Rainbow, flowers, sausages, book day

This rainbow was almost full, with one end (above) visible out of the window in Nick's office and the other end out of my boss's window, but it faded out in the middle. Nick (a first year lawyer) actually came to ask me me if I'd seen the rainbow, which I appreciated. This was taken yesterday when the wintry weather struck. 

I  took another photo of these purple flowers just because they are so pretty. I bought the bouquet home with me after work today so I could enjoy them on the weekend, although they are started to droop a little.

We had Sausage Thursday (Thausage Thursday?) this week. It's firmly entrenched as my favourite meal (although I think I might like it even more with corned beef instead of snags).  

I have very little planned this weekend, which pleases me. I'm thinking of having another couch/book/tea day tomorrow because I've been feeling very tired and a bit ordinary this week (not that I need an excuse).  

Happy Monday

Today's pretty good for a Monday. There was delicious flourless orange cake for morning tea for my birthday. I felt spoiled getting a cake from Le Petit Gateau, the fancy French bakery.  

The white blobs are whipped cream with 

flecks of vanilla bean

And then my lovely friend Lauren sent me some gorgeous flowers. They smelt good too - not overly perfumed, but a nice fresh small. They are brightening up my desk at work. 

I particularly like these purple  chyrsanthemums

And Luke is cooking roast chicken for dinner!. Yum.

Not destroyed after all!

Happy news! The Bournville Cocoa sign in Armadale hasn't been destroyed! Turns out I was there before High Riser and the bit I thought was the ruined sign is actually part of the wall of the building that's been demolished. Hooray! The partial has knocked down after my visit, revealing the whole sign. I'm SO relieved! I will go back to take a photo of the complete sign soon...hopefully they don't actually destroy it or build the new wall before I get there.

The Octopuppy

I bought my quasi-nephew TJ a book called The Octopuppy for his birthday in September. I spent ages choosing the right one, and it's no surprise that I thought a book about an octopus was the right one. I chose well because his mum told me yesterday he loves it and gets his brother to read it to him "all the time". 

I was so taken with The Octopuppy that I later bought a copy for myself. It's cute and makes me chuckle, plus it has a lovely message. It's about a boy called Edgar who wants a dog, but he gets a very clever octopus called Jarvis instead. He tries to train Jarvis to be a dog, but things don't go to plan. When he commands Jarvis to play dead, this is what happens:

When Edgar tells Jarvis to sit...

...he thinks things are looking up (that's him jumping for joy with his head chopped off), but it's all to no avail... If you have a 3-5 year old (or a 40-something who likes octopuses) in your life, I recommend The Octopuppy. 

Only five working days until holidays. If this week so far is any indication, it's going to be a very busy five days. I smashed my to-do list today and left the office feeling pleased with myself. That doesn't happen as often as I'd like. 

A shop assistant at Dangerfield said my boots (the ones I bought recently on ASOS) were awesome. 

That old treadmill, desk decluttering, fab freebies

I'm slowly making my way through Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness. I think this passage is just as relevant today as it was when he wrote it 80-odd years ago:

It is very singular how little men seem to realise they are not caught in the grip of a mechanism from which there is no escape, but that the treadmill is one upon which they remain merely because they have not noticed that it fails to take them to the next level.

He was writing specifically about the competitive lives of businessmen, but these days it applies to most adults at least at some stage. If people in the 1930s thought they were caught in the grip, people these days must feel as if they are being crushed. 

Desk decluttering

I spent a few hours this morning cleaning out and organising my workspace, particularly my two desk drawers. The top drawer contained a mass of rubber bands and about 300 bulldog clips, and in the bottom drawer there was a pile of assorted envelopes that I had to shuffle through every time I needed to post something.

The drawer chaos has been driving me nuts for months, but I've been busy with actual productive work so didn't get around to sorting it out. Things were on the quieter side this morning, so I finally got to it. Most of the bulldog clips back went back to the stationery cupboard and the envelopes are now neatly divided up in suspension files. I also went through my "doesn't need to be filed, but I don't want to throw it out" tray and threw most of the stuff out. My mind feels less cluttered now too.

Fab freebies

A skincare product I ordered online a couple of weeks ago arrived this morning. The company also sent me two freebies - a Calvin Klein gel eyeliner and a lipstick (both full size). They must be hard-to-sell or last season's colours, but I like them. The lipstick is perfect, in fact - the exact colour I've been looking for, but unable to find. Just as well!

