Tuesday

Slept in pretty late this morning, as a direct result of staying up very late last night, as a direct result of indulging in my football addiction in the shape of watching Footy Classified, which for no good reason (other than ratings presumably) has been switched from a 10:30pm to a 1:00am time slot, and surfing around one of my favourite websites, BigFooty.com. I did at least fold 240 bundles of junk mail, comprised of 13 different pamphlets while I was watching TV and found discounted underpants on sale at Best & Less in my preferred style. I know there are all sorts of good sound ethical reasons to despise junk mail (and underpants too possibly), but slavery to the dollar counter-balances most of them, and if we don't do it someone else will. I know it's a weak argument but it's the best I've got and right now I'm trying to earn as much extra money as I can in preparation for our impending 6 week trip to Victoria and Queensland; just over a month until we set off. Along with the taxi money and maybe some window making for Dave over the next couple of weeks, the bank balance is growing nicely, which is just as well because we haven't yet settled on a means of transport home from the east coast and if we do take the quick easy option of flying we've still got to buy some tickets. My preference is still to drive, enabling us to call into Vicki and Rex's place for a visit at Wudinna, and give the boys the chance to experience the drive across the Nullabor, something everyone should do at least once I reckon. I myself have done it numerous times, the last time as recently as March, a post/pre-wedding crossing with Dad. Several crossings involved hitch-hiking in my late teens and early 20's. There is a turn-off to Whyalla, just west of Port Augusta, which is the last place you get a lift to before the big crossing really starts and I've spent more than one night camped on the side of the road there, jumping up every hour or so to stick my thumb out to a passing car or truck. It's fry pan hot through the day, and fridge cold through the night and I always felt greatly relieved when I finally got picked up from there and was on my way home, albeit home was 2-3 days away still.

I used one of my discount tickets to go to the movies for $5 at lunchtime. At that price any movie seems good value. I indulged in a dose of adrenalin pumping action adventure "violentertainment" (a Holt Press coined term Zac just in case you want to play Beat Bad Grammar Man) courtesy of Die Hard 4.
"That will be $5 thanks and your brain at the door! Please suspend belief and deposit all sense of realism in the receptacle provided as you enter."
Under those conditions few do escapism better than Bald Bruce Willis. There was plenty of computer caused chaos and wildly implausible shoot-em-upping and escapeeing on a roller coaster ride, with a few funny lines thrown in to provide the necessary comic relief amidst the death and mayhem!
Not high-brow. Not Oscar material. Not intellectually stimulating. But certainly entertaining!

Next stop Margaret River for an appointment with my therapist which was quite good. I've had a good week, low stress, no work (school), no conflict, so it made me more relaxed and at ease. We talked about anger but I stayed calm throughout.
I've got a little homework to do before next week. Nothing too heavy thankfully because homework has always been one of my weaker subjects.

Stopped at the Fish and Chip shop on the way home to get some dinner for the boys. It wasn't bad but it's always a meal of mixed emotions. Tastes good but ...!

I also called Dad on the way home. I've been wondering how his shares are holding up in light of recent dramatic events on the stock market. He was pretty calm and pragmatic about it. Yes the value is down but it only matters if you have to sell, and he doesn't, so he can afford to ride it out, the market is bouncing up and down a fair bit but should recover and improve in time.
He assured me that the inheritance was still in good shape!! I told him to feel free to start selling off the country music CD's if things got worse! (That's another story, one which will have it's last humourous act in the execution of his will whenever that day comes. Who knows, hopefully it will be so many years from now that my brain will have softened to the point of thinking Country and Western is a valid musical style!)

Just had my weekly dose of House M.D. tonight, one of my/our favourite TV shows. Predictable unpredictability and caustic brilliance from the drug addicted genius medico.

Tomorrow Carolyn and I are going up to Bunbury for the day. She wants to go to Spotlight (aaaggghhh!) I'll get some blank DVD's so I can continue the mammoth project of transferring my old video tapes onto DVD via the Hard Drive Recorder. It's a slow process but ultimately worthwhile, A. to preserve the good stuff and B. to create considerable free space on my bookshelves once I dispose of the old technology. If time permits we may go and see "Amazing Grace" the story of William Wiberforce, a Christian Hero of the 19th century responsible for bringing about the abolition of slavery.