SPEAKERS
LILY (the daughter), JENNY (the mother)
JENNY 00:00
my smoothie was very nice, but I think it's the- I put raspberries in and they've just got all those little seeds, they're very annoying.
LILY 00:06
I only use raspberries to be honest.
JENNY 00:10
Yeah, I put raspberries in and the seeds aren't really nice.
LILY 00:12
Yeah, but yeah, I'm sorry I didn't express it well, yes. But it's better than any other berry.
JENNY 00:22
the blueberries were nice, gave a lovely colour.
LILY 00:25
Because I find that if you just use a mixed berry -- anything that's got frozen strawberries in it -- it's bullshit. Just the water content and strawberries is crazy. And it just like makes it super not thick and nice. And mixed berries. Okay. Pick a Blackberry, blueberry and raspberry. So yeah, I just prefer raspberry. But yeah, definitely adding some banana helps thicken it up as well.
JENNY 00:50
Cool. All right. Thanks for that. Um, that's going to be my breakfast. That or breakfast salad.
LILY 00:56
Yeah. Cool. Off the toast again?
JENNY 01:00
Again
LILY 01:01
And I love it. It's like here we are forty years later, making the same kind of promises in the journal?
JENNY 01:06
[Laughter] I know
LILY 01:08
No, this no that.
JENNY 01:11
I know. I know. It's funny. But it's a year, it was a year yesterday. 365 days since I started my alcohol-free journey.
LILY 01:22
Wow. Wow. Amazing. I didn't realise you started so early in January.
JENNY 01:29
Yeah, completely. Like, I haven't been totally alcohol free, as you know, but completely changed my habits.
LILY 01:36
You really have, yeah
JENNY 01:38
Yeah. It's had a flow on effect to my eating habits. [Laughter] So this year, that is the focus. Let's just keep the resolutions rolling through the decades.
LILY 01:51
Well, yeah, it's important to have resolutions. I do think it's, you know, obviously important to be realistic about them as much as possible and healthy with them. But it's good to know what you want to work towards for yourself.
JENNY 02:04
Yeah, I think important to be mindful. You know, even if it's not resolutions, it's to be actively trying, you know, to keep things in mind.
LILY 02:18
Yeah, definitely mindfulness because I think when it comes to alcohol or it comes to eating. That's the biggest thing
JENNY 02:25
It can just be so automatic.
LILY 02:26
Hugely automatic, hugely
JENNY 02:28
as it's socially, you know, so enabled and promoted.
LILY 02:34
100%. Yeah, it's really interesting. I've definitely noticed that like, yeah, I feel like yeah, I don't know. It's interesting. I definitely feel like I've noticed, if I don't drink when I'm eating, even if I'm eating something unhealthy, the effect on my body and my weight is so different than if I'm eating and drinking at the same time.
JENNY 02:55
Mm hmm. So nteresting,
LILY 02:58
because it used to be like, I would have a meal that was like- one meal that was unhealthy and, like, I feel like I could see it, you know? Whereas now, I don't know. Because it's just like, Yeah, I think your body can just handle it a lot better. So maybe that's also something to consider. It's like just not eating and drinking alcohol at the same time. kind of drink you eat first. You wait a bit or whatever. Yeah
JENNY 03:21
Well they do say that you shouldn't drink anything while you're eating, you should separate by 30 minutes. So even water,
LILY 03:27
I didn't know that about about water.
JENNY 03:28
It affects digestion, dilutes like all that- dilutes all the acids that are doing the digestive work, and probably then affects absorption as well. And then the other thing I remember hearing is that you should not- we know about fruit, you shouldn't have fruit after a meal, because fruit is rapidly digested, so fruit's better on an empty stomach. Whereas it sits on top of the other food and ferments and that's not good. So this is the other thing: sugar and sweets should also be on an empty stomach, not after a meal really. So if you're going to have something sweet, it should really just be on an empty stomach and separated from other food.
LILY 04:13
I've also like just found that because if I end on sweet, I want to keep eating. So it's like it makes more sense to eat whatever the sweetening [thing] is first, end on something savoury, and then you're satiated. But if you have it and then you eat the sweetness, then my hunger is activated again. You know, all these little things. I definitely want to look into more as well like the digestion stuff. Because yeah, I want to keep a food diary. I definitely like don't think my digestion is as good as it could be.
JENNY 04:41
And you might have those hereditary things from the Turkish side. Yeah, although some on my side as well.
LILY 04:48
Fermented carrot juice
JENNY 04:50
Carrot juice or beetroot juice
LILY 04:52
It was fermented, it was like black carrot, fermented black carrot juice, or something. It was carrot
JENNY 05:00
Oh, okay. Yeah,
LILY 05:02
So bad. I remember once I suddenly taking a sip of it because I thought it was like cranberry juice or something. I was like, like, I've never tasted something so bad. It was disgusting.
JENNY 05:17
Ha ha. Right
LILY 05:19
Okay, so welcome to My Mum's Dad Diaries, the podcast where my mum reads her bad diaries to me. I'm Lily.
JENNY 05:27
And I'm Jenny. I'm the reader. And we are in 1981. Towards the end of my HSC, my year 12 year.
LILY 05:39
Yeah, we've had a little bit of a break from recording, but it's good to be back.
JENNY 05:43
Good to be back. Back for the final push to the end of the season.
LILY 05:51
Yeah, definitely. And then I think that we'll finish things off nicely. Anyway, shall we get to some reading?
