darebin parklands

Last night at the excellent Flywheel show at the Old Bar I arranged with Michael and Nicola to go walking our dogs at Darebin Parklands this afternoon and that is exactly what happened. Their dog is the large white greyhound Alba who is the most passive animal I could imagine, though they say that if they ever let her off the lead she would run off and never come back. Charlie was sick and miserable on the drive there (Millie just looked out the window) but once at Darebin she was very full of herself and is no doubt reliving the whole experience right now. She barked at basically everyone - she really needs some puppy training. Or young adolescent dog training, whatever. But it was a good circuit in fact we went back and did it all over again. Interesting crossings on the creek, there is a new one where they've put in square stones and between one of the stones is almost the whole creek in a very deep (I imagine) cutting. Millie got across by herself alright but Charlie had to be picked up and carried. As did Alba who has quirks from her racing career. We met a beagle called Maggie on the way, her owner said she'd just been caught by the ranger off her lead in an on-lead area and running underneath the ranger's car (while it was driving along no less) and Michael said 'was she smoking?' and the guy said 'yes and she threw the butt into some dry grass', which was a good add-on. He was impressed anyway by the things I said Millie and Charlie did which signified their well-behavedness, but even as I was saying it I was thinking of all the terrible untrained behaviour they exhibit as well.

Now I am listening to the tail end of the New Estate rehearsal, they are doing a song of Marc's that sounds kind of like 'Rockin' Robin' and 'Love Bite' (an older song of theirs) together. I really have two things to do tonight. I want to go to the Chapter Music night at Gertrudes - I like all the bands playing (Lakes, Always and Guy Blackman) and I am sure it will be a fine evening. I actually don't even think I have been to see a band at Gertrude's, I remember eating there a few years ago and Nicole and Julian were there but I am not sure who else. And I also want to go to the New Estate/Muddy Spurs/Kids from Russia/Airport City Shuffle show at The Tote. I want to see Kids from Russia apologise to Airport City Shuffle for calling them 'Airport City Chapel' on posters. Anyway, I don't know how I'm going to be at two places at once, at least, I know I'm not going to be able to, so I guess it will be luck of the draw who I see and who I don't. I mean if it comes to that Panel of Judges and Chris Smith are both playing at the Pony in town, I guess I have to concede I am going to have to miss that one altogether.

Now NE are playing 'Free Sherry', one of my very favourite of Mia's songs - interestingly she shrugs it off as something she wrote in a few minutes. I remember a similar quirk in Rabbit's Wedding - one of their best songs was called 'Hit the Road Pussy' and they shrugged that one off with similar reasoning, as if this was in some way to its detriment. Keith Richards dreamt 'Satisfaction' and Ross Wilson thought 'Eagle Rock' was too good for him to have written it. I know these are rather hackneyed stories, but obviously very occasionally the thing that pops out of your head in seconds is some of your best work. I guess that you could see your life as leading up to that anyway - I'm sure some short-circuiting of the synapses goes on in creating great art in an almost spontaneous way, but you need to have the appropriately seasoned synapses in the first places. Brad's bass playing really adds to 'FS', he gives it this highly intricate, almost baroque element. Now Chris is doing this really fiddly, effete drum solo shit at the end of the song and I think the others are trying to make him stop. Perhaps they are cheering him on.

We have a stinky bone in the fridge. The dogs will have a good night. So will I, I expect. The additional excitement is a laksa at Raffles across the road from The Tote. Hey maybe see you there.