Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Noisy Mynah Chick


I know why these little birds are called noisy... this one chirped about once every 3 seconds for the entire 26 hours we had it in the house. Hugh found it in the park being attacked by crows. He must have been just in time as it didn't seem to have any injuries. It was too immature to fly; Wendy from WIRES told us the crows had probably plucked it from its parents' nest. Hugh fed it water from an eye dropper and bits of pear from the end of a skewer and it kept him awake all night long. It's gone to a WIRES foster home now & they'll set it free soon. Hugh looking bleary-eyed.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

I bin sick

I've been unwell so slacked off on the blog. Updates:

Hugh has recovered fine & is a bit of a hero at school. We got him a new mobile phone in the full knowledge that it was probably the only reason he was mugged in the first place... but what's a teenager without a mobile in Marrickville? He's not going to talk on it in the street if he can help it.

Richard's beer looks like beer, smells like beer but tastes um, funny. I guess it's sort of undrinkable. I think he's going to have to tip it on the vegie patch and try again. Do tomatoes like beer?

We have some new additions to the menagerie. One fish, a big fella as long as my hand, to keep the other one company. They are actually quite social & swim around next to each other all day long. Bought a yellow water lily bulb for the pond (big pot) too - hope it flowers.

One of the terrible teenagers, she-who-will-not-let-me-name-her-on-this-blog, has bought two rats. Named Billy & Toby they are adorable creatures and have turned me around on the whole yukky rodent business. Their dear little hands are so humanlike, they wash their faces like cats, they build homes all night long out of small boxes & magazines that they shred to pieces & pile up. They eat strawberries & are just beginning to get used to us. They venture out of their cage only to scuttle back in again. I worry about them getting ear damage in her room with all the Ramones, Green Day etc.

No more news, except that we had guests on Friday night & I decided to cook. I mix-n-chopped all day, making wholemeal handmade lasagne sheets, a rocket pesto, a homemade tomato sauce, finally layering it all with gorgeous fluffy ricotta bought from Marrickville's own Paesanella. I had a ball, it looked beautiful & I was proud. We took bites and everyone fell silent. It was the worst thing I've ever made, and there have been some shockers. A bricklike slab of total stodge. The guests were so polite, I am forever in their debt. Luckily I'd run out of time to make dessert & had rushed over in the afternoon to Adora chocolates for some lime & passionfruit truffles, so the meal ended on a high note.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Un-Marrickvillia

Sometimes when I'm away from Marrickville I see things and think "that would be fun to put on the blog, if only it was in Marrickville". Like this man who was walking along George Street in the city near Chinatown holding a statue of the Virgin Mary and a bottle of vitamin pills. He asked me if I was Catholic, I said no, he said "Jesus loves you", and I felt ridiculously happy for about half an hour. Or like this petrified dead bat that was on the front porch of a terrace house in Carillon Avenue, Newtown.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Robbery & Assault Update


Hugh has some blurred vision but the doctor says it won't last long. He probably had a mild concussion. He seems fine, he's a tough cookie. The thugs took his house key, and our address is in his phone, so we plan to change the locks tomorrow. It will mean a trip to the Marrickville hardware store, hooray! Hugh & I have had the day off together today. It's pouring with rain but we have a nice fire going. Hot chocolates, chats, & baked beans...

We've been watching daytime telly. A bloke who doesn't think his wife does a good enough job of the housework was told to get a life by Dr Phil, which actually surprised me. We got an interesting recipe for stuffed & deep fried olives off Ready, Steady, Cook. Judge Judy sorted things out between Jennifer and her ex-boyfriend Billy. The thing is, Billy just didn't understand things were over between him & Jennifer so he vandalised her new boyfriend's car - it was a moment of madness.

A man called Phil Chen came to the door & explained to me how we could save 5% off our gas, as well as getting a $50 bonus on our first bill, if we swap over to AGL. It seemed legit & I liked him so I signed the thing. But have I made a mistake I'll live to regret?

Robbery & Assault



I was a bit worried when my 15 year old nephew Hugh, who lives with us, didn't answer the home phone or his mobile after school yesterday. I usually call him at 4.30 from work. Then I knew something was wrong when someone else answered his mobile & I could hear train noises & thuggish laughing. I kept calling - the mobile would either ring out, someone would answer and hang up, or they'd just yell "What!!" I had to teach at 6 so Richard rushed home. He called me (unprecedented, I left my mobile on in class) to say that Hugh wasn't there and then I was REALLY concerned. We decided to call the police, and Richard was on the phone to them when Hugh walked in, bruised & bashed up, his mobile & wallet stolen.

He'd been walking up our street at about 4pm when he was hit from behind. It was two older & bigger boys; he didn't know them. One of them pinned his arms to his sides & the other punched him. They scratched his chest, tore his shirt & bruised his face. Richard & Hugh spent a few hours up at the police station & then we were visited last night by Constable Yvonne & Constable Josh, who were very nice. They took the ripped shirt away in a brown paper bag & took some of Hugh's DNA so they can separate it from any the attackers left behind. There's a chance they'll be able to track them down through the phone calls they will make.

Hugh is in good spirits but one of his eyes is swelling up this morning so we're off to see doctor Nigel.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Vegies & Beer



We have some home produce happening. Richard's brewing beer & I've rejuvenated the vegie patch. The beer is a Coopers Pale Ale & has been fermenting in the laundry for a couple of weeks. Richard is going to bottle it this weekend in these bottles that Luke from the Union Hotel in King St gave us. In the vegie patch I have spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, rhubarb, beetroot, cos & frilly iceberg lettuce, artichokes and asparagus. It doesn't look like much now but should be a forest in no time; I can't wait. I'm trying to espallier a little lime to the back wall - a bit twee I know but we've run out of room...