Once again, the Queen's Birthday

May: I wasn't so good about birthdays. I missed Carolyn's and Tim's and Diana's, my mother's and my own. I'm suspecting that subconsciously I've found it difficult to face another birthday- even though I think 47 is a very cool number. Prime. It will be a while before that is true again. I still need to take stock of all my stressors in an effort to identify why my immune system let the chicken pox back out of its little ganglionic box. I'm thinking, however, that maybe my birthday was a critical factor. Another year passing so far from home and family. How many more years will I have that home and family to be with? Or, in this case, not be with.

But, moving along. It is now June. And, I have no qualms about celebrating the Queen's birthday. That only brings good things- like days off from work. And, I got a terrific gift! My troublesome cat patient is doing well at home so I have been absolved from guilt about sending her home instead of keeping her in the hospital and working on her all weekend. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

So, Queen's birthday = Australian Games Expo = Kevin in Albury NSW for the weekend. I chose not to go. I went to the first. Somewhere here there is a post. It involved too much falling asleep while driving, bizarre brain drink/drive billboards, and Kevin being consumed with Carcassonne. It was a bit interesting to see snow flakes in the Australian air- but only briefly interesting. Mostly, I was bored and lonely. I can do that (or better) here.

With that in mind I spent Sunday as follows:

Go to Carseldine Garden Center and buy a couple of house plants with which Zelda can meditate and three 6 packs of sweet pea seedlings. They look so fresh and vulnerable. I felt like a melodrama villain sticking them in an Australian flower bed. Still, we've had rain several days this week and there is more to come. Perhaps, it will be enough to get them established. Perhaps, the winter sun will not fry them. I was smart enough to plant them in a variety of positions- full sun, partial sun, shade. One of them might make it. I hope it is a fragrant one.

After, I packed myself onto the standing room only train to head into the city. I was not going to the Lion's game- though I got off at Roma Street Station. Instead, I was heading to the Convention Center to the Scrap Booking and Paper Crafts show AND the Lifeline Book Sale. I immediately recognized my mistake as soon as I had handed my $10 ticket to the door person and enter the craft show. The hall was huge and packed - jam packed - with women all pushing and squeezing up to myriad booths where paper was being sold at extraordinary prices. (I think anytime paper is sold by the piece it is frightening.) I was hoping to be inspired- maybe by digital scrap booking. I certainly enjoy my digital blogging and my efforts at digital photo manipulation. There were several room dividers with scrap booking pages hanging and I do not exaggerate when I tell you that greater than 85% featured babies and children. Sorry. That is really boring. Too much pastel. Too much cutesy. Too fuzzy, too flowery, too nauseating. After 30 minutes I ran screaming from the hall.

The next hall down from the scrapbook show was the book sale. I'd estimate that the hall is about the size of 3 gymnasiums and each was packed with used books. The oldest, most worn, and smelliest are sold at standard prices based on book size. The clean and good condition books are sold as marked. The like new books have premium prices. I walked down to the newish books and walked down an aisle. While the tables are marked with general themes (Sports, Gardening, Hobbies, Health, Australiana) the books are then randomly lined up or piled up. It was too much disarray- too much stimulus overload- particularly after the human/paper pressure cooker that was the craft show. I had to leave. I couldn't imagine wanting any book badly enough.

So, it was still early. About 1:30. I intended to see "The Orphanage" at 4:15 on the other side of town. But, I remembered the earlier show was at 2:30. I decided to make a dash across the city to the Palace Centro for the movie.

I was amazingly successful at finding a bus that was headed for the valley. Unfortunately, I figured out that it was going that way as it pulled away from me. There was another one. Later.

I made it to Chinatown by 2:10 or so. It isn't too long of a walk to the theater. You just have to know where you're going. And, let me help you, it is best not to start by walking down Wickham Street in search of James. Eventually, I turned around, crossed the Brunswick Street Mall and, running, found the Palace Theater. 2:30 on the dot!

And, the movie?

It started at 2:03.

I considered wandering around until 4:15- but there was a 20% chance of rain and the dark clouds were starting to gather (weren't they?) and the movie would end after dark and I didn't have an umbrella and what was I going to do until 4:15??- so I went home, filed some papers, and watched OZ.

I don't know. Except for the gardening, it really wasn't any better than Albury. Well, I wasn't walking in a freezing drizzle. That's better. I'm suspecting that as an American, I am incapable of freely enjoying the Queen's Birthday. Maybe that capacity was traded in for our Bill of Rights. I think I'll go throw some tea into the river. That should exorcise any monarchical demons. I must be ready for tomorrow.

Oh, you like the photo? This wall is about 1/2 a block from the Palace. I did try to entertain myself for a bit. It is my antidote for the scrapbook pages I observed.