It’s Monday night and I’m still at work. I’ve done all that I needed to do today, but I can’t go home just yet. The problem is the power supply on my computer at home: it’s not working. So I’ve decided to stay back and do an update on my life which has been incredibly busy.

As well as work, there’s also been a lot of socialising, including dinner with Damien at a restaurant in Chinatown, a beer or two with Michaela and then after work drinks on Friday night. Sunday afternoon was also an absolute delight, spending about four hours enjoying lunch, a glass or two of wine and jazz at Opera Bar with Damo, Sue M and Pat who was visiting from Canberra. It’s still incredibly warm in Sydney and the afternoon at Opera Bar was superb.

Pat had arranged to come to Sydney to attend my legendary Eurovision Party, mostly frequented by members of the international ABBA fan community, ABBAMAIL. But this year, as well as all “the usual suspects” we were also joined for the first time by Pat and Mark. Mark was the only one in our group who even came close to choosing the winning song. That Mark also chose Greece as his favourite song indicates that either he has dodgy musical tastes or is totally intune with European popular musical culture. I, however, was also out of touch with the rest of those attending my party in that I just didn’t get everyone else’s favourite, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Feminem. I was very disappointed that my own favourite, Martin Stenmarck with “Las Vegas” failed to do well as I thought it was both a great song and a terrific performance.

As usual, we had a great night trying to outdo each other with whitticisms. Some of the more “Quoteable Quotes” of the night were…

“It’s Cheryl from Bucks Fizz!” says someone
“Oh who cares” says Ian

“This is like shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic” (the voting)

“Shapelle Corby, no points”

and…. “Bosnia hurts my vagina” = Bosnia Herzegovina

But as well as Eurovision, Pat and I also did a fair bit of non-Eurovision socialising, including a party at Yvette’s on Saturday night and a boat trip to Manly to go Pink Salt, one of the restaurants currently featured on “My Restaurant Rules”. Although we waited in line for half an hour or so, we unfortunately missed out on a lunchtime setting. In some ways, though, I think that might be okay as the food didn’t look all that great and all of the patrons seemed to have a look on their faces which indicated they were less interested in the food and more interested in being on television. Undeterred we wandered down to the beach and had fish and chips instead which was legendary.

Reflecting back on all this activity made me realise I really need some “time out” soon. The last six months – maybe eighteen months – has been really busy without much of a break. I really need a holiday. In fact, when I woke this morning I didn’t even turn the radio on – I just needed some silence – and just listened to the birds in the trees outside instead. A week or so without noise would be really great.

And then in the next two weeks I have Anthony and Sue visiting this weekend and then I have to go to Adelaide next week with work. Looking forward to both, but wouldn’t mind a break either.