Took the kids to karate, then Wendy’s hot dogs for lunch, and dropped them over mum and dad’s for a sleepover. Picked up Annie and had dinner at Brika, then met up with Dave and watched Jesse Gordon perform at The Ellington.
Bank issue resolved. Problem was on the US side. Strange that they would stuff up a recurring transfer, but what can you do? Kids home sick, and mum and dad cancelled their sleepover tonight (don’t want them to catch it). So I decided not to join Dzung to see Julius Caesar tonight. Hard to work with the kids at home, so I focused just on bugs. Got really annoyed with the crappy tech I’m using. Why am I spending my life doing this? Cathartic to read back through old books to remind myself where I’ve come from and how things might be different. Seriously thinking about striking out on my own, but income would be an issue (evidenced by my pay being delayed; we really need the money).
Ate olives and drank a beer in the late afternoon. First drink since Faith and Yoshiya’s house on Sunday. Abstinence isn’t much of a challenge, it turns out. Surprising, since I’ve been in a bit of a slump, but Dzung and I have teamed up to keep each other honest. Played around with HackTile a bit. It’s pretty good.
Made pasta for the kids with the leftover sauce from the osso bucco, and watched “The Girl Who Leaped Through Time”.
Jack home sick. Eliza made slow cooked osso bucco for dinner, prepared and in oven at brekky. Drove Eliza and Zophia to school, then took the car in for a service. Walked home via Garbo, somehow managing not to get rained on. Took an hour. Listened to an episode of The West Wing Weekly on the way. Home to work, but Eliza’s school called to say she’s sick! Dzung out for birthday lunch with Mary and April, they luckily went to get Eliza and ran her home. Curry for lunch while looking after two sick kids. Checked bank, realized I haven’t been paid. Nothing going well today! Caught a Shofer to pick up the car, then home for dinner. Need to get my mojo back… haven’t worked on HackTile for weeks!
To the school for Jack’s Naidoc Week assembly. First time the junior choir were singing with their new shirts on. He was shy. Mid-morning the school called to say he was feeling sick. Dzung picked him up, and he perked up after a dose of Panadol. Leftover curry and roti for lunch, yum! Eliza’s graphics tablet arrived. Dzung took kids to piano but returned after Jack vomited all over himself in the car. Cleaned that up, then finished the workday. Sigh. Made sweet and sour fish for dinner. I did the laundry, crumbed and cooked the fish, cleaned, let Dzung finish preparing the dish, ate, cleaned up, put Eliza to bed. Finished the night washing dishes while listening to “The West Wing Weekly” before watching the Smash Brothers Nintendo Direct.
Kids off to school. I worked on a bunch of disconnected issues and bugs. Feeling down; the usual thing. Did three repetitions of the seven minute workout, and ate a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich while watching The West Wing for lunch. Did some laundry. Walked Jack home from school, then did some groceries at the IGA before collecting Eliza. Pretty run-of-the-mill day, all up. Leftover oxtail soup for dinner. Watched a few more episodes of The West Wing with Dzung once the kids were asleep.
Very tired. Got the kids to school, then drove to take the car for a service (and to have the recalled airbag replaced), but they lost the booking, so rescheduled for Thursday instead. Pity, I had looked forward to the long walk home; I need time to think about work and projects and life and stuff. So, once home, I packed my bag and headed out the door, rambling down through the streets towards Bullcreek, which I followed around to the other side of the river, walking slowly, deep in thought, wending back up First Avenue towards Eliza’s school, then back home via the traffic bridge. Covered over seven kilometres in ninety minutes. Feet very sore. Quick shower, then eggs and toast and strong coffee while watching The West Wing.
Worked through the afternoon, then picked up Jack. A girl asked me for money for food as I walked past the chemist. She looked zonked out, and was possibly homeless. I literally was carrying nothing, so I apologised. As I walked away, and older guy (who turned out to be her father) started yelling abuse at me. I stopped and turned towards him, and he stormed towards me, saying I insulted his daughter and did I want to fight and screaming to me to fuck off. I was dumbfounded, standing on the pavement between the butcher’s and the cafe, and tried reasoning with him. No point. He walked away, and I noticed that all of the shopkeepers had come to their doors with looks of concern on their faces. A lady on a bicycle asked me what had happened, and suggested that I should call the council’s security team. She said she’d give me the number. We were both on our phones when the guy started screaming and coming towards us, asking whether we were calling the police. He was extremely angry. The bicycle lady had told me earlier not to bother trying to reason with “them”, but I was feeling very sorry for their plight, and although the guy was being very aggressive and loud I realised that I didn’t feel afraid for my safety. Again, I calmly explained that I was on my way to pick up my son from school, and that lots of young kids would soon be walking home along this path, and he seemed to accept that I was being genuine. He then held out his hand and apologised, saying I was a good bloke. We shook hands and went our seperate ways.
Later, walking back with Jack, the police arrived. One of the shopkeepers had called them, no doubt. But, by that time, daddy and daughter had disappeared.
Picked up Eliza, then home for a rest. We all had a late night last night, and we all had short fuses. I got annoyed when Jack wouldn’t do as I asked, and Eliza didn’t answer straight away when I called her, to the point where both kids were crying in frustration. Bad mojo. But we started to cook dinner together, and Dzung arrived home, and we ate and everything was well again. Kids had an early night, I read to Eliza. And will now retire myself; too worn out to consider HackTile, or to do anything else, but I am keen to finally get back on the wagon and continue this project; the walk decided that for me.
Dzung took Jack to North Shore, and Eliza to tennis. I got the washing on, then Brendan and Finlay over for a cuppa with some banana bread they’d made. Chatted for a while—Fin is doing great at footy and Brendan is working with The Wall Street Journal—then they took the old TV and DVR. Quick shower and Dzung back home to pick me up to go to Van and Kiet’s for oxtail soup. Lingered after lunch chatting while the kids played. Home via Mt. Lawley to pick up a box from Get Chunky to take to dinner.
Brief rest to hang out the washing and pack for the walk over to Faith and Yoshiya’s house. With ten minutes to leave, I called the kids to get ready, only to find Eliza and Jack had started to tidy up Jack’s room, meaning they’d taken all the junk from all drawers and surfaces and piled them on his bed. I barked at them to hop in the shower and hurriedly tidied things, then got ready myself. We left a little bit late. Great evening; Yoshiya made about eight courses of Tapas, which we ate with beer and sherry, then chatted while sipping whisky afterwards, leaving the kids to play. Walked home about nine thirty or so, and tried to get the kids straight to bed with varying levels of success. Dzung crashed out; I stayed up in a half-drunken stupor and watched a few interesting shows before finally calling it a night at half twelve.