Pottering About

What a strange but fun weekend it's been.

Friday night I had drinks with an individual formerly known under a nationality-related non-de-blog, to which he's since objected for reasons oconcerned with anonymity; thus, henceforth, he'll be known as he Who Must Not Be Named (or HWMNBN for short - thought it's not that much shorter, really, is it?).

Anyway, we got drunk - me on cider first, then hot toddies - why didn't someone tell me that adding lemon, sugar and hot water to whiskey made it so much more drinkable? Then it was on to Cherry (and thanks Max, for getting us in) and Control, before retiring - chastely, I'll have you know - to my bed circa 3am. But why are we sleeping together, and hugging so often late at night in straight bars? Hmm. Mixed signals, or me reading too much into our friendship? I'll let you know once I know...

Saturday - hangover, sleeping in, finishing reading an old childhood treasure (more of which in a new post shortly) and then off to judge the Horse Bazaar/MOMA digital art prize - and I shall never, ever tire of helping judge artworks when it means awarding $5000 to artists. Hurrah!

On the way to Horse Bazaar, the following conversation with HWMNBN:

Richard: "I just want to go to a bookshop first."

HWMNBN: "Why?"

Richard: "To buy a book."

HWMNBN: "Why?"

Richard: "To read."

Much chortling from both sides followed. No, I wasn't planning to sit in a bar and read, but when I got home, after finishing another book (the afore-mentioned childhood treasure), I started the new, final, Harry Potter book at about 11pm - and went to bed, a couple of hundred pages in, about 3am.

Most of today, save for interviewing a screenplay writer and an actor at Kent Street this afternoon; followed by oing my laundry, and having a cuppa with an old and very, very dear friend and one-time housemate, Andrea (one of the most calming and centring people I know) was spent reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - only to have my mum unwittingly spoil the ending for me during a phone conversation at about 8pm, when I was just over halfway though the book.

Aaaaarrrrgh!!!!

I'd successfully avoided reviews and online references and discussions of the book for two days, only to have my own mum drop the spoiler! Faaaaark!

To say I was pissed off is an understatement - and mum knew she'd done wrong too; having heard me say I'd sat up til 3am reading it, but not heard me say I was only halfway though the book.

"I've ruined your night, I'm so sorry" she said, and she meant it, too.

An hour later I was - literally - in tears at an unexpected plot twist, so called her back to reassure her that she hadn't ruined my evening.

Mothers - it's hard to stay pissed off with them for long, hey?

Anyway, now that I've blogged, I'm about to return to Harry's final adventure - although whether I finish it tonight, or dodge more spoilers - and hopefully more sucessfully - tomorrow, is anyone's guess...