My day: comics, noodles, recurring project angst, headwear and things falling from the sky

Thanks to B Sharp for organising tix to my very first Sydney Writers’ Festival event for the year (and welcome back to her lovely self coming Eastside for a bit). Neil Gaiman, sci fi fiction graphic novel movie type dude – adored by the legion of long haired beard wearing bespectacled comic strip T-shirted young men and pierced, novelty haired, dramatic, slouching young women in the audience tonight (so which am I?). It was nice ‘noice’ to be in the city at night, not a work event to be seen, no mingling, just hanging. Always nice to hear someone talk about ‘their thing’ whatever that thing may be. Biz commented on how annoying it is to see actual writers who actually write, when you have that bestseller on the backburner not written. I know what he means but by the same token its nice to see someone just dig what they do and gabble on.

So after that we went to Haymarket and got noodles and dumplings (you know where), as you do, and mine swam in vinegar and chili, the best way to have them – really the only way to have them. Lovely to see Dave too, which last time was a bump-in at a pedestrian crossing at a busy city intersection when I was incoherent from lack of sleep. Come to think of it, that part has barely changed.

Today at work I grappled again with another new project that has come my way with its associated jargon and tried desperately to figure out
a) Do I actually get what the project is about but it is muddled and poorly defined and quite simplistic;
b) Am I slow on the uptake and is there this perfectly thought out clever project awaiting my input
c) Does no one else really know just what this project is about either but they are happy to just go on a few words and embrace the uncertainty.
I think it was some combo of the first and last. You see it is very easy to make the false assumption that the world makes sense, or that other people think things through and are logical – to default to this assumption. I find though that it leads to much needless confusion. If you just accept that maybe no-one else knows what is going on either, and are making it up as they go along, it works better as a predictor of behaviour.

Also today I wore a hat. A wintery hat. Actually so did Bsharp and Biz, we were quite the mad hatters. Yes I have decided that this is the winter that I wear hats because it is warmer, because I think they look funky and glam, and because it’s a sure fire way to get a seat all to yourself on the train. I like a good dress up party and in the absence of one I fail to see why my every day should not become one. Also an unexpected benefits: give the appearance of matching! Yes if one has a hat the same colour as pretty much any other item that you are wearing (knickers probably don’t count) then it counts as matching and hey ho! The whole outfit is one glamorous cohesive whole. The hat should match at least one other thing in colour and /or style. For example – creamy cowgirlboy hat and ditto boots in any colour – hey presto, whatever other crap you are wearing becomes ironic louche cowkid chic. Wearing boring business suit but pop on a low teal cloche hat with matching lace gloves – hey presto! You are 1940’s movie star incognito. Try a large brimmed black Dynasty funeral scene hat and a foxy pair of peep toe kitten heels to transform any tracky dack combo into instant 80’s daytime soap glam. You get the picture. Todays was ‘add black mohair bucket hat and fluffy gloves to my favourite housework pants and a stretch top’ – bingo! Smartly dressed office type person.

Another unexpected benefit is the smiles you get from other girls in wacky accessories. It’s like a club – I’d forgotten. A girl in very shiny striped pink toned gum boots (with stockings, skirt, zip up hoodie – natch) gave me a very pleased smile as I oggled her footwear.

Had the best naughty train sleep this morning when I should have been working. It went till I hit the plains. Such a sweet, deep, sneaky sleep. Lovely.

Steps going not so bad. Up to almost 9,000 this far. Anyone else out there pedometering? It’s strangely addictive while you figure out what makes for an active day and what makes for an embarrassingly low level of any activity whatsoever (note – if you don’t leave the house good luck getting even 1500). We had a meeting this morning to go through the rules. Apparently when you are competing with other teams to rack up steps it is not cool to tie your pedometer to your pet for a few hours while you kick back and watch the best of Eurovision. Apparently THAT IS CHEATING. Apparently also not cool to outsource your pedometer to workmates and get them to up your mileage, or to tap said device to register steps that you are not taking – THAT IS ALSO CHEATING. Funniest of all the rules I thought was the explicit instructions to not reset (send back to zero), tamper with or destroy any colleagues pedometers. Crazily enough THAT IS ALSO CHEATING. More to the point is pretty effing annoying and a little on the creepy workplace bullying side of things I would have thought. So, yes I do think it’s funny to have all these rules to stop people from cheating, in what is essentially just a silly game to make us all get off our buts and get active for the sake of our health. Would have thought tapping a bit of plastic unlikely to result in significant heart health gains and toned buns o steel…but maybe that’s just me.

Can’t wait to hit the hay tonight, under a zillion layers of bedding to keep out the icy mountain air. Because guess what??? It S N O W E D up here today! I just got home but the snow is still pooled in gutters and driveways on teh shady side of the streetfrom when it came down at about 5.30 this evening. How cool is that? And we are talking about half an hour of snowfall, but apparently someone's made a snow-dog outside the post office. Cute!