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.