What's The Buzz? Tell Me What's a Happening.

At the end of the 'Week from Hell' the BA and I accidentally decided to have a Girlie Day Out.

It started with the hairdressers. I was booked in for my 6 weekly visit for 'mysterious women's business' and she needed a trim so we went down together. It was a Small Boy Free weekend so we had no commitments, Himself was sailing and we were free agents.
"Mum," she asked, "what would you like to do?"
We went to Harbour Town.

Our first assignment was lunch. To my surprise she turned up her nose at the suggestion of Maccas (I suppose I shouldn't be surprised give her current employment!) and we ended up at the 'Coffee Club'.

Mothers of daughters; take your children to lunch. Out of the home setting, topics emerge and blossom and are considered in a healthy light. This simple act will cement lifelong relationships. And don't be put off by the shopping thing. We skillfully managed to avoid a few shoe shops and got out of The Labyrinth with most of our assets intact. If you feel nervous in the face this challenge, can I recommend the words: 'Haven't you got one of those already?'


The next part of the Girlie day involved getting together with respective friends. I encouraged the BA to meet up with a girlfriend away from the heavy and angst ridden school environment and agreed to facilitate the meeting, which means I used half a tank of petrol driving about all over town. The purple is me.

I picked the BA's friend up from eastern suburbs and delivered them into town to do whatever it is stressed out 15 year olds with their school about to close out from under them do for a laugh. Turned out it was wedding stalking in the Botanic Gardens and, to my horror, souvenir pinching!!! They greeted me with bottles of bubbles, the names off a couple of chairs and a couple of strange sort of medieval looking stick things with ribbons and bells which, I am reliably told, were shaken enthusiastically by the congregation as the bride and groom (wedding number 5 for the day) kissed.

Meanwhile, as my child and her friend were honing their light fingered skills in the wake of numerous outdoor Spring weddings in Adelaide, I called in on an old school friend.

As my friend says, the one thing about the terrible decimation of my Alma Mater is that some of us have got in contact again. Part way through the dissection of the incredible nightmare that is my school's journey, she mentioned the local production of JC Superstar. It was the last night and funnily enough I had actually asked Himself if he was interested in going several months ago. Of course, post Saturday sailing he was pretty blunt in his declination of my generous invitation; but the BA and her mate were very keen.

More looney driving around the city and eastern suburbs to get the whole thing okayed by her parents and then we were back into the city centre for our second meal out of the day! Very indulgent!! A quick dash across the road and the use of some magic words and we had 'rush' tickets! $20.00 each instead of $45.00!!!!! Love it!!

Now my personal journey with JC Superstar commenced in 1972 when the first Australian production of the concept album was performed as a 'concert' at Memorial Drive Tennis Courts on a warm March night. My dad took me and I remember being hooked. I bought the double album in Canada later that year. Happily, for me anyway, it came with the libretto so it was not long before my keen 12 year old brain had committed the entire thing to memory. How many times did I treat my family to a complete rendition of the show with me singing every part (except Mary Magdalene...she was so wussy.....I favoured Judas' part myself!)?

And lucky, lucky BA and her friend.....I still remembered every word!



I didn't see the fully fledged stage show, mounted here at the same time as the show premiered on Broadway and in the West End, but I did see the 1972 movie. I LOVED that! This was the BA's first introduction to the piece and she was favourably impressed. Her worldly mate had seen it once before but claimed to get 'so much more out of it' the second time around.


So, what did I think? Well, the production was by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society and that showed in the choreography and general movement. It was a little static. But the music was wonderful, chorus were great and leads very solid. Jesus especially, played by Luke Kennedy (you'll hear more of this young man I predict) was a standout. The use of steel prefab building materials and an urban setting added to the atmosphere although I had a slight problem with Jesus being wheeled on in a shopping trolley instead of a donkey. Guess it makes sense.....?

We drove home with me singing all the songs for the BA's amusement and then spending the best part of the night watching clips of the movie on youtube. All in all a very successful Day of Distraction!



The School Board, Uniting Church and the 'Boys School Down the Road' are in talks this week. We are hanging by our fingernails to hear their proposal for the school. It's pretty clear that this is our only option.




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Boy Meets Water Lilies

Last Sunday, with the advent of Spring (finally), we took Middle Sis and Small Boy to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Enroute, Small Boy piped up from the back seat,
"So what are we going to do there?"
"Just look around,"someone replied,"you know, have a walk..."
There was some silence and then he replied,
"I just don't get this walking around thing.....I mean, what do we DO?"
Middle Sis moved straight to the rescue,
"We'll get an ice cream."
"Oh!" he remarked, significantly brightened, "I like THAT plan."

