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We have the main course vegetarian option sorted for the Conflux banquet. I've still got a few dishes to test for other bits of the feast, but they can wait until December. The solution turned out to be completely in keeping with the non-vegetarian main course - the dishes will be mirror images of each other. Also very filling. Also (I can't stop myself thinking) the sort of food that desperance would entirely enjoy. I keep wanting to tell him this, but am positing long-distance strangulation if I do.

I know the banquet isn't until October 2011, but the final menu and the recipes need to be in the cookbook and I've been instructed that January is a suitable time for editing to begin. It's rather good to have everything bar dessert and the exact meat recipe for the main meat dish to be finalised (I know the dish, but I have five versions of it and, naturally, I want the yummiest of the five) sorted.

Today's word of the day was 'extinguish' which led, as night follows day, to a second word of the day which was the obvious 'antidisestablishmentarianism.' My students made political jokes and we discussed the wonders of prefixes. Fluffy ducks (the bird, not the drink) also made an appearance, although I have yet to establish why.

Also, I have my package of review books and intend to have finished with them all by Monday, because I'm hoping a second and maybe even a third package is on the way. Lots of different kinds of reading: I'm in danger of becoming halfway educated. Only halfway, however.

In the background, I'm still thinking about the various roles bric-a-brac and ephemera play in novels. One thing I'm convinced about is that some writers - in streamlining posessions and simplifying the physical surrounds - create fewer places for the reader to enter into the work and say "I know that. I understand that." (For the record, my readers' comments suggest that the mirror, the food and the ants all serve this role about equally in Life Through Cellophane.)

(no subject)

I'm having an unexpected night at home. Not off, just at home. I'm dealing sequentially with a weather change and accompanying migraine. I work when it subsides and rest when the symptoms overtake. Very logical, really.

My mother thought it was very logical. I rang her to check up and swap news (she's going to Broken Hill tomorrow, for this) Toby-the-cat doesn't know about centenary celebrations or that a bunch of Mum's friends are going together and plan to have much fun. He thinks he's being punished for killing many mice and is Not Happy. If he remains Not Happy, my sister will take delivery of him till Mum returns and he will no doubt be spoiled.

Anyhow, Mum was about to water the garden and she was happy to stop and chat when I told her it would rain in Melbourne in short order. She had to get off the phone to stop the rain coming in when it started, but we had a good chat before then. I got to hear that the bloke who's running the synagogue service this Saturday in Broken Hill has a day job that takes him beyond the back of Burke. He's one of the most interesting doctors in Australia, I suspect and I need to find out more about him.

My next few days are theoretically full of excitement. The reality is, however, I really need to rest and maybe to catch up on reviews. Last weekend was tremendous fun, but just a bit much. Maybe I should be caged and taken to the cattery, with young Toby. We could keep each other company.