Sydney

On Saturday my Dad arrived from NZ for a visit, so I drove up to Sydney airport to collect him. Given it's a three hour drive I made it an overnight stay and found a hotel in the middle of town and played tourist for a couple of days.

The weather was glorious and Sydney put on its sparkling best. I haven't wandered round Circular Quay and the Opera House for years and years, and it is lovely. So many tourists from all sorts of places - including some questionable videoing. The influencers certainly weren't there last time I visited.

These giant rocks are an art installation and inflatable! You can walk among them and push them ... it's quite surreal because they definitely look just like rocks. Lots of kids who thought it was hilarious. 

I also did a bit of shopping and went to the Musuem of Contemporary Art. The art was disappointing, half their galleries were between shows and closed, but the cafe was lovely and I could sit and gape at the hugeness of this cruise ship. The bulk is quite astonishing.

And to the Art of Gallery of NSW which was amazing. I like their contemporary Australian collection which always throws up something unusual. 

And most importantly Dad made it on the plane and off the plane and survived the in between bits! And also the drive back to our place, where he is already making free with the secateurs. Wonderful.

Things that are yellow

It's time for daffodils again, and they are as glorious as ever. We have at least a dozen distinct varieties, and it's fabulous to see which pop up where. There's a particularly lovely drift down by one of the fruit trees.

I made a vase-ful of different sorts, with wattle for extra yellowness.

And the other yellow thing is the floor of the studio. I chose commercial vinyl because of the colour, but it's been a bit of a dud because it marks so easily. I think it is quite hardwearing - if you have commercial cleaners come round every night with one of those big polishing scuff machines - but for domestic use not so great. And it was very expensive. 

Never mind, I'll put cheap rugs on it, and I have always wanted a yellow floor. The last job was to sand and stain (three coats) the deck - which I've now done. Here's the before.

And the after. Very satisfying. 

The outside is definitely one more thing that is yellow! All the exterior painting is finally done, including the steel covers the studio guy unexpectedly put over the end nibs for protection (happy about the protection, not happy when I realised I'd have to get the paintbrush out again). I've moved most everything in, although it's not set up 100% as I want it. I think I'll have to work with it for a while and then see where to put things, and where the lighting needs to be, and what more furniture I need (if any). I already know I need an armchair to sit and admire the sunshine :)

Brisbane and back

We've had a little ten day jaunt up to Queensland to visit my husbands parents and many other friends and relatives. We did a lot of socialising - including a trip up to the Sunshine Coast to see the new grand-niece who is six weeks old and exceptionally cute and cuddly. Their local beach was beautiful but look at that storm on the way! We did not have the usual glorious settled August weather. 

My husband had a birthday. We don't deliberately time our trip so that he gets a chocolate cake cooked by his mum, but it is very nice when it turns out that way.

It was also a chance to try the car on a two day journey - it definitely took two full days, but we had no hiccups charging. Sadly I am now a fan of the Tesla supercharging stops ... mainly because there are twelve of them at a time. We had a couple of times of turning up to a shopping mall that had four chargers; to find one broken, one the other type of plug and two taken by people who were probably off doing their shopping. The infrastructure has not quite kept up with the number of cars, and the summer holidays could be a bit exciting. We might stay home.

I also bought a new phone because mine was losing charge at a ridiculous rate, and I'd already replaced the battery twice. The new phone has a much nicer camera, so I took a lot of arty photos. Of trees and things. And people.

This is the city looking back from the art gallery. We went into the city twice - once to the art gallery and once to the modern art gallery - and took the opportunity to walk around West End, which is an old working class suburb (now quite fancy) in the middle of town. Most of my husband's ancestors seem to have been born, lived and died within two blocks of each other; I've heard lots of stories so it was nice to wander around.

I took arty photos of old houses.

We went on a rainforest walk (damp, lots of trees, do not recommend). 

Other than that it was a lovely few days of sitting and chatting, bracketed by two days at each end of driving and driving. Great to get away and great to come home again.

