Oh dear has it really been a whole week since I last posted to the Spiralling Shape. I do hope that the gods of blogging can forgive me. Last week at work was revolting. It’s that time of the term. Two and half weeks to go, everyone’s getting stressed and angsting – or that how it seemed anyway. By the time Thursday afternoon arrived I couldn’t wait to make my escape.

This escape involved a trip to Brisbane and the Gold Coast from Friday through Sunday. My good parents were attending a wedding at Robina on Saturday, so my sister and I jumped in the car with them Friday morning and headed off down the highway to Brisbane. The parents met with their financial planner in Edward Street Friday afternoon while the sister and I sat quietly in the reception area, listening to the F111s practice for Riverfire and watching the financial types totter through in their high heeled shoes (that’s the women you understand) and the men walk back and forth pleased with their own importance and money making ability. Well that’s how it appeared anyway.

We then spent a happy hour in Borders where I spent a lot of money in a short amount of time. What did I find?
I’m your Man – Leonard Cohen tribute DVD
Shine a Light – Rolling Stones/Scorcese
Sergeant Pepper – CD
Mr Forgetful – Roger Hargraves
The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work – Alain de Botton
The Audacity of Hope – Barack Obama

None of this stopped me the following day from going shopping to the monstrous Robina shopping centre and spending a great deal more money. Here I found what I was really looking for at JB Hi Fi – Leonard Cohen Live in London and bargan 9.99 Simon and Garfunkel Live in Central Park. There were also clothes and cheap jewellery purchases as well as two cute green tealight holders from Wheel and Barrow. All very necessary and needed you understand.

The best part of Saturday was our trip to the Sculpure Festival at Currumbin foreshore. It was a perfect day and the fifty sculptures set in the sand just added to it.

I took a photo of just about all fifty I think, but here (predictably) is my favourite.

It was also great spending time with my cousin’s music collection. He has an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, a mandolin, a ukelele (stringless unfortunately), a lap steel guitar, a banjo, an autoharp, a drum kit, bongoes….and wonder of wonders they also had a piano accordion (which is for sale). Yes, I have put in an offer. I was very disappointed I didn’t sound like Peter Buck when I picked up the mandolin. The lap steel guitar was fun also. Best of all was the drum kit. I’m sure I annoyed everyone in the house by practising my new found skills of a 4/4 rock beat at every available opportunity. I have a new found respect for drummers. It’s really difficult. Either that or I am really uncoordinated. Anyway, because you’ve all been so good, here’s me playing (although I use that term somewhat reservedly) the piano accordion.

Yet again I break my self imposed rules of The Spiralling Shape by posting a picture of myself.

But hey, at least it’s not a picture of the cat.