Fabulous Friday

The State Library on a damp Thursday night

I had a fabulous night out tonight with the girls from my old job (the two I see regularly, but also a few of the others). We met up for a drink before heading to a restaurant for dinner. 

I've had a tiring week so I was wavering on whether I'd stay on for dinner, but once I was with them I forgot about being tired. It's such a nice bunch of women, aged from their mid-20s to mid-40s. Great conversation, and lots of laughs. I do miss them. (I like the secretaries I work with in my new job, but there's only three of us. It's just a different vibe.) 

And the meal! We went to Society, a stalwart of the Melbourne restaurant scene, although this was the first visit for all of us, and we only went there because the other places we tried were booked out. I'm so glad they were because...the lamb! Oh my god, THE LAMB! Three of us had slow-cooked lamb shoulder, which was melt-in-the-mouth tender, and delicious. We rhapsodised over it for about 10 minutes. I was almost tempted to cast aside my manners and lick the plate when I was done, just to prolong the pleasure. I think I need to buy a slow cooker otherwise no other lamb I eat from now on will be anywhere near as good. 

The rest of my meal was also delicious. Oddly for me, I ordered a wild berry salad for dessert rather than one of the chocolatey sweets, because I wanted it, not because I've been trying to eat better. It came with raspberry sorbet, which was a perfect balance of sweet and tangy, and some nutty praline stuff. Yum. 

As well as scrumptious meals, the waitstaff were great. One of the waitresses in particular was gorgeous, gregarious and fun, and she had a fantastic accent. I wanted to give her a tip just for the way she rolled her R's. 

Society also has a cosy bar upstairs with lots of dimly lit, intimate alcoves lined with velvet banquettes, and above that is a function room (Roberta and I had a nose around on our way back from the ladies). I love that there's always a fabulous new place to discover in the city - or new old place. I don't know about the upstairs bits, but Society started out as the Italian Workers' Club in 1932! I've walked past it plenty of times but had no idea what was hidden away inside. 

Muscles!

I have been back at the gym for a month and already I've noticed improvements. Tonight I crossed my arms and noticed my upper arms have toned up. I had to resist the urge to flex my bicep in Bertie's face and say, "Feel that! Go on!". (I'll make Luke feel my biceps when I see him tomorrow. He's away for the night). I'm fortunate that I tone up quickly, and get good results with two gyms sessions a week, although my aim is to go three times. (Is it ever possible to say "thrice" without sounding like a pompous twat?) I haven't weighed or measured myself because I don't care what the numbers are - I just go on how my clothes fit, and weight loss isn't my prime motivation anyway; it will just be a bonus. 

I think I've thrown myself into it a little too vigorously though, because the day after my workouts I've felt so tired - sleepy tired, not just muscle fatigue - despite adequate sleep. Or it could be that I don't have enough fuel in the tank. I've concocted a pre-gym snack with yoghurt, blueberries, maple syrup and a mix of seeds that I dry roasted and ground up with my mortar and pestle, to sustain me through my workout. It's pretty tasty. I also bought a protein powder for after my workouts and it wasn't cheap. This is gettin' serious! 

  

 Friday morning vignettes

On my way to work this morning I saw a rower come ashore at the boat sheds on the opposite side of the river. Her dog was on the river bank and when it saw her, it  bounded excitedly up to greet her. She threw a ball to the dog and off it went.

Two women cycling in opposite directions recognised each other and stopped to have a  chat. 

One last thing

One of my friends posted a link to this video on Facebook. It's footage from security cameras, but it shows people being kind and silly and brave, instead of doing dodgy stuff.  Yes, it's a Coca Cola ad, but it's still pretty awesome.