are don and carol coming?

productive

2009-11-09T21:57:00.002+11:00

Well I did accomplish something today.

Old lady shoes in bin.

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where i did not a great deal

2009-11-08T21:30:00.003+11:00

It's been a dismal, rainy kind of day, weather-wise today, just begging to be filled with indoorly activities.

After taking Bessie for an early haircut (having spent TWO HOURS last evening combing the most ghastly tangle from the back of her head, after which she decided that the length was just too much to manage) and a quick bit of shopping while I was waiting (dvd, new work shoes and chillis), Bessie and I settled in for a lazy afternoon of Top Design Season 1 watching, knitting and pie cooking.

Our pie was super-quick and easy. We used the leftover pastry (which froze exceptionally well) from kitchenette's fabulous apple pie of death filled with lightly stewed raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.

Verdict? Perhaps not the prettiest pie, but a superbly delicious one.

I'm now a fair way through the back of Don's jumper, slightly frightened that I may run out of wool and there is no more in Lincraft or online ... fingies crossed.

I've had to resort to using stitch markers, because I kept screwing the k2p6 pattern up (because the other side is all knit and not p2k6 as you might expect), they have made everything quite a good deal more satisfying and less hair-tear-out-ing.

Still not sick of it yet, but there is a great deal left to do.

Despite the post-art-and-car-purchase-money-saving kick we are supposed to be on, I desperately needed a new pair of shoes for work (and, naturally, feeling ridiculously guilty for doing so). The standby black old-lady pumps (for when I am not wearing boots &etc) which live under my desk are incredibly dowdy and becoming quite uncomfortable (no surprise, given that they are at least 5 years old and were not new when I bought them).

Not a particularly great shot, but I like the wee buckles very much.

Black old-lady pumps go in bin tomorrow.

Definitely need to talk to Iman (the MHP) about my complete inability to spend money on myself without feeling angsty, as, I've mentioned here before, I delightedly throw ridiculous amounts of money at art, at kitchenware, at Don, at the babies, but am an utter scrooge when it comes to me. Needs to stop, as I am setting a horrendous example for the kidlets.

Don has spent the majority of the weekend making phở from scratch, using this recipe. He's even made the accompanying chilli sauce.

It's actually quite fabulous, well worth the effort expended and time involved (especially as my participation primarily consisted of enjoying the results):

He's a pretty excellent cook, that husband o' mine.

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yet another addition to the family

2009-11-01T21:38:00.000+11:00

As I mentioned yesterday, Don ventured out to collect the newest addition to our art collection. Given that it wouldn't fit in GerryScotti (despite Don's best efforts), we briefly considered hiring a maxi-taxi to collect it, but then decided on a ute from Balmain Rentals, which ended up being much cheaper than a maxi-taxi or a courier.

I should probably back up a bit and talk about the latest unplanned art acquisition (although, to be honest, they've all been unplanned). After last year's success (or eXtreme eXtravagance) at Art Sydney, we again bought tix to the opening night, with the intention of Not Buying a Single Thing - what with the cultural fund (we set aside $100 per pay for such things) being completely and utterly bare after the last purchase

We watched a rather good programme on ABC2 a couple of weeks ago about the crash of the art market and the crash was totally in evidence on opening night (slightly delayed GFC, obv.). Certain galleries (including those we bought from last year) were definitely conspicuous by their absence. Some of the paintings we recognised from their appearance last year. The minimum price was around $100 ($800 last year), average was about $5K (was circa $15K last year) and the highest price was much, much less. Let us not even go into the commercial turn the event has taken <shudder>. Last year, you truly could not move for people, this year was sparse by comparison - alcohol ran out by 7.30pm last year, this year still loads left by the time we left (I guess, maybe 8.30pm). Loads of art-sluts last year, while there were a couple of art-sluts in 2009, most people were accompanied by babies (definitely the accessory of the season). Anyway, all this goes to say that last year and this were definitely a study in contrasts.

