Scorched

It's been a while since I've added to the gallery.

This is called "Staring at the Sun" which is a title which I believe has been used many times before.

The Not So Hairy Hunter

Enviro bag over a shoulder
I stroll down a prince of a highway
seeking a delicious dinner
for a price I'm willing to pay

The walk will do me good
I tell myself
A junkie for a flat stomach
That I don't even think I want

The air suddenly turns frigid and unbreathable
As I walk through the automatic doors
Dreams of luxury are offered
If only I'd swipe my card

Deep fried furniture
Leather lined limes
Shaving shoes
Everything a man doesn't need

I buy bread
To protest the blatant discrimination
Against the innocent carbohydrate
And because I like the taste

A small bag of crisps
my guilty pleasure
I am a savoury slut
Insatiably so

The man needs meat though
Beef, stripped for stir fry
Frozen veges ready to go
And a sauce of suitable sustanence

I pay and attempt to leave
But the luxury on offer
keeps trying to grab me
And haul me back

Pink iced hot dogs
Personalised corkscrews
Mobile phones that double as stun guns
Enough!

Exit through the automatic doors
The air turns from frigid to balmy
And I can breathe again
Back in the real world.

...ink

With a sullied slink,
and bawdy blink,
I give a wink,
Like a filthy fink.

Produce a link,
A chainy chink,
Be in sync,
Approach the brink.

Kick up a stink,
Within our rink,
Faces are pink,
We're done... I think.

Gleeble

I ventured on a ramble yesterday, to a place I commonly refer to as my "old stomping ground". The third of my abodes upon my arrival in Sin City was in the city-fringe suburb of Glebe. It was a pleasant reminder of pleasant days.

Post living in Redfern, I took a lease on a small apartment on Bay Street. It was expensive and of rather low quality, but as the real estate money-makers would wax lyrically, "location, location, location". Being on the city fringe, one needed only to step out the door of their building to be thrust into the heady delights of vibrancy. Sometimes indeed that vibrance had the ability to invade one's living space, and I remember being apalled at the noise of the street sweepers that operated all night long (the only time traffic would allow them to perform their duties) and the garbage truck that reversed up the small alley immediately outside my bedroom window at 11:30PM three times per week. This was a shock, but I soon accepted it as part of living in the area, and my sleep patterns syncronized with it.

The first task on my arrival yesterday was to re-acquaint myself with a culinary delight. Singapore noodles at the Hot Wokmaster on Broadway was a staple of Friday nights when I lived in the area and has never been improved upon by any other establishment I have tried so far. The HW is an unassuming place, where what must be thousands of Asian dishes are printed up on the wall for you to try. A pot of green tea is provided and in my case a complimentary bowl of soup appeared for reasons I am unsure. More refreshing than tasty, I consumed only some of it as I wished not to ruin my appetite. Hence, a steaming pile of golden noodles duly arrived. It is a curried dish with grenades of sliced chillies that are necessary during cooking but best avoided when eating lest your palate be obliterated. As delicious as always, a great way to be fed for under a tenner.

I've always enjoyed walking around the east side of Bay street. Large brick warehouses have been converted into trendy apartments and offices and it all looks fantastic. That is except for St Barnabas, a historic old church that burnt down a few years ago and still is in ruins. I remember a homeless chap who had constructed a small dwelling on the side of the church, and as he seemed to bother nobody, remained there for many a year. He was nowhere to be seen and I wondered what had become of him. With the destination of Glebe Point Road on my mind, I cut through the small one way Greek Street passing by the orange Church of Scientology. Arriving at GPR a demonstration of rhythmic martial arts was atracting a largish crowd. I've liked GPR for a while, as it is a little like Newtown but a little more upmarket and less grimy. Full of cafe's, restaurants and cool shops it continues to attract an attractive crowd. I darted into Gleebooks (hands up for more independant small book shops!) to pick out some sorely required reading material. Lately I have had a crisis of confidence on the way people treat each other, wondered if perhaps I am going the same way and I hoped to find something to give me a little burst of inspiration. I settled on a penguin book, "Crimes Against Humanity" by Geoffrey Robertson. It appeared informative, interesting and may perhaps settle my mind that all is not lost. It also cost $9.95 so having mind and belly fed for under $20 seemed to be good going.

After poking a curious nose into a few more shops, I retraced a pilgramage I used to perform. If you are a good walker, and I am, and you live in Glebe, which I did, you can enjoy the heady delights of a night in the city without worrying about expensive taxi's. The walk from Glebe through Ultimo to the city is very enjoyable and takes 20-30 minutes. Mostly residential, it is quiet with wide footpaths and traffic is not excessive. Frequently, after an evening of frivolity, I would walk home through these very streets in the dead of night, happily pickled. Not once was I ever assaulted or harrassed, which is frankly amazing. Perhaps they knew I had no money left on me, having spent it all on refreshments.

