When it comes to recent blogging, I have been the very broken heel on the boot of slackness.

In a pathetic attempt to make amends, here is a drastically condensed version of my recent trips to London, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Fremantle and Bunbury.

PART the FIRST: Brissie to LONDON

 Woke up on a Friday morning. (I’d gone to sleep on a Thursday night. So far everything was going to plan.) It was the 1oth of August (“Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me!” And by the way, it’s never too late to send presents.).

Flew from Brisbane to Sydney and Sydney to Hong Kong. (Approximately every half an hour I whine something like, “Are we almost there yet!” The pilot tries to keep one hand on the controls while leaning back over his seat to whack me with the other, but I’m too fast for him. Winning!)

 Took a photo of my foot while waiting for my next plane in Hong Kong airport.

Pondered the possibility of creating a photo blog entitled “My Shoe at Different Places”.

Reject the above photo blog idea because:

(a) It’s totally stupid and pathetic
and
(b) Do you honestly believe I need another reason?

Fly to London.

Watched the following on route – 1. War Horse; 2. The Hunger Games; 3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (US version); 4. Doco on Woody Allen; 5. Doco on Bob Marley
(For some reason my eyes feel like they’re coated in sandpaper.)

Arrive London – along with some members of the Australian Paralympic Team. I cheer silently and sing the national anthem in my head as they file past me.

The day I get to London, the Olympics end. Probably just a coincidence. I watch the Closing Ceremony on TV but of course it’s a lot clearer and bigger than it would be back home because now I’m much closer.

Highlights of my time in London:

1. Being in London.

2. Staying at my sister and brother-in-law’s home in Strawberry Hill and spending time with them and my two nephews and their partners. That’s my bro-in-law Andrew in the photo. You can just see him if you squint. Hi Andy!  In real life he’s a bit bigger than that .

 
3. Meeting the lovely people from Templar Publishing and being taken around to a number of bookshops such as the famous Foyles to chat with booksellers and sign stock of the first two Ishmael books.
4. Having a Meet the Author event at Waterstones Bookstore in Covent Gardens.

5. Filming book trailers for the Ishmael series at the Hot Keys offices.

 6. Watching this street entertainer in Convent Garden and his amazingly skilful and daring  pogo leap trick – right up to the point when it ended in a messy tragedy.

 Ok that’s the first part done.

Next stop EDINBURGH and the BOOOOOOK FESTIVAL there!

Cheers
Michael