So, we were definitely sticking hard to the No Art Buying plan, until my lovely husband fell in love with Jeni Saeyang. The more we went back to check her work out, the more I liked her too. And a comparative bargain compared to what we've paid for our other art. How could we resist?

Don, for scale.
Yes, I know it is derivative (abstract expressionism anyone?) but I really do like it quite a lot. And Jeni is totally gorgeous. I love meeting the artists I buy from.

Now we have no walls left. We either need to buy sculpture (so much heinousness out there and not a lot of the good, unless we want to go Over seas (so wonderful) or move to a new haus if we want to continue the acquisitions (or, more sensibly, channel the art fund into a mortgage fund).

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best laid plans

2009-10-31T19:35:00.003+11:00

I had grand plans to do all manner of things today, but unfortunately I was laid low with some sort of ghastly tummy thing - which initially, I attributed to yet another dodgy pub lunch, but then realised it was probably the result of the antibiotics I've been on for the implant, and sure enough, a quick check of the side effects confirmed that they were probably the cause of my indisposition.

So we didn't get quite as much done as I would have liked, but we did manage to do a fair bit, including collecting our new art (thanks Don!) and stage 1 of cleaning the garage so that GerryScotti might fit more comfortably.

Mess: pre-stage 1 cleaning. Note the lovely and expensive couch (to the right) that was used for less than 6 weeks and which will not fit into our flat (in any configuration - goodness knows we've tried).

We also managed to go for a wee walk to the bottle shop and spring is definitely ... springing:

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love songs, via don's itunes

2009-10-31T01:25:00.001+11:00

pavement: range life
decemberists: apology song
arcade fire: wake up
dave brubeck: take 5
band of horses: the funeral
lcd soundsystem: new york, i love you
ween: the party
sebastian tellier: divine (compleat with dance by moi)
fujuiya miyagi: ankle injuries
police: roxanne
foreigner: urgent
midnight juggernauts: into the galaxy
the national: all the wine
kanye west: i wonders
flight of the conchords: business time
boston: more than a feeling

And that, dear reader, is why I married him.

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blogging my crazy

2009-10-30T23:06:00.000+11:00

What with the jaw piercing and the in-laws and such, I've not had a chance before now to write about the visit to the Mental Health Professional last Friday.

Obviously, having had no experience with this sort of thing, I was somewhat ill at ease (read: not a little scared!) and had no idea what to expect. From the telephone conversations I'd had with the therapist (we'll call her Iman), I'd found her rather scatty and disorganised and I wasn't feeling overly positive about how I would respond to her (being a hyper-anal A-type personality, I thought I would respond better to someone just like me).

After I arrived (precisely on time despite my anxiety about being on the 433 rather than the 431 - more people getting on the 433, and associated slowedness, because it goes further), we started out by filling in a couple of forms, the first with my general contact details &etc (the usual type form you fill out when you see a health professional: doctor, dentist etc, which I'd had some experience with because I've changed both recently), next I signed an agreement that stated that everything would be confidential except in the event that I: 1. was at risk of self-harm, 2. was at risk of harming another, 3. at risk of being harmed. Then I completed a PASS1xx form which gave a whole bunch of statements and asked me to rate how I felt on a 0-3 scale (where 0=nothing and 3=lots) how I felt over the past week (given that I was particularly pre-menstrual there were a lot of 3's).

Then it was time for the face to face.

I stated my complete at-sea-edness with the whole process. Iman told me a bit of her background and qualifications and explained how she worked, viz: she'd ask me questions, we'd talk and see if we could work together. Despite my reservations, I was really comfortable talking to her (even though she totally needs an assistant to get her administrative shit together). Iman said she usually had an initial consult and then decided how many sessions were appropriate: 1, 2, 6 (after which you'd need another GP referral) or 12 (after which you'd review).

