I've just come back from a mason's meeting. It's just gone eleven p.m.
It's great when you come out of the meeting energised and full of hope - this was one of those nights. A special night where we somehow raided the energies of the Gods and pulled off a miracle.
What do they say about bad rehearsals make good performances.
This was a very special night. It's the first time we've performed this ceremony in five years, and it felt great to do it again. It felt special.
Now, the only problem, is how to come down from this energetic high.
It might take a bit.
But I can't write it out - that is all I know.
Have lots to say, but not tonight.
So I will leave you with The Ting Tings.
Maybe thinking and singing something banal will help with this energy glut.
Too whacked to write tonight. I spent most of the morning doing the thing I dislike most about my current job - getting out the post-release comms.
Seriously, I'd rather have a pap smear than do comms. But I smiled nicely, didn't call anybody an idiot, only growled at my computer a couple of times and didn't moan too loudly when I had to translate some comments from which ever version of English to plain English - and in my office this can be Indian English, Chinese English, Russian English or which ever flavour of English as a second language you might like to dictate.
(On the other side of the coin, my glorious Indian colleagues think it's hysterical that I can come back with the one phrase of Hindi that I have mastered - which is a Sergeant Schultz like ,"I don't know.")
So I'm mentally exhausted.
But I still went to the gym - where Jay and I met up with Peeeeeeeettttttteeeeeee for one last time. Cleo is back from South America and the normal schedule will be back soon.
Peeeeeeeeettttteeeeee had some fun with me tonight. After a chat about Bali and the fact that things might be a bit bumpy over there when we get there (Earthquakes will do that) we got on with the workout.
For the last round of exercises, he made me push the sled.
If you haven't encountered the sled in the gym, it's a rugby and athletics training tool. You get to shove a flat based sled contraption 20 metres along a rough carpet. Normally, the sled, unladen, weighs about 60 kgs. It's not the easiest thing to do.
When we do this exercise with Cleo, she will often shove another 20 kg on top of the sled. That's fine. We do this all the time.
Tonight, I rose to the challenge. Peeeeeeeeettttttteeeeeeeee in his infinite wisdom stood on the sled and made me push the sled, with him on top, three rounds up and back.
Peeeeeeettttteeeeeee is a strapping lad. 88 kilos of prime Tasmanian muscle. On top of a 60 kilogram sled.
He also recorded this and put it on Instagram.
Never thought I would say this, but who knew that my bum was a part of my best side.
I was told that he only had two male clients who could do this.
I didn't bother to tell him that the sled is one of my favourite exercises.
I came out of the gym physically exhausted - and happy that I rose to a rather large, 88 kilogram Tasmanian challenge.
Now, I wish I could chill, but I've got some Mason's stuff to get out of the way for tomorrow night.
Always, my face, with Clinique soap. I've been doing this for over 30 years - one of the best habits I ever took on.
2. What colour is your favourite hoodie?
I have a navy hoodie I wear to the gym over my gym gear. My Harry Potter dressing gown, in Gryffindor colours, has a hood too.
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
Yes. I fully intend to kiss him in the very near future. Maow Maow received a few kisses last night, but he's not a person, even if he likes to think he is.
4. Do you plan outfits?
The night before work I lay out my clothes for the next day. It saves a lot of angst in the morning.
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
Pretty mellow. Sunday afternoon, that's a good feeling to have.
6. What’s the closest thing to you that's red?
I'm wearing a red top at the moment. Close enough?
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
Oh dear. It was the middle of the night. I was receiving phone calls, but there was nobody on the other end of the phone.
That was about two weeks ago. I think Lachlan is dead because of this dream- I have been know to have the odd prophetic dream - this felt like one. We will see, but I have my suspicions.
8. Did you meet anybody new today?
Not yet. I've only been to the gym and had breakfast so far. There is the rest of the day for meeting people.
9. What are you craving right now?
A cuddle. And roasted cashews.
10. Do you floss?
Yes, a few times a week.
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Old people. Russian food. Coleslaw.
12. Are you emotional?
Yes and no. I'm a huge sook and have been known to cry at the drop of the hat, but my emotions on the whole are pretty even. I'm very slow to anger and contain my emotions fairly well. But I'm human and I have my moments.
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
When I was a kid. Working in banking, I've had to tick back a few things with this sort of number grouping.
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
I lick ice cream in a cone. I'll suck it of the end of a spoon if it's in a bowl.
15. Do you like your hair?
Yes. It's long and wavy and holds colour really well. It could be a bit thicker even if there is already a lot of it - my actual hair is quite fine.
