Sunrise, clouds, mini egg

The sunrise this morning was beautiful and the pretty clouds lingered for ages. I'm a little sad that daylights savings ends this weekend because I won't be seeing the sunrise for a while.  

 Hot air balloons!

 On my  way to work

 Rainbow cloud!

Getting close to work

I've been getting up at 7.00am this week and that's as early as I'm going to go. I don't really have a reason to get up even earlier and, given I need at least eight hours' sleep to feel semi-human, I'd have to go to bed too early to get enough sleep if I start getting up earlier than 7.00am. 

In the almost 12 weeks since I've been getting up earlier, there's only been one day - ONE! - when I didn't get up on time, but that was only because my alarm didn't go off. (I only get up early on work days.) I'm pretty amazed at myself! I don't even know who I am anymore!

I found a Cadbury's mini egg in the front pocket of my bag. What a thrill! 

Surprise energy

I got up at the same time as the sun this morning (7.15)

Yesterday I said I don't have enough energy to walk to work and home again. Today I walked to work and then home again. I felt OK so thought I'd give the tram a miss, and it was fine. I didn't run out of energy part way and I didn't need a lie down when I got home. (Cutting out gluten seems to have finally paid off.)

Good things about walking to and from work: the smell of eucalyptus, close(ish) encounters with ducks, fallen acorns, seeing the early signs of autumn and saving $7 a day on fares.

Hi hi, hi ho, it's off to work I go 

 Moomba is moving in. Spotted on my walk home

Finishing, early, sausageless but scrumptious

Pink sky this morning from Richmond Station

I finished that book I was most of the way through yesterday. It was Marian Keyes' collection of columns and blog posts Making It Up As I Go Along, which gave me a chuckle. I can't remember the last time I read a whole book in a weekend. (I don't read as much as I used to, but I intend to change that.)

I was up early for an appointment this morning. The horizon was starting to turn pink when I was walking to the station. As usual, I liked being up early, but not enough to do it all the time. Or even sometimes. 

We had sausage night tonight (teehee), but without the snags. That is, we had our usual 'sausage sides' (potato salad, cucumber salad, sauerkraut and dill pickles) with corned beef instead. It was scrumptious. 

Early, holiday, quick

I went out for breakfast this morning - probably the only time I have ever eaten breakfast away from home or my desk on a work day. I was up at 6.20 and left home just as the dawn light was starting to peek over the horizon. Why, you ask? Because it was the only time I could catch up with a US friend who was going to be in town for just one day. It was good to see him. 

As usual, I like being up at that time of day once I'm up...but I just can't make myself get up that early (unless I'm going away on holidays). I like my cozy bed more. 

Speaking of holidays, Luke is heading off to the UK towards the end of July to visit his daughter. I'm not going with him this year (because I've been spending too much money on shoes), but I am considering taking myself on a little holiday interstate while he's away. 

It's the end of my working week tomorrow already.  

Hanging out, sunrise, succulent

Hanging around

I've been trying to book a spot in the Wednesday night anti-gravity class at the gym since I joined, but it's one of the most popular classes and I kept missing out. I checked online last night and there was a place  - only one - available, so I nabbed it. Yay!  

I went to the class tonight and it was fun swinging about in a hammock, which, we were assured, can take a load of up to 500kg. Still, it was a little scary hanging upside down and letting go for the first time...and the second time...and the third time, but I managed not to fall out. At the end of class we pulled the hammocks around us and laid in the dimness like a room full of pupae awaiting metamorphosis. Quite relaxing. 

I also managed to book the last spot in next week's class. *fist pump*

I woke up very early this morning - boo! - but I saw the sun rising when I went to the loo - for as long as it took to take a photo anyway. 

Luke cooked a delicious, succulent steak for dinner tonight. Just what I needed after a gym session (I also did half an hour of cardio).

November: day 29

I was out of bed before 11.00 this morning, an uncommon event lately. Sunday seemed much longer.  

What did I do with my extra Sunday hours? I sorted out my all my socks and tights. Got rid of holey, saggy ones and put like tights with like (winter ones, lighter ones, patterned ones etc) so it's easier to find the ones I want in the morning rush. My life might not be sorted, but my sock drawer is. 

I did other things, of course; none of them exciting. Unless you consider a late afternoon nap exciting.

November: day 11

My new hair, as cut and photographed 
by Angela at Razor Dolls

Can you believe it? I walked to work again today! Twice in one week! I woke up early again and got out of bed early again and got to work even earlier than on Monday. Who'da thunk?

My early start this morning was mainly because I was off sick with a migraine yesterday* and I had a LOT of sleep, so my body decided it had had enough well before my alarm was due to go off.

I don't feel quite so much of a physical wreck tonight. This  exercise thing must be good for you...

***

Luke made crumbed chicken drumsticks for dinner. He is an expert crumber, They were crunchy outside and deliciously tender and juicy inside.

* Also the reason I didn't post a blog yesterday. I'm not officially signed up for NaBloPoMo, so whatevah. 

