Greyhound love

The rain over the bay yesterday

I have become obsessed with greyhounds. We had a pet greyhound called Bess when I was a kid and I've long wanted to have one of my own one day, but lately I just really, really, really want one. Seeing them in the news more because of the recent ban on greyhound racing in New South Wales hasn't helped. I guess saving a squillion photos of them on Pinterest doesn't help either. Today I found a series of photos of Borys and Walter, a Bengal cat and rescue greyhound, who are best friends. It's so cute it hurts. 

Greyhounds are actually ideal dogs for apartments because they are very lazy, but we aren't allowed to have pets, and I wouldn't go and get one on the sly. One day maybe...

I love these dog portraits, and of course I like the greyhound/galgo ones the most. There's some dog breeds in there I've never heard of - like the Silken Windsprite and the Azawakh. Look how adorably gangly the Azawakh is! 

My week is half over. Yay. 

Bus stop cat, nap, Brisbane - day 2

Remember this fluffy ginger cat I patted on the way home a few weeks ago? Today I walked past its house again and it was sitting at the bus stop - actually sitting on the seat beside a woman who was waiting for the bus. She said it's not her cat, but it often sits at the bus stop and its even tried to get on the bus a few times! Funny kitty. 

I did a yoga class this morning. I wasn't sure how I'd go because my abs were sore from previous exercise efforts, and I felt weary after walking most of the way to the class (30 minute walk). But I did well - it was challenging, but not too hard - and I liked it. I'll go back (even though it means I don't get a Friday sleep in).

I walked all the way home from yoga which meant I had done 11,200 steps by about 12.30. I was rather sore and worn out. I couldn't resist a nap, and it was awesome. I cannot adequately describe how much I love my bed. 

Back to my holiday! On my second day in Brisbane, I met Gillian. It was weird because it was a little like meeting someone new, but mostly like catching up with someone you know. It felt normal, but also surreal to finally be in the same place after 10 years of being friends.

We went to Old Government House for the Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Costume Exhibition. I don't watch the show, but I've see enough to know the clothes are stunning - as indeed they were. Gillian and I were 'oohing' and 'aahing' all over the place. 

Eveningwear 

We weren't allowed to touch the costumes, but it was SO hard not to. I'm very tactile - I love to feel fabrics, and these fabrics were all so beautiful - silky, filmy and floaty, ornately beaded and sequined, and even a bit of faux furriness. Many costumes were displayed with sample fabrics - I could have run the silky, chiffony fabrics through my fingers all day. 

 A swimsuit from an Ethel Mermanesque scene

The descriptions of how the costumes were made were fascinating. Some are vintage and some new, and some are a mix - for example, new fabrics with vintage lace trims.   Some things were dyed and manipulated in other ways. There was also a mix of original and new jewellery and accessories. They were sourced from all over - some donated, some from the head costume designer's own collection, some from vintage stores. 

Some costumes turned out not to be suitable - like the a gauzy nightwear-style jacket that was to be worn by Miss Fisher in a scene with a tarantula, but the spider, being rather hairy, got caught in the fabric. I bet Essie Davis enjoyed having to get changed and do that scene again.

Beachwear

The exhibition included a mock up of designer Marion Boyce's workroom, which had work benches covered in all sorts of bits n bobs - beads and lace and fabrics, but still we couldn't touch! There was a video showing Marion at work - she didn't even use patterns; she just cut up a piece of fabric freehand and bam! A gorgeous dress!  (You can get a better look at the Miss Fisher costumes and Marion's other work here.)

I left the exhibition wishing I could be a costume designer (alas my sewing skills extend to hems and buttons). 

After the exhibition, Gillian and I strolled through the Botanic Gardens, which are right on the edge of the CBD.  

 Lizard, hanging out on the steps, eating bugs

 African Sausage Tree (really!)

 Pretty pink tree (a tabebuia, I learnt via google)

Big old tree

Lunch, more money, no nap

Fence cat thinking about jumping onto my head

I enjoyed hanging out with my friend and her two boys (9 and 6) today. We had pizza for lunch, which the boys generously declared the best pizza ever, followed by ice cream because the salami made the little one's mouth burn. They make me laugh. 

I dropped into work afterwards to pick up my salary review letter because I didn't want to wait until Monday. I was hoping for a pay rise, but not expecting one. I did get a small increase though, which I'm happy with. 

