It's that time of year again...

It's November and here I am again participating in National Blog Posting Month to get myself out of a blogging slump. I've barely turned my lap top on for the last five months, but now it will be on every day for a month. 

I didn't have a particularly gleeful day. Work was a bit overwhelming and I didn't leave until 7.30 pm, my back hurts, and I'm tired (as usual). I had a nice sandwich for lunch though. Turkey and coleslaw and cheese.

Tomorrow should be better. 

Outstanding

Awesome nearly 100-year-old Japanese Maple

I had my performance review today at work. I'm "outstanding". Yay. Hopefully outstanding enough to get a pay rise, because my rent is going up soon. (Boo.)

Luke made creamy chive mashed potatoes the other night, just like you get in nice restaurants, with lashings of butter and cream. Delicious. Will eat again.  

I had a lumbar puncture on Friday (not a gleeful event, although it was much less painful than anticipated). I asked the doctor what spinal fluid looks like and she showed me a vial of my own spinal fluid, which is kinda cool. Surprisingly, it looks exactly like water: clear and...watery. I thought it would be more viscous. 

Misty, but still colourful 

Luke and I visited Cloudehill Gardens in the Dandenongs on the weekend and it was lovely, despite the rain that started not long after we arrived. It was awkward trying to juggle an umbrella and keep the rain off my camera lens, but mostly it was quite delightful being in a garden in the rain, listening to the sound of drops pattering onto leaves and seeing the clouds close in around us. 

The lyrebirds seemed to like the rain too - we saw four of them! I'd only seen four in total in my whole life until then. They look funny when they run and I never noticed before they have big feet.

Lyrebird not hanging around for photos

Happy discoveries

I sprained my ankle on Friday - more than a twist, but not serious enough to need medical attention - and the most annoying thing about it is that I can't walk to work this week. I can walk almost normally again now (albeit with some pain), but I should do the sensible thing and let it rest. Boo.

So it was with some irritation that I set out for the tram stop this morning, but then when I was passing Gosch's Paddock I spotted a big patch of mushrooms growing in the grass and then I wasn't annoyed anymore. I took a photo then kept walking and I saw more mushrooms! And then more! There were A LOT of mushrooms. I love autumn.

I made another happy discovery at lunch time. I went in to the newsagent near work to get my daily Pepsi Max and Freddo Frog fix and I don't know why, but I checked to see if they stocked Flow magazine. I was sure they wouldn't because it's a run-of-the-mill, not-too-cool-for-school newsagent, not at all hipsterish like Mag Nation, where I got the last one.  But they had it! I was stunned. And then I was doubly stunned because it was fully HALF THE PRICE I paid at Mag Nation! Wow. 

I might start reading it tomorrow - it's a public holiday here tomorrow for Anzac Day, which makes it the third short working week in a row (wooh!). Last week was only two days long for me because I had Tuesday off as well for mum's visit, which is a subject for another (belated) post.

  

A list of happymaking stuff

A bowl of foraged botanical bits n bobs

I'm quite the happy camper lately, as I've mentioned here recently. Actually, it's more accurate to say I'm an even happier camper, since I was fairly happy before (apart from that brief period I was off my meds). 

I've mentioned some of the reasons for this here and there, but here's a comprehensive list of reasons just because I like lists:

