Happy birthday to me 🥳

I just had such a beautiful morning. Met up with my chess buddy at what has become our regular cafe in Prahran, got a nice spot in the sun. Had a lovely cheese and egg omelette with avo. Played for two hours and didn't feel bad for taking up seats for so long because it wasn't that busy. Walked back to her place to meet her foster cat who was very shy.

Then I decided to walk home instead of tram because the weather is PERFECT. Did some shopping on the way, and because I felt amazing I decided to buy a scratchie and won $17. Walk home took about 1h15m and I feel amazing right now

Last day of work before Christmas is over, yay! Due to my work schedule my family is celebrating a day early, so tomorrow is Christmas Eve for me. Then back to work for real Christmas Day. It always feels slightly odd to be on a slightly different timeline from everyone else, but it is the time spent with family which is important, not which day it is on.

Was up at 4am for another spew. Drinking on Saturday really messed me up. I can't go hard like I used to. Didn't help that I didn't have enough water ugh.

Got some decent sleep last night though, the cat came and snuggled with me after my toilet trip which was just blissful. He nudges the doona with his head and paws my face to ask me to make him a cubby. Best friend in the whole world.

Comfy

Tonight was a very interesting experiment (and unfortunate lesson). The males of the house wanted Hungry Jacks, but Miniest wanted ravioli. So I ordered the takeout and got to work cooking the ravioli and making a simple Napolitano sauce to go with it. Her ravioli was ready and eaten with dishwasher loaded while the dasher was still waiting for the order. Then when the order arrived it was missing half of the items! Mr P's burger was soggy and cold and his drink wasn't cold. Had to reorder and wait again. A lesson that so-called "fast food" ain't fast at all sometimes, and you're better off with even a simple thrown together home cooked meal than that garbage.

I wish to register a complaint about bars & cafes who choose plain mdf boxen as seating.. My elderly butt wants some upholstery!

So, I didn't realise that the place I work at does annual reviews not 12 months after you start but at the end of the calendar year for everyone (when I was booked in for a "review" along with everyone else I thought it was just an end of year chat). It went really well - I got a bit of a pay bump in addition to CPI increase which was a really lovely way to end the year 🎉 after how things went down at my old workplace it is really nice for a change to feel appreciated in a meaningful way!

::: spoiler housing musings Even then, as a single without parental support and years of lower wages/saving due to being on various visas, I still don't think I can get anywhere close to housing security without being able to save dramatically on rent while working at least 3-4 days a week.

Work has intimated that I could work remotely (and they clearly want me to stay on, so keen to be flexible).

So in Jan I'm going to seriously float the question to my aunt and uncle about staying there for 3-6 months. It'll be challenging working fully remotely interstate and living under senior relatives' roof, but it seems like the only way forward if I want to escape rental hell any time soon.

It does feel pointless working towards a deposit when it's like scrabbling desperately for a ticket to a train hurtling towards an inferno (re: climate change). I've accepted I won't be a homesteader and I'll be the first to go if society collapses. So this won't be part of some permaculture self-sufficiency dream.

Part of me also just wants to go fuckit and break off, travel for a while...

But I also am increasingly wanting a stable home base as I see my parents generation might be gone within ten years, and I don't want to float forever.

Just want some stability before shit hits the fan regardless - without feeling like I need to bust a gut and be shackled to work to make it happen either. Two bedrooms, sunlit and a small garden in a nice enough community - it sounds incompatible with wanting to not be trapped in a mortgage for decades... right? Right? (insert prequel meme) :::

I don't know what the calculations would be on making it all happen yet, but I think starting that journey is definitely on the cards for 2025. So many chapters are closing, this represents a way out, something definitely needs to change...

Okay, off to the kids clothes shop to hopefully get this overcharge resolved without any fuss, then heaps of washing, laundromat, and a bitta work.

E: the overcharge thing went really well, turns out there was a further 20% off the already discounted price so I got $33 back. Worth the trip! 😎

Also cheesed off someone by "stealing" their parking spot but cmon they were trying to turn right into it across Station St, Fairfield - I didn't see them, it's technically illegal and I doubt they would've made the angle park without mounting the median and maybe nearly collecting a cyclist. It was just a 30 min park anyway. It's a shit area to park but deal with it.

Crisis averted, I spent the entire late arvo and evening sans phone thinking I'd left it in various places, got home just as Marge hit and still couldn't find it, major panic thinking I'd need to retrace so many locations in the dark and rain - thankfully I could whatsapp someone on my desktop to call it and found the damn thing sitting on the top of the loo. Honestly!

I've done a shit tonne today including sneaking into the office to use the dishwasher for the collection of takeaway boxes I've accumulated in the last 4 weeks and doing 2.5 hrs of work while it dried; I'm so tired now and need to put new sheets on but God, if this evening wasn't a message from the universe to stop procrastinating and set up the new phone already... urgh!! Shops, sheets, dinner, phone, sleep. I got this.

BTW it says 13C outside, still feels like a stuffy 23C in my unit despite windows open all day, goddamn this stupid heat box.

