What's it like on the other side humans?

Would it be strange to say that it feels like we're coming out of hybernation from the COVID lockdown instead of going into hybernation as we go into winter , er we're in the Southern Hemisphere, winter solstice was yesterday in Oceania, yes the world is upside-down)

winter solstice in OZ

I've hopped back on me bike and been trying to go at least 2 or 3 times a week to get these unused glutes, quads and hams back in to some semblance of shape and strength.  I get a lot of "c'mon gal, keep going" " and you can do it" as I huff and puff my way up little inclines.  It does put a grin on my face when I don't have to get off the bike anymore and push it up the hill! ha ha ha .

Looking around me the world has gone slightly out of focus,  we're led by what we read in the media, who as we all know love to hype up events.  it's akin to standing at the edge of a cliff watching the world disintegrating in some parts and bloom in others.  Strange times indeed.

who can forget the Italians singing and making music from their balconies

However I've now proudly joined the nana brigade! Oh yes my friends, along with two other friends who've coincidentally also had their grand babies born a few weeks apart from my lovely lovely little grandson.  I cannot tell you the joy I feel inside.  When my son broke the news to me at New Years, my response was "please don't joke , because if this is true , it is the best , best , most awesome news I've had".   And lo I received a pic of their ultrasound scan.  Cried like Bridget Jones, danced across the hall like Hugh Grant, and did the fist pumps like Flo Jo! The only draw back is I still can't see the little bubba, as I'm on the opposite end of the word and the UK is still under lockdown.  From what we've been told , international flights might not occur till next year.  So thank you Zoom and thank you Skype, there are times when you can't beat technology.

My little bubba

I did make a resolution, and that  was I'd start doing more videos , especially cooking ones, as I've been delving into more plant based cooking, pushing boundaries to find ways and means to make tasty food (I've got the vegan kimchi down pat yo). However, (yes there is a however) my clip to hold my camera in place on the tripod snapped like an old trout, and the replacement has yet to arrive, all international mail is taking time, but I'm still grateful to our lovely posties and curriers, you guys rock.!  Plus with everyone at home, it's kinda hard to look at the camera and chat when you hear "maaaauuuummmmm, do you have....(insert whatever here if you have kids) So here's hoping I'll be back to it in by next week. cross fingers and toes everyone!

Oh and by the way, I bit the bullet, went in for my eye check up as I was a chicken shit and was worried it would be cataracts due to the steroid drops I had to put in my eyes as part of  what chemo treatment required.  Luckily it's just more eyesight deterioration ... wait did i just say luckily? whaaatttt!  Ok it wasn't as bad as I expected, my vision now requires multifocal lenses so I can read the sign someone holds up in the car as they driving past saying things like "help me, my mum has grounded me for life"  or "if you can read this you're driving to close to me and can you get me a latte"... "or skydivers do it best, join the mile high club"...type thingies. Come to think of it, I should have just not bothered, having slightly blurry vision is nice, who needs life in ultra 4k HD???

it's too CLEAR!

So on saying that, keep posted, I'll do my best to stop piffilling around and get to the juicy stuff soon, in the mean time, take care of yourselves, be good to one another, try to post one positive thing you see, read or hear everyday .....and stop honking at me while I'm cycling!, makes me wobble terribly!
mwwaahhhh
Dx

catch up Time

"what is wrong with your connection babe!" I shout into the phone
"Are you sure it's my connection? I've got full bars" answers Karl
"OK where were we, ah yes, you were saying you could not believe he asked for that amount for the drama show" I continue our conversation that was constantly being cut off (all this technology and still we have bad lines!)

So Karl fills me in on some information he had gleaned tonight at an open house party he was attending for one of the productions he had recently been working on. This specific one, which was a TV drama, had given him more publicity and fans!
We were both dying to see what the film that he recently acted in would look like once it was edited for show next year.

We share a quiet chuckle about the person in question that Karl is talking about and then Karl says "so whatcha up to? Did you get enough sleep?"
We had been out last night and ended up going home in the wee hours of the morning, luckily it's the weekend otherwise I'd be a basket case. I told him I'd had a good 5 hours sleep and that I was stuck into a book as I'd not have much time to next week.
"Anyway darling, get back to to schmoozing with your production mates and have a great time, we'll catch up next week as we've got to plan your birthday party OK" I say to Karl, who rings off with a promise to have lunch next week.

I pick up the book that I was reading,  but instead get lost in thoughts of my other outings!

On Thursday I had a girls night out at Aileen's house with my former work buddy Evil. Poor Pierce had to be kicked out of his own home so the girls could bitch and gossip with total abandon, however loving boyfriend to Aileen that he was, he made the baby mozzarella and tomato salad , plus the green salad and put a few bread rolls in the oven for us before he left, to accompany the steamed crab that was going to be delivered later on for dinner! Yum, and was it good!

4 bottles of wine later, and the girls had concocted some kind of TV program that involved wine which they wanted me to host , drowning out my vehement 'NO I WILL NOT DO IT" cries with, their incessant talk about how they'd come up with an award winning show..

Thankfully Pierce turned up at the end of the night, as the talk was escalating into a bullying match of blackmail and gentle goading. He put a stop to it by laughing his arse off and explained in a very patient *we've done this before* manner why it wouldn't work, which then led to the girls picking on him..
Well he was brave is all I can say, most men wait till the women have gone then stagger home!

Karl had taken me to the showing of a short film he was acting in that was held at the Actors Studios on  the Wednesday before the girls dinner.  Interesting stuff, not sure about the horror flick, but then again I am a complete coward when it comes to all that heavy breathing, wall a-sweating, doors slamming, heart thudding, finger nail biting ... well you know what I mean(you see I can't even write about it) I remember the very first horror flick I went to see was Exorcist, it scared me so bad, I kept crawling into my brothers room every night for almost a month to sleep with them, much to their horror and disgust ( I was always their personal horror flick). The nightly ritual of checking under my bed and sleeping with the lights on was certainly not worth it, so now if anyone wants to go see a horror, it's without me.

Anyway we ended up at a lovely Italian restaurant/bar in the heart of town for dinner and drinks and caught the Dj and live percussionist show on the roof top later on. Needless to day we bumped into some good friends of ours,and the night carried on till I had to be the responsible adult (who me?) and call it quits!

Tuesday I was at a launch of a new Food Guide Book and I had taken Aleco, not to impressed with the canapes for a Food Guide launch, however it was an eclectic bunch; and we managed to network with some very interesting people

I always think to myself how it is that in a town like this we manage to either see the same people over and over again or not see a friend for years and then bump into them consecutively for the next few days... coincidence or the laws of the universe?
Dx