Boxing Weekend

We had a lovely time on Boxing Day. A nice, gentle start to the day. Belinda and Lindsey took the dogs for a walk. Matt and Ian installed a ring camera. I did some Japanese practice. Then Freyja and Simon came on the train for lunch.

Belinda made a lovely mango salad, with pomegranate, radishes from the garden, cucumber and lettuce. We had chicken, ham and nut loaf. and potato salad. Then we had rhubarb crumble for dessert.

And then we went for a walk around the extensive garden. Memo to self: Don't wear sandals to Matt and Belinda's place. I was admiring the avocados on their tree when I somehow managed to slide a large piece of bark between my sandal and my foot. Fortunately, I didn't impale my foot but I did nearly go flying. Also fortunately Lindsey was next to me so I could grab her. I stopped admiring the trees and fruit after that and concentrated on my footing!

I did admire this magnificent tree:

Then Ian drove us back to Melbourne. Freyja and Simon stopped at my place to pick up some left overs from Christmas Eve then they went home. 

Boxing Day Sunshine
at my place

Then I had a quiet, peaceful, restful weekend. I wandered around to The District on Saturday afternoon for a potter in the supermarkets. I have cleaned and tidied my flat - a bit. I have done a little gentle sorting of things. I had a gentle walk on Sunday. And I have been watching the council workers putting up fencing, information points, water points, barriers and other things in preparation for the New Year's Eve celebrations. The remaining council Christmas decorations on Harbour Esplanade disappeared promptly on the morning of the 27th, although I noted that the elves were still in place on the Newquay Promenade. The decorations  on the Victoria Promenade were taken down at the beginning of Christmas week, to the annoyance of local residents. The council, when complained to, said it was because they needed the area clear for preparations for its closure on New Year's Eve. This did not go down well with the locals!

Someone was supremely uninterested in all of the fuss about Christmas decorations (although he did seem to enjoy watching the council workers putting up the fencing)

Christmas

I speak to you on Boxing Day, from a chilly Warragul. It's a lovely morning but it is only 8d outside which is not exactly hot for late December.

Boxing Day Morning view

I realised on Christmas Eve that I was out of milk and I needed wine for the evening and a few bits and pieces. I had intended to go to the large Woolworths and to Dan Murphy's on the Newquay side of the water but noticed that the trams heading to The District were quite full. There didn't seem to be quite so many people on Bourke Street. So I went to my local, slightly smaller Woolworths and wine shop, which were busy but not absolutely crammed and had what I needed.

Lindsey, Ian, Wendy, Freyja and Simon came round in the evening for a Christmas Eve party

Random puzzles and games from the Reject Shop,
in lieu of crackers

Brandy has joined the party
although we are still waiting for
Freyja ans Simon

Food is ready

Let the festivities begin!

And then we all gathered again at the zoo for Christmas breakfast, which was Freyja's idea (to have breakfast at the zoo, that is, rather than in a cafe). It was an excellent idea and a lot of fun. It was also very busy. Granted, the weather was perfect for visiting the zoo. Not too hot, reasonably sunny. And I knew that people do go to the zoo on Christmas Day but I hadn't realised quite how many people go.

We had breakfast and a present swap and then we headed for a wander around the zoo. The orangutans had proper, wrapped Christmas presents hidden in the straw and branches in their living space and they were having a fabulous time digging through looking for Christmas parcels, then ripping the paper off and eating the contents which were flowers and fruit and other tasty Christmas snacks.

I would very happily go to the zoo again for Christmas morning. It was stress-free, fun - and free. Public transport is free on Christmas Day in Victoria. I have a zoo membership so didn't have to pay to get in. I easily got my steps for the day. The only thing I might do differently is to take a picnic with me. I will try and remember for next year.

Then Freyja and Simon headed off for lunch and then to the cinema. Wendy went home. And Lindsey, Ian and I came to Warragul for Christmas night, where we still are.  There was more feasting, more tasty treats, more wine. And William makes an amazing espresso cocktail. It was very tempting to have two, but that would have definitely have been a mistake!

So a really good Christmas. And it continues into Boxing Day. Freyja and Simon are coming for lunch, then we will all return to our respective homes leaving peace to return to Matt, Belinda, Sage and William.

