January 12, 2003 - 1:52 p.m.

just got back from a very long walk down the merri creek trail. we only walked 5 minutes further than last time, and we found a huge park on a hill with little more than grass and two swings, calling out our names. the view from the swings was pretty amazing, overlooking this tree-covered valley and a high-rise building on the hill beyond. the breeze was a big bonus, too.

i went to the ian potter centre of the national gallery of victoria yesterday. it's new, it's free, and it focuses mainly on australian art. it was quite spectacular. sometimes i have to pinch myself when i think of all the great stuff that's available here.

after my museum jaunt, i bought some rhubarb & custard scented body butter. unbelievably, it smelled just like the real thing.

then i took the train to cheltenham to meet up with simon and ride home with him after work. it was good timing after the museum, and i figured he might have had a hard day after phoning in his resignation that morning. he said they had taken it pretty badly.

when i was one train stop away, simon called to say his dad was going to pick me up instead - he'd explain when he saw me. i figured that his bosses showed up after his shift and wanted to talk everything over.

boy, was i wrong. instead, i learned, all four of his tires had been slashed. i'm not saying they did it, and nobody can confirm anything, but it does strike everyone as highly suspicious. he had been their best employee for over three years. one employee had resigned and given zero notice a few weeks ago, and one was set to leave at the end of the month. they were also having big-time money problems, so "bad timing" would be an understatement. really, though, how juvenile can you get?

we borrowed simon's dad's car and drove home. that's when simon told me that the last time one of his tires had been slashed was when he handed his bosses a letter about his superannuation (a 401k equivalent). they hadn't paid him any during his entire 3+ years there, which amounted to over $3000, even though he repeatedly asked and was repeatedly given the brush-off. it was totally illegal, and he finally decided he'd had enough. the letter stated that if they didn't give him the info about his superannuation, he would take them to the authorities.

of course, given their money struggles, i could understand how a sum like that could really affect them personally. it's the main reason he wanted to quit his job, really - there's no room for family politics in running a business, or at least any business he wanted to be a part of.