Saturday - Monday, July 11 - 13 2009 (diary)

The days pass very quickly here at present. I feel rather lazy, sitting on my front veranda, reading, lunches out somewhere, bridge some evenings watching sport on TV until 2 or 3 in the morning. I have almost gone through a 50 satchels box of green tea and have given that a miss lately. I am now on to miso soup instead and like it much better. It is probably much healthier too. I also still take 4 capsules (10mg) of Omega 3 every morning.

Sunday afternoon I get a phone call from my young friend Mel. She is working at a World Vision stand in the Kawana Shopping Centre (Sunshine Coast, Queensland) as we speak. Mel has worked for World Vision for years (that is where we first met), but she also works part time in a Sunglasses shop in the Sunshine Plaza (Maroochydore, SE Queensland) which she loves. Mel has just bought a new (2nd hand) car she tells me, but yesterday she reversed into a pole and got her first scratch on it. Quite a coincidence as I had a little accident too yesterday around the very same time as she did.

I must say I quite enjoy my visits to the Palmerston Library. It has a small licensed Bistro attached to it which offers lovely Asian lunches, including Laksas, or just a coffee or even glass of wine or beer.
Many people come here, read a book they just borrowed, have lunch with someone, or work on their laptop as the Library has a free wireless access facility which also covers the Bistro. You can sit inside in air conditioned comfort or outside in the shade under a veranda at the front of the Library.

I went there yesterday (Sunday) and again today and picked up a couple of novels by authors I did not know before. One is the Australian Helen Townsend the other is Siri Hustvedt from New York City.

Tuesday & Wednesday, July 14 & 15 2009 (diary)

It is "Quatorze Juliet" (spelling ?), 14th of July, the French Independence Day, celebrating the 220th birthday of the storming of the Bastille (in 1789).
Three French riders in a brake away are doing their utmost to secure a French Stage win in the Tour de France for today. But unfortunately (unlike last year) their efforts are in vain. They are overtaken by the Peleton and Cavendish, the English sprinter from the island of Man, gets his 3rd stage win this year. The Eiffel Tower too celebrates today. It is its 120th birthday.

Here in Darwin there is also a celebration, but of a more local kind. The Darwin Airport Gateway Motel is officially opened by Dr. Chris Burns The NT Minister for Tourism.
About 60 guests are in attendance, the beer and wine flow in abundance and Rick, the chef, has prepared some delicious finger food which disappears as quickly as it is handed around.

So one way or the other Wednesday is for all of us a day of rest and recuperation !