Tuesday, June 29, 2004
can't handle all this socializing
I'm becoming manic. Since joining FLM, I've got 5 new email correspondents and I'm anxious to get to know all of them because they are all fascinating people. On top of that are the usual friends and family emails and this week two birthday functions and a farewell dinner in the real world plus working on another lesson for the dreaded management course. I'm usually such a hermit; for instance the highlights of my weekend were a long walk on the beach, a pampering foot-bath and having my eyes tested - so you can see why I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. Besides, all this emailing and socializing is keeping me away from my blog - oh decisions, decisions!
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Are there other people like us out there?
I've just discovered there are - heaps of them... and they want to talk, via email, my favourite method of communication.
After reading a recommendation for this group on someone's blog I spent an hour or so last night joining up and tonight, already, I had two new friends. I've now spent the past two hours trawling around at FolkLikeMe checking out other FLM possibilities and answering messages from my new friends. One of them is a fantastic artist and you can have a look at her work here
After reading a recommendation for this group on someone's blog I spent an hour or so last night joining up and tonight, already, I had two new friends. I've now spent the past two hours trawling around at FolkLikeMe checking out other FLM possibilities and answering messages from my new friends. One of them is a fantastic artist and you can have a look at her work here
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Don't you just hate banks?
Recently my bank informed me they are about to do me a tremendous favour. I can now option a platinum or gold credit card instead of the plane jane variety I now hold. Nice of them eh? The catch is that the gilded variety cost biggish bucks every year and I'm quite happy with my basic plastic rather than platinum.
Up till now, I've been able to exchange every dollar spent on this credit card on a one for one basis for frequent flyer points. The credit card reward system is of no interest to me, except to swap for frequent flyer points. I do not lust after stainless steel kettles or expensive suit cases. No, the one for one deal on frequent flyers is what I am after. It means I get something of value back for the many thousands of dollars I spend each year and it means a free trip to visit my family - a 4.5 hour flight from where I live.
So imagine my surprise when the down-side of the great gilded card offer was revealed, bogged down in the body of the sales pitch for more expensive credit cards. From July, I can only redeem 1 frequent flyer point for every $2 spent unless I elect to purchase the platinum card for $250 per year. Hmm, the value to me of the available rewards has just halved.
Not to be completely taken-down, I noted in my diary to redeem all my current points for frequent flyers prior to the June 30 cut-off date, only to discover that the option for taking the frequent flyer points is now so well-hidden on the website that I couldn't find it despite 30 minutes of searching. But I had the bit between my teeth now, so I rang the rewards phone number. After the usual delay because all the operators were busy I was finally connected to a real person. Guess what, my rewards account has been frozen because the credit limit was temporarily exceeded. I've just paid it on line, I say and had confirmation that the money has been transferred from my account (mind you I haven't even received the monthly bill yet and had no notification from them that I was slightly over the credit limit). Oh that won't come through on our system for 24 hours says the poor, sweet call centre operator and you won't be able to do it on line until your next statement update, but if you ring back in 24 hours, even if it hasn't cleared our system, we'll be able to clear it for you!!!
They've closed all the country and most of the suburban branches and left the poor bloody elderly and disabled to bank whatever way they can (they don't understand telephone and internet banking for God's sake). They take every last snatch of interest from us and give nothing back and now they won't even let me claim my own rewards. Interesting how I can no longer access the money that has been transferred from my account to pay my credit card TODAY, yet their system doesn't recognise I've paid it till TOMORROW - how does that work?
Anyway, now I have to wait on the phone tomorrow for another 20 minutes at least to try to claim my points before they are halved! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
Once upon a time I stumbled upon a blog that seemed to contain pages of clever and vituperative comment about banks; it even asked people to comment their complaints against banks. I've just googled everything I can think of to find this blog again; without success. I wanted to share the link with you. If any clever blogger reading this knows how to find the blog that totally rants against banks and all their evil ways, it would be great if you could comment it to me so I can have another read.