No sleep gang checking in. Frustrating. Too many thoughts swirling.

Netting up more apricot branches today. Takes waay longer than doing the whole tree as one.

But they're getting close!

Big tree this year. Hoping the netting works and will do some apricot hawt sauce.

In your opinion what is the worst alternative milk out there? For me it's coconut milk. If you add that to hot chocolate it does not taste like a Bounty. It tastes like Reef sun tan oil.

Woke up to find her like this. Fell asleep again for about an hour. Still like this.

We're still learning about how shadows work.

The turkey has arrived. 6.836 kg

So feeling a lot better today but still unwell. Tested negative which is good. But going to be a very lazy day.

Met a cool magpie in my backyard. I wanna be their friend and feed them and such, but that's not good for them, even if it's healthy food. Can't let em be dependent on humans.

Still gonna hang out while I have my coffee though I think

No vomit today from Tinyest. I had the shits last night but the gastro stop settled that, and Mrs b is fine. We’re thinking maybe bad chicken or something from Cole’s deli yesterday, otherwise it’s the quickest gastro I’ve ever seen.

Nomination for most commonly said phrase in this house: Get out of the cupboard.

Have made holiday to-do list for jobs around the house. Feeling too hungover to make a start on anything today, so doing the list makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something.

It’s a pretty aspirational list and I feel tired just looking at it. If I knock off a couple of the harder tasks I’ll be happy. Especially the painting jobs, they have to get done. I haaate painting. Mass clean out of crap accumulating in closets needs to happen as well.

sky ugly

Marge is here! Thank goodness.

Perfect weather for an early night.

::: spoiler I'm le tired :::

Wow the wind behind the rain is quite chilly. I got the rain-protected windows open to let it in the house. Inside temp dropping rapidly.

I'm really tired now. I might have a nap and let the dog spoon me.

I’m so annoyed I can’t do dairy anymore. Thankfully generic bricks of soy milk are available and taste ok but everything else costs a fair bit more for less.

I miss those big tubs of basic home brand icecream and bulk yogurt. Also I would have liked to use the containers to plant in.

gees, I accidentally left a self checkout shop yesterday without paying for half my items.

What do? It was only $22.

I went shopping and I tried on some pants at Sheike I liked and I went a size smaller and if I wanted skin tight could have gone a size smaller again 😭 It's so nice to get nice things and not feel like crap when clothes shopping because much too fat 🙂

so I got these, they are soft flowing and cool for hot days https://www.sheike.com.au/products/bermuda-post-pant-grey https://www.sheike.com.au/products/sanctuary-pant-print

Beep Beep 🚚
🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍈🫐🍓🍇🍉🍌🍒🍑🥭🍍🥥🥦🥑🫛🍆🍅🥝🥬🥒🌽🥕🥐🍠🫚🥔🧅🥯🍞🥖🥨🧀🧇🥞🧈🍳🥚🥓🥩🍗🍖🫓🍕🍟🍔🌭🥙🧆🌮🌯🥗🍲🍜🍝🥘🍛🍣🍱🥟🦪🍥🍘🍚🍙🐠🍤🪼🦀🐙 🍗🥮🍢🍡🍧🍰🧁🥧🍦🍨🎂🍮🍭🍬🍫🥜🌰🍪🍿🍯🥛☕️🍵🍺🍶🥤🧋🧃🥂🍷🥃🍸🍹🧉🔋

Got a $250 99bike voucher from His Lordship as part of our early chrimsass with my sister and her family. Gonna ride down and use it to get that mik system I've had my eye on for yonks.

Am I making a very foolish decision? Time will tell.

Nope too early.

Hmm smells like smoke outside

City adventures last night and an excellent time was had (although a lot of $$ spent). Beautiful night, crowds were heaving though! Finally got to stick my head into Yarra Falls and highly recommend, very cool place with a chill atmosphere.

Wonder what I should make for dinner tonight.

I have frankfurts that have to be used.

I could just go bread and frankfurts or I could make msg laden 2 minute noodles and have frankfurts with it.

I forgot to take my good travel mug to work. Which means coffee in a dodgy plastic keep cup. ☹️

Gotta do a market run. This could be interesting

Bad idea to get some fresh air about 15 mins ago.

Nooo. Listening to my audiobook and the sweetest character, Fuschia, died. Gormenghast is such a good book that I get invested in the characters.

Bleh. I’ve got a painful stiff neck today. Probably from what was causing my headache yesterday.

Hurts now to tilt my head upwards and back.

Trying to sell a laptop for $350.

Couple of genuine inquiries on Facebook marketplace but none of them got finalised.

First one on Gumtree, buyer is using an email address for their iMessage, and has agreed to pay via Auspost Money Order. But they also requested shipping to a property in NSW that's in the process of being sold, and a $300 Apple Gift card, plus $15 imbursement for petrol "and stress" lol. Sounds suss?

Weather roller coaster coming up for next few days. 19 tomorrow then 40 on Boxing Day.