AUGUST 8

12:17AM: testing testing

2:31PM: Here is the schedule for today.

3PM: activities (galleries, pool, other)

7PM: dinner w/ Jade

(this is when the conversation will occur)

8:30PM: debrief

This morning I woke up and threw on Sarah's Gene Vincent shirt. (This was just for house stuff.) I have a bag charm that Jen bought me, the key tag from the Sticky coordinators, and Bailey's shoes. I'm wearing the Luke jumper as well (plain black). I think the best way to survive today is to have talismans. I couldn't find any trinkets related to Clarisse and/or Jovan so I have an aux cord I borrowed from them.

3:05PM: I'm running slightly late. This was sort of planned, as I expected Dad to have some kind of apathetic delay, but he's actually being very punctual. Does that War is Over! banner above Record Paradise feel hollow to anyone else?

4:12PM: I had some stuff to do at Sticky so eventually I dragged Dad down there. It was nice for him to look at the arcade - his dad used to be a butcher on Degraves St. Dad looked at some zines and said nothing while I talked to Tobie. We're at the NGV now. Small talk.

4:31PM: Just sat side by side in that big dark screening room at the NGV and watched Writing in the Rain (FX Harsono).

5:03PM: We're on an E Class tram. We were talking about street photography when we got here.

5:11PM: We will be at icue for the next hour. Dad is setting up.

5:16PM: lady gaga paparazzi

5:21PM: 1-0 dad

5:39PM: 2-0. closer but not really. this is a good activity because he is absolutely wiping the floor with me. at my best I am just placing the cue ball in places that ragebait him

6:01PM: abracadabra

6:04PM: 3-0. final

6:18PM: Jade has been Activated. She's about 20 minutes away. A few minutes after we left icue, Dad said to me "later on, Dominic, I need to talk to you" (the conflict here is that he has been invited out to dinner without Mum). I reply "I know. I need to talk to you. This whole thing is happening because I need to talk to you". Loitering in Paperback until Jade shows up.

6:30PM: Dad talks about seeing Jaws in 76. Jade will be here in two minutes. I find out that Eve Babitz had a journalism stint.

7:01PM: We're at The Waiters Restaurant now, where Chopper Read('s associate) held up a bunch of people some time ago.

7:23PM: We put our psychic energy together and made contact with a waiter. Spurts of conversation are happening about where Jade and Dad grew up, theatre, and other stuff.

7:45PM: Bob Dylan (and country music, generally) chat.

7:52PM: Tommy Little is here.

8:09PM: Desserts have come out and I am really trying to steer towards The Codeword.

8:20PM: Done

8:32PM: The word "squelch" arrives as I am describing the panna cotta. The speech comes out unrehearsed, but clear, and Dad goes silent and states ahead. Jade leaves me all the room in the world. There is a bite of each dessert left untouched and the waiter makes a joke about it as he goes past. Right now, I'm in the bathroom, thusly leaving the two of them to sort it out. Dad is upset, but in a very muted way. His only real reaction is "how am I going to tell Mum?" and he's not happy about having to deal with that. I try to ask him, "well, isolated from that, what do YOU think?" and he can't seperate himself from the agony of having to deliver this news to his much more "conservative" partner. I wonder what Jade and Dad are talking about.

8:50PM: Split off with Dad. Jade told me "you should go ask if he wants to talk more", and he didn't, so we split off. He stopped walking somewhat, turned to Jade and said "it was nice to meet you", and then off into the spitting rain on Bourke St he went. Jade and I are standing near that pharmacy.

9:11PM: The debrief begins now. I think this is where the blog will end (9/11. Never forget.)