I recommend just ahhhhing, it might be theraaaaahpeutic

I’m baaaack. Back home to regular electricity and internet and noise and convenience and all the joys and ills of modern life.

My friend couldn’t water my plants for me so I may have lost my hot lips salvia (which I think is severely root bound anyway) and my scotch bonnet pepper (which I don’t use much of). The manzano chili was in an over exposed location and looks very shriveled and sad, but I think it’s still salvageable with lots of pampering over the next few days. Please come through my precious, you are quite tasty and fruitful.

All my indoor plants are super happy though.

Got a couple hours to kill at Canberra Airport and trying to find some inspiring/thought provoking podcasts… have a few episodes of Conversations downloaded, and am getting through a short BBC one on a British cult.

E: the same girls choir group has come and gone from the main entrance area like 4 times now singing the same songs. I admire their mental tenacity in not being utterly sick of the same 5 songs

E2: boarded a bit late. Boo, middle seat again. But it’s a short flight. Fat lady next to me smells vaguely like fish but they’ve upped the air freshener in the plane so that’s a relief.

Inside Out is legit one of those films I think everyone should watch though. At heart it is so not a kid’s movie. Give it a go if it ever crosses your path

It’s my second last night out here before I return to Melbourne. A beautiful cool day and as the sun sets I can hear the lyre birds making their laser gun/magpie/alarm noises and feel an immense sense of peace.

Sadly, I did not finish off the last bit of outstanding work due to patchy internet and no electricity in the cabin (and, tbh, not being remotely in the mood for it while away). But I’m starting to see a way forward where I can finish it off when I get back with a sense of positivity and appreciation and relief at completing this part of life, rather than resentment and aversion and anxiety because I didn’t finish it on time.

I’ve been on decaf for three weeks now and I gotta say my gut has never been better. Sads.

If you head to Uluru I also recommend Watarrka/Kings Canyon very highly

Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.

However, I am very overheated and tired. I am glad I’ve had a decent break from the phone, between ferrying people around for 3 hrs each way in 38C heat, clearing overgrowth on steep terrain, cutting and spraying evil prickly thistle in full sun, and random fever dreams in hot wooden cabins with no electricity or reception.

Update: still fucking roasting in NSW but I hear the cool change is hitting the southern coasts so hopefully it will reach the southern highlands in an hour. I am so overheated. Drank 500 L of water… So glad it’s a cool night

✨ el nino coming for us all ✨

Where I’m staying is a bit cooler than Sydney and will “only” hit 38 today. Strong hot winds not great for the fire situation but we should be fine, cool change hits tonight thank god. Trying to sleep in a non insulated cabin last night with no fan etc was hard. But it’ll heat right up again next week.

Spending most of the day in the coolest place I can find…

Not a good day to be in NSW at the moment. Farken

You can find out the MBS item fee online, if you know what the item number is (whoever referred you should know)

Best to call them to ask - depends on whether they cover 100% or 75% of the MBS item fee, and whatever that item fee is…

The magical combo of stremio + torrentio + realdebrid has let me enjoy so much for very little expense or effort. It’s great!

There aren’t even big obvious buttons on the huge touchscreen (like it is the size of a very large tablet or a small notebook. It’s huge!) - it’s in a freaking menu that you have to search through!!! Even the climate controls, speed etc are relatively small numbers… was so weirder out. Not for me at all

I drove a Toyota hybrid for a while, that was still sensible, but having climate controls, locking, opening the boot, windows, etc all controlled using a touchscreen… And every time you turn little videos come up showing the vision from the side of the car…

Sat as a passenger in a Tesla for a fair bit today and it’s honestly mind boggling how so many people want to have a car with a giant arse touchscreen and almost no physical controls. There is way too much going on in that screen.

It’s semi tropical in Canberra atm. Next Wednesday’s looking hot and wet as well.

Soxcat was notably unhappy after her cattery experiences too, I kinda think it triggered her ovarian remnant thingmajig although I know that’s prolly not how it works.