clash of concepts and 4am phone calls

The word 'monetize' has crept up on me undetected until I started face booking. Is it a word of the computer age or has it been around for a long time? I sort of guessed what it meant but had to look it up to make sure.

Had a great over-nighter with the mini Hewers. Annika started building a huge Lego castle, intending to fill it with furniture. Mathew saw it as one huge parking lot and started filling it with Ferraris, fire trucks and buses. Talk about a CLASH OF CONCEPTS. Nature or nurture? We had a moment of tantrum, with slamming of doors etc but after a bit of negotiation we constructed a parking space outside the castle and Annika started designing living space and putting bunk beds together (boy does she want one, she's fixated!)

The Aussies did it! My premonition was correct although I didn't think they'd do it so emphatically. Now we're all square going into the fifth test in 10 days time.

Not much going on today. Memoir writing, laundry, and shopping for groceries and petrol.

Might catch a nap since my dear friend Joan called me at 4am. Whenever the phone goes at that time I know it's her. Funnily enough I was awake. We had a good chat, and are now on each other's facebook. Then I went back to sleep and dreamt I had a very chatty conversation with Toni Colette on a bus. Where the mind goes when one sleeps is a source of fascination to me!

My good feeling about the cricket was borne out over night. The Aussies played more like their old selves and thrashed the English. But tomorrow is another day and anything can happen, still...I have that feeling...

Am off to baby sit the mini Hewers soon while Ed and Cris go out tonight. It's always good to spend time with them.

Guess what! Clear blue skies...again. James Valentine did a funny radio show this week asking people to call in about the extreme balminess that has afflicted Sydney this past few weeks. It was done in terms of 'this must stop, it is driving people crazy' etc. He is a funny guy.

Truth to tell it is getting a bit boring. I think we need variety and the weather is not providing it right now.

Time to go, fire up the chariot and hit the road.

Car care and Guiness ice cream

I'm off to get the car serviced today; hours of wandering around Parramatta shopping centre loom. There is no film I want to see, so will cart the computer round with me, get some writing done. There's a 700 word short story that needs attention and there's always the memoir. Also I can start Obama's book, having finished Ms Walter's last night.

Hopefully I'll meet up with Melissa who's working there this morning and we can have lunch when she knocks off.

They're forecasting 22 degrees today. What is happening? This is supposed to be winter. Things are flowering early and the birds have been frisky for weeks. It is weird.

Had a great pizza at Mancini's with Kit yesterday after aqua aerobics. King prawns, as fresh as... along with a rocket salad, yummy. We followed that with a visit to the retail outlet of Serendipity ice cream, also yummy with intriguing flavours. I got a small tub of sticky rice flavour, and a more conventional wild berry gelato. Kit bought Tiramisu flavour and another which escapes me. Her favourite is Peanut butter disaster. They told us they made a special Guiness one for a party, to go with the sticky date puddiing. Not sure about that one.

Fourth Ashes test starts tonight. Speculation about the make up of the teams is rife. They're palying at Headingly in Leeds. I have a good feeling about this one. Hope I'm right.

Police sirens have been going on and off since I woke up. Wonder what's going on. More terrorists lurking in the mosque up the road perhaps?

egg bake, butter cake and terrorists

Tried out a new dish for my Writing Group buddies yesterday, an egg dish I sampled last year, brought in by a rather large lady to a brunch during rehearsal of my sister's Chorale in the USA. I think I wrote down the ingredients wrong, it was swimming with butter when Itook it out of the oven, I had to pour the excess off. It didn't look quite the same as the large lady's either but it tasted alright. It's like scrambled egg with cheese on top.

I also made my old tried and true, Danish butter cake. I think I found that recipe in S. Africa in the 1970s, it's an easy standby although heavy on the butter too.

We have more terrorists in Australia, Somalian muslims apparently, looking to kill a few soldiers. Much discussion about lack of security at these places. Naturally a couple of journalists tried their luck at a barracks in Sydney. They were there half an hour before being arrested, plenty of time to shoot off a few rounds and detonate a bomb or two.

This terrorism thing is very tiresome. Obviously born out of poverty, kids taken in by unscrupulous murderous minders who wouldn't dream of strapping a bomb on their bodies, way too smart for that. And all in the name of religion. No wonder I am a non-believer. It's much easier to believe that we are born and then we die, end of story.

By the way Obama's book is Dreams from my Father, picked it up yesterday. Looking forward to reading it.

laundry and serial killers

What a difference a non-migraine day makes. I've polished off a short short story to workshop at the WD meeting today, baked two items for aforesaid meeting, done a load of laundry and hung it on the line, with a second one underway, and all by 8.15am. Plus showered and had breakfast, cleaned off the accumulated dust on the fan above the shower. You get the picture.

Later today, I'm going to the library to pick up Obama's book, Tales from my Father. I reserved it months ago, and have heard tantalising snippets on the Book Show. So I'm looking forward to it. I now have 2 good books to read, that and Tim Winton's Breath, that Maxine has lent me. He is my favourite Australian author. But I have a little matter of finishing off Minette Walters' The Ice House first.

I've been reading crime fiction with a view to maybe writing it one day. She is the least offensive so far, can actually write. I'd proabably be more interested in wiritng true crime, something I watch on Cable TV rather frequently. I just about know all the renowned (not the right word is it) serial killers, most of the US and UK ones with an occasional Russian, Pakistani and Indian thrown in. Interesting sociologically and psychologically I find. But maybe there's some psychological need in me to watch these things!!!!! I comfort myself by remembering that I'm not alone in this interest although I would not want to write to one of them or marry one, like many women do.

Time to get ready for the meeting.

I hate migraines

Here it is August already. Having a migraine day today, can't get much done although I brushed up two short stories for local Aussie competitions, and will send them off tomorrow. Had a huge nap this arvo in my recliner so feel a little better.

On the weekend, met up with Maxine and her latest dog Rosie whom I found very appealing. Annie calls her 'the queen dog' because she is a corgi. Watched Fargo again, I love Frances Mcdormand in that role.

Last day of the 3rd test today. Can the Aussies hold it together and play for a draw, their best option? So far so good but there is a long way to go.

Looking forward to full health tomorrow, aqua aerobics and some productive writing.

swine flu and toilet roll holders [no connection!]

Now I've heard everything. Some pigs in Australia have caught swine flu...from humans I wonder what the pigs call it.

I was speculating the other day on recycling, yet again. Could I be developing a fixation I wonder?

As I was consigning yet another toilet roll holder to the recycle bin, I could not help wondering what it had been before. Was it the cornflakes box I tossed out last year or the reams of trashed novel I am constantly tearing up and discarding. Does the abandoned toilet roll holder become another toilet roll holder or does it become part of the ream of the el cheapo copy paper I bought yesterday on which to write my novel which gets torn up, discarded etc etc.....

Must be what we call the Circle of Life.

Seriously though at what point do these things deteriorate into nothingness? If I was a clever stand up comedian like Ricky Gervais or Jerry Seinfield I could make up some shtick about it.