Looking Back

An interesting day today. Took a drive out to a place called Daylesford, about an hour and a half away from Melbourne to see the parentals who are over from Adelaide with some friends. We had a barbeque, exchanged Christmas gifts and caught up, which was nice. I also have a bottle of gin on a change of leadership in Australia in the next three months. It's going to be interesting. We will see what happens.

This is a favourite reflection of the year. Thanks for posting Bev at Sunday Stealing.

1. First things first, did you have a good year?

It was okay. Work wasn't great but the rest of it was fine. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to complain about either.

2. If you traveled, where did you go?

I went to a few new places this year. Other than the regular Sydney trips and two trips over to Adelaide, the passport was used. I spent a week in Hong Kong in March, then I went away for a fortnight and spent ten days in Northern India with two days in Hong Kong on the way home.

A few weeks ago I had a long weekend in country Queensland too. So I did well on the travel front.

3. Which fashion trends did you love?

Wide legged  trousers that are slightly cropped. Love them.

4. Which fashion trends did you hate?

I could never wear those short shorts all the young ones are wearing. There are some things some body shapes may think about avoiding. (People can wear what they like, but yeah, not the prettiest of sights are seen sometimes.)

5. What was your favorite article of clothing this year?

I have a pair of black cheesecloth wide-legged long trousers. They're so comfortable and cool.

6. What song sums up this year for you?

As I said, it's been an interesting year this year. It's had its ups and downs, but looking back, if I ask who will save my soul, it's going to be me.

So I nominate Jewel's version of this song as this years them tune,''

7. What was your favorite movie of the year?

I have seen 46 movies this year - and my two clear standouts  were Booksmart and JoJo Rabbit - which I saw the other day. I like films with clout. The former made me laugh so hard I nearly wet myself. The latter is just brilliant. Sad, funny, tragic, absurd and a must see. It's not what you expect from what you see in the trailer.

8. Did an actor/actress catch your attention for the first time this year?

Ah, Tom Ellis. What can I say, I have a thing for dark-haired Englishmen...



9. Favorite new TV show?

That would probably be Lucifer. I know it's been on air for a few years, but I found it on Netflix a few months ago and it makes me smile.

I also like The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and Fleabag, but I only get to watch them on the plane going back and forth to where ever I'm going.

10. Did you make any big permanent changes this year?

Other than my hair is a bit lighter. No big permanent changes.

11. What was one nice thing you did for yourself?

I gave myself December off work. My contract ended at the end of November and instead of stressing out and trying to find a job, I let myself take a structured sabbatical for a few weeks to get my energy back and my head space right. It was a very good decision. Four weeks in and I feel like myself again. Job hunting in earnest will start on 6 January. I hope to have a job by the end of the month.

12. Did you develop a new obsession?

It appears I've got myself back into walking / running. I went on a Park Run while I was in Queensland and I loved it. I hope to be able to run 5 kms by the end of 2020 (this is not a stretch, but I need to lose weight to before I get running again.) It's a really cool set up. Free, organised, nice people, local and worldwide at the same time. What more do you need?

13. Did you vote?

Yes. I'm Australian, voting is compulsory (well you have to get your name marked off at the polling booth - what you do with your ballot paper is your business). But yes, I voted in the Federal Election earlier this year.

14. Did you move?

Nope.

15. Did you get a job?

I changed jobs in late June. Still unsure if this was a great thing. It was a bit like going out of the frying pan and into the fire. But enough of that.

16. Did you get a pet?

No, but Maow Maow is coming to stay tomorrow. Does that count?

17. Do you regret not doing anything?

Not really. Looking back, another week in India to have a look around Rajasthan would have been great - but I can always go back.

18. Do you regret doing something?

In glum moments, part of me regrets moving jobs when I did, but the new job wasn't all bad - it just wasn't a great place at the time I was there. Good people under a lot of pressure - it wasn't ideal. You don't know that when you're going into a place.

19. Have you done anything that scared you?

Going to India, in the build up, really scared the crap out of me. It was great when I got there, but there was a real fear of the unknown before I went. I'm so glad I did go - I had a great time.