JENNY 05:58
Sure. So last time, we finished off I was reading from the Ozzy Bible, I transcribed something from not sure who the comedians are maybe might might be Monty Python people. Oh yeah, Monty Eric Idle's Rutland, dirty weekend book and that was the 'things happen after an acid bath ad', with a skeleton at the window looking out and then the Ozzy Bible. In six days, the Lord created the heaven, the earth and the Sydney Opera House. Is this ringing any bells?
LILY 06:46
Yeah, you've read all this.
JENNY 06:50
So then the next 10th of November 1981. It's 10:30pm. And Dad and I have just returned from a gruelling hour-long stroll along the waterfront when Inverloch I might have read that out, with a big storm?
LILY 07:05
OK. I don't know. I think just pick a spot and read.
JENNY 07:07
[Laughter] Ok. So, next date, I'll do the 13th of November 1981. Friday, Friday the 13th. Yesterday, I made a little purchase, a record called Hmm, what is it? I seem to have forgotten. Damn, it'll come to me. Anyway, I wanted to write down some dreams I had in the past week. Really weird. I tell you. One night I dreamt Miss _________ (so she was our headmistress and remember at the last day of school, we had the gorilla-gram, looking through her hair. And she was very good natured). Miss ________ went mad, senile, and she was running around. On top of the building, either she had a gun, or someone was trying to shoot her like a rabid animal. The next night, I dreamed all the teachers were chasing the students, Mrs. ______ (she my English teacher) was chasing me. And she had big horse teeth. I ran up to these guys who were watching and said quick help me escape. So we drove off in an old fashioned car to Inverloch, I was telling him all about Inverloch and then I turned into Tess of the d'Urbervilles. He then abandoned me in the forest. You think that's obscure. The night before I dreamed I couldn't get to sleep so I watched the TV. There just happened to be a documentary. Adam and he- on Adam, and he was walking through the streets, and then L, Dor etc. In Godspell makeup -- like we wore on the last day -- at school dragged him off to hear their guitar and singing Then I was visiting someone working in a clothes department. All I can say is weird.
LILY 08:49
That is so interesting. It's all very school based. So maybe a bit of anxieties of school ending and you know,
JENNY 08:55
yeah, well I'm on SWAT vac meaning preparing for the end of year exams. Weird. Last night, Jim and I watched not the Nine O'Clock News. This was a TV show that it was a comedy show with Rowan Atkinson and others. It was the Christmas show and last for the series. Highlights were Jesus and Mary finding a room in Jerusalem. The carol singers 'Piss off you old shit, piss off you old shit. I hope you have a horrible Christmas.' Thatcherla -- bridegroom's of Thatcherla. So that's to do with Margaret Thatcher, and Dracula. Because that was peak Thatcher time in 1981. Abba Abba. Superduper. A little boy on Christmas eve 'if you get my meaning'. Punks going to church, the other alternative putting head in boiling chip crease. It was quite good. Jim borrowed his friend's Not the Nine O'Clock News book and here are some classics. And then I've transcribed a whole bunch that probably not appropriate or have the time now. I don't know that I'll read them out.
LILY 10:03
It's so interesting. I feel like you always really want to put in all the funny stuff. Like you really want to document all the funny stuff or the-
JENNY 10:10
And I don't remember it now
LILY 10:12
and also like you don't document like, I don't know the stuff actually happening in your life, you're like what's more important is for me to tell you about what was on Not the Nine O'Clock News you know? But I can't remember the record I bought, that's like too much.
JENNY 10:25
Yeah, Prince Charming was the record alright? For some reason I skipped it. I thought- I don't know whether I was joking about not being able to remember it. But you know, I've spent obviously a lot of time transcribing. Okay 15th of November 1981. Tomorrow the climax to my whole year begins with my Geography exam beginning 1:45pm. Today, I got up late the first time during SWAT vac. I had a really late night last night, 3am babysitting Wow. And I slept in till 11am. Today I listened to Duran Duran it's such a good album. I like the sounds. I'm getting to like Prince Charming better. Bucks Fizz were on Countdown tonight and they are so dumb and then in brackets (they're blondes too!) Do you know Bucks Fizz. There were like two girls and two boys. But very poppy.
LILY 11:21
Kind of like a wannabe ABBA?
JENNY 11:23
Well, maybe a wannabe ABBA. Yeah. Okay, this album Prince Charming by Adam and the Ants I shall now review and then I've got all the songs listed and what I think about all of them, I'll skip that. It's not very interesting. And then writing out some lyrics okay. 17th of November 1981. Well, I've done my Geography and English expression examinations. Geog. was very long and English today was really good. I liked the questions, but I can't tell really how I went. In English, I did a general essay the topic being 'write about a body of water you know well'.
LILY 12:00
That was the essay question?
JENNY 12:01
Creative, a piece of creative writing. So this is English.
LILY 12:05
Oh, so, so not for Geography for English
JENNY 12:08
English Expression. Oh, yeah. Not Geography, right? About a body.
