The last of the Feb entries

So although they have mostly been short and about what I have done that day, a social diary of sorts, I have enjoyed my forced blogging. Doubt that I will keep up daily posts though.

I like Geek!

Being one of the best girlfriends in the world ever, I bought GB a beer brewing experience for his birthday last year. And the above is the result. GB got to pick and brew his own beer and then create labels for it. Me likey!

To celebrate the geeks new obsession with brewing we had some people over to sample the beer and indulge in general merry making. It was a fun afternoon/evening/morning.

Friday Epiphany

I had to take some time off work this morning while I waited for a delivery at home. Usually, if I have to go into work late, it causes me to use all will power known to man to get my arse into work. But not today. I almost skipped to the station I was that happy to be on my way to work.
I am going through a period of liking my job. In 5 months I will have been with this company for 7 years! Now that is a long time. I can't even fathom the fact that I will be able to get pro-rata long service leave. IT IS INSANE!

Date Night

Date night has become a weekly occurrence. It is almost like GB and I enjoy each others company and want to spend time together......weird.
I love that the publican knows us after only a couple of visits. He will tell GB if I have arrived before him "Your girl is out the back". I love that although it appears very clicky everyone is very friendly. I love that it is like visiting a country pub and it is only a 15 min walk from our house.
I have become an advocate for the Kew RSL.

I want to hang with the cool kids

I walk up Equitable Place on my way to work every morning. This is a lane way that runs parallel to Elizabeth St in the city. It is full with cafes. On the left hand side their is a Spud Bar, a new cafe which I haven't found a sign for, a groovy cafe with organic food and punks and then an expensive "Italian" cafe. My daily coffee now comes from the cafe with no name. It is maned by ernest types with more snobbery than personality but the coffee is very nice.

Every morning when I get my coffee I then have to walk past the groovy organic cafe with the punks, I think the punks are the boyfriend and friends of the barista there. I like them. I wish she made better coffee - then I could hang with the cool kids for 3 mins every morning.

Baranows baby

Last night I put my credit card behind the bar at Baranows. And I had this feeling come over me. This is what I want. I want to be decadent and drink expensive whiskey and go to a bar where I can say to the bartender "My favourite whiskey is Highland Park 18 and Glenmorangie La Santa and I would like to try something new can you recommend me something along those lines".

I sound like a wanker don't I? But I loved it. I like that the bar staff are knowledgeable if not a little snobby. I like the leather couches. I like the palms and the deer head, the Gentleman's Club feel.

If I was to open a bar / brothel that is what it would be like.

Done!

I posted my secret.

competition

GB cooked a grass-fed beef roast on Saturday night. He prepared his own wash to baste the hunk o meat in while cooking and then created a glaze to put atop it once it had been taken off the BBQ. It is 2 days later and I am still in awe of how great it was. It appears that the 'new' cook of this household, when he can be bothered, is fan-bloody-tastic. I confess a slight feeling of competitiveness growing in my belly. I have always been the better cook in the house. It is one of the few things I can do well. I am afraid that a competition of this sort will do more damage to our already expanding waistlines and shrinking bank balances than we really can endure.

Flirt

The lastest installment in my trashy preternatural thriller (aka vampire porn) was great - but too short. I managed to read it in an afternoon.

So what now?

I am seriously considering taking matters into my own hands and writing my own series. That way whenever I want to read something I will just write it. Surely these formuliac romance/thriller books are an easy churn out? One way to find out I guess. Look out Laurell K Hamilton I have my own kick ass heroine waiting to be bought to life so she can shag all the good looking vamps and lycanthropes while kicking butt!

Mama Sita

A new restaurant opened in the city at the top end of Collins St last week. Mama Sita. A Mexican restaurant that promises authentic Mexican food.
We only just managed to get a table because on its 8th night or so as it was already fully booked. Insane! The foodies love a new place that has high ideals.

The decor is sparse and subtle giving the small space the illusion of being bigger.

The drinks menu was was varied enough that we managed to spend 4 x $ on alcohol then we did on the food.
GB got his corn scum quesadilla and I had 3 varieties of taco. The food was very nice and fresh and not at all what I had come to expect of Mexican from eating at Taco Bills and the like.

After dinner we were driven home and then walked down Glenferrie Road to Cones for some dessert. Then is back to the House of Awesome for more tequila and beer.

