The Other Andrew

Retail Therapy

2008-07-26T16:14:00.001+10:00

I set out this afternoon for a little shopping expedition, with one goal in mind - a new pair of leather shoes for work. (The rain of the past week has a) taken it's toll on my 2 pairs of black leather shoes and b) pointed out some of their shortcomings in the moisture deterrant area.)

Three hours later I'm home, will the following:

a pair of slippers
some super cute black & white check canvas slip-on shoes, just like The Young People wear (half price at Target!)
a funky long pencil case all made out of zips from Smiggle, just perfect for knitting needles
a multi pocket zip up comendium thingy from the same place
a white v neck tee
some kitchen storage containers
2 balls of knitting yarn (Cleckheaton Country Naturals 8 ply, for the curious)
3 pairs of black socks made from bamboo fibre (so soft!)
a leather bound notebook and leather pencil case from Kikki K, a present for my sister for her birthday next weekend
a card, and wrapping paper

Err, notice anything missing? *sigh* Well, my intentions were good...

Warning: Pot Gives You A Dry Throat

2008-07-25T21:10:00.002+10:00

So I've heard. Anyway, just ask Laurence Welk.

PS: I think you'd have to be stoned to wear that dress.

ZOMG!

2008-07-25T11:12:00.002+10:00

Srsly you guyz, my new home broadband connection and beauteous new (on loan) Mac laptop have formed a close bond and they like got together and forced me to stay up until 1am last night. You have no idea. I may never leave the house again.

Neatness Counts

2008-07-25T10:52:00.002+10:00

In my opinion, it's important to keep your filing and organisation up to date.

A place for everything, and everything in its place.

[Pic via Apartment Therapy.]

Akira, Fashionistas and Art On A Plate

2008-07-24T23:47:00.000+10:00

Last night Mikey (the lovely ex), his boyfriend Evan, and I went to a free lecture as part of the Wednesday night "Art After Hours" series at the Art Gallery of NSW. To coincide with the "Taisho Chic: Japan in the 20s & 30s" exhibition, the gallery had organised a half hour free talk with Japanese/Australian fashion designer Akira Isogawa, in interview with local radio journalist Deb Cameron.

Man, it was packed. Wall to wall fashionistas. So much black in one gallery! (Is that a redundant comment?) I was there early and managed to score three seats for us, but by a half hour before the talk it was strictly standing room only. Shoulder pad to shoulder pad.

The interview was good, but not great. As interesting as he is, Akira does drift off the topic quite easily and Deb Cameron didn't really succeed in keeping him on track. That's a small criticism though, because really it was a very interesting talk and I have always found Akira interesting and charming.

It was so crowded that we decided to tour the "Taisho Chic" exhibition this weekend instead, and so headed out into the freezing cold to grab some dinner. Staying thematically consistent we decided on Rise, one of Sydney's best Japanese fusion restaurants. They do a very affordable degustation menu mid week, and the food was exquisite. Plate after beautifully presented plate of gorgeous nibbly bits, like little tasty sculptures.

It was great to spend time with the boys, share a lovely meal and some good wine, and just catch up with them. Evan complimented me on how healthy I am looking these days, which was really sweet and just the encouragement I needed. I mean, I know that fixing my sleep situation has made a huge difference to how I feel, but it's nice to have it reinforced and to know that the change I feel is visible.

It wasn't a real late night, by 9.30 we had had dinner and were ready to brave the cold and rain again. The combo of the talk and the dinner, and the good company, was a lovely midweek treat.

Wet Winter Morning

2008-07-24T09:28:00.000+10:00

It's a cold and wet, wet, wet Winter morning in Sydney this morning. My new desk is up against a window, looking out over the light industrial estate where the company is located, and the rain is thumping against the glass like a waterfall.

It's kind of nice really. (It's not so nice that my socks are wet from the walk into the office this morning, but that's a small discomfort.) I like the sound of the rain, it has a sort of meditative quality to it. Like waves on a beach.

I went out last night with Mikey (the lovely ex) and his boyfriend Evan to an evening talk given by the fashon designer Akira Isogawa, and when we left the art gallery it was freezing cold and raining quite heavily. Given a choice between huddling on the porch of the gallery with scores of other people, or braving it, we braved it and had a cold and wet walk to find a cab.

(I'll be setting up my new internet connection tonight, so I'll write about our little outing to the gallery and post a couple of pics then.)

The perfect antidote to a cold wet night though was a wonderful 7 course degustation meal at Rise, with the warmth of friendship and good conversation. Just about perfect.

