Melbourne

Seeing as everyone else is posting breakfast pics

Picture of Turkish bread toast with 2 day old home made guacamole (didn't wanna waste it) and Oaxacan chilli oil with flavouring bits from the jar.

Managed to book in a freelance client project and feeling rather proud of myself. I used to work solely freelance but got a “proper job” at the tail end of lockdowns when work dried up. I was in a really unhealthy mental space with my freelance work and addicted to social media (what I mainly used to gain clients) so I’ve been wary of returning to it, even though I really dislike my “proper” job. I’m currently on mat leave and feel sick at the idea of returning.

I got this client through social connections in the Real World and it was just so easy and stress free. I’ve been thinking a lot about where I went wrong in the past and I have a glimmer of hope I really could make it work again this time. Honestly I am really good at what I do, I just need to focus on the work and get out there meeting people in real life a lot more.

I feel optimistic about work and my professional future for the first time in a long time!!!

Look I know this is a bit disgusting but I really don't feel satisfied with the amount of garlic I've put into a dish until it feels like it's been suffused into my very flesh. I must feel the spirit of the garlic coursing through my veins. And for that I am happy I put half a head into yesterday's pasta dish. Still on those garlic vibes. Satisfying.

Visited Co-bake space to buy cakes by Reece Hignell from MasterChef Australia, they were delicious!!! Wasn't cheap but I considered it both worth it and a one off chance to enjoy his baking.

The image description was placed in the brackets beside the image embedding links, is that the correct place to put it?

Blurgh day. Sleepy. Couch coma.

Have eaten breakfast twice. First was oats. Second was eggs and toast.

1 week until dog day 🐕

Have expanded dog's name from Adam to Mayor Adam West. Needed something vaguely Batmanesque since he has the Batman symbol on his chest

Bat Dog

I’m about to make some cheesy toast. Does anyone want some?

Our local vet cracks me up. They're great, but when you call them you have to choose from a 5 option menu, ranging from "Press 1 for an emergency" through to "Press 5 for all other enquiries". It's nonsense because all calls are answered by Betty on reception anyway lol

Cat stuff has been purchased. Lot's of apprehensive sniffing going on. Hopefully she likes it as cat stuff is not cheap lol Forced myself to go the gym. Feel like a million bucks! Forgot about all the happy chemicals and sense of achievement.

Yay nut loaf!

Picture of a brown cakey looking loaf on a cooling rack with what remains of the other loaf next to it on a pink plate. Good thing the recipe makes 2 loaves! I averted disaster with it a couple of times.. after I'd mixed it (while being responsive to my prolifically chatty daughter and breaking up fights) I realised I had put bicarb instead of baking powder in it. A quick google revealed I could save the recipe by increasing the acidity with lemon juice or vinegar. Seeing as how I (once again) failed to buy buttermilk before I made it and had to add lemon juice to milk to substitute, I just added more. It worked!

Got myself a lil treat today and bought the t2xpenguine publishers set.

spoiler

I actually really loved the withering heights design but I refuse to have the book in my house. So I’ve bought probably my 6th version of p&p. I’m so excited by it.

Not that I truly read them anymore but I'm really sick of IMDB reviews being disgusting rants by racists and homophobes. Like seriously 1 star because you're unhappy a character isn't the colour of mashed potatoes, grow up.

- late breakfast after a great walk with the doggo

I am so clean. A hot shower is just the thing

Cooking dinner is all well and good but then you have to wash dishes, and I don't like it.

Also masterfoods Portuguese spices is tasty but definitely has a bit of kick.

https://imgur.com/gallery/gvXSbk1

Excuse the mess

Shame I checked in too late for the brekkie postings, I'd already scoffed mine!
Still feeling wiped after Thursday's big effort (and my feet are still swollen, definitely wore the wrong shoes for walking). I am, however, on a roll with Operation Sort Shit and am going through bags I'd put aside to sort after going through the last of the boxes that I took out of the garage.
Feeling a lot more optimistic about actually having the house fit to show to real estate agents by spring, even if it's likely to be a knock down job.

Freshly shorn. Baaa

I'm kind of laughing at that Yank Tank driver interviewed on 9 news, saying that "If buses can drive in the city, so can big utes".

Except a bus driver will have a truck license, and medical checks.

I swung into Coles at Melbourne Central for a couple things today, and after I payed I realised I forgot to get a bag. So I quickly grabbed one, put my items to the side and paid for the bag. Of course, just my luck that there's no fucking paper in the printer, so this turns into a whole scene. And that's the story of how I almost ended up in jail (until old mate Coles last came over and confirmed I did indeed pay for them and saved the day)

Trying to control my anxiety.

I thought I silenced my phone notifications but they kept rolling through and popping up and I fixed it yet I still check to see if more came in.

Anxiety can’t be fixed because I’m dealing with family and it’s my fault I’m in this position that I am now.

