NaBloPoMo: day 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27

How has it been five days since I last posted? I've had a friend visiting for a couple of days so I haven't been online as much, but five days?! I'm not doing a very good job of NaBloPoMo, am I? 

Here's some stuff that's happened. 

Kranski! 

I had dinner with my friends Lauren and Bertie at the Munich Brauhaus on Wednesday night. Yes, the German restaurant was my idea. Predictably, I had cheese kranskies, potato salad and sauerkraut. And a pretzel. Yum. The company was good too. Lauren had some wonderful news to share - she's finally leaving the firm where we all met years ago. Hurrah!

I got a new piece of jewellery. Many migraine sufferers say this piercing (known as a daith piercing) cured or relieved their migraines, so my friend Deliea (also a chronic migraineur) and I decided to give it a crack. There's no science to back it up and other migraineurs say it made no difference, but we thought we'd find out for ourselves. I'll leave the ring in regardless, because I like it.  

I have a back up plan to ease my migraines anyway. You know how I spent a day in hospital having a test done last week? Well, I had a cerebral angiogram so my doctors could get a better look at a mass in my noggin that was discovered because my neurologist wanted to check if I had any clots in my sinuses after I mentioned that I'd had a DVT. The mass is an abnormal tangle of veins (arteriovenous malformation) and it could be the cause of some of my migraines. I'll be having it treated in the next few weeks (probably in a similar process to the angiogram - i.e. a catheter inserted into the femoral artery). After suffering migraines since my teens, this development seems almost too good to be true!

Cheese avalanche

After the piercing (which hurt, but but not for long), Deliea and I had burgers at Parlour Diner - the place I had that super oozy cheesy burger a few weeks ago. I had the same burger and it was just as good. (That's a rather unappetising looking gluten-free bun, but it's surprisingly sturdy and held everything together well.)

Christmas countdown

McKillop Lane in the city

Threeeeee working days until the holidaaaaaays! It's been pretty crazy at work in the lead up to Christmas, so my time off will be well-earned. I'm pretty happy I won't be there on the last day for the worst of the insanity. 

I had a very pleasant picnic in the Treasury Gardens with my gal pals last night. Tasty treats, bubbles and lovely company on a nice balmy evening.  I walked home afterwards. 

Taken from the footbridge across the train tracks near the MCG

  

Excellent and delicious

This made me chuckle 

Today I got the nine-letter word in The Age Target puzzle and I found all of the words...well, enough to score an 'excellent'. This is a very rare event...probably because the nine-letter word was 'horseshoe', but whatever!

I had lunch with some work friends. My peri peri chicken burger was deliciously tender and juicy. 

Weekend!!

Sunshine, botox, bridal binge

Yesterday's golden hour 

The last two days have been filled with glorious sunshine. I walked the 40 minutes to my osteopath appointment this morning for the first time in aaaaages to make the most of the warmth. I bared my pasty white arms and gave my vitamin D levels a boost. Aaaah...spring. The smell of jasmine is everywhere and magnolias are blooming, even though the trees are still bare of leaves. 

I had my neurologist appointment yesterday. I'm gonna get botox! As well as its cosmetic and other therapeutic benefits, the toxin is effective at preventing migraines in many sufferers. I have to keep a diary to show that I have 15 migraines a month before the government will subsidise the treatment, so for the first time ever I'm willing my head to ache! Fifteen seems like a lot, but I think I'll get there. The treatment costs $1,200 and lasts only three months so it's not an option if I don't qualify for the subsidy.  

It's weird that being injected with the most deadly toxin known to humankind feels preferable to taking medication every day. (No one has ever been poisoned by it during a treatment.) I didn't ask about whether the treatment will have cosmetic benefits, if you're wondering! 

I had a lovely dinner with the girls last night - a farewell dinner for a friend from my old work who is leaving to for an extended stint of travel, the lucky thing. The food was tasty and we had a lot of laughs.  