LILY 12:13
I was like: 'you know, well, and it's like-
JENNY 12:16
No, it was English Expression. Creative piece. I talked about a trickle beginning in the mountains as it marches along, running faster and faster, gaining speed and momentum, growing in size, the trickle now a creek, it passes towering eucalypts which wave their branches in warning but the droplets pay no attention. The creek passed a bearded gent who was a naturalist. He shook his head in dismay. The creek was now a river and passes under a moss-covered fallen log, a bridge. Impatient to grow up and see the world, the droplets rush on, eager to enter the world of experience. Rounding the final bend, the river rushes and surges, then suddenly tries to pull back in a whirlpool resisting trying to escape but too late. The droplets mingle with the corrupt brown, dirty water of the world of experience, passing under the wrought iron bridge and suited gentlemen with their eyes turned inwards. Now dawdling and disappointed, the water moves towards a destiny and as it mingles with the droplets of the ocean, the salt destroys and stings, dissolving the droplets in the river. This is the tragic doom of the waters of a body of water we all know very well: the Yarra. To that extent, it's very different. And I think it may make pleasant or interesting reading for a bored shitless examiner who has already marked 27,499 General essays. I've got tomorrow off to study for Literature. I'm so glad the English exam was good must go now. I still L A. And then Jenny. Adam.
LILY 13:58
You still LA, you still love Adam? Is that what it means?
JENNY 14:01
It must
LILY 14:03
Just in case we forgot! Just in case there was a bit too much you know non-Adam content in your Adam appreciation journal to just really remind us.
JENNY 14:13
That's right. Yeah, I remember writing that essay. I remember being really pleased with it, with that creative piece.
LILY 14:20
Well, no spoilers on how you go
JENNY 14:22
No. 18th of November '81. Tomorrow I sit the exam. I've got the morning to study and I'm meeting S in the library. After the exam ______ is coming here to watch The Restless Years Special, the last one ever which will answer all the questions. Should be interesting. That was a soap opera.
LILY 14:41
Soap opera, did it answer all the questions?
JENNY 14:44
We'll see the next day! Tonight. I've just been reading through Volume Two of my life and reading to Liz some Adam excerpts. So you know, let me bore you with all my Adam writing. There was about a month or so, around the concerts time when every day I mentioned him. Fanatical. I still think, and then-
LILY 15:08
Oh, we remember!
JENNY 15:10
I've got: J. So I've passed through. It seems I've passed through the, the worst part. Interesting. 19 November 1981. Here I am sitting, sitting, sitting floating on a wave of exhaustion and fatigue. I can barely write, my bump on my finger has swollen to a massive size. Did you get a bump on your finger?
LILY 15:33
Yeah, yeah, on my,
JENNY 15:35
I've still got it.
LILY 15:36
I've still got it too. I've always had it but it was much bigger like in school. And I remember- because we- I remember the history exam was probably the most gruelling in terms of like, your hand, because we had to write three essays, I think in like an hour and a half. So it was like 45 minutes an essay, and you're like, I have never written that fast. And I remember at times being like, I really hope they can read my handwriting, because it's just you get so weak by then you're just like, going for it
JENNY 16:07
Yeah. I feel all my energy has been sucked out of me. How was the Lit exam? Fantastic! No, only kidding. It was okay. I liked all the questions except the Pride and Prejudice one was a bit stuffed. Twice I felt dizzy. It was so hot in the room. They had a fan on and some girls were asking for cups of water. I've never been so pressed for time in an exam. I was writing right up to the pens down time. I really can't imagine how I'll go. I could feel myself writing generally at times, although I backed up with heaps of quotes. Dor cried, she thought it was terrible. She started Browning then, and I've cut off so Browning would have been. It was a Browning poem, My Last Duchess, which is a fantastic poem. I'll put it in the show notes. So I've stopped writing then 20th of November 81. Still sitting, sitting, sitting. I'm so bored with all the study. Today I didn't really do much work. Under Pressure is playing on the radio. That's a Queen song, I think and I feel so much pressure pushing down on me. Let me out. I saw Francis today. He's so cool. And grown up. I hate it. He cruised past in his flash red car with shades and trendy clothes. Eg purple flannel shoes. I mean, he makes me feel so young,
LILY 17:36
because he's quite a bit older, isn't he? So he would be like, well into his 20s
JENNY 17:41
Six years older 24, 25. I wonder if he's truly happy being materialistic and cool.
LILY 17:49
Oh, a bit of shade from old Jenny?
JENNY 17:51
Yeah. If he is, then I'm happy for him. And it's got nothing to do with me. But if he's not then ha fucking ha
LILY 18:00
Interesting,
JENNY 18:01
as my uncle would say. So as _______ 's husband would say 'ha fucking ha.'
LILY 18:08
Okay. So obviously, you're a little bit upset. Something's going on. It's probably you're just really- just not spending that much time together
JENNY 18:15
Yeah, he's probably just not. He's got his own life now. And
LILY 18:20
he's not there doing Monty Python with you in the back garden.
JENNY 18:23
And putting on plays and doing dress ups? And I'm put out,
LILY 18:28
which is like when you think about it, you probably wouldn't want to be doing that anyway. But because you're the younger one, you're the one that was left behind and it's just how you feel
JENNY 18:36
That's right, he's off with his purple flannel shoes and his red car.
LILY 18:38
Yeah, being really cool and trendy.
JENNY 18:40
I think no one could get on as well with Francis as I do/did. So yes, there's a bit of a loss there. I mean, we all grew up together and know each other so well. And we have exactly the same sense of humour, seeing it's so important to him and me to be able to laugh. We are like this. And I've done a diagram where it's like, it's a square. It's a rectangle.
LILY 19:10
Oh, yeah. So it fits together. Yeah, the two bits
JENNY 19:13
are sort of just, yeah, they fit together. His brother will be home soon. So hopefully I'll see a lot of him. If Francis really wants to see me, he'll visit with _____. Interesting. It's going to be interesting. When I sent him -- Francis -- a card from Central Australia, he didn't even come up and thank me. Even when I saw him the next time he still didn't thank me and I had to say 'Did you get my card?' Perhaps he just thinks I'm an immature little kid. Alright, so maybe he maybe he thought- sensd a crush or thought- and just backed right off. Because remember, previously I've said 'I can't imagine going out with anyone except for Francis'. Do you remember?
