Sharks and childhood
Adelaide had a shark scare the other day on the weekend, one of the hottest days this summer and everyone had to leave the water for the day. And the papers had a field day with it, going on about it for several days. We always get them this time of year. And yes, there are attacks, usually to surfers because the shape of the board looks like a seal. I went surfing when I lived in Queensland, but the casual conversations about sharks and how it was standard for them to hang around put me off. I like my limbs on me, I like my body with no teeth marks and I would rather not be eaten by a shark thank you.
But it's one of the hazards of living here - sharks, snakes, spiders, jellyfish, deserts, the heat…we've had water restrictions all year since the government officially declared a drought last year. We didn't get much rain this winter, not enough to refill our lakes so we'll be on them again. What gets me is the all the complaints - South Australia is the driest state in the driest continents, they expected flowing rivers maybe? I think not. Just seems sense to me to be careful with the water, but maybe that's how I was brought up. I grew up in Whyalla; a coastal desert town that had its water supply delivered to it in a pipeline that was about 4 or 5 hundred kilometers in length. We had a water tank outside to catch any rainwater as the piped water was so full of chemicals it wasn't really drinkable.
Another thing with summer is the power cuts as people turn on the air conditioning. Saturday it was 36 (about a hundred is 38 I think) I went to the library, which shut at four. Went to the adjacent shopping centre to fill a prescription - no more hospital visits for me if I can avoid it. Then I got hungry so went and had a happy meal at Maccers. And then a chocolate thickshake for desert. Then I went next door to the video store to have a look around - the guy who works there and me usually have some good talks in there. My way of saving power - it's not on at home, so its less being used. So we have three maybe four days of the het and then yesterday it changed again - lightning storms and the power grid down this time because of lightening. Den was not too happy as I pulled everything out of the wall and we sat there till the storm died down. He wants power surges, he can wait till I've moved out and he's watching TV on his set not mine. The heat I can adjust too, but not if the temperature keeps going to extremes in a day like this. Hopefully it settles soon.
Don't get me wrong, I know life is good and I'm very lucky, it's just, this time of year I get all thoughtful. Summer is hot and sticky and uncomfortable. It's also going to the local shop with a glass bottle and being able to buy an icecream for the deposit, games with the others kids in my streets, days at the beach, picnics and going everywhere on my bike. Or checking the almond tree in the backyard to see if it was ripe and when it was eating the nuts, giving some to the dog because he loved almonds too, and the same for the apricot tree, both ready in December. Good memories, funny how the childhood ones have the haze of long sunny summer afternoons on them.
Saw Slayerbuff last Friday in the city for Buffy Meetup. We were the only two ther but we had a good conversation about all sorts of things ranging from Buffy to the actors to Slayercon 2005. Which reminds me.
Ignore what anyone says on any of the boards anywhere folks. Unless it's on the official sites, http://www.scoobygangpromotions.com/ and http://www.scoobygangpromotions.com/invboard/index and is stated by Slayerbuff as such, Slayercon 2005 is still going to happen in July next year in Adelaide. Accept no substitutes.
But it's one of the hazards of living here - sharks, snakes, spiders, jellyfish, deserts, the heat…we've had water restrictions all year since the government officially declared a drought last year. We didn't get much rain this winter, not enough to refill our lakes so we'll be on them again. What gets me is the all the complaints - South Australia is the driest state in the driest continents, they expected flowing rivers maybe? I think not. Just seems sense to me to be careful with the water, but maybe that's how I was brought up. I grew up in Whyalla; a coastal desert town that had its water supply delivered to it in a pipeline that was about 4 or 5 hundred kilometers in length. We had a water tank outside to catch any rainwater as the piped water was so full of chemicals it wasn't really drinkable.
Another thing with summer is the power cuts as people turn on the air conditioning. Saturday it was 36 (about a hundred is 38 I think) I went to the library, which shut at four. Went to the adjacent shopping centre to fill a prescription - no more hospital visits for me if I can avoid it. Then I got hungry so went and had a happy meal at Maccers. And then a chocolate thickshake for desert. Then I went next door to the video store to have a look around - the guy who works there and me usually have some good talks in there. My way of saving power - it's not on at home, so its less being used. So we have three maybe four days of the het and then yesterday it changed again - lightning storms and the power grid down this time because of lightening. Den was not too happy as I pulled everything out of the wall and we sat there till the storm died down. He wants power surges, he can wait till I've moved out and he's watching TV on his set not mine. The heat I can adjust too, but not if the temperature keeps going to extremes in a day like this. Hopefully it settles soon.
Don't get me wrong, I know life is good and I'm very lucky, it's just, this time of year I get all thoughtful. Summer is hot and sticky and uncomfortable. It's also going to the local shop with a glass bottle and being able to buy an icecream for the deposit, games with the others kids in my streets, days at the beach, picnics and going everywhere on my bike. Or checking the almond tree in the backyard to see if it was ripe and when it was eating the nuts, giving some to the dog because he loved almonds too, and the same for the apricot tree, both ready in December. Good memories, funny how the childhood ones have the haze of long sunny summer afternoons on them.
Saw Slayerbuff last Friday in the city for Buffy Meetup. We were the only two ther but we had a good conversation about all sorts of things ranging from Buffy to the actors to Slayercon 2005. Which reminds me.
Ignore what anyone says on any of the boards anywhere folks. Unless it's on the official sites, http://www.scoobygangpromotions.com/ and http://www.scoobygangpromotions.com/invboard/index and is stated by Slayerbuff as such, Slayercon 2005 is still going to happen in July next year in Adelaide. Accept no substitutes.