Five Things About Tuesday The 22nd of July: Tall & Handsome Edition

2008-07-22T19:05:00.000+10:00

Fewer things in the world are nicer than a tall, handsome man telling you he thinks you're attractive too. Now all we have to do is conquer a tyranny of distance and actually get to spend some time together.
No I'm not telling you who he is, but he's started reading this blog. He knows who he is.
How in hell (despite being told over and over by some of my friends) did I fail to appreciate the music of Swedish pixie Robyn until now? Check out some of her clips here (especially favourite #1, favourite #2, favourite #3) and then take delight in someone who has a song called Konichiwa Bitches!
It just adds to my rep as a late adopter, really.
The new temp job is going to work out fine for the time being. The work itself is varied, the office has a friendly vibe and the mostly quite young staff all seem to get along well and have some fun, while still working quite hard.

Music And Man Ass

2008-07-20T13:14:00.001+10:00

I stayed up waaaay too late last night, and frankly I blame the sweet boys of the Aussie electronic duo The Presets (myspace page, with audio). For decades now there has been an overnight music video show called Rage on Aussie tv. It's sort of like our version of MTV I guess, but it goes out on a free-to-air channel starting late at night and finishing in the early morning on weekends. They hand over the reigns to local and overseas acts to VJ and guest program the show. Sometimes this works amazingly (Debbie Harry was a real treat, just for starters), and last night was one of those nights.

Anyhoo, so the boys were very chatty and camping it up something fierce, and had programmed a real eclectic mix of early underground electronica, 80s pop, and a few surprises. Like Billy Joel. (Apparently, as kids both of the boys were fans.) What I thought was very amusing though, was Jules's intro into the Billy Joel clip they played. Jules prefaced it by saying that as a band The Presets were known for the homoerotica of their video clips.

Case in point, cute boys wrestling in milk. "This Boy's In Love" by The Presets:

Then Jules went to some length to describe the homoerotic nature of the clip to "Allentown" by Billy Joel. You know, homoerotica was not something I ever would have thought of associating with a Billy Joel clip, but Jules is spot on. Bare torsos, boys showering together and even a spiffy dance routine. (Check it out here: Allentown by Billy Joel.) It's pretty camp.

Or as Jules described the clip: "Come for the music, but stay for the man ass".

Improved Connectivity

2008-07-20T12:36:00.001+10:00

I joined the ranks of the 21st century this morning and upgraded my internet connection to broadband. OMG late adopter, right? Well I had such a poor cranky old pc at home, that it didn't really seem worth spending the extra on an internet connection that my pc wasn't even going to be able to keep pace with.

Thanks to the incredible kindness and generousity of a friend, I have a long term loan of a laptop until I can afford to buy my own. This baby cracks along and leaves my old pc still tying its shoe laces and not even on the starting blocks, so it was time to make the switch. A while ago my isp even sent me a free modem to encourage me to desert the likes of dial-up. So with modem and laptop in hand I rang up this morning and made the switch.

The only downside, I have to wait 10-15 days for the change to be processed and my account to be switched. Bugger. Oh well, I mean I'm years behind the pace so I guess I can wait another week or so...

The Ring Master

2008-07-20T12:16:00.000+10:00

I've always had a bit of a crush on out gay actor (and jug-eared cutie pie) Russell Tovey.

He seems to be one of those jobbing young actors that crops up in a variety of things, from the movie The History Boys to a small but important role in the Dr Who "Titanic" Christmas special (along with Kylie, of course). Hello Sailor!

So I was pleased to find this clip from the BBC comedy show Annually Retentive, about a low rent tv panel show in which UK comedian Rob Brydon plays himself. In this clip Russell Tovey's character is trying to explain some of the gay lingo to a somewhat confused Brydon.

Tovey
Uploaded by torchwoodgerald

Flattered

2008-07-18T11:48:00.000+10:00

I finish up at the temp assignment I have been doing today, primarily because I've been getting through the work faster than they expected and so they haven't wanted me here full time. I had a chat with the boss here about the future of my hours, and at that time he doubted that he could give me the full time hours I was expecting. In light of this I arranged another assignment to start next week, a full time one at a better hourly rate.

So, of course, the guys I am working with currently have given me more hours this week, full time hours in fact. Then they saw the results that in a couple of weeks I have brought down their outstanding debtors to around 20% of what they were. And then I showed them my Virgo tenacity by solving some of their thornier forensic accounting type work.

So having committed to starting a new assignment next week, these guys have now opened disussions about me joining them as a permanent employee. The money on offer is pretty good, the people are nice, and the location is easy to get to. But, it's not really what I want to do (mind you neither is the next temp assignment I have planned).