November: day 9

I walked to walk today for the first time in months - not because I leapt out of bed eager to make the most of the mild, sunny morning, but because I woke up before six o'clock and couldn't get back to sleep.  I was up early enough to eat breakfast at home instead of at my desk, conduct my full skincare and make-up routine instead of the bare basics I usually manage due to over-sleeping, and then make the almost 40-minute walk to my office. AND I was there five minutes early! It's such a nice way to start the day...but it probably won't happen again for months. Many months. 

I walked half-way home as well (racking up 13,000 steps today in total) and found some cool street art along an alley off Flinders Street.

Inadvertently early, charity, found objects

More storms to come?

I inadvertently worked the early shift today. I know, it's hard to fathom how I could unintentionally get up early. I was woken by Luke's alarm and sleepy morning cuddles and didn't go back to sleep. I thought I might as well get out of bed and head to work - and most importantly - leave work early. Which is what I did.  Wooh.

After work I bought some items to donate to a charity drive at work. We're collecting goods for the charity Angels for the Forgotten, which helps kids in crisis. I spent quite a bit more than I intended, but I feel good about it.

I lost my purple Uniball pen ages ago and today at work I found one. Yay. I also found a stash of rubber bands which are now on my rubber band ball.

I did have lamb for dinner last night. It was very tasty.

Still mild, wiggle room, good timing

Today I didn't even need to wear a cardigan on my walk to work to keep warm - just a top with elbow length sleeves and arm warmers covering my forearms. And the arm warmers came off before I got to work.

I have been struggling to get up for work, as predicted, but I have forced myself to get up just 10 minutes earlier than usual. It's nice having the extra wiggle room in what was an extremely tight morning routine to ensure I arrived at work on time. I do enjoy a wiggle in the morning....

I found a purple rollerball pen in the coping room at work. Finders keepers.

I was feeling cranky coming home on the tram tonight and then I got a text message from Luke that made me smile.

Cookin' with creative juices, robots, spring eve

This is a (rather tall) cupcake for one of my lovely loyal readers,

Margaret, for her birthday today. I'm sure it tastes better than it looks.

Another beautiful late winter's day full of glee. I got up early again. Again! My brain woke up even though my eyes didn't, and then the neighbours started hosting a monster truck rally in their backyard (or whatever), so going back to sleep was out of the question. But when it got to 2.00pm, it only felt like 5 o'clock. Noice.

I have been lurking in artsy craftsy shops again - Handworks on Chapel Street and Eckersleys on Commercial Road in Prahran. I adore Handworks. ADORE it. If I could, I would marry it and have its babies (I was going to link to its website but it's under construction and does not capture the wonderland that is the store at all). I've purchased supplies for yet more projects. I'm going to make some of these in a palette of blues and purples. I was competent at making paper lanterns and those Christmas chain bizzos at school so they shouldn't be a challenge.

I've got ideas for more creative stuff too...(mostly not stuff I've seen on etsy.com!).  Not just making crafty stuff, but writing and photography projects as well. I've had to start jotting down notes (well, putting notes into my phone). This week has lit a fire under my pot of creative juices. They are on the boil. I hope going back to work doesn't take the pot off the heat, even though it will obviously eat up a lot of the time I have to make stuff. I've wondered this before, but maybe I should go back to working in a creative industry, if not an actual creative job? (I don't think anyone will pay me to make paper hearts or button brooches)

I also bought some chocolate-scented stickers and a set of fridge magnets that are like the keys to an old fashioned typewriter. You can leave little messages on the fridge for people (more fun now I'm not a singleton living alone).

I saw a robot on Greville Street!

Speaking of robots, I bought this T shirt last night... 

(Aside: Gosh, a lot of my gleeful stuff this week has started off with "I bought...". But I do believe spending money can contribute to happiness. It's all in how you spend it, not necessarily how much you spend. End of aside.)

I bought (!) the new book The Fix by one of my favourite writers, Nick Earls. I think Dr Seuss and Philosophy will have to go on the backburner for a wee while. After I paid for the book, the sales assistant folded my long receipt in half and in half again, and handed it to me with a smile. (What's with the long receipts you get these days just for a single item?)

The city was buzzing with people enjoying the winter sunshine this afternoon. The atmosphere was delightful. It could be my imagination, but I think I can smell the scent of jasmine wafting through my window as I type this...

Another new fave word: velvet. It sounds lush and soft and luxurious. Another one of those words that sounds like what it is.

Check out this awesome photo gallery of a double rainbow over the city this week. Absolutely stunning, and fantastic photos too. I wish I'd seen it with my own eyes.

I'm going to the market at the Abbotsford Convent again tomorrow, with Marian, the twitter friend from NY via Auckland. She wanted to go to a Melbourne market and I thought that would be perfect - there's the art and craft market, but also a gallery, artists' studios  and, of course, the star of the show, the fabulously crumbling gothic convent, all in expansive grounds that can have you forgetting you're so close to the city. It's meant ot be another gorgeous day too. Yay.

Also - more new fantastic old signs (see my other blog for pics).

