Tying up loose ends

It's been a busy weekend so far. Lots of running around yesterday, getting some pressing things done with a couple of girlfriends and then at the end of the day, collapsing in Nome's new pad with pizza, pinot, ice cream and chocolate. Moving is exhausting! I'd been dreading yesterday for some time and so it is a relief to have it done.


The night before we glammed up and went out for dinner at a swanky restaurant for Mon's birthday. The food was fabulous but the entrees were so enormous that we could barely finish our mains (and in fact I couldn't - unheard of), let alone even think about dessert. Then we went to my favourite late-night establishment where the others, sadly, vetoed my idea of party pies (different stomach for party pies, you see) but we did scoff the delicious choc-coated almonds and drink some sweet stuff.

This afternoon I'm off to Sydney to catch up with Margie (and try to watch Eurovision) and then I'm working in central NSW for the week. By the time I get back it will be mega-headless chook time, I suspect. I'll have to make some lists during the week; I don't really like making lists but it does make rushed packing a bit easier.

Zimbabwe finally got some mainstream news coverage yesterday, but only because the Aussie cricket team are boycotting the tour. There are several levels of stupidity to this. #1 - that one of the reasons given by people opposing the boycott are along the lines of, "Well if WE don't go to Zimbabwe, no other cricket teams will go either!". Who gives a stuff??? #2 - for insightful political comment about the situation, the commercial news channels consulted erudite, articulate, politically astute commentators. Like Tony Greig. #3 - why why WHY does it have to involve sport before Australians even get a sniff of what's going on? #4 - as if boycotting a cricket tour will make even an iota of difference to Robert Mugabe. HE'S A DESPOT, PEOPLE. I am just as enraged as the next person about Zimbabwe, but it's not about a cricket tour. I wish Thabo Mbeki would grow a spine about it. That said, it's pretty questionable whether cutting off most of Zimbabwe's say, electrical supply (as Mbeki could do) (on a side note, did Mandela really endure everything he did and make the sweeping changes he did in order for Mbeki to sit on his hands?), would make any difference in a country where the government makes the law (regardless of what the law says) and horrendous human rights abuses have been perpetuated for the last 20 years.

EDIT: I'm watching Eurovision as I type this. I just wanted to capture the moment for posterity. We love Ukraine (but why were they singing in German?), Sweden (the bare chest, the gothic makeup, the dinky moves, the sequins), Belarus (how did those dancers stick to those screens?), Latvia (top hats, jackets, roses and...jeans?), UK (channelling Hi5 and also adding in some semaphore for good measure). Best English lyric of the night - "Leave me alone, I wanna go home" (courtesy Finland, trying to look like Evanescence). I also thought Romania were pretty cute. Ngy, you MISSED OUT. I hope you caught some on YouTube.