It's stormy in Melbourne today. It started with a staccato of big, loud drops around 4:30am. Since about noon, we've had squalls of thunder with rain that bounces knee high and dark threatening skies. I'm in heaven, as are all the birds and trees and gardens.
I'm working from home today and honestly not getting much of anything done. Last week I helped install some artificial reefs that a couple of my lab-mates are using. They are composed of milk crates filled with bricks and concrete pavers, and each one weighs 40kg (that's 88lb for the metrically challenged, and damned heavy for the rest of you). Two days of lifting those between loading dock and trailer, trailer and dolly, dolly and boat, and then moving them around on the sea floor understandably knocked me out. On Sunday I helped to facilitate a fish count for a local community group and it was the first time I'd been snorkelling in about six months. It was also the first time I'd ever ducked under breaking waves (albeit not on purpose) with a mask on. Watching the froth curve above and over me was beautiful. The snorkelling site was two hours from our house and the driving in excessive heat without a working a/c probably contributed to the not-so-lovely evening migraine I developed. It was hot last night, too, which meant that I didn't sleep all that well. All of this adds up to me "working" from home today.
Last week, Z and I took Monday off to visit the town of Daylesford, about a couple of hours north of the city. It's main claim to fame is natural mineral springs, which we managed to find despite the shoddiness of my ten-year-old memories. It's really bizarre to drink fizzy water out of a tap out of the ground. After lunching at an awesome bakery (best bread ever) we wandered around the convent gallery, admiring Dalis and Chagalls and laughing at Goddess-mandala thingies. The best part of the day, however, was lying on a patch of grass in the sun overlooking the lake, listening to kookaburras and repeating, "It's Monday and I'm not at work!"
In other news I had a whole afternoon of optimism about my project after a particularly good meeting with my supervisor. Now that's over and I'm back to lightly worried. This weather, while great for garden and wildlife, turns the ocean at my study sites into a frothing mess.
Speaking of frothing mess (or lack thereof) Hed and Eather sent us cans of pumpkin for Thanksgiving. Hooray! This year it won't take three days to make pumpkin pie! Hooray!
