#889 Park Days no. 5

You know what’s better than park days in warm weather?

Park days in JULY.

You know why?

Because it is Winter, and when any opportunity presents to get out and enjoy some sliver of warmth in the middle of the coldest time of year, well that is a big

SUCK YOU WINTER

right there.

It was still fresh, but there was no wind, making the suns descendance down onto our skins that much easier. We walked on over the short 10 minutes to the park, after our necessary coffee and babycino stop at the nearby corner café ( 🙂 ) before enjoying some family time in the park.

And by the way, another reminder that we are MORE than half-way through this coldest of seasons, meaning that…

Spring-time is coming!

:):):)

#888 Fussy butcher strikes again

I find it interesting that today I should post about my fussy Hubbie butcher getting ‘at it,’ in my latest Food Reviews post over on SmikG, and then later in the day…

He gets fussy. AGAIN. Like somehow I attracted the fussiness.

If the law of attraction IS at work, please I can also do with holidays and lotsa spending money, thanks 😉

But anyway. My gratitude for today comes not from his fussiness, but rather what came out of it. Because we went out to dinner in Mornington tonight, just doing what we’ve been doing the last month or so of Saturdays… enjoying our family time together and keeping it low-key.

All was good, up until our meals arrived at the table.

His steak.

It wasn’t cooked medium… it was well done.

Ohhh, the HORROR!

Now, let me give you some backstory. The last time we were at this restaurant the same thing happened, and the steak he had ordered then was well overdone too. Even his Mum who had been with us, had agreed – and when a European lady tells you your steak is overdone, you are going to believe her. They eat their meat practically charred.

Back then, they fixed it. Hubbie gave them the benefit of the doubt, and hoped that it was a once-off. Surely it wouldn’t happen again…

So when it did happen again, he was fuming. He didn’t want to tell them though – embarrassing enough as it was that it had happened again… he didn’t want to look like that annoying customer that always finds something wrong with his meal… (hmmm?)

He sat, stewing, silent, vowing to never go there ever again. I sat across from him, the familiar scene playing out in front of me, as I ate my fish.

“You’ll be back here in 2 months.”

He didn’t find it humorous.

A waitress happened past our table, and asked how our meals were. I paused.

“Well, MINE is good…”

I looked at Hubbie. Deep breath. Here we go.

Hubbie was actually the perfect mix of both furious and polite. He told her he was very disappointed, while assuring her that he wasn’t having a go at her – it had just happened before and he felt let down.

I mean, this was serious stuff. He was a butcher! Do you know how seriously butcher’s take their meat…

VERY.

He told her that he had not wanted to say anything, but while she was there, and asking him, well…

She said she would get it fixed, but he was just over it. He just wanted to eat what he could, scrap off the char from the top, and go home. He didn’t want to make a fuss.

Soon, the boss man came.

(I noted it was the same guy from last time, but Hubbie had since shaved off his beard and so luckily he may not have noticed us!)

He was absolutely brilliant. He assured Hubbie that he shouldn’t feel bad about complaining – the reason they asked their diners how their meals were going, was to see if everything was up to scratch. Boss man said he would get him another medium-cooked steak. In fact, they had one ready to go any minute.

True to his word, boss man brought over a brand spanking new pink-in-the-middle steak within minutes. And about 10 or so later –

Yep. ALL GONE. 

I was actually thoroughly impressed. They totally, had not given up on Hubbie. They were determined to make him happy, and went above and beyond in service and food to make sure he left a content man.

Instead of leaving the restaurant unfulfilled, they made sure he couldn’t say a peep as we exited the doors.

And he didn’t. They had done their job superbly. And I’m so grateful that they restored his faith in restaurant steaks, but also that we aren’t adding yet another establishment to the BANNED list.

Yep. Life of a Food Blogger and Fussy Butcher.

#887 The things that she says…

… Makes me feel like we are doing an alright job with her.

Or maybe I give myself, ourselves, too much credit. Maybe it is ALL her. Maybe it is the stage she is at; maybe it’s the understanding that comes with growth; maybe even it’s all her class activities from kinder and swimming that have her responding and speaking with such care, eloquence, and love.

Some examples:

1. “Mama… can me please have teddy bear biscuit?”

When I respond yes, she asks quietly

“Is that good manners?”

Oh darling. Yes yes and MORE yes.

 

2. When we are heading into the shops quickly.

“Now honey, we are only going in and out, THAT’S IT.”

“Ok Mummy, me listen to you all day, I promise.”

