Big chip, fixer, lunch

I managed to fit a huge chip (crisp) in my mouth without breaking it and no one was around to witness my feat. It was nearly as big as the palm of my hand. I could represent Australia in Eating Big Chips at the Olympics.

I fixed a problem I was having with my phone. I'm always very pleased when I manage to troubleshoot a technical glitch. I had to googled the problem and the solution was pretty easy, but still. I fixed it! I'm a fixer!

It's my weekend! I'm having lunch with a friend and her two boys tomorrow. We're having pizza (gluten-free for me).

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. 

Delightfully lazy, loud snore, good saves

I've had such a delightfully lazy weekend. My Saturday and Sunday continued in the fashion of Friday—sleep, books, tea—and it was lovely. I finished one book and I'm more than three-quarters of the way through another. I only left the house a few times—to vote, eat a burger and buy groceries. 

I went back to sleep this morning after an hour or so on my phone reading the internet, but I woke myself up around 10.00am with a loud snore, which made me laugh. 

I dropped a carton of eggs and an open container of tomato paste today when I was fussing about in the kitchen, but I caught them both they hit the floor. I'm both clumsy and highly coordinated.

I made my finest batch of spaghetti bolognaise for dinner. I threw in some bits and pieces that were lurking in the fridge—olives, artichokes, baby spinach—that would otherwise have just gone off. Delicious and waste-saving. 

Couch day, nice buns

Today is the first of my work-free Fridays where I haven't had to do something or be somewhere at all for the entire day. I went to bed without setting an alarm. I slept (on and off) until about 10 o'clock and got up a little after midday. Then I spent all afternoon on the couch reading and drinking tea. Not a bad way to spend a day at all.

We went to the Beer and Burger Bar in Richmond for dinner tonight for something different. They have fantastic gluten-free buns—they're as good as 'normal' buns (actually better than their standard buns because they serve their burgers in brioche and I do not approve of brioche for burgers). Foxes Den up the road from BBB also has delicious gluten-free buns. It's great to have options. Tasty options. 

Rainbow, no alarm, tea habit

Sunset rainbow through my office window

Today was another of those cold, gloomy winter days where we didn't see the sun until it was setting. It made a brief appearance, gave us a rainbow and was gone. 

I thought I had an appointment tomorrow morning, but I don't, which means I don't need to set my alarm. Love that. It's been hard to get out of bed this week so I'm especially pleased I can emerge from my bed at my leisure. 

I've never been much of a tea or coffee drinker (not a coffee drinker at all actually), but lately I seem to have developed a (green) tea habit. It started because I was cold at work and wanted something to warm me up, but now I actually want to drink it for its own sake. I look forward to having a nice, hot cuppa.  Maybe I'll go off it in when winter's over, but for now I'm enjoying it.  

New hair, gourmet deliciousness, sausages again

Ouch

I got my hair cut and coloured. It took four hours because the top bit needed to be bleached again, so I was happy to get out of there. It was very cold when I emerged. I bought a hot chocolate on the way home and have rarely enjoyed one so much before. 

Luke and I went to MaxiFoods in Hartwell to stock up on a few things (sauerkraut, mustard, dill pickles). I never thought I would say it, but I love that supermarket (and its sister stores, including Leo's in Kew). If I were there on my own I would wander around for hours looking at all the fancy gourmet deliciousness...and trying not to blow a month's food budget in one go.  

It's Sausage Saturday again! Mmmm-mmmm.    

November: day 12

The best part of my day happened very early today. I arrived at work to an email from a senior lawyer I've worked for for three years. She's been on extended leave since March and has spent most of the year travelling, the lucky thing. Not surprisingly (to me, anyway) she has decided she won't be coming back to the firm.

In her email she wrote: "Thank you for all your support over the years. You're the best secretary I've ever come across and indispensable to the team." 

That made my day. I'm going to file that away to bring out at salary reviews and future interviews.  

