Fog, new books and a compliment

It was another photogenic morning here in Melbourne, with the city shrouded in thick, thick fog.

I took the scenic route to work along the south side of the river via Southbank, with camera in hand, snapping away at rowers gliding out of the mist (above) and cyclists disappearing into the fog ahead of me.

When I got to the city, the sun was starting to burn off the fog and it was a sight to behold. The sun was bouncing off Freshwater Place and the Rialto (below) and reflecting in huge flares onto the fog still lingering around the buildings.

Up the other end of the city, the tall buildings were still lost in the pea soup but the sun's rays cast shadows of them onto the thick fog behind them (click here to see my Girl in Melbourne shot of it). It was unreal. People were just trudging past on their way to work while I was excitedly snapping away with my camera. They probably got to work on time, unlike me, but big deal.

New additions to the Frisky Library

I went to Borders tonight and spent quite a bit of money. So much for belonging to two libraries, hey?

I bought Christos Tsiolkas' The Slap which recently won the Commonwealth Writer's Prize for SE Asia and the Pacific. It's been well received by critics, but I'm also really looking forward to reading a book set in Melbourne. I'm so parochial...

I also bought a nice hardcover copy of EB White's Charlotte's Webb, which I don't think I've ever read. (The only EB White book I have read is The Elements of Style, which is a book on grammar and writing well.) Maybe Charlotte's Web was read to me in primary school, but I don't remember it. Funny how I remember being read a book called How to Eat Fried Worms in primary school yet not a classic children's book like Charlotte's Webb.

Oh, apparently How to Eat Fried Green Worms is something of a classic too. According to Wikipedia, it has been the target of censors since it was published in 1973 because of its gross content (a kid has to eat 15 worms in 15 days to win a bet) and it was made into a movie in 2006. Well, there you go. I had no iea.

The third book I bought was a hardcover copy of The Butter Battle Book by Dr Seuss. Borders has a pretty good collection of Dr Seuss, unlike a lot of bookshops which only have the most well known ones. Since collecting all the Dr Seuss books for kids is on my list of 101 Things to do Before I'm 40, that just won't do.

Speaking of my 101 list, I have been quietly plugging away at it (although my listography list isn't quite up to date). I've bought a new mattress (as if you didn't know that), I've signed up to do another pilates class, I'm going to the Melbourne Observatory on Monday night and I've been having a monthly massage and cult DVD night. I'm flossing and buying myself flowers once a month (not at the same time) and I've gone back to the gym. I reactivated my online dating profile (and then took it down a few weeks later due to lack of interest - mine). And other things I can't think of now.

Aw, shucks

Someone on Twitter today, upon seeing yesterday's Girl in Melbourne photo, asked me if I was a photographer since I'm not a real librarian. I was quite chuffed.

The old Sandridge Line Bridge