LILY 19:15
Yeah, I do
JENNY 19:16
And we talked about how he was very safe option super safe option, but he might have just yeah sensed that there was just like a bit of confused feeling and was kind of like, you know. It would be interesting to talk to him about it. I don't know, you probably never want to bring up bring up the embarrassment. Yeah. Yeah. So I reckon that's probably what happened. Looking back at all of this, I'd sort of forgotten about all of this. Obviously. When I told him today, I was going to Hong Kong, he said, I'm going to Perth. He's very 'me' and egocentric. He said, If I have time, I might take you for a ride in the car. He's a bit funny. Perhaps he's just trying to keep away from me. I feel as if I'm not sophisticated for him. Interesting.
LILY 20:44
That is interesting. But it's like, yeah, particularly, you know, we have to remember that he's in his, like, early 20s, figuring out his identity and that kind of stuff. And like, people do tend to go through a bit of a 'too cool' phase, where they're too cool for family friends, they're too cool for family. They've got all their new uni friends, and they've got their own vibe going on. They're very much like establishing their own life, you know, so there's probably just a little bit of truth on like, both sides, like. You probably were right in sensing that he was feeling a bit too cool for you.
JENNY 21:17
But also, if he'd had like, a slow or a bit of a late blooming in a way in that he was, you know, 18 and hanging around with an 11 year old or, sorry, a 12 year old, then, yeah, he's probably thinking, No, I just need to yeah, whatever it is.
LILY 21:36
And I think people who are more late bloomers also then become more like, sensitive about their blooming, if that makes sense. You know, what, I waited so long for it. So they're very, like, protective of it. Or they're very controlled, and they have real aspirations of what they're blooming will look like.
JENNY 21:57
Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah, cause you've got lots of aspirations in the early 20s.
LILY 22:03
And then you get to your mid 20s, and you're like: I'm tired. [Laughter]
JENNY 22:08
[Laughter] I didn't, like I find that interesting. But I think you've had a much fuller life than I had by 25.
LILY 22:14
I think we just, we do so much now. There's so much that we can do and that we do do. It was so interesting, watching Cheer last night, and just being like, Fuck. Life seems like- I think I have a pretty full on life, but I was just watching these people. And I'm like, life is so stressful in America, it is make or break every single day, like these kids are majority of them have come from really hard backgrounds. And this was their ticket out. And I just had a moment of, this is what they do is they create and allow poverty, so that then people will just, their whole lives are committed to whatever sport they're good at, because it's their only ticket out for them and their families. The only way of like just doing anything with their life, or like getting out of like a location or whatever, just so we can film them and watch them and like it's sport and entertainment for us. It's like fucking gladiators all over again. Anyway that's a whole side rant. But it's just like, Life is stressful now. Life is, for the majority of life and the majority of people, is just stress. Stress and surviving. You know,
JENNY 23:22
especially at the moment, like I'm really feeling that at the moment
LILY 23:26
definitely. Well, yeah, it's been a pandemic for two years, you know,
JENNY 23:30
everything's really hard. Even the smallest things are really hard.
LILY 23:33
Yeah, it's like all we wanted was to get back to normal life. And now we have like, Oh, I'm not equipped for normal life, because it hasn't been normal for that long, you know,
JENNY 23:41
and what is normal, and it's not normal.
LILY 23:45
And also, I don't want that normal back. I want parts of it back. But I don't want all of it back. Because that actually was an incredibly abnormal life for a human to be living so much of about our society, so abnormal to what is good for us. Like, you know, like, someone saying other day that, you know, that whole myth about like, Oh, like this whole concept of like, old people need less and less sleep. That's not actually true. It's just because when you've worked for 40 years, getting up to work at nine, you have fucked up your sleep cycle so much that your body just stops like knowing how to sleep for long periods of time. That's what it is. So people retire and they don't, they can't sleep. Like that is so not okay.
JENNY 24:31
And also electric light, you know, would have had such a big impact on humans and yeah, sleeping
LILY 24:36
hands down.
JENNY 24:37
Yeah. And and the lack of physical labour like
LILY 24:40
sedentary
JENNY 24:42
not saying everybody used to do physical labour, but it was a lot more like, you know, yeah, even just like housework has changed for people who do that domestic stuff
LILY 24:58
and like, even if you're upper class like 200 years ago, you were so much more active in your day. Like even if you weren't working, you were moving around,
JENNY 25:11
the leisure activities.
LILY 25:12
Yeah, or riding and you will always go for at least one walk a day or you'd be out visiting people in London and going to balls and dancing
JENNY 25:20
and dancing until 4am.
LILY 25:24
yeah, that would be happening like three times a week, like that's active. And the food they were eating is very different to what we eat now. So much less-
JENNY 25:33
so what food did they eat in the 1800s. Less carbs,
LILY 25:37
no pasta, it would have been bread, no pasta, no rice,
JENNY 25:40
potatoes
LILY 25:42
potatoes, but like potatoes, I think less. So I think they were really seen as like peasant foods. If you're like upper class probably not potatoes. You'd have like toast in the morning with like jams and stuff. Butter definitely, you know kippers and things like that maybe eggs but maybe not so much. And then like, you know, meats and vegetables really? Like, you know, boiled vegetables, meats, that kind of thing, a stew maybe, I don't know. Yeah, it was all like any kind of cooking by the super wealthy, it was all French. French cooking. So I don't know. Interesting. I just think like, and obviously desserts were a thing, and starting to become more of a thing, like sugar was really starting to become part of the diet for wealthy people. But I don't think to the same extent that you would have been having as much sugar as someone could have every single day without even like meaning to, you know, these days.
