All roads lead to Bugsplat.

Around a huge change in circumstances, if there is time and space for it, there tends to be a kind of sprawling, crazy, crowded, noisy, political, socially frantic kind of (unpleasantly student-esque) convention at Polly HQ.
(Polly HQ? That's my poor overtilled little brain we're talking about.)

Different factions form and campaign for whatever cause is currently dearest to their hearts or useful to their agendas. I remember the "More Socks" coalition once managed to completely dominate one of these events some years ago. There are always the vegans who in previous years would align themselves with almost ANYTHING in pursuit of their single purpose but have grown more discerning lately. I've given up trying to have my way these days, since it really is too late for us to be the beautiful dark-haired young lesbian living in Brunswick fighting-for-justice lawyer I always wanted us to be. Pity. I think I would have liked that.

Oh you would not. You would have made a fool of yourself over some married woman, broken your heart when you realised the inherent moral bankruptcy of the adversarial system, developed a speed addiction and would have had to quit altogether and retire to the country to indulge in exquitely painful unrequited love for the girls who work in the shop.

Well, yes, perhaps all roads do lead to Bugsplat.

Goodbye to the Bugsplat Tourist Bureau

It was our last day at work today.

Our reference is quirky but excellent, and it was a nice last day. Our favourite volunteer, Wes (that stands for Work Experience Student because that's how he started) came in 'specially and we had lunch with Gray.

It looks beautiful in there - bright and clean with flowers and a welcome book for the new Manager. I remembered riding to the top of Castle Hill on the last day of school - it felt a little like that morning, the same strange feeling of wild and light dread.

Bye Bugsplat Bureau!
Bye.

And you know you're Homesick for Hearttown when...

... you post a daffy little piece-o-fluff like that and it makes you happy.

You know you're in Hearttown when...

> a.. The best parking space is determined by shade instead of distance.
>
> b.. Hot water comes out of both taps.
>
> c.. You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
>
> d.. The temperature drops below 35c and you feel a little chilly.
>
> e.. You discover that in February it only takes two fingers to steer
> your car.
>
> f.. You discover that you can get sunburnt through your car window.
>
> g.. You develop a fear of metal car door handles.
>
> h.. You break a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30am.
>
> i.. Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and
> end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
>
> j.. You realise that asphalt has a liquid state.
>
> k.. Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to prevent them from
> laying hard-boiled eggs.
>
> l.. The trees are whistling for the dogs.
>
> m. while walking back barefoot to your car from the beach, you do a
> tightrope act on the white lines in the carpark.
>
> n. you catch a cold from having the aircon full blast while you sleep
> during the night.
>
> o. You learn that Stockland isn't a shopping centre - it's a temple to
> worship air-conditioning.

3+4=7

Today's Saturday. (Yay! Bill Night!)

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday - three days in a row - are covered, then we work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the New Manager starting on Sunday.

Gosh.

Did I mention that Gray did not get the job?
It's rather upsetting.

Countdown.

A week and a half.
Gray has a job interview tomorrow for my job.
Small towns are like that.
(All is well here, you?)

Politics.

Snopes is a great place.

At Polly HQ we try to avoid talking politics these days. I'd tell you why but I'd have to talk politics. But I will say - that poem scares me. The world is a very scary place.

In our capacity as awards judges we recently saw Children of Men. It was utterly amazing. Alas, it did have the (somewhat expected) effect of leading to relapse in the whole thinking/talking about politics and the state of the world. Don't let that stop you though - that movie is wonderful.

Unexpected effect - after years of seething animosity I find myself suddenly very fond of Micheal Caine.

*whew!*
I seem to have slid sideways out of that little relapse. Hurrah.
We had a very nice time talking to Mia last night.
(You may know Mia by her other, less fake, name.)

Make the pie higher.

Quote from snopes:
As a test example, we chose the "Make the Pie Higher!" piece reproduced above (generally credited to "Washington Post writer Richard Thompson," a satirist and illustrator who produces the "Richard's Poor Almanac" feature appearing in the Post's Sunday edition) and attempted to trace every statement listed therein to its source to determine how many of them were actually uttered by George W. Bush.


MAKE THE PIE HIGHER

I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
and potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the Internet become more few?
How many hands have I shaked?

They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.
I know that the human being and the fish can coexist.
Families is where our nation finds hope, where our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize society!
Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!

Family times.

My cousin Josephine (she of the Amazing Teal Blue Eyes) invited us to visit her in Lighthouse Town where her husband's family have their traditional summer holiday together. It was great. They're a really inspiring family. Tolstoy was right. They're all alike, happy families. It was great to be with them. I like them very much.

We played a version of Poker that is more like storytelling. You are given a big handful of small novelty toys and trinkets that the family have collected for years and that's what you bet with. You have to tell a story about what they are. It's very silly and lots of fun.

Josephine & I talked a lot about our Nana. She was a wonderful Nana.

Tennyson (via Renee)

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Three days straight.

Three days straight beginning tomorrow. How do you Monday-Friday people survive the onset of Sunday Afternoon (the long dark tea time of the soul)?

Gloomy Thursday is bad enough.

Soon, soon, and I shall be lamenting the lack of three days straight and the money they bring. I have a tiny bit of dentistry left (nothing really, just a check up & polish) and the car needs insurance, registration and tyres. I guess that will take care of my annual leave payout.

Looking back I think we did really well during our unexpected period of financial comfort. Dentistry. Piano. Land.

We signed a new (furniture free) lease today. It's a big reduction in rent. Returning their furniture and rearranging ours - we've been moving things about a lot. I really like the TV in the bedroom - it means it's not in the sitting room. And this computer now, here - it's in the little room between the kitchen and the bathroom. The fridge is is here too. It's quite a cheerful little annexe.

I have two wardrobes full of clothes that really only suit Trouble. Three suits - burgandy, honey and gray. Shirts/Blouses in various combinations of those colours. Gosh. We may have to give those wardrobes back. We have offered to buy them but so far no answer.

At the oppy today we bought a rather fragile but lovely writing desk for $15. We'll put it in the bathroom. For towels and toilet paper and shampoo etc. There was also a very beautiful blanket (yellows and golds) and two wine glasses.

Gray is watching "Kenny". We watched Casino Royale earlier. Fabulous.

G'night. Love you people.

Three Four, Knock at the Door.

It's the fourth of January and, here at Polly HQ, things are good.

Our favourite christmas gifts.

1. Wooden hair clip with choice of two twiddly little sticks.
2. "Inventing the Victorians" by Matthew Sweet.
3. Gyan and Leunig CD. It's soooo beautiful.
Especially 'the path to your door'.
4. Season 1 of The IT crowd. Me likee.

Four reasons why we are feeling good.

1. We've just 'gone communist'...*cough* it's High Tide.
We have the lady problems! (see 4. above)
2. No work today.
3. We have a vague plan involving a trip to Littlesplat.
4. Just coz.

Four reasons why it was a Great Idea to Quit Work.

1. Mr Manky and Mrs Manky.

(Mr & Mrs Manky are actually four reasons all on their own given that they are composite characters derived from four rather unpleasant individuals.

Four other reasons why it was a Great Idea to Quit Work.

1. The pay is terrible.
2. The expectations are ludicrous.
3. The godawful board meetings.
4. The Door. (don't ask, I will dribble)