I came home and got into bed to read (Meghan Daum's Selfish Shallow and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not to Have Kids) and most likely to have a nap, but somehow I didn't end up napping, which I'm both pleased and disappointed about. Pleased because I'm trying to nap less, but disappointed because I love naps.

Off to Woods Point tomorrow!

A visitor

I was lazing about in bed late this afternoon after a nap when Luke arrived home from the supermarket. He called out to me and said he had a friend to see me. What the? I came out into the living area and there was our neighbours' cat! He was walking around inspecting and sniffing everything. 

I first met him a few weeks ago when his owners got home as I was walking up the stairs and he came out of the door miaowing at them. I wanted to steal him away because I love 'blue' cats and I miss having a moggie. 

He was on the stairs again when Luke got home tonight, apparently locked out of his flat, and he followed Luke in to our place. He spent a good 10 minutes investigating and enjoying some pats, but then he started miaowing with intent. I gave him half a tin of tuna, which he gobbled up. 

He wandered around a bit more then settled down on the back of the couch. After a while he heard the door of his flat open and away he went. I hope he visits again. 

Feline, Foddie's, strolling

I met a cat coming home

I forgot to mention our meal at the Foddie's on Saturday night! It was their opening night and we waited a while for our meals, but they were worth the wait. I had the pulled beef burger, with one of the best gluten-free buns I've ever eaten, and Luke had the lamb fatoush salad, which he enjoyed.  

I had picked out their dessert tapas for my second course, but I couldn't fit it in.  As a thank you for coming to their opening night and to apologise for the wait on our meals, they sent us off with some gluten-free, lactose-free chocolate brownies. Yum. 

I walked nearly all the way from work to my pilates class in Windsor, which took a smidge over an hour. I walked along St Kilda Road for most of the way. It's quite a pleasant stroll, despite the multiple lanes of traffic. It accounted for about half of my daily total of 14,000 steps.  

JBPM: day 20

Dan the nursery cat

He looks stern, but Dan was friendly and enjoyed my pats. His owner at the Glasshaus nursery in Richmond said a lot of people take his photo and post it to Instagram, so maybe he's tired of posing for the snaparazzi. It must be tiresome being a celebrity. 

I think it's funny and a bit odd when people give their pets human names. My family had neighbours once who called their dog, a collie, Kirsty. I wondered if they had a child would they call it Lassie. (They didn't. They had three boys.) 

I cooked three recipes from Pinterest for dinner tonight. Three! New dishes I haven't made before, too -  lime and coconut chicken, avocado and coriander rice, and a mixed berry cobbler. The cobbler wasn't quite right - it didn't rise much, for some reason, and it was a little well done around the edges  - but it was yummy, especially with a generous dollop of whipped cream.  

Speaking of food, I had the blueberry pancakes with lemon curd and creme fraiche at Moth to a Flame for brunch again today. SO good. It was accompanied by the perfect hot chocolate too.  

Luke is watching funny videos on YouTube and roaring with laughter. I have been laughing at him laughing. He has one laugh that goes "HAAA-HAAAH!" that I find particularly amusing. 

NaBloPoMo Day 4: Dinosaurs, day off, delish

We hired a DVD on Saturday night. Yep, we still go to the store and hand over a few dollars to take home a movie to watch. We're techno dinosaurs. But I'm in no rush to swap hiring for downloading because the store we go to is a little independent business that has been on Swan Street in Richmond for at least 20 years. We don't hire movies very often, but when we do, I like the idea of supporting a local business. 

Plus, when we went on Saturday night, there was a big tabby cat in the store and you don't get to pat a cat when you download a movie, do you? The store owner said the cat wasn't fat, it was "big boned". 

Tomorrow is a pubic holiday in Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup horse race. Yay, a day off work! I'm not fussed about the race, although I did go in the $10 sweep at work just for the hell of it. My horse is called Sea Moon. I have no idea whether it has any prospect of doing well. 

We had my new favourite salad for dinner tonight. So fresh and tasty. It's just avocado, tomato, cucumber, feta and coriander chopped up with a dressing of lime juice and tiny bit of sugar. We had it with lamb fillet, which I managed to cook just right. Delish.   

