I started early today, awoke thinking it was time to rise - maybe 9am or so - but found that the clock had barely passed 6. This cold isn't as dreamy as I predicted. It's annoying and I can't breathe as a regular human should. After wrestling with thoughts of getting up/going back to sleep I noticed that I had been debating with myself so long that it was now a respectable hour... to go for a run???

I thought the exercise would perk me up, clear the head a bit (and I must note here that I never exercise for its own sake. I consider it more of a coincidental diversion.) After 25 minutes of intermittent jogging and pacing, having a devil of a time controlling my dodgy walkman from switching itself off, I realised that I was about to collapse from illness-related crapness. Luckily, home was but a block away. And there I collapsed on the bed.

Stragely I was stirred with an urge to disinfect everything in sight. Out came the bleach (a residual genetic trace from my maternal grandmother) and I perked up inexplicably - apparently fumes are the echinacea of the pre-hippie era.

But nothing beat my excursion to my local - Northcote Salvation Army. !! . 1/2 price books! And I scored a booty - a SVH installment, One Hundred Years of Solitude, a 70s vegie cookbook, a kiddies textbook of the same era on sound and listening (perhaps it's the key to my thesis!), Understanding cats with satisfying 80s line illustrations, a grammar companion (!)...

but the greatest find was a calf-length box-pleat grey woolen skirt - librarian chic ahoy! I am considering wearing it to my graduation though I think the expression from my mother might dissuade me... In fact this new purchase will probably greatly increase my chances of attracting strange fellows on the 86 tram such as I did on saturday evening --

He opened with the ever so charming line -- "I see you've got the nanna look happening" followed by a quick recoil with "Actually, no... You look like the eldest girl from The Brady Bunch!". The wooing continued with intermittent cringes from his sensible looking friend, amazed at the blundering mess his friend was making. He closed with the line -- "Stick with me and we'll get you a footy team". Apparently all I needed in life was his firm embrace and a Collingwood scark tied around my waist. My Stop.

Having a local K Mart is more of a treat than one might expect. Today they played "Tingly" by pop! . If anyone has a copy of this most delicious song please deliver

On the Speakers: "Oh!" Sleater Kinney