spring starts with semaphore visits and swimming
I made a fortuitous call to Rachel on Saturday afternoon, and scored an invite to join her and Adam at the Semaphore Workers Club that evening, where Dave Graney was playing as part of the Semaphore Music Festival. As spring weather had finally started, it was good going out in the evening, though no less of a battle to try and work out what to wear besides blue jeans (managed black pants, red top, striped short sleeved jacket).
I love the workers club, have written of it before-an old villa with bay window overlooking the beach, large terraced garden at front, huge room with 2 pool tables, memorabilia laden walls and now there are refurbished bathrooms which are fabulous! We met up with 2 guys, who initially I assumed to be a couple, due to them both being decently dressed, and over 40 with no obvious wedding bands/wife references (told my husband this, and he sadly agreed that neat men, of a certain age, get cliched). Anyway, they were both fun to meet and talk to, so the 5 of us chatted outdoors for ages, during the support gig (which we could hear). Meanwhile I spotted my GP, sister, brother in law and friend-who-was-my-wedding-photographer all in the space of 5 minutes. A very Generation X crowd, well educated but not into the designer scene
I also like how R is always into the same things I am, we spent our 20s unacquainted, but she reminisced about spending an afternoon reading a book in the bay window waiting for James to appear; explained his connection to the Andrew etc crowd (they being a gang of friends that they connected to via a fortuitous pool game in a pub).Then we got onto talk of celebrities, both minor and major.
It came about by discussing when each of us had seen Dave Graney perform. I admitted to seeing him sing in Sydney, when each musician had to perform a song associated with the city. He performed his own tunes as well (and I remember him not wanting to leave the stage), but the highlight of the night was Simon Day, not Dave . They teased me for considering Simon Day "more famous" than Dave (I'd argue both are minor cult flavours). I defended Ratcat by pointing out they supported Psychedelic Furs and that as far as I knew, DG had never been a pinup in Dolly Magazine.
Instead we talked about international celebrities and I admitted my fondness for Lindsay Lohan and her trainwreck lifestyle, how desperately I want to tell her to just spend a night in. They thought this had real possibility as a TV show-celebrities made to stay at home (Probably an extension of that Worlds Toughest Parents show).
Earlier that day I'd returned for my first swim of the season at the Norwood Pool. A's argument for that pool over the Burnside pool was that the complex is smaller and more compact and thus it would be easier to be rescued from drowning... there is this idea that because I am 37.5 weeks pregnant, I have to minimise risks. It was a valid argument-there is less walking between street entrance, change rooms, lawn and pool at the Norwood (which is always my opposition to going to the Aquatic Centre-you feel as though you're navigating a multistorey carpark just to get to a swimming lane). He said if there was anyone else swimming, I'd be highly visible to them, plus the lifeguards could more easily spot me if I started sinking. It's the sort of place I could spend several hours if I took food and books, there is a big tree for shade and it's walking distance to the Parade. It was whilst sitting there I realised, 6 months in, I'm settled back into Adelaide. The first 3 months were hard-renovating, settling in at work and city prices and changes. As the season transitioned to winter greyness, I could only notice negative features.
Now with spring on, and time with friends at the Botanic Gardens, walks through the parklands or visiting public pools or taking my nephews to different playgrounds, it finally feels like home.
On the baby front, apparently all still goes well. Blood pressure (me) and heartbeat (baby) are good, baby is now apparently in an anterior position (was it the acupuncture or swimming) and hopefully baby will not arrive before A is back in Adelaide. Last week I still felt so worried and then in the end I got what I wanted-A back in the city with a new position and due to take a month off to help look after the baby. Now just have to get through the labour -his country drive back and Lu Fang's delivery!
I love the workers club, have written of it before-an old villa with bay window overlooking the beach, large terraced garden at front, huge room with 2 pool tables, memorabilia laden walls and now there are refurbished bathrooms which are fabulous! We met up with 2 guys, who initially I assumed to be a couple, due to them both being decently dressed, and over 40 with no obvious wedding bands/wife references (told my husband this, and he sadly agreed that neat men, of a certain age, get cliched). Anyway, they were both fun to meet and talk to, so the 5 of us chatted outdoors for ages, during the support gig (which we could hear). Meanwhile I spotted my GP, sister, brother in law and friend-who-was-my-wedding-photographer all in the space of 5 minutes. A very Generation X crowd, well educated but not into the designer scene
I also like how R is always into the same things I am, we spent our 20s unacquainted, but she reminisced about spending an afternoon reading a book in the bay window waiting for James to appear; explained his connection to the Andrew etc crowd (they being a gang of friends that they connected to via a fortuitous pool game in a pub).Then we got onto talk of celebrities, both minor and major.
It came about by discussing when each of us had seen Dave Graney perform. I admitted to seeing him sing in Sydney, when each musician had to perform a song associated with the city. He performed his own tunes as well (and I remember him not wanting to leave the stage), but the highlight of the night was Simon Day, not Dave . They teased me for considering Simon Day "more famous" than Dave (I'd argue both are minor cult flavours). I defended Ratcat by pointing out they supported Psychedelic Furs and that as far as I knew, DG had never been a pinup in Dolly Magazine.
Instead we talked about international celebrities and I admitted my fondness for Lindsay Lohan and her trainwreck lifestyle, how desperately I want to tell her to just spend a night in. They thought this had real possibility as a TV show-celebrities made to stay at home (Probably an extension of that Worlds Toughest Parents show).
Earlier that day I'd returned for my first swim of the season at the Norwood Pool. A's argument for that pool over the Burnside pool was that the complex is smaller and more compact and thus it would be easier to be rescued from drowning... there is this idea that because I am 37.5 weeks pregnant, I have to minimise risks. It was a valid argument-there is less walking between street entrance, change rooms, lawn and pool at the Norwood (which is always my opposition to going to the Aquatic Centre-you feel as though you're navigating a multistorey carpark just to get to a swimming lane). He said if there was anyone else swimming, I'd be highly visible to them, plus the lifeguards could more easily spot me if I started sinking. It's the sort of place I could spend several hours if I took food and books, there is a big tree for shade and it's walking distance to the Parade. It was whilst sitting there I realised, 6 months in, I'm settled back into Adelaide. The first 3 months were hard-renovating, settling in at work and city prices and changes. As the season transitioned to winter greyness, I could only notice negative features.
Now with spring on, and time with friends at the Botanic Gardens, walks through the parklands or visiting public pools or taking my nephews to different playgrounds, it finally feels like home.
On the baby front, apparently all still goes well. Blood pressure (me) and heartbeat (baby) are good, baby is now apparently in an anterior position (was it the acupuncture or swimming) and hopefully baby will not arrive before A is back in Adelaide. Last week I still felt so worried and then in the end I got what I wanted-A back in the city with a new position and due to take a month off to help look after the baby. Now just have to get through the labour -his country drive back and Lu Fang's delivery!
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