I've had a huge wedding show binge this afternoon. I've lost track of how many hours of wedding programs I watched*. I'd be watching Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta right now if I hadn't already seen the episode earlier in the day.  So annoying! 

(*Yeah, I know I should have been outside enjoying the late winter sun, but I didn't have the energy for it. I still enjoyed the sun shining in my big lounge room window and the gentle breeze blowing through my flat.) 

JBPM: day16

I've had a migraine for two days, but several glasses of sparkling wine and natter with the girls after work helped to get rid of it. Good riddance!

We're still having a rather chilly winter round these parts, but today the sun was warm on my back  as I strolled along William Street at lunch time.

Several people complimented me on my dress today (another recent bargain purchase), although we couldn't agree whether it was blue or green. I and the tag say green, everyone else says blue.

Oh! I nearly forgot! My friend Gillian shared this adorably amusing animated video on Facebook today. The bit with the plungers is my favourite, particularly where the pig marches off with the plungers stuck on it, and its head held high.

Day 6: Flicks with the chicks

I went to a Flicks with the Chicks session at Gold Class tonight with Bertie, Lauren and Rosie (another friend from my old work). The session includes the movie, a glass of bubbles on arrival, finger food and dessert, and a showbag with girlie stuff and edible things. 

We saw Enough Said, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini in one of his last movie roles. I enjoyed it -  it's not hilarious or ground-breaking, but it's sweet and likeable. 

Southbank was still buzzing when we left the cinema. Warm weather will do that. It got to 30 degrees C today and is still 24 as I type this at almost 11.00pm. 

I'm really looking forward to bed. Goodnight. 

Seedy, MOO, creaky

Morell Bridge by night

I forgot to mention I also made sesame and sunflower seed butter yesterday. I was ambivalent about the flavour when I sampled it after I made it, but after another taste test tonight, I gave it the thumbs up. It tastes good and smells deliciously nutty, and it's very easy to make. 

I've made quite a lot of recipes from Pinterest now. I like to think this justifies the amount of time I waste spend on there. 

I had drinks and food at the Money Order Office with Bertie and Lauren on Friday night. The Money Order Office, which is in a basement behind the GPO, has an interesting history. According to the MOO website, not only did it house the GPO's money order facilities, but from 1933 to 1970 it was the office of Prime Ministers such as Robert Menzies. The front door came from Buckingham House (later Buckingham Palace) and dates back to the early 1700s. Had I known, I would have taken a photo of it. When Bertie and I were walking down the stairs, the door was slowly creaking open like the front door of a haunted mansion. 

I did take a photo of an old sign in the stairwell though. 

Spruced up, delightful company, score!

On my way to meet Bertie and Lauren for dinner last night I noticed the GPO was sporting a festive new look thanks to red lighting in its windows. I'm not sure how I didn't notice this before because I work on the opposite corner, although I do look down on the building, so that's probably why. I did notice the clock appears to have emerged from the building's recent refurbishment with a new face - or has it always been blue around the outside? Maybe it's just brighter and more eye-catching now. (Hard to see here.)

Bertie, Lauren and I ate at Ca De Vin, one the the restaurants in the alley beside the GPO. Sounds unsavoury, but it's not. It's quite lovely, and warm thanks to lots of overhead gas heaters. 

 The entrance

The view from our table 

(Camera phone = not very good pics)

There are quite a few old signs from the days when the GPO was an actual GPO (general post office) and the alley was a laneway servicing the GPO. I took some photos, but the lighting was very dim further in where the best ones were. I'll have to go back during the day. 

Oh, the dinner. The food was tasty and, as always, the company of my former work colleagues was delightful. I really miss working with people I'm genuinely fond of - people I consider real friends, not just work friends.  Sigh.

Today I ate a mandarin, one of those ones with two or three pips per segment. I dropped a pip on my desk and it bounced along it, fell off and landed in my bin. 

TWO MORE SLEEPS TIL SYDNEY!! 