I would really like to live in the area again one day, but it is pricey. Perhaps a few extra visits will have to do for now.

A Battle Between Good and Something Else

Stepping from my bathroom attired in only a wet towel, I sensed a presence foreboding and evil. A sense of unease descended upon my person and for good reason as I spotted out of the corner of my eye a small dark shape upon the tiled kitchen floor. As the light was out, scant illumination was being provided from the bathroom so it was difficult to tell exactly what it was, but my increasingly rapid heartbeat and recently noticing quite a few cockroaches in the garden downstairs made the situation rather clear.

An uninvited creature was in my home, and obviously had designs of staking a claim.

Intense moments such as these should never be tackled when dressed in only a towel, rather full chemical/biological/radiation suit should be donned and one should be armed with a full arsenal of creature elimination weaponry. However, my adversary had obviously planned it's arrival purposely to catch me off guard and now waited motionless for the opportunity to attack my toes, as they always ALWAYS do. I assessed my options:

- Insect Spray
Drats, it sits upon the fridge with the beast between me and it. I would need to leap over the cunning devil to reach it and hope he doesn't catch one of my toes as I soar over. Not worth the risk.

- Negotiate
Never. Cockroaches show no mercy. They will laugh at your offers and then attack.

- Cry
Tried it before, doesn't work.

And then I notice nearby the solution. Not a perfect solution, but probably the best any man in a wet towel could come up with at short notice. A shoe sits upon the floor. Primitive and brutal, I am left with no choice. Now, this needs some skill because I need to get close enough to discharge the weapon before the creature leaps at me and I need accuracy because I will probably only get one go. Prepared mentally and physically, I step slowly towards it. I'm unnerved as it doesn't move at all, cool as a cucumber. A perfect metre away and.......

I STRIKE !

A perfect hit, I proceed to rain blows down upon it like a mad man. Powerful and violent I can feel a bloodlust as I reclaim my territory and leave no doubt of who will come out of the encounter the best. With no movement from the creature I fall back and breathe deeply, satisfied that the battle has been won. A few minutes pass and I collect myself allowing the adrenaline to soak away. The creature is motionless and still looks the same as when I first spotted it. The time comes for me to switch on the kitchen light and observe my prize.....

.... it turned out to be a large piece of black fluff....... not a cockroach..... I really must clean my kitchen floor more often.

M&D and Me

I don't know about your's, but my parents are very odd creatures. I refer to them under the title "M&D" as they have practically ceased being individual entities and are now just one human conglomerate.

A recently concluded visit by M&D has as usual resulted in me getting a case of the guilts. They spent a few days here and unfortunately my accommodations being a one bedroom apartment are inadequate to provide shelter for three adults. A few nights on an inflatable mattress that tried to consume me before developing a slow leak that rendered it useless had me in poor spirits and the desire to see them leave so I could reclaim my living space was strong. However, as soon as they left I started to miss them again and realise what a miserable shit I am. Peculiarly, even through all this they seem to continue to like me. Very odd behaviour!

The above aside, their visit was excitingly productive. They suddenly have discovered themselves in a quandry, whereby their current abode is a largish family home without a family in residence, and the local area has become infested with professional working families who have little time for elderly friendly community spirit due to the never ending struggle to meet outrageous mortgage payments. The result is M&D, retired and relying on a fortnightly phone call from myself and sister to provide a spark of excitement in lives that have become a little stale. Realising this, they have endeavoured to seek a change and failing to find one locally in A-Town, have cast their gaze across the border in a more Sin City direction. I escorted them the other day to the stunning locale that resides a train ride north of SC to view abodes catering for just such folk. To say I was stunned was an understatement. Beautiful living spaces, great facilities, prices that snub their noses at Sin Cities stupid real estate debacle, and communities that perhaps are slightly more in touch with the things that matter. I've never wished I was 55 years old so much in my life.

M&D were visibly excited. The possibilities of reconnecting with a fulfilling lifestyle were plain to see and they basked in it. M can be difficult to impress at times. Basically until I announce suitable arrangements are underway for the production of her grandchildren, she will probably view everything else I do a waste of time. But even she was taken by the prospect of heated swimming pools, craft rooms, and new friends aplenty.

I don't know if they will jump at this opportunity. Naturally cautious people, much deliberation and a substantial exercise of "going over the figures" by D will have to be exercised. But it would be cool to see them a little more often, without having to sacrifice my homespace for the pleasure. Just call me a selfish swine!