Acccountability April

My main goal from my time off over the last three months, other than losing weight, has been to write.

However, other than blogging and filling in job applications, seriously, I haven't been writing. I haven't been creatively writing at all. The most creative thing I've written since January is my CV.

So I'm naming April the month of taking responsibility for my creativity and I will attempt to not only blog every day, but write something of use, of substance and of value over the next month. Oh, and it will be fiction - whether it be continuing on with Rainbow Robertson or getting a literary short story penned and polished - we have a goal. Write, Pandora, write!

This is my committment to you. You may or may not see the fiction. Sorry, you'll just have to put up with the blog in the meantime.

So, it's April. Other than being a fair bit slimmer things are chugging along, but that is about it.

A few things have happened that are a bit bittersweet and a bit fun.

First up, I have the Maow Maow for another week.

The Maow Maow you ask? Maow Maow is Barney and Blarney's cat. I reckon he was my soul mate in another life. We've always been the best of friends. Maow Maow was supposed to be going home this weekend. Got a text from Blarney, they're staying in Ireland for another week. (Friends of Blarney reading this, give me a call and I will explain) As much as I love the Maow Maow, I'm a little over having my feet being chewed at 5 am, his occasionally feral moods where he does his best Tasmanian Devil impersonation, his dreadful table manners, the way he kicks his litter all over the kitchen, him shedding everywhere, his need to accompany me to the toilet and the fact that he demands breakfast anywhere between 5.30 and 7 in the morning.

Making up for this tenfold is the fact he's brilliant company, extremely cuddly, keeps my legs warm at night and is very clean. I can't fault him as a house guest really. Though when it comes to seeing tarot and reflex clients... Tarot clients get their feet bitten and if I'm massaging he wants to join in. The other night while doing somebody's glutes he's sitting there in pounce mode - like joy - just what you need, a cat clawing your arse when you're expecting an elbow to be shoved in it.

Thankfully, Maow Maow appears to be happy at my place.

Job wise it's been six company interviews in ten days, with a few agency runs in the mean time. Of the interviews all have gone okay - I seem to be getting pipped at the post by people with more experience, though I've had a number of comments about the fact I could do the job. This is to be expected as I'm trying to transition from one area of IT to another. I've also seen a temp agency and will probably see another one or two. It's time to start getting some real money in, make sure the rent is paid - even if there isn't much else left over - just to stop the drain on the bank account. Also, it will help with my sanity going to work every day for a change - I don't care if I'm filing or answering phones - it's honest work, it's not to taxing and it could lead to other things. The job - a real job, isn't too far away.

My other small project is also going well. Finding Melbourne's best macaron.

Macaron - yep, macaron. Not Macaroon - those jam and coconut creations your grandmother used to feed you bought at the lawn bowls trading table. No, macarons are divine. And in the scheme of things, not too calorific. And unfortunately a little expensive, which makes them the perfect treat for the lifestyle changing Pandora. Can only afford one or two every few days.

Macarons are a mix of almond meal, icing sugar and egg white - sort of like a mini pavlova with almond. This mixture can be flavoured with just about anything. Around Melbourne, they have macaron competitions - most exotic flavours, best texture. The perfect macaron has a slightly crunchy exterior, a perfectly fluffy interior and some yummy stuff sticking them together.

The worst macarons I've uncovered are at Kafe Krifi at Victoria Gardens - dreadful, too big, badly flavoured and as chewy as a hockey puck.

The best - well that is a toss up. The Salty Caramel macarons at Cacao in the GPO Building are nothing short of heavenly and are a brilliant standby. The green tea and black sesame ones at the Little Cupcake Shoppe in the QV centre are pretty special too.

However, this morning on my walk back to the "office" I discovered this little macaron shop down Hardware Lane. They had some really interesting flavours - ginger and macadamia, rose, flower essence and these really interesting ones in a fetching shade of duck egg blue. The consistancy of the two I tried was flawless, the flavours powerful, yet delicate at the same time - highly recommend the place, but get there early - they sell out by lunchtime.

Small things please small minds.

Right, better get going - off to meet Glen Waverley for lunch then coffee with another friend before going home to face the furry house demon and his wrath. I never knew going out to work could be so traumatic for a cat!

Pandx