JENNY 26:39
Sure. Did I tell you watching the Beatles documentary? I'm pretty sure I texted you about the toast, they will often- what do you call those holders? There's probably a special name
LILY 26:52
to the fire?
JENNY 26:53
No, no, no little
LILY 26:56
caddy. I don't know if that's what it is , but a toast rack. Yes I want one
JENNY 27:02
it wouold just be on the ground on trays with jam and butter and cups of tea and toast. And they're grabbing a piece of toast and it's so English
LILY 27:11
but it's just like even those little things that we've just lost, like little beautiful, everyday objects that people don't use anymore, because we're in such a go-go-go utilitarian world where there's not even time to sit down for breakfast. So no one's using like something to hold all the toast. No one's using a tray anymore because no one sits in bed and has breakfast anymore.
JENNY 27:33
It's sad. Bring it back. I want to bring it back.
LILY 27:37
All I want to own is things that have some use, and are not that efficient. That's like my happy place.
JENNY 27:44
Yeah, like, yeah, not super convenient.
LILY 27:48
Not inconvenient. Like they have a use
JENNY 27:49
Quite basic
LILY 27:50
Like you need them. But they're not to like the modernity that we have now that you know, okay, we make- we have a kettle so we just put it right into a mug. And that's our tea. It's like, No, I want a tea cup, I want a teapot. I want a toast rack
JENNY 28:04
Which you do.
LILY 28:05
I do. And it gives me so much pleasure and so much joy. Because I'm like, It's not about efficiency. We need to stop thinking that our whole lives is for efficiency.
JENNY 28:14
Because that's for the man. It's for-
LILY 28:16
efficiency.
JENNY 28:17
It's for capitalism. Yeah. So that you'll be more available. You'll have your toast quicker.
LILY 28:21
You'll be walking out the door with it, eating it on the way to the tram stop. And it's like once you stop living for efficiency, I think you realise that you don't have enough time to do your daily actual functions as a human. You realise that it is fucked. We're working eight hours a day.
JENNY 28:35
yeah we should be half that
LILY 28:36
That was accepted by the unions for people that were the working class and were working like slaves. And were essentially
JENNY 28:45
and there were 14 hours a day.
LILY 28:47
So that seemed good. We're not in that space anymore. The world does not need that to return. We have seen that. Let's start to you know,
JENNY 28:55
It needs to be four- four hours.
LILY 28:57
Four hours a day. Done. Think about it.
JENNY 29:03
Well, I'm going to look out for a toast caddy. I think we need toast caddies in the family.
LILY 29:06
Imagine we can come down to breakfast and make up our toast. It would be lovely
JENNY 29:13
Starting another list. I've got so many notes. 'Lily's proposal wish Versailles, stay in Marie Antoinette's cottage, three nights, then go ring shopping together in Paris.' I don't know why I've written that there. In case a beau checks with me
LILY 29:31
In case a suitor doesn't know
JENNY 29:33
Ah here we go. I've got 'Lily: Christmas'. I'll chuck on the old toast caddy.
LILY 29:39
Perfect
JENNY 29:39
Okay, back to Francis, who's a bit funny. Perhaps he's just trying to keep away from me. I'm feeling- I feel as if I'm not sophisticated for him. I'd love to get to Europe and England before him. I was talking to Nim yesterday. I like her so much. I don't know. As I said to S yesterday, I said Nim is not vain. She doesn't go on about boyfriends. And she and I have similar things in common. And we like the same things. Before the exams we planned that we would try and ring a certain person in England after the exams [laughter]
LILY 30:15
I just love how you're like sure we'll be able to find his number
JENNY 30:19
and like the book hasn't worked. He's had his chance to ring or write to us because we gave him the Waltzing Matilda book.
LILY 30:26
He has your numbers, girls, you know, like he's got your details.
JENNY 30:32
Should be fun anyway. Must go and learn my Bile. Sorry, that's Biol then bye x. No, J. No A
LILY 30:43
Oh my god. Finally, maybe we're coming to the tail end?
JENNY 30:48
but still wanting to ring him in England.
LILY 30:50
Yeah [laughter]
JENNY 30:51
21st of November 1981. Have just finished watching Bedazzled, starring Peter Cook and Dud Moore. Quite amusing. Really. Especially as the devil George Spigot always finds a loophole in every wish. So all of the English humour was so concerned with the
LILY 31:10
devil and religion. Yeah, but yeah, the Satanic Panic in the 80s.
JENNY 31:13
Yeah, but that was in America.
LILY 31:16
But if they're making fun of it, you know, making fun of like these crazy Americans.
JENNY 31:23
Yeah, but it wasn't, no, it wasn't known at the time. It was a retro-. We became aware of it retrospect and
LILY 31:29
Well maybe you in suburban Australia. I'm just saying these are like international comedians, they probably knew some shit.
JENNY 31:35
[Laughter] True maybe they're more more across the-
LILY 31:37
Yeah, the international affairs at Ashburton.
JENNY 31:41
Yeah, a girl in Ashburton [laughter]
LILY 31:42
But I think as well also, like so much of British humour at that time, like coming out of the Wall was about irreverency. And religion was held as a no go subject. And they were like, probably just, you know, taking down those walls.