Fortunately, being married to the gorgeous Don, who is a total advocate of therapy (being American and having been there, done that), I had done my homework and had really thought about and clarified what my issues were and what I wanted to get out of this whole thing:

1. I want to feel better about myself (you might be surprised to know that, despite my fabulousness, I do feel quite crap about me)
2. I want to stop my opinion of myself relying on what I can do for other people, ie. going way over and above so that people think I'm fab (thanks, baby)

So I talked about the incident, how my whole self was wrapped up in work and what I had been doing to try to make things better. She reacted postively to the changes I'd been trying to make (not be so focussed on work). We talked about how I was feeling a little lost now that I was trying to be not so work obsessed and that Dfkan was now an idependent young woman and how the babies were growing up and that I had spent my whole adult life being a parent and how it was confronting to not have to be so parently and that I was a little lost (yes, I did say all of that without drawing breath).

Iman commented that I did not really display the outward signs of depression, that I seemed quite bright and cheerful. Afterward, it occured to me that I should mention that I am *always* outwardly cheerful and sunshiney, which of course, in classic fashion, masks the despair and angst, which made the whole incident the more marked - normally I would keep such things to myself.

Then we talked about my childhood/adolescence, and boy howdy, there's a lot of material there to be going on with.

So, 50 minutes in, Iman said she'd really like to work with me and that she thought we'd probably need 12 sessions (ahhh, that'd be the childhood/adolescence that tipped it to the 12 - so much for this bright and cheerful nonsense).

I'm back again on the 4th at 4pm.

You may look forward to more generalised accounts of my progress.

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3 hour post

2009-10-27T20:00:00.000+11:00

Don was up in the wee small hourse this morning to take Phil (father-in-law) and Smilla (step-mother-in-law) to the airport for the next step of their antipodean jaunt - they're off on a whirlwind visit to just about every corner of NZ for a week before heading home.

Fortunately, I managed to complete the hats in good time and they seemed delighted with them. I do really love that tam pattern, and knitting it the second time was a breeze because I'd sorted out the (to me) ambiguities and the jacques cousteau pattern is brilliant and knits up very quickly. I'd have to say that I'm discovering that knitting with good quality yarn (in this case Morris Empire) was quite superior to knitting with lesser wool.

The babies were back in residence on the weekend, after being away on hols for some weeks, and met the step-(step-)grandparents for the first time. Before they arrived, Bessie asked what they were like and really, I can understand why Don could not describe them to me - Phil and Smilla are quite beyond description.

After some thought, I told her that they were the exact opposite of Mom, "oh, but I like Mom a lot", she responded. I assured her that she would like Phil and Smilla too, and of course, she did. Really, I would defy anyone not to like them: they have big, big, big personalities, heaps of energy, can talk of (and have opinions about) everything and are definitely an experience. So, it will be back to quiet times around here for a wee while.

In craftal news, I have un-abandoned Don's jumper. I figure I'll get significantly less on eBay than I paid for the wool (which was not a lot, really), so may as well start knitting it up to see if I actually have the tenacity to actually finish a project of jumper/sweater magnitude. And then I can go spend up big at the yarn store for a proper jumper. I have been catching up on this marvellous blog while casting on and knitting the first few rows (and casting on again after I measured Don's chest to check size, when I discovered he is a medium and not a large).

The Crazy Woman downstairs is doing her usual latter-half-of-the-year thing - bailing people up, railing against the world. Now that we have been here for a while, we recognise the pattern. She's mostly quiet for the majority of the year (although there are exceptions), goes off in Sept/Oct/Nov and then disappears to locales unknown during December/January. Repeat. She previously taped her crazy notes to the bulletin board in the foyer, but has now taken to affixing them to her windows.

Jaw still quite tender, but this did not stop me from embarking on a caffeine-fueled house-cleaning/tidying frenzy today. Most coats, boots and jumpers are now packed away (waiting to go to the garage, however this will have to wait until the Big Clean Out, because with GerryScotti in there, additional storage space is at a minium), so I have ensured that the cold weather will remain with us for some time yet.