Of course, once we arrived he was completely captivated by the meandering pathways, fountains and surprises around every corner. One of the newer additions to the gardens is the Water Lily House. None of us had seen it before and we were all mesmerised by the gigantic Amazonica
leaves.
These enormous leaves can grow up to 7 foot in diameter!


The beautiful pale blue flower is the Egyptian Lotus or Blue Water Lily. Opening in the morning and closing at night, it was associated with the Sun God by the ancient Egyptians and can be found decorating many columns and tombs.



The enormous white blossoms of the Amazonica are closed tightly during the day, ready to open with their delicious pineapple scent at nightfall. The flowers of this amazing plant, are pollinated by beetles who enter the blossoms at night and are trapped inside as the petals close up during the day. The heat of the day is trapped within the flowers and means that the beetles can partake in an orgy of mating without expending too much energy and without having to eat half their body weight in foliage to keep it up. So to speak.

But the really weird thing was the bottom of the Amazonica leaves. They are covered with spikes! Strange, inside out Venus Fly Trap style growths also dotted the pool. It took us a few moments to realise that they were the new leaves unfurling!

This photo was taken moments before the BA nearly fell in the pool. Hmmmm Not sure that would have gone down well!

So, although the final goal was an ice cream, there was education to be had at the Gardens! And we got him away from the skate park for a day!!!

Oakbank 2009: The Virgin Trip or: I Forgot To Blog About This Back In April

I had lived in Adelaide for 20 years before I left for the east coast and, eventually, the UK. I have been back for 6 years and in all this time I had totally failed to attend the 'Greatest Picnic Races in the World': Oakbank.

Each year I would suggest to Himself that we attend.

"We can take the kids," I would suggest,"it'll be a nice day out."

His vaguely negative answers over the years included: possibility of inclement weather, lack of funds, other commitments until finally this year he came clean and admitted he hates the crowds and the traffic. It became obvious to me that if I wanted to pursue the dream of a day out at Oakbank I would be going on my own. Fortunately, as you may be aware, I have been grooming the Baby Angel in the fine art of gambling and attending Race Carnivals. Quickly gathering up yet another of her delightful friends, we headed, quite literally, for the Hills: The Adelaide Hills, and the picturesque town of Oakbank.

I am sorry I didn't get any shots of the drive but that would be because I was..er...driving. April is autumn in Adelaide and The Hills are dressed in rusts, yellows and reds as the deciduous trees planted by our European forbears move into their most glorious phase. We passed freely along the Eastern freeway and turned off, unimpaired, to Hahndorf and Woodside. We continued to sail merrily along the beautiful country roads with no hint of the mythical traffic of which Himself had spoken with such deep foreboding. The BA's friend, Blondie, pointed out notable sites along the way as it turned out her pioneering family had a bit of history in these parts. There was even an 'ancestoral home' which again, I failed to snap as I was, still, driving.

Finally, we took the turn off for Oakbank Race Track and here we met our first obstacle (that's my little white Corolla in the middle there)...Apparently the entry to the car park crosses the racetrack and Race 4 was about to start. Of course there had been no traffic on the way, we were three hours late as usual. Mind you, so were all those cars around us! Never mind, a 15 minute delay gave me time to snap some shots and the girls time to watch the horses as they flew past the gate.I know Mum, don't say a word about her hair. She is currently growing it out.


Picnic races mean elegance and inebriation in equal quantities. Well, maybe slightly more of the latter, especially as the day wears on.

We were finally admitted to the grounds and followed the queue of latecomers into the centre of the track which had been converted into a funfair and carpark. There was a little bit too much of the 'squealing princess in hat, heels and champagne stupor' from this vantage point and so after a quick perusal and purchase from the variety of food stalls, we made our way across the track to the grandstand. This time, my apprentices took to the art of 'form perusal' with frightening ease, especially considering it was Blondie's first time. Here we are even comparing the form given in two separate sources! My first pick (as soon as we got there with no form guide) was a dud but my second was a second and the two novice punters were well pleased when 'Akatack' came home at decent odds rewarding them with a massive $9.00 or so each from an eachway bet! I scored a third on the last race and the shadows were growing long on the warm afternoon. It was time to face the crowds for the long drive home.I love this shot, especially the barefoot girls in their finery on the left. The Races can be a long, busy and liquid day; very hard on the elegance factor!

Despite Himself's worst portent of traffic mayhem, we queued for a paltry 15min to leave the grounds and then it was smooth sailing all the way home. *pthhhhhtttt* (blows raspberry) to you Himself. This is where we found him on our return! You know, once you wee on a cat she is yours for ever.