***

I went to the gym tonight even though I didn't think I would when I left the house this morning with my gym gear. I had drinks for an hour or so after work and thought it highly unlikely I would go to the gym after that.  BUT I DID. I can't really recommend going to the gym after three glasses of prosecco, but I managed 20 minutes of fairly challenging cardio. 

***

I didn't walk to work this morning, but I still managed about 12,300 steps. 

 

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. 

Current culinary fixations and thwarted creativity

Yarn bombing, Swanston St 

I have developed a mustard fixation. I can't get enough of it. Wholegrain and dijon, in particular.  I love it on steak. I love it on lamb and on pork. I like to dip dill pickles in it. I make salad dressings with it. I would have scoffed at the concept of a mustard sommelier not too long ago, but now I want be one. 

My other culinary fixation right now is the combination of avocado, cumin, lime juice and coriander. It's delicious and fresh and zesty. Mmmm, smashed avocado...and salad dressing...and guacamole, of course.  

Luke snoozes on the couch quite often and he looks so cute I can't resist taking photos of him. I have so many pics I could start lukenappingonthecouch.tumblr.com but for some reason he isn't as amused by this idea as I am. Don't stifle my creativity, man!

I bought the new Kitty, Daisy and Lewis album, The Third. I like it.  

New Year road trip day 2: Lakes Entrance

I woke the next day with very sore glutes, calves and quads from the previous day's exertions (as well as sunburn on the tops of my feet because I forgot to suncreen them), but I dragged myself out of bed early, ready to hit the road for Lakes Entrance. The morning was pleasantly cool and dewy. 

For non-Victorians, Lakes Entrance is in Gippsland - the southern section of Victoria that's east of Melbourne - and it's such a beautiful part of the state. It has amazing beaches, lush farmland with rolling hills and not-too-distant mountains. Despite being more than a month into summer, parts of it were still green. 

We turned off at the small town of Toora to visit Agnes Falls and there was gorgeousness everywhere we looked. And cows. It was just so verdant. 

I'd never heard of Agnes Falls until planning this trip, even though they are the highest single drop falls in Victoria - but they were a very impressive sight. The Agnes River was calm and glassy before tumbling into a deep, rocky gorge. 

Look at that mirror-like river 

More of the falls (not the full drop)

The wall of the gorge opposite the falls was a series of tall, rugged, rocky columns, but there were too many trees in the way to get a photo of it (damned nature!). No, wait. I love nature. The native bush smelled amazing and we saw (and heard) two black cockatoos screeching in a tree near the falls. 

 Agnes River and fallen tree

A nearby windfarm

 More verdure...and a river runs through it

 More hay rolls and green hills

  

 Green hill with curious cow

Next we headed for Woodside Beach, near the start of the iconic Ninety Mile Beach. At about 150km (94 miles), Ninety Mile Beach is one of the longest uninterrupted stretches of beach in the world. I was thrilled to read that sharks - including Great Whites - have been known to breed in the shallows along the beach, but we weren't there during mating season (note to self: revisit during shark sexy time). 

 

The Surf Life Saving Club patrol

We missed a turn and ended up in Lochsport, which sits on a skinny finger of land between two lakes, right on the coast (that triangle of blue is the ocean).   

It's home to a cousin of the Loch Ness Monster, and her baby.

Our next stop was another lakeside town called Metung. Allow me to share a snippet of the conversation as we drove along: 

Me (looking at map): Where's Metung?

Luke: In your mouth! (Laughs hysterically)

Hawhaw. It's pronounced MEE-tung, but after that we called it Me-TUNG. 

I'd heard many people sing the praises of Metung, and it was certainly pretty - a pleasant mix of water views, and a village spread across low hills covered with native bush - but I found it a little too...Portsea for my liking (i.e. a place where people with plenty of money like to take their summer holidays with their big, shiny boats).

 Rich person(s) holidaying with yacht

Lakes Entrance, named for the artificial channel (highlighted below) connecting Bass Strait to the Gippsland Lakes, was our final destination for the day.   