My poor oldest baby is stuck in Prague with a terrible cold and I am doing the worried Mummy thing from afar.

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the continuing quest for toothal health

2009-10-26T11:54:00.002+11:00

Step one of the tooth implant process complete!

It looks rather like I have a large and interesting piercing between the lower left 6 and 8. I've tried to photograph it, but have been spectacularly unsuccessful so far, I think I may co-opt Don into assisting, because I know that you all are dying to see the inside of my mouth.

Now the anesthetic (four needles worth) is wearing off a little and things are becoming somewhat ouchy.

I'm still numb enough to need to drink through a straw. And I am avoiding all mirrors, what with the drooling and swelling.

In 4-5 months, I'll have a lovely faux tooth screwed onto the post (and be handing over another $3K to the dentist).

<later> wow, this really is quite painful

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i guess i could always have another baby

2009-10-21T22:55:00.001+11:00

Interesting that being back at work, despite the workload being quite cruisey and despite enjoying a really rather lovely, very long, boozy lunch with DishyBoss, PaisleyBaggins and AnxiousMum, had a considerably negative impact on my mental state. So that when I was walking home in the gorgeous afternoon, I was really quite miserable and hating on everything (things are orders of magnitude better now that I am back in the nest!).

Fortunately, I have that appointment with the Mental Health Professional on Friday afternoon, so maybe we can set the ball rolling into being less miserable, because unless some sort of miracle occurs, I'll be having to deal with the relentless income earning for quite a long while yet.

I've been attempting to be much less work obsessed and much more relaxed since the "episode", certainly I am trying not to work quite such long hours, am somewhat more lazified and also trying not to use work for my sense of identity (surely the biggest of my problems! I need to remind myself that I can be awesome without neeeding the validation of Marie Celeste). And I need to use that lazified time more actively, more of the emailing friends (apologies to the teeming masses I owe emails to) and less with the mindless skimming of various websites.

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newest member of the family

2009-10-20T10:03:00.000+11:00

Further to my scathingly brilliant inspiration, I'd like to introduce you all to GerryScotti:

New Car is a Honda Accord Euro, so naturally he had to have a totally Euro name. After considering and quickly dismissing names such as "Fabio" and "Mario", we've named him for the most fabulous television personality in Italia!

Gerry Scotti (at right) from our televsion in Alberi

Gerry Scotti appeared to be ubiquitous on Italian television and we came to find Gerry-spotting vastly entertaining. Whenever we turned the television on, no matter what time of day or night - there he was, very much like an Italian version of Bert Newton. Also, given that Signor Scotti was an MP for the Italian Socialist Party and New Car is a rather gorgeous red, it seemed a natural association.

As you can see, the similarities are endless! GerryScotti is equally as portly as his namesake. It is quite a tight squeeze in the garage, we've had to employ yoga mats to prevent possible scrape-age.

We're most delighted with GerryScotti, even if he is not nearly so pretty as his predecessor, it's all about the personality.

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touristy snaps

2009-10-19T16:25:00.003+11:00

Over the weekend we took the New Car and the in-laws for a drive to two of our fave longish drive destinations.

Given his comparatively large size, New Car is surprisingly significantly easier to handle than Bav. There are still a number of things to become accustomed to though, Bav was almost 2/3 the width of New Car and so when I go to look in the left mirror, for example, I momentarily panic and wonder where it is (oh, I need to look over there).

Oh! Oh! Just this second, I've had a sudden scathingly brilliant ^{TM HM via CB}* inspiration for a name for New Car, but will need to run it by the co-owner. I'm sure you'll be hanging by your toe-nails in anticipation.

On with the photos! A very 1960s australian honeymoon vibe to them I think.

