Southerly by David Haywood

"I just know I'm going to be into cute eighteen-year-olds when I'm forty," she says.

Okay, I heard this one like a month ago. Is it included in some sort of book of pick-up-lines for babies? Disturbing. Very disturbing.

I suspect you read it here! (See last three paragraphs of post.)

Note that I modified the quotation from "hot" to "cute" in an effort to make it less disturbing.

Thanks David, that's a relief. And lovely post, as per usual.

This is fucking sublime, dude.

The A key above middle C has something wrong with the damper, and it goes 'dong-g-g-g' every time he strikes it.

My childhood piano did this, except it was the B above C. I ended up developing a slightly odd playing style that involved just miming this key every time I had to use it. If I didn't know you were already in another country, I'd suggest you suggest it.

Tell me Opera Lady was at least a coloratura.

(Homesick sigh). That was lovely, David.

And thanks for the compliment, although I never did get to have breakfast at Tiffany's.

When my kids were tiny I worked at home, my wife worked mornings and I got to be solo dad with kids at the park every day (in Berkeley rather than NY) - the actual parents would tend to gravitate together while the nannys would form their own clique - I think this was largely a language issue (we mostly didn't speak spanish) - being the only guy at the playground with a kid did seem a bit strange though

"Oh, so it's an Australian accent."

Will-power is over-rated

One of the things I most enjoy about your writing, David, is how evocatively you do so. Mind you, with Bob the Baby in tow, you do have some excellent material!

Emma Hart wrote:

Tell me Opera Lady was at least a coloratura.

Just an ordinary soprano -- but very good, I thought. She may, on reflection, have been warming up for a performance rather than practising.

Jolisa Gracewood wrote:

... although I never did get to have breakfast at Tiffany's.

Heh -- that's what was missing from the photographs you sent. One of those really long cigarette holders. Oh, and maybe the diamond tiara thinggummyjigger.

Jackie Clark wrote:

One of the things I most enjoy about your writing, David, is how evocatively you do so.

Thanks, Jackie, we try our best...

Incidentally, do the media in New Zealand care about the world plunging into recession (maybe even depression)? It's on the front page of the Guardian and NYT nearly every day, but when I check the Herald and Stuff websites it barely gets a mention. They're all just rugby and crime. Is New Zealand TV and radio giving the topic some air-time that I can't detect from here?

Oh, so it's an Australian accent.

I once had a woman at a party in Houston get *annoyed* with me for having what she deemed to be a 'fake' accent. Friends leapt to my defence: 'she's from Noo Zealand! That's how they talk!'

Ah, my time as a circus freak. So delightful.

Is New Zealand TV and radio giving the topic some air-time that I can't detect from here?

They're *always* nattering on about it on NatRad. Perhaps it's just that I'm always in the shower listening to the radio during the just-before-7am business report, though.

Incidentally, do the media in New Zealand care about the world plunging into recession (maybe even depression)? It's on the front page of the Guardian and NYT nearly every day, but when I check the Herald and Stuff websites it barely gets a mention.

Even with the Cullen fund and Kiwisaver, nowhere nearly as many people have their retirement funds invested in shares or derivates over here. Here it's the falling house prices and the failed finance firms that hit people in the pocket, and they both got plenty of coverage I think.

Incidentally, do the media in New Zealand care about the world plunging into recession (maybe even depression)?

Key (not John) words like Obama, rescue, cute dog, and cheese going through the leaky building roof may inspire a wee look from msm but then again, maybe not. Whadda'ya gonna do?

They're *always* nattering on about it on NatRad. Perhaps it's just that I'm always in the shower listening to the radio during the just-before-7am business report, though.

I always end up listening to this whilst having breakfast. Nothing like a bit of economic doom and gloom to speed you out the door into a summer morning.

Here in the UK my brother sat me down and made me watch a number of Flight of the Conchords episodes (yep, I have to travel 1/2 way round the world to catch up with kiwi culture and yep, those boys have done good, haven't they?).

"Oh, so it's an Australian accent."

But doesn't she know, we say "caar" and they say "cahar"? Did you get Bob to flip her the bird?

After we watched that episode, my older boy has been on the lookout for the forbidden hand signal. Sure enough, he came home from school the other day and told me: "This boy in my class? He did that sign... you know, Flipper the Bird."

Like Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, I guess, only birdier?

Flipper the Bird.

Awesome!