Unexpectedly awesome day!

[blamebrampton]

I had this plan about today. It was very serious and proper.

Instead, I had a text message yesterday from the lovely pollymel saying 'Lord of the Rings Symphony! Spare ticket! Interested?' Only, you know, polite and literate … so I texted back, and before we knew it we had a date and she even cut me a discount due to the lack of people paying on bloody invoices (I am giving up on publishing and choosing busking!) and I had a Friday night plan.

Except that then I remembered that the one part of my Friday plan I was committed to was going to ukulele practise, but she assured me that she would not giggle if I turned up late and with a ukulele.

So, I did a few useful things around the house, had lunch at the new Erko cafe, had a great chat with the people in the cafe where we discovered a mutual passion for ukulele, then dashed home to pick up the actual instrument before heading off to my lesson.

This involves catching the 370 bus, which is more of a metaphor for life and the importance of a Zen attitude than a functional piece of transport infrastructure. One was due in 2 minutes, which is why 20 minutes later I saw a man perform an amazing piece of Ninja Driving to avoid running into the wally in the 4WD/SUV who lunged out of his parking space without looking, where the good driver with a half-second's thought, slipped through a brief break in the traffic on the opposite side of the road to skip up the driveway outside the smash repairs business onto the empty pavement and come to a stop with a good six inches to spare before he hit either the building or the road signs. This sounds nowhere near as impressive as it was to watch, but there was about a 1 in 100,000 chance he could avoid that accident and he nailed it.

And then he got out of his car, and instead of shouting abuse, raised his hands in the air in the universal gesture of 'WHY? Why would you do something so STUPID?' and then quietly got back into his car and waited until the road cleared enough for him to get off the pavement. He saw me looking at him as he got back onto the road, and I gave him two thumbs up, which he responded to with the look that says 'I KNOW! Talk about lucky! And I am SO glad someone saw me do that!'

Ukulele was as fab as it always is, and afterwards a 370 actually came to get me back to a train station and head off to Circular Quay and the Opera House, which is always lovely. When I got off the train, I saw an old friend I haven't seen in five years. We caught up briefly, all good news! I ran off, having been unable to correct his mistaken impression I was playing at the Opera House.

I was meeting pollymel and sinden in the bar and knowing only their voices, assumed they would be the hot chicks at the fun table. I was totally correct in this. They also had brilliant friends, who were all enormous fun to meet and chat with, and made sure I did not feel like a shag on a rock (insert traditional joke here), despite being a random internet chick. The ukulele was very handy for being recognised, though when I went dashing towards the Opera House in a bid to get there in time to cloak it, I was given a look of undeserved affectionate respect and sympathy from the security guard, who apparently sees late-running musicians all the time. I felt very unworthy, and couldn't go back downstairs to meet up with the girls in case I saw the same security guard.

Then we went to the actual symphony, which was the score to The Two Towers played by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra while the film played on a big screen above. And it was BEAUTIFUL. I had forgotten how moving and involving the music was, but hearing it live lifted every moment, especially the choral sections which had wonderful voices all round and sterling soloists. sinden is a terrible influence when it comes to bad elf and Viggo jokes, and together we are the Death of Maltesers, which thinking back I should probably have shared around more generously, I am a Bad Person when it comes to Maltesers. Then more chatting afterwards, which was totally fab. I have never had a bad Meet A Flistee experience, instead they've all been champion!

And then on the way home I was able to help a group of very young things with their very drunk friend and impress upon them the importance of rehydration. ('Do you think we should feed her Maccas?' 'No, I think you should feed her water and a half bottle of half-strength sports drink. You're sure she's already chucked up most of what she drank? OK, keep an eye on her. And tell her to eat before drinking next time.' 'Good tip! Thanks, lady!')

Then I walked in the front door and found Mr Brammers had spent the evening making apple and cinnamon cake! I would say that this day had been gold from start to end, but I don't want to upset the IOC, so instead, I'll just give it two thumbs up!

And now off to bed so I can go down to Sydney Park and see the farm animals at the City Farm Open Planning Day tomorrow (10-2 for any locals). This could be the beginning of a beautiful weekend, and is certainly another step in rocking friendships!