Short week, first run, gifts

On the way to work Tuesday: dark clouds in front of me, 

sunshine behind

Tomorrow is the last day of the working week for me before four days off. *happy dance*  I don't have anything special planned. Just stuff. Maybe crossing a few things off my Christmas holiday to-do list that didn't get done while I was on holidays. 

Tonight I went for my first run/walk around the Tan for the year.  It's the first time since I've been back at work that I've had the energy to even contemplate a run. I probably walked more than I ran - my lungs were willing, my legs less so - but that's better than sitting on the couch for an extra half an hour. And I do walk super fast. 

I forgot to mention that the calendar my online friend Erin sent from the US has arrived, along with an extra little present - a word nerd book called Who Put the Butter in Butterfly...and Other Fearless Investigations into Our Illogical Language. How very thoughtful! 

The calendar has very fetching photographs of Erin's home state of Oklahoma, including  lovely autumns scenes and picturesque waterfalls. (No, there are no pictures of corn as high as an elephant's eye...Sorry, I couldn't help myself) To my surprise, the calendar mentions Australia Day on January 26. Quite unexpected. 

It includes holidays of other countries too, such as Burns Night in Scotland, which is the day before Australia Day. Burns Night probably isn't as dangerous as it sounds. *googles*  Oh, it celebrates Scotland's "national poet" Robert Burns, who penned Auld Lang Syne. It's traditional to eat "haggis, tatties and neeps" (the latter being potatoes and turnips). 

According to some random site I clicked on, this is what happens on Burns Night: 

The haggis is carried into the room on a silver plate and a piper pipes the haggis into the room, while we are eating people recite and sing Rabbie's songs.

Haha...but also...WHILE WE ARE EATING PEOPLE!!! I thought it sounded dangerous. Punctuation matters!

Speaking of eating, we had black rice with dinner tonight for the first time. It's black until it starts to cook, and then it turns a really dark purple. The flavour is much the same as brown rice, but it's meant to be even more nutritious.  

Present, parrots, golden hour

The parcel from a friend that I have been eagerly awaiting finally arrived today. Hurrah! It's a copy of the new Nick Earls book called Word Hunters: The Curious Dictionary. Not only is it the latest work of one of my favourite authors, it's also signed by Nick and the illustrator, Terry Whidborne. As the title suggests, it's a novel about words. Two of my favourite things rolled into one.

It was sent by my friend Gillian, who's a real librarian. Nick and Terry came to her library and she very kindly got them to sign a copy of their new book for me. I'm very spoilt.

I'll have to take a break from the book I'm reading to devour Word Hunters. I'm reading the biography of Samuel Johnson I bought a little while back. I haven't read very much because it's kind of tedious and I'm disappointed to discover Johnson was, in today's parlance, a bit of a wanker.  I want to finish it though, but a break is welcome. 

I wore my new(ish) red shoes to work for the first time today. I got lots of compliments. 

I've been seeing a small flock of grass parrots on the way to work in the mornings. I saw them tonight on the way home and stopped to take a photo. 

I also saw a duck standing on water. 

Oh, all right; it was standing on a rock just below the surface. Thanks to me, the ducks that hang around beside the Yarra near Birrarung Marr must be among the most photographed ducks in Melbourne. I'm the duck paparazzi. The quackerazzi. 

The clouds were pretty as I was walking home in the golden hour. 

From the bridge

I stopped on Morell Bridge tonight to take a photo of the silos basking in the late afternoon sun against a backdrop of dark grey sky. 

Then I turned around to take a photo of the setting sun...

...and when I turned back, I saw this:

Then I turned around again to take a photo of the rowers...

...and when I started to head for home, the rainbow was even brighter. 

I'm expecting a parcel in the mail from a friend. I'll tell you more about it when it arrives. 

That's how I roll

Looking out the window behind my desk today. Luckily my 

co-worker pointed it out or I wouldn't have known it was there

I have rollerskates! before my birthday I tweeted that I was having trouble thinking of present ideas  - rollerskates were one of the few things I could think of that I wanted. 

I mentioned this to Luke but then pooh-poohed the idea because I thought it might be one of those things where the novelty wears off quickly, which isn't so bad for a gift that's inexpensive, but rollerskates are not inexpensive. 

But then one of my lovely Twitter friends replied to my tweet saying she had a pair of rollerskates I could have free and the size seemed about right. Yay! I got a little bit excited. 

Anyway, we arranged to meet for a hot beverage last Sunday for a handover of said skates. This was our first meeting too - I didn't even know what her real name was until we got to making arrangements for meeting! 

