HWB horror!

The weather remains cold, but apart from a nasty hot-water bottle accident last week (yes, I woke up with wet feet) everything is running smoothly.

On Saturday we did our shopping in Brunswick for a change; I got some tasty reggiano at Mediterranean Wholesalers as well as stoc. We had lunch in Clifton Hill.

Then in the afternoon Tat and I went up the hill to St Mark's Fitzroy to the Gombert fund-raising concert at which I also bought a lovely new tea-towel. Saturday night saw me at DG's with D&JN - good food and good company made for an enjoyable evening. We talked about DN's up-coming exhibition.

Tonight I'm working my first 2-10 shift on the editorial floor - it's very different, but also quite interesting being in the thick of it all.

The beautiful Yarra by night

What a week

On Tuesday evening Tat and I met up with P&B for a meal at the Canary Club after which we went to the Lonsdale Street Methodist church for the Royal Phil concert. There was a visiting choir from California which sang a varied selection of works from the Americas - they were very, very good. After interval the Phil sang; they were not very, very good. The concert finished with both choirs combining to sing the Fauré Requiem. B and I were glad we stayed (the others had left) as the performance was very satisfying; the orchestra was excellent and the soloists were from the visiting choir. On balance, a positive experience.



Last night I joined BN and KN for dinner at Southgate after which we walked to Hamer Hall to hear the wonderful Mandy Patinkin in concert. What a performer - within ten minutes he had the entire audience dancing the Hokey Pokey, while he sang it in Yiddish! He performed without an interval for over two hours and covered a huge range of music from The band played on through Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim.

The voice is not beautiful: when soft and high there is (to me) an ugly slow vibrato and when belting in his chest voice it's just plain coarse, and much of the time there's not much between the two extremes. But the simple fact is that Patinkin knows his stuff; he knows how to choose songs and how to deliver them. And above all he loves what he does and communicates this to the audience he loves and who loves him. I never expected to hear a straight man singing Broadway Baby and Liaisons; I certainly never expected to hear them sung so movingly. Brilliant!

Tonight was rehearsal for next Thursday's St Peter's day service at St Peter's Eastern Hill. Members of Gloriana are boosting the numbers of the SPEH choir and John W conducted. Tat and had a quick Victoria Street meal beforehand.

Holiday over

Well, it was only a week but it felt like longer; the trip to Newstead last weekend helped. On Friday I had a lovely lunch with MG at Readings in Glenferrie followed by a browse through all the tempting delights in the shop. Then in the evening it was a delicious dinner with D and P&B at the Carringbush.

Saturday morning was shopping as usual followed by a visit to Ikea. Unfortunately P wasn't able to find what he was after, but it was OK to have a wander around; not nearly as crowded as we expected. On Saturday night Tat came for dinner - she brought her pictures from her trip to FNQ; they included pictures showing the damage from the cyclone .

I was at Mum's today with a CD of pictures from his trip to Indonesia including Krakatao and Komodo. Then after I dropped in to see Dr D and the Lotus Master in town.

Back to work tomorrow.

Still cold

Well, there goes another year.

On the (long) weekend DG, P&B and I went to Newstead. It was very cold, but despite that we had a lovely time, spent as usual mostly eating and drinking. P made a delicious lamb tagine with quinces for Saturday evening and on Sunday D fired up the barbecue and we had pork spare ribs and the local speciality, bullboar sausages.






This week I've taken a some annual leave (because it's there). On Tuesday I went over to see BN and we had a good natter over lunch which I picked up at DJ's on the way through.

Then yesterday AR came for a sing before his exam today and then later I met LE after her shift and we went to the Canary Club for a very tasty bite before heading off to see the new Disney/Pixar film Cars. It was OK, but not as good as their previous efforts. It was also my birthday, not that anyone's counting.

Today I wandered into town and had my eyes tested and signed up for a rather expensive new pair of spectacles. Thank goodness I can claim some of the cost on the private health insurance I rarely seem to use for anything else. Afterwards I went up to the Con and played for AR's exam; it was only an interim test and was over within five minutes. As I was in the area I wandered over to Carlton where I browsed through Readings and Borders and had a bite to eat before catching the bus home.

Winter begins

The busy weekend began on Friday night with our first performance of the Brahms Requiem. Despite a couple of glitches it went well and was well received. Then on Saturday morning AH and his son came to replace the cornicing in the bathroom and do a couple of other little things around the house. I left them to it and did the usual Saturday morning shop with P&B.



Then in the afternoon P and I went for a walk. I was being a grumpy old man complaining about all the people on mountain bikes riding along what are clearly labelled pedestrian-only paths. This was a continuation of the grump I was in when I was woken before 8 by a bobcat working four doors up. On the walk I took a lot of pics which I then dumped onto the new toy when I got home; it seems to work OK. Saturday evening I spent in front of the telly watching a couple of episodes of Battlestar Galactica before Cracker came on.



On Sunday Tat picked me up for the afternoon concert which went off well - the audience were very appreciative; Grantley and Suzie sang their solos beautifully. Afterwards I went with Tat back to her flat and helped her clean up so it can be let out. Then in the evening B&P came for dinner; I made another goulash but unfortunately I didn't have enough paprika so it wasn't quite as nice as the last one.

Work today was almost non-stop; I hope tomorrow is a bit easier.