It is a rainy day in Melbourne; my hands are still dirty but I have 8 long fingernails
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003 - 12:40

It's raining today and so I decided to internet, even though I just did yesterday. Two days in a row seems so extravagant and unnecessary now. My fingers are having a hard time typing, maybe because they're cold or maybe because they're out of shape.

After having eaten nothing but homemade homegrown organic food for three weeks, I had my first taste of civilian life again yesterday. I had a bacon and egg focaccia for breakfast around noon and then I had a delicious jam donut, and then I was full all afternoon and didn't want anything for dinner. See, I've been eating like a horse for the last three weeks but working it all off, and now in the city there's nothing to do but walk around, and so I'm not using up any energy.

I'm doing pushups for fun now. I did 20 this morning and it was easy. I used to only be able to do like 2 or 2.5.

In Melbourne they have this crazy thing where, to turn right, they get in the left lane and pull over to the side and wait for all the cars to go by, and then when the light turns red they turn right. This is all backwards to what those of us who drive on the right do, so in order to understand the weirdness of this, pretend that you want to make a left-hand turn, so you're in the right-hand lane and you pull over to the side, right in the middle of the intersection in front of the cars on the perpendicular street, and you sit there and wait, and then when the light turns red you turn left. Okay okay, I can't explain it well, but it's crazy, believe me, and I've never seen it anywhere else except Melbourne.

I think I'll be staying here until next Tuesday.

In Sydney there are these discount shops with speakers at the front that yell at you to buy things: "We have souvenirs from $3! We have a wide selection of jewelry from only $4!" It's very loud and very yelly. In Melbourne, however, the voice coming out of the speakers is more polite, not yelly.

I helped herd sheep on the farm. Did I mention that? It was funny. Sheep are funny animals. And then last week we got new sheep, 12 sheep with lambs, and there was a set of twins and they were SO CUTE. Have you seen tiny twin lambs? Have you seen tiny twin lambs cuddled up together taking a nap? It's cute.

And also on the farm I got to see sheep brains spread on toast. That was pretty disgusting. I didn't eat any.

And I do have a story to tell about a spider and gross people getting it on on a doona, but I'll have to compose it first. I actually have already written it, but that was a few weeks ago and I can't type it out now because it's stale.