JENNY 31:54
And it was politics, like they would attack the politicians. There was a lot of satire around politics.
LILY 32:00
And now you can't- like were you seeing how they're gonna make it illegal just to make any kind of defamatory comment on any kind of social media, about politicians.
JENNY 32:12
Oh, in Australia?
LILY 32:14
Yeah. Even like, apparently this like, like women's group for something, you know, a bunch of old ladies, someone made a post on one of the things about one of their local MPs. And it was like, not like, Oh, he's done this crime, or he raped this person. It was like, he's a bit of a silly dick or something like that. And they fucking came for them. They're trying to set up a fund for politicians to use to fight their legal battles.
JENNY 32:42
I know that's already happening- that's already- with Christian Porter
LILY 32:47
Yeah. And Barnaby Joyce is like, spearheading it all.
JENNY 32:49
Yeah, yeah. No, there's a defamation fund so that people can come and get defamation- politicians can launch defamation cases,
LILY 32:58
they have already taken our media. Now they're trying to come for like the like, yeah, the little grass roots, the movements of critic and satire that we can try to provide to do something to check their unbridled power. Like, I think the fact is -- and people didn't realise -- the media was actually part of our political system. And that has gone
JENNY 33:21
Yeah it was. It was like a watch dog
LILY 33:22
A watch dog.
JENNY 33:23
It held them accountable
LILY 33:23
the whole point of was, okay. If politicians do bad things, then media tells the people about it. They don't get voted in again. That's the process. And it's like, there is no checks and balances now. That's it. We are literally living in a dictatorship. We might vote but we're not, we're not making informed votes, because we're not going to know anything. Yeah, well, that is the thing about fascism. You gain control of the media. That's the first it's the first- any totalitarian state, not just fascism. Like that's what you do. Yeah, and it's just like, nothing will be fixed until the media is reinstated. And it won't happen.
JENNY 34:05
And we're all too busy just on our phones completely addicted to our phones.
LILY 34:09
Yeah. And just being like, Oh, well, how in the world will I make my mortgage with these crazy house prices? How will I you know what I mean, like, yeah,
JENNY 34:15
what am I gonna do with my life
LILY 34:18
my children are going to school during a pandemic. What am I going to do like?
JENNY 34:22
Yeah. Um. Talking about Bedazzled, another English comedy film and I talk about, blah, blah, blah. Today, Dee came over and we did Biology. I'm going to her place tomorrow. I'm arising at 7am tomorrow morning. I have so much to do. Also in Hong Kong, I want to buy a Canon A-1 camera. Dad's surprise was tickets to the Toyota Classics. (tennis). Should be good. Perhaps T will be able to come during the week, that's Francis's brother. I feel already prepared for the Biol. exam but I want to make sure. Bucks Fizz tonight on Countdown was *absolutely embarrassing*. Good night. J.
LILY 35:10
So funny.
JENNY 35:11
So maybe I'll look up Countdown. See if it's on on YouTube for the 21st of the 11th. Bucks Fizz on Countdown.
LILY 35:22
And like no mention from grandad about this, you know, massive trip that he promised or anything?
JENNY 35:27
No, I already know that it's not happening. Remember he said that? I was upset going down- it might have been this time going down to Inverloch or maybe it was the last time and he said that he he could pay for me and a friend to go, do you remember that? But he couldn't take the time off the work?
LILY 35:45
Right. There's no mention of that trip?
JENNY 35:49
No, no. 22nd of November 1981. This morning, I rose at 7am it is now 11pm. I have the alarm set for 6am to give my Bio. a final glance over. I think I know it, at least I can genuinely say I have given it my all. Today I worked at Dee's. It was a beautiful day. We had lunch by the pool. So lovely. Tomorrow, it's meant to be 32 degrees. After Biol. I'm going to Dee's and we're going to swim, listen to Prince Charming, relax, maybe see a movie, can't wait. So I'm getting I'm getting to the end of it, I think. Ah next one: BLOODY MOTHS in capitals. These fucking moths keep flying on to me, even though I've sprayed with Mortein, they must be the dumbest creatures in existence. Like your flies. Remember, you described your blowflies as dumb?
LILY 36:47
so dumb. And it's like it's gotten to this point where-
JENNY 36:51
Oh you've still got them?
LILY 36:52
Well, no. So these are just flies coming from the outside because we're not very good at shutting the back door. And I think they definitely come into my room because it's got the most light and I think they're just attracted. They think that's outside, right? So I end up with so many in my room. And it's just gotten to the point where they're like, I'm just there being like: You won't last. I don't need to try catch you. I just need to endure and they're all buzzy, buzzy, buzzy ooh. And then they get slow
JENNY 37:18
They slow down
LILY 37:18
dying and they bash into the glass 1000 times and I'm just sitting here like, See, I will win. You know what I mean, this standoff between the flies. But yeah, it's not very nice
JENNY 37:30
it's the survival of the fittest. Evolution. You just sit and wait
LILY 37:32
And surprisingly it's me over the blow fly who would have thought it? But yeah.
JENNY 37:39
Exactly [laughter]
LILY 37:39
It's very frustrating.
JENNY 37:41
Dumbest creatures in existence. I'm rereading The Godfather. I love that book. It's so cool. Must go now.
LILY 37:48
I think I've read that.
JENNY 37:49
I'm going to.... No. That's stupid writing it in this book. Hahaha. In 10 years time you're going to read this and not know what you were going to say. Well I know now and you never will. Hint: and the hint is 'scrapbook'. JA. [Laughter] I thought it was gonna be masturbation. [Laughter] But no. Scrapbook. Something with my Adam scrapbook.