My Tickets arrived

I really want to go overboard in my happiness that my first win of the year arrived. But I think I will save it for the trip to Canada I am winning in March :)

Spring - Step - All that Jazz

Someone once told me (a heathcare professional if my memory serves me correctly), I am emotionally immature. I kind of brushed it off and thought that it was funny. But today, on my bent for self improvement, I googled it. A little confronting it was.

One website listed 5 signs of emotional immaturity: (I will keep them brief)

1. Not taking responsibility
2. Making conversations all about themselves - and understanding everything through a personal filter
3. Talks more than listens
4. Quick to anger
5. Makes thinking errors

Alrighty then. I can put my hand up for at least 3 of those and if I had the opinion of an impartial 3rd party it could be more.

So lets say I wanted to change this....what does the internet suggest?

1. Work on self understanding and self acceptance.
2. Practice unselfish behaviour
3. Do not dominate others (this one will be hard!)
4. Be willing to change social contacts
5. Search for a meaning in life bigger than yourself (WTF?)

My personal opinion is that I am getting better at 1 and 2. Not being dominate is super duper hard - but I am willing to work on that. 4 is easy - I am quite happy to be choosey about who I spend time with. And number 5...... I don't really understand how searching for the meaning of life makes you more emotionally mature.

I wish more people talked about their own self investigations and changes etc. Then perhaps I would know if I was doing this properly. At the moment it just feels kinda hokey to be talking about it. Is it supposed to be a private thing?

Apocalypse

I have been doing my research to what would be the best method of survival if the zombie apocalypse were ever to come about. Thankfully there are quite a few thousand other people who are wondering the same thing, so there is endless nonsensical and even scientific information on the interweb for anyone who is interested.

The general consensus: Humans will not survive. However there are some models which give us a better chance than others.

Quarantine: This model ensures the demise of the human race. People are stupid and mistakes are made. It will not be possible to contain in this manner.
A cure: This give us mere humans a better chance but likely limited to the people who can afford such a thing and therefore the lower classes are left to spread the disease/virus etc.
Eradication by any means: This shoot to kill philosphy is the best chance to remove the zombies from the populace. In theory, if every person adopted this method, 10 days after an outbreak all zombies and a fair few uninfected people too should be dead (for good).

So. With the above in mind, there are couple of things I need to do:

1. Learn to fly a helicopter
2. Become an enrolled nurse
3. Become efficient in the handling and shooting of various weapons, including but not limited to, a shot gun, flame thrower and grenades
4. Increase general fitness and especially long distance running
5. Take up urban dancing (using buildings and other props to get around quickly)
6. Practice public speaking

The three C's

Tonight L joined GB and I for cider, chicken and comfort. For me it was the comfort of sharing a meal with friends and watching a sweet and lovely movie for distraction (Mary and Max - must be watched!). GB got to potter and be a geek without me popping my my head into his face every 5 seconds for some attention.


There isn't anything specific I wanted to say so I just thought I would list the stuff that has been on my mind:


My Brother-in-Law's sister died on the weekend just gone. I feel for their mother, it is an oft lamented condition to outlive ones children, and for my Brother-in-Law. Most of my memories of S are from when I was young. As an adult I mourn her passing in the way one does when you are loosely connected to someone yet there is no bond, no attachment etc.

It has given me pause. The thought crossed my mind that if I outlive my siblings - I have bloody 6 of them to go - actually make that 5. I will not count my twin because out of everyone on earth I can not imagine a life without her.

There was an incident when my mum was down where I almost ran into a person whom I wish never to lay eyes on or hear of again. Ever since I have been having dreams that have me waking feeling retched...well just really hurt. Finding it hard to shake the oppressiveness of it. I want to slap myself and pinch away the self pity.

I have felt disinterested at work and have done the bare minimum for the last week (perhaps could be 3 months) to get me through the day. I keep thinking about changing my line of work. Perhaps becoming a nurse or a school teacher. Then I get frustrated about my lack of schooling etc

I bought GB sunflowers today because they are the happiest flowers I could find. Even if I am finding it hard to wrench my head out of my arse - I want him to be happy and content.

That is all.

6th Valentines

This year the annual anti-valentines dinner at the Spaghetti Tree started off on shakey ground. We had several cancellations, I was tired, GB was almost drunk and pissed off. It didn't look good.

In light of all of these things - good company and food prevailed to save the evening. L & M helped make the night fun and the food was the best it has ever been (we all were betting on a new chef).

Baby Maggie

My friend Nadia had her first baby a week ago. This is Maggie.

Chinese New Year Tiger Burger Competition

Our friend W.W decided to celebrate this years Chinese New Year by having an Iron Chef inspired cook off with burgers.

