There are quite a few things I’ve been experiencing, and thinking about lately, that I’ve really wanted to write about. Trouble is, whenever I sit down to write, I can’t remember what it was that was occupying my thoughts so much. So I guess a general overview will do for now. Hopefully that will lead to something more specific.
I think I’m settling into my house now. Maybe it’s a physical action - the furniture sinks further into the carpet, you settle down into a rhythm, a little routine. You know what time you need to get up in the morning, you know what you want to have for breakfast. I like my little fridge, and my shelves in the kitchen with all my stuff.
I wake up in the morning, around 6:30. Well, my alarm wakes me up. Because my alarm is really just my stereo set on a timer, I usually lie in bed for a while listening to music. I keep my watch on the bedside table so I can put it on and then I know exactly how long I have to luxuriate before dragging myself out of bed. I know I could just set the clock half an hour later, and get up straight away, but there is something necessary about this little morning lie-in. Maybe it says something about my personality, maybe I am just lazy. Maybe I just like to listen to a little music first thing in the morning.
I usually try to shower in the evening, so as to maximize morning lie-in time. So I get up, turn up the music a little, and then get dressed. Lately I’ve been having a Berocca first thing. I’ll brush my teeth, brush my hair, maybe put on a necklace. Put on my shoes. Then I get out two pieces of toast from the freezer, plus an avocado and tomato from the fridge. I put the bread in the toaster, and usually go do something else while I’m waiting for that. Once the toaster pops, I have to put it down again. The first session defrosts the bread, the second one toasts it. Usually after this, I’ll slice the tomato and get out the salt and pepper. When the toast pops again, I scoop out some avocado and smear it on the bread - like butter, only thicker. Then I put a few slices of tomato on, then grate lots of pepper and sprinkle a little salt on top.
By that stage I’ve only got about five minutes left until I have to leave the house (7:30), so I sit on my bed, or at the table, and munch on my toast and read at the same time. At the moment I’m reading Nicholson Baker’s A Box of Matches, which I’m sure has somewhat inspired this entry.
Then I walk to work. Last week, during the flooding, I caught a ride to work with Daphne and Graeme a few times. Daphne works right across the road from me, as well as living across the road from me. Rather strange how these things work out. But I walk usually. I walk down my hill, then down the next street, until I reach Aro Street. I walk along until I get to the crosswalk by Patel’s and Aro Video, then I cross to the other side, past the Aro Street Cafe (-which has lovely lights outside. I love walking up Aro street once the sun has gone down), past where the gas station used to be, and is now probably being turned into some sort of housing. I walk through the Aro park, past the pigeons, and up the steps that lead to the Abel Smith Street/The Terrace intersection. From there I walk along the Terrace. It takes 15-20 minutes to walk from the far end of the Terrace to where my work is. By the time I get to work I’m usually fairly warm, no matter how cold it is outside.
Then I get to work. I catch the elevator to the 13th floor (spooky!), and turn my computer on. I do a little bit of work, plus check my emails, and then I go get a cup of coffee.
The morning usually passes without event. I like to take my lunch at around 1-1:30, so I have a smaller chunk of work in the afternoon. I find it more manageable somehow. If I don’t have anything to do (no letters to post, no shopping to do), then I’ll sit up in this room off the kitchen, where there are a few leather couches. I’ll have my miso soup and read for an hour. It’s really great. Otherwise I’ll meet a friend for lunch, or just go for a stroll, usually ending up in some bookstore (Parson’s, or Dymock’s, or Unity Books) or a music store (The CD Store, usually). Today I have to mail a cheque (funny how I’ve started spelling that the kiwi way, rather than the american way - “check”) to pay for my insurance, and I have to buy a birthday present for a friend of the family. I hope I get some reading time in there.
It’s funny how I don’t want to write about my work stuff in detail. I don’t even want to explain it. Needless to say, I get back to my desk at around 2-2:30 (usually later if I’ve been having lunch with a friend), and then the afternoon usually passes pretty quickly. Then I walk back home, the same way as when I walk to work. Sometimes I’ll stop at Patel’s or at the greengrocer’s across the street to pick up a few things for dinner.
Then it’s the climb up the hill, up the steps, to my house. Tickle the cat who usually sits up there. Check the mail. Up to the house, step over the plants at the door, take off my sweater. Read mail or generally tidy up. Put groceries away, etc. Check phone for messages. Get changed into slobby home clothes (e.g. blue cords, beatles t-shirt).
Then I’ll either read or fire up my computer to kick off some downloading, or to do some writing, or just to mess around. Maybe hunt for caterpillars in my bok choy. Sometimes I pop over to Daphne’s place.
Sometimes, if I’m hungry, I’ll start cooking straight away, but usually I don’t eat until around 7-7:30. At some stage I’ll have a beer, or a gin and tonic.
I listen to lots of music.
Sometimes Jeremy comes round for dinner. We’ve got a very loose agreement that he comes round for dinner, then I go over. Maybe every few weeks or so. Still, it’s nice to cook for someone else. Daphne has me round every once in a while too.
And that’s pretty much it. I like to take nice long baths and read and drink beer. Tidy up. Do laundry. It’s all fairly domestic and solo. I leave the weekends for the crazy stuff.
Have I even mentioned that over the last two weekends I’ve seen David Bowie and Billy Connelly? I haven’t? Shame on me! I’ll have to save those for a later entry. Don’t let me forget.
