Hallo all. It's a brand new week!
Wattle: Amazing weather; just how far is that dust traveling? Thanks for the photos.
AQ; Hope you caught your bus.
I've just spent ages wandering over the Australian landscape with GE - dropping down to street view in some of the most remote places. This is probably a really stupid question, but do you feel "off the beaten track" as residents of what seems, to me at least, such a remote continent.
Wattle: That is just awful. I worry about you folks in Australia. Breathing that dust every day has to be very hard on your lungs. My Dad has friends in Georgia (USA), and I have been watching the terrible flooding there today, and then I opened this site and saw your report about the truly horrific conditions in your country. Very distressing and unsettling. I hope you and aquilareen stay safe. We are going to have several days of rain here, but as long as my creek (burn) stays in its banks, I feel truly blessed! Take care of yourselves.
By the way, aquilareen, I loved your "He Who Knows Everything" story. I have similar experiences with my Dad. LOL
ANNETTE!!! Am I to understand that you are friends with the guy who developed C-3PO and R2-D2? And, AND, you went to a BBQ at the home of George Lucas?!?!?! Ok, I am impressed. Who knew you traveled in such circles? I would be a nervous wreck in such company. I'd drop my drink on the furniture or spit when I talked or something.
I'm glad that your tile is down, and you don't have to worry about it anymore.
Diane: I don't travel in those circles at all!! It's one of those "we knew him when....." stories. The "him" being a former art student at California State University Long Beach where I worked for a while and made a lot of friends. (Incidentally, CSULB had a very good art/film department in those days and Stephen Spielberg went there too - never met him!!) Anyway, Lorne was in that group of friends; he got into film; met the right people, worked on the Star Wars robots, then went on to join Lucas's group in Marin. His girlfriend was in the same group of friends and I used to visit them. On one visit, Lucas's wife invited Lorne and Nancy to dinner and I only went along because I happened to be visiting. It was very low key since George L is pretty reclusive. I think I exchanged about six words with him about the dog, Indiana. That was it.
How's the work on your house going?
Very cool experience, Annette. I did have a phone conversation with Dame Judi Dench once. She was writing the foreword for a book that I was editing. She was quite nice to me. I have very, very briefly met Joan Baez and the brother of HH The Dalai Lama, at different times, of course. I think all I said to them was "Very nice to meet you." I did talk to Ronnie Gilbert (of The Weavers) once. She is a GREAT woman and a lovely person. And I have talked to Starhawk (the San Francisco author). I had a very nasty exchange of words with Dan Quayle when he was still an Indiana politician, before he became vice president.
The house is going slowly, and I'm a bit depressed about it. So much to do. So little money. Sigh... How is your remodel?
Good grief. Just goes to show. My former friend Lorne is all over Google and apparently wrote a book three years ago about the whole Star Wars thing. And I remember him as the guy who sewed a fancy red heart on the seat of my favorite pair of pants when they began to wear out.....Funny old world.
Ha!!! Do you still have those pants? What a fun memory!
Judi Dench is great. Joan Baez too. Dan Quayle - well, there are downsides to every job, right? :-)
I'm so sorry you're discouraged about your Dad's house. Sounds like a difficult time all 'round. Any chance of borrowing against it to get the critical stuff done or is it just a question of plugging away yourself? All our appliances are being installed Friday with electrician/plumber/cabinet folks trickling in over the next week to do tidy up stuff. And no, I don't have those pants, but do have a photo of me wearing them at a party with Lorne admiring his handiwork! :-)))))
Night all. Maybe we'll get some "new" news about Rothes and Mallachie soon!
The house is in my name now. I just need to do it, and stop worrying about everything. There's an old Irish proverb, I believe, "You can't plow a field by turning it over in your mind." LOL It sounds like you are about finished on yours. Congrats!!! Yours sounds just lovely. Oh, I will give you a dollar right now to post that photo of you and the pants at that party! LOL
Ok, I'm heading for bed. Very nice talking to you, Annette. Sounds like Mallachie and Rothes are happy where they are at.