May 27, 2001 (idea)

Today I was up early to walk the dogs around the cafe strip of Kingston and to return the DVDs from last night (Charlie's Angels and some Pierce Brosnan flick we never got around to watching. Looked like Dances With Wolves from the slick). Then to the supermarket for grocery shopping which is a chore that I love. I grab a basket and slowly wheel my way around, letting a creative part of my brain just roll over with possibilities for delicious meals. Gemma hates the supermarket, which is absolutely fine with me.

Then I thought I'd take a Sunday drive around my home city of Canberra. Although I've lived here for two years, I've been travelling a lot and really haven't had much of a chance to look around. I put the two dogs in the back seat and took off, winter sun warming my face through the windscreen. We drove up to the Defence Department and stood at the enormous obelisk, looking up Consitution Avenue to the new Parliament House. The monument was a gesture to the US Armed Forces at the conclusion of WW2, thanking them for their support in the Pacific Theatre.

The dogs and I then drove to the Old Parliament House (now the National Portrait Gallery), where they had a great time running around some of the oldest rose bushes in the country and sniffing the copious duck shit, all round the fountains. A lone guy was blasting it back into the pools, but it must be a full-time job for him!

Then we drove around Mitchell and discovered the National War Memorial Science and Technology Annex, which I never knew existed, and then the Kamberra Wine Centre, a kind of centre of excellence for the local wine industry (ditto).

Home now, Gemma is asleep and I'm enjoying a small tub of Baskin Robbins mint choc chip ice cream, not to mention E2...