Up till now, I've been able to exchange every dollar spent on this credit card on a one for one basis for frequent flyer points. The credit card reward system is of no interest to me, except to swap for frequent flyer points. I do not lust after stainless steel kettles or expensive suit cases. No, the one for one deal on frequent flyers is what I am after. It means I get something of value back for the many thousands of dollars I spend each year and it means a free trip to visit my family - a 4.5 hour flight from where I live.
So imagine my surprise when the down-side of the great gilded card offer was revealed, bogged down in the body of the sales pitch for more expensive credit cards. From July, I can only redeem 1 frequent flyer point for every $2 spent unless I elect to purchase the platinum card for $250 per year. Hmm, the value to me of the available rewards has just halved.
Not to be completely taken-down, I noted in my diary to redeem all my current points for frequent flyers prior to the June 30 cut-off date, only to discover that the option for taking the frequent flyer points is now so well-hidden on the website that I couldn't find it despite 30 minutes of searching. But I had the bit between my teeth now, so I rang the rewards phone number. After the usual delay because all the operators were busy I was finally connected to a real person. Guess what, my rewards account has been frozen because the credit limit was temporarily exceeded. I've just paid it on line, I say and had confirmation that the money has been transferred from my account (mind you I haven't even received the monthly bill yet and had no notification from them that I was slightly over the credit limit). Oh that won't come through on our system for 24 hours says the poor, sweet call centre operator and you won't be able to do it on line until your next statement update, but if you ring back in 24 hours, even if it hasn't cleared our system, we'll be able to clear it for you!!!
They've closed all the country and most of the suburban branches and left the poor bloody elderly and disabled to bank whatever way they can (they don't understand telephone and internet banking for God's sake). They take every last snatch of interest from us and give nothing back and now they won't even let me claim my own rewards. Interesting how I can no longer access the money that has been transferred from my account to pay my credit card TODAY, yet their system doesn't recognise I've paid it till TOMORROW - how does that work?
Anyway, now I have to wait on the phone tomorrow for another 20 minutes at least to try to claim my points before they are halved! GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
Once upon a time I stumbled upon a blog that seemed to contain pages of clever and vituperative comment about banks; it even asked people to comment their complaints against banks. I've just googled everything I can think of to find this blog again; without success. I wanted to share the link with you. If any clever blogger reading this knows how to find the blog that totally rants against banks and all their evil ways, it would be great if you could comment it to me so I can have another read.
Monday, June 21, 2004
Sea eagle view
I wish I was an eagle
Instead I feel more like some small and vulnerable creature of the night - a brown bandicoot perhaps?
If I was an eagle, I wouldn't hear that young woman saying that the new relationship, the friend of a friend of a friend that she had such high hopes for was getting kind of scary and maybe someone killed her rabbit today. Or another saying she'd offered to pay her husband for doing her assignment- with sexual favours, or a man, not yet old, who'd given 25 years of his life in dedication to his employer that he'd been passed over for promotion and pushed to take redundancy. Or about the good friends of my friends who've split up after 35 years of marriage, or the new grandmother who won't see her grandchild because she doesn't like its name. Or think of the person I used to call friend.
If I was an eagle I would soar above the petty fears, concerns and injustices of this world, too high and too proud and too fast to see anything but the grand and beautiful interlocking pattern of the earth and the rivers and the seas; and I would hear nothing but the whooshing of the wind.
If I was an eagle, I wouldn't hear that young woman saying that the new relationship, the friend of a friend of a friend that she had such high hopes for was getting kind of scary and maybe someone killed her rabbit today. Or another saying she'd offered to pay her husband for doing her assignment- with sexual favours, or a man, not yet old, who'd given 25 years of his life in dedication to his employer that he'd been passed over for promotion and pushed to take redundancy. Or about the good friends of my friends who've split up after 35 years of marriage, or the new grandmother who won't see her grandchild because she doesn't like its name. Or think of the person I used to call friend.
