noosa heads, queensland - august 10, 2006

wow. i've had to marshal some serious resources to post today. for those not faint of heart, strap on your helmets and pull on the gumboots--maybe even hip-waders--and visit the contents of my head back in the old place in a few days once i've had a chance to wip up the entry. it's thick and sticky and not necessarily in the good way. (i've spent too much time in the cafe today....)

although it's winter, the sun has been shining without break since i arrived on tuesday morning. but darkness is complete by 6pm. my body and head are struggling with these conflicting pieces of environmental information.

i've taken a one-bedroom apartment here. it's huge. i could do cartwheels naked if i wanted to (note to self....). but it becomes something of an excuse not to be outdoors, with people, something or other....i'm not quite sure. it makes daily decision-making a fascinating experience. hence the thick stickiness that is my head on a momentary basis.

it wasn't much of an effort on wednesday, after an early and effortful breakfast, to make my way to the beach at alexandria bay. but it's familiar and loaded with power. it's actually not much of an adventure. does that make any sense? nothing fades after 7, 8, 9 or 10 years. it's like i've never left. i was even able to find the dent in the dunes that kent and i occupied in 1996. i think i could still feel our ghosts.

it was trying to give myself permission to relax today that catapulted me into the lovely quagmire of self-absorption that i've been wading through all day (my hip-waders are well-worn and purple, thank you very much). landing on an internet cafe....no wait: GETTING to one...was the biggest challenge of the day. it only took me until about 4pm. i kept feeling the pull of "home".

roaming families of bush turkeys. the smell of eucalyptus hanging everywhere like a lonely friend. i find it impossible to describe the endlessness of the south pacific here. even when it breaks and bubbles like an azure bath against black rocks or gold beach, the sea here has a secret, one that stretches outward and downward as far as i am allowed to discern. i haven't yet unravelled the language in its rolling whisper, the heaving of its countless, relentless tongues.

so how do i account for the time invested in the australian discovery channel? no, really. i've turned to television as medicine. i'm rather concerned. although i feel ok when it's "fairly odd parents" and "spongebob squarepants" on the nickleodeon channel, "a haunting" on the discovery channel leaves me feeling in need of an exorcism.

speaking of nickleodeon....

the scene: an australian lad named matt, from canberra, ACT, wiggling the end of his tongue in his left nostril. "hi! my name is matt and i don't need to use any fingers."

glory.

BEST BREAD EVER: fruit loaf by the Essential Grain Bakery (2/17 Project Ave, Noosaville, Qld 4567, ph/fx 07-5455-6266. ingredients: organic stoneground wholemeal flour, organic stoneground ryemeal, unbleached white flour, ryemeal leaven, sea salt, yeast, gluten, sultanas, currants, apricots, dates, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, poppy seeds.

BEST YOGHURT EVER: Gourmet Passionfruit Yoghurt by the Queensland Yoghurt Company (4/7 Endeavour Drive, Kunda Park, Qld 4556). indescribably good, but let me try (since i'm just that way): lemme see.....like passionfruit spun by dairy silkworms (wow, that was bad....it must be the sun....or the 6pm darkness). i'm not the first to rave.

i'm still grappling with photo issues. i've taken loads, but i have memory chip issues that require resolution (ha) before i try uploading anything.

do stay tuned.

do not....ever....stay tuned to CNN, especially its "open forum":

"some e-mails have been edited for the sake of clarity and time constraints"

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