Back to normal programming: smilewhale, FMLR, crafty

I got up early again today - 7.00am! That's an hour earlier than on a work day. OK, I admit it was only because the yappy dog over the back was yappy, but I got SO much done. I have been a creative machine.  

To start, Doodle of the Day:

Yappy Dog woke me from a dream where I was having a philosophical discussion about the protection of a rare whale/dinosaur creature I had found, so I etch-a-sketched a whale (because I'm not good enough to draw a whalosaurus). I used my happy whale to cheer up a friend on Twitter who is blue. She said he's much better than failwhale, thus I have dubbed him smilewhale.  (Can you tell that I'm loving my $15 Etch-A-Sketch?)

 After that taxing artistic endeavour, I basecoated a canvas in preparation for creating my old family photo collage. There was something very satisfying about painting the white canvas black - watching the patches of white disapper, seeing how much paint I could can squeeze out of my foam brush thing. I even like the smell of the paint.

Then I hung a pair of little mirrors I bought from Lincraft (and cardboard).

I used some of my bits and bobs from Clegs to make a button brooch. It was like all of those buttons were made to fit together. Took me five minutes to make it and I'm happy with the result.  

(Middle button is shiny silver)

I also made something else, which was quite time consuming and required me to go up the street to buy a thimble and dredge up long-lost sewing skills, but I can't show you the thing for reasons I also can't reveal. Secret squirrel. I'm quite pleased with my protoype though.

And then I wrote my Gleeful special edition 39 Secrets of Adulthood and Stuff, which I'm rather pleased with.

Oh, I've also created an ace new Twitter hashtag to counterbalance a common one that gets my goat: #FML (f**k my life), mostly used for complaining about minor irritations such as breaking nails, lunch time meetings and running out of milk. I propose this: FMLR - F**k, my life rocks. Please use it, Twitter people.

I've made up some new words lately too - substituterus (an alternative to the creepy 'gestational carrier') and flabbygasting, which is how you feel when you first notice you have tuckshop lady arms (not that I do).

When I was up the street to get my thimble, I spotted a new old sign. I've walked past it hundreds of times and never noticed it. It is very faded though.

Hint: It says ENTRANCE

I heard from Luke, who's arrived in England. Yay.

Early, staycation, unfurled, eagle eye

It's Sunday and I've been up since 7.00am! SEVEN! I don't like getting up early, but I do like getting up early. Yeah, you read that right. It's one of those things where I find the practice often more appealing than the theory. There's something a little magical about the start of a new day. I love to see the sunrise and I love that my day will seem much longer and I will get more done. Maybe I wouldn't be so enthusiastic if it were a work day...or IF I DIDN'T HAVE NEXT WEEK OFF! 

Yes, I have a week's leave.  *gleeful jog* ...Oops, I mean *gleeful JIG* I'm not going anywhere; I'm having another home holiday, ostensibly to have a decent rest because I've been feeling rundown and off-colour for months, but I have a growing to-do list already - mostly fun stuff like completing your mix tapes, making a start on a collage of old family photos and visiting my friend's newborn bub Eliza Grace. There's also a bit of decluttering and cleaning which isn't really fun, but will make me feel good when it's done.

I bought some oriental lilies last week and yesterday I noticed one closed bloom was on the brink of unfurling. I was setting it up to take a photo of it...lifted the vase up, arranged a nice background, put the vase back down, picked up my camera, started to line up the flower and IT WAS OPEN!

I got paid earlier than expected this month (the money goes into our accounts the night before pay day and pay day falls on a Monday this month, I worked out). What a pleasant surprise.

Look at this old sign I spotted from my boss's window! He's away and I was in his office to take a personal phone call. I looked out the window and there it was, on the side of the Princess Theatre!

Zoomed in all the way

Wider angle. Can you see the sign?

Luke has introduced me to The Mighty Boosh. It's absurb, but I like it, especially Howard's ernestness and the silly conversations he and Vincent have. It also makes me laugh watching Luke laugh at it.

I'm sitting on the couch listening to music with the sun shining in my window. Aaaah. Life is good.

Early, rainy, fruity

 I found another one (and I wasn't even looking

for it).  Rose Street, Fitzroy

I got up at 6.30 this morning. Yes, I know it's the weekend. I've been waking up at almost exactly 6.15 for the past few days and I thought it might do me good to listen to what my body's trying to tell me, rather than giving in to my brain when it screams "ME NEED MOOOOOORE SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!".

I'm still tired, but the day seems so much longer when you get up early, and you can pack so much more in. I've had quite a productive day. I'd like it if I could make a habit of this (especially on work days).

I woke up with a craving for juice which was nicely quenched by a carton of apple and passionfruit juice. Yum. I love passionfruit - the taste and the smell.

It's been raining all afternoon. I  don't mind, especially since it isn't particularly cold. I had a gluten free kebab on Brunswick Street and watched people jumping puddles and running to get out of the rain as droplets coursed down the window in front of me.  

I like almost all the songs on Lisa Mitchell's album Wonder (the tour edition), but I'm really enjoying her cover of Dire Straits' Romeo and Juliet and look! Here's the song, if not a proper video.