We're off at the crack of dawn tomorrow to collect Richard who has been in Chicago for the last two weeks. The tradition has become that whenever he's away I do something to the house. I think I overdid it this time. Here's what's been done, most of it today:

Tank base prepared
Tank installed - admittedly the tank stuff was not done by me, but I had to fight to get it done before Easter
Bathroom benchtop and cabinets painted (three coats!)
Silicon sealant applied
New handles fitted
Two picture frames painted and hung
One additional picture and two mirrors hung*
Towel rail and four hooks installed
Chips in bath and basin repaired
Every surface dusted and cleaned

I'm so chuffed! The tank is so pretty - I keep going out to admire it, even though it remains stubbornly empty. And the bathroom is now complete. We began a minor renovation of it about four years ago. Renovation is not our strong suit, apparently. Now I'm curled in a nest on the couch idly surfing the 'net, congratulating friends and watching some early Star Trek TNG. Ahhhhh.

*The technique there being lots of double sided mounting tape, liquid nails and crossed fingers.

Anthony Minghella is being remembered today for his directing achievements - in a not very long list of released films he has directed 5 actors to Oscar nomination and took one for himself for The English Patient. But I'm mourning the loss of his writing. Among other things he wrote the scripts for the highly acclaimed Jim Henson's The Storyteller and Greek Myths series*. Beautiful work.

*And some Grange Hill. How cool is that?

I have been scanning pages of a department store catalogue from 1923 which may interest people involved in a certain banquet later this year. If the ready-made fashions of Melbourne are not inspiring (they aren't to me - sacks! All of them, sacks!) you might prefer these scans of 1920s Gazette du Bon Ton. Even without the ability to read Japanese or (much) French at least I recognise names like Worth and Paul Poiret.

I have also used this exercise as an excuse to order the complete House Of Eliott. For the record the total cost if bought locally is in the region of $250. From the US, $87 inc postage.

The trailer for the sequel to Lost Boys, Lost Boys: The Tribe can be seen here, along with, if you can stand it, five clips of Corey Feldman telling us how great it, and in particular, his character is, in it.
How terrible is that sentence? Did you see the trailer yet?

It's either sheer genius that they have so many of the original characters and cast members in it (plus Keifer's half-brother Angus Sutherland) or complete garbage. Also worth noting is that a large chunk of the target audience for the genre were not born when the original film was released (1987 - I feel old).

It looks like a good candidate for Cheapass Tuesday.