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Oh what excitement. I've been into the SOH once with the worst sunburn of my life, which I exported back home the next day or so. I also used to chat with sinden for a brief time in some whatwasthatthingcalled messenger, years ago. Back to vegetating now.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

She's luverley! And I do like the SOH, it's just such a cool building :-)

I need to do some vegetating, am knackered!

[groolover.livejournal.com]

A few years ago, my choir was due to be the choir in a live performance AND RECORDING of the Lord of the Rings Symphony. But it was cancelled at the last minute because the organisers ran out of money. *weeps*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

That's TERRIBLE! And yet they could bail out the banks. *Glares at stupid world*

[oakstone730.livejournal.com]

I love your posts. They never fail to make me laugh out at your latest adventure or woe. How can so many things happen to one person in one day? Clearly life in your part of the world is more exciting than in mine.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I do walk or ride most places, and catch public transport to the rest, so there is more interaction with the world than people in cars have. (Also, I keep quiet about the boring days ;-))

[suttonwriter.livejournal.com]

I don't know you that well, but it definitely seems like you're some weird probability nexus when it comes to cars. I've never heard of anyone being around so many really bizarre experiences with them. :)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

You are not the first person to suggest this. At least they've stopped hitting me, hurrah! Have I told you the story of the buddhist monk in a truck?

[suttonwriter.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't heard that story (he says with great hesitancy, expecting something that should have only happened in a tremendously bad action movie but actually did happen in reality :).

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It's not that bad!

My friend S has long described me as a walking car magnet. In her words 'It's not just that they're attracted to you, you're like a magnet near a computer, you make things go horribly wrong!'

She was expounding on this theory one day as we walked through Sydney's Surry Hills. I was cheerfully telling her she was mad. Then, as we came up to a driveway crossing the pavement, I grabbed her arm and said 'Hang on a minute, I don't trust that guy backing the truck out.'

She gave me A Look. 'Brammers,' she said. 'He's a monk. This is a gompa. They're not allowed to kill people, even you.'

'Just wait and let him go out,' I said.

Sure enough, he backed straight into the wall and brought a section of it crashing down on the pavement we would have been walking along.

S looked at me. 'You did that,' she said.

I lifted my chin and pointed out that I had clearly saved our lives and was not responsible for the bad driving that is endemic in this city.

Some time later we were walking through Newtown with treacle_tartlet's ex, Blondie. S was gleefully relating this tale. Blondie was laughing at me. I was maintaining a dignified silence.

A taxi, coming up the road towards us on the opposite side decided to lose control for no reason whatsoever. It crashed into the side and back of a car going the opposite way that had not yet begun to move through the freshly green light. It crashed into the side of a parked car on his side. It span around and mounted the pavement behind us, crashing into a third car as it went and stopping just before hitting the two men sitting outside their shop having a cuppa.

Before it had come to a halt I had my phone out and was calling the emergency services, and had done a quick check for injuries and shock in the victims before the operator asked if I wanted police, ambulance or fire.

S pointed her finger at me and said, 'EVIL!!!!' Blondie tried to be more supportive and said that he was impressed I was so calm and organised in a crisis.

'So much practise,' I said. 'So very, very much!'

'It IS a bit uncanny,' he muttered. I punched them both in the arm.

It's not me: I just live in Sydney where people drive very, very badly!

[suttonwriter.livejournal.com]

I think S. has a point. That, and it's probably a good thing you don't live in New Jersey. We don't need any more help with bad driving. :)

[sirius-luva.livejournal.com]

... Good Lord. XDDD

[mrsquizzical.livejournal.com]

love your description of the transport service. i shall quote you i'm sure.

yay for the orchestral experience. sounds marvellous.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I gift it to you ;-)

And it was! I was unprepared for how impressive it all was!

[nenne.livejournal.com]

I really like two thumbs up days! :D It sounds lovely.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It was fab :-) And they're the best days!

[enchanted-jae.livejournal.com]

Buahahaha! You could have gotten into the opera for free, simply by dashing forth with your ukele and looking very harried. Ha ha!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Into the backstage, probably. But then someone would have rumbled me and pointed out that the ukulele is not an orchestral instrument, and I am not fab at playing it.

