#2275 A hipster place

This is going to sound awfully a lot like one of my Food Reviews, but I don’t care.

Hubbie and I found ourselves on the other side of town today, and then we decided afterwards to make a pit stop to check out this shop in an inner-city spot we used to frequent a lot…

But first, of course, as always…

COFFEE. ☕

The suburb was Fitzroy. The street, Brunswick. We came across this amazing place called Wolfhound on Brunswick, and it was just… I can’t describe it. Look at the photos.

Ok maybe I can describe it. Eclectic. Hipster. Free. Niche. Casual. Arty. Organic.

Just, OMG.

And we did what we usually do when we get really excited and inspired about a place… we start to look up property on realestate.com. 🤣

Ok, so that ain’t gonna happen. But I think we’ll be making our way back to this side of the hood a lot more often, next time with baby girl with tow, just to, you know, mix it up a bit. 😉😉

I love where I live. And by where, I mean Melbourne. You can drive a couple of hours in any direction, and you will feel like you are a world away.🥰😍

#2232 Moving under the moon

Hard things are easy when you’re surrounded by good people, people you love.

We were back to help move furniture into place at my parents place this evening, and a late night pizza dash had me, baby girl and sis looking up into the sky.

Baby girl snapped this while waiting for some takeaway. The moon is big here in Melbourne for those who may not know, and its slowly approaching the full moon night. Which you wouldn’t know from the size of the thing, already being so huge. As it rose it was so large we joked it looked like a cheese, and was following us so it could jump onto our pizza. 🤦‍♀️😂

But hard things, really are easy when the right people are there with you, helping you. It’s not a job anymore…

It’s an adventure. 💞

What a beautiful thought. Surround yourself with the right people, and every day will be an adventure.

Now that’s a goal worth reaching out for.

#2155 Do you wanna build a Frozen musical?

Oh wow, FINALLY!

I’ve only been looking forward to this since I heard they were bringing the movie version to stage in Sydney.

Then I was only looking forward to it, since they announced they would be doing Melbourne shows.

Then tickets were released! We booked them, and the countdown was on… it was going to be baby girl’s birthday present.

We were looking forward to it!

Then… well, you know, world narrative at the moment… 🙄

COVID.

Bloody covid happened.

EVERYTHING was cancelled. And so the wait commenced and the question was valid, would we still get to go?

Shows that had been rescheduled a second time, a third time, were still getting cancelled. Horror stories of multiple reschedules and cancellations ensued, and since only last week the show had NOT gone on in light of cast and crew being absent due to ‘covid-related’ reasons, I was still unsure, up until the very last minute, whether it would actually go on.

But, I grew excited as we got near the theatre today and saw all the little Elsas and Annas in costume, so excited like baby girl to see their favourite characters up on stage.

Hell, as you can see, I WAS EXCITED! I really wanted this for baby girl. I wanted this for us. So much crap has been passed around the past two years, I just wanted something to go right.

And so fortunately for us, it did.

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We had the most amazing time. I went all emotional Mum and was teary SO much, especially at the start where the announcer said before the show “…and a special welcome to those in the audience seeing their very first musical. We hope this is the beginning of a beautiful journey with you and the theatre.”

😭😭😭 BAAAAA!

The show and performances were spectacular as expected. I’ve seen snippets of the overseas stage show, and I have to say us Aussies pretty well smashed the Frozen interpretation. 💪💪 Sure they stuck to the main plot and elements, but there were little additions, adjustments, that made it so well-rounded, inclusive and unique, that I was left with tears in my eyes at the end (again, I know!)

Feeling so very grateful for our beautiful day. 💖🙏

#2153 The timing between storms

A really little thing today…

But it was all about the storms.

I woke to thunder and lightning, VERY VERY frightening (I’ve said that a couple of times before 😉🎸🤘🎶)

After rushing to get the washing off the line, and then having breakfast through which rain pretty much pelted down outside, we got ready to leave the house to baby girl’s incessant complaints.

She didn’t wanna go. She didn’t wanna put on a mask. She didn’t wanna get caught in the rain.

Everything was wrong.

Oh man. 🤦‍♀️ I pretty much told her to suck it up and we headed out to grab some stuff.

On the Main Street, the rain that had been wispy and drizzly, had subsided. The sun was peeking through.

Soon, it was hot. Humid. The sun was glaring. I was squinting, because I had left the house without my sunnies (tsk tsk tsk, Melbourne girl rookie mistake) and then my head was HOT because of the sun.

We did our jobs, and I got baby girl a little pressie too because it’s Orthodox Christmas today, and she was RAPT.

We headed home, it wasn’t so sunny anymore…

Maybe 20 minutes passed…

Clouds hung overhead, wind picked up, THEN RAIN AND THUNDER AND OH MY GOD I THINK THE TOWN JUST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND MISTER F IS HIDING UNDER THE TABLE!

Just like that.

Once again the change was swift. And yet we had managed to escape it all while out, and I just call that great weather symmetry or divine Melbourne timing, I don’t know… 🤣

Meanwhile, Merry Christmas to those celebrating today. 🎄🎅✨💖

Photo by Ray Bilcliff on Pexels.com

#2077 Around the table again

I was so happy to be looking at this coffee cup tonight.

Because it meant that the table I was on was surrounded by the most important people in my life.

I, and the rest of Melbourne, was filling up my weekend by catching up with loved ones. Which is what we did tonight when we went over to my parents place to catch up with them, and my sister and her family.

I realised as we drove home tonight, a path we have taken late at night so often, and yet not for a really long time, that I haven’t actually left my suburb for about 3 months.