20. Did anyone/thing make you so mad it stayed with you for days?

Our current Federal Government has had me angry since they got in again in May. This has gone from a general aggravation to full on hostile contempt in the last few weeks.

I'm hoping I win that bottle of gin.... But who would take over? Peter 'Spud' Dutton? There would be outright revolution. Maybe this would be a good thing.

21. Did you lose anyone close to you?

Thankfully, no.

22. Who was important to you this year but wasn’t important last year?

Tom Ellis.... my friendship group stayed pretty stable.

23. Who wasn’t as important to you this year as they were last year?

Tony Abbott. Awful Australian politician. He lost his seat. I don't have to think of ways to do him existential harm any more.

Again, my friendship group is pretty stable. Some people have drifted off, others have come closer, but the core remains the same.

24. If you could have a do over on one thing you did, would you take it?

If I could do anything over again, it would be the writer's retreat I went on in June. It was phenomenal, and I'd like to do it over again because it was so great. I'm doing it again in June. Wonderful fun.

25. What was the best moment of the year for you?

Tying my friends together as a part of their wedding ceremony in India. This is the job of the big sister. I was incredibly honoured to have this role in the wedding.

26. What was the worst?

The two really nasty chest infections I got over October. They were awful. Five days in bed each with both of them. I haven't had a chest infection in years. I blame the stress of the job at the time.

27. What are you most proud of accomplishing?

I got a story published in late November in a literary magazine. If you want to have a look at it, go here.

28. What have you learned about yourself this year that you didn’t know in the years prior?

I am a lot braver than I think I am. I can face my fears. India proved this to me.

29. What do you wish for others for the coming year?

Peace, happiness, love and a new Federal Government.

30. What do you wish for yourself?

Well other than the above, I want the following for myself in 2020: (in no order)

• To finish the first drafts of both my novels
• To get a great new job, with great people, in town, paying well, with surmountable challenges
• To be able to run 5 kms again by the end of the year (softly, softly catchy the monkey)
• To travel to some new places
• To maintain the rage and enthusiasm for some very substantial changes in Australia (Gough Whitlam's words, not mine)
• To make the time to exercise, read and write daily. 

Today's song:

The Sleepy Rambles Meme

Three days before Christmas. It was 44 degrees in the shade on Friday (111 degrees Fahrenheit in the old money) but thankfully the heat has backed off. The cassata is on the make - two layers to go, I'm about to go pick up the ham from Blarney's place - her oven had decided to pack it in, so I'll be doing the glazing here on Tuesday.

I've also discovered through this sabbatical:

• Cardio is much easier to tolerate at the gym when you're watching an old episode of Grey's Anatomy
• My hair has got really, really curly - not bothering to straighten it any more.
• Black out curtains are the best things ever - getting an extra hour of sleep at the moment.
• I don't know if our Prime Minister will still be our Prime Minister in three months, evil, pompous, incompetent, smug, narcissistic tosser that he is.

Questions, as always, come from Bev at Sunday Stealing, then whoever she stole them from.


1. Do you ever give things away to your friends?

Sometimes. I will give books away to friends quite readily.

2. Does it make you uncomfortable when your parents talk about finding people attractive? If your parents don’t make comments like that, what sort of things can your family members say that do make you feel uncomfortable?

I think the only time my mother has made me feel uncomfortable was when we were walking through Chinatown and she pipes up, "There are a lot of Asians around here..." Okay, we were walking through Chinatown. The city area is home to many Asian students and residents. Mum lives in a country town. She was stating the bleeding obvious, but it didn't sit that comfortably. (Mum is not racist, however, she sometimes engages her mouth before thinking).

3. Have you ever heard of an “alternative spring break”? Have you ever participated in one or known someone who has?

Too old and Australian to even know what they are talking about here. Spring break is an American concept, where, from the exposure we have from the movies and telly, college students go somewhere, drink a lot, try to have sex and behave like muppets.

4. Is there anyone’s friendship or relationship, in particular, that makes you jealous?

Nope. Next.