If I was an eagle I would soar above the petty fears, concerns and injustices of this world, too high and too proud and too fast to see anything but the grand and beautiful interlocking pattern of the earth and the rivers and the seas; and I would hear nothing but the whooshing of the wind.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
creamy cakey thingo
Food Glorious Food
On a stroll around our local markets this morning, sandwiched between the best neck massage and the purchase of local free-range eggs, I treated myself to some Asian sweets. There is always an interesting selection of these on offer and although I can't be dragged past the cassava cake and the creme caramel; if they aren't available, I get adventurous. Today I bought sticky wild rice flavoured with palm sugar, sticky rice with coconut milk wrapped in banana leaf and these fantastic little soft custardy thingos in square cup-cake holders made of some bright green leaf. I don't know what they were called but they sure were yummy - bright white, salty coconut cream topping and cassava or taro or something with lumps of palm sugar on the bottom. I'll post a photo.
On the subject of Darwin's delightful range of takeaway food, we have a new resident van parked along the foreshore. Wood-fired pizza! It smelt wonderful and the italian chef (done up in chef's cap no less) just added to the appeal. Unfortunately I was on foot and without money, but maybe next Sunday.
On the subject of Darwin's delightful range of takeaway food, we have a new resident van parked along the foreshore. Wood-fired pizza! It smelt wonderful and the italian chef (done up in chef's cap no less) just added to the appeal. Unfortunately I was on foot and without money, but maybe next Sunday.
Saturday, June 19, 2004
Going visiting
Tonight I was very tired and only turned on the computer to check my email - big mistake! Three hours later I'm still glued to the screen. What happened was that I decided to go visiting - trawling through various blogs that I've linked or saved in favourites for various reasons, but mostly because I had a quick read and thought they were brilliant and I absolutely needed to go back and check them out regularly. There's never enough time is there to check out all the clever and insightful words and pictures in the world of blogging. It's so much more satisfying than visiting in person - where you inevitably get caught by the least interesting person in the room and are imprisoned by politeness into wasting hours of your life. With blogging you can meet people you would never have met, read their innermost thoughts, most intimate secrets, political opinions and just everyday happenings - and if you aren't in the mood for that person tonight, well just click on another link. I love it!
Friday, June 18, 2004
Sydney's ginseng bath house
On my last visit to Sydney, a friend and I decided to give shopping the flick and try a touch of self-pampering. We'd seen an article in one of the weekend papers about city spas but found only one within our price range.
For just $25 it seemed, we could have a relaxing ginseng bath at the Ginseng Bathhouse in Kings Cross.
Although parking under the building is free for clients of the bathhouse, we elected to leave the car where it was in the city and catch the train to Kings Cross. Ten minutes later we were deposited practically on the doorstep of The Crest Hotel, wherein lay the mysterious treat of the bathhouse.
We found for a small extra cost (not sure exactly how much it was now but think about $20), we could also get a Korean scrub. There are lots of other packages and treatments, massages etc available but you need to book in advance. When we arrived there were no bookings left for the masseuses but we did manage to get in for the scrub.
You are issued at reception with a key to a locker where you deposit all your clothes and don a fluffy white robe. Clutching the white towel (also provided) you make your way into a hallway, where you are asked to take off the robe and hang it on a numbered hanger. Then, naked and afraid, you tentatively tippietoe into the baths.
Stools facing basins with hand showers and a complementary selection of liquid soap and shampoo line the wall on your left, and to the right, three deep square roman-style baths await, while straight ahead are the wet and dry saunas.
First a quick shower, quite pleasurable in its novelty, then into the ginseng bath, foaming, dark and warm to 'soften the skin and eliminate toxins', the brave can follow this with the hot (very!) and cold (very!) baths. The procedure, plus saunas can be repeated as often as you wish and for as long as you wish all the for $25 entry fee.
On the way out a comfortable dressing room offers free use of hair products, hair dryers and full view mirrors to ensure you step out looking your best.
This was all pretty good but it was the Korean scrub that really won me over. An all-over massage, front, back and sides from a tiny Korean girl with very strong arms wielding a loofah like scrubber. I can only liken the experience to spending 15 minutes being licked all over by a lion, interspersed with sluice-downs with buckets of body-temperature water.
I left there feeling so relaxed my legs would hardly keep me upright and my speech had slowed to a drawl.
I can't wait till next time I get back to Sydney to do it all over again.
By the way, men's and women's areas are separate and I've got to say you'd have to be very self-conscious indeed to feel uncomfortable in the atmosphere - at least in the female area.
