Out to Launch

I sit at the laptop on a Sunday evening, two nights having passed since the official launch party of 'Silver Studs and Sabre Teeth'.  I am plum exhausted.  You know, the launch didn't go late, but so much adrenaline and emotional energy goes into the day, and it's left me tuckered out.  I also went to a friend's house for dinner and it was a late one.  I didn't drink, as I was driving, but I am soooooo tired now.  Years ago, a weekend of such high social octane calibre would not have affected me.  Now, it does.  I am tired.  I am emotional. Friday was all go-go-go from finalising my speech, to collecting the ice and deli platters from the supermarket, to setting up the art gallery, to figuring out how to make a separate playlist on my iPod for the glam.  Bless the friends who helped me.  Bless, and I mean BLESS! - the manager of the art gallery, a totes music tragic, who brought along a collection of 70s records that could have sunk the Titanic.  Through hte evening it transpired he used to roadie for Supernaut (remember THEM?!!).  I just basked in the reflected glory from my possie at the signing table (hey, it was Supernaut!).  Bless too my children for behaving themselves.  The youngest did earn a mighty scolding at the beginning of the night when he switched the playlist on the iPod.  Bless me for not stuffing up during my reading.  I had warned my kidlets their mother would be reading some swear words and sexual content during the night (nobody wants to hear their mother talking about sexual stuff in public, really).  Someone told me they didn't flinch.  Bless too the little one for his comic timing.  He stood at the podium as people took their seats and said, 'Everybody be quiet, please!'  (Well, it was cute, okay?).  Actually later on I hugged my oldest at home and asked was he proud of Mum (that's me, always fishing for compliments), and he said, 'Mum, you shouted those swear words like a professional bogan.'  I think I might have channelled the Alpha Male Bogan who lives across the road from us.  Seriously, you should have heard him this afternoon.  I'm surprised you didn't.  Effing and blinding at his missus, and shouting he'd end up back in gaol owing to his criminal record.  Someone clearly got jack of the prick, and called the cops about a domestic, because a paddy wagon rolled into our street.  Unfortunately, it didn't take him away.  But back to the launch story.  The launch that is now over, leaving me feeling like a burst whoopee cushion.  The hard work begins now; convince others to read this tome.  I have this coming week off so alert the media is high on the agenda.

It's been a HUUUUUGE weekend, and it ends with one tired writer sitting here, still gasping from an incident when I dropped off some kids who had played at our houes today.  One of the children decided to microwave popcorn as her mum and I had a cuppa.  I think the packet must have said 40 seconds, and she took this to mean 4 minutes.  When the microwave beeped, my friend opened teh door, and the room was engulfed in billowing clouds of acrid smoke.  We gasped, our eyes streamed, we dry-retched and stumbled around, feeling as though the Hun had given us a good blast of mustard gas.

Before I go, I have one question.  Must every dislikeable character, or unsympathetic character in a work be a heterosexual WASP type?  I have received a request on FB to petition the ABC to stop screening 'Jonah from Tonga'.  Stop the racial discrimination, this petition implores.  Now, I haven't seen this show.  I did see the Chris Lilley show 'Summer Heights High', wherein Jonah makes his first appearance.  You know what?  I laughed my guts out.  Know what else?  My first impression of Jonah was that he was a disruptive pain in the arse of a kid.  The fact that he is meant to be Polynesian is just not relevant, and it just gives Jonah more depth as a character.  I don't believe for five minutes it is Lilley's intention to vilify the entire Islander culture and race.  I don't believe his character Ricky Wong is meant to be representative of all Chinese students studying in Australia.  I don't belive that character he did of Pat, the Rolling Housewife, represents all middle aged, middle class women in Australia.  So, if anyone is thinking of sending me a petition to have this show removed, don't waste your time.  I will admit to not having seen this show, but from what I've seen of Jonah in other Lilley vehicles, I just think everyone is So. Missing. The. Point.