Darlo, how I love thee

I've been listening to Alain de Botton podcasts about Heathrow and The Joys and Sorrows of Work. That man does something to me, in the way I see the world: he helps me see it with more charming detail than usual.
So. I arrived home in the early evening last night and made a trip to the washing line.
A torchlight was playing in next door's yard, wielded by their little girl who was sitting on top of her cubby, which sits quite high - like a second storey on a house.
I yoo-hooed at her and she yoo-hooed back. We talked about the fingernail moon (which it turned out we'd both been admiring) and I told her I loved to see her sitting on top of her cubby in the dark. She's been back there today and that's been the first time for some months.
The King of Darlinghurst wasn't that keen on the torchlight last night, but all in all, it was like being in Cloudstreet.
Heavenly.
http://www.888dag.com/

Neko cafes: cats rule, OK?

The King of Darlinghurst (aka Max the Duster) is not known for his friendliness to strangers. Or even the staff.
This could be an impediment to him taking a role in a Neko (cat) cafe.
Neko cafes (see pic, at left, from the Curl Up cafe) are apparently the rage in Tokyo, where people live in apartments not big enough or suitable for cats. So people who like cats (mainly girls and women, according to my Japanese source) go and get their feline fix at a Neko cafe.
From the linked article, the owner (who didn't want to be named) is quoted as saying: "I take utmost care in hygiene so as not to bring in any germs harmful to the cats. That's why I always keep the cats and the room clean and ask visitors to wash their hands before entering the cafe space."
She said the cafe welcomes anyone and the rules - including not doing things the cats would dislike -are observed. Natch.

http://www.888dag.com/

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/3707

Sockamillion

His name is Sockington.
He is uber Cat. Max is the King of Darlinghurst; Socks is the King of Twitter and King of the World.
But behold.
Max appears (thrice!) in the Sockamillion movie after an earlier half-mill show:

Socks Army One Million Strong from Jason Scott on Vimeo.

http://www.888dag.com/

Brisvegas

I've just had a weekend in Brisvegas, which is 5 degrees warmer than Sydney and a great place for me - as I got to spend time with someone who knows me very well. The King (see twitterfeed, right) is yowling his head off and now it's time to plant my feet back in Darlinghurst after two weekends away.

http://www.888dag.com/

It's all about the Swedes

I've been absolutely laughing my head off about the career counsellor with the predilection for root vegetables in The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work. I laughed until I nearly choked (well I was lying in bed at the time) at the following reference:
"The couple were admirably fond of some of the less popular vegetables in the English repertoire, for at most times of the day - even in the early morning - the place smelt powerfully of freshly boiled cabbage or swede."
I can't tell you why, but there are several references to the counsellor and his wife's culinary love and these observations made me extremely giggly. I guess they're interspersed between serious career moments and that's just how it is with vegetables.
When I laugh in bed, the King gets tossed around, but he seems to be made of sturdy stuff and copes fairly well with the quiltquake.

http://www.888dag.com/

King of Darlinghurst in Sockington's 500K video

Sockington 500,000 Followers from Jason Scott on Vimeo. Enormous excitement in the Kingdom of Darlinghurst as the Cyber Cat of them all, Sockington, includes Max the Duster aka the King of Darlinghurst in the video marking his 500,000th follower.

We are overjoyed, banging our paws together with delight.

Watch out for Max in the Socks Rocks hat.

http://www.888dag.com/

Twittering is the new black

The King loves nothing more than a good Tweet.
But Sockington's call out this morning for members of Socks Army to upload pix of themselves in party hats almost ended the King's love of Twitter. He wriggled and pulled his ears back, retreating from our impromptu photo shoot with extraordinary cunning. The only chance for getting him to pose was to fill his dinner dish and then gently drop the paper cone hat over one ear while he was busy eating.
Such is life.
http://www.888dag.com/

Hot cross bunnage

Infinity Bakery in Darlinghurst next to the fire station makes the best hot cross buns. Everyone knows it to be true.

Actually, they are official suppliers of hot cross buns to the King of Darlinghurst.

http://www.888dag.com/

Sockington

The king, like the rest of the world, is transported by Sockington. He's joined Socks Army. No hope now.
http://www.888dag.com/

Sockington 200,000 Followers from Jason Scott on Vimeo.

To twitter, to cheep, to inform

The King has started twittering. It seems to be his milieu. He is bonkers about Sockington, Sockington, Sockington, Sockington, Sockington... etc

http://www.888dag.com/

My loathing of spiders is complete (and utter)

My loathing of huntsman spiders (or are they just huntsmen?) is renowned. Grown men have been phoned in the middle of the night to come over and remove them from my sight.



Yesterday I resorted to a text "call out" of various male acquaintances to evict the latest invader.



