again for a bit of news.
This morning I did a bit more on the big biog. Then the cleaners came and while they were here we left for the Recital Centre for an ANAM Mostly Mozart concert. The mostly part included a piece by Arvo Part Tabula Rasa in two parts both rather rivetting. Then the ANAM director Paavali Jumppanen soloed in Mozart's Piano Concerto no 24. It was good too; we are lucky little pigs having this concert to start the week. P. went off to the Eye and Ear for a check and I came home. I made chick pea and sweet potato curry for dinner (a mountain of it) then we watched normal Monday night teev.
No paper AGAIN today but I printed the crossword from the internet and though it was small, we persevered and finished it in spite of a big mistake in one of the clues (one down). I then went on with the painful references in the big biog. and we had leftover Vietnamese for lunch. Now for a nap. P. is making Italian pork for dinner which was delicious. Then we watched renos, surfers, Lives (still absorbing) then a bit of Lawrence of Arabia (boring).
There were no papers again today. I've complained to The Age, The Australian and The Saturday Paper. The distributor's phone is engaged: surprise, surprise. At least I've got on with some organising and the big biog. P. went to the Convent Market and got stuff for lunch.After a nap, we went to the Recital Centre (no buses, so a taxi) for a good dinner at Blondie then a good Brandenburg concert and though the violin concerto was good, the Mozart symphony was a bit overblown. We went to hear the music, not see Paul Dyer do a dance act. Home again for the last episode of Delphine the Belgian bastard princess.
I went back to the slow -moving biog. refrences (they always take a while) while P. went off to U3A American Literature.
I am approaching the end of part two of the big biography. Only the references to go, then it's back to the start for the first half. The plumber came to fix the kitchen tap AGAIN. We had minestrone for lunch and now for a nap. In the evening, we went to a bar in Southbank for a slightly classier pub meal then went to Homo Hall for an MSO concert of Verdi ballet music and a Prokofiev symphony. Both were good. Our friends from MCO, Merewyn Bramble and Emma Sullivan were guests in the very large orchestra.
We went off with Rupert the Picanto this morning for wine (from the post office), coffee from Brunswick Street (inflated price) and shopping at the Mall. We delivered shopping to Noel, P. changed his bed and we retired home for salmon patties. Life as usual, and now for a nap. I made fish chowder for dinner, followed by baby cheeses and dips. We watched London sewers then comedy (!), then news then bed.
This morning I went on with the big biography while P. went off to a U3A training session about dealing with 'difficult' people in their classes. I should finish the second half soon. P. returned and after a nap we went to Superhiro for a good dinner before a Musica Viva concert featuring our friends the Van Dieman's Band in a superb program which mixed the baroque with the modern. Home again for news then bed.
After normal Monday morn tidying on the internet, I got back to the big biog. I'm within sight of finishing proofing the second half, then it's on to the first half. Only 350 pages to go. We had Farmhouse Vegie soup for lunch. P. seems to be slowly improving. After a nap, P. made a full lamb roast dinner. We watched usual Monday night teev. P. predicts that after finishing in parliament Greg Hunt will get a consultancy with Aspen Medical.
The crossword was finished quickly and I went on with the end-of-month accounts, now done. Inez B. has raised the funds for her biography of SS, congratulations. We had cheesy tomato soup for lunch, then headed for the Recital Centre where we saw Sophie Rowell direct the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra in works by Zerensky, Handel, Telemann, C.P.E. Bach, J.S. Bach and Margaret Sutherland. A superb concert, then home again with Pat on the bus to leftover goulash. Then surfing, Faces, Franco Cozzo (the baroque twice in one day) then bed.
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.