LILY 38:15
Me too! Oh my god, but like, I love how you're just taunting us from like-
JENNY 38:20
I know from the past
LILY 38:21
40 years before being like hahaha
JENNY 38:23
I'm like fuck off you douche! [Laughter] Yeah, who would have thought that there'd be these things called podcasts and you'd want it for material. I know. Let me just. 23rd of 11th, 1981. It's now exactly 12 midnight. Mum and I have just returned from a marathon viewing of Gone With the Wind. I'm telling you it is the most longest movie and most dramatic movie I have ever seen. I enjoyed it. And we went to the Astor. I remember going to the Astor. The bio exam was okay. Felt so relieved, went back two Dee's, sunbaked and swam. At 5.30 we hit her local newsagency. And I spent $9 on Adam info. It was so much fun. We just laughed. So this is to go in the scrapbook, like cutting out and sticking in. Tomorrow, I'm going to buy a big thick scrapbook. Oh, okay. So I haven't actually got the scrapbook.
LILY 39:28
Right. It was just preparing.
JENNY 39:31
I'm gonna buy a big thick scrapbook and put in all my pictures in chronological order. I wasn't going to do any work tomorrow. I'll start on Wednesday. Then I'll have five whole days of French. OK. I'll go mad. Oh, so it's still the same because Liz, you know, she used to teach Year 12 French. And she said it's always the last exam and so it was still the last exam then
LILY 39:54
it's always the last exam.
JENNY 39:56
Wow, I'll go mad if I try and spend any longer than that. Five whole days of French, it's probably too much as it is but I have lots to do. Must go and continue The Godfather. Love it. J x And then: I'm sunburned. I cut off my windcheater. Cool
LILY 40:15
Cut off?
JENNY 40:16
I must have- I must have cut a windcheater to make it short sleeves or- we didn't do-
LILY 40:22
Right and then got burnt.
JENNY 40:24
No no was at Dee's studying and got sunburned. Probably I don't think the two things are connected,
LILY 40:30
Right. Yeah, midriffs weren't really a thing back then were they?
JENNY 40:34
Nope. We didn't- we covered everything up. We didn't even do short skirts. Let me think... didn't even do short skirts back in the early '80s. It was long skirts, long dresses. No decolletage, really high necks. Floral.
LILY 40:51
Wow we've come so far.
JENNY 40:54
Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was so covered up, and baggy like that. And casual you know, baggy jeans, baggy tops, baggy bottoms. Everything baggy.
LILY 41:03
So interesting. Yeah. I don't know. I like yeah, had the thought the other day of like, midriff just probably is not even in anymore. But it's like, I simply can't stop. You know, but it's going to be you know how like, a while ago that meme came out about like the skinny jeans and like the side part has been like the millennial, like daggy look. Like this is what it's gonna be for me in like about five years and they'll be like, Oh my God, I don't even know what am I Gen Z? Gen Y Gen?
JENNY 41:31
You'll be the only mum at the school gate with midriff top
LILY 41:35
Well, no, I won't be, because all mums will be my age. And so it'll just be a daggy mum thing. [Laughter]
JENNY 41:40
[Laughter] Probably. Yeah. Little tops!
LILY 41:43
No, when I when I'm a mum, I'm gonna start dressing like, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. That's my style evolution. I reckon.
JENNY 41:50
Really? I don't. I think it's a bit daggy, for you
LILY 41:53
Not exactly like that. But I want to just do lots of like, mid length, like midi length. I like it. Pretty dresses. Yeah, like a cute little wedge vibe. I don't know.
JENNY 42:03
Nah I don't like her wedges.
LILY 42:05
I do, I think yeah, I think they're very feminine.
JENNY 42:07
Yeah, I think it'd be good to sort of like, do that but with a really nice sneaker. Like a white- a white sneaker.
LILY 42:14
Yeah. So I'm not going to be in wedges the whole time. That's just exhausting.
JENNY 42:19
How you going for time? I've got one very short entry. But
LILY 42:22
Yeah, let's do it.
JENNY 42:23
24th of November '81. Today, I had a lazy day. It was fantastic. So that five days of French, off to a good start. I got up at 10:30am, had a piece of chocolate cake for breakfast, where that's from God only knows. And all day I listened to the radio and did my new scrapbook. At 7 pm, I went to Golden Bowl with dad. And I'm going again tomorrow morning.
LILY 42:48
Cool.
JENNY 42:49
After French. I'm going to literally live at the Golden Bowl. I'm going to get thin and super fit. I'm still not eating in between meals. But I'm having chocolate cake [laughter] for breakfast
LILY 43:01
You're like 'it's the snacking!' That's the problem.
JENNY 43:03
Yeah, yeah, the snacking is the problem. And with summer I'm going to survive on salads, fish, chicken and fruit. No red meat. I love the way red meat's down as a fattening food. No fattening starchy foods. Must go. Godfather, here I come. J x.
LILY 43:23
Well, I feel like red meat isn't great. Like, it is high in calorie. If you're, you know, wanting to lose weight. You don't want to eat a lot of red meant
JENNY 43:30
No that's true.
LILY 43:32
And probably like you associate red meat with like potatoes or, you know, meat with carbs...
JENNY 43:40
Can I do one more.
LILY 43:41
Sure.
JENNY 43:42
25th of November 1981. Guess what? I'm so excited. Today I started writing a novel, a book! I can't believe it.
