Some Photographic Things

Sunday's Great Ocean Road half marathon was my 4th.  However, it was the first for which I downloaded the official photos.  And this was mostly due to the great scenery.  This was the first that I'd taken my phone (forgot to mention that yesterday), and stopped at a couple of points to take photos.  My brain being more focused on 'just keep running' rather than lining up camera angles and avoiding sun glare meant that neither of those photos is particularly good.  (One I edited today in Instagram and it looks a little better, but the one I was hoping would be as fabulous as the actual scene was disappointing).  My favourite of the official photos has a very similar scene though, and there is one (yeah, only one!) photo where I don't look like I want to punch the photographer.  If you get more than 1 photo, you get all those in which your bib number is recognisable, so I got the whole lot.  First time. 

I also took advantage of my technology for some music today.  I have been asked to perform a certain piece for a wedding in September.  I am really excited about this.  The piece is not easy.  I tried to get it from imslp, but it won't be available for 'a while' (their words).  So I took a deep breath, and bought the concerto from Sheet Music Plus.  The deep breath was because I know what I'm like when on that site.  Still, I only bought 2 other things, both on sale.  Then I continued to listen to more recordings on Youtube.  And one of them, instead of the actual video of the performance, or still shots of that performer, had the actual solo violin part as its images.  Score!  So I took photos and printed them, so I can start learning the piece now.

As you can probably tell, the actual part will be better, but still... 3-6 weeks?!  I want it now!

Outfit #130 - Wedding Blacks

Today I played for a wedding, so went straight from school to Mt Tamborine.  All black - but I didn't want to terrorise the kiddies, so I wore these rosebud stockings.

Skirt: Miss Shop (op shop). Top: Ambra. Earrings: Pandora (gift). Stockings: Leona Edmiston. Shoes: Target.

Slightly weird photo today - as we were leaving the gig, I realised this was my only opportunity for an outfit photo.  Pat very kindly took a couple of photos of me (thanks Pat!) - but we both wanted, and needed, to head back, so we didn't stuff around getting a great pose or anything.

Just because I love these stockings, you get a special close-up.

Movie #30 - Muriel's Wedding

That's right - this was the first time I'd seen this movie.  Incredible.  I saw it on the shelves at some friends' place and they were as shocked as I that I hadn't seen it.  They promptly loaned me this movie and season 2 of Downton Abbey.  I totally forgot I'd borrowed it though, until having coffee with one of them and they reminded me.  I watched it as soon as I could!  That was actually about a month ago, now...  This has been a surprisingly hard response to write -  here are a few aspects I found important.

1.  I like Australian movies.  With all the movies I've watched in the last year (far more than normal), the Australian movies are the winners.  They, like French movies (something I noticed this year), include the normal stuff, without being boring.  Plus, the idioms, the idiosyncrasies of behaviour, the settings, even the light - all so familiar and normal.    Okay, now for the movie.

2. Our perception of ourself is so influenced by what we hear from others.  The dad in this is such an interesting character.  He does everything for his kids, but then doesn't understand why they don't know how to do anything.  He blames others for his lack of success, and it's only at the end, when Muriel has managed to get away for long enough to develop some self esteem and then tells him what to do, that he is forced to live in his life.

3.  Weddings.  Ah, weddings.  I appreciate them - I earn money from them.  I also recognise that some people can stay married to the same person until the end of their life, and that some people really believe that they will stay married to this person for the rest of their life.  However, I also realise that some people want the day, regardless of the person they marry.  These are the people that scare me.  Really, what are they thinking???  There are so many other reasons to have a party and get dressed up, most of which don't involve legal commitments for the rest of your life.  Yet people still get married, with the above reasons.

4.  I admit, when I was growing up, I expected to get married in my early 20s - I had very few models that didn't involve this.  Yet, there are so many other ways to live your life.  And Muriel discovers this, eventually.  Being a person who is of use is the best way to build your self esteem, and to find that there is so much more to life than being a half of a couple.    I saw this represented wonderfully well a few years ago: think of your life as a grid, with things like family, friends, work, sport, creativity etc each with their own box.  For men, when they are in a relationship, it's just another box.  For women, The Relationship can take up a box that can swamp all the others, so anything that's not The Relationship is squished along the edges.  But a happy person (or, if you prefer, a well-rounded, or emotionally stable, or sane, person) will have enough boxes that they cover all their physical and emotional and spiritual needs, and more evenly-sized boxes so that aspects of their life receive enough care and attention.  Ignoring the non-relationship boxes is so dangerous for our Self.  And the other part of this, in this movie, is finding friends who are 'on your own level'.  So, friends who are actually nice people, and who 'get' you, and won't sleep with your new husband on your wedding day... You know, the little things.

Running Over Bridges

It's been a while since I've changed my running route.  Last term was not my greatest for fitness, and I generally kept to my river runs.  I have a new running route in mind - but, with the heat, and my parents staying, today was not the day for this new route.  Instead, I added some bridges.  Brisbane is not short on bridges.

My plan was to run to the Go Between, cross the Go Between, run along to the Kurilpa Bridge, cross the Kurilpa, and come back along the bike path.  All was going well, until I realised (about halfway across the Kurilpa) that I couldn't envisage how to get from the end of that bridge back down to the bike path.  Instead, I retraced my steps, making the whole run a little longer (about 10.5km).

Leaving as the sun was nearing the horizon, a blazing ball of fire in a smoky sky, the jacarandas bright in the fading light, the river smooth; seeing the river from above, stretching out in both directions; returning as the sky is nearing indigo and the air cooling - I love running.

Also, as I haven't been able to do longer runs recently, I have been trying to run faster.  I'm not sure it's actually been faster running, but I feel like I'm doing more work.  And it's still having the mental health benefits, so that's a plus.  On my way back (not great signage around that part between GBB and Kurilpa), I also realised that bridges are great for incorporating a bit more inclined running.  Short of running up a mountain (which I intend to do quite a few more times), bridges have that extra bit of upward-ness that make your legs work a bit harder (with a great view to boot), and break up the monotony.  And as my next running goal is rather hilly, this is a good start. 

Today's photo:

The gig today was in the Roma St Parklands.  It took forever to find the Sunset Glade (no maps handy - thanks, Roma St).  In the process of wandering the gardens, I came across a Star Wars party.  My first thought was that this was a wedding party gone to extremes.  Then I found a whole lawn full of costumed people.  If it was a wedding, it wasn't the wedding at which I was playing!