For just $25 it seemed, we could have a relaxing ginseng bath at the Ginseng Bathhouse in Kings Cross.
Although parking under the building is free for clients of the bathhouse, we elected to leave the car where it was in the city and catch the train to Kings Cross. Ten minutes later we were deposited practically on the doorstep of The Crest Hotel, wherein lay the mysterious treat of the bathhouse.
We found for a small extra cost (not sure exactly how much it was now but think about $20), we could also get a Korean scrub. There are lots of other packages and treatments, massages etc available but you need to book in advance. When we arrived there were no bookings left for the masseuses but we did manage to get in for the scrub.
You are issued at reception with a key to a locker where you deposit all your clothes and don a fluffy white robe. Clutching the white towel (also provided) you make your way into a hallway, where you are asked to take off the robe and hang it on a numbered hanger. Then, naked and afraid, you tentatively tippietoe into the baths.
Stools facing basins with hand showers and a complementary selection of liquid soap and shampoo line the wall on your left, and to the right, three deep square roman-style baths await, while straight ahead are the wet and dry saunas.
First a quick shower, quite pleasurable in its novelty, then into the ginseng bath, foaming, dark and warm to 'soften the skin and eliminate toxins', the brave can follow this with the hot (very!) and cold (very!) baths. The procedure, plus saunas can be repeated as often as you wish and for as long as you wish all the for $25 entry fee.
On the way out a comfortable dressing room offers free use of hair products, hair dryers and full view mirrors to ensure you step out looking your best.
This was all pretty good but it was the Korean scrub that really won me over. An all-over massage, front, back and sides from a tiny Korean girl with very strong arms wielding a loofah like scrubber. I can only liken the experience to spending 15 minutes being licked all over by a lion, interspersed with sluice-downs with buckets of body-temperature water.
I left there feeling so relaxed my legs would hardly keep me upright and my speech had slowed to a drawl.
I can't wait till next time I get back to Sydney to do it all over again.
By the way, men's and women's areas are separate and I've got to say you'd have to be very self-conscious indeed to feel uncomfortable in the atmosphere - at least in the female area.
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
View over Kakadu from the top of Gunlom Falls - my weekend campsite
Living on Dowdy Street
On my way home tonight I passed a street I must have passed hundreds of times before, but for the first time, I read the street sign. It's called Dowdy Street. Now how would that make you feel? I can see myself giving my address to a new friend: Oh yes, I live at 1/17 Dowdy Street - or filling in an official form - Address:..Dowdy Street. No, I doubt anyone who lived on Dowdy Street could be successful.
And on the subject of names - what are all these weird names people keep giving babies these days? Pop culture gone mad! As if living on Dowdy Street wasn't bad enough, how would you be if your name was Apple (yes, your Christian name, not your surname) Hi I'm Apple Smith and I live on Dowdy Street. I heard that's what one famous mother named her child. There are a few recent beauties of my own acquaintance, but I'd better not mention them here for risk of offence. Talk about going to any lengths to be different!
And on the subject of names - what are all these weird names people keep giving babies these days? Pop culture gone mad! As if living on Dowdy Street wasn't bad enough, how would you be if your name was Apple (yes, your Christian name, not your surname) Hi I'm Apple Smith and I live on Dowdy Street. I heard that's what one famous mother named her child. There are a few recent beauties of my own acquaintance, but I'd better not mention them here for risk of offence. Talk about going to any lengths to be different!
Monday, June 14, 2004
The best of blogger idol week 17
Although there weren't that many entries in week 17 of blogger idol, I found them all really interesting. Here are my top 5 picks for this week in order of posting.
