Saturday, July 4, 2020

Hipster Breakfast

A blessed bit of normality this morning.

I met Damo for breakfast, at a cafe. And it was wonderful.

Damo and I did our master's together. He's going down the PhD route, I'm doing Faber. We both get a bit stresseed, but we've been meeting for breakfast since early in the Master's program, no need to stop. During the main lockdown we'd meet over zoom.

Today we got to go to an old favourite haunt, Three Bags Full in Abbotsford. Due to the current restrictions, they're not talking bookings on the weekend. As we're both earlybirds and we both had a bit on, we decided to meet  at ten minutes before the cafe opened so that we were assured of a table.

It was a good move. A pod of MAMILs were waiting at the front door when I drove up (MAMIL - acronym from Middle Aged Man in Lycra).

This social distancing thing is still a bit strange. We gave each other an air hug from six feet away. It was just nice to see each other face to face.

And we waited with the rest of the hipsters. It wasn't bad. I don't queue for food - and I hate to think what the queues are like at Chin Chin or Supernormal now.They must go down the street and round the corner now.

As this was 7.50 on a Saturday morning, it was fine. Just strange, queuing with the other hipsters.



They opened before time, we were the fourth  guests to be seated (the MAMILs went first). They took our names and phone numbers, as required. A new requirement for eating out. It's not a chore or imposition. If it keeps us safe, then well and good.

Our coffees were ordered. My standard 'large wanker' (almond decaf late) didn't raise an eyebrow. It doesn't often raise comment in Melbourne.

 The coffee's came soon after. Normal things were spoken of. His dog. My cat/.Writing. Our jobs. His PhD. Family. How he has never heard of Sixto Rodriguez (Bloody Millennials). Alt-J. Faber. All the stuff we normally talk about except we weren't over zoom.

And it was bloody fantastic.

So were the patatas bravas I had for breakfast. Complete with an egg, it ws the best patatas bravas I've had out of Spain. Plenty of brava. Recommended.



And after an hour, it was time for me to go to the gym and for Damo to head on back to his middle-Northern suburb and all felt very right in the world.

It is great to be able to do this. It's great that the gym is open. It's nice to feel just a little bit normal for a while.

But the news today isn't great. Another two suburbs are getting locked down. A couple of housing commision towers are under lock down too. 108 cases found.

I fear we'll all be in lockdown in the city soon. Here's hoping not. It's wonderful to just have this little bit of normality back again.



Today's song:



                                                                                   

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