Round 2

Less than two weeks until my birthday fiesta which is exciting. And one week until Wellington, and just had the good news that Morgan will be playing at Happy when I'm down there.

A good weekend, drinks at Orchid, Kareoke, Burger Fuel, a great old style party last night, featuring a pool and a band (Autozamm) all crowned by the Summer Series, which was a great excuse to lazily drink beer in the sun.

And another poem...While the reception wasn't especially noticable last time, here's another one. Feel free to let me know what you think.

The Winter Garden

I turned to see you waving
through the gardens’ glass
set with run-your-hand-down steam.

We had run through a
never-found-again
clearing,
Tripping over roots
Just buried
And muddling through the thousand
little worlds of spiders.

But just as the day happened,
We knew not to talk about it again.

You tossed a coin into the water.
I can’t help but feel that
You shouldn’t have been so
definite,
In asking for just
six months more.

He's Just Not That...

While many of my friends frown upon my new habit of checking out the paper recycling in my rather flush suburb, it does yield some treasures. Last weeks’ Wallpaper/ Vogue haul was impressive but this week I found the jewel in the crown. Hannah and I were walking Rico last night, when outside the second hand bookshop, we found these treasures:

The Initiation of Mary (rather topical I thought)
Return to Auschwitz (Hannah insisted on grabbing this one)
If I’m so Wonderful Why Am I Still Single? (the best)

If I’m So Wonderful… is a gift from the 80s, hence it contains a lot of instruction on how to handle the AIDS epidemic and on handling the social issues that having AIDS can cause. Of course, it does tell you that being a heterosexual, you’re probably fine, don’t worry so much about the rubber gloves.

Diseases aside (read section: The Sexual Revolution Was Great While It Lasted, quote: "fear and caution are now part of virtually every new amorous encounter"), the book is full of handy hints for all singles. Like all good self help books, it lays out ten strategies for finding love in today’s (well, 88’s) cold harsh world. And warns strongly against joining singles groups because of the complacency they engender. Bless.

Party Anxiety Begins...

Big beachy weekend again, because right now, Auckland is hot. Crazily so. Olly, Hannah and I kicked off at Thorne Bay on Friday night after work, followed by Burger Fuel. Saturday was spent at Bethells Beach, which was perfect, even if the sand was too hot for walking.

ET came back from two weeks in Australia and we hung out with her Saturday night, appreciating the goodness that is the OC, season three. Surely the most exciting season yet...

Party anxiety has just begun to kick in. With just over two weeks to go, frankly, it's all go. Invites to hand out, playlists to make. I just added Bust a Move AND Ride the White Horse to my growing Party List. But I'm very glad that Andrew will be playing for most of the night, music is a huge task to get right.

Wellington again next weekend. Looking forward to being back and seeing Lucy again. Do miss that funny little city sometimes...

Tasmanian Regatta Day

Tuesday the 14th was, of course, Tasmanian Regatta Day, which Donna kindly reminded me. Because frankly, the days' alter ego wasn't working for me. Even last year which yielded a mere rose creepily stuck to my door was better. That in mind, I have composed this Valentines Day playlist:

I Wanna be Adored- The Stone Roses
I Need Somebody- Iggy Pop and the Stooges
Ever Fallen in Love?- The Buzzcocks
You Really Got Me- The Kinks
Jealous Guy- John Lennon
Baby Bitch- Ween
The Rat- The Walkmen
Honest Mistake- The Bravery
Heart of Glass- Blondie
I Don't Want to Get Over You- The Magnetic Fields

I think it takes you neatly through the highs and lows. And reminds a good chunk of us why we're much better off. Which I have also been feeling this week.

Munich

So the Gardener film never happened, we saw Munich instead. But now I need to see it anyway, as it's been put up for an Oscar. And I need to see all of the Oscar picks. Which I think all look excellent this year. Most excited about seeing Walk the Line, or maybe Brokeback Mountain.

Munich was a very interesting film. Would be quite easy to shoot it full of holes but it seemed surprisingly honest in what it was trying to do. So I won't. Eric Bana is excellent, as is Daniel Craig. It's long, because all films are now apparently. It made me want to read up on surrounding events, which frankly may or may not happen.

Another long weekend ahead, in which I get to dog sit the neighbours puppy. I am lame in my excitement. Also have a big Touchdown party and enough writing work to occupy me for a year. And helping the parents who are going crazy getting the cafe up and running...