Well - I've been everywhere but to London to visit the Queen!
It's been a busy couple of months. Here are some highlights:
More Author events at Gleebooks. The most recent was to hear Debra Adelaide talk about her book 'A Household Guide to Dying'. I listened to the audiobook as I walked in a daydream to work, or down the hill to Balmoral Beach. Have decided that reading a book on paper is a far stronger connection to the written word than audiobooks. Although I'll take other people's writing any way I can at the moment! Yann Martel, author of The Life of Pi (one of my all time favourite books) is talking on Sunday 28th September. I'll be driving to the Southern Highlands the same day for lunch at The Zen Oasis with my Granny, Mum, Brother and Sister-in-law, toddler niece and the latest little addition to the family - my 10 week old nephew.
Work-related brainchilds. www.amexdining.com.au www.amexnetwork.com.au The result of 16 hour days for a couple of months. Some of the most challenging and exciting work in my current role.
More Moveable Feasts. Most recently at Sugaroom at Pyrmont. Great company in a restaurant by the harbour in a converted sugar factory. Pork cheeks and peppermint tea ice-cream. Oh, and lots of wine. This week it's dinner for 10, with lots of regulars and a few newbies at Oy in Potts Point - thai in a modern industrial fit-out.
Had a stall at Kirribilli Markets. S helped me and we had a fun day selling stuff I didn't want any more (books, shoes, CDs etc). Made a little bit of money and it was a good way to get rid of some of the clutter around my house. Not sure I would do it again though. Felt a bit funny watching stuff, that was mine, being adopted by new owners. Also felt a bit funny about how much 'stuff' we all accumulate and how meaningless it actually is. Which is maybe a bit contradictory. Must be the nomadic tendancies in me kicking in!
Visited Koonorigan on the mid-north NSW coast. My lovely hippy cousin lives on a self-sustaining farm up there. It's such a different lifestyle to the work-focused Sydney life. Spent time in a cafe on the beach, watching whales migrating. I caught up with my old uni friend S who has a brave new career in spices - designing and packaging his own blends. His products won two bronze medals recently, and his design and packaging is fantastic - the work of S and friends in Byron www.australianbushspices.com.au
Tried house-sitting. Didn't really like it. I was staying in a beautiful house, much fancier than my own, looking after a gorgeous dog. But there is no place like home, no place I feel more relaxed. I kinda took for granted the restorative properties of being in my own space.
Tried dog-walking. And liked it! In fact I love it and am now spending every other weekend being a 'pet butler'. My boss is great, it's light relief from heavy thinking and high drama work of my day job and my four legged clients give me my 'pet therapy fix' without making a mess in my own house and upsetting my body corporate.
Travel writers. We welcomed back S after a year travelling through Cuba, Central and South America, UK and Africa and celebrated her adventures with lots of wine :) Sensing a theme? It was the beginning of a very relaxing 5 day holiday for me.
Work team day out - Amazing Race. Running around the city, a ride at Luna Park, water taxi across the harbour, and an open tab behind the bar at the London hotel in Paddington. Exhausting but very exciting.
Upcoming - Good Food Month. Main course and a glass of wine for lunch for $35 - perfect. Also 'Sugar Hits' - $20 cocktail and dessert at some of the classiest hotels in Sydney. Last year my team at work booked consecutive Thursdays to treat ourselves: Becasse, Quay, Aria and Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay. This year I hope to make the most of it with lots of client and team lunches and girls nights out.
Theatre with my Dad. Looking forward to a bit of culture. Don't think I have seen a play for a few years actually, since O and I went to the Old Fitzroy Pub in Woolloomoolloo.
Ooh - and camping with a few good friends on Cockatoo Island in the middle of Sydney harbour on October 4th.
Am loving watching my step-nieces travels around Europe on: www.wearyourskirt-likeaflag.blogspot.com
An dreaming of nature-loving midsummer dinners with http://www.outstandingontour.blogspot.com/
Having trouble getting Japan out of my system
And wishing that this luddite could work out how to add links to her blog.