A grand day out (in full)

Luke and I headed north for a day trip to the central Victorian town of Maldon yesterday. Neither of us had been before, but I'd heard it still retained many original buildings from its glory days during the gold rush of the mid-1800s. Since we liked Clunes and I was quite taken with Castlemaine, chances were good that we'd like Maldon too.

And we did. Very much so. Like Clunes and Castlemaine, Maldon is a picture of rustic charm. It sounds like a real estate agent cliche, but that really does describe it perfectly. There's old buildings, flaking paint, rusting iron roofs, lovely old verandahs, and many beautifully restored old cottages and grander homes.  The National Trust has described Maldon as having "the most intact historic streetscape in Victoria". (Incidentally, Maldon is almost exactly the centre of the state of Victoria.)  

Main Street with old Studebaker. I think there was a vintage

 car show on because we saw a lot of cool old cars about town

Also Main Street

 Main Street again

 A closer view of the Phoenix Buildings facade 

 Templeton Street. Maldon is old sign heaven. Everywhere

 I looked...Ooh! Old sign! Ooh, another old sign! 

I'm going to do a separate post with the old signs because there's too many to squeeze into this post (and it's nearly 11.00pm and I'm tired)

This was the first one I saw, on an old produce store. 

The sign just above the red door says 'corn crushing'

Scotch Pie House! We had lunch at the nearby bakery which 
has a Scottish wood-fired oven. There must be a connection

This is the back of the croquet clubhouse

Stupid cars. If I had to choose a superpower, it would be to 
render vehicles, powerlines and rubbish bins invisible

Flying saucer clouds!

We visited the town's small, but quite impressive museum, where we were attended to by an older gentleman who was endearingly passionate about the history of his town.  The book above - Mrs Beeton's Cookery Book and Household Guide - caught my eye for two reasons: one, because I find these old housekeeping books hilariously archaic; and two, because it was published by the eccentric E W Cole, of Cole's Book Arcade fame.   Unfortunately, it was locked in a glass cabinet so I couldn't leaf through it. 

  

This pine tree in Maldon's compact, but enticingly shady, public garden was propagated from a seed from the Lone Pine at Gallipoli. It was presented to the Maldon RSL in 1983 in memory of Major Alexander Steele, who served in World War 1, so I think the seed was taken from Lone Pine well after WWI.  

Maldon has one of the most - if not the most - impressive

 public schools I have ever seen 

Before heading home we drove to the top of nearby Mt Tarrengower and climbed the poppet-head lookout. Yes, that's what it's called. Poppet-head! Here's what it looks like. 

It was sunny and quite hot when we got to Maldon, but the clouds moved in while we were there, which made the view more picturesque. 

 Overlooking Maldon

You can just see Cairn Curran Reservoir in the middle,

and the Grampians on the horizon

We saw this dilapidated cottage and sheds on the way in to Maldon and stopped to take photos on the way home. I was half-expecting someone to come out and tell us to go away, especially as the faded sign near the front gate said Private property. Keep out, but no one did.  Phew.

 

Give me an old shed among the gumtrees...

With lots of rusty things... 

 

After we got back to Melbourne, we headed off to my friend Bertie's place for a scrumptious roast dinner and a glass or two of bubbly. Bertie has a new job and Lauren, another friend from my old work, recently got engaged, so champagne was definitely in order. It was a fun night to end a long day. Luke and I were very happy to crawl into bed when we got home.

Speaking of sleep, it's nearly midnight now so I'd better post this and go to bed. Apologies for typos and poor formatting. I'll fix that later.  

Footy and figs

Yesterday was one of the major events of the year in Melbourne - the AFL grand final, held at the MCG stadium just a stone's throw from our place. But Luke and I went against the tide of sports fans pouring out of Richmond Station and caught a train out to Moorabbin for a barbecue at my friend Bertie's place. 

