there and back again.
Turgid kangaroos,
Bless my wheels as I pass by,
Now ok and home.
Continuum3 was fantastic; I had so very much fun, that I am still tired, though that could be the trip as well.
We drove, Perth to Melbourne and back.
I wanted to make the trip again, it gives a perspective on the world, how big it is, how small, how affected it is by people, how I even perceive distance.
I also was not sure if I would have the money to make it to Melbourne until literally the week before which made flying less of an option than if I could get some cheap tickets...
As it was we were watching the pennies to start with, and once I was sure we had enough money, we lived the high life, with lots of truckie sized meals, spread the trip out over four days each way, and running on Gas, the trip did not cost too much. We lost a tyre just out of Adelaide, and road vibrations killed the fuel system out of Ballarat. Thank you RAC. I should have been able to fix both, but discovered both times the tools I had packed were less than I needed. Tomorrow, I take the car in to get a good servicing and have bearings replaced.
Creatures natural and unnatural:
Kangaroos and Emus have no road sense, are fast moving, and plentiful. Add fast moving vehicles and you have many dead kangaroos. On the longest straight road, the corpses are so plentiful, that focusing anywhere on the roadside shows remains of some kind down to white bones. Crows are plentiful, Majestic Wedge tailed eagles, not needing to hunt, grow large gorging on the corpses and then become part of the carnage themselves by slowly flying across the road. All of this is summarised by one sentence offered as advice to people heading west at night from Balladonia. "Don't go west, the roos are bad, wait until late morning."
Normally I am pretty good direction wise, I can navigate by the stars or the sun focusing on north, but after two days of driving, North becomes the direction I am heading, Some strange kind of navigational tunnel vision. It was odd to feel that the sun was rising in the south and setting in the east even though I knew this was not the case.
Lez is blind, but still traveled to Melbourne. Has hardly any feeling in his fingers, but still made himself a costume for the masquerade. Not something half way, but an all out costume. I met him at a room party on the first night. Talked for quite a while. I am overwhelmed that he has gone so far, and is there, enjoying the continuum. I am annoyed that the world we are in is so barbaric that we cannot yet fix vision as we can in dreams.
I dream in colour, vibrant colours with reds quite possibly how they should be. Some people think dreams are black and white.. I don't know where this comes from, but vibrant colours are one of the ways I tell I am dreaming, life is duller.
Neil Gaiman is such a nice guy. The book signing starts and the convention almost stops.. He signs, and signs, Hours pass and he still signs, with a smile and words for every fan.
I loved being at the convention and was sad to see it be over. I do think if I could afford it, I would travel the world convention hopping.
Afterwards is dinner with friends to make the con last that little bit longer and then visiting friends.
Brunetti's in Melbourne is Glorious for cakes.. Row after row of glass fronted refrigerators full of fantastic cakes.. Hog's Breath Cafe in Melbourne is just as good as the one in Perth.
K
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quixotic