1. Annoyed by We of the Never-Never.
In the beginning of the book, the author and her husband are moving to the Never-Never. There are telegraphs going back and forth indicating that the author is NOT welcome. They don't want females around.
Then one or two of the unwelcoming people meet the author. Their defenses go down when they see she's very petite.
Apparently women aren't welcome in this society unless they're small.
From some of my experience, I've seen a woman can be bossy, moody, grumpy, manipulative, and take herself too seriously. But if she's small, it's endearing.
2. Reminded of Jack when I read this sentence from We of the Never-Never: Jackeroo became convulsed with laughter, but the Maluka pulled hard, and I was soon on the other side of the river, declaring that I preferred experiences when they were over.
A year or two ago, we went to the Stock Show Midway in Fort Worth. Several of us went on a family roller coaster. Jack screamed through the whole thing, terrified. It sounded very much like he wanted to get off. I was eager for it to be over, because I didn't like seeing him so afraid. Then later he told me he actually liked the roller coaster, and wanted to go on again someday. I think it was a matter of him thinking we all might die, but once we survived, he realized it was fun.
That wasn't the case for Splash Mountain in Disney World. He didn't like the big hill when we went on it and didn't rave about it later. He showed no interest in trying again in the future.
3. Learned from my dad that there's a video on YouTube with a cockatoo that has rhythm.
I shall seek it now.
4. Found it.
It's pretty funny.
5. Watched Snowball on David Letterman.
He reminds me of Mushu our cat. Snowball's human tells David Letterman he shouldn't touch Snowball. Letternman asks then if it's nice having a pet you can't even touch. Snowball's human explains that SHE can touch him. Snowball's good with her. He's not good, though, with other people.
Mushu is a super cuddly affectionate cat with me. He sits in my lap every chance he gets. He'll happily let me pet his tummy. He's like a friendly little dog. But with most other people, he is very nervous, and he's not very friendly with them.
In the beginning of the book, the author and her husband are moving to the Never-Never. There are telegraphs going back and forth indicating that the author is NOT welcome. They don't want females around.
Then one or two of the unwelcoming people meet the author. Their defenses go down when they see she's very petite.
Apparently women aren't welcome in this society unless they're small.
From some of my experience, I've seen a woman can be bossy, moody, grumpy, manipulative, and take herself too seriously. But if she's small, it's endearing.
2. Reminded of Jack when I read this sentence from We of the Never-Never: Jackeroo became convulsed with laughter, but the Maluka pulled hard, and I was soon on the other side of the river, declaring that I preferred experiences when they were over.
A year or two ago, we went to the Stock Show Midway in Fort Worth. Several of us went on a family roller coaster. Jack screamed through the whole thing, terrified. It sounded very much like he wanted to get off. I was eager for it to be over, because I didn't like seeing him so afraid. Then later he told me he actually liked the roller coaster, and wanted to go on again someday. I think it was a matter of him thinking we all might die, but once we survived, he realized it was fun.
That wasn't the case for Splash Mountain in Disney World. He didn't like the big hill when we went on it and didn't rave about it later. He showed no interest in trying again in the future.
3. Learned from my dad that there's a video on YouTube with a cockatoo that has rhythm.
I shall seek it now.
4. Found it.
It's pretty funny.
5. Watched Snowball on David Letterman.
He reminds me of Mushu our cat. Snowball's human tells David Letterman he shouldn't touch Snowball. Letternman asks then if it's nice having a pet you can't even touch. Snowball's human explains that SHE can touch him. Snowball's good with her. He's not good, though, with other people.
Mushu is a super cuddly affectionate cat with me. He sits in my lap every chance he gets. He'll happily let me pet his tummy. He's like a friendly little dog. But with most other people, he is very nervous, and he's not very friendly with them.
How would our world change if we knew for sure there was life after death, and it was easy for our dearly-departed to talk to us via the Internet?
The Dead are Online a novel by Dina Roberts
6. Finished reading Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West Western Australia.
I daydreamed through a lot of it but absorbed enough to make it enjoyable.
7. Continued to read We of the Never-Never. I'm starting to sort of like it.
8. Downloaded a lot of free Australian history books from Kindle.
9. Liked this quote from We of the Never-Never. For is it not the knowledge that someone thinks well of us that makes us feel at ease in that person's company.
I agree.
I think maybe it's why I have felt uneasy blogging sometimes. I've started to feel that most people who read my blog dislike me. I used to push such thinking out of my brain. Why would people waste their time reading if they didn't like me? But people do that. There are those characters we love to hate. I might be one of them...for some people.
But it's not awful. I like me. I know I have a few readers who do like me. I have a few people in non-internet life, plus two cats and some dogs that like me. That's probably enough.
One thing I thought about earlier today— just because people dislike you, it doesn't mean you're a bad person. And just because people like you, it doesn't mean you're a good person.
