So.

I sold the mid-life crisis convertible, purchased sight unseen mid COVID outbreak 2020. A little red Audi TT convertible. Lovely vehicle, but I tired of it as I tend to do, and tired of having the encumbrance of two cars. It was never necessary. It’s gone! And with it, the vestiges of my non-existent mid-life crisis, which was always a joke really, and not an actual thing. Mid-life, if that is what this is, is great! Crises are so 20-30-somthing.

Moving on.

I have decided to act on a desire I have had for the last 20 years, and get my scooter licence. Not a motorbike licence, I don’t trust myself not to get intoxicated by the speed of a motorbike. Besides which, I can upgrade and train up later for a bike. Meanwhile, automatic scooter here I come.

Two directions to go in: la dolce vita, or Euro/Deutscher hi-tech. I am embarrassed by the relatively arbitrary nature of this choice, I mean, there are more important decisions to be made in people’s lives in general, and certainly in mine.

But this is just a bit of fun. Making non-essential choices is fun. I hope there is no harm in that. Can’t broach the metaphysical ramparts in every blog post.

Option 1: Vespa

Option 2: BMW

Both suitable and approved for learners in Victoria. Both comparable for the inner-city riding I will be restricting myself to. The Vespa probably more nimble, certainly smaller and lighter - easier to handle. The BMW, bigger and heaver, but not too big - and look at it!

I love BMW design language in their cars, and even more in their bikes. Something a little tragic about having a BMW car and a matching BMW scooter, but then again, something a little clichéd about living in inner Melbourne and riding a Vespa around the grid.

Then again, I don’t really care about either of those observations - that’s all self-consciousness, which is a bit pointless and distracting.

AND - there is something delicious about either option! The Vespa is iconic, and such a beautiful object, and I am partial to beautiful objects. The BMW, meanwhile, looks like something out of a Japanese manga, which has its own appeal.

Anyway, as I said, a bit of fun - so relaxing to make a choice with so few consequences.

Needless to say, the decision-taking has all been based on aesthetics up to this point: I will report back once I have actually ridden the two options, which is what will decide the outcome of my deliberations.

Image by Mukund Nair on Scop.io

Microblog: Three sentence update.

Yesterday I registered the domain address http://uncertainty.art

I have no idea what I will do with this domain.

Yesterday I had a very delightful and deeply energising experience.

I was interviewed by my dear friend Amanda Henderson, the founder of the creative powerhouse Gloss Creative. I first met Amanda over a decade ago, on a writing gig, about her and her Glossarium - and we hit it off immediately. She is the closest thing I have to a personal motivator and muse, and has been so supportive in my meandering personal creative journey. She is a Good Egg.

The interview was for her podcast series on creativity, The Creative Trust, which is in its second season. Find it on Spotify (naughty) or the Apple Podcast app, or anywhere you source your ear candy of the pods.

As is our wont, we had a rambling, lovely fireside chat, in the best tradition of nattering away and getting to the nub of things. We talked writing, designing buildings, what it means to be lightly qualified and/or unregistered in a sea of Serious Professionals, childhood, playing with Lego and many other things.

Episode will be up late February. Feel the love!

In the meantime, visit The Glossarium on Insta