The question is: How many paint chips could I conceivably steal from Bunnings?

Goodbye, Grandpa Hubert
My Grandpa died yesterday. I only found out he was in the hospital the day before. This is the first grandparent I’ve lost. These things always suck, but man does it suck when you’re far from your family. I talked to my Dad this morning and he said he doesn’t want me to worry about getting there for the funeral. Obviously I want to be there, but it’s hard on such short notice.

You want to know something weird? The obituary is online – and I just realised that Grandpa Hubert had the same birthday as me. I never knew that in my whole life. How did I not know that? It’s such a neat connection. I wish I’d known. I’d have made sure to call him on it.

Edited to add: Mom’s just confirmed that the date is wrong there. His birthday was March 16, the day after mine. I’m a little disappointed, but it makes more sense that I didn’t know!

At a party recently, the topic of “baptism” came up and, out of nowhere, the Snook started reciting “A Bush Christening” by Banjo Paterson. (He does weird things like that.) It’s a very cute poem, and I’m tickled to learn the location actually does exist!

Women Who Rock – #44 Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees’s Once Upon a Time is #44 on RS’s list of Greatest Albums from “Women Who Rock.” I don’t think I had ever heard any of these songs before. It’s not really my thing, but I like the rhythms. The “Christine” song freaked me out when I heard my own name being repeated.

Women Who Rock – #45 Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s Speak Now is #45 on RS’s list of Greatest Albums from “Women Who Rock.” While I’m sure there are those rolling their eyes, I really like Taylor Swift. She’s a pretty, pretty princess, she plays the guitar, and she writes catchy songs about liking boys. There’s nothing wrong with that!

Women Who Rock – #46 Salt-n-Pepa
Salt-n-Pepa’s Hot, Cool and Vicious is #46 on RS’s list of Greatest Albums from “Women Who Rock.” Unfortunately Spotify doesn’t have it available, so instead I listened to their Greatest Hits compilation. I wasn’t a huge hip-hop fan in high school, but I did like SNP. (I remember vastly preferring them to the annoying TLC, who many girls in my class liked.) I had the CD singles for “Shoop” and “Whatta Man” pretty much memorised. I liked their sense of humour and their politics. “Let’s Talk About Sex” is just such a perfect bit of early 90’s music and activism, isn’t it?

Anybody want to live in a completely sustainable house in Chippendale? My friend Michael Mobbs is going away for a while. You’ll have to look after the chickens!

Women Who Rock – #47 Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams’s Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is #47 on RS’s list of Greatest Albums from “Women Who Rock.” I’d heard of Lucinda Williams but never really listened to her. After going through this album a couple times, I’m kicking myself. I need to listen to it about 50 more times until these songs become a part of me. So good.

Women Who Rock – #48 Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie’s Raitt’s Give It Up is #48 on RS’s list of Greatest Albums from “Women Who Rock.” My only experience with Bonnie’s discography was her later Top 40 stuff, so this early blues was a revelation. She sounds so young! It’s definitely not what I expected, with some of the songs having a Dixieland feel to them. (Snook: “How can it be ‘rock’ when it was a clarinet solo?!”) The album inspired me to read up on Bonnie, where I learned how respected she is as a slide guitarist. The Snook informs me that there’s even a Unix utility named after her. (Me: “What does it do?” Him: “Identify bottlenecks.” Me: “Heh.”)

Women Who Rock – #49 The Breeders
The Breeders’ Last Splash is #49 on RS’s list of Greatest Albums from “Women Who Rock.” I discovered the Breeders when I happened to catch the video for “Cannonball” late one night on MTV (maybe “120 Minutes”?) in high school, and I was hooked. I bought the tape and I still know all the words 19 years later. I remember being amused at “Drivin’ On 9”, because I actually had to drive to high school along State Road 9. I also bought a Breeders T-shirt that I have carried with me across several continents, and that I only just reluctantly stopped wearing (because it’s full of holes – don’t worry; I’m making it into a quilt). The Breeders are also the only artists on the list who I’ve actually MET. The day Kim and Kelley Deal wandered into my knitting shop in Sydney was seriously one of the coolest days in my whole time there. Rock on, Deal sisters.