It was a fun night filled with lots of food and food and more food. There were 6 contestants making burgers. We all tasted them and then rated them. So you can imagine how full of burger we all were by the end of it. AND GB won! GB made a lamb kofta burger with a mint yogurt dressing with harissa. It was very delicious. I was so proud! Prize was a baking dish. :)

Then came out the cakes. W.W bought 2 cakes from Le Petit Gateaux, one of my favourite cake shops in the city. The passionfruit brownie cake was amazing. I could have inhaled the whole thing if I wasn't already having trouble keeping down all the burger!

Who wants to be a millionaire

Someone I know won $1000.00 in some magazine competition. This has sparked an obsession of sorts with me. My daily routine now involves a search for any online competition that I can enter that doesn't involve 25 words or less. I even set up a new email address to manage the spam.

Apart from movie tickets that never eventuated I haven't won anything so far. But that is no deterrent. I will win that family trip to the Gold Coast. I will win the PJ's. I will win the years supply of wine. I will win the face cream I prolly won't even use.

Don't worry - I will definitely let you know when my winning entry is chosen :)

Date Night

Thursday Night Date Night at Kew RSL. This is one of our new locals. Can you guess that it use to be a church? If the front doors don't give it away or the stained glass windows might or the pews scattered about.


Thursday nights happen to be South Melbourne Dim Sim night. So if you are feeling peckish, you pay the barman a couple of dollars then walk to the door marked Staff Only, step back in time to the 70's kitchen and help yourself to the dimmys from the pot on the stove.



This place instantly has become my favorite drinking establishment in walking distance - it has so much kitsch charm that it is almost overwhelming. It is like walking into a country pub 38 years ago. Everyone of those those guys at the bar knows the bartender by first name and vice versa. I loved it. We became members tonight :)

Again? Really?

This posting everyday business is getting tedious. Mainly due to the lack of content in my brain.

I feel vapid.

Simon

I check that my phone is in my bag, my location on the office phone system is set to 'gone for the day' and that my pass has been removed from my clothing and tucked into side pocket of over-sized handbag. I walk to the middle of the office before completing several wild but calculated gestures with my arms signaling the end of my work day. I then repeat "bye" to everyone who says so to me.

I avoid eye contact with any person in the lift lobby and exit the building with as much haste as my retched body can handle without causing too much attention. I step out into the heat of concrete and taxi exhausts, I cross the road with all the others lucky enough to escape their desk at this hour. My mind is fixed on my destination - my transport home. Then all of a sudden into my path steps a tall lanky, dark haired boy with a quirky look and mischief in his eyes. The kill shot. Irish accent. He asks for 6 seconds.
I tell him that I am walking to the train, I have a train to catch. He won't take too much of my time. I offer for him to walk with me. He does. We banter about time and money. One I was willing to part with - the other I would not. I stop and offer my hand. I tell Simon that it was nice to meet him and then I cross the road.

I sit on the train. I think that Simon was nice.

Secrets

One of my 101 things is to post a secret into postsecret. I have no idea why I thought this would be a good idea. I like the site, although more often than not I leave the site feeling bewildered and/or gutted at some shocking secret. Every now and then a secret will make me smile - but that is a rare occasion for me on this site.

So. I have been racking my brains over the last couple of days about which secret would I bare to the world of postsecret. I can't think of one that I want to write down and acknowledge. It turns out I don't want to share my secrets.

I know there have been some drunken nights I might have said to a person here and there that I have a secret to share and then confess something that makes me seem retarded/self obsessed/excessively insecure etc. But generally, the real secrets, are locked away and I have thrown away the key. Because that is what a secret is. Once you have told a single other being then is ceases to be a secret.

The only problem is - how am I going to cross this off my list?

Homebaker

When I get bored I bake. Sometimes this is good, but mostly it is bad because then I eat everything that I make....not so good.
Today I started out making the chocolate and whiskey bundt cake that some twitterer linked to and I decided I must try out. Verdict: Awesome! Very moist with a big whiskey flavour


Then I thought I would use up the macadamias my twin left behind the other day. So I made a honeyed pear and macadamia tart. It was very tasty but it needs crream. One of my favourites.


And to add some experimental element I took a recipe and changed it to accommodate what I had at home and I made ruby grapefruit and white chocolate tarts. Verdict: Disaster, couldn't get the damn things out of the trays - they all stuck. And the coconut bases were a touch too sweet.

So I would respect myself in the morning I put the dishwasher on and also hand washed what was leftover. Now my green kitchen is looking neat and tidy again...