All Things are Subject to Change ... Again!

This week I was supposed to be at work on Wednesday morning and that was it.

On Sunday evening one of the receptionists sent out a message saying that she had flu type symptoms and wouldn't be able to go in on Monday morning. I knew there was nobody much available to cover so I rearranged the day so I could go in and cover the breaks, intending to leave after the lunch breaks.

I got there to find a second receptionist also had flu type symptoms, although she had gone in. She went home at lunch time and I stayed. I couldn't stay until close of play, though. I had evening plans.

Then I realised that today, Tuesday, there would only be one receptionist on in the afternoon, which isn't entirely desirable when it is ALL afternoon. I cancelled my plans for today, which were mostly getting finished for Christmas and will go in to work shortly.

I am no longer intending to go in tomorrow. I still have to finish preparing for Christmas.

Our family celebrations have started. Some of us met in The Fox in Collingwood for a Christmas Pub Night. It was a good night. Brother Simon is back from his sabbatical in Italy and South East Asia and he was there. So was his daughter and her partner, who I also haven't seen for a while. All the Usual Suspects were there as well.

A good catch up - although I missed the Victoria Point Christmas party which was in the foyer at home at the same time that I was in the pub in Collingwood.

Walking home from the tram stop, just on sunset:

And now I must get wriggling.  I have to go to work and can't just sit about letting the morning disappear.

All Things are Subject to Change Without Notice

I went to Geelong on Saturday for lunch at Irene's house. The Sunday Lunchers usually meet on Sundays but on this occasion it was more convenient to meet on a Saturday.

It was a Christmas Sunday Lunch. On a Saturday. And it was magnificent. Scallops wrapped in bacon. A mini broad bean salad. Salmon with new potatoes and one of the best summer puddings I think I have ever had.

 

I had gone to Geelong on the train, and then to Irene's place by bus. All went well, except that I missed the bus stop and had to walk back. This was not a disaster. It was a pleasant day, it wasn't far, my ankles and legs were feeling reasonably happy. We had a convivial afternoon. Then Gillie took me back to the station for the return trip to Melbourne.

There was a train leaving about 10 minutes after I got there. Off we went, trundling along. Until there was a muffled announcement, from which I distinguished the words "incident" and "Little River". The train stopped at Little River (which it does not usually do). We waited for a while. Then an announcement said "We will continue to Wyndham Vale where this service will terminate. A replacement coach service will come from Geelong and take you all to Deer Park." There had been an incident, I think somewhere around Tarneit, which required the emergency services.

We all got off the train in Wyndham Vale and waited for the replacement coach service to arrive from Geelong. We waited. And waited. Some people got on a local bus and went away. Other people were picked up by family or friends and went away. Slowly the large group of people dwindled. Then a local bus to Werribee Station pulled up. I got on it. So did enough people to fill it. And off we went to Werribee, where we more or less walked onto a train that was just about to set off.

Sunday's forecast was for wild, very wet and very windy weather. Freyja, Simon and I went out to Eltham on the train as planned, to inspect the Eltham weekly farmers' market. It was a fun train trip and the market was fun - but probably not enough fun to make it worth going past the Alphington station to get to it. It wasn't significantly bigger, better or more varied than the Alphington market.

The rain arrived while we were at the market, but not too badly. It rained with enthusiasm during the afternoon, but I was well and truly home by then and watched it from my windows. Then it went away, at least in Docklands and cleared to a pleasant evening.

We were supposed to be at a Christmas party and market at Werribee Zoo on Sunday evening. In light of the dreadful forecast it had been cancelled and all the tickets transferred to Saturday. None of us could go on the Saturday so we cancelled our tickets. Oh the irony. I was (unexpectedly) in Werribee on Saturday evening and could have taken a bus out to the zoo, had I not cancelled my ticket. And the weather on Sunday evening wasn't as bad, in the Melbourne area at least, as had been feared. Oh well. Perhaps next year.