We had a natter over a coffee (for her) and a top-notch hot chocolate (for me) on bustling Degraves Street in the city. I do enjoy meeting my Twitter friends in the real world.  

When I got home the first thing I did was try them on and they fit! Well, I might need to wear a pair of thick socks with them, but essentially they fit. I tentatively rolled around my carpeted lounge room for a bit feeling very pleased with my new acquisition, and grateful for the kindness and generosity of  (almost) strangers. 

I mentioned on Facebook that I had some rollerskates and a friend (only a few years younger than I am) said she had bought herself white skates with the red glittery wheels last year because she had wanted, but never got them, when she was a kid. We're gonna have a skate date. Shame we don't still own a Walkman so we could be Wired for Sound a la Cliff Richard (google it, youngsters). 

It's been a long time since I have rollersktated so I'm going to need to practice...hopefully without making too much of a public spectacle of myself. Must avoid skating on the path beside the river...

Also on Sunday (man, I need to catch up), I got my nails painted again - this time black with silver glitter. As befits a 40-year-old...

Golden, gift, flying solo

I finally got a decent photo of 'the golden hour'

 from my office window

My boss was back in the office today after a week in Hong Kong for business. He brought back a little souvenir for me, which was unexpected, but pleasing. 

The other secretary in my group is on leave all week, so I'm on my own. So far, so good.

I spotted a great white egret hunting in the shallows of the Yarra on my way to work this morning.  It was standing still as a statue and staring into the reeds along the river bank. It's the second time I've seen it in that spot in the past few days. Unfortunately I couldn't stop to take a photo either time because I would have been run down by stream of cyclists (they get very cross when you get in their way).

A small gift

Taken on the way home from the gym tonight

A while ago one of the people I work for expressed a desire for a Pacer pencil (one of those mechanical jobbies), but she had to go without because they aren't a standard stationery item and the stationery nazis don't like requests for non-standard items.

Yesterday when I was shopping for the charity drive I saw a Pacer pencil and decided to buy it for her. She's been under a lot of pressure at work, so I thought it would put a smile on her face. And it did. She was thrilled, and that made me happy. It's the small things...

And it was a two pack, so now we have matching Pacers. Wooh.

New view, flowers, warm

Nice wispy clouds tonight

My department moved offices over the weekend. I'm still settling in to my new workspace, but I have an even better view than before.

The partners gave the each of the secretaries a bunch of flowers and a Myer gift card to say thanks for all our hard work during the move. I got tulips with purple flowers I think I should know but can't name (some kind of bulb - a little hard to see in the photo). Pretty. I wasn't expecting it, but it's a lovely gesture.

Speaking of flowers, the little black and yellow daisies have sprouted in the grass along the river banks. It's spring! Warm weather is forecast for the weekend too. Yay! I want to get out and fly my kite.

Homecoming, baby stone, exact

Camera shy swans (and you thought

swans were graceful birds)

Luke's back! Yay! And he bought me presents, my favourite of which is a trio of small, smooth stones he picked up on the beach at The Needles on the Isle of Wight. One is a like the baby of the stone Luke found on the beach when we visited Cape Schank on Good Friday.  Oh, he got the card I sent too. He liked it a lot.

Yesterday I had exactly the right cash in my wallet to pay for my lunch.

I got another delivery at work from Etsy.com - a black and white striped bolero (I'm a little obsessed with B&W stripes). It's my first custom made item and it fits. It came from a designer in Latvia too, which makes it extra special, I think.

The days are getting longer. It was still light at 6.00pm when I was on my way home from work. Not long until daylight savings starts now...

500 posts of glee

This is my 500th Gleeful post.  I'm not sure I expected to get this far when I started  the blog on 1 September 2009, but here I am. Wooo!

To celebrate and to say thank you, I am going to give you all a gift - one for each reader. What, I hear you ask? Music  - and sharing music with friends - has been a constant source of glee for me, so I am going to make you a 'mix tape' (CD).

If you would like one, please email me at fauxbrarian at gmail dot com.  I will post them anywhere in the world. Go on, email me! I do love making mix tapes...

Chocolate, gift, wishing tree, squeezy

What an ace day. My seminar went off without a hitch this morning. I left work at 4.00pm and met up with my friend Si for a chocolate overload at Chokolait. Mmmm....mousse cake....Belgian hot chocolate...

Then we went for a wander and I spotted this on a wall in a laneway off Little Collins Street:

It's a wishing tree! Awesome!