Palm Beach:

Blue Mountains:

*Hayley Mills via Cellobella

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don: "baby, i think there's something wrong with your blog"

2009-10-17T19:25:00.003+11:00

What happens when you are lazy about your template and don't log into your photobucket account (hosting your old stuff) for over 90 days

Note to self: really, after more than five years, you need to admit you're committed to (sporadic) blogging - it's time to get a domain and consolidate.

Notice how Don says "your blog"? It could also be time to admit that it is my blog.

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style over substance

2009-10-16T21:13:00.003+11:00

Good-bye darling, you were so so so gorgeous to look at, but really, when it came to it, you just couldn't perform where it counted and it just wasn't working for us any more.

I'm sure you'll find someone, you know, who will love you like you deserve to be loved.

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rather pretty

2009-10-14T21:41:00.002+11:00

The weather might not know that it is spring, but the plants on the balcony have a bit of an inkling:

I don't know what they are (if you do, please enlighten me), they just appeared in a pot of weeds and things that just grew as if by magic.

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wednesday

2009-10-14T20:06:00.002+11:00

I realised today that I am skimming under the guise of reading.

I have always read quite fast, but now I realise I'm at the point where I'm barely taking anything in, just looking at a lot of words on a page and digesting maybe a fifth or less of what is on there.

This is no way to be. I need to slow down. Reading is not a race.

And I need to remember that no-one will be impressed by how quickly I finish a book (except utter morons who my fabulousness would be wasted on anyway).

Back in my raver days, I was a bit of a teeth grinder (weren't we all?).

However now that I am sensible and act like a grown-up, I have no such problem. Unlike Don, who apparently, according to FabDentist, grinds his teeth all night (he must do it awfully quietly, because I haven't noticed it) or Anxious Mum, who has ground her teeth completely (yes, really) flat (she's not called Anxious Mum for nothing).

I don't know what was going on with me last night, but I woke at 3am with jaws a-clenched and teeth a-aching.

My teeth have been in agony all day, ibuprofen doing little to alleviate it. I'm now self-medicating with wine.

Because I am an amazing daughter-in-law, and because I stagger myself with my m4d kn1tt1ng sk1llz (and mostly because I desperately need a project), I am currently making Dad and step-mom-in-law hats. A red version of the latest dfkan hat for step-mom-in-law and this hat for father-in-law.

Father-in-law and step-mom-in-law don't have blog names yet. I'm sure they will come to me eventually.

"Mom" works for mother-in-law (because even if my mother was not dead-to-me, she would be "Mum"), but Dad could be my dad (well, except for the fact that my dad has been dead for 20 years, but I think you know what I mean).

Am on annual leave from tomorrow and return to work next Wednesday. I have two in-law free days in there, which I plan to use with (frugal) shopping, knitting and idling in front of Murder She Wrote.

This is really awesome, because I'm just not feeling Marie Celeste at all at the moment.

We collect our new car on Friday (name to be decided).

Have I mentioned he is red?

No, I don't know why all of my cars are boys.

I'm currently delighting in the unbearable bassington (not bassingthwaite, as my iphone likes to change it to).

You really should click that link and go download it and delight in it too.

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half a sailor's delight?

2009-10-12T21:16:00.002+11:00

It is so very nice to arrive home when it is still light outside, even if it is cold and horrid.

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that was unexpected

2009-10-10T23:20:00.002+11:00

Pron in the wild, on the way to work (Friday):

Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont

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extending the fam (noi'mnotpregnant)

2009-10-09T19:15:00.006+11:00

So, if you've been following me on twitter, you'll be aware that Don's dad and step-mom are visiting, so we've been out and about doing the touristy things a wee bit.

We've also had drunken America v Australia arguments.

As you do.

But of course we've kissed and made up and adore each other.

As you do.

And I am still convinced they are adorable.

And speaking of in-laws, Mom shipped us a couple of small packages:

Given the amount of entertaining we do, it's obvious we are desperately in need of a 12 place vintage noritake dinner set, compleat with all manner of accessories.