Recognised, cool change, mania

Still no Sydney update - I have to tell you about something else that happened on burger and gelati (burgelati?) night. After I left the shop with my blood orange and chocolate gelati and sat down at a table outside, a woman in the shop stopped Luke on his way out to ask if I was the owner of the Girl in Melbourne blog. He answered in the affirmative and then relayed this to me straight away. I was a little bit thrilled. I've been recognised! 

Then after she had finished her gelati, the woman came over to say hello herself! Her name is Brooke. She said she's a lurker at GiM. If you're lurking here too, Brooke, hello! You made my day. 

The weather in Melbourne was very cooperative today. The cool change came through in the afternoon, sending the temperature plummeting 10 degrees to 27 in 10 minutes, which allowed Luke and I to walk in comfort to Bridge Road. I think we're going to have to start planning our route to Grill'd and Fritz now because it's becoming harder to find 'new' streets. So soon! 

We didn't see much new this evening...oh, wait - we saw two nuns of Daughters of Divine Zeal on Church Street. The street name's not a coincidence - the imposing St Ignatius church sits high on the hill opposite the hostel run by the Daughters. I can't comment on how zealous they were. We didn't get close enough.

I also patted a friendly Russian blue cat that was sitting on the front porch of a blue house. I think his humans like blue. 

And I spotted this old sign on the back of the building Grill'd occupies. 

It says 'coke depot' on the upper right, but I can't make out the rest. Something ending in 'ggs' on the left maybe? 

When we were walking through Gosch's Paddock on our way home, there were dozens of bats flying overhead on their way to feast at the Botanic Gardens. I see them most nights - sometimes one or two flying right past our window - but I don't often see so many.  

My invention of burgelati above reminded me that I've recently come to suspect I have some kind of sickness characterised by a mania for making up portmanteau words. I can't help it. I just do it without thinking. For example, every time I see the 7Eleven ad for their Frozen Coke, inside my head I scream, 'FROKE! Just call it FROKE!' It's not a bad affliction. I quite enjoy it. Maybe I'll start a blog called Portmantopia... 

Chatting, rat patting and mannequin love

I patted some rats today. Not what I expected to be doing when I left my house this morning, that's for sure!

I visited a shop that sells clothing and accessories of an alternative bent (goth/metal type stuff - lots of black, buckles and skull motifs). I'd seen a skirt online that I liked but wanted to try it on for size. As soon as I walked in, the shop assistant came over and was on for a chat.

At first I was a little irritated - shut up and let me shop, dammit! - but I ended up happily discussing the rampant consumerism of Christmas, vegetarianism, the death of pets and various other topics quite unlike the normal small talk you get from shopgirls.

Then she mentioned she had her pet rats in the shop today so I asked to see them and I had a pat. Obviously I'm not grossed out by them. It's not like they just crawled out of a pile of roach-infested garbage. (When I was a kid, living on a farm in the middle of a mouse plague, I always felt sorry for the cute little mice when they got killed. Perhaps I am just favourably disposed to rodents?)

I ended up buying a T-shirt (above) which I did really like, but I also felt I couldn't walk out empty handed after standing there talking for 20 minutes! Maybe that's her sly plan...

(PS The Army of Wonderland T-shirt is by Beserk, an Aussie label.)

Big man-nequin

I had a chuckle when I walked past a shop which had a few male mannequins in the window wearing very, very well padded trunks (below). The bit that looks like the mannequin's right leg is actually the bulge! I also like the way the mannequin on Mr Bulgy's left is reaching for a tentative hand hold. Aw...dummy love.

Side note...

I have just learned the word mannequin comes from the Dutch language. It originally meant dwarf but then came to refer to an artist's model. We later adopted the French spelling. The words easel and landscape were also plucked from the Dutch artists. Etymology is so interesting, isn't it?

Culinary achievements and soccer dog

I had home made chicken rice paper rolls for lunch today - home made by me. I even whipped up the dipping sauce. It was all tasty and I was very pleased with myself.

I was particularly pleased with myself because I am in the midst of an allergy elimination diet which mainly restricts me to eating bland food, so to make something that I would eat even if I didn't have to is a joy.

I will be eating them every day for months now!

Bend it like Fido

I saw a dog playing soccer with his owners in the park tonight. They kicked the ball, he chased after it, stopped it with his body and then dribbled it back to them using his nose. He has quite a star performer and put a smile on the faces of everyone walking past.

What's your proudest culinary achievement?