Surry Stencils
Under the headlights of a nearby vehicle, I happened upon some stencil work in progress in the lane-way between Crown Street and Wiltshire Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia.
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Thinking Of Stockholm
I came home from work today feeling pretty shitty. In fact, as soon as I got here, I went straight to bed for a bit of a lie down.
That it was a stressful day actually makes little sense. Sure, there were the early morning phone calls (far too early). Sure, everyone was a little bit “full moon” if you know what I mean. But I honestly don’t know why I felt so tired and grumpy when I walked in the door. And then I was reminded of Stockholm.
I didn’t get all sentimental. I didn’t start looking at photographs. But I did remember something which happened to me there which I hope will continue to be an inspiration in life. I remembered how I managed to get myself out of that awful cycle of negativity that affects so many of us so often. You take time out, you try to turn the mind set around, and then you move on.
I first recognised this one day in Stockholm when I was having a particularly shitty day. I’d gotten lost several times. No one seemed able to understand me. And I think the weather was pretty awful too.
So I got back to my room and started writing a blog post about my day.
Half way through the post I recognised how awful and negative I was being. At that point I said to myself “stop this”. So I left the hostel and went out again with a view to making sure the day ended on a more positive note. I don’t remember exactly what I did, but I had loads of fun and realised the power of taking a moment out of my life and saying “I’m not gonna waste my life with anger and negativity”.
Unfortunately I failed to do that today. I never really had the chance (nor the inclination) to do something about it, although I recognised the position I’d found myself in.
It wasn’t until I was on the way home that I thought about turning things around. I could have gone for a walk. I could have done something a little more interesting. But as it was, I just had a little lie down for a while. And now I’m up and about and I feel a lot better.
I’m not really sure if watching “The Howard Years” on ABC1 is gonna make me feel much better, but I can always listen to some Swedish pop and look at those photographs of my recent travel. And more lastingly, hopefully, I can always remember it’s possible to turn things around by just taking a moment or two to reflect and look for something better.
The hip replacement
So, after the x-rays at RPA confirmed the broken ribs and fractured hip, the orthopedic surgeon came to see me. They were fantastic, explaining everything clearly and with such a reassuring smile, which really helped calm my nerves. We discussed the options – a full or partial hip replacement. Given my age and the nature of the fracture, and the fact I am still very active they recommended a full replacement, rather than have another one when I am older, which made sense to me.
I was scheduled for the first surgery of the day, which I appreciated. It meant I didn’t have to wait around all morning, getting more and more anxious. The operation itself took a couple of hours, I believe, all under general anaesthetic. When I woke up in recovery, I was pleasantly surprised. I felt a little groggy, of course, but the pain was significantly less than I’d anticipated. In fact, it was just a small amount of pain, which was a huge relief after the agony I’d been in.
Throughout the day, the hospital staff were absolutely incredible. They were so attentive, always checking in on me and making sure I was comfortable. Every single one of them had a smile on their face, and they explained everything they were doing so clearly. It really made a difference to my overall experience. I managed the pain with Panadol and Endone, and while I’m not moving much yet, the post-operative pain is so much more manageable than the pain before surgery. It’s a massive improvement. I’m really grateful for the care I’m receiving here
The Transformation Of Crown Street
For a moment this morning I reflected on how busy the traffic on Crown Street was when I first moved to Sydney in 1995. Before the Eastern Distributor was built, Crown and Bourke were extremely busy double-lane one-way streets. Although I don’t remember exactly how they went about it, they changed the traffic on both streets soon around the time the toll road was opened, sparking a large public outcry. Both streets eventually became two way.
A few years ago when the bike lanes were established, Bourke Street underwent a further transformation with traffic calming measures. I quite enjoy a weekend bike-ride up and down Bourke Street, with its quieter traffic and leafy visage.
At the same time, Crown Street has remained busy. It never ceases to amaze me how many people continue to drive down Crown Street, when they could find a much less busy route via neighbouring streets, Bourke and Riley. If I’m running late and I need to be quickly at Taylor Square, I’ll instruct the driver to take me there via Bourke Street. Or if I want to quickly get to Oxford Street, I’ll instruct the driver to take me via Riley.
I can’t begin to imagine the traffic hell that will occur over the next few months, as they calm the traffic and widen the footpath in my part of Crown Street, located between Cleveland and Devonshire. They’re removing a fair few car parks, and they’re consolidating the two local bus shelters into one, and locating it out on the street.
In the longer term, I think this is a good strategy, and it’s one I really support, though I note in the short term, there’s going to be pain. “It’s going to be hell to take deliveries”, one shop-keeper said to me this afternoon.
Putting A Spark In My Thursday
Scott Spark brought a smile to my face tonight. He’s a colleague in ABC Local Radio who is also a singer-songwriter. Although based in Brisbane, he played a one-off gig tonight at The Vanguard in Newtown.
His musical style is as varied as you could imagine. As I listened to his work tonight I heard everything from Whitlamesque (Tim, not Gough) style ballads, 80’s influenced power pop, and even a Christmas song (it was my favourite of the night).
“His songs have a tune”, I mentioned to another colleague who was also in the audience tonight, which I think is a good thing. And he matches this with strong, tight musicianship.
As I watched him play I realised my musical preference is almost always for songs written and performed with a keyboard. I was about to jump off the bridge as I endured the mournful guitar tunes of the support acts. In fact, I genuinely loathed the second support act, and in particular, his song about the vagina (I’m sure my ears weren’t deceiving me). But when Scott came on with bright, varied, and sparkling tunes, it brought a real smile to my face.
And just as well, because work is driving me a little insane at the moment, to be honest.
But there’s always tomorrow. At exactly 5.35pm tomorrow, I’ll be on holiday, and on Monday, I’m heading off to China for 2 weeks.
And even better? The dollar is extremely strong at the moment. Although no longer officially linked, the value of the YUAN is usually in sync with the value of the USD.
How f&*(ing fantastic is that!!! ?