It is quite stunningly elegant, though we are a little too scared to unwrap it.

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still alive -ymite

2009-10-07T21:26:00.002+11:00

My baby girl flies to Europe tomorrow!

I am so very, very excited for her. Yay Dfkan!

Also, I managed to complete her hat.

Although because is currently still being blocked (because a certain idiot left it out in the rain while she was getting hammered with the awesome in-laws while Don was climbing the bridge) it will be delivered to her at the very last moment tomorrow.

Pretty, no?

May I just take the time to point out that I have m4d knitting sk1llz?

This yarnover stuff is much less scary than one would otherwise suppose.

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still alive 2.0

2009-10-01T08:36:00.002+10:00

Much later ...

A decent photo of a completed version of the hat I'm attempting is at the utterly gorgeous two swallows (scroll down a bit).

Pattern from the rainey sisters, in the sidebar on the right under "free patterns".

It's not as difficult or as complicated as I had imagined it would be. I'd not done yarn overs before, but they are surprisingly quite easy (thanks to tutorials from teh internets).

The biggest challenge will be completing and blocking before 8 October as the needles are so teeny.

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still alive

2009-09-30T08:34:00.002+10:00

Just 8 days until Dfkan leaves for her European adventure!

Just 1 complicated hat to knit (which I will link to when I am not running so late for Marie Celeste).

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lessons learned

2009-09-23T20:49:00.003+10:00

What I learned from the worst dust storm in 70 years:

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, you are not dreaming and it is not the end of the world

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, run outside and take photos!

The anzac bridge is somewhere in there

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, close the windows! Else everything will be covered in a thick orange dust.

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, do not walk to work - you will have difficulty breathing by journey's end

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, do not walk to work - you will resemble Michael Kors by journey's end.

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, do not walk to work in a white shirt, it will take on a peach hue by journey's end.

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, the clever marketing will come out: Coles $5 car wash voucher, umbrella dude at cnr Liverpool & George selling face masks.

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, you and your colleagues will be endlessly entertained by the white building near you turning progressively orange.

If you wake up at 6.15am and the sky is orange, do not come home and wipe down your orange dust covered benches with a damp cloth. Orange dust + damp cloth = mud.

Some excellent Orange Sydney pix at smh.com.au

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tre anni ... τρία έτη ... trois ans ... 3 лет ... drei jahre

2009-09-21T19:11:00.003+10:00

This evening marks 3 years since our first date (awwww).

And what a fabulous date it was! Giacometti, drinks in a super-cool bar while listening to The Dave and superb Vietnamese¹

Don's awfully busy and exhausted, so we're postponing the celebratory dinner until later in the week, but he did come home with a treat:

I do like treats.

¹It was a superb restaurant then, now, not so much.

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but i do really need to dye my eyebrows

2009-09-16T22:37:00.000+10:00

Well, the whole do something Nice for myself every day kind of fell by the wayside (as I am sure that you knew it would).

Wracking the brain to think of Nice Things during the week, when one is all tired and cross from dealing with the idiots, is not conducive to good mental health.

But, dear reader, you will be pleased to hear that my Mental Health has improved, and I give all credit to the oh-so clichéd ... exercise.

No, really! As horrifying as it is, dragging myself (and hating it) to the gym every day definitely has a cheerifying effect (and my calves and thighs are killerly muscular and I get to watch Murder She Wrote). And I feel that it is no small co-incidence that when I had the crying episode I had not exercised for some time (what with being in Melbourne and snowed under with work &etc).

This is not to say that I do not need to visit the MHP (because I really, really do), but things appear to be much more tolerable at the moment.

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the don and carol melbourne experience

2009-09-12T21:45:00.000+10:00

I'm finding that twitter is much less useful than the blog for remembering what I did and when, so I've consolidated all of the Melbourne related tweets in one nice, contained location. This has the added bonus of saving me from the arduous task of writing.