5. Is there a book series where you loved the first book, but for some reason the other books in the series just didn’t measure up?

Ah, The Hunger Games. The first book of the series was one of the best pieces of Young Adult literature I've ever read. The other two books in the series not so much.

6. Are you a registered voter?

I am Australian. Voting is compulsory in Australia - well, it is compulsory to front up to the polling booth on election day for Federal, State and Local elections (and if you don't turn up, and you don't have a good reason, you get fined.) Nothing is stopping you from spoiling your ballot paper, but you have a civil obligation to turn up to elections. So yes, you could say I'm a registered voter.

For the Americans, we also put in pen and paper votes, none of this voting machine malarkey. Makes for better accountability.

7. Are there any stores/restaurants that you would like to shop/eat at, but there aren’t any located near enough to you?

Not really, as the food in Melbourne (actually all around Australia) is excellent. But, I would love if my favourite dumpling bar in Kowloon, Hong Kong was here. Best prawn dumplings ever.

Oh, and if Adelaide could send over some decent bakeries to Melbourne, that would be good. The pasties are far superior in Adelaide - you're struggling to get a decent pasty in Melbourne city (Country bakeries are a bit better, but they are still better in South Australia)

8. How many people would you say you are close with? Who are they?

I'd say seven. All have different roles in my life. Most I don't see much of, but I feel close to them regardless.

There's Blarney (Melbourne sister)
Mariah (In Queensland - old, dear friend)
Jonella (Good mate, talk most days)
Jay from the gym (see her most days too)
Geetangeli (In New Zealand - old, dear friend)
Reindert (In Colorado - lovely mate)
Him in Sydney


9. Do you ever have smell hallucinations?

Rarely. I've got a good sense of smell, but normally there is a reason for what I'm smelling.

10. Is there something that you did not used to take seriously, that you either now take seriously or wish that you had in the past (e.g., a relationship that you miss, your education, etc.)?

Money and politics.  I am very aware of both now, but never was years ago. I'm very vocal about the latter - especially as the standard you walk past is the standard you accept - and I don't accept a lot of what the government, particularly the Federal government are doing.

I also wish I had piano lessons as a kid.

11. Are there any subjects that you are interested in so much that you would read whole books or academic journals about them?

Lots of things - I'm a wannabe academic after all. I'll read anything I can get my hands on about the Kings and Queens of England, Shakespeare, theatre, medicine, interesting murders... this is a long list.

12. Are you physically affectionate with your friends?

I used to be more affectionate, but I've had it drubbed out of me. My friends still get a kiss an a hug when we meet and when I go. I've very affectionate with Maow Maow.

13. When you were in school, did you witness a lot of bullying? How did the teachers react to name-calling or violence?

Thankfully no. I was oblivious to a lot of it, and I went to school in a different era.

14. If there is a specific celebrity (or two, or three!) that you dislike, is it because of petty reasons or is it because they’ve done something absolutely damning in your mind?

Other than thinking Penelope Cruz looks like an emu/ostrich, then no. Craig McLachlan, star of the Doctor Blake Mysteries has gone down in my estimations, but he's still innocent until proven guilty, so I'll leave it at that.

15. Are any of your friends/relatives actually impressive artists or writers?

I have lots of friends who are great writers and artists, but none of them are famous.

Today's song, dedicated to our incompetent prick of a Prime Minister, who, in my humble opinion, can sod off back to Hawaii. This is a bit of an Aussie anthem. There is an addition to the chorus. It has to be sung, full pent, always. (The Angels are an Adelaide band)

Sabbatical Chronicles: What does one want?

Maybe I've been watching a little too much Lucifer. Maybe I'm just getting my head around being off work, or maybe, just maybe, after to weeks off, I feel like I could go back to work now.

In that first week, there was no way I was going near an office, let alone near a computer.

In the second week, I was beginning to feel a bit more normal.

Now, at the start of the third week of this sabbatical, I'm starting to get a plan in place to find work, or more to the point, get the right job.

And in the words of Lucifer - what is it I want? Isn't that half the battle when you're manifesting things - know what it is you actually desire?



