two pints of lager and a packet of crisps

Storms with very little rain, summer in a dry climate, 5 years into a drought and massive lightening. Not a good combination. Lightening strikes set parts of New South Wales alight again last night. Tasmania and Victoria are also on fire. Oh dear. Damned impressive though, real end of days helfire and brimstone stuff. Only without the rain. Also without the hail-the-ize-of-cricket-balls, so not all bad. Despite not having run for what, to me, seems an eternity but in fact was 4 days, I decided against going out for a run. I'd got my trainers at the ready as the sky flashed briliant white, the wind picked right up and a particulalrly loud boom went off very close to Willoughby. I'm keen but not THAT stupid.

Here is an idea for huge blokes - and women - getting into lifts. If you are going to the 23rd floor and I am going to the 13th floor how about you move away from slap-bang front-and-centre in front of the doors. And for a bonus point, how about get the fukc out ot the way when I need to get out. Or anyone else needs to get past you. Twat.

Do I speak English? In London, when I say 'large cappuccino please' the barista, often Polish or French or Iranian or whatever scurries off to prepare a large cappuccino. Here in Sydney, when I ask for the same, in the same way and (this might be the problem) speaking at the same speed, I am often met with a blank stare and a polite 'excuse me?' from the often Australian barista. Same thing was happening in the US. Weird. Very weird. Same thing happens in pubs and hotels when I request 'a pint of whatever please.' Must be me 'eavy Laandan accent or summat.

Today at lunchtime I went to see a sculpture I have been wanting to see for ages and simply have not got around to. I visited it briefly on my extended lunchtime run. It is two huge safety matches, one burnt down, standing upright, mounted in a concrete base in the Domain. Overlooking the toll booths on th Eastern Distributer. The ones that on Saturday were again the site of a gramma crash with Changed Traffic Conditions at Toll Plaza's. Anyway, the sculpture is a Brett Whitely. I first heard of him and his work Billy Conolley featured him in his "World Tour of Australia" back in 1990s. Shit that sounds like a long time ago. I now tick the box next to "go see matches sculpture thing". The run felt good today, maybe because I am rested and maybe because it is only around 20 degrees and overcast. Or maybe because I am simply happy to be exrecising again after such the lay off. Whatever it is, I finished a happy camper and awarded myself a dodgy chicken schnitzel. With mayo.

Name check of the day goes to Jon, who I worked with at Kiln and who I should say is a good bloke because he is. He is also in Hong Kong doing cabling work or paiting or bricklaying or whatever else his paymasters in London have him doing.

And on my way home I saw the ad that the pic is of. Can you see what I saw?