Brunch in Eltham

Old signal display at the Eltham Station

Thwarted

It was quite hot yesterday and Lindsey and I had thought we might take the 109 tram to Port Melbourne. This would have given me a part of the route 109 to add to my Tram Challenge. Plus Port Melbourne has a beach, so there might have been sea breezes. And there are pubs, cafes and other eating places for lunch.

Alas. We were thwarted in our ambition because the 109 was only running to Batman's Park and then you had to walk two or three stops to where the trams were running again.

And it was quite hot! 

So we abandoned that idea and went to the food hall in Collins Square, which Lindsey hadn't been to,  and had lunch there instead, in their air conditioned coolth.

In less thwarted news, the window cleaners came. I knew they were due around now and when I saw ropes dangling down past my windows yesterday morning, I thought it might be the window cleaners. So I pulled the blinds most of the way down and closed the windows.

Brandy and Whiskey were fascinated by the ropes

Until big boots appeared

And then Weird Beings with scary helmets swung into view on seats attached to the ropes. With water. And brushes. And SOAPY BUBBLES

Both cats ran under the dining table. Then the Dr Who Baddies appeared at the Sunset Strip window. And Brandy lay as flat as he possibly could on the floor and S L U N K slowly to the front door and melted under my Granny's Shopping Trolley. (Whiskey decided that I didn't seem to be worried, so he just stayed close around my legs)

The danger carried on down to Level 5 and out of sight. But the ropes remained and  it was quite some time before Brandy emerged from under my shopping trolley!

As a result of This Awful Trauma, Brandy was not best pleased when two strange men appeared inside the flat in the early evening.

They were not strangers to me. I've known Peter for close to 50 years. I haven't known Daniel for that long but I've met him from time to time and we are, I think, good friends. They were in Docklands for an event yesterday and we arranged to meet for dinner at my place. I think Daniel wanted to see if the view from my windows was really as good as my photos suggest (spoiler: it is!). 

It was a lovely evening. I haven't seen them for ever so long. They live in northern Tasmania and I used to be in Ballarat so it was very difficult to meet up. Strangely, it was easier when I lived in the UK and they lived in a Melbourne outer suburb so we could organise pizza lunches when I happened to be in Melbourne. So a long overdue catch up, facilitated by Docklands being close to almost everything (except, perhaps, northern Tasmania 😂)

Tram Challenge. Route #70 Docklands to Wattle Park

I went out at lunchtime today, intending to go into town to Daiso. I was heading for the Daiso on the corner of Bourke and Swanston so hopped on the #70 tram outside my place. It stops on the corner of Swanston and Flinders, which isn't much of a walk from Daiso.

The #70 tram goes to Wattle Park. I decided that I didn't have much planned for the afternoon and I might as well stay on the tram to the end of the route. I wasn't exactly sure where Wattle Park was, other than somewhere in the eastern suburbs. So an adventure, as well as a route to mark off on the Tram Route Challenge. It turns out it is beyond Hawthorn and Camberwell but not quite as far as Box Hill.

The route went through the city, out through the sports arenas, through Richmond and then through bits of the eastern suburbs that I was familiar with and other bits that I wasn't. The Jacaranda trees in the eastern suburbs were in flower and the deciduous trees were clothed in the gentle green of early summer. There is an interesting mix of shops, groceries and supermarkets in the Hawthorn and Camberwell areas, including one large Asian supermarket that I might well go back and investigate. Although - I might not. There are lots of Asian supermarkets around where I am without having to head out into the suburbs.

So what is there in Wattle Park? There is, in fact, an enormous park that might very well be worth making a trip out to explore

End of the route
@ Elgar Road

I didn't linger in Wattle Park. I was neither dressed nor equipped for a ramble through an urban woodland. There wasn't all that much to do at the actual terminus. And I still had a visit to Daiso to undertake. So I got back on the tram and made my way back to the city, where I got off at the corner of Swanston and Flinders and walked up to Daiso. My Daiso mission was also successful.

[I realise that I caught the tram outside my place rather than at the actual starting point of the route at The District, but I have quite often caught the tram from there to my place and even from there into the city. I did not feel the need to go round to The District and do it again. As far as I am concerned, Route 70 has been collected!]

