Day 59, Level 1: Floors, messy cooking, sports bar and monoprints

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Dear loyal readers ... I fear I really have gone mad - today I mopped the floors! That's a carwash and a floorwash in just two days!!

Being at Omaha by myself means the place pretty much stays clean and tidy. Well, it gets a bit messy around my desk when I'm in full throttle work mode but that's just papers (and maybe a few crumbs if I'm eating while working). And I admit to being a messy cook - yes, the kitchen turns into a shambles when I'm cooking, even if it's just cooking for one and yes, even if I'm just poaching some eggs! But when it's only me, sand doesn't get traipsed through and things tend to stay in the same place. And get put back in the right place!! Oh, ok so the bedroom has some clothes strewn about ...

You may wonder why Brett hasn't been coming up - that's because he is always playing golf! This weekend is a tournament. He plays golf most Saturdays and Sundays - so I might as well be at Omaha! I went through some old photos and memorabilia - there is a lot of it up here and I'm slowly organising it all. I read a magazine. I did not do an ounce of work today. Only housework (those floors!)

It was Ellerslie races today and, had I been in town I would have gone - but I'd rather be beachside - and besides, I can watch the races up here. Mid afternoon I went into Matakana to get some petrol and called into the sports bar. Stayed a while and watched some races. There was quite a crew there today, not just in the racing section. The bar was busy, it was buzzing, good to see. The racing crew numbered about 8, and we had some great banter. All males, plus me. I'm just a $1 each way punter but some of them go in somewhat bigger, taking all sorts of combos etc. 

We check in on each other's bets, enjoy each other's wins, lament each other's losses, cheer loudly and laugh a lot. We exchange tips and horse thoughts, discuss names that take our fancy or an in-form jockey.

We had a group bet and failed miserably. Oh how we laughed. And then we went on our merry ways, back to our lives in the locality. I've got to know most of the guys quite well over recent months but I don't even know most of their names. That's not the point. It's all about the names of the horses and jockeys! 

Back at base I cooked up sweet & sour chicken for dinner, pottered around, made a helluva mess! It turned out good and tasted yum. The mess is always worth it!

Don't worry I didn't eat it all - plenty of leftovers for tomorrow!

Not a breath of wind today and it was warm. I didn't get to the beach - got waylaid at the sports bar!

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Monoprints ...

Yesterday I posted a couple of photos of Helen Carpenter's work (the Welsh artist who runs the artist studio and soiree). She also does pottery. A very talented lady. And an effervescent one. 

I'd love to learn her technique and how she creates these monoprints - they are "poly monoprints" - a kind of printmaking etching combo. I really do love them. But she is keeping the technique close to her chest - she is seeking a gallery to represent her with these works. 

A few more photos of her work - and her paints ...






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