G. came to the rescue. Rewarding him with wine and a lamb kebab couscous dinner was the least I could do.



The previous night (warning dear reader: gin and Augusten Burroughs are a bad combination when encountering a huntsman of huge proportions), I had been awake for hours. For a long while I had been lying in bed, pretending it would all be OK. Every few minutes I'd flick the light on, but it became too much when one of the spider's ruby eyes glinted at me.


So I upped camp and went to sleep in the lounge room. The King was delighted with the novelty of the new sleeping arrangements and jumped around incessantly. I filled him up on treats to pacify him, but it was like giving a kid red cordial. The three of us were awake: the spider, the King and me.

A bad, bad urban story that ended with G. freeing the spider into the wilds of Darlinghurst. It's now out petitioning the neighbourhood about victimisation.

http://www.888dag.com/

Technical KO

Knocked flat for a week by a head cold.
Honestly. King of Darlinghurst marvellous company.
http://www.888dag.com/

How much can a koala bear?

I love these pictures.

They were sent to me by a friend in London. Apparently in last week's heatwave in Victoria, this hot little fellow waddled onto someone's back porch and a bucket of water was put out for him. Happily, a camera was to hand to produce these sweet snaps.

I gather the whole world loves them as they may have been taken only a week ago, but so many people seem to have seen them.

They would melt the hardest heart.

It's forecast to be hot in Darlo this weekend, but you won't catch the King in the bath. Sprawled out on the floorboards, yes.

In the bath, no.

"Hugo, how's that martini coming along?"

http://www.888dag.com/

Life drawing

With a fanfare of drums, I got to life drawing tonight for the first time in ages. Went with my neighbour to a local gallery where they have a model every Monday; tonight we had two.

This is an old drawing of mine, but very much in my style. I'm too pooped to photograph something I did tonight, download the pix to my laptop and then upload them again to the web.

Lazy, or what? Everything I know I learned from the King, who didn't move a muscle between the hours of 2pm and 5pm today. I came home from work early (after an early start) and found him snoring on the bed.

http://www.888dag.com/

Random acts of electrical kindness

I popped into the hardware shop next door to work today to replace part of a 50s clip-on anodised lamp. The old plastic switch had snapped in half after five decades of use.
On buying the replacement part, I realised I'd need the aid of an electrician to connect it up for me.
Little did I know I was standing next to him.
Next thing. I'm out front of the hardware shop with another customer, using the boot of his black VW convertible as a makeshift work bench. I handed him the new parts while he wired up the lamp. During the procedure, another guy turned up with a tray of three coffees: his friend had gone off to shout a round of lattes.
So that's why I live in the inner city. For random acts of electrical kindness.
Now the King can read in bed again.

http://www.888dag.com/

Oh what long whiskers you have

The King of Darlinghurst does indeed have some of the finest whiskers around.
And check out those eyebrows!
He raised them yesterday when Everapominoz came over and used an electric drill to install Hang it All.
(With sincere and joyous thanks to Everapominoz for kind assistance; apologies to the King about the drill and the embarrassment of having to hide under the bed.)

http://www.888dag.com/

Crazy about the King (the King is Crazy)

The King does look a little crazy here; cross-eyed even.
He was reaching out with his mouth to catch a long piece of grass hanging down yesterday (placed there by my good self).
It helps explain why I love him so. (He makes me laugh.)

http://www.888dag.com/

The Big Ish

As the mercury soared to 40 degrees C and then some in western Sydney today, I beetled past my vendor of The Big Issue this morning. I had bought my copy earlier this week.
"I'm asking people today if they want to buy a manually operated fan," he declared. Some weeks back he told me his ability to talk was his greatest gift.
He was - deliciously - right. I love his way with words.
ps It's hard to be the King of Darlinghurst when it's 40C and you have to wear a black fur coat.
http://www.888dag.com/

Hang it all

In London in June, I spotted this divine answer to my storage prayers.

I didn't know it was a classic in retro design: The Hang It All (on the drawing board in 1953) by Charles and Ray Eames.

All I could think was

a/ how beautiful it was

b/how impractical it was to get home to Sydney

Then I spotted it in Surry Hills a couple of weeks ago. Pretty soon, voila, someone who can operate a masonry drill will mount it on my wall. At the moment I seem to be stuck with comics who say they don't even know the masonic handshake, let alone their drill.

The King had fun playing hide and seek in the box it came home in.

http://www.888dag.com/

The last day of holidays

Went to koi in Darlinghurst the other night and engaged in some chalkboard toilet graffiti of the King (left).

And now, here I am on the last day of my summer holiday. The King is oblivious and sleeping on a freshly laundered bed.

The lemons are preserved, the fig salame for cheese is made and the spag bol is on the stove.

It must be time to return to work.

http://www.888dag.com/