Monday 10.00pm
OK, I'm on holidays and you gotta love that. I admit, Melbourne in August ain't the most inspiring place to spend a week off work - it's the coldest month, and the second wettest, but it's time away from the daily grind, and it means I can go and visit friends on Sunday and Monday and drink, and that's just what I've been doing.
Yesterday was a visit to Steve, just round the corner, to try and help him set up his new computer so he can pirate DVD's. Got most of the way, but he needs some software I can lend him, and that gave me leverage to borrow a couple of his DVD's that he wasn't quite ready to let go just yet. He has this thing about watching a film he likes about five times in a row - don't understand that sort of compulsive excessive overdose myself, but hey, if he gets his jollies that way, who's to criticise.
I had my Sunday night all planned - well, an hour of it anyway watching a doco on the history of the American musical on ABC. I'm passionate enough about that particular subject to give up a whole night to one hour of TV, even on holiday time. So, getting close to time to go home and settle in front of the TV when Mel arrives. Now, this is not Melly Feline, this is Maltese Mel, the non-stop talker with the second most perfect pair of breasts I know of. Some of you I know will be wondering what the hell I'm doing mentioning the fact that someone has beautiful breasts, but, voyeuristic tendencies maybe, I like to look, I can even admire . . . . I just don't have any great desire to do anything with them. And in case you're wondering who I think has the most beautiful, well, my lips must remain sealed.
Anyway, Maltese Mel arrived - apart from the physical assets, and the fact that she has a wide variety of good-looking cousins and brothers, Mel is a non-stop talker, and one of those people who while she is a joy to be with, is quite exhausting. On top of that she does not like to take no for an answer.
Mel wanted me to go to some bar in Northcote - NORTHCOTE !!! She finally got the message that:
a/ Persons of my age and persuasion do not willingly go out without at least four hours to get ready.(We may not look any better at the end of the four hours, but we feel we do.)
and
b/ She was up against that show on the ABC that I had been waiting to see for about 18 months..

I won, didn't go out drinking, watched my show, and was ready for more serious drinking today, Monday.
Today I hopped on a train, and headed deep south to Brighton, where my oldest and dearest friend lives with his partner of 26 years. Now I reckon 26 years is a damned good effort by any standards, and they turn on good food and damned good wine, so lunch didn't finish till about 8.30 pm.
We talked and drank, and talked some more, watched bits from favourite DVDs and drank a bit more, and talked about what we'd just watched while we had another glass of wine, and sang along to a few songs then had to have another wine or two. Somehow I have managed to catch the train home, and even more surprisingly I seem to be able to be typing reasonably cohesively (and using big words like cohesively - and even spelling it the same way twice !!! )
No doubt I shall be spending tomorrow recovering from today's excessive drinking.
But isn't that what a holiday is for !