Almost a year…

Posted on July 11th, 2008 by prinny.
Categories: Stories.

Yup, crazy how fast time flies, eh? It’s almost a year since we officially pulled out of Iraq LA.

Yes we’ve been back ‘n forward but it hasn’t stuck. It’s like a cured cold sore… just don’t pick at it and she’ll be right. Don’t get run down oh and don’t kiss licentious girls. Spike Riley has adjusted well to being an inner city baby. He knows where the ‘good’ parks are, the ones with the wild swings and dangerously steep slides. He knows he gets an empty cup and a spoon to play with when we pop into Joe’s and I’ve been trying to teach him to yell out, “Go home junkie!” to well, the junkies who like to frequent our laneway to shoot up before shambling back home to Glen Iris.

B has also adjusted to hanging on to the underside of the hemisphere. He’s mastered a Hook Turn (impressive, yes) and general navigating is going well thanks to TomTom. He knows where Joe’s and the good park is too. Home for him will always be in Denver but Melbourne’s a bloody nice alternative.

I love, love, love being back around decent coffee and fantastic service. I love the trams rattling down Smith Street and the abundance of Vietnamese food at my fingertips. I love driving on the correct side of the road again, FREE HEALTHCARE, WEATHER and my iPhone. (Did I mention I have an iPhone… heh)

What I miss is… the cost of living! Holy crap shit’s expensive here! Where’s the cheap cars? The affordable clothes and accoutrement? Why am I mortgaging my house to buy a pair of baby shoes or some make-up? (Thank you Lord eBay, without you I’d be paying full price.) I miss being able to SMS Google when I’m lost and can’t find the address of the store shop I was looking for. CHEAP internet service (don’t get me started!!!!) I miss internet searching for things that actually have relevance to where I live. (Yes, I set my google home page to Australia but it still gives me Richmond VI search results.) I miss first release movies and tv shows I mean come on! Dexter is in series 3 now! (- what a corker of a show.) Yes, basically I miss all the horrible consumer things. The things for which An Over Abundance Of are the main reason the rest of the world Hates America. Yes, those lovely, lovely affordable things. *sigh*

~~~~~

So, that Wigfield is a hoot, eh? For the uninitiated. Wigfield is another ravishing book from the minds of Sedaris, Colbert & Dinello – the Strangers With Candy crew. Here’s Amy as Cinnamon, one of Wigfield’s exotic dancers… “Do they know I’m albino?” Paul Dinello’s, Julian Childs. The proprietor of The Bunny Hutch, the local theatre (whose actors are mostly soft-furred and large-eared). And Stephen Colbert’s, Raven. Another of the town’s “big boned” exotique dancers.
Cinnamon - Amy Sedaris Julian Childs Raven
B got me the audio book for our anniversary/mother’s day. It tells the story of the small town of Wigfield which is about to return to its former life – a creek – as the town’s dam is under orders to be dismantled. The book is a series of interviews with the town’s residents (who are beautifully photographed by Amy’s friend, Todd Oldham) played by Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. It’s every bit as demented as you would expect from those three. Stephen has (as Nana’s all around the world would say) such a lovely speaking voice… blind people must love him. So much so in fact that I’ve decided from now on, I want all my books read to me by Stephen Colbert. Either in person (he’d be so comfortable perched on a small stool beside my bed like a raven… ok a yacky wee budgerigar) or, time permitting downloaded onto my iPhone’s (did I mention I have one?) iPod so I can chuckle myself to sleep. Do yourselves a favour, add Wigfield to your list. It’s worth every last second of your time.

That’ll do from my meandering brain today. Hope you’re all well enough to start sending me cash n cakes. I’ll even take a money flan… I’m just that kinda girl.

Me, not Albino xxxx

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