Phoebe

Is it possible to have a red letter week?

It’s been action-packed, so I’ll give you a brief version followed by the longer version for those who are interested.

So –

1) My sister Amy had a baby – Phoebe Elizabeth
2) My mate Sarah had a baby – Ursula Rose (EDIT - Rose Ursula. Whoops!)
3) We saw the Pixies at Luna Park
4) V Festival at Centennial Park
5) Movies
6) Father Ted

And for those of you with a pre-2003 attention span –

1) My sister Amy had a baby – Phoebe Elizabeth

As it happens I heard the news as I was composing this post. I haven’t had the chance to speak to anybody yet so all I know is that everybody is well and that labour lasted a mere 2 hours – not bad for the first one!

Amy is older than me and this is her first, so it’s all just too exciting. I’m popping over to England sans M&B for 10 days in June/July just so I can meet Phoebe. I can’t wait!

2) My mate Sarah had a baby – Rose Ursula

I’m looking forward to meeting Rose too. She looks very cute in the photo.

3) We saw the Pixies at Luna Park

The Pixies! The Chuffing PIXIES!!! They were stunning, which was both exhilarating and something of a relief – what if they had been crap?

4) V Festival at Centennial Park

This was primarily a great social event, catching up with mates all over the place. Fantastic music was provided by the Pet Shop Boys and an in-form Jarvis Cocker. On the downside the organisation was shocking, resulting in massive queues to get in and, more importantly, for beer. Beck was a bit lacklustre too, despite a highly imaginative stage show involving puppets and his very own Bez.

5) Great movies

Pather Panchali – Glorious, shimmering, moving
I’m going to have to buy the trilogy in the UK, cos the subtitling on this edition was bobbins, and it was letterboxed. Gah!

Harold and Maude – Hilarious, transgressive, sweet-natured
One of those films where a single shot, without a line, changes your whole perception of character and motivation – a real Rosebud moment.


Intolerance – Long, dull, broken
2 ½ hours into a 3 ½ hour film and the DVD breaks. It isn’t even a very good film, although it’s impressive and important and all that. Now I have to spend and hour in a library watching the last hour on video. The things I do for art.

W.R. Mysteries of the Organism – Bizarre, bizarre, bizarre
I have no comment to make. Just…try and see it.

6) Father Ted

I got series 3 on DVD, utter genius from start to finish. “I hear you’re a racist now, Father”. Dougal has to be perhaps the sweetest sit-com character ever.

Other than that, its been pretty quiet…