However, it all means I have options. I'm still hoping to hear from a permanent job I applied for elsewhere, but in the meantime I'm heading off to the new temp assignment on Monday while the guys here put a deal together to make me a proper offer.

They have my number.

YOU May Be Slumming Honey, But I LIVE HERE

2008-07-17T21:11:00.003+10:00

Hundreds and thousands of young nubile Catholics have sprinkled themselves all over this fair city of ours. Sydney is crawling with pilgrims, pilgrim. The world's Catholic youth (or a percentage thereof) are here to celebrate World [Catholic] Youth Day, to experience the fellowship and put their abstinence vows to the test.

Thankfully I don't have to head into the city at the moment, because public transport is apparently pushed to capacity, and the city centre streets have been cleared of the heathen, the inherantly fabulous and the cars in preparation for the processional passing of Il Papa. Meanwhile, huge drifts of said nubile pilgrims are washing up in my neighbourhood of Newtown looking for the hipster Inner West experience. Actually they're kind of sweet, but I'm not sure my 'hood has heard the words awesome and dude so many times before.

Listen Up You Two!

2008-07-17T20:30:00.003+10:00

If you can't play nicely...

...nobody get's to have the ball, and we go home right now.

[Pic via Shorpy.]

Misunderstood (Or: Make Mine A Double, Thanks)

2008-07-17T09:11:00.003+10:00

You know how sometimes you glance at something written, and sort of read it quickly without paying it too much attention, and you can sometimes get it a little bit wrong? And then it sort of sticks in your brain until one day you look at it afresh and realise that you've had it wrong all this time? (And to be perfectly honest it's not a bad little mini-lesson in the way we tend to label things.)

It turns out that the cafe near the office, the one I have been visiting about 3 times a week for the past three weeks, isn't the name I thought it was. Cafe Voka is not in fact the jauntily named Cafe Vodka.

I still think I like my original version better.

So Good They Named It Twice

2008-07-15T22:11:00.000+10:00

Check out this large and stunning set of vintage black & white pics of New York. Amazing! If anyone is reading this from New York, recognise any familiar locations?

[Link via www.thingsmagazine.net.]

5 Somewhat Large Snippets About Tuesday The 15th Of July: When Will Winter Ever End? Edition

2008-07-15T21:39:00.000+10:00

Onward and upward on the work front! I'm still holding a faint glimmer of hope for the job at the ABC that I applied for (although James, I know you said they were slow, but it's been weeks and I haven't been contacted for an interview - frankly it's not looking good). In the meantime I'm saying bye bye to the current temp post that I've been working at the past few weeks, where I've been getting less hours than promised on account of being too seriously fabulous and efficient, for a new post starting Monday. 9-5, Monday to Friday, and a considerably better hourly rate. Just pray they have internet, so that I'm not too efficient.
Oh, and speaking of which a sweet and kind benefactoress has offered me the loan of a surplus to requirements Mac laptop until I can afford my own! Yay! After I collect it this weekend no more crappy home internet connection (or the grungy internet place).
And speaking of James, as I was a moment ago, he's presently kicking up his heels in merry olde Sweden and having a completely fab time. Jealous, much? (And yes, that's me I'm talking about.) Check out his blog posts about his trip and join me in the little bits of bitter hateful envy.
Not least because he's having long Summer days that stretch forever into long Summer nights. Le sigh. I feel ungrateful for saying this, because today was actually kind of mild and nice, but this Winter and I are not getting along. Despite the opportunities to wear knitwear.
Watching James study his Swedish language lessons, and listening to the lilt of native speakers speaking German (in between all the mansnogs - schatz, ich liebe dich) has made me consider going back to refresh my language skills. German or Japanese, it would be nice to get back to speaking either reasonably well, like I used to. Education is a lifelong process.

Silly Love Songs

2008-07-14T23:59:00.001+10:00

Monday night, eh. It's nearly midnight already and if I had more self discipline I would have gone to sleep an hour or so ago. As it was I had a bit of a bad night's sleep last night (although, still a far cry from the terrible sleep of times not so long past - hallelujah!), so I'm kind of tired. Tired and not sad, but a bit introspective.

I worked back a bit tonight, and as I didn't feel like going home straight away I headed to the grungy internet place that has been a bit player on this blog of late. Not really feeling like sitting in there, or sitting in front of the tv at home, but not feeling like walking the streets in the cold either. It was a nice crisp winter night tonight, not freezing cold but with a real bite in the air.

