(*) Double take

My final two George Johnston books arrived yesterday - 'Battle of the Seaways' (1941) & 'New Guinea Diary' (1944). It's a mixed feeling... I've been liking to have a copy of all of my favourite author's books for about the last 15-ish years - not an obession, just a mild 'that'd be nice' wish. Now I've got them all, I had a strange experience yesterday arvo checking out one of the local second-hand bookstores here in town... I didn't know what to look for!!! I guess now I'll keep a casual eye out for a 2nd-hand paperback copy of "Brave New World" by Huxley... I used to have a copy years' ago, but leant it to someone and never saw it again. Oh well... it happens. I mean, technically there are another five of Johnston's books I don't have, but they are the 1950's version of 'pulp fiction', what he called his 'pot-boilers' - written in a hurry just so as to sell quickly and put food on the family table! He wrote them under another name (Shane Martin), and they are as rare as hen's teeth nowadays. I mean, I found one copy of the first of these - for $100! Now, not even I'm willing to pay that much for pulp fiction! hahahaa. Nevertheless, now I finally have a copy of every one of his books he ever published - at last! Mini dance of joy... yes yes, I know... it's pathetic! hahahaa.

I made a spontaneous purchase yesterday... for the last 18 months the local Angus & Robertson bookshop has had a copy of an amazing book, "Beatles Gear" by Andy Babiuk, yet with a $70+ price tag - ouch! Walking past I noticed it had 50% off, so I grabbed it! Taking it up to the counter, the clerk scanned it and said, "That'll be $5 please." I literally did a double take and exclaimed, "Whaaat...?!?" With my response, he said again, "did you get that from the table outside (where all the end-of-year specials were)?" Still in a state of shcok, having being told that a book that retails at $70+ was only $5 dollars, I foolishly said without even a thought... "Uh, no...". "Oh, OK... (rescann...) that'll be $32 thanks!" D'OH! to me!!! I was just in shock - stoopid mouth spoke before the brain kicked into gear... that's what happens when you're too farking honest! pmsl! The book is an in-depth exploration of all the instruments that The Beatles used during their career - an amazing book with great details and even better never-seen-before pics... ok ok, forgive an old 60's music nutter!

Speaking of music, I've at least been TRYING to at least get reasonably up-to-date listening to something relatively more contemporary than the 1960's! I mean, I bought a CD the other day by "The Animals"!!! lol. I've tried to play my housemate's 3 "Blur" CD's over the past three days... and I just think they're crap! Ack! I must be getting old! I was never 'into' the whole Oasis/Blur thing of the 90's anyway, but I had a vague feeling Blur were the better of the pair. Boy - I was wrong! A lot different that what I'd expected. I gave them a good listening to as well, to give them a fair chance. No luck... they're back in her CD rack right now. I'm listening to U2 at the moment... almost contemporary... almost...!

My brother and his missus dropped in quickly this arvo... finally met M's new baby and the boys, of course. They were wasted by the time they got here, so didn't stay - i didn't expect them to. That's cool. Good to see them tho. Walking outside... gees, it really IS cold out there today! brrr!

Study invloves reading at the moment, and trying to scribble down notes and concepts to approach assigments at this stage. Gees, a nice day to stay indoors under a nice lamp.

Random thought... horrid recent local news story at the Zig Zag Railway, someone was trying to take some photos of the vintage trains, fell off a cliff, and was run over by a train. Poor bastard. An absolute accident, but not good for the Zig Zag railway. It's a very popular local tourist landmark around here, the ol' Zig Zag. Been there quite a few times... in all sorts of weather - sunshine and snow!

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Sunday, July 10, 2005

1. What book are you currently reading? 'Hitler's Holocaust' by Guido Knopp.
2. Have you ever experienced the loss of a pet? How did you deal with it? Would you get a new pet, and why? We had two cats as kids (mother and daughter), and both eventually died as a result of old age. I was very upset at first, but trealised that an old pet who was sick wasn't the best for things.
3. Is anyone in your family in the armed services? Nope.
4. If you have or have had a girlfriend/boyfriend, did you tell your parents about her/him without them prying for the information? No, but they were dying to ask anyway!
5. What was your favorite childhood pet and tell me a few things about it. I had two cats as a kid, mother and daughter. I got so used to having them around for so many yeays, it was a sad loss when they fibnally grew too old and died.
6. Have you ever been in love? Absolutely. Don't know if I'd be lucky or blessed enough to have it happen again tho.
7. What's your favorite activity? Reading - or sleeping!

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Cyalayta
Mal (Mallard d'Quackers) :o)
"Excuse me, which way is the stage?" (Audience member, lost at Altamont, 1969)

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