A Weekend of Calm, before the Christmas Storm

Lindsey and I had dinner in Dokutoku on Thursday evening. I can have chicken karaage twice in one day, can't I?  I can't see why not. Anyway. If I can't have chicken karaage twice in one day once I reach 70, then when can I? 😂

I went to work as usual on Friday.

I did very little on Saturday. I had a Japanese lesson at 8. I did the dishes and the washing. I did some ironing, some sweeping and some tidying. I took the rubbish down to the rubbish room. And that, pretty much, was it. I did not leave the building. I did not go for a walk. I didn't come even close to closing the rings on my fitness app. I did not return my library books, although I did borrow a couple of electronic books.

I was slightly more energetic yesterday. I met Freyja and Simon at the Alphington market, which did require that I leave the building, and even Docklands. I was there an hour earlier than usual because they were going to the movies at lunchtime. I came home with this:

I chopped up the tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli stalk, a couple of the purple carrots and an onion that I already had and put them in the slow cooker so simmer overnight. I sliced the bread and put most of it in the freezer. I had a couple of slices with some tinned tuna, cucumber and cherry tomatoes for lunch. The asparagus, broccoli, broad beans and snow peas are prepped and ready in the fridge. The potatoes are in a potato bag in the cupboard. The lime oil is in the flavour cupboard and the dairy products are in the fridge. So it was a productive afternoon, even if I didn't quite close the exercise ring on my fitness app. But I nearly did.

It probably didn't hurt that this was a fairly quiet weekend. Next weekend and Christmas week are looking very busy

On the stadium concourse

I had been aiming for a minimalist look at my place. Increasingly I have decided that I don't like it. It made me feel as though this is a holiday flat, or a temporary home, something impermanent. I prefer a slightly cosier look. I don't want too much clutter but a little bit of stuff is ok. The fairy lights I have up at the moment are most definitely Christmas lights (reindeer and Santas) but I might get some plain twinkle lights for the sunset strip and maybe even for the door frame to add some sparkle for after Christmas, especially for the winter

Collins Square

So I went to look for the little Christmas Market, which I found in Collins Square, not far from my place.

I knew Collins Square was there, but I hadn't ever been in. I assumed, correctly, that it was office blocks for important and serious businesses. It is very big and has multiple towers

I knew there was a Woolworths Metro attached to it. I have seen it multiple times. Strangely, it is closed at weekends. I do not know of any other supermarkets which are closed at weekends. Even tiny grocery stores are open.

I did not know anything else about Collins Square

Today I went in. The Christmas market was a reasonably typical craft market, though a high end craft market. I did not find it especially interesting.

What was interesting was the totally unexpected (to me, anyway), quite large food hall that is in there, including a wine bar and food stalls from all sorts of ethnicities.

It was amazing. And busy. (And closed at weekends!)

I must go and try some more of the offerings. So many tempting cuisines to try.

I had a karaage sando from Nosh and an iced chocolate 
from one of the coffee stalls

Fun Things to Do

Things continue active in the Harbour Flat.

Lindsey's son, daughter in law and granddaughters have been in Melbourne this week, so we had an impromptu meal on Monday night at a pub in Collingwood. Advantage:  that I could take the train and the venue was only a short walk from the station. Disadvantage: I didn't especially like the venue. It was dark and noisy and my chips were overcooked. The fish was nice, but overcooked chips are a big flaw in my world. And it wasn't only my chips which were overcooked; other people mentioned it too. It was good to catch up with people and I had a good evening, but I wouldn't choose to go back to that particular pub. There are lots of others to try.

I spent quite some time on Tuesday walking round and round and round the Coles supermarket in Spencer Street looking for a pre-cooked turkey crown which I could have sworn I had bought in the Coles in Sebastopol last year. Not only could I not find it, I couldn't find any turkey which wasn't flavoured, adulterated or marinated. I couldn't find much turkey at all, though there was a positive Kosciuszko of varieties of ham. I picked up most of the rest of my shopping list and then on an impulse I hopped on a tram and went round to the Woolworths in The District. Where I found the pre-cooked turkey crown I had been looking for. Obviously I hadn't bought last years in the Coles in Sebastopol!

I think I got almost all of my target of 30 minutes of walking a day during my futile hunt in Coles.