So I surfed the net a bit and listened to some pop music on youtube with headphones on, almost drowning out the sound of the strange guy a few computers over who told 5 different people the exact same story word for word about some beauty pageant contestant falling over. I started watching the clips of Verboten Liebe from the start, in sequential order (see my previous blog post). Courtesy of an obssessive who has cut together all the scenes pertaining to Christian & Oliver's love story from the soap, with helpful English subtitles. (It takes around 20 clips before they start to get to the having of the kissing, but once they do it seems like you can't stop them. I can't say I blame them.)

Don't listen to love songs (even if they are pop) and watch handsome boys pining for each other if you're feeling a little introspective. It's the left hand path that leads to thoughts of impending spinsterdom, and how is it that even boring and horrible people seem to have a person that looks at them and says "I choose you". (Maybe I'm not boring and horrible enough?)

But walking home I walked through the park, where they've recently piled mounds of wood chips ready to be spread out as mulch, and the cold winter night smelled of eucalypt, in the citrusy menthol way fresh cut eucalypt does. I might not have had anyone to hold hands with, but it wasn't so bad. I guess it meant I could keep both hands warm by jamming them in my pockets at least.

God Bless Deutschland!

2008-07-13T12:41:00.001+10:00

On account of the belligerent home pc I've mentioned previously, I've been enjoying the delights of the local grungy internet place. The upside is a pretty fast internet connection which has allowed me to spend more time on sites that are torturously slow to load at home, like youtube. Mostly I've been listening to fab old 80s pop songs, but today I discovered the joys of Germany's soap opera, Verboten Leibe (Forbidden Love).

From what I can gather from the clips posted on youtube (and there are many) Christian and Oliver are two flatmates, who advertise for a third flatmate, Judith. Judith has relationship issues of her own, but everything pales into comparison to the (titular forbidden) love story unfolding between the two boys. One gay and one, well, closeted as it turn out.

Anyhoo, let's cut to clips of hot boys making out like they really mean it! Seriously, these boys look like they are having a hell of a good time, and it's all quite romantic. The clips are somewhat NSFW obviously, unless your workplace doesn't mind The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name playing out in glorious technicolour.

I think this mushy one is my favourite. Christian and Oliver get romantic, and bit hot and heavy, to the soaring strings of "Heaven". Love is all that I need, and I found it there in your arms, apparently.

Sweet. Now excuse me I have another 59 clips or so to watch...

Accident Prone

2008-07-12T08:31:00.000+10:00

I'm not much of a klutz. I don't tend to drop things, fall over, or do my self any major or minor degrees of accidental self harm. Normally. In the past couple of days I have:

Scraped the skin off a knuckle, thanks to a stucco wall
Burned my hand taking soemthing out of the oven (baked gnocci if you are interested, and my God it was good)
Almost set fire to the kitchen, because FYI even though they don't mention it in the instruction manual make sure you turn on the gas burner that doesn't have a teatowel draped over it (it was fine, but there was a nanosecond where I saw all my shelter options going up in smoke, and boy there was swearing)

So what is this? I've turned over some sort of new leaf, but not for the better?

I know posting has been sporadic here of late (Sugar Daddy, if you're out there, make mine a MacBook please), but really if you don't hear from me for a few days get someone to come around and check on me please. The way things are going I might be trapped under a toppled bookcase and a mountain of really quite good books, or somehow have wedged my head into the bannister.

He's The Strong Silent Type

2008-07-10T17:54:00.000+10:00

I had the day off today (as the client I'm temping at only needs me three days this week, the bastards) and so I spent the morning out having a coffee, browsing bookshops, buying some knitting yarn and strolling the streets of Newtown. As you do. (Or at least, I do.) Thankfully the sun was out today and it was a little warmer than yesterday, a day which was officially The Coldest Day Of The Year.

Can I just say, thanks for nothing Global Warming!

Anyhoo. I passed a recently now ex vintage clothing store on King St south, the quieter and slightly grungier (but these days most interesting) part of my 'hood. This same store was vacant only about 4 months ago and had had a display of a variety of second hand and vintage shop fitting for sale. In amongst the detritus were two male vintage display torsos, really one hard plastic display torso and one fabric covered tailor's dummy type mannequin. Both probably 50s vintage or so, judging by the look of them.

So a second hand jeans store opened and the dummies disappeared before I got around to ringing the phone number in the window. Intending to buy the tailor's dummy style torso. I didn't realise it, but these months later the jeans are gone and the store is empty again. Entirely empty, except for two male display dummies! Yup, they were back, or maybe they never left. The exact same ones.

