the corner office

Quick weekend roundup...

Ronwen and I went to register to vote on Saturday morning (Ronwen's a clever girl: go register while everyone's watching the Boks get crucified by the All Blacks and you'll miss the queues). The IEC griped that not many people registered, maybe it's because half the country was missioning from voting station to voting station?

We went to the Northcliff Primary School's station, which is 2 blocks away from us. Some auntie in front of us was being given grief because she was at the wrong place and she was whingeing because the people There had told her to come Here and she had a right to vote dammit but nobody would let her register and the lady behind the counter was saying 'sorry for youuu, but it ain't happening at this station 'cause you're not in my area' and yadda yadda.

I was muttering under my breath wondering how this woman couldn't even read a damned map. Then came our turn, and I had to eat my words. Not only were streets poorly labeled, but the maps had contour lines, for crying out loud. It was almost impossible to figure out which lines were roads and which were contour lines and which demarcated migratory routes for sparrows. We couldn't figure out whether we were meant to register at Northcliff or at Fairlands down the road. The registration official seemed quite convinced that if we lived where we said we lived, then we were at the right place, and I wasn't going to argue. So now we're registered in Northcliff.

Ronwen and I also decided to get some exercise and went for a walk through Northcliff on Saturday evening. The Jacaranda trees are in full bloom and the suburb is looking beautiful. I don't know and probably don't want to know how people can afford some of the mansions we walked past.

In between all of that I'd been busting my back with PDAs and FAs and CFGs and all manner of awful Computer Theory.

Sunday morning saw myself and Ronwen head off to Rosebank for breakfast and a look-see around the flea market. In between finding nothing particular interesting, I popped into CD Wherehouse and bought 3 CDs: Fields of the Nephilim's 'From Gehenna to Here', which is their first two EP's wrapped up in one. I had 'Burning the Fields' but didn't have the 'Laura' EP. Effectively, I coughed up 200 bucks for 2 songs I don't already have. That's 'completist' for you. Also got Sonic Youth's Murray Street and Pink Floyd's Obscured By Clouds - it's taken me 10 years, but I finally have it on CD.

Spent yesterday afternoon coding, took a break last night to watch "Ronin" on SABC2, with Robert de Niro. I missed the beginning, but wow. I'd never heard of the movie, but it was my kinda flick. European locations, car chases and super-mean spy-type dudes. Way cool.