Like, not even a cheeky trip into the next suburb when we were in hard lockdown. Not even venturing 15kms away when that was most recently allowed.

Nada.

But I saved the best for today. When we could sit around the table, eat, drink, be happy and talk about our pets.

It’s all about the pets!

So much love all around. 💖💖

(And tonight was only the entrée, as someone very clever told me tonight) 😉🤭

#2044 Spring heater

Can I just say, re today’s weather…

WTF????

If you live in Melbourne, you will know my extreme confusion. But then again, living here my whole life, I shouldn’t really be surprised by Melbourne weather anymore, even in September…

Even in Spring…

Even when we’ve had warm days exceeding 20 degrees…

NONE of that matters, when you’re in Melbourne.

Today, FREEZING. I put the heater on so many times today, and got the rudest of cold blasts when I ventured outside to get my cat, Mister F.

He for some insane reason, wanted to stay outside! Despite wind, the rain, the freezing temperature…

Despite the stronger than Winter weather!

And I am so grateful for the heater. Brrr.

We had such a close call yesterday, we were nearly without the heater today. That would have been a nightmare and a half. At bedtime I switched on baby girl’s salt lamp, and the globe blew, resulting in a power surge flicking the safety switch off in our security box.

All of the lamps connected to electricity wouldn’t work in her room, and then we realised, shock horror, the heater also wasn’t working!

But a quick visit into the dark of night to flick it back again, and all was good in the world again…

PHEW. So, so close.

It made me that much more grateful for the electric warmth today, on this freezing cold Spring day.❄🔥💖

#2028 Monsieur, we meet again

There was no point to parks opening up across Melbourne yesterday, because it was a shit storm of rain all day.

So really, today was the proper park reopening.

Baby girl and I walked down to the neighbourhood cafe to grab some food, and then take it to the park where we could eat…

I got, a MONSTER of a meal.

The croque monsieur.

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OMG. You know what this toastie is saying? It’s saying “I’ve been good all week, now I will eat a slab of bread, bechamel, cheese and ham.”

🤦‍♀️

Actually, it was very good value at $10 for this brick of a cheese sandwich. So incredibly rich, I could only eat half.

So, guess what I’m eating for brekkie tomorrow morning?

🤣🥪

#1828 Balcony brekkie

So what else does one do when you’re locked at home, it’s beautiful weather…

Did I mention locked at home? 🤣

Well, kind of. Many Melburnians would agree with me. Others would call me over-dramatic, but I am a writer so…

LOL.

With not much to do, and with so much time to do it, I looked outside, felt the air, and said to baby girl:

“Why don’t we eat breakfast on the balcony?”

It’s a nicer experience actually, without the gazillion cars going by. I actually don’t really notice them, it’s only that Hubbie loves to bring it to our attentions time and time again.

The cars, oh man, the cars. God help us, THE CARS.

But now, during lockdown? There are minimal cars.

It made our tea, toast and toy experience that much more serene, peaceful, and chilled, up there, on a day where we didn’t do much, AT ALL.

Hey, maybe we schedule snap lockdowns once a month, just so we can get some time off? Anyone?

Ok I’ll duck –

#1718 Day 220 of getting there: cafes are back

Today was so exciting!

Hubbie and I dropped off baby girl at school, and soon found ourselves on the main strip for coffee.

DINE-IN COFFEE!

Oh, what a great decision we made when we picked a primary school that practically backs out onto the main strip. Seriously. Best idea ever.

We were one of the early ones, and there were already a few people here and there, headed out to shops, restaurants and cafes…

Not only did hairdressers’ still have lines out the door…

But beauty salons now had people lining up too!

Not to worry, we were early.

And we went through the new ‘normal’ routine.

Scanned the cafe’s QR code on my phone.

Signed in our details.

Sat with our masks still on.

Then took them off when our coffees arrived!

Oh, and almond croissant to share too. 😉

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Yum yum. It was a great experience, and the coffee was actually a 10/10. That has only happened a handful of times for me. Sure the coffee in Melbourne is A1, but most of the time it is an 8, 9…

But oh my, a 10? What a way to get back onto the cafe scene.

We left the cafe, ready and primed for the rest of our day, set up in the best way…

And people were outside, EVERYWHERE. Sitting at tables, lining outside shops. Cars were driving down the main strip.

The sun was shining. People were dressed up.

Everyone was happy and excited.

It honestly, nearly brought a tear to my eye.

We’ve missed so much. And now, in whatever way feels right, we are getting it back. 💖💖

#1709 Day 211 of getting there: Monopoly makes me reminisce

This afternoon after school, baby girl and I started playing some Melbourne Monopoly.

In total we probably played for about an hour and a half, and you need to play for this long to really get the game going. Baby girl is getting it more and more, and my God is she a property hoarder. I’m all picky with what I buy, but I find myself having to buy more than I want or else I’d be paying her rent constantly.

We played for so long, that only one property was left unbought from the whole game board. We even had houses – 5 of mine, 3 of hers – laid down. That’s the sign of a good game. When HOUSES appear.

But this was a Melbourne version… so instead of Old Kent Road, you got Hosier Lane.

Instead of Northumberland Avenue, you’ve got the Chapel Street Precinct.

And instead of the exclusive Mayfair… it’s the MCG.

I think it’s pretty cool, and though I’m a stickler for originals (I have the original tattered version too) I came across a card today, and well, it’s just Melbourne:

I don’t know about you, but this made me miss being out and about even more.

Even the annoying hipsters. I think I even miss them. 😜☕