So today I rang the number on the For Sale sign, passed over $40 and I'm now the proud owner of a vintage tailor's mannequin. He's armless, headless, slightly careworn but I love him unreservedly. He's a perfect size medium, stoic, solid and true and with a particularly masculine cut to his gib. It was only on Tuesday that I had priced new ones in a retail display store (about $235 and upwards), but they are pale, wan creatures lacking in substance and history to this little beauty.

He's currently modelling the scarf I knitted a little while back, and I'll post a picture when I get the home computer situation sorted. Soon he's about to have a mock-up of a piece of men's knitwear I'm designing and hope to sell to a magazine. I think it's the start of something meaningful.

You Don't Know How To Ease My Pain, You Don't Know!

2008-07-10T17:06:00.003+10:00

I had completely forgotten how much I used to love this song (and the video) until they played a snippet of it last night as the subject of a question on Spicks & Specks.

In case you were wondering the question was a three parter: a) the song title?, b) the musical duo who recorded the song? and c) who directed the video?

If you're playing along at home, the answers were a) "Cry", b) Godley & Creme, and c) Godley & Creme!

If you got those right give yourself a pat on the back, a tick "Well Done!, a gold star and an elephant stamp.

They Call Him Maverick

2008-07-08T13:20:00.001+10:00

I've been watching the BBC series Medical Mavericks, about the history of self experimentors in medical science. It's sometimes gross (ingesting pellets of faeces mixed with urine, snot and flour anyone?) but always fascinating, but here's the thing... I've developed a somewhat surprising crush on the presenter, Dr Michael J. Mosley MD.

Maybe it's the urbane manner. Or the British accent, with the slight speech impediment. Or quite possibly it's the rubber gloves.

5 Things About Tuesday, 8th July

2008-07-08T12:20:00.000+10:00

I just a yummy early lunch, but now I'm doing onion burps. It wouldn't be so bad if there were a few other ingredients thrown in, but just onion?
I started my new full-time temp assignment late last week, although their version of 'full-time' means that because I'm getting through the work faster than anticipated they only want me three days this week.
I'm annoyed, because I only get paid for the hours I work, and my temp agency consultant is really annoyed. Not so much because they earn less, but because she feels embarrassed and upset for me. She's put me back on their register to try and find me something more stable. Sweet.
I wish my old work could see me now. Working too hard. Getting too much done. Imagine!
I just had a Fry's Turkish Delight. Given the onion situation, potential bad move.

Social Niceties

2008-07-05T12:55:00.002+10:00

My home pc is getting crankier and more passive aggressively belligerent by the day, so I'm sitting in an internet cafe in my neighbourhood. It's filled with the usual mix of Newtownians; a couple of gay boys, some hipster chicks, an old guy checking his emails, and a middle aged woman looking for accommodation online while her dog whines outside on the street. It's really cheap, up to 3 hours of web surfing for $4.40, and consequently pretty busy.

I've come in here a couple of times now over the past week, and each time I've been struck by the behaviour of some people. I mean this is no hushed shrine, no scholarly library or place of learning, but people are trying to do their own thing and concentrate on whatever they are looking at on the web. Yet, loud mobile phone calls, chatting with a friend at a computer across the room, or singing to oneself all seem to be perfectly natural behaviours.

Gah, I sound like an old curmudgeon. Especially because it seems to mostly be the youngsters that have the worst disregard for anyone else. I'm turning into that guy, the one that shoots you a withering look for constantly drumming your fingers on the table, or feels like chiming in to say that maybe Stephanie would enjoy your conversation about Nick more if you took that phone outside.

Is it ageing that's making me notice this stuff more? (And don't even get me started on going to the cinema these days.) Have people become less aware or interested in whether they are bothering others? Or so used to being isolated in their own iPod surround sound cocoons, or watching DVDs at home, that they can sit in a public space and behave like they are in their own home? Or do they fundamentally just not give a toss?

Workin' Girl

2008-07-04T08:43:00.001+10:00

Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday, at 6pm on Wednesday night my temp agency rang me with a job offer starting the next morning. So I trundled off to the wilds of a light industrial area to work as part of an accounts team for a large car retailer. Nice people, nice office, bit of an industrial wasteland of a setting, but the killer is NO INTERNET. Le sigh.

So posting will be patchy 'round these parts until the weekend. I was out last night saying Bon Voyage to James O'Brien who departs on his big European odyssey today, and I'm out again tonight, so I will catch you on the weekend! Have fun.