 

3. When I am mad and frustrated, she grabs a hold of me.

“Mummy… look at me. Calm down, ok? Everything be alright.”

Oh, it is laughable and oh-so-cute.

 

4. I am driving.

“Oh, that person is driving like a f*&king idiot!”

“Mama don’t say that word. That very bad word!”

 

:):):) Peeps, she is only 4… and she already knows better than me!

 

 

#886 Seeing him through another’s eyes

I had come to pick up baby girl from kinder this afternoon, but she was far from ready to leave. She was busy on the floor with one of the teachers, engaging in a big mat-sized puzzle.

I sat on the floor with her at her request, and the teacher and I helped her, trying to work out where the pieces went. Some small talk here and there, about her predisposition and love of puzzles, how many she had and whether they had many pieces or not. But I was acutely aware that time was passing, and the classroom was getting smaller by the second.

“Baby girl,” I started. “We have to go. Tato will be home, you don’t want to miss him!”

At this, the teacher wondered what I was talking about. I explained that Hubbie came home for lunch each day at about the time baby girl came home from kinder – he deliberately went to lunch later instead of earlier, so he could see her before heading back to work for another several hours.

“Is he the boss, is that why he can make up his hours?”

“No, because he’s a butcher he’ll just make sure he finishes a task by a certain time, so that he can go to lunch.”

The thought sat with the teacher for a second or two. “That’s very nice that he does that, she’s very lucky.” Baby girl’s teacher looked at her. “He sounds like a very good Dad.”

The thought played over in my head as I drove her home from kinder. It’s funny how you know these things, but until someone else points them out to you, you don’t really know them… or at the very least, you don’t truly appreciate them.

I am lucky, that baby girl has such a dedicated and loving Dad. I am lucky that that same loving and supportive guy is my Hubbie.

And, we are both lucky in that we did get to see him today when we got home 🙂

#885 2 nights and 3 days

Sometimes that’s all you need.

Getting away with my family for 2 nights and 3 days, spending uninterrupted non-stop family time together, was… beautiful? Interesting? Relaxing?

How about all of the above.

It was very quiet, and it was very low-key, but that is exactly how we wanted it. And as much as we loved our family time together, the purpose of our trip has been satisfied.

We are fulfilled. Our energy and enthusiasm reserves are restored once again.

Hubbie will go back to work tomorrow with some renewed vigour.

Baby girl will go back to kinder tomorrow with extra ammo in her step to paint all the pictures and swing as high as she can.

And I will go back to… what do I do again?

Oh that’s right. EVERYTHING.

I love going away, but coming back home is great too, because it gives you back some of that oomph! often lost in Winter…

#884 Inverloch getaway

It is night 2 of our mid-week Winter Inverloch getaway.

And the only thing guaranteed about a mid-July escape, is that there are no guarantees on the weather.

Which is why today has been such a delight.

Yes, it was windy. Yes, the waves were wild. But there was sunshine out, it was even mild at times (I kid you not), and along with heading out amongst the elements to experience it all, we had just as much fun watching it all from the comfort and warmth of indoors, once the fiercer weather rolled in.

 

If you’re not sure whether or not to do it, I say DO IT. A random winter escape is the perfect way to escape winter and the routine of life, by doing something unexpected, at the time of year where people probably least holiday out and about.

But enjoying uninterrupted time with my family has been the bestest escape of ALL.

 

#883 A different vantage point

Sometimes you just need to do something new.

Go somewhere different.

At a time least likely.

When really, you shouldn’t be doing it.

And yet, YOU DO.

Because variety is the spice of life, right?

We would never usually plan a mid-week getaway, in the middle of July out of all months. But we were just about done with monotony, routine, work dictating life, and even though we just passed the school holiday season when we should have done something, we opted for the opposite and decided, NOW was as good a time as any.

Doing something, or going somewhere when you are usually least likely to, can be a freeing and eye-opening experience. Getting away in an unordinary period, feels more like a holiday, almost like you are cheating by getting away from it all, MORE SO than when you go on holiday in let’s say, Summer.

Getting away, gives you a different perspective. Whether it is on your current situation, on your relationships, on any issues you may have… on Life…

… and it gives you a different perspective of the Stars too.

We saw this tonight after dinner, heading back to our tree-cosy cabin by the water. I read somewhere that the next few days will be the time where you can actually see some of the planets with the naked eye, and so when I saw that crescent moon, and that dot to the left… I had to wonder…

It’s funny how some things are so much clearer, and the bigger picture becomes more obvious, when you step away… and into the night.