It was a fun day out. At half time, a few of us kicked the footy on the oval next door to Bertie's place (the home ground of the St kilda football team).  It's been a long time since I've kicked a football. I used to be pretty good at it when I was a kid. Apparently I've still got it because I kicked a goal yesterday. Go, me...oh, all right. It was a set shot while I was standing right in front of the goals. But still! 

There was a full moon over the oval as Luke and I headed back to the station. 

Are these figs or feijoas? I spotted them hanging over my neighbours' fence yesterday and at first I thought they were figs and got a bit excited. I'll be able to eat freshly picked, locally grown figs! But now I'm not so sure. I'll have to keep an eye on them and hope the birds don't get to them before they're ripe enough to pick. 

Henry Wagons tweeted a link to photos from his album launch on Friday night. I'm in two of the photos and Luke's in one. We're famous!

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

Reunion, shanks, bonk!

I caught up with friends from my old job tonight. It was a farewell dinner for one of the secretaries who finished up today. I got a lovely surprise when the woman who used to be my cubicle buddy walked through the door. I haven't seen her since I left and didn't know she was coming.  It was great to see her. She's about my mum's age, and lots of fun and very cheeky. We had a good laugh. We all did. 

I ordered lamb for dinner - this time braised lamb shanks, which were delicious, but still not quite as spectacular as the lamb shoulder I had at Society recently. I really must buy that slow cooker. 

I'm not sure what this says about my sense of humour, but this photo of a panda falling head-first off a slide makes me guffaw. It's even funnier if you imagine a 'BONK!' sound effect like you'd hear on funniest Home Videos. 

Bonk!

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.  

Easter fun: part 1

I am having a delightful Easter break so far. Comedy, countryside, cuddles, chocolate. C is for awesome.

Thursday night Luke and I went to yet another comedy show - this time Ava Vidal, a UK comic, who was funny, often in a 'that's a bit wrong, but hahahaha' way. I liked her.

On Friday we headed for the Mornington Peninsula for the day. It was breezy and cool, but sunny. Luke pointed out landmarks from his youth and the tiny, ghostly silhouette of the city in the distance.

We stopped at Mornington for lunch...well, breakfast for me and second breakfast for Luke (mmmm...bacon).  

Then we kept going all the way to Cape Schank, stopping for a little meander along the picturesque beach at Sullivan Bay, near Sorrento. Did you know Sullivan Bay was the site of the first attempt by Europeans to settle what is now Victoria in 1803? I didn't. The 467 settlers included 299 convicts, including an 11-year-old John Pascoe Fawkner, who in 1835 became one of the founders of Melbourne, and convict John Buckley, who escaped from the settlement and lived with Aborigines near Geelong for 33 years.  All that remains now are four settlers' graves.

Cape Schank

We stopped again at Gunnamatta Beach where the wind was blowing a gale and whipping up the surf, then headed on to Cape Schank. We walked all the way to the bottom of the boardwalk onto the rocky beach.  The rocks are dark grey and black when wet. Basalt?

The waves were so strong that when the water receded, it dragged rocks - and not only small ones - back into the water. The sound of rocks tumbling over each other was quite loud. Luke skimmed stones on the sea and then found me a nice, perfectly symmetrical rock to keep as a souvenir (I've got into the habit of doing that).

Paperweight?

We drove back through the countryside, which is hilly and very pretty. We listened to old cassette tapes in the car - Billy Idol, Eric Clapton, The Muppet Movie soundtrack and Transvision Vamp. Remember cassettes? We're so retro. Luke sang along but I couldn't remember the words (except to Rainbow Connection).

Speaking of music, Luke made me a two-CD 'mix tape'. It's good. I've been listening to it all day.

Last night I went to another comedy show with friends - Mark Butler's Grammar Don't Matter on a First Date, an hour of very funny stand up about pedantry and dating. It was great...kind of like a meeting of the Fellowship of Pedants (only funny).  We got to decide which grammar errors justified breaking up with someone and to pick out the grammatical errors in popular songs. I was the first to point out that Devo should sing 'Whip it well", instead of "Whip it good". *smug face*. He had us sing the grammatically correct version too.

