Making plans

Things have been hectic of late, what with my trying to get things ready for opening night and organising vaccinations for the trip to India. I've hardly had time to sit down, have a glass of wine and watch a DVD, or similar "chill out" activity.

I'm progressing with the trip to India despite the volatility in the region - the bombings in Delhi and the destruction of the Mariott in Islamabad (Pakistan). At the moment, the logistics of organising the trip occupy too much of my thoughts to make me worried - though after the Delhi bombing, I did entertain second thoughts very seriously. But, I think opting out because of this would be a cop out, and I would be robbing myself of one of life's seminal experiences. All nerves and anxieties aside, I think I will return from India having had one of the more unique experiences one can have in one's life.

For now, I just need to get the vacc jabs and obtain my Visa. It's been more than the anticipated 7-10 days and I have yet to receive word from the India Visa Office. I may have to give them a call to check - but will have to call early as they do seem to get busy after 10am.

Fluctuations in the cosmos

Well, the Libs are in, Sniffer Buswell is Treasurer and Ripper is the leader of the Labor party (the Opposition). There's a sense of foreboding caused by all of this that I just cannot shake. Still, chin up, stiff upper lip and all that. Life goes on...

The PIP group seems to have endured yet another major controversy, sparked by what was perceived as a "splinter" group forming. What surprised me about all of this was how passionate people felt about "their" group and what has occurred as a result of the formation of the other group. I think it's a hallmark of a mature group when its members feel so strongly about its future. What I dislike, though, is that this passion has converted into rather biting comments being made (I assume on both sides of the divide), mostly said in jest, but still with the potential to hurt. I spoke to B about this today (he called to offer some ideas on how to manage the divergent expectations of the group from different sections of its membership) - and basically said that, at the end of the day, I felt that PIP exerted a great deal of positive influence on its membership. Where else will members happily loan one another $2000 lenses without having met the other party? Or offer to assist other members in recovering digital photographs which had been deleted from the memory card? There is a lot of generosity and kindness in the group and we shouldn't lose sight of this just because of a bit of a spat and disagreement. Case in point: Brett D came over on Saturday and helped me frame the exhibition prints. Absolute generosity! Woods for the trees. Woods for the trees.

An update on the part-time position: I am loving it. I'm keeping very busy as there have been many things I've had to organise for Chaos and Drama (bought two cases of wine for the Opening Reception today: pinot noir and verdelho), but not being bogged down 5 days a week in the office has certainly made me feel lighter, brighter and more energised. I've also stopped feeling guilty about not being at work on my non-office days, which probably helps.

Sunday's bombings in Delhi gave me second thoughts about going to India, but I have decided to proceed with this trip - I think I will regret too much if I did not go, and I would still like to travel in that country. India has had a tumultuous history and there have been frequent episodes of such violence - bombings in Ahmedabad in July, in Jaipur in May, bombs detonated in Delhi in 2005, the Mumbai bombings... if we gave such acts of terrorism credence, then we would never travel to India.

On a happier not, I'm going to Rotto with Brett D for an overnighter in early October. I hope the weather will be fine - warm even, as I'm hankering for some beach time and snorkelling!

On/off again

I've endured an on/off again bout of flu - the worst being three weeks ago when I felt like I was about to drop off the perch. After two bouts of antibiotics, I thought I was getting well, then wham! got the flu again earlier this week but am on the mend. Just a chesty cough and some infection, which I'm hoping to beat in the next few days.

I've been really enjoying my own space and my own company lately, so much so that I've deliberately stayed away from PIP social gatherings and the like. There's something comforting about just hanging out at home watching a few DVDs, reading and just catching up on "me time", instead of having to always feel as if your time must be spent in social circumstances. It's not necessarily time spent reflecting and such, more time to just do nothing and not have to worry about filling that gap. I dragged the woven mat out to the backyard late this afternoon and just lay on this patch of sunlight. Tochi cat came and lay down next to me - so endearing - and everything felt to blissful and in place.

Speaking of cats, Georgie's ear canals are infected; I have to put in these drops twice a day. Onerous as cats don't really like things inserted and then poured into their ears. The vet doesn't know what's cause the infection - she suspects ear mites but could be anything. I need to treat Georgie with the ear drops for two weeks, and make a return visit to the vet.

I've been on part-time work for three weeks now. The extra time is lovely; the penny pinching and budgeting is not, but I guess you can't have one without the other. I'm trying to keep expenses down due to the exhibition costs, but you get things such as today's vet bills and surprisingly expensive dim sum lunch with Mr Mac to deal with. The dim sun lunch blew me away - I had thought it would have worked out to be around $50 for two people, not $80. Fuck! Once the exhibition is done, I think incomings and outgoings will stabilise somewhat.

State election day today - and I was quietly confident that the Libs wouldn't make it into government. Well, surprise, as the latest reports on The West Australian's website indicate that the Libs have won the majority of seats... it boggles the mind that a party without so much as a policy or a plan, and which has been in utter disarray, may really return to power in this State. What does it say about voters in WA? Sad, sad, sad! Having said that, the West is clearly an anti-Labor paper, so their reports need to be taken with grains of salt.