LILY 43:51
Oh!
JENNY 43:52
I've been thinking about it for ages but today I actually started. After French, I'm going to get right into it. Today I jotted down some ideas, but it will take a lot of work. And I think somewhere I've got those ideas.
LILY 44:05
Is this nov- Do you remember this novel? Like
JENNY 44:07
Yeah, I think this is the- there's pirates. [Laughter] Pirates, Spain. A Spanish woman. A pirate that's like Adam, and a highway- There's a highway man.
LILY 44:22
Oh my god. Amazing.
JENNY 44:24
[Laughter] Like a romance, bodice-
LILY 44:26
kind of bodicey-ripper.
JENNY 44:28
Yeah
LILY 44:29
You could have made millions mum, you know?
JENNY 44:32
Today, Liz and I were throwing the softball out the front when a guy drove up and parked next door. He was a motor mower. And he was cute with a T shirt saying 'jock' He asked if I knew the name of the people next door and I said no. He wrote a note to them and asked me if I knew the time. I said no. About quarter to six. You know how good I am with time?
LILY 44:57
Yeah, you're like okay, let me just [inaudible] and figure it out. I love how you like, ooh, this titlating exchange and you're just like, No, no.
JENNY 45:08
[Laughter] He smiled. So I said, About quarter to six. He smiled. Then he put the note at their front door, and asked me if I knew what that road up there is. I smiled incredulously and said Yes. Warrigal [laughter] ... He smiled...
LILY 45:28
Ya big dumb idiot!
JENNY 45:31
You jock! He smiled, and burned off. Hope to see more of him! [Laughter]. So bad! As he mows the lawn next door.
LILY 45:46
You're like, yeah, we've really got something going on. It's just so funny. I love it's like, that was journal-worthy. You know, this guy probably just didn't even like, you know, and I feel like it's always the way with guys and girls. Girls always see, like, everything is just an opportunity. Like, everyone's just a blank canvas for your fantasies, you know what I mean? And these poor guys are just blundering along being like Huh?
JENNY 46:11
And moths of the world. [Laughter]
LILY 46:13
Literally. Having no clue what's being projected onto them, in the fantasies of teenage girls
JENNY 46:20
no idea, no idea. He smiled and burned off. Hope to see more of him. Must go now. Tomorrow I'm doing French from 8 to 2. And then I'll do my book. Bye for now, 'Jennifer' X
LILY 46:33
Oooh. Is it because you're becoming a writer?
JENNY 46:35
That must be, must be
LILY 46:36
Right. Interesting. And then how long did it take between you know, then, and when you were published?
JENNY 46:43
Right. So there you go. So that's 1981. And I got published in 2015. So what's that? 81-91-2001-2011-34 years?
LILY 46:55
Perfect. It's along the creative process is a long,
JENNY 46:59
it's a long game, you got to be prepared to play the long game.
LILY 47:03
I'm just too impatient. I simply won't. I just have so many ideas, and so little like energy to make them a thing.
JENNY 47:11
Energy and time
LILY 47:13
Energy, time. I was thinking about that, that idea. And I was like, we started off being like, we're just gonna write something. And we're just, it doesn't have to be good. We're just writing something. And we're going to get it done quickly, and then got bogged down in details, trying to make it good. And it's like, no, these like people who just churn the shit out, these romance novels, aren't researching, like, what, like tableware they used in late 13th century Viking times, what knives they had, you know, and I just, I don't know, I don't know if it's like, we either like want to do it properly as a project, which is gonna take forever, or we don't and we'll just have to like give up on some things? I don't know.
JENNY 47:56
Is it gonna be possible though? I think we're both sticklers for quality.
LILY 48:00
Well, yeah, you're a stickler for quality of like
JENNY 48:02
writing
LILY 48:03
the quality of the writing. And I'm stickler like, I will not write something historical, and not be accurate. Like, I'd literally be the biggest hypocrite ever. So anyway. Again, the long game. So in about another 34 years we might have some kind of Viking book available for you guys.
JENNY 48:19
Yes. [Laughter]
LILY 48:20
[Laughter]
JENNY 48:22
Yeah. Okay, well, good. We're back on track. Which is good.
LILY 48:28
How many more kind of episodes- you'd- like how much more is there in the book, can you find when you go to Hong Kong and just have a little-
JENNY 48:35
Yeah, let me have just a little scan through to the dates. Okay, so I flew- Had Christmas Day and then I- By the 26th I'm in Hong Kong. So yeah, so we're going to stop, I reckon we stop on that Christmas Day, and then pick up I am in Hong Kong on Boxing Day.
LILY 48:59
Perfect
JENNY 49:00
So I reckon, depending on how much we read, another couple of episodes?
LILY 49:09
Cool. Easy, sorry I just -
JENNY 49:11
two to three, two to three episodes. I would say two to three. Depending how much we read, how much we get sidetracked. Okay, darling. All right. Well have a good arvo and cute dinner. Well, what's?
LILY 49:26
Lol. On the Instagram Mum's Bad Diaries: You've won an iPhone 13. Okay,
JENNY 49:34
Fuck off. Delete. Yep. Well, we had one of those the other day and I deleted it. Yeah. Just delete, delete, delete. Okay,
LILY 49:45
Well. Speak to you later.
JENNY 49:49
Yeah. Okay, darling. Hope you have a good... resolution to the rest of the day.
LILY 49:58
Yeah. Thank you. I will figure it out I'm sure
JENNY 50:02
Yeah. Okay. All right. Love you
LILY 50:07
Okay love you Bye