16. Do you like yourself?
Yep. It took forty years and a bit of therapy, but yes. 17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
Ummm... considering Trump is making Dubya look sane and rational and a nice person, I'd go, maybe. You never know, he might do a good Texan barbeque. We have VERY different political views. But still.... he'd have to pay.
18.What are you listening to right now?
The wind outside. The tapping of the keyboard.
Music wise - and eclectic mix of seventies, eighties, nineties, naughties, soul and jazz.
19. Were your parents strict?
Yes and no. My parents had a strange parenting style. It was the seventies and eighties. I was a kid. I don't remember having much of a say in the matter.
20. Would you go sky diving?
Yes - but tandem. Would love to give that a go. 21. Do you like cottage cheese?
Depends on what type - and this is a bit of a moot point as I'm off dairy at the moment. I hate the chunky stuff - but the smooth cottage cheese is okay in small doses.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
Does running into Geoffrey Rush at the opera count? Or standing behind Emma Thompson in a supermarket queue? Or Eddie izzard at a friend's hospital bed. That is about the extent of it.
23. Do you rent movies often?
No, that is why I have Netflix.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
I have this awesome pen I bought at a funky stationery store which is very sparky - as is my glasses case.
25. How many countries have you visited?
A few: New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany (on a technicality) - I make that 14. I hope to add Japan and Cambodia to this list soon.
26. Have you made a prank phone call?
Not since I was a young teenager.
27. Ever been on a train?
Of course - I get to work that way quite often. I love travelling by train in England and Europe. It's awesome.
28. Brown or white eggs?
I don't care as long as the eggs come from happy chooks (chickens). I buy free range eggs - but the best ones come from Mum's chooks who are very happy and live on her front lawn and get fed table scraps.
29.Do you have a cell-phone?
Of course. I've recently upgraded to an iPhone X. I have a land line account, but the phone doesn't work.
I love living in Little Saigon (or Little Ho Chi Min City if you want to be up to date). Other than it is the cheaper side of a rather exclusive inner city suburb, the food is excellent.
Little Vietnam sports an incredible number of Vietnamese restaurants. Off the top of my head there is the:
Loi Loi (crawling distance from the front door)
Mihn Tan (where you go when you have big groups who aren'foodies)
Vihn Vihn (wrong side of the road)
Vung Tau
Tran Tran
Tho Tho
Thy Thy
Thy Thy 2
Vinh Ky (They have this incredible Dry Chilli Beef - a go-to dish I've introduced many to over the years)
Pacific BBQ House
I (heart) Pho
Bun Ho Hue (Another noodle soup place)
Pho Pho Pho
Lee Lee (Bakery)
Nhu Lan (Another bakery)
There is also a number of vegan restaurants to cater for the hipsters, quite a few Thai and Korean places, a superlative pizza joint that does excellent wood fired pizzas and a number of bakeries of various quality and a couple of hipster bars. Oh, and two hipster pubs - and one other one that you only go near if you want to risk getting stabbed down near where the junkies hang out.
Victoria Street is also well known for Bahn Mi - or what a friend of mine calls Salmonella Rolls. I tend to call then Vietnamese Rolls - and they are awesome.
If you haven't had Bahn Mi, try one - and disregard my comments about the salmonella thing - my friend just had an unfortunate experience.
Bahn Mi are awesome. Take a freshly baked white crusty roll, split it open, spread generously with butter and pate, then add some barbequed pork or chicken (for me, I really don't do pork - only having it if chicken is not available). Then add some lightly pickled carrots, onions and cucumber, a few sprigs of coriander and Vietnamese basil, some crispy fried shallots, a bit of fresh chili to taste, and top it off with a bit of hoisin sauce. All for around $5.
Not any more for me. Gluten. Bah. But I miss them.
Down my end of Victoria Street there is a cafe which I've passed every day since it opened about two years ago. It used to be the Brotherhood of St Lawrence's op shop - and it was a great op shop. Now, it's a hipster cafe. From the outside, it looks like a bit of a barn. It always has. After it was an op shop, it became a furniture shop for a while.
This morning, after a sleep in, I made a trip to the post office to collect a parcel. Rather than go home and cook my own breakfast, I made my way down to this, the Holla Cafe. I mentioned to Em last weekend that I've always wanted to try the place.
I'm glad I went in.
Okay, it is VERY hipster, but you don't live in Richmond without growing a tolerance for this bearded, tattooed, man-bunned, dread-locked brigade of Millennials.
