After about 10 minutes with iTelephone I was reminded of its 3xtr3m3 limitations (though is delightful to have SaltMinesLimited email/calendar hooked up – can deal with pesky email &etc during those endless and interminable meetings. And also to know what meeting I should be in next) and discovered that baby HTC had an FM radio!¹

Now the walk to work¹ is blissful, accompanied by fbi radio, which I totally adore – moar new music, less of the mainstream, bogan garbage which has become the hallmark of triplej and which came to make me completely hate radio and music.

So yay! And no more apple for me (though if the SaltMinesLimited was to hand me a iPad, I would probably not complain too much).

Around 6 weeks ago, much to our horror, we became entranced by a television advertisement for a leather lounge sale and verily, we visited the store and purchased one. A red¹ one. As the salesman said, “bold”.

After a not inconsiderable wait, yeserday, the fabulous new red couch was delivered!

Hmmm … that painting above it now needs lowering

It has roughly similar footprint to the old couch, but much to our delight, all four of us can fit on it with ample wriggle room.

¹colour, jamaica

So decided I’d spend the day in the kitchen making:

A large batch of red beans (sans rice) for the freezer stash (not pictured).

Cinnamon jam drops
A first effort. Really rather nice and not too sweet. Destined to accompany our evening cups of tea.

Jam Doughnut Muffins
A Joe/Frank request for lunchbox snacks. Bought these wee muffin tins and liners in Hell (ikea). I love how they look like wee mushrooms!
Unfortunately the tins are Very Difficult to fill, so bought some piping bags at Essential Ingredient in an attempt to make it easier. Is now much easier, though now need mucho practice at filling piping bags.

Prepping strawberries for the fabulous (and much missed) kitschenette‘s most excellent and wonderful (black/straw/any) berry yoghurt cake. In trying to find a link, I realised I’ve been regularly making this since 2004! There is good reason for this and you should totally add it to your repertoire!

It has been a good long time since I’ve cooked so many things in a single day and I really adored it, but holy goodness! after all that standing I’m convinced that we very definitely need an anti-fatigue mat!

And then we stopped and became fatties.

Don has shed mucho chub by changing employers – he’s not really any other option than to walk to TheBrewery every day. And, as we all know, what with The Operation and then The Foot Leprosy I’ve become twice the woman I used to be.

And so there have been efforts to get back to Health and one of those was to give yoga another bash. Fortunately, living in hippytown 2037, there are a good deal of yoga options. We chose life and balance mainly because they were a 15 minute walk away and have a 2 week free trial, where you can attend as many classes as you like.

We’ve been to Monday and Saturday classes for the past two weeks and ZOMG! I totally adore it. I love being the total swat who works to her ability and doesn’t need correcting, rather than handstand! headstand! splits! bridge! push! ouch!

We’re ponying up the cash for 3 months more and I’m keen to also try the Wednesday candlelight(!)¹ and Sunday classes as I ease back into practice.

But, even if I stay as tubby as I currently am, already I feel so much more relaxed and calm that it will be worth it.

¹Totally channelling my inner DFH (Dirty … Hippy)

This means I am now contactable at any time … ummmm … yay?

Instead I chose to:

• attend an early yoga class
• inspect some rather nice properties
• spend a small fortune at Essential Ingredient
• make pies
• have a family sing-along
• play scattegories
• visit spotlight
• design and construct an Emergency! Orange! Chiffon! Party! Skirt! in 2.5 hours
• enjoy Don’s hummus with lamb and deep fried pita bread
• watch the ducks lose (yet again)
• deliver emergency supplies to an unwell Joan: wee pie / english breakfast tea / kettle chips / 5 Harry Potter movies
• make fabulous chicken + 40 cloves of garlic
• lectured Joe/Frank re: life! and the importance of keeping up with studies

Photo via Bessie

Ahhh well, I’ll catch up tomorrow.

Namely, what will become of us when we are old?

We have wildly extravagent expecations for our twilight years, having a roof over our heads and being able to eat, for example. What with my extended gaps in employment and Don’s being in Aus for a relatively short time, our superannuation funds won’t provide us with a good deal of $.

So after a good deal of thought, we’ve decided on a strategy: we must board the hideously, ridiculously expensive home-ownership train in the next 18 months or so, in this way we will at least have the roof (and because of the outrageous mortgage we’ll need, will be able to practice the not eating bit).

So far we are at the research stage, trawling through the for sale listings and attending a couple of open-for-inspections – of course I want to buy absolutely everything, so is a very good thing that we have no finance sorted and can’t impulse buy a house!

Owners say sell? Hmmm … that’s probably why it is for sale

So behold our very messy last meal (rather more what my desk regularly looks like)!

Chorizo in tomatoes and basil with spirals. A recipe of our own devising.

20.07.11