My Finest Hour

Listening to: The Mission - Antsy Pants

Sweet William now does vegan white chocolate!

Our local Woolworths had sold out of two boxes before the day was through – I am clearly not the only excited non-dairy-eater in Adelaide. I quite like it, too; it’s not something I want to eat with every meal, but it’s not gross or anything. I’m looking forward to adding it to my culinary arsenal. Does anyone have any white chocolate recipes, though? I was all “oh, the possibilities!”, and then… none of my recipes call for white chocolate.

(I tried using it to make Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World’s chocolate mousse, and it didn’t work at all [although that might not be the chocolate's fault - the tofu I used was a bit grainy, I think].)

Listening to: the TV (Unit One)

Kimya Dawson is playing in Melbourne on the 17th of June! Who’s with me (in theory – I’d have to apply for annual leave. But I think she’d be so cool live, and I have heard good things about her gigs, and it would suck to miss it)?

Listening to: Serious Drugs - BMX Bandits

It’s a quiet evening, and I’m idly surfing the net – checking out over-priced rental properties in Glasgow, downloading some songs (discovered that the title track was missing from my Court and Spark mp3s; tried some Devendra Banhart but wasn’t that impressed) – and I stumbled upon this: The Scottish Poetry Library.

Does anyone else ever just feel completely excited about where working in libraries might take them?

Listening to: Guess How Much I Love You – The Lucksmiths

How cool is this? The Lucksmiths (and others, but I don’t really know who any of them are) are playing something called VeloRock in Melbourne on the 29th of March – bikes and tunes! It’s free and there’s free bike servicing. I love, love, love the Lucksmiths live. Go, if you can!

Listening to: The Devil - PJ Harvey

I took myself out for lunch today (Thea Tea House, Gawler Place), and had a lovely afternoon flitting around the shops. I had a Country Road voucher, so I bought a red cotton cardigan and then headed over to the button shop in Regent Arcade (or is it Adelaide Arcade?) to get some more interesting buttons (clear dark blue glittery plastic). Buttons are expensive!

I also bought White Chalk by PJ Harvey – I like it, and it’s nice and piano-y and pretty, but it’s also a little bit boring. I like PJ Harvey immensely (Dry and Rid of Me are two of the most exciting albums I’ve ever heard, and I like the subsequent stuff well enough), but she’s kind of singing about nothing these days. It’s all ether and oak trees and darkness and blah, blah, blah, and the tunes kind of meander quietly and then stop. Nothing grabs you like “Lick my legs, I’m on fire” or fallen women in dancing costumes or big bone-shaking winds, but – whatever. This is still okay.

I was going to get something for dinner from Sushi Train in Rundle Street, but they didn’t have anything vegetarian left by 4.00 pm (I have developed a real thing for sundried tomato sushi lately, and they do other nice fillings, too), so I bought some Haigh’s dark chocolate peppermint pastilles instead (and made steamed vegetables and quinoa for dinner when I got home). I love having this week off between jobs (I hope the weather remains this deliciously cool! I thought the heatwave would never end). I have about seven knitting projects on the go, and am working my way through Big Love and the second season of Weeds on DVD. I’m still trying to settle on something to read – I pared that other reading list down to The night watch by Sergei Lukyanenko, but then I had to return it to the library before I got to the end and I can’t quite bring myself to start anything else yet. I have Elizabeth Taylor’s The devastating boys on standby for bus stops, etc.

I have been spending a ridiculous amount of time on Ravelry lately – more time than I’ve actually spent knitting. The pattern browser is so addictive! I am trying to stay away from the yarn browser, because that’s just madness.

I hope you are all well!

Listening to: Broken English - Marianne Faithfull

New blog theme: yea or nay?

Listening to: Human Nature - Madonna

[R]ather than spoil all this for you, I’ll simply defend Andrews’ use of the purple — as well as our enthrallment to it — by saying that, as over the top as she was about it, Andrews depicted the internal experience of pubescence for girls with stunning precision.

There’s a review of My Sweet Audrina over on Jezebel.com – I almost feel compelled to read it again. (Did everyone read these? We devoured them.)

ETA: See also the rest of their YA reviews! The Cat Ate My Gymsuit! Then Again, Maybe I Won’t! Jacob Have I Loved! Norma Klein can’t be far off.

P.P.S. Harriet the Spy!

Listening to: Silica - Kristin Hersh

People! The Guardian is doing Great Poets of the 20th Century, and T.S. Eliot is first.

Listening to: Parents Just Don’t Understand – DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Very quick update: I have a new job! I chose the public library one in the end, although it was a hard decision. I think it’s probably the best place for me, despite the long commute, and I’m pleased if a little bit freaked out by the weight of expectation (sure, I can ace a couple of job interviews, but can I actually do the job? What if they regret being so nice to me? What if I miss the bus? What if I miss the bus more than once? Will all the stuff I said in the interview about the importance of informed democracy suddenly ring hollow? Oh, dear). I’m looking forward to regular hours, and I really do like the library and the people.

Accepting this job meant turning down the other one, which was excruciating. But it’s what people do, right? You can’t just apply for one job at a time and hope for the best. (I’m such a wimp.)