I went with my friend Paul and the mother-to-be of his first child (they are no longer together, but remain friends). I'd never met her before. We got along really well. We worked at the same suburban law firm and have similar musical tastes (and she's a pedant too).

Today I'm having a lazy morning before heading to Ikea. Tonight I'm off to see my final show of the Comedy Festival - Daniel Kitson. Tomorrow I'm heading out to the sticks to visit my adorable nephews and eat corned beef for lunch. Wooh!

Old friend, squee-fest, day trippin'. And balls.

My weekend of fun and frivolity continues. I met a friend from my uni days whom I haven't seen for months on Victoria Street in Richmond. We had lunch* and a good catch up - she's one of those precious friends you can go ages without seeing, but you slip effortlessly back into the friendship like it's a pair of comfy slippers.

After lunch Carly and I went over the road to Daiso, the Japanese $2.80 shop (that's inflation for ya). I've never been there before, but Carly - who's still a big kid like me, only she has small kids - is a veteran and loves it. It was a hoot and a squee-fest. We alternated between giggling at the hilariously translated directions on stuff and exclaiming, "OH MY GOD! That's SO cute!".

My frivolously awesome purchases:

* a set of animal erasers that are not only cute, but scented.

* a set of wee pencil topper erasers shaped like animals.

* a microfibre cloth in the shape of an apple. I might be more inclined to clean the dust off my laptop now.

* a scouring pad with strawberries on it.

* a watering can shaped liked an elephant.

* a set of brightly coloured sticky tabs.

* three correction tape dispensers....one shaped like a penguin, one like a rabbit and one like a chicken. I couldn't decide.

* a tin of little coloured pencils. OK, so I've gone a bit overboard on pencils.

* a photo frame. Just plain black. Not sure how that slipped through their quality control.

After that, I walked up to Smith Street and poked about a second-hand shop, took photos of old signs (more! More old signs!) and I finally spotted the building that housed the famous MacRobertson confectionery factory! I've read a little bit about it and founder Macpherson Robertson in books about Melbourne and have wondered where it was and today I spotted it! It's up the Alexandra Parade end.

Guess what I just found out? I googled MacRobertson and discovered that Douglas Mawson named part of Antarctica MacRobertson Land after him! (He funded the expedition) How ace is that?! I don't know why, but this pleases me immensely. Macrob was an eccentric and fascinating man - one of the most notable characters in Melbourne history. I must find out more about him. 

Anyway, after that I wandered up to Brunswick Street and bought bagels. I passed a girl sitting outside a cafe in the sunshine, bent low over a notebook, writing furiously. As I waited for the tram outside a nursery, a girl pressed her nose to a honeysuckle flower, closed her eyes and inhaled its perfume. Sometimes I wish I could take photos of people without them seeing. I'm too shy to ask. I know! I need a spy camera! That wouldn't be creepy at ALL, would it? 

I headed into the city to meet a friend. We met on the steps of the State Library. He indulged me by letting me show him all my silly purchases. He liked the bagels best. Boys, eh?

Speaking of boys...

The guy I like^ is taking me on a day trip to the Mornington Peninsula on Good Friday. (He lives down that way.)  I can't wait. I haven't been down that way for years, although that's not really the reason I can't wait.  

* I ordered the beef ball soup thinking it was balls made of beef but after biting into the first one, I wasn't so sure. Very rubbery. Squeaked against my teeth a tiny bit. Carly said, "You've seen testicles before, haven't you?" Me: "Yes, but only inside a scrotum; not...on the loose." Carly: "Didn't you grow up on a farm?" Me: Yes, but I've still only seen bull testicles attached to a bull." They weren't unpleasant. The ones in my soup, I mean.

^ If you haven't already guessed, that guy is Luke.