• I'm working four days a week instead of five. Less 
• I'm getting up earlier, which makes me happier because I like being up that early even if I don't love getting up that early (it makes sense to me...); I like seeing the sunrise from my bedroom window; I like not rushing in the mornings to get to work and having time to potter around a bit; I like getting to work on time (or even early); and I like having the time to walk to work again.
• I'm walking to work every day and home again most days. Walking along the river to work (and not having to deal with nuisance people on the tram) is a pleasant way to start the day. I get 40 minutes of exercise under my belt before 9.00am and a little dose of nature (as close to nature as you can get when you live a few kilometres from the CBD anyway).  
• I broke my almost-compulsive shopping habit (I have only about two months left of my year 12-month shopping ban and a new challenge in the pipeline). Overcoming that constant yearning to acquire more and more shoes and clothes has made a huge impact on my life satisfaction. It's hard to feel content when you are always wanting. 
• I've been in a super creative phase, fuelled mostly by my Instagram feed, which is full of flowers, nature and flatlays. Foraging for the bits and pieces to use in my flatlays is fun. 
• I've stopped complaining on social media and am actively being more positive (eg posting complimentary comments on Instagram). Not complaining boosted my happiness, but spreading positivity about the net wherever I go turbo-charged it.  
• I spend a fair bit of time on social media, but I actively manage my feeds to get what I want from them - entertainment (obviously), and news and information on topics that are important to me, but also connection with like-minded people, inspiration and positive vibes. For example, I follow many women who are feminists and body positivity advocates and their posts have had an impact not only on how I think about my own body, but about other women's bodies too. I'm less judgemental about them and less judgemental about myself (not that I hated my body before, but every bit of extra kindness helps). 
• I've been practising being less judgemental in general and trying not to let insignificant things get to me (I am normally irritated by many, many, MANY insignificant things). I do this by second-guessing myself - when I notice judgemental or irritable thoughts creeping in, I counteract it with another thought - e.g. "How can these idiots I work with not know how to stack a dishwasher?!" is replaced with, "Well, at least they're putting their dishes in the dishwasher instead of leaving them on the sink for someone else to deal with." And then I let it go. Most of the time. 
• I've been seeing a dietician who specialises in intuitive eating to help repair my unhealthy relationship with food. I have a history of disordered eating (but not a diagnosed eating disorder), which hasn't been helped by a long list of food intolerances that means I just can't eat whatever I want. I'm good at restriction...until I'm not and then I eat everything in sight. I lose weight and feel OK (physically, I mean)...then I put it all back on and feel rotten. Rinse and repeat. I decided I needed to finally get this feast/famine cycle sorted out for the sake of my health (physical and mental). I've seen the dietician three times and I feel like I've made good progress. 
• I've stopped eating gluten, which means I don't feel utterly exhausted and wracked with pain. Fatigue and pain really drag you down.
• The procedure I had in December has dramatically reduced the number of migraines I get (and also potentially prevented a brain haemorrhage/stroke. Not dying or being permanently incapacitated is very good for your mental state!). 

A year of four days

Sunrise this morning from my bedroom

Last Friday was my the one-year anniversary of working four days a week. Already! Even though I've been doing it for twelve months now, it still feels like a novelty - a bloody fantastic novelty. I'm not sure it will ever stop feeling novel. 

I'm much happier in general (only partly due to working less), I'm happier at work (not that I was unhappy before) and my relationship with my boss is even better. I don't really miss the extra income - starting a shopping ban a few months after dropping back to four days is a big factor in that. 

I haven't done any of the things I thought I might do with the extra day back at the beginning - finding a new job, studying or doing volunteer work - but that's OK because I'm very content with the way things are. I have no plans to look for a new job for the foreseeable future - I'd only consider leaving for another job that was also four days a week anyway. I'm not ruling out volunteer work or study at some point, but for now I'm enjoying the extra 'me' time and the chance to rest more.  

Most of my Fridays are spent going to appointments and running errands, which sounds dull but because these were things I used to have to cram into lunch breaks or after work, or sometimes take time off for, my working days are now more relaxed. 

Most of my Fridays also feature an afternoon nap, or at least a lie down. 

In other news...

I had a routine follow up angiogram yesterday to make sure the procedure back in December fixed my abnormal brain vein, and I got the all clear. Yay. I still get some migraines triggered by other things, but way less than before. Who would have thought having a DVT would turn out to be a good thing? (My abnormal brain vein was found because my neurologist ordered an MRI after I told her I had a DVT.) 

One week down...

Shady...my walk home

My first working week of the year is over! Wooh! OK, so it was only two days...and I didn't have a lot to do...but I feel as if I've worked a full week. I'm still not grumpy though, just exhausted. Now for three days off. I don't have anything planned, except for movies with a friend on Sunday. Oh, and planning my goals for the year ahead. Yes, I'm planning to plan. I need to get some shit sorted this year. 

I forgot to mention in my last post that I achieved my initial no-shopping challenge: to go from 1 June to 31 December 2016 without buying shoes, clothes or accessories. Yep, I did it! Go, me! In the end, it wasn't a particularly challenging challenge, so extending it for a full year (which I decided do a month or so ago) was an obvious next step. I have a few more challenging challenges planned for this year!

The cool breeze coming through my loungeroom window is delightful. Summer has finally arrived, but I won't complain about the heat (especially because today wasn't that hot).  

Back to work...and not even grumpy

I'm back at work today so I thought I should use that return to routine to slip back into the blogging saddle again.