[sirius-luva.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, Two Towers symphony? I AM SO JEALOUS. Also, do share these bad elf and Viggo jokes, please? :D

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It was GREAT! And mostly along the lines of pouncy elf and unwashed Viggo: the horse found him by smell after that Warg thing ;-)

[sirius-luva.livejournal.com]

Aww. XD My sister always says that when he dreams of Arwen kissing him, it's actually the horse kissing him. <_<

[sinden.livejournal.com]

It was awesome to put face to lj name! And I still have the remains of the second box of maltesers. I'm going to have to go to a movie just so I can finish them off now. It seems wrong to eat them without one.

Also, Mel and I were talking this morning and we realised that there was an all important question that neither of us remembered to ask -- where do you stand on dance movies?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

For: The Red Shoes, Center Stage, Strictly Ballroom, White Nights, Billy Elliot, everything with Gene, Ginger or Fred

Can live with: Step Up 1, Save the Last Dance, Chicago, Flashdance, West Side Story and Footloose (this last only because I am old and it was amusing at the time)

Against: Step Up 2 through 73, Breakdance 2 Electric Boogaloo, Lambada, Saturday Night Fever (No amount of disco can make up for the misogyny)

Will never see: Dirty Dancing. I am allergic to that bloody song!

I should admit to many years of ballet, so I'm biased in particular directions.

And I REALLY want to sit down to the DVD of RotK now!

[sinden.livejournal.com]

Well, we have a tendancy to go and see any dance movie that comes out because normally they are entertaining even if they're bad, so we'll add you to the notification list and you can pick as you will :)

Also: movies like The Cutting Edge, Bring It on, Stick It and the like fall into the same genre by our reckoning. If there's a training montage, we're there.

Oh, and apparently Magic Mike is falling into the category as well.

And, yes, I'm actually tempted to go put it on now.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh the only difference between a dance film and a karate or boxing film is that the blood in the dance films is on the feet and in the others it's on the faces ;-)

DO put me on the list! Life is often insane (you are not surprised to learn), but I would love to come along when I can! And if you do critiquing coffees in Summer Hill where things are discussed at length, I can ride down!

[sinden.livejournal.com]

Indeed. There is that. Training montages are all the rage. :)

Will do, and as Mel said. Food and drink and talking? Allllll over that even without a movie beforehand. Just general talking and eating and drinking is good. I mean, you'd never guess that we like to talk or anything. We're such shy and retiring types.

[azurelunatic]

Awesome!

And hooray for rehydration!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

It was loads of fun! And yes, no sensational news report of dead girl, so I suspect she just had a day of sunglasses and soda water ;-)

[pollymel.livejournal.com]

Oh! It was fabulous to finally meet you! I love meeting new and awesome people, and it worked out really well. And since I really do have a ukulele - and am not really very good at it at all and am not getting lessons or whatever - I would never laugh at your having one. And it did make you easy to spot! And the discount was at least partially a invited at last minute discount. ;)

I'm thrilled by how well last night worked - combining friends from different circles and workmates etc is always a little concerning, although as mentioned above I do tend to try to make friends with awesome people which makes it easier.

And we are always happy to have critiques and coffee (or talking and tea, or chatting and chai or... mooning and mochas? confabs and cocoa?) wherever we can, so I'm sure we can sort something out!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

We can duet! Though I mostly only know things from the early C20, Nick Cave and Mumford and Sons …

It was really good fun! I had mental images of you and Sinden that you both mostly fit, except that she was taller and your hair even more awesome than I expected. Pretty brunette is almost the Sydney default these days, so it wasn't great psychic power on my part.

I'll have the cocoa, thanks! Two years and a month without coffee – not at all convinced about it being healthier to abstain, but I save $20 a week ;-)

[pollymel.livejournal.com]

Seeing as I know about three chords (although two different ways to do G *g*) and keep getting all tangled up when strumming, duets might take a while to get to. ;)

And I had no idea what you looked like - aside from your fuschia hair comment. I like to be surprised. ;)

And heh, neither of us drink coffee either. Although I am culturing tea snobbery.