Someone's wish. Awesomer!

I just love that someone did this and people embraced it (apart from the joyless person who wrote FAIL on the trunk). Most of the wishes were 'to be happy'. Which makes me happy, but also sad.

It was Si's birthday last week and I gave him a card and gift, which he was super-pleased with, which also made me happy. It really is better to give than receive and the best kind of giving is when you give with no expectation of anything in return, just to put a smile on someone's face.

It was raining when my tram arrived, and it was packed full but I squeezed on. Normally I dislike squeezy tram rides (doesn't everyone?), but this was the best jam-packed tram ride ever. The people were in good spirits - most were going to the Andre Rieu concert or the Dinosaurs Alive  show. They were chatty and friendly, the children were excited and the driver was also chatty and in good humour. At one stage the lights went off on the tram and everyone went, "Oooooh" and the driver joked, "That's a concert warm up for you." It was quite lovely.

I walked through Gosch's Paddock in the chilly night air in light rain. AAMI Park was lit up and looking stunning under the cloudy sky, tinged with orange by the city lights. Megabats (of the grey-headed flying fox variety) flew overhead. (Since I found out they are classifed as megabats, every time I see one I think, "Megabat!")

I was very happy to get home to my toasty warm flat. I think it might be mitten and ear muff weather now. Yay.  Well, sort of yay.

Compliments, presents, exactitude and pie.

I have worn a top to work twice in the past two weeks that has been in my wardrobe for more than 10 years. I have never received so many compliments on an item of clothing before! It's a 3/4 sleeved, V-neck top with fine diagonal purple and black stripes that meet at a mid-seam on the front and back. There's a little bit of silver thread through it too.

I forgot to mention yesterday that one of the young solicitors I work for returned yesterday from a trip to Thailand with a present for me - a colourful woven cotton scarf. What a sweetheart!

My grocery bill at the supermarket came to exactly $20.

I'm making shepherd's pie for dinner tomorrow night. Having someone to cook for and the cooler weather have combined to get me more excited about being in the kitchen.

Giving and receiving

I sent off my mix tape to my Twitter friend Jason today and then  I arrived home to find a package from another Twitter friend containing a book and CDs about meditation, which I'm interested in learning about. Ah, it's the circle of giving.

Wordless

I have a Pepsi Max habit which sees me buying a 600ml bottle every lunch time from a place near my sushi outlet. In three months I have reached the point where I don't need to ask for what I want - or even open my mouth at all. They see me coming and reach for my beverage. It's ace.

Permanent

Oh, I forgot to mention that I have been made permanent in my job. It will be nice to feel like I properly belong somewhere again.

Here's some glee I prepared earlier

I've kind of been enjoying not having to post every day now NaBloPoMo is over, but I've saved up some gleeful stuff from the past few days.

I had my work Christmas party on Friday night and it was fun. They really go all out. It was at the Grand Hyatt Ballroom (lah-di-dah) and, in keeping with the circus theme, there were acrobats, funny mirrors, plate spinners, stilt walkers, clowns and a ringmaster for emcee. The three course meal was delicious. The band was funky. The dancing was vigorous.

The highlight of the night was the law graduate revue, which was a medley of singing, dancing, video vignettes and in-jokes (most of which I understood. Yay). There were parodies of the Old Spice ad and Master Chef, and the finale was a spectacular rendition of Robbie Williams' Let Me Entertain You (substituting the name of the firm for 'Me').

All in all, a great night. People say you're just part of a faceless mob working at such a large firm, but it really feels like there's a sense of community. Or maybe it's still all too new for me to be cynical about it....

(Oh, I didn't wear the dress in the end - I decided I would look too different to everyone else and I'm too new to be so bold. Sorry, no pics from the night.)

During the meal, one of my friends who started a couple of weeks before I did asked how old I am. Her mouth dropped when I told her. She thought I was younger than her. She's 27. For those who don't know, I'm 38. I love that moment. (That's what staying out of the sun and wearing sunscreen can do for you.)

I was given a box of Lindor Balls on Friday as a thank you for my efforts preparing for a big trial that started in Sydney today. It wasn't necessary (especially as I'm paid for overtime!) but it's wonderful to know you're appreciated. 

As if that weren't enough, today the two solicitors on the case who are in Sydney had a box of cupcakes delivered for the many people who helped with preparations. A very lovely gesture. 

In even more work-related news, it looks like I will be made permanent at the firm, but not for another couple of months. I'm starting a new role in the same group next week and they want to make sure that works out before they sign me up.