Surprisingly, going back to work after about 11 days off did not put me in a bad mood. That's what happens when you like you job and your boss and co-workers, I suppose. I think it also has something to do with the fact Luke and I didn't go on our annual New Year road trip this year so my time off was less exciting, but more relaxing. (We do plan to to hit the road at some stage soonish). Perhaps my unusually upbeat mood is also related to only having to work two days this week. I might pull on the cranky pants next Monday.

As I walked to the tram stop this morning part of me thought it was actually nice to get back into a routine. It feels boring to say it - oh god, I'm not freewheeling and spontaneous! - but it's true. Being back at work at least forces me to get out of bed at a decent hour, leave the house and stay awake all day! I eat at regular times and I plan ahead for my snacks and lunches on workdays.

My break

I had a lovely six days with my mum. The sun shone, there was pavlova and gin n tonics, and we had a nice mix of relaxing and getting out and about.

We spent Christmas day with a group of mum's friends. It was the first time I'd met them and they were great fun. The afternoon featured games and singing. Pam, who hosted the lunch, has the cutest dog ever, Pippa. 

During the night times, Mum and I played three games of Scrabble and three games of cards (rummy, to be precise), but I only managed to win one of each, and then only just (I won the Scrabble game by two points!). I love Scrabble but I only ever play it with mum. Luke won't play with me because he thinks he's no good at it. 

Flowering eucalyptus in mum's garden

 We had scones at the quaint Tea and 

Treasures in Port Macquarie

On my final full day we drove up to the Wild Bull picnic ground in the Cobrabald State Forest, which was a picturesque (but bumpy) drive through farmland and forest. It was a hot day, so we cooled off in the swimming hole. It was fantastic. I swam right across the (not very wide river) and didn't let my mind wander to what might be in the depths where I couldn't see the bottom.

 Swimming hole selfie

 Down river (Wilson River)

 River views

 More river views

 On the way home

 Country road

 Country mail boxes

 Golden hour on the Hastings River at Wauchope

 Over mum's back fence

I ended having longer with mum than planned because we arrived at the airport for my flight home after check in had closed. Whoops. I managed to get a seat on a flight three hours later at no extra cost. We went killed the time by having breakfast beside the harbor. We sat on the balcony and I was thrilled with all the fish in the water below.

Fish!

Hopeful, holidays, super short

The old Safe Deposit Building on Queen Street

I'm still alive, in case you were wondering! It's been about 10 days since I had the vein abnormality in my head fixed. The procedure went well, although my recovery was a little rough and I'm still experiencing some pain from it. But! I don't think I've had a "normal" migraine since. It's early days, but I'm hopeful. 

I finished work for the year yesterday (although I popped in for an hour today to finish something). It hasn't really sunk in yet that I'm on holidays. No doubt it will when I board a flight up to Mum's tomorrow afternoon. I'll be there until next Friday. 

I had my haircut shorter today than it's ever been before (apart from the top, which is still relatively long). The back and sides were clipper cut all over and I can't stop patting it - with the grain and against.  It feels so nice. I love the way it looks too. (I haven't taken a photo of it.)

I probably won't blog while I'm away, but I will be posting photos to Instagram as Frisky_Librarian. 

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Tiny yoyo biscuit (part of dessert at my work party) 

I won a door prize at my work Christmas party on Friday. Of all the 100+ people there, my name came out first! I scored a $150 voucher for one of George Calombaris' restaurants. I don't watch Masterchef, but I like Greek food. Food in general, really. Especially free food.  

I have only six or seven working days left in 2016! It's hard to believe it will be over so soon. It would be eight days, but I'm going into hospital on Wednesday to have my abnormal brain veiny thing treated and I'll be off work Thursday as well to recover (I might go in Friday if I'm able). Hopefully I will only be in hospital one night, for obvious reasons, but also because the food is abominable. Not just bad. Abominable. On the upside, more reading time for me! Oh, and possibly fewer migraines. 

We had cheese kranskies for dinner. SO cheesy. Yum.  

No more NaBloPoMo

Well, my NaBloPoMo efforts didn't even end with a whimper, let alone a bang. I only published 19 posts, but I'm too too bothered. 

Today is the first day of summer and, as if on cue, the cicadas have just started singing (or whatever you call that noise they make).  It looks as if we've finally - thankfully - left the winter weather behind. Spring? What spring?! I saw on the weather report last night that it was Victoria's coldest spring for years (I forget how many. Eight maybe?).

