a nice piece of smoked trout

the great rains have begun. that is to say, we've had a top of 12 and pelting rain every day for the last week, and it will probably stay this way til, well, march. unless we get some snow, which would be very exciting. and i know it's cruel to complain about rain to australians, but, honestly, you forget how wet rain can be, and every time i step out the door i spend ten minutes wrapping myself in wool and goretex. for instance, check out my new cycling outfit:
isn't it great? i scared a toddler with this outfit. the plastic pants and waterproof shoe covers c/o a friend who used to cycle a lot but doesn't atm. i love that i own plastic pants now. it makes me feel very canadian. i thought the balaclava might be overkill til i started whizzing down the mountain and realised i could still feel my chin for the first time ever on that piece of road. i love the cycling outfit. warm and dry, hello!

also in that theme, i finally finally got a crocheted nose warmer! this is something i've been muttering about for years and years (the gauroxen will attest). very exciting! i'm thinking of attaching ears to the top of the hat to really play on the mouse look. it's so warm, it's fabulous!

also on the weather theme, remember that leafy green corridor of trees i showed you a couple of months back? this is what it looks like now:
all the brown on the road is fallen leaves, rotting. they're quite slippery to ride on. here's a vid about rain and those leaves:



just after i filmed this there was a huge thunder and lightening crash - the walls actually shook (a vase danced to the edge of the mantelpiece) and the room lit up like day. i'd never seen such a thing. then all the street lights went out. very dramatic. there was only one clap of thunder, though we were all bracing ourselves for more.

i am still big with the study of boring things, and the phd apps. i went to a yoga workshop with ziggy yesterday, though, and spent two and half hours on inversions: hand stands, head stands, shoulder stands and forearm balances. it was great! then today we went swimming in the local pool that's open (oh yes), to work out the the pain in our arms. . .

we may have gone via an army disposal store, not that my life is one big dressup party. . .
(thus concludes the post with the most self-portraits ever)