Busy busy busy

We've had some sunny days and produced some electricity ... but not a tremendous amount. Our roof is quite shaded, especially at this time of year, so we're not sure if it is going to be the powerhouse we had hoped for. The only day we've put any into the battery at all was Sunday, when we left the house for seven hours to go into Queanbeyan to meet friends for lunch and go grocery shopping. Turns out the best way to use less power is to turn everything off and go somewhere else! Wow. 

We have been unusually social though, these last couple of weeks. There was a concert at the museum - local musicians, which was excellent. They moved some of the exhibits out of the big room upstairs that has a stage at one end - apparently it was the first time it had been used for live music since the 1920s! There might have been dancing then. We did not have dancing, but there was a bar.

Then there was the historical society annual dinner (no bar, bring your own bottle(s) of anything) where our table came third in the trivia and there was an excellent speech about the local home guard during the second world war. Sounds a bit dull but was really interesting - the guy was very entertaining. He is writing a book and kept saying things like "I've found this obscure record, does anyone know a William Maynard, born about 1920?" and someone up the back would go "Uncle Bill!!!!! He lost three fingers in 1952 and his wife was an alcoholic" etc. Small towns.

Then we went to an art exhibition opening for another art group in town - they seem to be a bit more serious than our group and have artist statements and coherent styles. It was great, and we knew a few people there, and there was a bar. Actually the same bar because the art people ran the bar at the concert too, to make a few extra dollars.

Then I was not social at all and went down the coast for a couple of days, which is why all these pictures are beach pictures. Only an hour away but ten degrees warmer. I made a pair of pants that worked out and a shirt that really didn't.

Melbourne

It was the King's Birthday weekend here so, like last year, we headed down to Melbourne for the Australian Scale Model Expo. That is, we both went to Melbourne, but only one of us went to the model show (and indeed entered something and got a Highly Commended! which is good, apparently the standard was very high this year).

Once again we stayed in an apartment close to number two's share house and took the train into the city for a bit of shopping and a cruise around the art gallery. The shopping was mostly for the child (ugg boots, a puffer jacket, new jeans - essential purchases in a Melbourne winter) although I did get some unecessary art supplies and a couple of even less necessary books. Number two is doing an unpaid internship at one of the theatres so we got to see the foyer. It all looked very cool.

We ate out at many good restaurants, including one we discovered last time. My husband went to an exhibition at the museum on Ancient Rome while I perused the nearby fabric stores and general groovy stores of artisanal stuff made for young people. I went to Jimmy Buttons which is an INSANE haberdashery shop behind a roller door in what appears to be a very old shed. I would have bought lots of things but I waited half an hour for someone who works there to cut the ribbons off the roll for me ... the lady kept vanishing so I gave up and left. It was an experience.

Number two had some work and social commitments so Brad and I found a historic house to go and look at. It was interesting but not much architecturally ... although the guide assured us that it was the second most haunted house in Melbourne (after the old gaol) and that has been PROVED by SCIENCE. She was a volunteer guide in dodgy historical costume so we politely agreed ... my husband does tours of the local historic cemetery dressed as a Victorian policeman so we are full of respect for anyone who will spend half their Sunday looking slightly ridiculous for the purpose of public education.

After we did a brief walk along the bay - it was super still and the water was very calm. There was even someone on a paddleboard.

It was our first long trip in the electric car ... it was fine but it definitely takes longer than with a petrol car because of the re-charging stops. In theory you ought to be able to recharge twice - we tried to do that on the way back so scraped into a little town on about 8% ... to find that there were only two chargers, and a queue, so we waited half an hour then another half an hour to charge. The only cafe in the town was closed for renovations and it was raining, so we're not doing that again. I think once we find our rhythm it will be fine but the charging stops don't seem to coincide with meal or toilet stops, and our car does not do anywhere near the 560km advertised range on the highway. More like 360km. But it was super comfortable and even using the most expensive chargers it cost less than half of a petrol trip. 

Norfolk Island

We have just spent another lovely week on Norfolk Island with my husband's parents - which is why I haven't posted for a while - the internet over there is fantastic but I didn't bother bringing my laptop! It would take away from the time sitting, chatting, having a drink, going for a walk and poking about the shops. 

