And So I Don't Forget...

Living it up at the Races

On Saturday, Boyf and I went to the races with friends Liz and Dave, courtesy of tickets Dad won in a raffle.

It was Stakes Day, the last day of the Melbourne Cup carnival, and we were in the International Racing Lounge. All inclusive food and drink, with a good view of the racetrack. When we turned around at one stage to find a waitress offering sunscreen, it seemed like we only had to think of something for it to appear!

Without a doubt, this is the way to go to the races! There may have been some talk of the poor peasants down there below us. ;)

The drinks were flowing; I don't think Liz managed to reach the bottom of her glass of sparkling all day! And the food...

Ocean trout and mango salad. Crispy pork belly. Cauliflower pies. Seafood buffet with prawns and sushi.

Fresh fruit. Cheese platters. Scones with jam and cream. Banana cake. Icecream sandwiches. Little boxes of crumbed prawns and chips. All delicious and plentiful.

I felt spoilt rotten, and I loved it! We all did. :)

There were even some bookmakers in the marque and, after betting on all bar the first race, I ended up finishing the day $30ish ahead! (Well, not including the new dress, fascinator, belt... Free tickets can be expensive! ;) )

It really was such a wonderful day. We're actually considering going again next year and paying for the tickets! It probably will not happen, but it's lovely to contemplate. :)

 

This Week

This week I bought up big on Hambly transparencies after learning the company would not be producing any more collections. Sad about that - love using them in minibooks. 

This week I finished organising my studio. It isn't all pretty and I'll probably continue rearranging and moving things about as I go but, for the first time since I moved, everything now has a home.

This week I attended a day-long training session on HR policy and legislation. It was incredibly boring. Mind-numbingly so. 

This week I had a Thursday night dinner out with friends. It was one of those wonderful nights that seem to sparkle - great Vietnamese food, stories and snappy one-liners. So many laughs. The highlight of the night would have to be Ben's not-quite-birthday. Suddenly the lights went out and there was a hum in the air as an inappropriately shaped banana fritter was brought out. The whole restaurant joined in singing Happy Birthday. Lots of jokes and Facebook posts at Ben's expense. :)

This week I had an emergency procedures drill at work. The wardens were based in my office and it was interesting to hear all the planning and organisation.

This week I ordered a couch. And a kitchen island bench. I'm feeling broke. :) I started looking at chaises before deciding that would be too imposing in my space.  After sitting in many, many couches this weekend and last, I decided to purchase the first one I'd liked. I almost ordered it over the phone but made the effort to go back in to the store. That's when I sat on this couch for the first time. I adored the design and was very surprised to learn it was actually really comfortable. And on sale. A grey version will be arriving at my door in 3 to 5 weeks.    

This week I finished creating the Sunday pages for my Week in the Life photobook. I'd be more pleased about that if it wasn't the first day I've really worked on. Only 6 more days to go! :) But, I'm really pleased with how it is turning out and I'm looking forward to holding the printed book in my hands. 

This week my guy came with me to the football. It's the second game he's been to ever. He meet me after work and we spend a few hours holed with from the wet and miserable weather at Hairy Canary before heading to the ground. It was a good match, fairly close with a Geelong win, and I'm pretty sure he enjoyed himself. However, I may have agreed to go to the Demolition Derby in return. 

9 October 2010

This is what greeted me when I got up Saturday morning.

I waited until my housemate was awake to open the presents but I couldn't resist taking a few photos.

Then we both headed off to brunch with my Mum and Dad.
 

Where I got more presents and had some delicious ricotta hotcakes.

 
 

After, Dad escaped home while the three of us headed to a fabric shop and I bought everything necessary to finish off my quilt.

 
We stopped at a cafe on the way home where the waiter teased me. It may have had something to do with me having the giggles (laughing uncontrollably) and asking, quite unsuccessfully, where the toilet was.

Then it was home for a Wii contest. We were flapping like birds, running an obstacle course, attempting to play tennis and bowling. With more uncontrollable laughter.

 

 

 

 

In honour of my uncoming trip - this time next month I will be struggling to communicate in Cuba because I can't speak a word of Spanish - I met a group of friends at a Spanish restaurant for dinner. (Thanks for the idea Lucy!) I'm looking forward to those Mojitos!

 

 

 
The food was incredible. (I didn't do too badly for chosing a restaurant off the internet.) I definitely want to go back there again.

It was such good day. So much relaxing, laughing and chatting. And I got great presents! :) Just perfect.

Reoccurring Mess

This is my bedroom, also known as my scrap room, as it looked on Saturday. Note the clean floor and desk. It's not spotless, but reasonably tidy.

 

 

  

I could post a photo for contrast but I will leave it up to your imagination to picture the state it is in now. There are stamps and punches all over the desk and a pile of scrapbooking things have migrated to the floor. (I seem to have a perpetual cycle of moving things from the desk onto to my bed when I want to scrapbook. That's fine until it comes time to go to bed and the desk is too messy to put things back and they end up on the floor!)

 

There is also a tangle of electrical things, a bottle of wine, a couple of handbags, some books, three pairs of shoes and a few changes of clothes dumped on my floor. Also worth mentioning, the ceiling light isn't working at the moment as the globe blew the other day and I haven't had a chance to replace it. I have to be careful when I enter the room at night, trying to negotiate all that stuff in the dark! (I feel the need to reassure you that the rest of the house is clean - I have a housemate so things may get strewn all over my bedroom but rarely anywhere else.)Friday night I came home from work and tidied my bedroom. Saturday morning I cleaned the desk and sorted through the pile of paper that always seems to accumulate. At 1pm Saturday, when I took the photos, my room was clean!