So, it is time to think about what it is I actually want when it come to a job.

I will admit, for the last two jobs I've been at, I was approached for the roles, rather than applying for them. I'll admit to being very lucky on this score. Most of the time, a phone call leads to a job. I'm hoping this will happen again, but in the mean time, it's a matter of putting in applications, making phone calls and sending emails, going for coffees and putting myself out there.

The bulk of this will be done from 6 January.

But what do I want from a ob.

Sitting down at a bar on Swan Street with one of my old work husbands, beer in hand (trying to escape the 43 degree heat outside) we talked about this.

We've both been contracting for a long time. Nath is just back from three months abroad on the holiday of a lifetime. We know the score.

So it's time to think about this what I want.

So here's the laundry list. What do I desire from my next job?

• A longer term contract (at least 6 months)
• Preferably at a day rate to which I'm accustomed
• At a large / National / Multi national company (which is where most of my work comes from)
• In the city or the city fringes (must be within 45 minutes on public transport)
• Good team with a mix of men and women
• A role with some autonomy (no micro-managers please)
• Supportive management
• Preferably in the tech writing / instructional design / process analyst space
• Preferably a busy, but not manic 8 hour working day for the most part
• Some travel interstate would be good
• Maybe in the banking, finance, utilities or telco space - will entertain other sectors, but not mining, gambling or retail.
• Would look at a contracted week (do a full week over 4 days - sorta like this idea)
• Would like some working arrangement flexibility  - work from home.
• Prefer working in Agile environments
• A great team who like to have a laugh 

Well, that the list of requirements. Of course, there will be some compromise, but this is what I want.

So now I have to get manifesting. Get out the green candles. make the phone calls. Send the emails. Have the coffee dates. Talk to the network. Get on LinkedIn.

But for the moment, with most of corporate Australia on holidays, with the skeleton staff all annoyed that they're at work (or enjoying the quiet time) .

Which means the main hunt will start on 6 January, when everybody starts coming back. 

After three weeks off, I'm almost back to full strength - and this is a good thing.,

Now, as the temperature is back to something normal and not something stupid, 'spose I better go to bed, thinking of a White Christmas - where the cold streets are covered in snow, not one covered in ash as the case in Melbourne at the moment. 

Today's Song: A good summer song from the teenage annals

Book of Questions

Greetings from Dayboro, Queensland - a sleepy little town about an hour out of Brisbane. This is a place which should be green. It's not, unfortunately. The drought is really biting up here. It's really sad to see. But I am having a lovely time with my friend, Mariah, and her son, in what is known as God's own country - mind you, I think God may be palming his forehead in despair at some of the decisions the Governments have made over the years, but still, it's a lovely, and welcome change of scenery.

Questions, as always, provided by Bev at Sunday Stealing.

1. If you say a dog locked in a hot car, what would you do?

Easy, after calling for the owners of the car, I'd smash the window to let the dog out and call the police to let them know what I've done. There is no reason for this to happen. Saying that, every year a number of children are killed in overheated cars. As we're expecting a day of 41 degrees (106 or there about in the old language) this is to be avoided. There are a lot of public service advertisements about this in Summer over here.

2. Is it easy for you to accept help when you need it?

Yes and no. If I ask for help, then yes. Otherwise, help will be reluctantly, though gratefully received.

3. Have you ever been to a fashion show?

No.

4. Would you like to be famous?

If I was a famous novelist, then yes. Otherwise, no. I like my privacy. Novelists can have a good face for radio - I have one of those.

5. What is your most compulsive habit?

I still suck my thumb when I'm tired or stressed. Thankfully, this is also done in private.


6. What do you strive for in life: accomplishment, security, love, power, excitement, knowledge or something else. 

All of the below. I just like to think things can get better an better in all aspects of my life. 

7. How close and warm is your family?

Not very. My family is loving, but we're not in each other's pockets and we're not emotionally very open. Just the way it is - we're Cornish Methodists by breeding, they're not the most cuddly of creatures. 