It was a very relaxing and fun week, although the weather wasn't as good as previous years. I took my togs but was not tempted into the water. I also didn't spend as much time sitting on the verandah chatting and painting ... I changed it up for sitting on the sofa chatting and knitting :) 

This year we overlapped with Brad's sister and her husband for a day, which was an excellent catch up. They'd been there for two weeks, which would have put me into an almost fatal level of relaxed I think. We tried to go for walks but wind, rain and laziness kind of put us off...

How pretty is this. What a lovely part of the world. 

Bouncing around

I bounced down to the coast for a couple of days (new car, so much fun, love driving everywhere) and then into Canberra for the day (old car with trailer, got ebike serviced, not much fun driving at all). In Canberra we took number one and girlfriend out for a lovely birthday lunch (Afghani restaurant, absolutely delicious) and I saw the new flat, which is light and lovely and in a super location close to town. So grown up!!!!!

At art class I finished my watercolour of Abbotsford Convent (in Melbourne, where we went in March). It's an awful picture and it kept getting worse the more I did to it. I broke out the pastel pencils as well and I don't think that was a good idea. I wanted to have it a bit wonky and artistic but it ended up in some uncanny valley between correctly proportioned and properly freeform. 

This is the original photo I took.

I finished a quilt finally, which made me feel better, because it's pretty. I pieced this last year some time but just got around to the binding and finishing now. Part of my push to use my solids! Not doing so well, I keep getting distracted.

It's not the destination, it's the journey

On Monday I had the most boring destinations imaginable - back into Canberra for a mammogram, go to Spotlight and do some grocery shopping - but it was all about the journey because I went in my NEW ELECTRIC CAR. It is blue, and shiny, and you just plug it in at night! Amazing!

We went with the Skoda in the end because it was most like all the other cars we've ever owned. Which is a terrible reason to pick a car, but some of the electric ones are designed for people who just love all things new and techy. That's not us; we like light controls on stalks, and air vents with little handles to move the air direction. And not having to do those things through a touch screen, while driving. 

I have also taken it down the coast for a quick overnight trip, which was lovely fun. New cars are always a step up, and this is a bit bigger than our old ones and the electric makes it extra peppy. Our timing was perfect - we finally stopped faffing around and ordered it three weeks ago to pick up last week and we made it just before the crazy rush on EVs. Normally when you buy a car they make a bit of a fuss, but not this time, the guy basically threw us the keys and said the manual's in the glovebox. Actually I think he showed us where the QR code is to get the manual up on our phones. I can barely manage the toaster settings, this could be interesting. 

Melbourne

We've just had a few days in Melbourne to see number two's new play!!! As a writer, not an actor ... it is very exciting to see an actual professionally performed production written by our child. The play was great - very funny, very well-paced and, entirely objectively, a work of complete genius that should be studied by future generations :) It had a two week run with good houses and mostly good reviews - as in largely positive but with some criticisms - and all in all a wonderful experience in going from draft script to closing night. We are obviously very impressed!

And of course a few days in Melbourne is always a nice change. Number two has moved flats again so we got to explore another new part of town - an airbnb on the 10th floor this time. It was a really nice area, and good to see the spread of the city out to the edges. 

We caught up with old friends who lived on the bay, so went for a walk with them. It's not one of the world's great beaches but good to walk your dog, and there's some nice swimming spots. 

We went out to Abbotsford Convent which is now a community centre of varying stripes - beautiful gardens and interesting buildings. And had a poke around the shops in the middle of town of course (art supplies and yarn stores! yay!!!) and went and saw Book of Mormon which is having a Melbourne run. Hilarious, we laughed and laughed and listened to the soundtrack on the nine hour drive home. 

Central coast

We had a weekend away somewhere I'd never been - the Central Coast of NSW, which is an hour or two north of Sydney (about four and a half hours drive from here) and seems to be an aggregation of small towns, beachside villages, bad roads and wonderful views. A friend has moved up there so a few of us went to stay for a weekend and have a nose-about.

