A minute in Sep, Oct and all the bits in between

So joining a monthly meme is still not enough to keep me blogging more regularly. Terrible I know. I still read other people's blogs (actually I read a lot of blogs), I just neglect my own.

Anyway, in trying to keep with the theme:

Looking: We're still house hunting. However, I've decided to channel the "Information Professional" in me and actually do this in a structured and informed way. This weekend, instead of a few hurriedly scribbled notes on a notepad, I had a whole bunch of properties and their open times printed out which we sorted, prioritised and worked out the order in which we would see them.


Lunch at Pappa's Patisserie in Haberfield after viewing 7 properties

Reading: Heliopolis by James Scudamore. I haven't finished a book for my book club in a long time so I was pretty excited how quickly I got through this one. This was a nice easy read. I wasn't particularly engaged with the protagonist or the rest of his family but the descriptions of the divide between the rich and the poor in Brazil is a great eye opener.

Admiring: Book club was at my friend Becky's place. The BFG who did not read the book, wanted to come along because Becky bought one of these:


Image here

Watching: I am totally hooked on this season's "The Amazing Race" - they're in Cambodia now but they started the race going to Vietnam! Brought back all these memories. The other show which is bringing back memories is Luke Nguyen's Vietnam.

Making: Why is it that I always start something big just as the weather warms up? I'm currently knitting Coraline by Ysolda Teague. I've already done the main part of the body and now up to one sleeve.

Eating: October being the Sydney International Food Festival, my manager and I went to a couple of the "Let's do Lunch" specials. Unlike last year where we tried a few different places, this year we were so impressed with the massive steak at Mad Cow we went twice!

Running: The BFG and I both did the Bridge Run this year. I really think next year I can run the whole thing. Next week, I'm doing the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge again (5.6km).

Planning: Some holiday. I really need it. Since my trip to Vietnam last year, I have only had one day off work (apart from public holidays and being sick). The trip to New Zealand doesn't count as I was tired before I left and more tired coming home (on the first flight back in the morning). I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think the type of holiday I really want is one where I lie on the beach somewhere with a good book and some knitting (I'm not normally that type of holiday person, I'm the one that has the itinerary all planned out to the minute with specific sightseeing goals all mapped out). But seeing as we have a huge trip planned for next year (and how the RBA spoiled Christmas), it will more likely be a holiday by our pool (which is really just as nice).

Forever young, I'm gonna be forever young...*

The BFG and I made a quick trip across to Christchurch, New Zealand (literally left Friday evening and returned first thing Monday morning) for a weekend away. I can't exactly say it was an impromptu, live by the seat of our pants, do something spontaneous because we're young and can go overseas at the drop of a hat - type of trip. I booked the tickets ages ago.

We basically spent the Saturday sightseeing around Christchurch. Went up the Cathedral (reminded me of that time I climbed the Arc de Triomphe but back then I was ten times more unfit than I am now). We also did the very touristy thing and took a ride on a gondola down the Avon River.



(Clockwise)
1. Christchurch Cathedral
2. New Regent St
3. The BFG (an uncooperative photo subject)
4. Tram
5. Punting on the Avon river
6. No entry sign (Of course I drove down that exact street.)
7. SOL Square (South of Litchfield) - funky bar district
8. Christchurch art gallery
9. Theatre next to the Arts Centre
10. Arts Centre
11. Avon River
12. BFG having a beer (very rare sight -he normally never drinks alcohol or coffee - or anything that I regularly indulge in.)
13. Me in front of the Cathedral. That scary hairy thing I'm waving around? It came off my jacket. So glad when the BFG pointed out that the stupid thing can be removed.

On Sunday, we decided to hire a car and drive out to Lyttleton and Akaroa which is just over the hills from Christchurch.



1. The speedy red Mazda 3 we hired to get to Akaroa
2. French street signs in Akaroa
3. Fish and chips
4. New Zealand green lip mussels
5. Me at Akaroa
6. New Zealand sheep - and no I was not about to hijack one for its wool!

It was a wonderful trip despite it being so brief. This is a great first step for us as it means we should be able to travel together when we go to Europe next year (fingers crossed nothing is going to jinx it). See the thing about me when it comes to travel is, that I can be quite a control freak. I'm pretty easy going once I arrive but its all the preparation for a trip beforehand that I need to have a say in. I agonise over things like which hotel to stay at (I changed my mind at least 4 times just for this trip), which travel insurance we should take out etc. I asked the BFG to book the hotel BUT I just couldn't NOT have a say in it. It's terrible and a character flaw, I know but I just can't help it. Oh well... Greece here we come!!

