Monday, December 22, 2014

Monday 15 December – Hello and farewell, friend!


Current location: Alexandria
11.11pm, Just getting home from dinner in Bondi. On a Monday – aren't I wild?! I'd been to see my beautiful friend Robyn, who comes from London, lives in Melbourne, was visiting Sydney, and is about to move back home to London! So it was the last time I'll see her for a while, sadly. But we had such a fun with her friend and cousin, having fancy schmancy cocktails and yummy dinner, all by Bondi Beach, which is always a beautiful backdrop! Will miss sharing this country with you Robs!

(Picture taken from August 2013, the first time we were reunited in Aus!)

Sunday 14 December – Oops, I forgot to go home



Current location: Ettalong Beach
11.11am, Taking Andy to the train station. We were up the coast but he had to go back to Sydney for a concert, so I stayed coastal with Jess and Mitch. Two friends of theirs, Nat and Steve, came up for the day too, so we headed out to Patonga for some fish and chips in the sunshine, then walked them off at Pearl Beach. I was having too much fun to leave so ended up staying up the coast that night too, and Jess, Mitch and I went to a very bizarre carol concert, and had a Bailey's!

Saturday 13 December – It's beginning to look a lot...



Current location: Ettalong Beach
11.11pm, Falling asleep on the couch. Andy, Jess and I were up on the coast feeling very festive after decorating the house, drinking Christmas cocktails, making Christmas-infused vodka and watching The Santa Clause.

Friday 12 December – Christmas partayyy



Current location: Erskineville
11.11pm, At the Rose pub. We'd had our work night out and, despite it starting at 1pm, a few of us were still going past 11pm. It was SO. MUCH. FUN. The very generous bar tab didn't run out, so the few of us who were having too much alcohol fun to go home took it upon ourselves to the rid the bar of the tab. We had dinner, had cocktails, had shots, played games, chatted, laughed, had presents, and had all the merriment of a Christmas party. Good times and goodwill to all men.

Tuesday 9 December – So. Tired. Out


Current location: Alexandria
11.11pm, Lying on the floor, laughing. Tonight we played netball with Hoops, our team. We won! Can't remember the score... Maybe 17-6? Or 21-6? Something like that.
Then Emily and Maddie and I played another game (we lost 12-11).
Then Emily and Maddie and I played another game. We won (don't know the score) but it was one of the fastest, scariest games I've played in my life. Maddie's face was hilarious. Fights were breaking out, all passes were like bullets, then Emily and I got drunk on endorphins and couldn't stop laughing. Which was NOT OK when playing with this very serious, very competitive team.
Three games later, I got home and my brain and body were broken. And I couldn't stop laughing.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Sunday 7 December – Pool party



Current location: Alexandria

11.11am, Getting on my bike. I was going to meet Sha and Tristan at Prince Alfred Pool, in the middle of the city. I love it there and, as the weather is so hot and sunny but with storms coming later (as it has been all week!), I thought it might be a better option than the beach. So we went, we met, we swam, we sunbathed, we ate, it rained, we ran, we cycled, and now I'm home!

Saturday 6 December – Big events!










Current location: On the way out west
11.11am, In a minibus, with seven other ladies. We were on our way to the races for Emily's hen do. Em is a good friend I've known since we did our Masters together at City University in 2008, and we've become closer since we both moved to Sydney last year. It'd been ace having her around and getting to know her fiance Dave too.
We had such a good day at the races... Fun group of girls, a few wins, a few losses, a few bubbles... Fun times!

In the evening, the girls went out in Darling Harbour and I sped across town to Glebe to meet lovely Chrystal, who has been away for a week. During the week it was her 30th birthday so 11 of us met for a lovely dinner at Alfie and Hetty. The food was so delish, and the company was outstanding! It's so ace to meet Chrystal's parents and have an time with her and Marc, and their friends.

Feeling very lucky to know such good people in Sydney, especially this time of year when I'm starting to feel pretty homesick!

Friday 5 December – Australian Bodyboarding Awards




Current location: Manly
11.11pm, Finishing our drinks... Bree was en route to come and pick up Andy, Nick and me from the first Australian Bodyboarding Awards night. It was so much fun! Lots of hot bodyboarders, a few friends we hadn't seen for a while, some amazing footage and people, and a lot of laughs.

Thursday 4 December – Impromptu date night


Current location: Alexandria
11.11pm, Getting home from dinner. I finished work earlier than expected tonight, so Andy and I decided to go to our local for pizza. It was ace just to hang out; we've both been so busy lately.

Wednesday 3 December – Book clubbin'


Current location: Alexandria
11.11pm, Tidying up a little bit (Andy had already done most of it). We'd had Book Club tonight, and had been at our new place for a couple of hours before we went to the pub for some dinner. We'd read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler... I loved it. Pretty interesting reading, but I can't really say too much without giving anything away. So read it!



Tuesday 2 December – It's grand final time!


Current location: Alexandria
11.11pm, Celebrating. Admittedly on my own, but that still counts, right?! Celebrating because, after a few seasons of falling at the final hurdle, we actually WON our netball Grand Final tonight! And not just won it, smashed it – the final score was 27-1!
Hoops were on such good form, and it was such a fun game to win! Well done you bloody beauties!

Sunday 30 November – Hoops get social









Current location: Tamarama
11.11am, At the beach. It's blinking hot today, so Andy and I got down to the beach at about 9am for a swim for an hour or so, then he went back to do some work and I stayed down there with my friend Yee (an later Jess who came to join). It was such a gorgeous, hot day! 
At lunchtime, we left the beach and walked over to Bondi, where we were meeting some of the Hoops (our netball team) girls. We met at Bucket List, a Bondi institution of sorts, and had a yummy lunch and a few bottles of bubbles. So lovely to see these girls when we're not all sweaty and shouting (nicely!) at each other!

As the day turned into evening, I went to Nick and Bree's, spent a couple of hours with them then came home to get ready for the week. 

Saturday 29 November – Birthday boy







Current location: The City
11.11am, On my way to get a pedicure. Jess gave Bree and me really lovely birthday presents of champers, chocolate and a spa voucher, so today we went to have a pedicure before going for a lovely lunch at the Potting Shed (part of the Grounds at Alexandria) for Jdog's birthday. It was such a beautiful place (and so very hot!) and the food was good – not amazing (sadly, as I ordered the sausages and I was prepared to blown away. They were nice, but not as flavoursome as I was expecting). So nice just to have a good catch up with everyone again though. After lunch, we walked to Newtown to have a few drinks at the Courthouse, then Jess, Andy and I kicked on to the Newtown Hotel then went home!

Friday 28 November – 'Dinner' for one


Current location: Alexandria
11.11pm, Watching a film on the couch. Andy was out at a later shoot for work, and I'd had a busy week so I decided to have whatever I wanted for dinner and to watch a film. A flat white and a brownie counts as dinner, right?!