This is the most stunning view from her house. Cursed steps and a terrifying driveway ... but worth it when you get there. Much wine was drunk on the balcony.

We went for lovely walks along various beaches (too cold for swimming), a couple of pub lunches, fish and chips on the waterfront... it was lovely. A very relaxed vibe, although our friend commutes into Sydney twice a week - two hours each way! I can't imagine, I used to get cross when my twelve-minute commute turned into 15 at rush hour. 

This is the light pole at the local boat ramp - like a trophy wall? But with fish skulls? Some of them were high enough to need a ladder, which is an awful thought. How (and why) would you do it?

We stopped for a night in Sydney on the way back to test drive another car - we are buying an electric one - but didn't do anything exciting there (it was raining).

Contemplating 'pants' and 'vests'

Pam left a comment on my dyeing post saying that for her 'pants' are only underpants, and those would be called 'trousers'. I found this quite intriguing, because for me 'pants' are all things you wear on your bottom half that aren't skirts ... the superset. Trousers are a subset, and not really a word I would use very often, although it's not an unusual word. Trousers are generally full-length, although I suppose you could say 'three quarter length trousers'. But you'd generally say pants for everything, and specify more if needed.

Underpants are definitely 'underpants', and never 'pants', but I would most commonly say 'undies'. Occasionally 'knickers', and in my house we also say 'pundies', 'grutlies' and 'jocks' ... but I accept that is likely to be a local usage (i.e. local to my house). The words 'panties' and 'briefs' also exist but are not to be used by right-thinking people (shudder).

Vests are sleeveless garments that are worn over other clothes and almost always close up the front. So you would have a hi-vis vest, puffer vest, or fleecy vest. If it is a bit fancy (tailored, buttoned and lined) then it would be a waistcoat although you could use vest in a pinch (but you'd probably have to say 'suit vest'.) You could use 'sweater vest' even though it doesn't do up the front but I would probably say 'sleeveless jumper'. 

If a sleeveless garment is worn under other clothes to keep you warm it's always a singlet. If the garment is worn on its own - like a basketball player - it's still a singlet, but you can also use 'tank' or 'tank top'. This is more likely as the garment gets more about fashion - 'singlet' carries a bit of the underwear nuance to it. 

Thank you Pam, this stuff is endlessly interesting to me! I mattocked around a new garden bed yesterday and I was thinking almost entirely about clothing names :)

Dyed some pants

As part of my ongoing series "nothing is too trivial for the internet" may I present some pants that I have dyed a different colour. Here is a before shot of my favourite three-quarter pull-on linen pants (rolled up, wrinkled) that I have worn at least twice a week for the last four summers.

I never really understood linen until I got these pants, and washed them and wore them and washed them and wore them, and they went all soft and drapey and gorgeous. I thought linen was scratchy and rumply and hard to wear ... but when the colour finally started to wear out of these pants I put them in a dark green dye bath and will keep on wearing them until they literally fall to bits.

Which won't be far off, the seams are starting to go and even a new dye job hasn't stopped the wear. But I will count this as a success.

Lovely quiet christmas week

It's been a very delightful few days here with number two - who is now safely back in Melbourne to party on and also move flats I believe, one suburb over and a slightly more lively house. We didn't seem to do much during the visit; just one trip back into Canberra to see friends and also briefly hit up the Braidwood shops (doesn't take long).

Christmas day itself involved a few presents, a bit of food, quite a few drinks, the new Knives Out for entertainment and reading many books. As a freelancer? hustler? person-trying-to-make-a-living-in-theatre? number two can work from anywhere any time, and took a few calls and spent some time on email shopping scripts and making connections. I think, I don't really understand how it all works. Sounds fascinating ... and there was still time to make the christmas pav. Perfection.

Number one is having a lovely time in Europe - we had a video call from Lubeck where they spent Christmas - and photos of selected highlights across Paris, the Hague, Hamburg... (museum d'aerospace! the ICJ! minatur wunderland! everyone has their own highlights :))