Life (sadly the real thing doesn't have a soundtrack by The Shins or traces of Zach Braff)

I swear my computer has a mind of its own (1). I was walking home from Borders thinking of all the things I could write. Up the steep bit of Keppel street, across the round about with the grass that even now has turned a pale unhealthy green and crackles under your feet. I had just spent a pleasant hour-ish on Lygon Street, wandering in and out of clothes shops where I couldn’t even afford the singlets. Lots of girls wearing cute sundresses today. It made me think of a really random quote. Something from the Animorphs (there is just so much useless information in my head) that the guy who liked Rachel but who wasn’t Tobias said he liked summer because of the short dresses with flowers and bright colour girls wear. So I was trying to imagine what it would be like to be a guy, checking out girls in their sundresses. I totally get the breasts thing, I mean I don’t really find them attractive, but it’s about size and that’s easy to get. I was focusing more on legs. Guys seem very into legs, and I just don’t understand why. From what I can tell it’s also about size, skinny legs are hot? I think that’s the deal. But I think curvy legs are nicer, aesthetically. I remember complaining to my mum about my legs when I was quite young, maybe 12 or 13, and she said “Don’t complain, people would kill to have legs like you”, which I found oddly fierce. Of course she is my mum and hence has to say things like this plus my legs have changed quite a bit since then anyway. I also don’t get why bums are hot either (2). When it comes to guys I like arms and faces. Anyway in the words of C.J. Cregg “We seem to have wandered of the topic”. So yes, I went to Borders which basically I see as my very own reference library. Disappointingly, last week sometime someone actually bought America (the book) which I had been reading, luckily the “Teacher’s Edition” is still there. So I sat at Gloria Jeans (yay for instore cafes) and drank their not too atrocious coffee (their iced chocolates are really gross) and read the aforementioned book as well as one about Gilmore Girls. I would pretty much never buy a book about a TV show (The Daily Show and The Colbert Report excluded of course(3)) but they make great free!reading. Free!reading being quite acceptable in Borders. Everyone has piles of (unbought) books and magazines on their tables, I think some of them are considering purchases though. So I still haven’t complained about my computer. I came into the house and T was still napping in her room so I went into my room and grabbed my laptop and came onto our veranda bit. We have an old wicker sofa that was a sofa-bed but is missing the mattress bit so when you sit down you fall into a bit of an abyss. So I sat on the sofa-abyss and turned my laptop on. Well I attempted to, of course it decided this was the time to play silly-buggers. One minute it was standing by then it was logging off and then it decided to shut down. It was very annoying because I had all this solid gold blogging material leaking out of my head as I continually pushed the off/on button (admittedly this might not have helped the process). But all is well (4) now. There is residual warmth trapped under the clear corrugated roof and sun light against red brick. I am wiggling my toes in my battered up Birkenstocks - it’s that summery. I am also listening to R.E.M. which is certainly comforting Saturday afternoon music. I’ve been listening to them a lot recently, them and the Hothouse Flowers, because I miss my dad. I’m 20 going on 13, I know. Also there’s nothing like being sick to make you miss your parents. I don’t even like the Hothouse Flowers that much, they have disturbing 80s undercurrents. There is one song of theirs called Gypsy fair which I quite like, it has a sweet line about a “bareback rider with a red head smile” . Anyway, I was supposed to work today but I called in sick. I am feeling a bit better this afternoon though which makes me feel a bit guilty. Oh well. I think I needed (what my friend Jem calls) a mental health day. I have been feeling quite down. Mostly it’s about boring stuff that I wont rehash here. But hopefully things are on the up. I have a lot of uni stuff to do still unfortunately. I have to write two pieces for creative writing. One has to be non fiction. I am having a lot of trouble coming up with something to write about. I was hopeful some blogging might help… nothing yet though. So despite feeling quite a bit better, I still feel… gluggy. I really hate my sinuses, and I think they hate me too. Also my ears keep blocking up. I was complaining about this to T and she said I should put oil in them. I was quite dismissive of this idea which I think she was annoyed by. However, I am not going to be sticking random stuff in my ears. Well that sure sounds like a good line to end on.

1. I will get back to this, I promise.
2. Male readers feel free to challenge my broad generalisations about what turns you on.
3. The difference being that America (the book) is that it is in the Humour section (along with the Chaser books) rather than the TV Show section.
4. Harry Potter 7 epilogue reference ahoy!

Expatriate

Sometimes I reuse teabags
Thin, sweat, tea and toast
Smeared with vegemite
A feast to feed nostalgia

The table was round and plastic
Keys clatter as they land
Legs burn from the stairs
The lift wasn’t working

Stripping off decency
Hot air licks against soggy skin
The sun leaks in under,
Around and through the curtains,

On the street
There are old women
Selling sickly sweet jackfruit,
Separating the flesh with wiry fingers

There are young women
Selling furled cloth,
Kitschy colors, perilously balanced,
Growing out of the dust

There are old men
Fixing punctured bike tyres
With a bowl of dirty water,
Practiced fingers and sad eyes

And I am lying on the bed

"Honey, If I had my way we'd never leave the house..."

So, there seems to have been a two month interlude. Ooups. Always best to wait until your (two) readers have given up all hope. Also best to wait until your philosophy essay is two days late and many words off finished. I was going to do real things tonight (drinking things, involving a band or two and possibly, you know, leaving the house) but T took forever texting me and I'd kind of got into a 'staying in' frame of mind. Plus the reason I am free is because they didn't need me at work, which makes it a week since I worked which makes me v. poor. So I'm concentrating on spending as little money as possible (apart on from coffee, muffins, caramel slice and too much internet quota). I haven't had the net at home for about 4 days, which really doesn't make that much difference because I can use superfast free net at uni, but it's nice to have it at home again. Mainly because watching The Daily Show in bed is just great. Anyway.

Okay, I might have to take a food interlude. I am really hungry but also really lazy. So jealous of people with mums to whip something up right now.
Had toasted bread and cheese. I think I might be ill because I'm tired all the time and also really thirsty. Whenever I'm really thirsty I think I must be getting Diabetes (because that's what happened to Stacy in the Baby Sitters Club). I'm too old to get juvenile onset diabetes surely?

Oooh it's all stormy outside, lightening, thunder etc.

Ok well, I realise this is not the most exciting return post ever but blah. I'll post the poem I wrote for my creative writing course. It got a "nice poem" comment from my (cute) tutor. Obviously this is better than "crap poem", but really "nice" ? From a creative writing tutor, surely he could have thought of another adjective? *SIGH*