Cliché

A frog on a lily pad...

















is like slipping on a banana peel... which I have done... or like helping a little old lady across the road. So exciting when it actually happens.

Sociable

It has been a friendly couple of weeks.

B went to Cow Pie for a wedding recently but I stuck around because I was expecting some visitors. First, it was Grant and Bim Bambi, looking more relaxed than ever, which is astonishing considering they have two children under the age of three. We all went out for dinner, grandparents too, and then just the two of them came over to see our place. While they were visiting, the phone rang three times. One was J-Lo, laying low of late due to hardcore thesis-writing, and another was the Apple to my Pear. The third I didn't answer. I postponed chatting due to the unusual circumstances of visitors and called them back the next day.

J-Lo defends his thesis tomorrow. Gah! I am so happy for him, though with a tinge of envy. It's not like he hasn't worked at it. We haven't hung out in weeks.

The conversation with Apple-to-Pear was long, interesting and hilarious. My ear was killing me afterwards. Such fun we had!

Lolabola came to visit two days later. We did the usual stuff: walked around, drank beer, looked at photos... it just sounds dull to read, but I can't tell you how nice it is to be around an old friend, especially this old friend. I could sit beside her on a kerb all day and be totally content.

Then out of the blue, I had an invitation from a recent acquaintance to meet at the pub for a group drink. (Why do people invite me for a drink but never to go ice climbing, say for example? Not that I am complaining...) B was home at this stage and happy to be invited to go out with someone new. On the way we stopped to water the garden, which is looking lush. We picked a few of these before anyone else could get to them first.















If ever you are going out with potential new friends and you think you might not have anything to talk about, bring along a tomato.

Work it

New job started this week. I've just spent the time getting oriented, reading, that sort of thing, so there hasn't been much action yet. Yesterday, I had most of the lights in my office taken out. This office is very small with two large windows all along one wall and long, fluorescent lights that come on automatically and stay on all day. (What kind of logic came up with that?) Anyway, with the exception of the air conditioner, it's now a very nice space. From the sixth floor there, I have a view of rooftops and treetops, and I can see all the dragonflies zooming around.

Being 'in their employ', I am not permitted to speak negatively about the government. That's okay as I don't have any particular fire inside that wants to burn its way out - I hope that if I did, I wouldn't be working there in the first place - but it will take some practice not to mention the odd weakness in informal conversation. I caught myself doing this the other day and I felt the way I do when I am gossiping - just a habit, I guess, being generally negative! Must work on that.

However, were a small fire to begin to smoulder, I suppose this is as good a platform as any from which to let it burn. So I might as well let you in on one small irony: while it is not recommended that I write a letter to the editor, say for example advocating improvements to cycling infrastructure, it appears that should I choose to drive a hummer to work - for a government that's trying to be green - I will get the parking spot closest to the entrance.

B and I are DINKs now. We might be able to afford to lease one fairly soon.