Life is good.

What a lovely housewarming at Miss A and Mr L's place last night.
Wonderfully chilled with wonderfully perverted conversations.
Regular faces, new faces, and catch-ups with others.
The 70's 'Tales of the City' theme was difficult. I had a dressup box full of stuff and couldn't decide what to wear, but finally went with a shiny late 70's Prom Queen look - silver dress with spagetti straps and unfettered boobies, silver strappy heels, silver (fake) fur stole, peach lipstick and 3 shades of blue eyeshadow.
My preppy date combed his hair carefully to the side, smartened himself up with a stripey tie and oh! gave me his class ring!
(*whispers* I think he likes me!).

Mr BP, sorry I didn't make it to your birthday... we intended to but (obviously) double-booked ...but I have started work on a pressie for you that you may love.

Today is (procrastinating from) cleaning the house day. Mr M wisely ran away before I got him to join in. But not until after I got him to help me move some furniture around *grins*.

I'm packing for a short holiday up north. Flying away tomorrow to visit my little sister. It's her birthday next week and she's not in totally tip top shape, so as a pressie I shall be trying to help get things done around her house for her. And cook her a rockin' pirate birthday cake!
Our Ma dropped over a pressie for me to put in my luggage for sister. She's also flying away for a short break somewhere. She also delivered the news that the middle sister broke her wrist this morn in a bad fall. Here's hoping her boyfriend is doting enough to look after her - what, with half her family disappearing from the city this week.

Also - it might be late notice for others, but I shall be giving it a burl...
Blog against Disabilism Day is tomorrow.
Run by Diary of a Goldfish and brought to my attention by Mr M and Miss K.

Just follow me...

Picked up a book at work to give to my sister, and then started reading it myself.
This often happens.
"Spoken Here: Travels among threatened language". Abley, Mark, 2004. Random House, Milsons Point.

I've only just started it, but there was an interesting passage near the start, talking about the pressures under which languages are vanishing.
The author writes:

"A few languages of high prestige...dominate the media and the marketplace, school systems and bureaucracies. Almost anywhere you care to go...young people are absorbing the same music and watching the same movies, most of them from Hollywood."

Not exactly earthshattering knowledge.
But it took me off on a tangent.

It lead me to thinking about the adopting of dominant western culture in other cultures. And about people adopting western language, dress, etc, to reflect this culture, hence becoming part of the dominant.
But then I thought about the reflection of self and identity, back to the self, from society.
People are drawn to spaces and places and artifacts of culture that reflect themselves back, and can therefore make them feel like they belong in the world. It would be a strong individual to not get drawn into this world of mirrors.

And then I realised that this is a great part of why I blog.
Because then I am a part of the world.
There is a bit of me out there, reflecting back to me.
I blog, therefore I exist.

'Boys and Dogs' Pt II

Miss Z was visiting the other day, and commented on the somewhat hearty/musky smell of the bathroom cum laundry of my house. She said it was a change from the girlyness of her own bathroom.
I'm not sure if she said it was nice though.

But it reminded me again of the overwhelming 'boys and dogs' aspect of my life.
For a queer femme girl living in a queer ghetto, it is amazing how I have avoided the 'girls and cats' side of things.

The biggest house of 'girls and cats' I know nearby, is actually 75% straight girls and has an amazing 4 cats.
So maybe the whole dykes and cats thing is a huge lie.

House of Femme does have one cat - but now also has one boy (and from early reporting is as, or more, femme than the rest of the household).
House of 'Awww Ma Gawd' has a rabbit. I have not yet confirmed the presence of any cats.
House of Butch had a rabbit, 2 dogs, and a cat. (However I have heard there's been changes to that lineup).

Meanwhile, I don't mind the smell of boys and dogs. The 2 large dogs (1 shaggy) can get a bit much after it's rained. But that's offset by the aftershave wafts left by the boys.
And I'm not one much for girly perfumes, so at least there's no conflicting top notes happening.

