Robinson Crusoe

Sunday, five past one.
Mature male species is strumming away in the adjacent room. The sounds of repeated, moderately soothing twangings seep under the door.
The female mature species appears agitated, judging by the clashing of objects. One hypothesizes this is because minor number one told her she was going to the Animae expo at one, then (apparently) changed her mind to make it two.

Dad's bought a new board for kite surfing. He loves kite surfing, and i'm so happy when i see his face light up when he tells me of his morning exploits. Today, he was helping one of his mates get to kite to lift off. He was unaware that the guy had limited kite-surfing capabilities, having undergone a total of zero lessons. Since he had all the right gear, used all the right terminology, dad thought he was a regular. He realised only too late that this wasn't the case when the kite, billowing out by the hundred mile an hour wind, blew him a hundred metres down the beach (still on the sand). haha, poor man. His girlfried was there and everything. Dad said he looked a little sheepish, and after trudging the walk of shame back to them, said
"i think i might put it away now".
I'm half excited, half scared out of my wits at the prospect of me, kite-surfing. See, dad told me when the months get warmer, he's going to give me a few lessons.
"cause Kate", he said in a serious tone, looking me straight in the eye, "it is so fun". Then he grinned.

I'm reading the classic "Robinson Crusoe" by Defoe. I haven't got 25 pages in, and already, the guy (in first point of view) has told me about a hundred times what a wretch he is for ignoring his father's preachings on the advantages of the quiet, middle life, and how his primy antics and lack of conscience engender much misfortune. Personally, i don't think it's written very well. It's like an epic, without such a large degree of action and melodrama. You are always kept at a distance from the happenings, because he describes them with such generality. Already, so much has happened to him. He's run away from home, been in several storms at sea, been caught by pirates and held as a slave for four years, escaped, sailed along a wild patch of land where he made contact with the 'wild negroes', initiated his own plantation, become rather prosperous, instigated a scheme to buy negro slaves, gone off to sea for that purpose, and been the sole survivor of a terrible storm- shipwrecked on an inhospitable island. Phew. Where is the detail? Quit telling me what an ungrateful braggart you are and how much misery you have brought upon yourself...tell what more of what is happening! pant pant.
Still, i shall persist. It's not so bad. It just gets a little annoying at times. And maybe he skivved on the detail initially so he could really dig his teeth into the main section of the story- that is, his experiences on the deserted island. Let us hope so.

I am still at a complete loss what to do with my eucalypt project. I can hardly find any information on the internet on plant adaptations....it is rubbing me raw.

OMG. Did you hear? A teenager was decapitated by a rollercoaster in a themepark. I heard it on the radio, and immediately clapped my hands to my mouth. Can you imagine? I can't. I don't think i want to.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"A top aide to US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has confirmed that Hillary Clinton is on the short list to become Senator Obama's running mate." -- ABC news