I'm so glad it's my weekend now. I've been busier this week than I have for a month or so and I'm clearly not used to hard work because I'm very weary. I'm very much looking forward to putting my head to pillow and keeping it there until well into tomorrow morning.  

I had to do some maths today. It's end of month billing and most calculations are done automatically by the software, but I needed to use my brains for one particular bill because the tax-inclusive total had to add up to the same amount of money we had in trust. I worked out the pre-tax amount on my calculator then typed the figure into the computer and BAM! It all added up perfectly! Go, me! 

NaBloPoMo: day 14

A perfectly rounded tablespoon of cacao

I started reading The Good People by Hannah Kent (author of the highly acclaimed Burial Rites) on Saturday, but I didn't notice until last night that my copy (from Booktopia) was signed by the author. It was a nice little surprise. 

I'm only a few chapters in and I'm enjoying it. Her prose is so poetic, particularly her descriptions of the landscape. Some sentences I have to read twice to wring full pleasure from them.  

I'm also astounded by her ability to write (again) about a different country in a different time, this time rural Ireland...a very long time ago.  I guess that shows my lack of imagination and aptitude for research. If I were to write a book, I'd stick to the maxim "write what you know". 

I get to have a little sleep in tomorrow - yay! - because instead of going to work I'm going to have a test done at the hospital which will take most of the day. Not so yay, but I get to lie down for four hours afterwards. A good reading opportunity. 

I'm still thinking about last night's cheese kransky and the cheese that oozed out of the burger I ate on Saturday. I love cheese. 

NaBloPoMo: day 9

Bridge graffiti 

The sunshine was lovely and warm this morning while I waited for the tram. I almost wouldn't have minded if the tram had been delayed, but it wasn't. 

I spent most of my work day archiving old files. It's kind of boring, but it's also satisfying to clear out the clutter and to reclaim all of the lever arch folders, bulldog clips and paper clips that had been sitting around on shelves doing nothing.  If I had my way I'd clear out a lot more junk, but my boss is a bit of a hoarder. 

I refilled the pepper grinder at dinner time tonight and we had exactly the right amount of  peppercorns in the pantry to fill it to the top. 

NaBloPoMo: day 4

Wispy clouds this morning 

I had a brief moment just after I woke up this morning when I thought it was my day off and I wasn't even cross when I remembered I was going to work. I was surprisingly chipper for most of the day until I had to help out another team with its bills and they were annoying (I had to do maths!) and they kept me at work beyond my usual home time. But, yay! It's the weekend now. 

I have no plans, except for relaxing and reading.  It's a hard life. 

It was, as forecast, a lovely warm day today. I spent most of it inside, but the sunshine still lifted my spirits. I think I would have been less chipper if I had to go to work on my usual day off and it was cold and miserable. 

NABloPoMo:day3

My week (the whole two days of it so far) hasn't been as busy as I expected. I thought I would be rushed to get my bills done, but it's been quite relaxed and I think tomorrow will be too.  

I surprised myself by walking home after work tonight. I briefly toyed with the idea of taking the tram all the way, but made myself commit to walking half way. And then, because I didn't feel like a complete physical wreck (for a change) and it was a mild, sunny evening (for a change), I decided to do the whole trip home on foot. It was nice. 

Tomorrow is set to be 27 degrees! I will be inside for most of it, but still - a reprieve from our extended winter - even though it looks as if it will be temporary - is welcome. 

NaBloPoMo: day 1

Today is 1 November, the first day of National Blog Posting Month. I've been pretty slack with posting the last couple of weeks (mostly due to an extreme lack of energy), so I'm going to use NaBloPoMo to help me push through the fatigue (as well doing stuff to help overcome the lethargy).

Today is also the last day of my five-day extra-long weekend. I had plans to make the most of the break, but I've ended up doing very little. I spent most of the weekend horizontal, often asleep but not always. Part of me feels I've wasted the whole five days, but mostly I don't feel bad about it because I needed to rest...and I think I feel better. 

I only have to work three days this week. I moved my day off this week from Friday to Monday, which meant I didn't need to use a day of annual leave, although I would have happily taken a day of leave and worked only two days if I didn't have to contend with monthly billing.  It will be a short week, but a busy one. 

I've been back on anti-depressants - the very small dose I was on before I weaned myself off them - and I feel so much better already. I'm much nicer to be around. If I have to stay on this low dose, then so be it. 

Sick but happy

I do not know what's going on with this avocado...

