I’ve been a social butterfly this weekend and I have to say it beats being hunched over the laptop working… and while I’ve indulged in a little in design project for my Dad by far the best part of my time has been spent with friends.
Which is as it should be…
Friday morning was a visit to the park with ‘Model Child’ my godson. It was the best kind of kid fix wherein it lasts long enough to make him tired and short enough to avoid the cranky pants zone. (Sorry Kirk, I left that part for you..).
The afternoon was spent with Yay watching Napoleon Dynamite so now I feel as though my finger is once more on the pulse of popular culture. Having heard much about it I was interested to see it and while it’s unlikely to be joining my video collection it was rather bizarre and funny. Thanks for coming Yay!!! Glad you found the place ok – you’re the first person who’s got here without having to phone and ask “Where the Bloody Hell Are You?!”
Friday night… (See what I mean? Total butterfly…) was spent in the company of the Mr and Mrs Brown in their bijou flat by the sea. Mrs Brown is a superlative chef, so dinner was an immaculate roast (I know.. Good Friday and we ate lamb…desperate). I was introduced to Sweetie a small ringtail possum who’s the mother of the latest addtion to the local possum population… happily the baby’s named ‘Dee’ after moi… there you have it… I’m famous, I have a possum named after me!! Hurrah!!
Finally, Friday night saw me hunched over the laptop until 1 watching the aforementioned ‘Coupling’. Do you know it? I have never laughed so hard over tv in my life… I’d categorise it as the British answer to ‘Friends’ but it’s ever so much saucier and (sic) cleverer. I have 4 series on DVD and am nearly at the end of the second… I’m hoping I can get through the rest today and tomorrow as I have an insane week lined up at work… I borrowed the DVDs from Kirk but it’s up there with House for me and I’m going to have to buy it for myself I believe…
Saturday was more tv and the aforementioned (v short) trip to the mall… and last night was dinner with Gill and Dyl. Haven’t had an evening go for so long or feel so short in ages. We trekked up the hill towards home at 1am.. after having polished of a fair amount of wine a couple of games of cards and a whole lot of conversation. It was a fantastic evening!!! I should be out jogging for a month to make up for it… and for the benefit of my memory what follows is an account of the dessert I took with me…
Streets Blue Ribbon IceCream which had been softened and mixed through with frozen raspberries and re frozen.
A rich dark chocloate sauce made with cream and Lindt 70% dark chocolate.
Raspberries soaked in Grand Marnier…
It was divine…
And so, it’s Sunday, and I’m going to church this evening, with Dusel and Dorf and their parents who’ve just arrived from Germany.. and having dinner with them afterwards… I thing it’s going to be a bit of a culture shock for all of them, church, I mean…
Let’s face it, at the moment it’s a bit of a culture shock for me…
Into the Jaws of Death
It’s 2.15pm (AEDST) and I’m about to close the computer (on which I’ve been watching long stretches of the delightful english comedy ‘Coupling’) and go to the mall…
Cue Jaws music.
I hate the mall… It’s scary and busy and there are … [sharp intake of breath]… shops.
Yuk.
It has to be done… I have to spend money… [shoulders sag]…
If I’m not back and blogging about it in 3 hours… call the SES*.
*State Emergency Services…
Favourite Photo Thursday
Falls in the Blue Mountains – I think they’re called Cascade Falls…
if not, they should be!
At My Wits End
Q. Why do the networks interrupt the flow of new episodes of series such as Friends and Becker by showing repeats?
A. Most US shows are made in series of about 22 episodes. The Australian ratings calendar runs for 40 weeks a year. Networks pad out their successful imports with occasional repeats to extend their high ratings over a longer period. Repeats also are used during the two-week Easter break in the official ratings to keep viewers in the habit of switching on at particular times. Why do programmers do what they do? By Ross Warneke June 6 2002 The Age
This writer asked the same question I ask myself everytime I sit down to watch House on a Wednesday night and find myself face to face with an episode I’ve seen.
And I’ve seen them all so far… I own the boxed set.
Where I grew up, a season of shows was played from its beginning to its end and and while the year was a lot longer than the season of new shows you wore it as a part of life… to everything there is a season, and all that… Basically? It was expected you’d have to spend most of the year without your favourites… but you cherished their presence all the more for the short time they were on the box… You watched ER (and the like) for 20 weeks or so and then got on with your life.
But here? (or now… I’m not sure if NZ participates in this despicable practice these days) Here, as the ratings season extends for 40 weeks, show seasons are padded out for as long as possible to get as much juice as possible for the bloody networks.. and it rips my undies that we are held hostage to them (or more precisely to their advertisers…)
So, tonight, on NCIS Kate was back from the dead for the evening, and House was no longer harassing his ex (but realistically little else has changed).
Bloody Network 1 Little guy/girl 0
Happily, Channel 9 refrained from dumping old ER on us and the episode I saw was a newbie and a goodie… You’d think in view of that I’d have ended up in bed earlier… But no, I’m on a roll now… and while I’m on the subject of corporate nasties…