A short break.

Stand up from the computer and take a deep breath.
Let it out slowly.
Then shake your arms, then your hands, and then your legs.

Yep, we're having a little breather from the looming dark background of mine.
It was feeling a bit gloomy.

Here's a picture of a country road. Perfect for a stroll...















Incidentally, this is one of my favourite roads.
Not for the views,
or the flora,
or the fauna.
But, my friends, for the name:
Richards' Deviation

*aaah*

I have a new obsession.

My new obsession is something I think about with alarming regularity.
I find myself wanting to do it when I'm with friends, walking down the street or in the pub.
Mr M chastised me with alarm in his voice, when I started while we were driving to his parents for Easter Sunday lunch.
I can't wait for the bus and train rides to work in the morning now.

I apologise for sounding silly and obscure. But there is a temporary reason that I cannot tell you what it is.
Soon though.
And no, it's not Sudoku, ok.

Thankyou to all I saw and shared time with this long weekend. It was the first big social weekend I've had properly since Mardi Gras, and I enjoyed it all very much (yes, even the sunday lunch with the in-laws).

Today's excursion...

Liverpool.
Where I counted 5 'adult interest' stores and 5 sari shops within 2 blocks.
Where the size and splendour of the Library is challenged by the enormity of the Spotlight store across the road.
Where I listened to Librarians analyse, bitch, and inspire each other.
Where a car of men slowed on an empty street to (remarkably obviously) ogle at myself and a friend.
Where the main streets are a joy of small businesses instead of the ubiquitous chain stores.

Also, apologies for the prior post, kiddies. And thankyou to those who checked in with me.
I was having an utterly, utterly, appalling day.
It was made even more interesting when I tried to escape my life into the crowds of the city and ended up at MCA where the place is full of pictures and movies of people crying!
It felt like the universe was saying 'You can run, Miss Y, but you cannot hide'.
How bloody exhausting.

*howls*

- Point form

- The Yr 10 work experience lad at work has more of a clue than the 40yr old library student.
- I get very shirty when I haven't eaten for a while, and lunch at 2.30 is a bad thing. Especially when I'm stressed.
- I love my new black skirt so much. And my current hair colour.
- I watch too much TV. I never used to watch any really. What happened.
- Crowds make me very scattered.
- Peter Carey is a nice guy.
- Shopping at Ben Sherman is much more fun if you're dressed up a little.
- The Haighs chocolate shop in The Strand Arcade gives you 'tasting' pieces of chocolate when you buy some. This is a good thing. Especially when all your purchases are for other people.
- For someone who is relatively good at spatial puzzles, I suck at putting up artists' easels.
- Many of my colleagues frustrate me with their seeming inability to work proactively, or at least respond to situations in an active fashion.
- I'm very proud of Mr M, but I wish he would rest more.
- The older I get, the more I look like my mother. This doesn't upset me as much as it used to.
- I have to work this Saturday and it's the only Saturday I've had to work since October last year and I'm cranky about it. How spoilt am I.
- That is all.

Dugong Day

The walk up the train station steps at my destination each work morning is a slow, slow trudge.
For a couple of weeks I have been looking up at the backs of the commuters steadily climbing the stairs, and savouring the coloured clothing, knowing full well that the sea of black is about to arrive when the weather turns colder.
When that happens it's like being part of a funeral march.
I try and do my part to steer from the funereal...but some mornings, no matter how hard I try to wear colour, I end up in dark monotones.

Today was a dark, dark grey day. Dark grey shoes, faded black top, dark grey work skirt.
The skirt has gorgeous pleating on the side panels, starting from just on my knee. So when I walk the sides flip, flip, flip out.
It reminds me of a mermaids tail and I love it so.
But a grey mermaid?
Oh I think that's just a dugong.

The point of living and of being an optimist, is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come.

- Peter Ustinov (1921 - 2004)