Annihilation

What a wipewout!  Total annihilation of the Queensland Labor Party unfolded before our eyes last night.  Sure, we all knew it would be bad but this is downright UGLY - and depressing really because now the Liberal National Party will be basically unchallenged as they hold so many seats!  And watching "my friend" Clive Palmer gloat about it makes me want to throw up because we all know how hell-bent he is on destroying the environment in his quest to dig up coal and accumulate wealth.  I'm a bit depressed.  Yes, I knew it was time for a new government but not at such an overwhelming majority!  It must be almost untenable to run a successful and truly democratic government this way, surely? 

Here I am, peeling my "Keep Kate" sticker off the back of the car this morning (after my run)

On a cheerier note, I ran with three of my buddies this morning - 16kms along the Brisbane River, crossing bridges to and fro.  It was gorgeously cool for a change which I think really helps give you that extra burst of energy.  Needless to say, I am pretty achy this afternoon and will really need to get more kilometres up if I'm to run the Noosa Half Marathon in about six weeks' time.  I'm even starting to consider the Twin Cities Marathon in October 2013, to celebrate my 50th.  Everyone is always going on about the NYC Marathon but who has ever thought of going to Minneapolis-St Paul, hmmm?  Okay, so this has been instigated by my uncle & aunt, visiting from St Paul but I like the idea of running across the Mississippi. Everyone does New York, or London, or Paris....  I could be unique! Of course, whether my body will get me there is quite another story.

We did The Tourist Thing today, taking T & T along the Brisbane River on a CityCat, which I think is the perfect way to capture the essence of the city.  Now they are on their way home, too soon :o(  Poor them - we gave them a real burst of Australian state politics while they were here and indeed, they just can NOT understand why a conservative government is called The Liberal Party.  Neither can I, actually.  WHY IS THAT?  Let me Google it... Ah-ha.  Wikipedia tells me liberalism in this context refers to "centre-right economic liberalism" (rather than social liberalism).  I need to know all this stuff. I think my new boss has plans for me to help research politics in preparation for the Federal election next year.  I am So Excited about this prospect, even though my political knowledge is abysmal.  My beloved Spud has bought me a book:

I wonder if Annabel Crabb, Melissa Clarke and Latika Bourke started like this?  Please say, "Yes"!  So, that's one more book to add to my collection of books I am trying to read and please do not ask me about whether I've read yesterday's newspapers yet!

Speaking of books, here's one for the Macquarie Island crew.  Mum has this book that she bought at the last Byron Bay Writer's Festival.  She has LENT it to me (I want to steal it) despite it being a kid's book. It is so magnificently illustrated.  I am very much looking forward to reading it! (before the politics book).  It's called "One Small Island" but I can't find where you could buy it. I did find a Borders website but I would certainly not be game to buy something from that website anyway, given their financial state.

There are lovely watercolour pictures throughout the book...

.. with diagrams, maps and a journal-like format.  

Oh happy days!  Not only do I get to go back to work tomorrow (yippee!) Spud has just reminded me that there is ice-cream in the freezer!  Bliss....  All nauseating thoughts of Clive have vanished.