 

It is only 6pm Monday. That is only 53 hours later. 17 of those hours I spent sleeping, another 9 was spent at work. How on earth do I make so much mess?!

 

Okay, I did have a busy weekend.

 

Saturday night I went to a friend's 3oth birthday dinner at Quaff Restaurant. I thought we were just going out for dinner and didn't realise they had hired a room, his family had flown down from Queensland and we were all being shouted to a delicious 3 course meal. (I had duck sausage, falling off the bone tender veal shank and a vanilla panna cotta with berries.) I'm feeling a little guilty; I would have bought a better present if I'd know!

 

Sunday I met some friends for breakfast then headed off with Lucy to do some antiquing (love that word) while the guys did manly things.

 

Although there were a few things I considered, I restrained my purchases to this cutlery tray. Future home of something scrapbook related I'm thinking.

 

The drive home had a few mishaps - the righthand turn I couldn't make, necessitating me getting on and off the freeway, and later taking the wrong exit and actually driving away from my place - which had Lucy and I giggling away. When we stopped at Anaconda, an outdoorsy store, people must have thought us loopy (or high in Lucy's words) we were laughing so much.  

 

I made it home in time to dash inside, throw on some clothes, pack a bag and arrive at the gym for yoga. Unfortunately there wasn't time to drop off Lucy (and her husband was having too much fun to pick her up) so she waiting in the car outside for the hour. Sorry Lucy!

 

Afterwards we all meet up again at an Indian restaurant for dinner. I had actually arranged to meet Nicole, another of our friends, there but we hijacked the plans, changed the reservation, and all trooped along.

 

Nicole and I were having dinner in celebration of our 18 years of friendship. We met in Grade 3 when we both moved to Melbourne within a few weeks of each other. As we were leaving the restaurant Nicole's husband Paul commented that we reached 18 years last year but we both denied that.  After doing some calculations today (on the whiteboard at work) I discovered Paul's right. So, Happy 19 Years of Friendship Nicole!  

 

So you see, I was a little busy this weekend. It felt a bit chaotic in fact. I actually came home from dinner and went to bed, turning the light (bedside light as the overhead one isn't working) off at 9pm. I was a little tired! I heard someone once say a chaotic mind leads to a chaotic space and my bedroom is prime evidence of that!

 

I should be cleaning my bedroom right now - I'm in the middle of a spare 2 hours between getting home from work and heading out for a session of climbing - but I don't think the tidyness would last 53 hours yet again. I'm out every night this week!

 

Monday night – Going climbing

Tuesday night – Seeing a play with my Mum

Wednesday night – Having a massage

Thursday night – Having dinner at Mum and Dad’s

Friday night – Going to the first of the football finals

Saturday and Sunday – Going camping

 

Where is my scrapbooking and puttering around home time? Not until next Monday? Oih - I'm feeling chaotic again!

 

I could tidy my bedroom, I know I should, but all that tidyness will just get consumed by my chaos enduced, reoccurring mess. I think I'll just look at those 53 hour old photos of a nice clean bedroom and pretend. 

A Weekend of Unplugging

This weekend I headed away with friends, staying in a house in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Powered only by a generator, we had to leave all our electronics at home. That was what I was most looking forward to -  switching off.

 

I want to remember how much fun it is to sit around and laugh over board games, trying not to be too competitive.

Browsing antiques in Castlemaine.

 

 

 

 Amazing corn beef sandwiches on delicious parmesan and chive bread. 

Meandering through the bush, through fences, up and down hills and avoiding the sheep dung.

 

Exploring a cemetery, noting those who came before.

 

Sitting around the fire, cross-stitching while others browsed the newspaper, occasionally chatting. So easy, so comfortable.

Our Monopoly showdown (after Gareth trounced us the night before) where Chris and I pitted hotel against hotel and I landed in jail at least 5 times in a row.

 

 

 
 Riding in the RACV tow truck after the car wouldn't start. Sending Lucy and Chris to find some lunch then eating fish and chips on the car bonnet. Working out which items I could live without for a week or so as we abandoned the car in the driveway and hitched a ride home with Lucy and Chris. 

 

A weekend I want to repeat, often. Good friends, no set schedule. Chatting and laughing, no electronic distractions. Wouldn't mind a hairdryer next time though. 

Dining on the Move

 

 
On Friday night I experienced a Melbourne institution for the first time - the Colonial Tram Car Restaurant. Organised by Liz to celebrate her birthday, Liz, Dave, Jason, Louise, Andrew and myself caught the tram and had a great night.

We'd booked weeks in advance - it is really popular. I think we were all excited as we stood at the stop waiting for the tram to arrive.

 
I chose the chicken dish followed by sticky date pudding - couldn't believe they didn't have a chocolate dessert. Although the food only rated 'nice'  it didn't matter as the atmosphere and circumstances more than made up for it. 

 
Afterwards we headed to Turf Bar where we had some drinks, laughs, sang and danced along to the 80s music. The latter was somewhat reluctant on my part. 

The funniest part of the evening - when Andrew sent a girl into the ladies toilets to retrieve Liz, Lou and I. We had taken a stereotypical trip to the toilet together then lost track of time chatting. I think we might even have been in ther half an hour!