The Gleeful Omnibus. Vrooooom!

Artwork atop the Sportsgirl building in Richmond.

At last the interwebz have told me what this is!

Tsk tsk. I haven't blogged in nearly a week, but it's not because there's been a lack of glee in my life. Not at all. There's been loads of glee. LOADS of it. I'll start with today.

I went shopping on Chapel Street with the intention of buying some quirky homewares for my flat. I ended up buying three original My Little Ponies (one wears a tiara! Another has little pink glasses! Just like real ponies!), a giant bubble blowing wand, rainbow gel pens, the cutest notebook, a beautiful postcard by an artist called Art and Ghosts, a gorgeous colouring book and coloured pencils. Yes, ALL for me!

The colouring book is called Lolo isn't Lonely Anymore - "When Lolo's house is sold, she must move far away from her beloved city to the country. Everything is different, and at first she is very lonely, but soon she learns to listen and look, and finally starts to notice all the great things that were there all along".  The story speaks to me (it's a little bit like this blog really) and the illustrations are lovely. I hope I don't mess it up when I colour it in!

A trio of cats sunning themselves in a bookshop window

I walked home from Chapel Street along the river. I don't often walk along that stretch of the Yarra, but it offers some great views of the city, including this lovely vista. I just happened along at the perfect time of day.

And then I noticed a fairly well-concealed rough path heading down to a jetty on the water so I went down there and it was beautiful - the view of the city at sunset and the almost-full moon and Our Magic Hour sign reflecting on the water. I love you with all my heart, Melbourne.

Secret spill

I have been wearing new ankle boots all week. They're very comfy and I love them...although I did fall over in them at work BUT NO ONE SAW ME! How 'bout that, eh?! 30-odd people in my department and I fell over out of sight. Go, me! (If Frisky falls in the office and nobody sees her and nobody hears her, the bruise on her kneecap shall be proof that it did happen!)

Speaking of work, there's been a re-shuffle in my group and after Easter I will start working for one of my favourite people in the department. She's awesome - very funny and so lovely. I'm very happy about being her minion. Our first task shall be to work out how to buy gin on her corporate Amex.

The not-very-early birds 

For the last week or so on the way to work, I have passed Mr and Mrs Plover hunting for their breakfast on the same stretch of riverbank. I like seeing them every day. They're another addition to my free- range menagerie of birdy pets. I've seen them catch a few worms too. This proves that the saying about the early bird is wrong. You heard it here first.

I've also seen possums, two scampering rats, and a native water rat (rakali) swimming in the river (at night, not on my way to work).

We've had some very damp weather this week, but I find it hard to be glum about it when I can look out my office window and see a huge blanket of dark grey cloud suspended over the city, waiting to dump its load. It looked quite apocalyptic, but fantastic (sorry, no photo).


MORE comedy!

Luke and I went to see comedian Mark Watson last night (at the Forum again). I loved it. There wasn't a lot of discernible structure to his stand-up, but he's face-hurtingly funny, the crowd interaction was great and, like David O'Doherty, he has such a likeable stage presence. And five minutes before the show was due to start he was sitting on a couch in the foyer chatting to punters and having his photo taken!

Cute Satan

I saw Satan in the city last night when I was waiting for Luke. Two Satans in fact. A man-sized devil and his mini-me devil sidekick. MIDGET SATAN! (yes, I know midget isn't PC, but it's funnier than LITTLE PERSON SATAN!). Midget Satan was tiny and adorable. He chased a girl with his pitchfork and she ran away squealing. What a sook. (I think they were promoting a Comedy Festival show.)

The leaves are starting to turn colour and fall. Yay, autumn!

Tomorrow I'm having brunch with a friend I haven't seen in ages and then we're going to Daiso, which I'm told is like a Japanse $2 shop. Can't wait!


Sneaky important bit hidden at the bottom

There's a boy that I like and he likes me too!

River reflection of Our Magic Hour