Darren's thought-provoking 'experiment with rhythm'
Cliff's 'finding treasures in little cardboard boxes' - a fascinating glimpse of loved childhood memories
Ryan has musical rhythms
The Found Sheep - struck a personal chord with comments on the vagaries of time
Messy Christian - on getting organised
Darren's thought-provoking 'experiment with rhythm'
Cliff's 'finding treasures in little cardboard boxes' - a fascinating glimpse of loved childhood memories
Ryan has musical rhythms
The Found Sheep - struck a personal chord with comments on the vagaries of time
Messy Christian - on getting organised
Thursday, June 10, 2004
The rhythm of life
In tune with the slow rhythm of my heart-beats the rhythm of my life turns; circles within circles. This is my entry for week 17 of blogger idol
A childhood lived in 50s Australia where Vegemite rules and nobody has ever heard of spaghetti that doesn't come in a tin. Where a little boy dressed in lederhosen and eating salami on black bread for lunch is jeered at and called 'dirty pants'. Where mums dress up in hats and gloves to go into town and a lady never shows her knees.
Through teenage years, church dances where bad boys hide flasks of alcohol in their cars and we scream ourselves hoarse in blatant displays of sexual hysteria and adulation for pimply faced youths with small talent who strum guitars and swivel their hips in poor imitation of Elvis; then the Beatles.
Cut short those years by a pregnancy more unimagined than unplanned.
Ten years of child-bride marriage then another ten to another man and two more children.
The rhythms of motherhood now firmly established - bound by the school bell, homework, breakfasts, lunches, and what on earth to cook for dinner -again. Mountains of blue then white school shirts to iron and precious moments of looking into their bright faces, beach picnics, big family Christmases and backyard cricket.
Another man, another life - my children, his children, new alliances and dear old friends. Never quite comfortable, sharp edges and fears. Kids getting older, fighting for their own values, making their own lives.
The empty nest - feeling useless now -empty womb empty home. Wishing I'd paid more attention to important things, now they are beyond my reach.
On the road, travelling, sense of wonder, peace, pleasure. Learning to know myself. Having time for the first time to think.
Tiring of travel, running out of cash, another new chapter opens. A job offer in Darwin. Tropical paradise, new friends, new experiences, new opportunities. Seeing positive results from the creativity I'd only dabbled in before.
Grandchildren have started arriving. What a pleasure to feel their connection and to see that cycle of life begin again in new life with my blood. Born into a different Australia of yoghurt and swimming lessons and kindy gym. Of Thai restaurants, multi-culturalism, pasta with pesto. Where the public health system is failing and no-one sends their kids to the local school anymore unless they can't afford a private education. But the sun still shines and the vast majority do not go hungry - even those who've mortgaged the next thirty years of their lives to a mundane job they fear to lose, to pay off a home with a swimming pool and an inflated price tag.
Five years later and a new chapter of my life has just begun. All I am sure of is that the threads and ties of my life will keep twining around me in this new cycle. And the whole is tied together by common experiences, love and the knowing of years.
A childhood lived in 50s Australia where Vegemite rules and nobody has ever heard of spaghetti that doesn't come in a tin. Where a little boy dressed in lederhosen and eating salami on black bread for lunch is jeered at and called 'dirty pants'. Where mums dress up in hats and gloves to go into town and a lady never shows her knees.
Through teenage years, church dances where bad boys hide flasks of alcohol in their cars and we scream ourselves hoarse in blatant displays of sexual hysteria and adulation for pimply faced youths with small talent who strum guitars and swivel their hips in poor imitation of Elvis; then the Beatles.
Cut short those years by a pregnancy more unimagined than unplanned.
Ten years of child-bride marriage then another ten to another man and two more children.
The rhythms of motherhood now firmly established - bound by the school bell, homework, breakfasts, lunches, and what on earth to cook for dinner -again. Mountains of blue then white school shirts to iron and precious moments of looking into their bright faces, beach picnics, big family Christmases and backyard cricket.
Another man, another life - my children, his children, new alliances and dear old friends. Never quite comfortable, sharp edges and fears. Kids getting older, fighting for their own values, making their own lives.
The empty nest - feeling useless now -empty womb empty home. Wishing I'd paid more attention to important things, now they are beyond my reach.
On the road, travelling, sense of wonder, peace, pleasure. Learning to know myself. Having time for the first time to think.
Tiring of travel, running out of cash, another new chapter opens. A job offer in Darwin. Tropical paradise, new friends, new experiences, new opportunities. Seeing positive results from the creativity I'd only dabbled in before.
