Room Temperature

December Blooms

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 17:27:05 +1100

One of the fun things about renting is seeing what emerges in the garden during the first year.

Flora

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Christmas beetle

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 15:47:06 +1100

Even the Christmas beetle (silly, blundering species that it is) needs a security blanket.

Christmas Beetle

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Going Dutch

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 00:44:36 +1000

This week in Sydney: a Dutch conductor (Jaap van Zweden) conducts music by a Dutch composer (Johan Wagenaar) and, on Friday night, does so in the presence of Dutch royalty (HRH the Prince of Orange and his wife, Princess Máxima of the Netherlands). Let's not do anything by halves, I say.

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QotD: My Earliest Memory

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 21:57:27 +1000

What is your earliest memory?
Submitted by Megan.

The missing step.

I would have been about two or perhaps three. I was taken to our house, which was being built. The staircase had been put in, but one of the treads near the top was missing. I remember being lifted over it by one or both of my big sisters. Wonder if they remember this...?

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Undine report

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 21:50:43 +1000

12 laps, alternating pairs of freestyle and breaststroke
600 metres; 16:47 minutes
Cruise pace: 2:48/100 m
Not good, I'm afraid. Gotta get myself up to a 2:20 cruise pace at least.

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Dutch irises and Atlanta's balls

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 21:29:53 +1000

Every Monday I buy a bunch of purple Dutch irises for my desk. Not only are they my signature flower (I love their sleek, sculptural effects) but, working as I do in a "pod" (the next generation of the cube farm), their tall stems and striking blooms provide a modicum of psychological privacy. It's a variation on the "Atlanta's balls" principle.*

Normally by Friday they're beginning to droop and get a bit stinky. This week they were taller, more beautiful and lasted so well they were worth wrapping up to bring home. And yes, they were $3 more expensive this week.

Iris Flower

One trick with this kind of iris is to pinch out one floret when it's about to finish, allowing the second, usually paler, bloom inside the "bud" to emerge. This sketch is of one of the spent florets.

* Atlanta's balls, as in John Donne's Elegie XIX:
...Gems which you women use
Are like Atlanta's balls, cast in mens views,
That when a fools eye lighteth on a gem,
His earthly soul may covet theirs, not them.

For more on Atlanta's balls and how she lost the race, click here. Actually, Donne took a liberty with the story, because it was Atlanta who was distracted by the golden balls, not her suitor.

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"Oh wombat, you wicked animoil!"

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:44:22 +1000

…said Mouse.

Mouse

One of my favourite books as a kid was The Muddleheaded Wombat by Ruth Park. As well as being a good read, it was treated to an endearing radio adaptation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at some point in the 1970s. I adopted Mouse as a kind of nickname and began collecting them (not real mice, just figurines and the like).

This picture, based on one of the illustrations from the book, shows Mouse sitting on an inkwell. I like that, since I dabble in calligraphy as a hobby.

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SBB CFF FFS

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:41:03 +1000

What is it about Switzerland this week?

I've also recently come across a nice set of podcasts containing Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lessons that have been developed specifically for musicians - those of us who make a sound using the breath or even just have to sit and stand in awkward positions for hours at a time. The practitioner is an American trombonist, John Tarr, living in Basel. You can visit the Dynamic Musician Series website or pick up the podcasts from iTunes (search Feldenkrais) or directly here. Do listen to the short introductory podcast if you've not done Feldenkrais before.

PS. My postheading is Swiss Rail in German, French and Italian respectively. If you go to their site, there are some deliciously nerdy screensavers, as well as a Mac Widget, all featuring the classic (and infallible) Swiss railway clock.

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Operation Undine

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:14:15 +1000

Mission accomplished! I have finally acquired a six-month pass for the local pool. I only have to swim once every four or five days to make it worth the investment, and, of course, I plan to swim quite a bit more often than that!

What I really need is an adult stroke-correction course. But in the meantime, I'll brush up on the fantastic tips that I found a while back at this (Swiss) website, featuring photos and footage from some great (Aussie) swimmers! There's a lot of interesting stuff about front quadrant swimming and efficient freestyle technique. And some simple but alarmingly effective strategies such as 'swimming downhill'.

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Amaryllis

nobody@vox.com(frindley) — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 20:03:15 +1000

Amaryllis by Night

This amaryllis is already blooming. The spear-like stem is the best part of 80cm tall, and all the wind on the weekend has meant that it can't quite cope with the weight of the flowers. I've tied it up to the fence for some support.

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