8. Does the fact that you have never done a thing before increase or decrease its appeal to you?

A bit of both. Some things I never want to do - case in point, heroin or methamphetamine. Other things, like skydiving, yeah, I'd give that  go. India was interesting for me in this way. I dreaded going there, felt bad about not wanting to go there - but at the end of it, I had a ball. 

9. If your friends start belittling a common acquaintance, would you defend that person?

For the most part, yes. Said persons doing the belittling would be asked to look at their own situations before putting somebody else down. If not, just say I wasn't comfortable with what they were saying. It's good to stand up for people. 

10. Do you make a special effort to thank somebody who does you a favour. How do you react when you aren't thanked for going out of your way for somebody?

Do I make a special effort for those who do me well - absolutely. Other than I'm unfailingly polite, it's manners. For those who don't thank you for a favour - I tend to remember this and I'm rather reticent to help out when the next favour is required - thankfully, that doesn't happen very often. 

11. Since adolescence, in what 3-year period do you feel you experience the most personal growth and change?

Hmm, probably from the ages of 23-26 - when I moved to London and had to find my own way in the world. I learned a hell of a lot in those years. Those years made me very resilient. 

12. When you do something ridiculous, how much does it bother you to have other people notice and laugh at you. 

Once over the Leo pride thing, normally I'll laugh along with them. I'm forever doing stupid things, so I'm used to it. 

13. Do you believe in capital punishment?

Absolutely not. We haven't had capital punishment here for over 50 years - the last person executed in Australia was in 1966. As much as there are people who have done unforgivable crimes, it's never shown to be a deterrent. And what of those wrongly convicted? Nope. 

14. Do you find it hard to say 'no' that you regularly do favours you do not want to do?

Not really. I'm pretty good with my boundaries. 

15. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

The only things that comes to mind is the Holocaust and child/animal abuse. Most other things you can have a dig at. Laughing at, and through illness and death is a necessity - in the right circumstances. 

Today's song: (For Mariah, who is so much in LOVE with Mumford and Sons she's taken up the banjo.)

The Sabbatical Diaries: Discoveries

Day Ten of the sabbatical - and after a solid week of sleeping in, exercising, reading, cooking mostly for myself and generally doing very little and I'm starting to feel more like myself. 

It took a Facebook post memory to really job me back into realising  how much ground I'd lost. Something as simple as me doing the 'Dead Ant' at a company Christmas do eight years ago. I remember laughing, having fun and generally just feeling a lot more free. It's a great photo. Jonella took it. I remember her being taken aback when I published it. I see it as a bit of a rally cry. I look happy. I'm smiling. It's good.

I want to get her back.

But I'm learning a few things while I'm on sabbatical. Fun things Things that you don't get to think about when you're working a forty hour week with an hour a day for public transport tacked on for good measure.

Here's a few of my tidbits of discovery:

1. Bubble tea is just an excuse to play with your food.

There are plenty of bubble tea places near where I live. It's a bit addictive - and a bit pointless - but there is something very satisfying about getting that last bit of jelly out of the cup with the straw, making those awful noises. My favourite bubble tea can be found at QV in town - rose and lychee soda with lychee jelly. How the jelly doesn't melt, I don't understand. But like most things that aren't good for you, it's fun - and a bit morish.

2. I've found a begrudging respect for Billie Eilish.

Anybody who an work an ironic, millennial 'DUH!' into a song has my respect. She's okay. She's grown on me - a bit like warts.

3. The more exercise you do, the better you feel.

Being off means I can get to the gym more. It's great. My strength is returning. The cardio is coming along slowly. As I'm heading up to Brisbane tomorrow, I can see myself spending a lot of time in my friend's pool. She's also making me do something called a ParkRun on Saturday morning. I won't be running, but I can walk fast. So walking around a winery in the Brisbane hills at 7 am on a Saturday morning. Fun. Maybe.

4. Creativity takes a bit  lot of work.

I knew this one, but I didn't realise just how hard it can be. I managed, somehow, to knock out the December Furious Fiction entry - but it's not my best work, and I have no idea what possessed me to write in the second person - but there we go. It's struggle, but I feel like it's starting to make some sense. Haven't touched the novel since I've been off.

