NaBloPoMo: day 2

Albert Park verandah seat

I'm debt freeeeee! I paid off my credit card today. Hurrah. I paid off the bulk of it with my tax return last month and the last couple of hundred today. It wasn't a massive debt, but it was more than I was comfortable with, so I'm very pleased it's history. Now I can focus on saving money for an overseas holiday next year. Paying off debt is a great feeling, but watching your savings grow is even better. 

Yesterday was the five-month mark of my shopping ban. It's going so well that I've almost made up my mind to extend it beyond the end of the year and stretch it out to a whole year of no new shoes and clothes. That will mean it ends on 31 May. 

When I was walking through the park on my way home tonight the sun was getting low and a beam of sunlight shone through a gap in the clouds over Government House. By the time I got into a good spot to take a photo it was gone. 

One day of my short week done, two to go! 

Hilarity, spending and saving

A Twitter friend retweeted this video of Steven Jacobs, a morning show weather presenter, being "attacked" by a big chook last night. I watched it at bedtime, which was foolish because I couldn't stop laughing, even when I was just thinking about it. All that laughing made me too overstimulated to sleep. 

I watched it again this morning at work and giggled to myself like a nutter. I can't even explain why I find it so hysterical, but I do. I think it might be the flailing.

I lost a lens from my glasses when I was in Brisbane and I have only just got around to getting it replaced (I have spares obviously). I was pleasantly surprised that it only cost me $60. My health insurance paid about half of the cost, which I wasn't expecting because I'd already claimed for lenses this year.  Pretty happy about that. 

I went also went to Priceline on my lunch break to buy some pressed powder because I had used up every last crumb of what I had, and it was 50 per cent off. Wooh! I also stocked up on one of my skincare essentials and it was 20 per cent off. I'm spaving left, right and centre today (spaving = spending + saving). 

A spontaneous Sunday adventure

Great Ocean Road from Teddy's Lookout, Lorne

Luke and I made an impromptu visit to Lorne on the spectacular Great Ocean Road yesterday. We had lunch in a little town west of Geelong called Birregurra just for a day out somewhere different, but rather than head back home on the highway, Luke suggested we head south to Lorne since it wasn't that far away. It's hard to say no to zooming along the GOR. 

With our bellies full of lamb snags (Luke) and beef burger (me) supplied by farms in the Birregurra region, we set off. The trip took us from farmland, through the forested Otways National Park to the coast.

Fabulous old petrol bowser at Deans Marsh 

A ghost sign on the building behind the bowser

While in Lorne we took in the view from Teddy's Lookout and visited the lush spendour of Erskine Falls - my first time there. It's not the mightiest waterfall we've visited, but the setting is beautiful. Cool, green and cavernous. 

 Erskine Falls near Lorne

Kookaburra sits in the old gumtree

We dropped into the secondhand bookshop in Birregurra (naturally) and while we were there, the owner dropped a bookstand on the floor near my feet. I picked it up for her and she said that meant I would get a surprise. Apparently that was a thing when she grew up - if someone drops something and you pick it up for them, a surprise will come your way. Country karma, I suppose. My surprise is due on Wednesday. I assume it's going to be a nice surprise. 

It might have come early actually. I thought the interest I pay annually in November for an investment thingo hadn't been debited from my account, but today I realised it had; it was just much smaller than usual. This means nearly all of my tax return can go towards other, more tangible things, like saving for holidays next year.  Yay. Oh, OK; I did buy some shoes too.    

Surprise bonus, Avocado Man, baby plants

I got a fabulous surprise at work this week - a small payrise and a bonus. I knew salary increases were being handed out, but I wasn't expecting to see one of the confidential envelopes with my name on it as I've been on the payroll for less than five months, but yay! I was rapt.

I plan to buy myself a little birthday present with the bonus and put the majority of it towards boring but sensible things like savings.

My boss also said some very glowing things about me, and that was ace too.

It was a busy week at work with the end of the financial year (EOFY) yesterday. It all went smoothly but I'm glad it's the weekend now. All the secretarial staff received a coffee and cake voucher for their EOFY efforts, which was a nice gesture.  

Luke bought an avocado to have with dinner last night and it was the most perfect avocado in the world - soft and buttery yellow and without a hint of bruising.  It's not the first time he's picked a good un. It could be his secret superpower. (cue trumpet fanfare) Look, everybody! In the fresh produce department! It's AVOCADO MAN!

My dieffenbachia indoor plant has three little baby plants growing at its base.

I got a delivery at work today - a new T-shirt. Yeeehaw!