Grandchildren have started arriving. What a pleasure to feel their connection and to see that cycle of life begin again in new life with my blood. Born into a different Australia of yoghurt and swimming lessons and kindy gym. Of Thai restaurants, multi-culturalism, pasta with pesto. Where the public health system is failing and no-one sends their kids to the local school anymore unless they can't afford a private education. But the sun still shines and the vast majority do not go hungry - even those who've mortgaged the next thirty years of their lives to a mundane job they fear to lose, to pay off a home with a swimming pool and an inflated price tag.
Five years later and a new chapter of my life has just begun. All I am sure of is that the threads and ties of my life will keep twining around me in this new cycle. And the whole is tied together by common experiences, love and the knowing of years.
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Just two more inches and we'll need gills!
My Kingdom for a comment!
Okay, I'm just a blogger tart. Ever since I've been back to blogging over the past couple of weeks, I've only had two comments. Now I know my posts might not have been the most interesting ones you've read this year or even today, but hey just a word or two is ever so encouraging - so get on there and say hi. Promise I'll return the favour and check out your blog.
I'm doing a management course at work. I didn't ask to go on this course and having not studied for approximately 40 years, I'm finding it quite stressful and more importantly, terribly time-consuming. I don't believe in half the stuff I'm learning. If I really made all those plans and lists and feedback forms in the course of a work day - well I'd never get anything productive done. So it's kind of difficult to give up my blogging time to wade through these politically correct exercises and try to give the answers they want.
Oh well, I guess it's good self-discipline. That's something I learned is important from the mangement course!
I'll just add a photo of me crossing the Blyth River (apologies for incorrect spelling in the Arnhem Land post but spellcheck filled me with self-doubt) and dream of days of sun and dust filled with real people who probably all manage to live happy and fulfilling lives without ever knowing about time-management.
I'm doing a management course at work. I didn't ask to go on this course and having not studied for approximately 40 years, I'm finding it quite stressful and more importantly, terribly time-consuming. I don't believe in half the stuff I'm learning. If I really made all those plans and lists and feedback forms in the course of a work day - well I'd never get anything productive done. So it's kind of difficult to give up my blogging time to wade through these politically correct exercises and try to give the answers they want.
Oh well, I guess it's good self-discipline. That's something I learned is important from the mangement course!
I'll just add a photo of me crossing the Blyth River (apologies for incorrect spelling in the Arnhem Land post but spellcheck filled me with self-doubt) and dream of days of sun and dust filled with real people who probably all manage to live happy and fulfilling lives without ever knowing about time-management.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Darwin parties
Monday, June 07, 2004
Dawn on the Arnhem Land coast
Darwin parties
Last Saturday night I went to a party. Parties in Darwin have a unique nature - and they all have it. First, you are always required to bring a chair. I never struck this phenomenon anywhere else. Perhaps it emanates from the transient nature of the inhabitants of the place. Almost no-one you meet was born here and almost no-one will end up here. We mostly come from somewhere else - come for work or a visit - and just stay, for years longer than we originally intended, and thus we don't carry furniture that is excess to immediate requirements. Or perhaps it's simply that almost all parties in Darwin take place in the dry season, and they are all outdoors.
Parties take place in backyards or in parks and not in those structured pergola-covered areas you find in other places. No, here the hosts set up a table in the backyard and everyone arrives carrying their own camping chair which they proceed to arrange in a circle around the table. The circle widens as more guests arrive.
Most backyards have lots of tall trees (for shade during the heat of the day) and lots of palms. So you sit there bathed in starlight that moves and sways between the deep bars of the palm fronds, surrounded by citronella flares.
Conversation is quieter, the atmosphere more peaceful, the air sweeter, here under the sky - and towards the end of the evening, maybe someone pulls out a guitar and a dozen voices sing an old folk-song in harmony.
Parties take place in backyards or in parks and not in those structured pergola-covered areas you find in other places. No, here the hosts set up a table in the backyard and everyone arrives carrying their own camping chair which they proceed to arrange in a circle around the table. The circle widens as more guests arrive.
Most backyards have lots of tall trees (for shade during the heat of the day) and lots of palms. So you sit there bathed in starlight that moves and sways between the deep bars of the palm fronds, surrounded by citronella flares.