Trying not yo let it get to me but I don’t know if I’ll be able to just ignore it.

Just got back from picking up bike from bicycle hospital, taking in Preston Market on the way. Which was heaving and throbbing with vast crowds of people. So much so that I think I will do my market shopping tomorrow early instead. Lunch will be local banh mi I think. And extra tiger rolls for scrambled eggs tomorrow morning.

I’ve got toast or left over pizza for brunch. Decisions decisions.

Also managed to wash myself today.

Not pretty but I got by without the hot water.

Something just feels a bit off in my relationship and I don't know what.

Which leads to anxiety about anxiety. I just want peace (which is a way of turning the 'struggle switch' on trying to make the feeling go away, not helpful).

Just back from the Op Shop where I got a great haul of old LPs. I saw this one, did not buy it tho. But what a find, what a great cover. You young'un's might not remember but Jackie was such a huge star here in 70s and 80s. Talented, hard working, so pretty and probably the nicest person on tv.

Cheers everybody ☕

Omw home from a short but sweet outing with a good friend I haven't seen in almost 6 months. Dumplings and beer can bridge all divides

Toasted English muffin with butter and some lovely strawberry jam. I'm glad I only had one left because I could demolish another 2 I reckon.

Er… As per the previous day’s thread, I’m having trouble seeing replies too. But when I click the collapsed reply it just shows a copy of the parent comment. Doing it repeatedly makes a string of that same one

Putting on a wash on because I noticed a big drool mark on my silk pillow case.🫠rip. Is it normal to drool when sleeping as an adult

I have spent way too much time today placing pixels.

• Lunch
• Vietnamese Coffee
• Clean
• Afternoon tea
• Read? Game?
• Shower
• Dinner

ABBA is pretty good listening for this late night work streak. I've got a renewed appreciation for the bass lines and the outstanding engineering/production. And whatever is that combination of guitar noises at the beginning of Does Your Mother Know. Ugh so sexy.

:)

Rice cooker purchased and brown rice made. I need to stop eating a dozen or more rice cakes every night as all that spread is making me spread. Late night snack will now be fried rice. Half a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil every night will be sufficient. I make it the vegeta stock and it's got just the right amount of msg in it to give it that shiny chinese take-away vibe.

Been moody as fuck today. Cycle watch on my smart watch seems to check out, day 1 of menstrual cycle. One of my old colleagues reached out to me in such a beautiful fashion I had to get back in touch, but it's severly opened the can of worms about my bad treatment from that workplace and now I'm completely spiralling and having violent fantasies and nightmares again. He couldn't know. He also wants to introduce me to his family, cos they're super interested in my transition. Look it up, I'm not a poster child for trans women, every person's transition is vastly different anyway and I'm not much different to who I was before I realised I was trans, just a ton more emotional.

Is it wrong to want to name and shame the business? I don't want to take action, cos I just want to get on with my life, but I'm constantly thinking of nasty things to write about them online so people are aware what a pack of serial sexual harrassers and complete enablers of assault and have one of the most unsafe places of business. I think I need a night of self care, but I know it's not going to solve much.

Not sure why I waited until 10 days before I fly out of the country to do a bunch of online orders but THE RACE IS ON! It makes shopping more exciting! I'm pretty optimistic.

Got some new shorts + a TMNT t-shirt coming in one order. A new pair of Ray-Bans to replace my existing ones which have had a very good long life and travelled halfway around the world with me. This order is apparently coming from Adelaide (bought online from Myer) so that's fun. A new mattress topper from Catch and I'm considering buying a replacement for my 'holiday' cologne (Davidoff Adventure) because it's just about empty. I like to have a distinct scent for things like holidays, it helps to trigger memories and makes me feel more like I'm on holiday. Which reminds me I need to make sure I pack my coconut scented hardcore sunscreen. Gon' be HOT.

Anyone have an artist that they can listen to the whole catalogue of without skipping a track. I've a couple, the National and Dave Matthews. Fairly corny I guess, but that's my jam you know. A friend of mine recently met someone at a pub who had spent $100k seeing DMB 55 TIMES!

- slow cooked lamb shoulder in the slow cooker, and veg pretty much done. dinner coming along nicely

Five hours later and my tattoo session is finished! It took longer than expected and didn’t get to eat any lunch so I’m now at the kebab shop waiting for my takeaway burger as I feel like I’ve deserved a maasssive meal

okay recipe thoughts while I drift off to sleep.

I have, leftover chipotle in adobo sauce, frozen prawns defrosting in the fridge, a coupla very ripe tomatoes, reckon I'll cook that with rice and frozen peas. And steam this broccolini to have on the side.

I also have some swede and a parsnip I think that I completely forgot about. And might continue to forget about. I meant to do some ottolenghi recip with them.

...and two chunky knobbly Indian bittergourds. for fun. Idk maybe I'll try air frying some thin slides