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.  

Solved, work hottie, relaxing

This is the first time in more than a year of playing the nine letter word game that I have found every word. Woohoo! This is also the only time there's only been two words to find, but whatever. I'm still pleased with myself. 

I took a hot water bottle to work today to help ease my back ache. I was also cold despite my many layers of clothing, but the hot water bottle kept me nice and warm. I didn't want to leave my desk. 

My boss was interstate again today so I had a nice relaxing day. 

Soo-pear warm, no waiting, many steps

Heart of bark

I remembered yesterday that I bought fleece-lined tights last winter. I wore them them today (even though it wasn't quite as cold as yesterday). They're very cosy; my legs weren't cold at all. I also wore my super-warm parka that's like going out with a doona wrapped around me.  No part of my person was cold. 

I was in a shop this afternoon filling in time before an appointment when a shop assistant approached and asked if I knew about their special deals. She had a French accent and she was utterly gorgeous. When I said I did, she replied, "Super", but it sounded like "soo-pear". I fell in love with her instantly. 

I went to Medicare and the post office today around lunch time and barely had to wait at all.  
Two buses went by one after the other as I was walking to the bus stop late this afternoon. I expected to have to wait a while for the next one, but then another one appeared almost straight away! That never happens. 

It's nearly 10.00pm and I've racked up 19,145 steps. That's A LOT. I was up a little earlier than I am on a work day and had appointments in Hawthorn, the city, Carlton and then Richmond so I sure got around (on foot, tram and bus). 

Dark and drizzly, golden hour, even better best

Sunset is over there ---->

It was dark and drizzly when I got up this morning. It doesn't raise the spirits like getting up to a flat flooded with sunlight, but there's a coziness - or something - about it that appeals to me. I like having a shower in the dark. (I should note that my building is always warm in the cooler months so rising on cold mornings isn't such a shock to the system...and I don't get up until around 8.00am).

It was cold and drizzly all day. The sun only showed up as it sank towards the horizon. I can't quite see the sunset from my office at the moment, but I get to enjoy the golden hour every afternoon. Around the time I took the photo above, the bay was a calm icy blue and a container ship was lit orange by the rays of the sun. It looked very serene. 

I've had an aching back for a little while and today I remembered I had a heat pack in my drawer, so I gave it a spin in the microwave and stuffed it down the back of my skirt, which was fine when I was sitting down, but when I was walking to the kitchen it fell out the bottom of my skirt onto the floor as if I'd laid an egg. 

Speaking of my skirt, it's one that I haven't worn in a year or more. I held it up to myself and didn't think it would fit, but it did. 

I was wrong about my bed-to-desk personal best! I'm down to 50 minutes now, not 52! I predict it will never be bested.  

Wintry, warm, speedy

My new winter coat got its first outing today. Its the first time I've worn any winter coat all year because I haven't been feeling the cold (until I get to my office and then I'm always cold).  There's a few wintry days ahead. so no doubt my new coat will get out of the closet again. 

It's wintry outside right now, but I'm warm inside on the couch looking out at it. 

I got from bed to desk in an hour today. It's not my personal best, but I still got a little kick out of it.  (My PB is 52 minutes, which I think will be very hard to beat.)

Warm, 1800, surprise chip

Coming home this evening

We had another warm autumn day today, a perfect day to be free of the office. I was out and about for most of the day getting sh!t done and getting some vitamin D along the way.

I've done just over 18,000 steps today, which is considerably more than my average. I don't feel as if I've walked that far, which is unusual; most of the time I feel as if I have traversed a much greater distance than I actually have. 

I love that moment when I'm at Hunky Dory on a Friday night and think I've eaten all my chips, but then I find one hiding under a piece of lettuce (no, I shouldn't be eating chips on my modified diet, but I'm only human...). 

Warm, coincidence, two, many

It was a very chilly walk home tonight. I donned my furry earmuffs for the first time this winter, as well as gloves and scarf. I rarely wear a scarf when I'm walking because I usually warm quickly and end up carrying it in my bag most of the way. But tonight I wore it the whole way home...home to my nice, cosy flat.  Aaaaaaah. After more than seven years living here, I still don't take my warm flat for granted (the heating is on all the time in winter and it's free. Not so great for the environment, but I have no control over it. I try to shrink my ecological footprint in other ways in an attempt to compensate). 

I got an email from a friend and Gleeful reader who is also currently reading The Etymologicon! What a coincidence!  She is also loving it. I told you it's good, didn't I?

I saw two Nankeen Night Herons on the walk home tonight. So there actually is more than one of them. 

Speaking of more than one bird, have a look at this video of a Chinese farmer taking his flock of ducks for a walk ('flock' doesn't seem to be an appropriate collective noun for birds on foot, rather than on the wing). I've never seen so many ducks in one place! They're very well behaved. 

Long weekend, parka weather, bird watching

Yay! My extra-long weekend is here! Luke and I are planning a day trip to Mt Macedon and Hanging Rock tomorrow, where the top temperature is only going to be around 9 degrees. Brrrr! But you know what this means? My puffy parka will get its first outing for the year. it should be a mostly fine day so I'm looking forward to giving my new camera a work out too.

On my walk this morning I saw a magpie toying with a wriggly worm (aka breakfast) it had pulled out of the ground. Tonight I spied a Nankeen Night Heron standing as still as a statue in the reeds on the river's edge. They are an odd looking bird.

Have I mentioned how much I love my warm flat? No? I love it a lot. It's so nice getting up to a warm flat and coming home to a warm flat. (It's an old building and we have no control over the heating. It seems to be on all the time, which I know isn't environmentally friendly, but what can I do? I do what I can for the environment on other ways).

Novelty weather

Footsteps in the hail (mine)

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I got caught in a shower of hail walking home late tonight and I kind of liked it. There had been hail earlier as I waited for the tram too and it still hadn't melted, so I crunched along the footpath listening to the little icy balls ping off my umbrella. It was dark and there was no one around. It was my own private hailstorm. 

It was bloody freezing though (an apparent temperature of -5C). It's been an unseasonally cold, wet and windy spring day and although I didn't enjoy getting wet on my way to work this morning or having my umbrella whip inside out about 20 times, part of me relishes the novelty of unseasonal weather. 

But I was pretty happy to get home, drag out the flannelette pjs again and get into bed with a hot water bottle. Gonna snuggle down now and fall asleep listening the soft patter of rain on the roof.

PS I don't have to set my alarm either. Ace. 

Snug as a bug

Told you it was grey, didn't I?

It's a grey, chilly day in Melbourne and I've been out and about all day, freezing my bum off and being cranky and impatient with everyone and everything.

But now I'm home in bed, wearing my comfy flannelette pyjama pants and New York hoodie, with my hot water bottle in my lap and music playing.  Aaaaahhh. That's better. (Yes, I know it's only 4.40pm. What of it?)