Down in The District. Freyja had alerted me to the presence of the big, cuddly, pink bear so I went to look for it. There are other big things as well.

This is, apparently, a lolly tree

I was at work yesterday. Lindsey had bought some more Australian Bush decals for a wall leading to the treatment room. She had earlier got some gum trees and bush animals but there was still quite a lot of space to fill. So Lindsey, Nurse Pri and I filled it

And then, when I got home, there was an exciting birthday box waiting for me:

filled with yummy things:

and fun things:

Thank you to Tabitha, Austin and Freyja.

Although - one of the items may have been stolen

He colour matches very well 😂

I don't have any actual plans for today but there is a rumour that there is a little Christmas Market today in Collins Street. I might wander up in a bit and have a look.

Birthday Week

It's been quite a fun week.

I met Lindsey at Papa Gino's in Lygon Street for lunch on Thursday, largely because I was hankering after a Lygon Street pizza. And it was very nice indeed. Then Lindsey went to Ballarat and I went pottering around in the city centre.

Lady Gaga was in town on Friday and Saturday. I was surprised that there were so many people on my tram when I came home on Friday evening. Usually most people get off at the station. I was wondering why so many stayed on the tram - until they all got off at the stadium stop, when I remembered that Lady Gaga was throwing a party. I hear very little from the stadium, although I do sometimes hear people partying on the waterfront. I went down to Level 1 (road level) and level 4 (concourse level) to see how much I could hear from there and I could hear quite clearly from the concourse. People facing that way were sitting on their balconies, glasses and food to hand. 

Saturday was the work Christmas party, very conveniently held at The Harbour Kitchen, a mere 200m from my place. The weather wasn't all that it could have been but the venue was perfect. It's a glass house by the side of the harbour with a lovely view of the water. The space was more than enough for our party. The food was really nice and very plentiful and there was good choice of drinks included in our package. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Sunday was my actual birthday. I had arranged to meet Lindsey and Wendy at the Convention Centre to go to the Good Food and Wine Christmas Market.  How to get there? I checked with the online maps to see which trams I needed to catch. It was going to take more time than I expected to go by tram. Then Google said: you could walk it in 12 minutes. It's only 1km away.

Really?  12 minutes? Surely longer than that? But it was a lovely morning. The sun was shining. It appeared to have stopped raining for the time being. I was in no hurry. So off I went. And it is a lovely walk. I went down along Docklands Park, across the Jim Stynes Bridge, along a riverside walk and then over the Seafarers Bridge to the Polly Woodside. I knew that all these things existed. I had no idea they were so close to my place or so close to each other. I didn't know about the cafes and children's park along the riverside walk. And I got to the convention centre in the 12 minutes that Google had said I would, therefore much earlier than I needed to be. I sat in the sunshine by the Polly Woodside while I waited for the others.

Hot air balloons from my bedroom window
first thing Sunday morning

Seafarers Bridge up ahead

Polly Woodside

We enjoyed the Christmas market although, as is usually the case, there were many more alcohol stalls than food stalls. These things really should be called Good Wine and Food fairs! I had pre-ordered a piece of pork belly which I needed to find. Then I went for a wander around the food stalls and bought shortbread, flavoured butters, gingerbread, oils and vinegars, other festive treats. We had arranged to meet at the Christmas tree at the entrance at 12 but by 11:45 it was getting a bit crowded for me. Plus I had seen everything I wanted to see. So I wandered out back to the Polly Woodside, where Lindsey and Wendy met me.

We came back to my place to offload the shopping and then ambled up to The Quarterhouse where we were meeting Freyja and Simon for my Birthday Sunday Lunch

Freyja and Simon's gnocchi and pizza:

Lindsey and I had the Sunday Roast:

This is a plate for ONE person and there were
green beans, peas and carrots hidden under the meat
and Yorkshire pudding.

Lindsey took a Leftovers Box home with her!

We didn't get a photo of Wendy's chicken Caesar salad. But we did get a photo of Wendy!

The Three Sisters

It was a good day. Beautiful weather. Great company. Excellent food. Fun Christmas market. The heritage ships were in the harbour during the afternoon. Two new bridges for my "collection". An excellent start to my 8th decade.