A couple of random notes about our trip to Canberra:

I was taking Biyi around to see the places I lived while growing up (quite interesting for me too). heading to the house where I lived in high school, we passed - of all things - a peacock strutting around on the side of the road. We stopped so Ryan could have a look, and when he heard a flock of them calling from parts unseen, decided we should door-knock to find if it had escaped from someone's back yard (and call Animal Control to get it away from the road). Turns out, they weren't being kept by anyone. My old neighbourhood has been invaded by a flock of around thirty peafowl. Unexpected! (The neighbours were disinclined to help, being fed up with loud peacock calls at all hours.)

Concerning our original goal, Ryan was quite thrilled to see a peacock wandering the suburbs.

Second occurrence: Ryan has a kiddie's cutlery set, with green and gold handles. His knife went missing, presumed lost at Canberra Airport. He asked after it at dinner tonight. (Canberra Airport, incidentally, is now graced with this sculpture: [link] Ryan thought it was dinosaur bones.) When he explained we'd left his knife behind and didn't know where it was, he looked downcast, and then said that he hoped someone else was using it now. It would be like he was sharing his knife with them. He has such a good heart, this little man.

Oh, BT, that's hysterical!

Ravening hordes of feral peacocks!

Tiny superheroesque and/or Winchester statement: "I loved that knife. *sigh* Welp, hope someone else is loving it and getting good use of it. Pay it forward, man, pay it forward..."

I just received a robocall from Matt Damon.

He has such a good heart, this little man.

Hmm, wonder where he could have gotten it from?

Ha! My mom actually used to get invaded by a group of peacocks every now and then (there was apparently a guy who kept them a couple of miles away, and they'd occasionally escape). They are obnoxiously loud, but it was very funny to see them wandering around her house like decorative birds at some European castle.

I wonder if Peacocks are dangerous like geese. (Geese are vicious and will attack people who they think are on their territory - which can vary from day to day.)

Had another meeting yesterday where I spent half the time wishing I had a gun taped to the toilet tank and half the time wishing I could say "That's a clown question, Bro." I've done neither, yet. Still don't know if we're done yet.(bosses have made some promises, but you know, "fuck the bosses") And I feel like I can't tell my friends, cause other people don't live this way. It's like going to Alice's Tea Party on meth...people trying to impose numerical logic on stuff that has none. But I spend most of the time wondering what life experience got crowded out of my calendar to make room for this bullshit.

Ah Ryan, do you know how many hearts you warm from afar?

We have 3 peacocks in the neighborhood. I don't see them for a while, then there they are meandering in the street holding up traffic. I think they must belong to someone, but they get out often.

Oh erikaj, I can't even imagine the level of frustration you are enduring.

Yes, you can! Just imagine an awful date, crossed with an audit, and *maybe* a job interview where you fudged your qualifications just a touch. This past month has been really fun. Living with my mom on full protective mode 24-7 has been a lovely bonus gift, as well. And it's get-hung-up-on season. I'd trade places with a drowned storm victim in a heartbeat.