I love electricity & ciambotta

{Written yesterday evening, October 14th}


I'm very tempted to give a nice long spiel about Things Which We Take For Granted, inspired by my recent experience of a First World Problem (as opposed to Third World problems - which are big).

But that would be really boring and probably very uninspiring.  I'm a great believer in the philosophy that you can only really learn something properly until you've experienced it yourself.  For example, your father may tell you that the barbecue is hot, so don't you dare touch it.  But then you touch it anyway because surely there are different opinions on what 'hot' can mean.  'Hot' is what temperature exactly?  'Hot' as in we need to jump in the pool?  'Hot' as in you feel the heat radiating onto your face?  'Hot' as in adults like to drink their tea hot (I hate tea)?

More like 'hot' you'll burn your finger, and so my little brother did.  Touch the barbecue, I mean.  And burn his finger too.  At least we think he did because he tore off down the garden as soon as it happened and disappeared in the bushes for a while.

This morning I was on the internet at 7:30am because we'd received a little slip of paper in the mail telling us that the power would go off from 8:30am to some late hour.  Without thinking about it too heavily, it registered in my mind that no power equals no internet.  That's okay, I don't really need 24/7 internet access as long as I check everything in the morning...

Under the Apple Tree

I just can't get over this weather.

See the sky?  That is a good colour for sky to be.

Melbourne is incredible.  I have no idea what temperature it's going to throw out next.

Well, I guess one can look at a weather forecast if one wants to have an idea of what the weather will be next.  A moment please... Mmmm.  I don't think I should have had a look.  It says it's going to get consistently colder.  It might be wrong.  One of my life's guiding principles is 'Never trust the Weather Man'.  This stems off another guiding life principle which is 'Never Trust Technology'.

Confessions: Hiding under a rock having fun

It's that time of year again...

Three weeks of Uni left - five assignments to get in.  That's my version of 'exam week' because I don't have any exams.

So, I don't have much spare time on my hands. In fact it's the other way around: I don't have enough time on my hands.  Unfortunately, that means that I haven't had time to invent a revolutionary machine that I can plug into my clock every night and wind back to gain a few more hours to research academic journals, order library books or write another 1000 words.  (That would be very cool -  but I just don't have time...sigh)

I do the next best thing, and hide under a rock (not literally).  No shopping, no novels, no interior decorating, no cooking, no writing for fun, no photo-editing, no long phone calls with friends...you get the picture?  I'm locked in the study, chained to my computer (blogging. Hah, shhhh) I hear your sympathetic groans.  But not so fast, you don't have to worry!  I'm weird!
Yes.  I actually have fun when I'm reading, researching and writing in the world of academia.  Confession:  I do this during the holidays when I'm bored.  I do this on weekends sometimes.  I'm a research-aholic.  I read research papers by the Australian Institute of Family Studies for fun.  I borrow books from the library on the different generations, on feminism, on the decline of religion...fascinating.

So don't feel sorry for me when I disappear under a rock, because I'm secretly having fun.  But I do get tired, and my brain begins to bulge with information overload, so I'll always re-emerge sooner or later.
In the meantime - don't expect me to answer your letters or phone calls.

Disclaimer: I came out from under my rock to blog this and fiddle around with my laptop.  In the process of doing that, I deleted every single photo I've ever uploaded (don't ask me how I did it)  THEY'RE JUST GONE!  Hear my screaming.  Moral of the story:  I should have just stayed under my rock.