5. Making kombucha is a strange and oddly gratifying process

A friend gave me a scoby ( Acronym for 'symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast') the other day. I now have kombucha slowly brewing in my kitchen. It's like having a pet, but a pet which is silent,  pig ugly (it looks a bit like a pornographic oyster gone bad) and makes the kitchen smell like vinegar.

Kombucha is stupidly easy to make - brewed tea, sugar and a scoby. Wait 8-10 days, in which time, the scoby hopefully breeds.




(Image courtesy of kombuchee.com)

It's like my own pet science experiment. But I like kombucha and if I can brew it up myself for a few cents for a litre, I will.

I might be giving a way the baby scobies too. We will see.

6. Throwing out stuff is great when you have time

I'm doing a lot of culling while I'm off. It's also a gratifying experience. For the first time in six months my drawers can close with ease.

7. The sights you see on the 109 tram in the middle of the day is mind-boggling

I've made no bones about the fact that I live in one of the less salubrious parts of a good suburb. I'm not too far from the needle exchange. There is a halfway house about two miles up the road. There are some interesting characters who hang out near the Victoria and Lennox Street crossing. It's more pronounced during the day, when the commuters and workers aren't there toshield you from the worst of Richmond's human soup. Also, the bubble tea places are down near what is affectionately knows as "Junkie Corner". If you want a hit of smack (heroin) it's THE place to go.

I don't judge. Addiction is an illness - and I'll take the junkies over those addicted to ice any day. Thankfully, most are harmless.

8. Reading for an hour a day makes you feel good

I'd forgotten this too. Currently dipping into Hemingway. I'm in about five minds about it. We did our book group choosing last night - there is a lot of great books to read in the list.

9. Not having to get up in the morning is a great thing.

But I'm still waking up at 6.30 am, if not before. I'm thinking of investing in some blackout blinds for the bedroom.

It's getting late, I'm not actually tired, but I should go to bed.

I'll leave you with Billie Eilish. Duh!


Today's Song:

The Pinterest Questions

One week in on this sabbatical and I'm finding my energy. The creativity is nowhere to be seen, as I struggle with this month's Furious Fiction challenge, which has the the following criteria and of which I cannot find a story... great. It's only 500 words but it's a challenge. Due midnight tonight.

• Your story must include SOMETHING EITHER BEING SENT OR RECEIVED IN THE MAIL.
• Your story must include the following words: JINGLE, CLICK, BUMP, SIZZLE (plurals or -ing variants are allowed).
• Your story's final sentence must contain exactly THREE words.

Ah well, will get the blog out the way first. Questions as always from Bev at Sunday Stealing.

1. What don’t you share?

Dessert. Actually that's not quite true. If there is an agreement to share dessert, I will share dessert. If not, I won't. I also don't share creme brulee - ever. That's the rules.

2. A reason to celebrate?

My contract is over and I'm on a primarily self enforced sabbatical for a few weeks. This is a very good thing and a great reason to celebrate.

3. Describe where you are now.

In the lounge room sitting at the table, which needs a tidy, but is not as bad as it normally is. Killing Eve is on the telly and I have a glass off rosewater and lemonade fizzy water near me.

4. A dream that seems impossible.

Living in England again. At the moment, with the current political climate, I'd love to be living in England again. I haven't lived there for 20 years, but there is part of me which would love to resettle there.

5. Something you hope for.

By some miracle, a change in our Federal Government, where the current muppets are completely obliterated from the face of the earth, That and enough rain to put out the fires in Sydney. Those bushfires are really bad.

6. A tradition that makes you feel at home.

I don't really have any traditions as such, but I know that any place where I can lie down on the couch with a drink and a cat and I'm pretty much there.

7. The people who make your life better.

My friends. They are pretty awesome. Not going to call them out individually, but they make life good. I'd be lost without them.