Conversation is quieter, the atmosphere more peaceful, the air sweeter, here under the sky - and towards the end of the evening, maybe someone pulls out a guitar and a dozen voices sing an old folk-song in harmony.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
The Photo Fix
I'm so disappointed. I just couldn't do without my blogger photo fix, so I re-loaded 'Hello', but just can't get it to post a photo to the blog. I saved all those lovely photos from Arnhem Land to share with you as well. Hopefully the system will be running next time I blog - otherwise I just don't know what I'll do.
I can't even think of an entry now. So goodnight!
I can't even think of an entry now. So goodnight!
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Computer Hell
Using the internet can be very scary when you don't know much. I was enraptured by blogger's new innovation of free photos via Hello. Downloaded the program and was having lots of fun. Then tonight it would no longer work and I kept being directed to provide my email address whereupon I would be given directions via email to register my login. OK, I don't know what's going on, so I do as requested. Nothing appears in my email box, so I try to use the program again, and again, and again....always receiving the same message. Finally I get a new message that tells me to download the program. So I do. While I'm saving it, I notice that it has numbers after Hello and is a .exe file - it takes quite a while to download. Then a new icon appears on my desktop Hello plus the numbers, but the graphic is different. When I click on that, I don't get to use Hello that way either. Then I start to get really scared... have I just downloaded some virus or worm to my new computer? I haven't got a clue. I try to delete the .exe program and it appears to just delete from the desktop icon - I can't find it listed anywhere else. Then I decide to delete the original Hello program as well, but to do that, I need to go through the control panel and program delete. Well, this wasn't the entry I meant to make on my blog tonight but all the above has taken up my blogging time. I just hope I haven't screwed up bigtime!
If anyone out there knows what is happening, I'd be glad if you'd enlighten me.
If anyone out there knows what is happening, I'd be glad if you'd enlighten me.
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
wet season view from the foreshore
foreshore
Why I live where I live
A large-bladed knife
scabby with rust - or blood
on one side
dull steel gleam
on the other
Poised on the sharp edge of the blade
balanced between civilization
and the raw power of the natural world
You shiver at 24 degrees celsius
and wear sox to bed
And read in the morning paper
about the 4 metre crocodile
on the beach
opposite your front door
Where once in five years
you turn off the fans
Where yellow fig birds
pure white torres strait pigeons
bronze shouldered doves
rainbow lorikeets
white and black cockatoos
bush curlews and several kinds of kite
are daily visitors to your suburban home
And frill-necked lizards
posture and dance
and dodge road-trains
on the highway
Darwin
where you soon believe
it's unreasonable to travel more than 20 minutes
to get anywhere within the city limits
and if you can't park within 20 metres of the door
you might as well turn around
and go home
Where one day you're being eaten by mozzies
and tormented by sandflies
sitting cross-legged
sweating and steaming
on the dusty red earth
of Arnhem Land
And eight hours later
enjoying a glass of champagne
and an Eric Bogle concert
at the air-conditioned
entertainment centre
scabby with rust - or blood
on one side
dull steel gleam
on the other
Poised on the sharp edge of the blade
balanced between civilization
and the raw power of the natural world
You shiver at 24 degrees celsius
and wear sox to bed
And read in the morning paper
about the 4 metre crocodile
on the beach
opposite your front door
Where once in five years
you turn off the fans
Where yellow fig birds
pure white torres strait pigeons
bronze shouldered doves
rainbow lorikeets
white and black cockatoos
bush curlews and several kinds of kite
are daily visitors to your suburban home
And frill-necked lizards
posture and dance
and dodge road-trains
on the highway
Darwin
where you soon believe
it's unreasonable to travel more than 20 minutes
to get anywhere within the city limits
and if you can't park within 20 metres of the door
you might as well turn around
and go home
Where one day you're being eaten by mozzies
and tormented by sandflies
sitting cross-legged
sweating and steaming
on the dusty red earth
of Arnhem Land
And eight hours later
enjoying a glass of champagne
and an Eric Bogle concert
at the air-conditioned
entertainment centre