* song from the Tourism New Zealand ad

Just a minute in August

Making: Swallowtail shawl - a while back, I won a prize on my friend Pom Pom's blog (without even knowing I had entered a competition - they're the best ones I think). The prize included two skeins of Morris & Son's Empire yarn. I decided to make the Elizabeth Zimmerman's February baby sweater for the baby in my life - the chubbers who is my nephew. Unfortunately, when I finished it, it was too small - how is it that babies grow so fast??? So I frogged it and re-knit it into the swallowtail shawl.



Reading: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel by Susanna Clarke. Have you seen this monstrous tome? I just couldn't finish it. It did not hook me in and I think I just kept half heartedly tried to read it for my book club meeting. As one of the girls in my bookclub said "it would be twice as good if it was half as long".

Eating: After last month's dinner at est. for the BFG's birthday, I didn't really know how I would go back to regular restaurants once I've experienced fine dining. So I was pretty excited when the BFG decided to take me out to dinner to Forty One. The view was pretty spectacular and if you ever go, you must visit the bathrooms. There are floor to ceiling windows looking out onto Sydney Harbour. We had the 8 course degustation menu - well that was the only choice really. The BFG suggested I have the matching wines as well but seriously, I'd be totally tanked with that much wine. I wanted to enjoy the food and wanted to be sober to the end so just ordered one glass. I've saved the menu to start a collection (as in, I hope there are more to come).

Playing: Board Games. This Saturday past, the BFG was at work so there was no house-hunting. So I went and did something I've been meaning to do for a while and that was to check out the local op shop. I love garage sales and op shops. The BFG - he's not so keen. So with a whole Saturday to myself and not having to deal with real estate agents, I hopped down to the local Vinnies and managed to come away with a 1983 version of Trivial Pursuit, 2 vintage Scrabble sets, a retro-looking top, belt and a lovely bone china plate.

The thing about playing board games is that I am fiercely competitive. I hate losing. So when the BFG wanted to play Trivial Pursuit rather than Scrabble, I knew I'd be in trouble. Especially questions from 1983.



Doing: Running - The BFG and I have signed up to do the Bridge Run (9km) again this year (well I signed us both up and he had no choice really). We went for a trial run yesterday morning and did the Bay Run (7km). It wasn't so bad but I did get a blister.

Shopping: Glasses - I've always worn contact lenses because I'm vain. And also because the last pair of outrageously expensive glasses that I bought just did not fit my Asian face. They were plastic and Miu Miu. But they kept sliding down my nose. I basically wore them between the bathroom when I took off my contacts to the bedroom. I decided to give the glasses thing another try and so recently bought another pair of outrageously expensive glasses. This time, they are plastic and Prodesign. I'm hoping the Danish have got it right and designed a pair of glasses which will sit on my face properly. My Danish boyfriend approves (but then he is rather patriotic about most things Danish). So far they have been pretty good. I wear them during the week but on the weekend I still go back to my contact lenses - because I'm vain.

The thing about underquoting

I thought that underquoting in real estate was supposed to be illegal! So the BFG and I went to look at this property a couple of weeks ago. We were told by the real estate agent what it was expected to go for and yesterday the property sold for $200k more than what we were quoted! This is the one reason why we don't want to go to Auction if we can help it. I really liked it, but the BFG wasn't that taken by it (he felt that it was pokemon small). My reservations about it was that it was across the road from a school. Anyway, luckily we didn't proceed with paying for a house inspection because that is way out of our price range!

I understand that generally it is difficult to see what sort of money the property will eventually sell for but if a real estate agent has been working in the area long enough, I'm pretty sure they would have a fair idea. Man, that really pisses me off.

Anyway, rather than go watch the auction like we had originally planned, we went to see a couple of other properties. We saw two properties which were complete dives and one which I'm in love with but just that little bit out of our price range. Oh well, I guess we're not in any real hurry but I just hate how house hunting just sucks up your whole Saturday. The funny thing is, we did go have a look at two one-bedroom apartments which were for sale in the same block. I suggested to the BFG that we should buy one each. It might make for a better relationship =)

Just a minute in July

I've decided to officially play along with the "Just a minute" meme. Other players here. So you can at least expect one post a month.

