Nasty surprises from On High.

One thing about living in Albury-Wodonga that I've quite enjoyed is the bird life around here. Little green grass parrots, the red and blue rosellas that move down off the mountains in winter, the willy wagtail that dances on next door's TV aerial, doing the bird version of the "I'm Too Sexy" dance... However, there is one downside.

Magpies.

As you can see, rather nice looking birds. They're about the size of a small crow. And in spring, they turn psychotically territorial. Every cyclist who takes to country roads in the spring will know the sheer terror of having one of these things suddenly dive-bombing your head. No warning, just a rush of wings, maybe a squawk or two, and the scrape of claws/beak across your helmet - another reason to wear one besides the usual reason of keeping your brain inside your skull if you get totalled. Over the past couple of days, I've been swooped about four times - three times on the one ride. Luckily they don't seem to hang around the roads I use for work - too busy, even for the most deranged magpie, I guess - but they're out in force in the quieter areas and along the bike paths.

The posties (mailmen to the confused) have a huge problem with them - there was something in the local pape about one particular vicious maggie that was attacking the postie on his rounds; he wears a motorbike helmet.

Taking the rest of the day off...

There's something soothing about spending the afternoon lying in the sun, snoozing. BRM needed to use the computer again today for his assignment, so I took myself, my portable CD player, my notebook and a cup of tea out and spent a few hours lying in the extremely battered deckchair. Of course, I fell asleep, after a late night at mum and dad's (with beer involved), but that was okay.

There's a story to our deckchair. It was acquired by the age-old honoured technique employed by all students - we raided the hard rubbish collection in our neighbourhood and lifted it. ;) For those unaware of the hard rubbish collection tradition, it's a day perhaps twice a year when the local council provides a removal service for city-dwellers' large items of rubbish - old fridges, broken furniture, wood, trees, that sort of thing. So every so often, all this Stuff appears on the kerbsides. And it's amazing what people throw out - there's many a student household furnished entirely by hard rubbish raids.

Our deckchair came from one such raid in Brunswick, when we were living there. It's a bit grotty, and a dreadful shade of green, and I keep promising myself that one day I will strip back the paint and redo it. Maybe this summer would be a good time, now I have a perfect place to sit. Our small patio out the back is a bit rough still, but once the shed goes up and I can clear away various bits and pieces, it'll be very pleasant.

The other thing that made my afternoon extremely pleasant was that I got a call from David, the schoolmate of BRM I mentioned a few days ago. BRM actually came through with his phone number, and I was stealing myself to call him this weekend, when my nap was interrupted byt BRM telling me I had a phone call. *smiles* We had a nice chat, and he's going to call on Monday afternoon to arrange a mountain bike ride or something. As I said to Dyce in chat this evening, even if it's just a friend thing - which I'm perfectly happy with - it's nice to know a bloke likes to talk to you and wants to be with you. So, my ever-mercurial self-image has risen again. I'm such a sad case. *grins*

Sorted out transport for getting people from the airport for the GASP. I love my Dad. He's such a nice dad. :) And Yas, if you don't mind, that is, Mum and Dad suggested taking us to the Dragon Court restaurant in Wodonga on the Thursday night you get in - we can ogle the extremely attractive manager, if you like. ;) The food's great too. And Mel's sorted - I just need to hear from Raph about how/when she's getting here, and whether Andraste can make it. It'd be great if she can. *crosses fingers*