Hi everyone. It has been very busy lately with a lot of activities. So not to dawdle I’ll just bring us up to the current week.
MONDAY: Back to weight class but our regular instructor is on holiday so we had a very hyperactive instructor from Brazil. I haven’t seen such mania and chaos in a person in a long time. I actually left a few minutes early as I had finished my main exercises and had to find some calm.
That night I finished a book by David Sedaris. Theft by Finding. It is his diary from his attendance at university to just beginning to get serious about his writing. He had some really tough experiences with road trips and he had some very hard edged friends. Lots of alcohol, drugs, family issues especially with his parents. He is a feminine looking man and more so as a young man. His parents were both difficult and did not cope with his coming out at all. Homosexuality caused him to receive a great deal of beatings and discrimination back in he 1970s and 80s of America. It is really surprising he has survived his life.
This book is not for the faint hearted who don’t like awful references about women from some of his acquaintances and the language is foul throughout. I actually skipped a few pages when it got too bad. Overall I enjoyed reading about his life as he travelled a great deal throughout the USA, experienced extreme poverty for many years, lived in Europe off and on, mainly in Paris. Throughout he seemed to keep his gentler nature and I wondered how he did so having lived in squalid conditions, sometimes being homeless but always writing, writing, writing. He is also extremely funny and the subjects he pondered were hilarious at times. He has a very unusual (to me) take on the world. The book wore me out but I’m glad to have found it and would certainly read another of his. He is currently touring Australia and I will see him at our beautiful Theatre Royal on 1 Feb. I had tickets to see him before. I did see him here several years ago but the last time Covid cancelled it.
TUESDAY: This day started a new venture. I have a new Minelab, Equinox 800 metal detector. I know, I know. I’ve heard the jokes. I took this up quite a few years ago but didn’t have good equipment but did fine a few old horseshoes from the brewery and a couple old Aussie pennies. Now I’ve upgraded, joined a couple of metal detecting fb groups, one being Tasmania and I plan on getting out with it along with my camera. On my day out I can do photography and when that is done I can do a few sweeps and maybe find some jewellery, coins or even a hidden stash from a gaoled bush ranger who never retrieved. I like the history behind the targets people find. So far as I’m learningabout frequencies and settings and various metal types I’ve only been sweeping my backyard. I found an old chain and lock we lost from our back gate over 30 yrs ago and a broken toaster was dug up out of the yard. Our property used to be owned by Cascade brewery and I’ve found horseshoes and pieces of chain over the years p,anting things. They used this area as a rubbish dump and there is a lot of old fill so who knows what lies buried here in this neighbourhood.
I’ve picked up Patricia Highsmith’s Diary I started sometime back. I’ve been dipping in and out of it for months as it is a very large diary. As a young women, once again, lots of booze and love affairs but now her writing is starting to take off and I’m finding it more interesting. I’ll persevere between other things.
Well I noticed this is very long so going to stop midweek. I can add Thurs through to Sunday soon as there are a couple 0f things happening. So until then. Stay well.
A Penguin's Journey- Books, Travel, Photography 
I love the two books by Sedaris I have read, and am willing to read more. Might be interesting to read his diaries, although they seem quite dark at times.
I think it must be very exciting to go treasure hunting with a metal detector. Good luck.
I do find it interesting to read diaries or memoirs of authors. Patricia Highsmith’s books come with a psychological twist, so should be a good idea to read her diaries. I will look for them.
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Her diary is a big door stopper of a book and was published last year. Simply The Diaries of Patricia Highsmith.
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I enjoyed finding out about David Sedaris. I’m familiar with his name, via many book reviews, but I’ve always hesitated about buying one of his books, because he’s American and American humour doesn’t always tickle my funny bone. Mine is more inclined to the British style. If I can find one of his books on a charity book sale, at a giveaway price, I’ll give him a try.
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I don’t care for American humour as Infind the writing is too in your face but Sedaris has some very funny comments about how people live and he writes quite a bit about his own experiences and has a laugh at himself. It isn’t typical American humour as seen in movies or tv there.
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👍👍👍👍👍💖🐶🐕🐱🐈
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High energy is one thing but mania in an instructor is another matter – it could mean they are not paying enough attention to how people are doing and if they are pushing themselves to a dangerous level. Good for you in knowing when to quit
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I know what you mean. Hyperactivity of any kind doesn’t sit well with me. Too stressful😊
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I’ll second Kaggsy and Deb about both!
But good on you for the metal detecting, and your ambitions for it. I like the idea of finding old treasures rather than the lump of gold that everyone fantasises about….
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Evidently you can’t sell gold that is found and most likely the govt would take it. I like finding items that represent past cultures, even bottle tops of things no longer made. One more thing to write about, haha.😃
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I agree. When I was a teenager, I wanted to be an archaeologist, but I thought there was no point because you could only be an archaeologist in places like the Middle East. It wasn’t until the media started reporting on the finds from building sites in Melbourne that I realised I could have done it here in my very own city.
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I know. It was always so male dominated. The metal detector you tube videos of the UK are fun to watch because of the extensive history and they have women only groups.
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I don’t think that gender issues entered my head. I went to an all-girls school where women and girls had all the leadership positions and it was just assumed that we could do whatever we wanted to. (Though in a ladylike way, of course!) No, it was geography. Even then, without the heavy duty religion that came later with the Islamic revolution, the Middle East was not an appealing place for me. I’d travelled so much by then, I wanted to put down roots and stay put.
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Thankyou for realising this was getting long and so you decided to break up your post. I much prefer that. When posts li ke this get too long I end up not comment on all I want to.
What Kaggsy said: “I haven’t seen such mania and chaos in a person in a long time.” I love that you had to leave a few minutes early.
Re David Sedaris, how interesting. I just thought he was funny so your discussion of how tough this book also is surprised me. And also increased my interest.
As for metal detection, you have almost got me wanting to try. You are a hoot Pam!
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Thank you Sue. My problem is I just have too many interests and love really getting into them.
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I understand completely.
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I visited a spin class one time, and I left feeling worn out from the manic instructor.
Glad you enjoyed (?) the Sedaris book, but I don’t think it’s me.
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I enjoy low key instruction and people who get right to the point.
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“I haven’t seen such mania and chaos in a person in a long time.” LOL, that had me laughing!!! As for the Sedaris, not sure it’s for me but I admire you for sticking with it! 😀
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He just has a very different style of looking at the world and his humour is usually the kind I agree with. He is really a life’s observer.
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