If it is any consolation, dearest reader, the images and links did take quite some time (like forever, man) to organise.

I have also left the nonsensical bits (of which there are many), because, really, that is all part of the charm. Non-twitterly comments in plum 3

Don suggested we not take computer to Melbourne. I'm up for the challenge, plus we'll have phones, so all will be okay (hyperventilates)
10:40 PM Aug 11th from TweetDeck

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Really shouldn't be drinking champagne at werk with GMs when I need to pack!
7:45 PM Aug 12th from Tweetie

packing all done (except for last minute things for morning). haus nice and tidy for kindly haus-sitter. Still admiring hair.
11:15 PM Aug 12th from TweetDeck

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Wow, Avalon airport really is in the middle of nowhere!
9:00 AM Aug 13th from Tweetie

Also, nice first jetstar experience. Cut our arrival very fine - 7am flights for lazy people who don't like getting out of bed not good idea
9:21 AM Aug 13th from Tweetie

First time I've ever drunk ale. In love. Watch out Carlton draught.
2:55 PM Aug 13th from Tweetie

Little creatures dining hall, Fitzroy
Seriously, if you're in Melbourne, you should go, I loved it! Great pub-style food.

Japanese @ takimi. Just lovely.

9:11 PM Aug 13th from Tweetie

Of course that should have been takumi. Ye verily, I *heart* waygu in all it's delicious meaty forms.
9:42 PM Aug 13th from Tweetie

Takumi
I swear the waygu in the entree tasted like butter - just amazing!

Drunken pix on the way back to the apartment
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At qv markets. The produce! The deli stuff! The sore feets!
1:44 PM Aug 14th from Tweetie

Is quite hot & sunny in today. Have walked lots and lots and lots. Also, why the hell don't we have markets like this in syd? The food!
1:47 PM Aug 14th from Tweetie

Evidence of the walking lots

Rest of qv markets as dodgy as paddys - so much cheap tat. But the food = xlnt.
2:30 PM Aug 14th from Tweetie

In all seriousness, and I have discussed this with many people and we can't come up with a decent answer) why the hell don't we have something like this in my beloved Sydney? DJ's is closest for cheese, smallgoods and the ghastly paddy's comes nowhere near for vegies. But every day! Why can't we do this?

So much pressure from colleagues to come back with loads of clothes from trip. So not really interested in doing so.
2:34 PM Aug 14th from Tweetie

At footy. MCG much more well organised than SCG. But why oh why do neither stock villi's pies?
7:38 PM Aug 14th from Tweetie

Holidays are good.
8:56 PM Aug 14th from Tweetie

I love footy (cue Spiderbait song). I could live in Melbourne for the footy alone

More drunken pix on the way back to the apartment
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3g access much better in melb.
8:08 PM Aug 15th from Tweetie

Frankly, I don't understand this whole "people are so very stylish/fashion capital of oz" thing. Perhaps am moving in wrong areas.
8:11 PM Aug 15th from Tweetie

In pub, watching footy with my delightful husband. Doesn't get much better. Melb. has much much better footy than syd.
8:35 PM Aug 15th from Tweetie

Go duckies!
8:59 PM Aug 15th from Tweetie

Not exactly sure why one has to wait almost an hour for ridiculously overpriced pub food. May have to ask for refund.
9:16 PM Aug 15th from Tweetie

Another instance of twittetering things making them happen.
9:18 PM Aug 15th from Tweetie

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Drinking coffee looking at art. Trying to decide whether to buy a painting & go to the poor haus.
1:01 PM Aug 16th from Tweetie

Bought art. Poorhaus here we come.
1:35 PM Aug 16th from Tweetie

In prahran. Waiting for burgers at grill'd. Dfkan will be jealous. Slightly more fashionable here.
2:59 PM Aug 16th from Tweetie