I've been slack at blogging the last couple of weeks, mainly because I've been sick. This is obviously not gleeful, and I'm especially displeased because I've been virtually free of colds, the flu and other contagion for almost 10 years. Yes, 10 years! 

But since I got back from Brisbane at the end of July, I've had a head cold and then bronchitis (for the first time ever), which now seems to have morphed into another head cold. In between those two lurgies, I had a blood clot in my leg (not serious), but I can't blame my faltering immune system for that. 

Anyway, enough of that. On with the gleeful stuff! I remain happy, despite feeling poorly

Today was a quiet day at work, so I had no excuse not to tackle a crappy job I've left on the backburner for too long because there was one aspect of it I just could not figure out the last time I worked on it, and I've been struggling for brain power lately. But today I finally found the answer, albeit through little skill/mental agility of my own, and it was practically staring me in the face the whole time! I feel like a goose, but I'm so relieved it's solved. 

Last night I was doing a Target puzzle on my phone while the AFL Brownlow medal presentation was on TV. There's was something on about the Hawthorn Football Club, whose team colours are brown and gold, which prompted Luke to chortle, "Poos and wees!"...at exactly the same moment I found the word 'poos' in my word puzzle.  (Yes, the puzzle allows 'poos', although it doesn't accept 'pooed' - or 'penis' or 'anus' - but it's not due to American prudishness, as evidenced by the fact that 'vagina' is accepted and so is the C-bomb, the rudest word of them all! It's just because the puzzle a bit shit ('shit' is also acceptable). I just posted a review of the app pointing out its deficiencies and was pleased to see  others making similar comments. Puzzle pedants unite!)

One of the indoor plants we bought recently has sprouted a flower. I was surprised because although it's healthy, it needs to be repotted and I didn't think it would be happy enough to bloom. 

Daylight savings starts this weekend! Hurrah! Winter doesn't seem in any hurry to leave us, but at least the days will start getting longer soon.

Mysteriously lighthearted and Brisbane - day 1

I went back to work today and it was wet and miserable, but I was mysteriously lighthearted. It was probably partly because my boss is on holidays for two weeks. That's always good for the spirits (even though he's a great boss and I know how lucky I am). 

I went back to pilates tonight after a couple of weeks off. It was good to be back - my body needed it. The instructor is always so cheerful, which makes me cheerful too (obviously I'm not one of those people who's annoyed by the perpetually cheery). 

Oh, my holiday!  This is what Melbourne looked like on the day I left: 

 From the top deck, front row of the Skybus

And this is what Brisbane looked like when I arrived. It was about 28 degrees! I felt like I'd flown to a whole other country, not just interstate! There were people in bikinis and boardies all over the place (including in my face as I ate lunch at a cafe).

Streets Beach, Southbank

I spent the afternoon and early evening wandering into the city and back again via the Brisbane River. I love how the CBD is perched right on the river and there are boats moored practically at the doorstep of city office towers. 

From the Wheel of Brisbane (London Eye imitation)

 Eagle Street Pier

 Cute cottage near where I  stayed

To be continued...

Holidayeeeeeeeeeeees!

Weeee! I'm off work for 10 days! My flight to Brisbane is at 11.00am tomorrow. Not only am I escaping to warmer climes, I'm avoiding a succession of cold fronts that will bring miserable and windy weather to Melbourne for the next few days. The timing couldn't be better! 

While I'm in Brisbane I'll be meeting my long-time online friend Gillian. We're going to the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries Costume Exhibition, and to Stradbroke Island to (hopefully) whale watch (among other yet-to-be decided activities). I'm also going up to Noosa to meet Victoria, another long-time online friend. I feel like I'll be packing a lot in to my week. 

Luke left for the airport for his trip to England and Ireland about 30 minutes ago. I feel a  little blue (not just because I'm not going!) so I think planning a little trip of my own was a good idea. 

I'm not sure if I'll blog much while I'm away, but I will be posting to my Instagram account and will bombard you with photos here on my return.    

A better best, big moon, one day

I achieved the unachievable this morning - I shaved a minute off my bed-to-desk personal best, the personal best I thought would never be bested, but I was wrong! I got myself up and to work in a mere 49 minutes. Surely the only way I can beat that is to forego a shower or become one of those women who applies their make-up on public transport.

There was a huge yellow full moon sitting low in the sky when I left work tonight. I caught sight of it out the corner of my eye as I was heading for the door and again when was walking along Flinders Street beside the train lines. It was magical. 

One more working day until I'm on holidays! 

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).