it's a big big world

A quick post, as it's been months since I posted here, and it's just A) Writing and B) Work

I'm currently knee deep in the middle of Book 3 at the moment, so my life until the end of May will be Finishing The Book, which as given me little chance to do anything else. Trying to grab some time for exercise and "family" in between it all has been a challenge and a half. I shall be so glad its over! With Covid having passed into the clean-up phase, there are conventions to go to, people to see. I miss my friends. We are finally having a get-together in May on the banks of the Murray River which is like the WORST time in terms of finishing this manuscript.... I might have to dip into (whispers) long service leave.

Has a couple of great Urban exploring jaunts for this first quarter, I've posted most of the pictures in my Facebook Author Page (which has become more of an exploring journal than a writerly one):
https://www.facebook.com/clairemckennawriter

I had a really odd experience too, when I went to meet up, a...newish... guy who looked about forty approached me and said, "Oh <explorer name> I've been wanting to talk to you for ages about <event in 1995>"

He - his name is Warp -  then explains that during this event we had been raided by the police (I remember this night VERY well) and where everyone had fled into the waiting arms of the police kettle I had gone the other way with some kid ("How the fuck old were you?" I asked in horror for this guy was at least 10 years my junior and he said with a giggle  "Fifteen" and I restrained my tut-tuttinng on vagrant kids in questionable gatherings because although I hadn't realized it at the time - being a bit feral, the next thirty or so years has been random men remembering me from back then when they too were feral kids.)

Warp  had recognized me at once. I had to admit I didn't recognize him at all, haha. I mean, there were a LOT of people back in the feverish heyday, but being a girl and a little older had made me stand out a bit back then.

Anyway what had haunted him for thirty years was how I'd gotten away, because I had literally disappeared like Batman. 

"When you weren't looking Ed and Predator came past in Ed's Suzuki Sierra and I jumped in the back!" I said, and he went, "I've been waiting thirty years to find that out!"

Warp told me he had hidden in the bushes under the Chapel St Bridge while police reinforcements turned up and then he'd taken a taxi home. We reminisced about some of the people at the time - he'd been friends with my "sort-of-boyfriend", the one PC Plod gave a deserved thumping to on the night, and a group called the Guinea Pigs who I believe might have been old enough to drive, for one of their  members had a car. There was a lot of crossover between urban explorers and graffiti gangs back then.... they were strange and fun times.

Apart from that, I have a hundred electronics projects I need to finish off (or start - even). I managed to get strip lights installed in the bathroom, but the difficulty was hiding all the wires in the wall and having a lovely ring-light switch. Fortunately the boys were away camping with friends, so I stayed at home and drilled  so many holes into the plasterboard and made an entire disaster area that would have been impossible to navigate emotionally if I'd also have to deal with 48hrs of my partner giving me the stink eye about the general ruination (until I polly-filla'd everything back  up again.) But the lights are great and the boys come back to a lovely, well-lit bathroom!