Screen Lures

I took the long weekend off. Usually I'd be quite diligent and work through but this time around I just felt I needed to do something different, shake up the routine. Which is why this entry comes on a Tuesday instead of the usual Monday (ooh, different!). This included as much of a clean up as I could manage of my room (though there is more to come when we have to pack up to have new floorboards laid). I've rolled away some posters and have shuffled the rest around the room for better feng shui. Well, you can't be too careful.

Our first writers' group meeting went pretty well. We'll be meeting monthly at the Well Connected in Glebe. Personally I think this means we should be called the Ink Wells (rather than the Trannies after Ms Tran Lam, which was my initial obscure attempt at a name). Everyone got to know each other (or reacquaint themselves with one another) and there was a generally convivial atmosphere about each person's ideas, writing, influences and feedback.

On Tuesday I drove over to Stuart's place, which was a bit of a mistake because I hit peak hour traffic on the way home. It usually takes an hour to get to his place (two by public transport). On the way there it only took me 45 mins but I had to pop into the shops to buy him an Easter bunny. On the way back it took 2 hours, one hour of which was stuck on the wrong side of the Roseville Bridge. (I don't want to get into a debate with North Shorers about which side is the 'right' side so I'll just qualify that by saying that the 'wrong' side was the side furthest away from my place). I discovered that the way to make traffic move is to attempt to peel open a much anticipated Easter egg. However, it was good to finally see him after so much time alone, slaving over words that will eventually cease to matter.

Then on Wednesday I went to have my dilation test, which made me feel all woozy because it opens up your pupils so that the optometrist can see all the bits inside and the lights get spangly. On the up side, I managed to get to Lincraft and find a packet of earring backs, which has been on my 'to buy' list for a while. Rach drove me home.

On Friday Assumpta came over to watch Nerds FC with me. Nerds FC is a new series on SBS that takes 14 self-confessed nerds and turns them into soccer players. Well, a soccer team of sorts. Anyway, the concept was vaguely interesting to me until I learnt that one of the guys, Nick, used to be in my grade at school, which is when it became a concept of utter hilarity. I don't know what's going on with me this week, I'm finding belly laughs in faintly amusing situations. Tackling too much serious stuff alone, methinks. Anyway, Sir came over later and we had tea and ate Easter eggs while talking about inane things like 'would you rather sleep with Adam Sandler or an orc?'

The weekend was pretty much spent packing stuff for the floorboard renovation, though it was good to get rid of a load of crap that I've been hoarding for god knows what reason. Usually I'm pretty good but seriously, why did I have a booklet on fruit orchards? Also a trip through memory lane. I had a poem that composed itself in my head that night but I haven't written it down yet (don't worry, it's still there!).

The four of us - that is Ass, Sir, Stuart and I - went on a picnic to Lane Cove National Park on Easter Sunday, which unfortunately was everyone else's idea as well (I was thinking that everyone would magically go on holiday and we'd have the place to ourselves, which was not the case). We got horribly sidetracked trying to find a decent parking spot but eventually made it by crossing the creek trespassing through grounds of a conference centre and settling in the sun. Then resettling when the sun moved. Then resettling when the sun moved again.

Didn't do much yesterday. Caught up on a lot of newspaper reading and then managed to spend just about the entire night in front of the TV, another unusual move from me. Unfortunately I think I've gotten hooked on Hotel Babylon, the very un-BBC-like BBC show that started last week. It was my mum's fault, really. She was watching the family movie, 'Paulie' on Saturday and I sat down to read the paper and got caught up in the movie instead (which made me cry!). Then Hotel Babylon had an 'encore' performance (hmph, euphemism for 'recent repeat') from its Monday night debut. A bout of inertia had invaded me by that point so I just sat down to watch. Anyway, it was two episodes so of course I had to watch on Monday which led to a string of quirky shows like Six Feet Under and Arrested Development before I managed to prise myself away from the box. Not sure I'm really into either SFU or AD, they're both a bit extreme for me - SFU too emotionally tense and AD too oddball.

But you know what this means? I've started watching TV again. Which is NOT GOOD. Nerds FC will end in a few months, though, and I'm hoping that Hotel Babylon will be crap after a couple of seasons and I can stop. I put it all down to the fact that Natalie Mendoza and Dexter Fletcher are in it. How dare they lure me in?

P.S: Just recalled that British TV seasons are only 8 episodes long. I've seen 3 eps of Hotel Babylon already, which means I'm only tied to Monday nights for another 5 weeks. Phew.