How Do We Afford This Rock and Roll Lifestyle?

edible signage

We took a break from the stress and disappointment of house/apartment hunting to go to The Harvest Festival.  This is an all day outdoor music, art and food festival in the same style as Glastonbury in the UK, or Lollapalooza in the US.  This one was only one day, so no camping out (thank god) and the food and art was pretty minimal.  The music line-up, however, was MASSIVE (as they say here) and excellent (as Wayne would say ... party on Garth).

There were 3 main stages and various other small stages with music playing constantly all day and into the night.  I like music, but there is a lot that I don't like, and at my age I really don't like to sit or stand around listening to things I don't like.  Luckily the bands were almost all to my taste, and some of them were actually my favorites.  I don't know if they were trying to appeal to old ladies, or if my music is just coming back in style, but the young folk and I were bopping up and down and side to side for most of the day.

one of the community groups - Sea Shepherd

the start of the day was less crowded

bluegrass stage atop a coffee truck

Cake

Beck

The bands we saw were: Los Campesinos, The Dandy Warhols, Cake, Beck, and Sigur Ros.  We also heard some bluegrass, speed punk girl band, and really great 80s surf punk style band that I am sorry I cannot remember the name of.  I bought earplugs but didn't need to wear them.  Except for the disappointing Dandy Warhols who were somewhat snarky and blah with really bad sound mixing, everyone else was crystal clear and harmonious.  They all engaged with the audience and played their rock and roll hearts out.

We took the train out and back to Paramatta, a part of town that I had never been to and probably won't have much reason to go back to.  It was easy, convenient and inexpensive.  No driving or parking or worrying about drunk drivers.  Hooray for public transport.

We were not completely exhausted when we got home, and I only thought about the housing monkey-on-my-back a few times.  So, it was a good day and a nice treat for David's birthday. (We celebrated that on Friday by staying in with just the 4 of us with homemade pizza - by Mira - salad, wine, ice-cream cake from Messina, and gifts).

Mira and David with the cake

Panic is sinking in as we look but don't find any affordable and suitable places to move into.  It only takes one, and I hope it comes along in the next two weeks.  The cost of basic, decent housing in this city makes the rock and roll lifestyle seem like a bargain.  I don't know how people do it, but I am getting too old to be without the basic comforts of home.