We booked into a motel room for the night and then took ourselves for a walk. 

 Footbridge over lake to the beach

 Fishing boats

Some other boats

A friend had highly recommended a fish and chip shop in Lakes Entrance  - the best fish n chips EVER - so we headed there for dinner. Going on the number of patrons in the shop and the long wait for our order, it was indeed a purveyor of fine fish n chips. 

I don't eat fish, but I can say that the chips were excellent: crispy outside and fluffy inside.  I also sweet potato cakes for the first time and they were yummy (also enormous).

Then it was back to our motel and to bed. I think we were in bed before 10.00 pm (maybe even 9.30 pm) every night of our trip and I sighed with contented exhaustion every night as I laid down my weary body. Aaaaaaaah.  

On that note, I'm going to take my weary body to bed. Day three to follow...

Day 30: Kensington spider, Little Prince, Proud Mary

Luke and I visited the inner western suburb of Kensington for lunch today just for something different. 

We each bought a book at the bookshop next to the station. I got an old Puffin paperback of The Little Prince, which I've never read before. It has a handwritten message inside the front cover:

For L.P Isaac Ricardo 

With best wishes for this week, and next month, and next year, etc, etc 

Leslie Oct 1969

I've started reading it and I'm quite charmed.

We ate at the White Rabbit Record Bar.  I had a strawberry spider (icecream soda) with my panini. I first ordered a lime spider, but they were out of lime, and they were out of raspberry as well, so I had to settle for strawberry, which tasted like raspberry anyway. 

Then we took our cameras and wandered around a bit looking for ghost signs. This Velvet Soap sign was the best find. 

Can anyone make out what the white lettering - a separate sign - says? Bleached something?  There was an Empire Cocoa sign on the other side of the building.

We saw the 20 Feet from Stardom at the movies. It's a documentary about the back up singers to some of the biggest musical acts of the 21st century, including Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder.  It was a bit too long, but I really enjoyed it. It really iss a story that hasn't been told before. The singing is (not surprisingly) AH-mazing and the women featured are engaging and sassy. 

One of the singers featured is Claudia Lennear, who was part of Ike and Tina Turner's Ikettes. The doco included a bit of this clip of Ike and Tina doing Proud Mary. I've seen this numerous times before. I love it (the Ikettes appear around the three minute mark).

Day 24: Funny fox, little pops, perfect choc

Luke and I have been watching the documentary Wild Planet: North America on Sunday nights. Although the narration is cringeworthy at times, the footage is amazing and tonight's scenes of a red fox hunting rodents in the snow had me chortling. This isn't from the same documentary, but it's the same hunting technique.  

The foxes can hear a mouse in up to one metre of snow and, even more remarkably, they are far more successful in finding a mouse in snow when facing north. The foxes use the Earth's magnetic field to help pinpoint the location of their prey. Isn't nature amazing? 

Little pops

We had corned beef for dinner tonight and it was delicious. We had it with wholegrain mustard. I like the way the mustard seeds pop gently between your teeth as you eat them. We have enough leftovers for dinner tomorrow. 

Muffin Break at Australia on Collins does 
excellent hot chocolate

Sneakers, little 'phut', train spotting, resistentialism

Well, that's my bonus spent.  I bought new sneakers today - a pair of black and white Saucony Shadows. (Men's sneakers again. I always prefer the men's colours, although in this case I needed something fairly neutral). When I decided to buy them, the sales dude (dreads, piecings) complimented me on my choice and said they were "kinda like a New Balance took a valium and gave you a warm hug". Hehe. 

A few weeks ago I bought a hand-held citrus press to extract lime juice for my refreshing gin and tonics with lime and mint. It's very satisfying squeezing as much juice out of half a lime as you can. It creates a vacuum so that the remains of the lime get stuck to the convex part of the press It makes a pleasing little 'phut' noise when it releases.  