8. Someone you’d like to meet.

Oh, there are a lot of people I'd love to meet. Currently I'd like to run in to Anthony Albanese, the opposition leader, so I can ask him why he isn't fighting more in Parliament - then again, he's more than likely to tell me that he; letting the current government shoot themselves in the balls - they are doing a good job of it.

9. A silly thing you’d really like.

Fairy lihgts. I love fairy lights. I have a gin bottle full of them next to the telly.

10. A book from your childhood

I was a big reader as a kid. Read everything - but one title that I know I loved was Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary. Don't ask me anything about it - all I know is she had a big sistern named Beezuz.

11. Something you’re still not sure about.

I'm still not sure about the television show Killing Eve. I'm only just getting into it, but I think it might be a bit of a mindf*ck. It is great, but I'm teetering on whether it will be a bit too much for me.

12. The best dessert to share with friends.

The Cassata I make for Xmas. We used to make it for a beloved aunt who had a birthday on Christmas Day as her birthday cake. I soup up Mum's recipe, which is straight from the Woman's weekly cookbook. First layer, Whipped cream with brandied cherries. Next layer, vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate through it. Top layer is vanilla ice cream mixed in with almond toffee and topped with roasted almonds and toffee shards. Yum.

13. A story that captures your imagination

Trent Dalton's Boy Swallow Universe really got me when I read it. How he's woven in 1980's Brisbane with an incredible shaggy dog story gets me. I want to be able to do that.

14. Memories beside a fireplace.

My first kiss was next to an open fire. Saying nothing more than that.

15. How do you spend a rainy day?

Reading, writing, in the gym or cleaning the flat. Sounds sort of like my sabbatical, though it is summer....




Today's song:

Fill in the blanks

An hour of writing  - complete.
An hour of reading  - complete.

Exercise later.

It's nearly summer and it is Melbourne and I have a barbeque to go to and it's raining. Oh what fun. I've made the fruit salad, at which I can see Blarney's kids turning up their noses. I think lychees, plums, passionfruit, mango, peaches, pineapple and peaches makes a great fruit salad - the kids might not agree. I've got Greek yoghurt to go on top. Yeah, the kids are going to love me.

Questions, as always, from Bev from Sunday Stealing.

1. Right now I'm pondering how I'm going to write a poem about a bed of nails. It's in my head, it won't go away. A well - it will out when its ready.

2. Singing Cold Chisel songs when I've had too much to drink is my well known quirk.

3. Are you really certain that you think Scott Morrison is a good Prime Minister? If you are then we can't be friends.

4. Exercise first, then go job hunting! (They call it priorities)

5. That's why lychees are still be best fruit ever - no explanation needed.

6. Six Feet Under is one of my favorite tv shows ever!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to trying to find that poem about a bed of nails, tomorrow my plans include exercising, reading , job hunting, writing and unfortunately planning for the Melbourne Co-Masonic Property Association AGM... oh what fun.

8. If I could go anywhere on a road trip, I'd go to Robe, South Australia - I feel the need to go visit my grandparents *(whose ashes were scattered at the end of the jetty). Part of me still wants to drive from LA to Boulder, Colorado via Las Vegas and some interesting looking national parks on the way. Maybe next year.




9. How Scott Morrison thinks he's doing a good job is something I don't understand.

10. Thanksgiving makes me think of my American friends and family and the Black Friday sales.

11. Baths are the best way to relax!

12. It looks like Autumn when the leaves start to change colour. That's a good four or five months away at the moment - we've just gone into summer, not that you would know it.

13. Hummus is one of my favorite healthy snacks.

14. The smell of juicy fruit chewing gum makes me think of my father.

15. When I am feeling lazy I turn on Netflix and binge away.

16. When I look to the left, I see the windowsill and the flats next door.

17. The kitchen is the room that has the best view in my home. I can see right to the city.

18. Dirty Deeds was done dirt cheap! A good AC/DC song if ever there was one. (I also sing AC/DC songs when I've had too much to drink. Be thankful that is a very rare occurence)

19. Looking after the environment is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

20. If you have any spare gin or ice cream feel free to share it with me.

Today's song (because I was singing this in the shower this morning)