Currently enjoying a beer in quite possibly awesomest named pub ever: the lucky coq. Why yes, I am 12 years old.
3:44 PM Aug 16th from Tweetie

Lucky Coq, pub of my dreams

A double entendre kind of day. Currently about to eat at the New Kum Den. After drinking at the lucky coq.
7:23 PM Aug 16th from Tweetie

MSG heaven

Jealous of y'all in Sydney with your sunny day. Been pouring & windy & cold. News says warmest august night in years - was so very cold!
7:27 PM Aug 16th from Tweetie

Every Chinese restaurant review for melb seems to mention # of asians inside as measure of goodness.
8:28 PM Aug 16th from Tweetie

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At the espy enjoying beer in the sun. Just visited the NGV. Was quite good, tho not a huge fan of the Dali exhibition (not a big Dali fan)
2:54 PM Aug 17th from Tweetie

Some excellent modern art tho. Why I became member of Agnsw & not mca, am not sure. 4ish days until new poor haus painting arrives!
2:55 PM Aug 17th from Tweetie

European style lubricant??
4:06 PM Aug 17th from Tweetie

What I like in a pub (other than the European-style lubricant) ... Fire!!
4:14 PM Aug 17th from Tweetie

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Just finished the most spectacular cassoulet at the french brasserie in malthouse lane. So so so good. 9.75/10
9:43 PM Aug 17th from Tweetie

I used Shazam to discover Oh ! Les Filles by Au bonheur des dames #shazam
9:45 PM Aug 17th from API

Sitting here tagging the restaurant music with shazaam.
9:46 PM Aug 17th from Tweetie

Planning a cheapo meal tonight & ended up with one of the best meals ever (tho certainly not cheapo!!). Press Club for lunch tomorrow.
10:10 PM Aug 17th from Tweetie

the french brasserie. Just wonderful! Hard to find, but you should make the effort - really!

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I think I am going to need to fast for a week or two after I get back home. My belly is enormous!
10:49 AM Aug 18th from Tweetie

At press club. Food = magnificent. George sitting in corner looking v. George.
1:57 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

Meals I could happily die after eating
3:04 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

George's back, don's ear

3:11 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

Just conversed w/ George #fangirly
3:48 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

3.5 hour lunches are fabulous, should do it more at home.
4:09 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

Make that a four and a bit hour lunch. Yay holidays!
4:51 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

At one if those famed small bars: section
6:05 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

That should be section8
6:06 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

Heather& I want to start a small bar in sydney & get the hell away from Marie Celeste (& embrace a life of poverty, but contented poverty)
6:28 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

I really could live in this city - for the bars & food. Not sure the babies & dfkan would care for the commute tho.
8:51 PM Aug 18th from Tweetie

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Now that was a hangover! Only left the bed to visit the bathroom. When will I learn?
7:41 PM Aug 19th from Tweetie

Head still very very tender. Noisy Mexican restaurant not really the best for sore heads.
7:43 PM Aug 19th from Tweetie

Abandoned cheapo Mexican (after about 15 minutes wait for a menu) for japanese.
8:25 PM Aug 19th from Tweetie

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Last day of hols. What sort of dickheads return to work on a Friday?
11:25 AM Aug 20th from Tweetie

Damn - don's suitcase too large for carry on. An $80 lesson learned (should have paid the $10 extra at booking). Still cheaper than qantas.
2:26 PM Aug 20th from Tweetie

Airport beer

2:30 PM Aug 20th from Tweetie

There's a bunch of middle aged dudes at an adjacent table who have their own stubby holders. Now that's packing the essentials!
2:45 PM Aug 20th from Tweetie

Amazing fireworks over at pyrmont. Thanks for the welcome home!!
7:26 PM Aug 20th from Tweetie

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So exhausted last night that we were in bed by 9.30. Back to work today . At least I'll be back to a new desk - with a window!
8:19 AM Aug 21st from Tweetie

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