This place is also on the wrong side of Church Street. Tt's away from the junkies that hang out near Lennox Street, but since the bank closed on the corner, few people stray past the Church Street crossing, unless they want to go to the guitar shop, the drum shop, the post office, the halal butcher, the tyre shop, the Indian grocer or the brothel. East of Church Street, Victoria Street is a hotchpotch of strange, eclectic and often empty stores that change ownership regularly (except the post office and the chippy).
My server was lovely - pleasant and nicely chatty. She found me a seat up the back for me and my parcel. It is a bit noisy, but not unpleasantly so. I remember when the oversized barn like building was filled with people's unwanted clothes and shoes. This is better.
I was overjoyed and dismayed to find they stock my favourite cranberry and pistachio gluten free bar which I have as a monthly treat from my work cafe. I really didn't need to know they are only a five minute walk away.
I still feel a bit strange ordering a decaf almond latte, but my server didn't bat an eyelid. I was told, with some earnestness that they make their own almond milk on the premises. For me, this could go two ways - it will either be awesome, or the mylk will split and taste like something out of a toilet bowl. My regular Sunday breakfast joint makes a wonderful decaf almond latte - this one wasn't quite up to Adrian at Krifi's efforts, but it wasn't bad either.
Then, for breakfast. There was a reasonable selection which could be adapted to the food wanker plan.
I chose the Saigon Scrambled Eggs - substituting sourdough for gluten free toast. Basically Bahn Mi with eggs. It had to be done.
I was happy. Scrambled eggs, on buttered toast with pate, a bit of chilli, some spiced pork, fried shallots, spring onions and fresh herbs. It was pretty bloody good. The gluten free bread was lovely - and thankfully not the cardboard substitute it can be.
.
Will I go back there? Yes - but I would love to take some friends for breakfast. It's menu is interesting - the guy sitting next to me had to smash his own avocado in a makeshift mortar and pestle. Waffle made of croissants, lots of ingredients like edamame, kasundi, beetroot walnut creme (vegan), quinoa and candied bacon.
Some would call this playing with your food. Some would say this is what happens when you give Millennials some of grandma's money to go be pretentious. I just think it's showing the best of what it is to be a hipster and what it is to live in a vibrant, interesting and somewhat colourful part of Melbourne.
That I was the last one there and that I could still be there now is by the by. That tonight is Friday and leaving after 5 pm is as close to sacrilege as it gets is neither here nor there. I am now home with a large gin and tonic in my hand. I'm trying to work out what gin I'm drinking as I somehow found my old traveler bottle in a cupboard and I can't remember what I decanted into it around a year ago. Possibly Tanqueray, possibly on of the smaller distilleries.
The tonic is flat.
I don't care.
Maybe, I should have gone for the Glenmorangie which is what I was eyeing off before I found my traveler bottle. Maybe I'll sit and sip a single malt after the G&T has been drained.
It's not that it was a bad day. More that the effect of the Mercury Retrograde hit like a bastard this afternoon, scattering every modicum of order in its wake. Adding to all of this, two of the team are away on holiday, the two other members of the team are new and there is slack that needs to be picked up. Oh what fun.
But I am going to change the viewpoint and look at the good of the day.
I had lunch with my old work husband, Glen Waverley. I love my old work husbands - of which I have a small collection, but Glen Waverley is my longest serving. It was just lovely to catch up.
Then on the way home, as I walked to the tram stop in the rain, somehow, I ended up having a lovely chat with a random. Being a girl from Adelaide, it is in me to talk to people on trams - well, I will talk to people on trams if spoken to. This fellow, late twenties, personable, sober (always a good thing on the 109) commented that he didn't know people still played Pokemon Go. Okay, so I've been outed as a Pokemon player. So shoot me. We ended up having a lovely chat about all sorts of things, horticulture, moving to Melbourne, living in Sydney, the food wanker plan, giving up smoking... He got off a few stops before me. He was a nice random. It's good when you meet nice randoms. They do exist.
Arriving home, I jumped in the car and drove to the local shopping complex to find some dinner, being far too tired to cook. Just sitting down with a meal somebody else has cooked is a reason to be happy.
And now I'm home thinking about what needs to be done:
Setting the agenda for Thursday night's property association
An ironing pile the size of Mount Everest
A contact lens fitting
The gym
Learning my part for Tuesday night
The flat needs to be cleaned
Go pay for the food for the birthday party
Go see Blarney and Maow Maow.
What I'm not going to think about is what might happen at work on Monday morning, when we're two team members down and Mercury is in retrograde.