Taking leftovers to work. I will feed the number crunchers the fruits of my boredom and save myself from the calories.

Lego dudes

There are 3 geeks in my living room playing plastic instruments along to music from 80's metal bands with the lego avatars on the tv. Normally I join in on such things and perhaps I will hit the plastic drums before the night is out....

The Australian Whiskey Spectacular

Gathered in the whiskey and cigar bar called Baranows Lounge are the doyens of Australian Single Malt distilleries, David Baker from Bakery Hill (VIC), Patrick Maguire (TAS), Bill Lark from Lark (TAS) and Cameron Syme from Limeburners (WA), and us, the people that love whiskey and go to such tastings. Amid the dark brown leather couches, scattered palms, the mounted deer head, the wait staff bring out over a hundred glasses of our tastings.

Nights like this are pretty special, you get to taste the whiskey while the founder of the distilleries walk you through their passion - making and drinking whiskey.

One of the best nights of the year!

Take that Nick Cave t-shirt off

I miss the 19yr old Lenore. It struck me the other day how aging and gathering physical content in ones life is very restricting. The responsibility that comes with striving for a comfortable lifestyle shackles one to a workforce, a house and a location. I am starting to feel the weight of this. It is not necessarily a bad thing but I notice it.

When I was 19 and I slowly but surely traded all my belongings at the Cash Convertors in Coolangatta to gain money for coffee and a camera, it did not occur to me to worry about keeping and hoarding my belongings. When it came time to leave that area - I sold or gave away all my furniture and started again in Sydney. And again when I decided to make the move to Melbourne. I packed what I could fit into the Sierra and everything else was sold or left. I felt free and able to make changes in my life that were substantial and fun.

What have I traded for that perceived freedom? I now have a nice place to stay that is full of all the necessary luxuries - ie big tv and media centre for all my entertainment needs, lots of single malts, a spare room for visitors, a beer fridge that is always full, 6 computers etc. I have a job that offers good money and security, a relationship that is just getting better as the years go by. And these are not bad things. Most people strive to have this.

Then why is it that I am dreaming of getting rid of it all (except GB of course) and taking to backpacking around the world for a couple of years? Is it a midlife crisis? Is it because I feel the tick-tocking of my biological clock?

I am restless.

Motherless state

Last night I drove my mum to the airport. She was going home after spending 3 weeks with me. Although we didn't really do alot in that time, it was nice to have my mum around to chat with and just be in the company of. It has been many years since I have spent that amount of time with my mum and I really enjoyed it. I learned that I am awfully similar to my mother - frustratingly so.

All the time I am seeing my mum as an individual more and more, not as a collective of my parents.

#27 Ride on a Paddle Boat

Myself, my twin, her hubby and my mum made the 3 hour journey for a day ‎trip to the good ole town of Echuca. The general consensus was that it was a ‎bloody long way for a boat ride but I had a ball! The historic little street they ‎have set up is very sweet and the boats vary from grand to laughable.

We hopped on a paddlesteamer and headed off for an hour trip. Turns out that ‎that really isn't very far in distance because they travel at a very slow pace. ‎Fun though :)
‎
So did the paddle steamer live up to my expectations?.....I was imagining the ‎big floating casino's of yesteryear, the men in ten gallon hats, the women with ‎bustles and being thrown over board for cheating at poker.Of course none of ‎that happened on my trip with the family. And I was only slightly disappointed. ‎I did at some stage want to divide the people up on the boat evenly so each ‎side was carrying a similar amount of weight but other than that my anxiety of ‎boats stayed pretty much under control.‎

The Shortest Month

So I have chosen the shortest month to complete some more of my 101 things to do in 1001 days list.

32. Post an entry every day for a month. Sorry - but I think it might be a good experiment to see where my head is really at.
58. Meditate for at least 30 mins once a week for a month
84. Write a Restaurant review and post it on a website
52. Go to the Opera
16. Tell a Stranger they are beautiful. That is if I come across anyone that inspires such a comment.
14. Make my own affirmation tape
30. Send my Aunty Syl a letter with photos
31. Send a postcard to postsecret

I am also doing a secret Sober February with GB. The reason it is secret is that last night it was my Brother-in-Law's birthday and we had dinner at Hellenic Republic - and I had a couple. And this Thursday we are booked in for the Australian Extranvaganza Whiskey Night at Baranows. So 2 nights out of the month are already fried. I am adding 2 days of March to the end to make up for it. But trying to explain that to anyone is annoying.