Honk!

A goose hanging out with swans beside the Yarra today. First time I've seen it around.

The new beginning begins

I've been in my new job two days and while I'm not sure yet if I'm going to like it enough to want to stay, the change in my demeanour since leaving my old job is remarkable. I feel so much...lighter. The change in routine and new challenge are working wonders. It's so good to be out of the rut and feeling motivated.

The people at the new firm are very nice and it seems a great place to work, it's just the job itself I'm still uncertain about, but I want to like it. There's Tim Tams on Fridays! A lolly jar in the kitchen! Weekly morning teas! Tim Tams on Fridays! (Hmmmm, there seems to be a pattern here...)

While I was told by the agency my hours were 8.30 to 5.00, I've since been informed it's up to me whether I start then or at 9.00. My initial reaction was "Yay, an extra 30 minutes in bed!" but then I thought, "Hmm, I do like finishing half an hour earlier....I'll stick with it!" Yes, I'm choosing to be out of the house in the morning more than an hour earlier than I used to get out of bed in my old job. 

Although I don't like getting up early (nothing to do with winter - my flat is always warm), I do enjoy it once I wake up. I've been rising just before the sun and I love that warm orange light streaming in my windows and the hot air balloons floating past. Very peaceful. (My enthusiasm might wane after a week of early starts, however...)

I went to the gym after work tonight and felt great afterwards. I've done about 2.5 hours of exercise today (including 1.5 hours of walking) and I feel good, in a slightly weary way.  

I arrived home to find a card in the mailbox telling me I have an item to collect from the post office. Yay. It's my copy of Peter, Paul & Mary In Concert.

It's back to work I go...

Yay! I have work! I'm relieved, although I admit I'd started to think two weeks off would be nice. Oh well. At least the money keeps rolling in and the wolf stays away from my door.

I'm going to be working for a partner at a large firm in the city, as a temp to begin with, but there's a permanent role in the offing if we like each other. I'm excited, but also a little nervous - I'll be going from a firm of 15 people to one with hundreds of staff in two cities. I'm gonna be playing with the big kids! 

It's a good place to work, from what I hear, especially as there's lots of extra curricular social, sports, health and well-being activities and services (Yay! In- house massage).

I've got an IT induction Friday (boo!) and then I start on Monday. Unemployment was good while it lasted...

More productive than my old job...

I was very productive on the first day of my week off* between jobs. Of course, I have a to-do list and I have enjoyed crossing stuff off it, especially two of the least appealing jobs - defrosting the fridge and cleaning out the pantry. I'm feeling very pleased with my frostless freezer and orderly pantry.

I also took clothes and shoes to be repaired, and dropped a couple of jackets at the dry-cleaner, as well as doing the grocery shopping and laundry.

I've cooked a roast dinner and I have pear crumble in the oven. I could get used to this not working thing...

* Well, I hope it will only be a week off...

Miserable but good

I went to St Kilda beach to take photos today. It seems every time I decide I want to go there, the weather is cold and wet. It was miserable, but I liked it, even though the rain made it hard to take photos and the gale force wind on the pier wrecked my umbrella.

I think photos of gloomy weather are so much more interesting than those with sunshine and blue skies anyway.  I was happy with how my shots turned out, especially given the trying conditions. (You can see them here.)  

Before heading home, I had a yummy hot chocolate on Acland Street to thaw out. It was thick enough to eat with a spoon. 

Freedom and Joss Whedon

South Wharf

I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! It hasn't really sunk in yet that I've left my job - I was there for six years afterall. I'm sure it will seem more real on Monday morning...

I have a meet and greet for a temp role at a large law firm on Tuesday afternoon. I bought myself a new suit today in preparation. Wish me luck!

I went out on Friday night to celebrate my freedom with friends. We had drinks then dinner and coffee on Hardware Lane in the city. It was fun.

I can't believe I forgot to mention earlier that I'm going to see Joss Whedon, the creator/writer/director of Buffy and Angel and many other shows, deliver a keynote address during the Melbourne Writers' Festival! Yays!

Last day, lights and more new music

Tomorrow is my last day in my mind-numbingly boring job. Yay. I can't wait to feel the weight lift off my shoulders when I walk out that door for the last time. Perhaps I might even feel my life force start to seep back, although I expect my elation will be somewhat tempered by uncertainty since I still don't have any temp work lined up. I do have a couple of prospects, however.

Light show

The lights have been on at AAMI Park for hours every night this week and it looks amazing. I've been enjoying the light show from my loungeroom window. The stadium's distinctive "bubbles" are made up of triangular panels which have a light at every point and the lights change colour and flash on and off in waves that ripple across the surface, so that the stadium seems to sparkle. I love it.

Speaking of my flat, I have it to myself for the weekend. *happy dance*

Thanks again, YouTube

I've made two new musical discoveries this week thanks yet again to the wonders of YouTube: Holly Golightly and Ludella Black (both former members of The Headcotees). I remember Holly from the White Stripes' song It's True that We Love One Another, but I'd never listened to any of her own stuff before. I likes it.

Yes, her name really is Holly Golightly (last name Smith), obviously after the main character in Breakfast at Tiffany's, which, coincidentally, I just happen to be reading at the moment.

I have downloaded their latest CDs to my iPod tonight. I has happy ears.

Birthday fun

Mother Nature gave me a beautiful winter's day for my birthday on Friday - cool but with glorious sunshine and blue skies.

I woke up to a bunch of text messages and also got lots of emails, tweets and phone calls wishing me happy birthday.

I spent the afternoon with my friend D and her two little boys, who are beyond cute. There was risotto for lunch followed by home made chocolate cake and, later on, lemon tart. I got presents and cuddles, and played with cars and trains. The eldest boy, who's three, didn't want me to leave, bless him.

I went out for drinks in the city that night (a Twitter meet-up, not my own thing) and it was fun. Not so much fun the next morning, however... But I wasn't as drunk as this photo suggests. Really.

Birthday eve

It's my birthday tomorrow and I've taken the day off work.  It means I miss out on a fancy cake from David Jones (which they'd probably begrudge buying since I'm leaving in a week), but I'm having a cake made for me with love by my friend D instead, and it will be accompanied by cuddles from my gorgeous quasi-nephews. Yay.

YouTubing

I'm probably very behind the times with this, but I only discovered the playlist function on YouTube the other day while attempting to stave off boredom at work by watching White Stripes' videos. If you haven't checked it out, it puts together a playlist of music videos in a similar vein to the music you've searched for.

Thanks to YouTube, I've now discovered - speaking of behind the times - The Blasters, Mr Airplane Man and the Gun Club, and have now got them on my iPod.  I've also added The Black Keys, who I'd heard of, but whose awesomeness was not fully apparent to me until now. Yay for new music!

Here's a Gun Club video for you:

Sad glee

I love Peter, Paul  and Mary's song Puff the Magic Dragon even though it's always made me sad - the thought of poor Puff waiting in vain for his friend Jackie Paper just gets me.

It makes me even sadder now because my parents had the folk trio's live concert album when I was a kid and we listened to it together a lot. It brings back happy memories...which are making me sad at the moment. I miss my Dad.

I bought a copy of the album online tonight. The internet is ace.

Snug as a bug

Told you it was grey, didn't I?

It's a grey, chilly day in Melbourne and I've been out and about all day, freezing my bum off and being cranky and impatient with everyone and everything.

But now I'm home in bed, wearing my comfy flannelette pyjama pants and New York hoodie, with my hot water bottle in my lap and music playing.  Aaaaahhh. That's better. (Yes, I know it's only 4.40pm. What of it?)