Glee in excess

I went to the osteopath today and arrived - unintentionally - 45 minutes early for my appointment. I thought it was 10.00am, but no. Early is better than late, but WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY BRAIN?! (I initially typed BRIAN instead of BRAIN. Heee.)

I went for a wander along Chapel Street in the sunshine and poked around a couple of the op shops. I saw this old sign on the window above the door of vintage store Shag.

When I went in for my osteo treatment, there was a new framed print on the wall: 

Where can I get some of this for my brain troubles, I wonder?

After the osteo, I met Luke at Hellas Cakes in Richmond so I could have the delicious blueberry pancakes again. They were just as good this time.  *drools*

I went back to take some photos of the 70s-style moustaches on the mannequins at the strange barber shop a few doors up from Hellas, but the blinds were drawn as they usually are. There was a gap in the venetians on the door, and I managed to get this crap shot.

The one on the right is more Fu Manchu than 70s style. 

We walked back home by a different route, along Cremorne Street, the former location of the Cremorne Pleasure Gardens back in the mid-1800s. 

There's a shop there selling custom made motorcyles, including this modified postie bike.

There's also a large Matt Blatt furniture store which wasn't there the last time I walked down Cremorne Street. We were greeted by a horse with a lamp on its head. 

I sat in this ball chair. It was very comfy, and much less expensive than I expected. I kinda want it, but I don't really have room. I liked this couch too. 

Luke finished assembling the bookcase while I was at the osteopath. We've 3/4 filled it with our books and DVDs, so there's room for new books. Luke's books are one side and mine are mostly on the other, except for my set of Anne of Green Gables and one or two other books. He joked that he wasn't sure he was happy having Anne on his side. 

That corner where the bookshelf is looks so much less cluttered without the desk and its piles of the detritus of daily life.  I meant to take a photo earlier but forgot.  

Tonight I opened the bottle of Hendrick's gin Luke got me in duty free on his recent trip to the UK. I'd not heard of the brand before (I like gin, but I'm hardly a connoisseur), but I think he made a good choice. It has a cork stopper instead of a screw on lid. It makes a pleasing 'pop' when you pull the stopper out. 

And the label reads thus: 

This handcrafted gin is distilled from a proprietary recipe which includes traditional botanicals such as juniper, coriander and citrus peel.  The *unexpected* infusion of cucumber and rose petals result in a most iconoclastic gin. IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. Please enjoy the unexpected responsibly. (Their emphasis, not mine)

I don't know why exactly, but that tickles my fancy. The text in the little recipe booklet hanging around the neck does too. It says (in part): 

Loved by a tiny handful of people all over the world...In our opinion there are far too many experiences that are so-called "normal", which is why Hendrick's follows its own peculiar path....A wondrous orchestra of 11 botanicals sets the stage for our piece de resistance: two rather unusual, yet marvellous, infusions...Hendrick's is made in miniscule batches by hand. It takes considerably longer but tastes considerably more wondrous. 

Humdrum limes be banished...Take a moment and consider the cucumber. It can be said with some scientific certainty that Hendrick's owes its distinctive flavour to the all important cucumber. Thus, little explanation is required to understand why etiquette dictates a cucumber garnish is to the served with a Hendrick's cocktail, rather than humdrum lime (whoopsie!).

 Now make your way to hendricksgin.com and marvel at the endless multitude of garnishes than can be made from the GLORIOUS CUCUMBER! (*giggles*)

On the back of the booklet it beseeches: 

Be bold, dear reader! Enter Hendrick's marvellous curiositorium. Peruse our review of all things unusual. Make haste to hendricksgin.com and unusualtimes.com 

I made haste. As product websites go, hendricksgin.com is marvellous. Their events page - called Wondrous Affairs & Occasions - promises "glee in excess"! This gin was made for me!

I can't believe I've just written so much about a bottle of gin!