The G&T has been drained. I think I need that single malt now.
Yes, it was a hard day. I just prefer to concentrate on the good.
As ear worms go I'm quite happy with this as I think Rodriguez is phenomenal.
Never heard of him? Neither had I until I discovered a the documentary"Searching for Sugarman".
Highly recommended viewing if you like a doco about the little guy coming good. It won an Academy Award - the documentary is that good. (It's available on Stan)
Some things about Rodriguez:
He's coming to Melbourne in February.
He has been huge in South Africa for over forty years.
Outside of South Africa, nobody has heard of him.
I have been very hard on my South African friends - of which there are plenty - for not introducing me to him sooner.
So, I had one of his songs going around and around in my head for most of the day. Finally, an ear worm I can cope with.
I passed a colleague in the office - a former South African.
"Hey Michael, I have Rodriguez playing in my head."
"Who?" he asked.
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
"Rodriguez - you know - Sixto Rodriguez."
"Nup, never heard of him."
"Seriously?! You're from bloody Durban - how can this be?"
"Nup. Never."
My eyes started to roll. Michael is about my age. Not knowing Rodriguez when you are South African and in your mid-forties is like being an Australian of a similar age who has no idea what Cold Chisel is about. If South Africa had a citizenship test, there would be a question about Rodriguez. (I'm sure there is a question on our citizenship test about the words to Khe Sahn.)
I walked off disgusted. How could this be?
Michael fessed up later that he was pulling my leg. He was surprised that there was an Australian who knew who he was. He admitted that not knowing a few songs from the Rodriguez back catalogue will get your South African passport revoked.
We're both considering tickets to his concert in February.
Today was my last session with Peeeeeeettttteeeeeee. Cleo will be back next week and we might get a bit of order back into life. And hopefully fewer early mornings.
Due to Peeeeeeetttttteeeeeee taking on most of Cleo's clients, getting a spot with him has proved hard. I've had the Wednesday 6.15 am slot for the last five weeks.
Call me a masochist, call me just too accommodating. This morning training session is not as bad as it sounds. I'm normally awake at 6 am - it also means I get my exercise out of the way for the day and gives me my nights free.
Something else about today - I've felt a bit under the weather for the last few days. I've been fighting off something resembling a cold, like the rest of the office. I'm thankful for a couple of early nights, oregano oil and the horse pills supplied by the naturopath, which have kept the cold at bay. From feeling quite crappy on Monday night, I'm pretty much back to normal.
So I woke at 5.45 am, dressed, tied my hair up, shoved on my gym glasses and made my way to the gym.
Ten hours on, I'm trying to work out what he did to me to make me feel like I've run a marathon.
For one, my bum hurts. I can't remember doing anything too bad. 40 kgs dead lifts shouldn't do that. High/Low wood chops don't hurt. 10 kg chest presses. Tricep dips - I forgot I could do those. Ball slams - with the bouncy 7 kg ball - not the normal 4 kg ball. TRX rows. Shoulder presses.
There is no reason why my bum should be hurting. Or the rest of me. It's nothing too bad. But it all hurts. Maybe it's the last of the cold type thing. I don't know.
Another thing about Peeeeeeettttteeeeeee's sessions - especially when Jay isn't there - we talk. We talk a lot. And we talk about stuff that I normally talk about with my friend Mack - who's just as strange as I am. Oh, and sometimes Barney and I go on a rant - which is quite fun.
Topics covered this morning:
The Illuminati and the Reptilian Agenda
How Stanley Kubrick was a satanist
How to wield energy like a boss
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the joys of planking into your eighties
What happens in an energy clearing session
How he's killed most of his goldfish except the one he's called Barry.
Seriously, who calls a goldfish Barry? Of all the topics of conversation.
"Pete, do you talk to all of your clients about stuff like this?"
"No, just you."
"Why me?"
"You don't think I'm nuts - and you get it."
All of this occurred before 7 am.
I think Peeeeeeeetttttteeeeeeee needs to find his tribe. He's young. He will find his tribe eventually.
And I wonder why I'm sore and tired. Working out with Peeeeeeeettttteeeeeeeee when Jay isn't around takes more mental agility than physical strength.
When Jay is around, we talk about football.
As I said, we'll be back to normal on Monday. We will go back to waving at Peeeeeeeettttteeeeeee in the distance.
I have a feeling Cleo will be upping the weights when she gets back next week.
And part of me will miss these very strange chats I have with this rather darling bloke at 6.15 in the morning. It's been some of the best entertainment you can have on a cold August morning
