This will hurt me...

It really has been one of those weeks. Bring on the Darleks, I say...

Greetings from Singapore! Is anybody out there?!?!

Boys in a ball. A Taste of the Huon, Ranelagh. March 2014. 1.] What was your favourite age? Twenty was good. 2.] Do you miss someone right now? Not particularly. 3.] What can you see North West to you? Rabbits. 4.] Do you like bowling? No. 5.] Can you pronounce Italian words? Non molto bene . 6.] Do you prefer black or beige coloured jackets? What an odd question. I like green jackets. 7.] Do you own a hoodie? I own a few. 8.] Do you like roasting marshmallows on a bonfire? I used to. 9.] Do you like cheesy puffs? Are they like Cheetos? I like Cheetos? 10.] What's your name without vowels? Krs. 11.] How many layers of clothing are you wearing? One very thin layer. 12.] When was the last time you got a take away? What did you have? Actual take away ‘take away’? I can’t remember. I’m sure that it involved chips. 13.] If you could climb any mountain or range which would you choose? That’s a good question. A long walk along the Carpath...

Wineglass Bay lookout, Freycinet National Park. January 2014. Finally, a new Q and A! It's the Let Me Give Your Heart A Break Meme ... Do you prefer a lot of ice in your drinks or just a little bit of ice? Just a little, please. Which condiment (ketchup, mustard, etc.) do you use the most of? Mustard. Hot. Does war scare you? It equally troubles and fascinates me. Do you know any songs that are older than you are? Of course I do. What an odd question. The Beatles had been done and dusted for seven years by the time I arrived. Beethoven had been dead for 150 years. Are you comfortable sharing drinks with your friends? Not in the slightest. What season were you born in? Autumn, which is often associated with feelings of melancholy. The seemingly possibilities of summer have faded, and the threat of winter lurks ahead. Skies darken, and people turn inward, both physically and mentally. Have you ever spent over $100.00 on an article of clothing? What was i...

Late afternoon swim. Little Howrah Beach. January 2014. I think that I owe you a Q and A. How about the Summertime meme ? 1.) What first tells you that Summer is here? The girls are showing a lot more of their thighs. 2.) Name your five of your favourite distinctively Summer habits or customs. Swimming, snorkelling, evening runs, early-morning walks and fruit platters. 3.) What is your favourite smell of Summer? The beach. 4.) What is your favourite taste of Summer? Icy poles. 5.) Favourite Summer memory? Swimming during intense electoral storms. 6.) Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why? Hot hot hot! 7.) What books do you plan to read for the season? Good books! 8.) What is your favourite part of summer? Anything involving the water. 9.) What's your favourite quintessentially summer food? Least favourite? Fresh berries are my favourite. I don’t usually eat what I don’t like. 10.) Best beverage to beat the summer heat:...

Just two lads hanging out on an old boiler. I will have to get back to these parts more regularly.

Camp Falls, Tasman National Park, the Tasman Peninsula. October 2013. A Greyhound of a Girl , Roddy Doyle: This is the first of Roddy Dolye’s books that I’ve read that he’s written for younger readers. In many respects it is ‘typical Doyle’, but with a distinctly softer edge in terms of language and overall ambiance. That said, the narrative voice is distinctly Irish and I didn’t find the change undermined my enjoyment of the novel. Given the central themes of death, ageing and regret, the author does a great job of communicating a sense of tenderness and understanding without resorting to condescension or the hackneyed metaphors often seen in this kind of thing. Essentially a tale of love and death across four generations of women in one family, the blurb sums it up nicely: "One of them is dead, one of them is dying, one of them is driving, and one of them is just starting out". I enjoyed it, you might too. Recommended. C+.