I know I've posted a photo of this Foy's ghostsign on Swanston Street before, but I can't remember if I noticed the other sign that runs vertically down the side. 

 Foy's was a department store around the corner on Bourke Street 

Luke and I saw a ghost sign while we were on the train just about to reach Flinders Street station. STOP THE TRAIN! I NEED TO TAKE A PHOTO! I have to go into the city again tomorrow so I will catch the train and be prepared. Hopefully I will be on on of those trains that stops between Richmond and Flinders Street stations for no apparent reason. (I'm fairly sure I'm the only person who's ever said that.) Failing that, I might be able to get a decent shot from the other side of the train lines. 

Here's a list of 18 amusing old words that should never have disappeared from our language (except spermologer). I hadn't heard of any of these before, except for  groak. Wonder-wench!  Lunting! Resistentialism is my favourite. I'm sure my iPod dislikes  me because when I'm feeling down it always shuffles up the most depressing songs I own. That's resistentialism. (OK, maybe it thinks it's being sympathetic and helping me to  wallow in self pity...)

Ghost sign hunting, decluttering, muddling and sipping

There was a story in The Age yesterday about the Ghost Sign Hunters seminar I'm going to tomorrow. I've never really thought too much about why I'm a ghost sign fanatic, but Stefan Schutt's comments in the story resonated with me, particularly the bit about it being a response to rapid urban renewal.  

As you probably know, I love the aesthetics of urban decay. I get excited about rusting roofs, weathered wood, crumbling houses, peeling paint and old brickwork. They have so much more character than modern gleaming glass towers and boxy buildings. My obsession with ghost signs sprang from that, but I also like that old signs are a link to the past. They're survivors!  It's almost a minor miracle so many old signs are still around.  

And of course there's the thrill of the discovery, which is probably akin to a collector finding a fantastic new addition to their collection while poking about in a second hand shop - only you can't take old signs home with you.  

On the hunt

I went to the Camberwell Market yesterday, but it was too hot and too crowded so I spent the rest of the day wandering about hunting for ghost signs.  Burke Road in Camberwell was quite a disappointment, but I found a few gems along Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn. I also spotted this one: 

This isn't a great example of an old sign - the building isn't a health food shop anymore, but the sign isn't that old and it's still in pretty good nick. I'm only mentioning it because the Staff of Life was owned by Julie Stafford, who was my art teacher in my first years of primary school. She also published a book of the same name. I think she was one of the pioneers of the health food movement in Australia. (Stay tuned for my next post with photos of all my recent sign finds.)

Look! Up in the sky! 

I saw another circumhorizontal arc (rainbow clouds) on Saturday, only a few hundred metres from where I first saw one two years ago. I was sitting outside at my friend Lauren's engagement party at a Docklands bar when I looked up and saw it. "Oh, look! A circumhorizontal arc!" What a nerd.

Declutter

I spent this afternoon cleaning out my wardrobes. Yep, I know how to make the most of a public holiday. I do love a good declutter though. It's not that long since I last did it, but there were lots of clothes I hadn't worn since my last declutter (or the one before that or the one before that etc), so I decided it was time to get brutal. In the end I wasn't quite brutal - I couldn't bear to part with a couple of things - but I was certainly harsh. My underwear and socks/hosiery drawers are so neat and organised! I'm particularly pleased with my efforts at categorising my socks, tights and stock--- yeah, I should probably stop there. Moving right along...

Homegrown

We're in the midst of a heatwave (Autumn? What autumn?). I've been coping by sipping on tonic with fresh muddled* lime juice and mint leaves, picked fresh from our little herb garden. Deliciously refreshing.  * smooshed with the pestle from my mortar and pestle.  

I made yummy pizzas for dinner topped with tomato, bocconcini and basil also from our garden. Apart from the coriander, our herbs are thriving. 

We had raspberries, strawberries and whipped cream for dessert. Nothing homegrown in that, but also delicious.