10. Decided I might not be heavily disliked. It might be more like I'm a spectacle at a freak show or zoo. I'm someone to gawk at.
Maybe I'll do some tricks someday.
If only I knew how to stand on my head while blowing gigantic soap bubbles.
11. Wished I had a cockatoo that liked me. But I don't want a pet. I don't want the responsibility.
You know what would be nice....
If I lived in Australia, and there was a wild cockatoo that loved me and came to visit everyday. I'd feed him little treats. I'd teach him to talk. We'd hang out.
We'd be besties.
12. Started reading another book on the Kindle. This one's called Australia, It's History and Present Condition (1843). It's pretty interesting, although I haven't yet read past the introduction and table of contents.
13. Found another old Australia dream. This one is from October 25, 2007.
We're in Canberra. We get stuck or lost. I'm amused by it. I remember in the Bryson book (not really) that you end up having go go through something government. I'm amused by that. I call Tim and tell him to read the book, thinking this will help me get unlost.
What I meant by "not really" was that the going-through-a government-building wasn't in the Bryson book. I think Bryson did get lost, though. Wasn't that what happened in Sydney?
I need to read that book again someday.
14. Saw article that says Sydney has had it's coldest beginning of summer in 40 years. Yesterday it got down to 11.8/53.4 degrees. Yikes. That is cold. It's like Sydney is trying to be like cities in the Northern Hemisphere.
15. Looked at Sydney weather records on this website.
On December 24, 1870 the temperature didn't get above 15.2/59.36.
On December 3, 1924 the temperature went down to 9.1/48.38.
That's very cold for December...if you're in the Southern Hemisphere.
16. Looked at hot winter days in Sydney.
On August 26, 1995 it got up to 31.3/88.34.
I like warm days in the winter. They're fun. Although 88.34 would be too hot for me.
17. Read some more of Australia, It's History and Present Condition (1843).
They talk about Australia being made up of two islands—Van Diemen's Land and New Holland. I've heard of the term New Holland, but didn't know it was used to refer to the mainland.
18. Went to Tallygarunga.
Today I'm going to read a story called Cooking With Love.
It's part of the James Young and Sergei romance.
The story takes place in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
19. Started to read.
It's October 12. James and Sergei have been dating for two months.
They haven't used the love word yet; nor have they kissed.
They HAVE held hands under the table.
I guess they're taking things slowly.
It's the opposite of Offspring where people assume there's going to be sex after the first date.
20. Learned from Sergei's post that there has been almost kisses, but Sergei moves away when it's about to happen.
That kind of reminds me of what I was like in my early kissing days.
I had my first kiss when I was eighteen, and it was pretty awful. That was in high school. A few months later, at college, I was really nervous about the second kiss.
21. Finished reading the story, or what's there so far.
It's very sweet. I like James and Sergei.
22. Saw that my Australian of the day is Henry William Armit. He was a medical writer.
Armit was born in London in 1870.
He studied a bit in Germany.
He did work in London. He did work in Germany.
In his mid 40's Armit moved to Sydney with his wife and daughter. He did this so he could be an editor of a national medical journal. This was The Medical Journal of Australia.
It still exists.
Here's their website.
23. Struggled with We of the Never-Never. I don't think this is going to have the same outcome as Cloudstreet for me.
I get confused by the characters and the writing style. Characters are referred to by nicknames and then later by their real names. It gets so confusing.
The author refers to herself in third person sometimes. That gets me lost too.
I'm going to see if there's some guide online that will help me. Otherwise, I'm quitting.
24. Failed to find a character guide.
I'm quitting the book.
The next thing on my shelf is the third book in Catherine Jink's genius trilogy. The Genius Wars.
25. Started looking at more of Fredweng's Day ten in Australia Flickr set.
There are lots of mountain photos.
26. Thought this photo from the Dove Lake Circuit was beautiful.
I love this photo too.
27. Learned that Fredweng went to Strahan next. There was a dog there.
28. Found Strahan on Google Maps. It's on the west coast of Tasmania.
29. Ate a Tim Tam for breakfast.
I think I'd like a day where all I eat is chocolate stuff. It's not healthy, but one day wouldn't kill me.
30. Went to the Funtrivia site to take another Australia quiz.
Today I'm going to take a quiz about Australian celebrities who've had international success. It's labeled as easy, so hopefully I'll do well.
31. Finished the quiz. I loved it, because I got all the answers right. AND the questions/clues were very cute.
32. Excited because I received a package from Australia. It's from one of the singers I wrote about; Kay.K.Bayz.
He sent me his CD.
I'm going to upload it to my iTunes now.
33. Received our Australian food from Simply Australian!
Jack's already eating the shapes. I'm not because they're not vegetarian.
I'm pretty sure my ordering of two Turkish Delight bars was an accident. I like Turkish Delight, but I don't love it.