Reading: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I really enjoyed reading this book but it was a really hard slog. The BFG suggested it for our July bookclub book. Because we can't share a book (we read at different speeds), I bought a copy from the guy who sets up stall outside the hardware store in Newtown on the weekends and my friend Jill kindly lent me another copy.

Watching: Coco Avant Chanel, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Transformers, the Muppets (on DVD).

Celebrating: Heaps of birthdays! Most importantly my wonderful BFG. Happy Birthday BFG! I took him out to dinner at est. The service was wonderful and the food was fantastic.

Making: Elijah. I finally finished making up Elijah and even took him out when we went to Kazbah for brunch with the BFG and his friends. I had second thoughts about giving it to my nephew Baby J, (thoughts of slobber and a lot of yanking went through my mind) but he's cuteness packaged as a baby so who am I to deny him?



Getting used to: New haircut. One day while I was at home trying to rid myself of the hacking cough of death, I decided to trim my fringe. Looking like I'd been attacked by a hedge trimmer, I decided to go get a proper cut. Now I'm sporting a heavy straight fringe. Some days it looks good, and on others it looks like I've just stepped off the mainland.

Searching: For the perfect new home. The BFG and I are house hunting. It's taken up so much of my excess thinking time that I'm already a bit over it. And we've only seriously started looking in the last 2 weeks. I just wish the perfect house in the perfect suburb at the right price just magically appears. All before summer hits please. Another summer in the BFG's hot apartment is not something I'm looking forward to. But then I do have my real home to go to I suppose - that has air conditioning, all my stuff, my bed, my favourite piece of furniture.... hmmm... maybe we should just move into my place***

***Have you ever seen this old episode of Gilmore Girls where the mother (can't remember her name) dates this guy and they decided to move into her house but then things get a bit weird because there is an uneven balance of power over the living arrangements as he feels like he's living under her roof. Well that's what we are trying to avoid.

Declutter

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This ad sums up how I am when it comes to "knowing about stuff". Yes I admit it, I suffer from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). This is where I find myself subscribing to a zillion and one things which I immediately hit delete once it reaches my Inbox. I hate the idea that I might not be on top of all the latest current events, trends (not that I really follow any), news and gadgets.

Today, I've decided to overcome this irrational fear and just discovered this really neat function called "UNSUBSCRIBE". That's right folks - gotta say goodbye to those emails from lastminute.com (I think I have only bought something from them once), Alan Kohler's Eureka report (I don't even remember why I subscribed to this investment newsletter - oh right, I work for an investment bank... that may have had something to do with it), visitbritain.com (yes, yes I will be coming but not in the next 6 months), americanapparel.net (I hate the way their models are in their newsletter - I have to make sure nobody is standing behind me before I open them up because they are so risque) and would you believe, I'm also unsubscribing from fairfax.com.au (publishers of the Sydney Morning Herald). I am literally on the SMH website all day, I don't need a follow up email to tell me what I've already read - especially one for business news, one for entertainment news and one for general news.

The idea now is to unsubscribe to everything that I automatically delete. First step - declutter Inbox. Don't know what the second step is as I can only do small amounts of cleaning at a time.

Just a minute in May

This meme seems like a good way for me to do one massive blog post to sum up all that has happened in May.

LOVING: my new nephew (Baby J) who was born on the 20 May 2009. I've never really been one for babies and children but my friend Jill tells me that you do end up loving your own. But I think this extends to baby nephews as well. I believe that this addition to our family has finally filled that yearning my father has always had for a boy.

MAKING:

Baby Blanket

Elijah for Baby J

READING: When in Rome by Penelope Green, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - I'm rotating all three titles depending on how I'm feeling.

WATCHING: Harper's Island, Masterchef Australia, Spooks, Love My Way

SHOPPING:

Shiny shoes for work and play.

COOKING: Bundt cakes. I bought myself a bundt mould and from there, I have since made a chocolate and matcha one, a sour lemon one and an apple and cinnamon one from the last Donna Hay magazine.

LISTENING: This American Life (I'm really loving this podcast), getting back into Cast On, CraftLit, Get It Done Guy.

PLAYING: Living a retro life:

That he might really wear these vintage ties


What I would look like if I were me now in the 70's

DOING: The Global Corporate Challenge. I've been going on walks around the harbour during my lunch to try to clock up 10,000 steps each day. I realise that on an average day, I only walk about 3,000 steps.