Thinking

Hey all - I say that almost all the time when starting an entry, but still wonder how many my blog's version of 'all' encompasses LOL. Looking at the stats and stuff, I seem to have made ground from the days of two visitors at most, but wonder whether it's that my writing has gotten to a wider more discerning audience, or the wonders of internet search engines - number one with a bullet being Rebecca Twigley of course LOL.

Was on the bus to work, just thought I would make a change from the train, listening to Radiohead's Hail To The Thief, and was thinking of K and Canada lots. The most enduring memory of thought association with that particular Radiohead album being There There on the TV above Taco Bell at the movie theatre in Orleans LOL. And then thoughts wandered to the actual fact that I didn't keep a diary or blog while I was in Ottawa, and that maybe I could write some stuff about it here, rather than let me forget it all. A deep, deep mine of material there, if when I get around to it.

Looked at the calendar when I got to work, and with all the stories this week about the Madrid bombings, was thinking was it REALLY only a year ago - I don't know about you, but it seems a lot longer than just three hundred and sixty five days ago. Maybe it is the thing of horror being piled on horror that it all seems to recede further into the distance than it really is - what with Iraq, from Abu Gharib to Fallujah to numerous car bombings, to the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, plus the fact that I didn't have a job a year ago, the days dragged a longgggg time then... a LOT has happened in the past twelve months.

After work, it was a pretty forgettable day, went off to the pub just outside Central Railway Station, because I knew the closest pub to work wouldn't be showing the rugby, and saw JC there, whom I hadn't seen since she left work - she works for a telecoms competitor now. She seems well enough, but all the excitement about her Dad's visit has leeched out of her, and the job is pretty well braindead compared to what she had expected - less stress though, so that's good. Although another interesting point, her girlfriend J (another one LOL) quit her job today, hmm ten hour days versus mortgage payments... J just comes across to me as quite flighty and such. But caught a bit of the Highlander Bulls game, so that was nice :)

But after JC and J left - the Dad txted JC saying where are you LOL - parents, eh - after they left, I was by myself in a pub watching sport that not many other people cared about, and I felt like I was back in London or something, at one of the Anzac pubs in Covent Garden (or perhaps the Maple Leaf, back when there were NHL seasons LOL), watching sport from back home and despite there being people all around, feeling so alone in myself. And not even the desire anymore to launch myself into meeting people - have to get over that I think, otherwise I will isolate myself more or something. Eh, socialised for about forty minutes, slowly slowly LOL.

Fairly even in the Aussie Kiwi test match, 433 all out NZ first innings, 3-141 the Aussies, stumps on the second day. Thinking of London days again, how I got closer to my (English) workmates there, rather than the Aussies and Kiwis on the beer and sports watching weekends - I never had a regular crowd when watching rugby or anything, lol, remember feeling that Thornton Heath and Croydon were the back of beyond for the Antipodean crowd, wrong side of the river or something :)

Continually making first impressions with fellow Kiwis, as opposed to the gradual falling into comfortableness (if that is a word) with the English workmates - I went over to England by myself with no links or mates there, and enjoyed myself IMMENSELY, but still think what it could have been like if I had had an advance guard there. Although, I have to admit, it was quite boring to go to the other side of the world and meet people that went to the same high school as myself, even if they weren't the right age frame to be in my grade LOL. Very boring indeed - one of my highlights there was going to a pub to watch how the English watched the World Cup - of course, this was the quarter final or second round against the Argies where David Beckham got red carded for a back kick.

Scary to see the harrowed emotions of disappointed Brits, I used to think it was many times worse than what Kiwis got up to with rugby, until the 99 semi against France LOL, but even though it was such a flat feeling after the penalty shootout, it was probably a truer sense of English nationhood than the Horse Guards down the Mall will ever be.

But yes, watching rugby in central Brisbane by myself felt a very isolated and lonely feeling. I need to get some activity buddies - with activities being a wider range than drinking LOL. Who's up to go to Ballymore with me to catch a couple of Queensland Super 12 rugby matches :)

Came home, watched American Idol - was the first results show of the top 24 - I know, I know we are behind the States, don't know by how much, although there was a comment from Seacrest today about Paris Hilton's mobile phone directory - when was that hacked? But yes, I know we are behind the REAL world, but please, any North American or other lucky viewers ahead of Channel 10 coverage, please don't tell me anything that happens - not that I have had comments in ages, but that is by the by LOL.

And then caught at the end of the world news a minute of the ceremony from Edmonton, the memorial service for those four murdered RCMP officers, which got me looking for the Canadian slant on the story. Say what you want about the country and what holds it together, saw CBC video from Edmonton and Canada and the Mounties can do a ceremony right. Mmm, all that red serge LOL, wonder what the temperature in Edmonton was today - saying it was 7 C... well, at least that was current temps, but looks like the snow melted at least. Mmm, Edmonton, the town that was closed when we had our two hours there LOL.

Later peeps
Pauly