On The Move

Possibly the last posting for a while. We're packing ready for the move to Sandy Beach on Tuesday and the computer will soon be in its box. Once it comes out of the box, Telstra will have to squirt something down our new telephone line to make it work faster - I hope that's not too technical - and that took many days last time. Then there'll be a celebratory "we're in our new house" posting. Or one saying it's all been a nightmare.

Honest Dollar

Just earned my first honest dollar, standing in for the editor of the local Independent Weekly. Once my amazement at the fact that one could travel to the other side of the world and end up editing a paper after one had been out of that line of business for longer than I care to think had faded, I was amazed how little had changed.

Advertisers still treat requests for information with contempt and then complain about the final copy; terrifying proof readers still treat journalists like feckless schoolboys who have made a mistake in their English homework; and the people who make up the pages still pay little regard to the way you've laid them out.

In spite of that degree of familiarity, work was a serious shock to the system and a post-deadline day visit to the pool felt like a real luxury. Next week, we've lost a production day because Wednesday is Australia Day so I guess life will be even more fraught. Just like old times.

In a similar vein, I'm afraid we went to see Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason (yes, it's only just reached us). Watching the scene where she parachutes into a pen full of pigs, the director says to the cameraman: "give me the porker's behind" and the camera panned straight to Bridget's bum, I thought: "How like every cameraman I've ever met." They would all have done exactly the same thing. Unhesitatingly.

Lesson No. 5

Got there at last, after delaying for a week after my toe suffered a painful encounter with a bed sheet and Sara said surfing probably wasn't a good idea. Today, however, we both left the beach in more or less the same state as we arrived. Most of the time in between was spent standing up. On the board, that is. There was another irritating child, gliding past us. Her father was particularly irritated, he told me, as he couldn't stand up at all. We also discovered that jockeys are natural surfers because they're light and used to spending time in a crouching position on something long and unstable with a mind of its own. The lessons have been a great Christmas present and we think we'll hire boards, while we build our confidence. Neither of us have been "out the back" (beyond the break) where the big boys play and I think we'll be staying in the wash (waves after they've broken) for a while. It's quite addictive.

Progress Report

Can now walk without a limp and Sara has skin on nearly all her knee. So we'll go down to Diggers for Lesson No. 5 tomorrow. We've been assuming that the battering and bruising stops as you get better but a colleague has told Sara that I goes on for a long time.

Meanwhile, I nearly sat on this on one of our patio chairs, which would have been memorable for both of us, I imagine....




...it really is a jungle out here.

Kind of Blue

That's actually the colour of my left foot, rather than a reference to Miles Davis. It also has a few shades of purple, following an unplanned and ungainly dismounting of the board during Lesson No 4. Didn't think I'd done any harm at the time but Lesson No 5 has been postponed until normal colouration is resumed and I can actually walk properly. It'll also give Sara's sand burn on her knee time to heal. Beginning to see why some people here look at you as though you're mad when you say you're having surfing lessons.

Lesson No. 4

Sara triumphs, and rises above the waves; I'm about the same as yesterday; Colin rests, which was not a bad idea as I could barely get on the board by the end. A ginger-haired boy too small to carry his own board or even paddle it, stands up straight away. We all get very jealous and spend the rest of the session trying to knock him off. In our group is Andrew, from Sydney, who works as a builder/carpenter, coaches football and bastketball, and is the nightwatchman at girls' boarding school. "Dream job, mate, but I still need a holiday."

Lesson No. 3

Vindicated. All that lunging in the lounge, the source of much hilarity on the part of my nearest and dearest, has paid off. Today, despite a falling tide, north-easterly winds and a nasty sweep, verticality was attained on the vast majority of waves caught. Sometimes wobbly verticality, but getting there was the whole point. Grace and style can come later, though probably not tomorrow. Sara is pleased to report that she got both feet on the board on one occasion and has no more injuries. Colin has been consolidating.