Muesli, eagle-eyed Luke, a birthday

Mini muesli mountain with minty peak

(second breakfast at Café 117, Richmond)

I went back today and took photos of those two old signs I saw yesterday while travelling past in the car. 

Windsor at the top and a word ending in ING down the side

 (Union Street, Windsor) 

Something ending in E and then Yeringa Wines

 (High Street, Windsor)

But wait! There's more! I also took photos of several other old signs while we were out and about today. I have to give high praise to Luke, who has turned into an eagle-eyed sign spotter. I think he's even better at it than I am. He spotted the first sign yesterday and also this one on Highett Street in Richmond. 

 It says McNiven Pty Ltd at the top

The degree of difficulty on spotting this sign was high. Not only is it on the side of a building that is almost rubbing shoulders with the one next door, a tree was obscuring our view of it from the other side of the street. When Luke first pointed at it, I had no idea what he was pointing at. 

Luke also spotted this great sign, also on High Street in Windsor. 

  

And this one on Swan Street in Richmond (although I'd seen it before, but not taken a photo). 

Aston maybe? 

And this one on Malvern Road, Hawksburn, not that you can tell what it says. 

100 years of dome

The marvellous domed reading room at the State Library - one of my favourite places in Melbourne - is turning 100. It was officially opened on 14 November 1913 and the library has kicked off a year of anniversary celebrations. Just before it opened, The Argus had this to say about it: 

Standing in the centre of this great room, it is almost awe-inspiring in its proportions. Up under the arcades of the galleries, the stacked books are dim ¡n a blue haze of distance. We certainly have nothing so wonderful as this reading-room in Australia in its suggestion of bigness and space.

When I was at uni, I did the research for my third year research project* in the reading room of the State Library, but  the dome wasn't visible then. It was covered over in 1959 because it was leaking, and wasn't unveiled again until 2003.  I still remember the first time I went back there after the dome was re-opened - only I didn't know that it had been re-opened, so I got quite a surprise.  I couldn't believe it was the same place.  If you live in Melbourne and have never been, you really should. I insist. 

* My project was about how women's magazines - specifically New Idea - had changed over the past 30 years and it was called New Idea: From Handicrafts to Hollywood. I must see if I can find it somewhere...

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!

Triple treat, new tunes, giantess

Tis the eve of spring...and Gleeful's fourth birthday...and Luke's homecoming! I'm triply excited! 

Continuing the trio theme, I saw a pair of ducks with their three ducklings foraging for insects on the bank of the Yarra this morning. I hope it's not the same pair of ducks I saw a few weeks ago because that would mean their brood is rather depleted. 

I've bought two new albums this week. One is the new Gabby Young and The Other Animals CD, The Band Called Out For More, which is theatrical and almost operatic. The other is Underneath this Big Striped Tent, the debut album of the quirky American duo Channing & Quinn. A big thank you to my friend Margaret for sending me a link to their album because she thought it would be to my liking. Yes, indeedy. I'd never heard of them, but after a few bars of the first song, I had goosebumps. Channing Lee and Gabby Young both have fantastic voices. 

I wore a pair of my new boots at work today. They have pretty high (but solid) heels and a hidden platform, so I felt like a giantess (I'm usually 163cm). They're pretty comfy too, as high heels go anyway. 

I had drinks with the girls from my old work last night. One friend who left the firm a few months before me was also there. We haven't seen her for ages so there were hugs and smiles all round. There's was no tasty lamb dish this time, but the $10 cocktails made that easy to overlook. Delicious fruity cocktails. Yum.  

More Mali!

Here's a few more Mali sculptures. I think this weekend is their last weekend at large in the city before being auctioned off, so I probably won't get to see them all. 

Bourke Street Mall 

 Southbank, the Clarendon Street end

 I think I posted a pic of this one before, but I only 

realised last night this is the Mali self-portrait

I wonder if those blue circular marks 

are from elephant kisses?

The sunset tonight from near Seafarers Bridge

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.