The Garden Fence - proper Old Style support and chat!

Softstuff

I thought brown was coming back... along with a lot of other nice vintagey things. But I'm not big on what is or isn't fashionable, it amuses me mostly when my taste coincides with fashion.

Hit the wall last night, completely exhausted. I worked a full week, then did a week of reno and getting rid, then worked another 4 days and last night just flopped. Not that I'm done yet, we have a busy weekend ahead and I'm working sunday monday :rotfl: I have preplanned a day of nothing on Tuesday though. Just need to make it there

greenbee

Another one who does a lot of travel for work and sees a lot of airports and hotels - but you do get to meet interesting people and just occasionally I'm allowed out to see something of the places I'm visiting. On my next trip I have a day in Melbourne, one in Auckland and one in Hong Kong (with a flight between the last two) so I'm hoping for a bit of downtime rather than catching up on email I've got a couple of other stops that don't give me any free time, but that's just how things have worked out.

Any tips on what to do/see in each would be great (particularly Melbourne and Auckland - I'm seeing family in HK, although I do have a free morning when I arrive from NZ).

Softstuff

ooh ooh ooh Melbourne! We had a lovely time there in the new year, we went for a friends wedding. There's a great art gallery, incredibly impressive, the National Gallery of Victoria, the laneways with shopping and eating are fantastic (we didn't enjoy the markets much because frankly I've seen many similar in England), I love Little Bourke St, the chinatown area. The food there is fantastic and reasonably priced. We went to the Australian Centre for the moving image, but that was good because at the time there was an Aardman exhibition on... without a good exhibition it would suck. The state library is beautiful even for a 15 minute visit, just to look at the inside.

We walked a lot of Melbourne, miles and miles. In the city centre itself, the trams are free within a certain area, so you can hop on and hop off.

Despite being Australia, Melbourne is odd with weather. You can go from freezing to on fire in the space of a day. It's where the song Four Seasons in one day was written for.

greenbee

Thanks Softstuff. I need to look at weather forecasts tomorrow when I start to pack. It seems that I need to allow for anything from 10C and raining to 36C and stormy (and the arctic aircon that goes with 36C outside!).

Time for bed, or I'll be on your timezone earlier than planned. Although that would at least save me from jet lag!

Softstuff

greenbee wrote: »

Thanks Softstuff. I need to look at weather forecasts tomorrow when I start to pack. It seems that I need to allow for anything from 10C and raining to 36C and stormy (and the arctic aircon that goes with 36C outside!).

It might get colder than that at night. And if it says "hail" take notice, hail here can be golf ball sized.

maryb

Thinking of you both today Nargleblast

FairyPrincessk

Morning all,

I'm glad the burrito bowls were inspiring. They were very nice, although seeing the weighed cheese compared to what we normally have on them was informative.

VJs mum--I'll admit it, I'm a cliche of an academic, but it was such a journey to get here that I'll take it. My day looks similar today, although I may treat myself to a little scan through the essays to find a couple that chose different questions, just for a little variety! :rotfl:

Tonight will be fish cake night, although I'll have to walk out to the supermarket on my lunch break and buy the fish since they need to chill for a bit before cooking. If we like the recipe they can be made in advance and frozen which would be great.

MaryB that sounds like great progress. I hope his spirits start to pick up soon as well.

Mrs LW if you have any local vintage shops that sell homewares you might pop in and ask them. I collect a different set which became trendy a few years ago (so I've paused my collecting until they're unfashionable again!) and see similar stuff at vintage fairs frequently.

Emptynester it sounds like you've found a good balance. Look after yourself.

Just thinking of Lamewolf today. I imagine she is nearing the end of her holiday.

Right. Time for breakfast. I think this morning is scrambled eggs on toast with strawberries.

Bit of loveliness from the garden--there are tiny cherries on the cherry tree and the rhododendron native to this garden is almost fully open in spite of its bad case of leaf mold. We have loads of birds, many I have no idea what they are but at the moment just a Magpie strutting around. I think he has marched the perimeter and most of the area under the trees. I have no idea what he is looking for but he looks hilarious. I shall delay Maggie the cat's morning romp in the garden until he has finished.

mardatha

Garden looking good here too, weather been awesome. I'm so stiff and tired that I can hardly move. But kept busy because I have lost my DLA that I've had for ten years. So now down a lot of money and sitting here working out menu plans.. the seige of Stalingrad will have nothing on me by the time winter hits

[Deleted User]

Ratatouille.....first catch your rat???

Nettle puree.....try not to get nettled?

Fat Hen Seed bread.....don't chicken out?

Chestnut Cake.....are you nuts woman???

monnagran

Morning all.

Thinking of Nargleblast today and all those who are feeling poorly, or caring for a loved one. Such a worry when it is all going on.
I think that this is the last day of Lamewolfs holiday and I hope that she has enjoyed it more than she had anticipated.
Greenbee, I take my hat off to you, or would if I ever wore one. I cannot think of anything worse than endless travelling. Give me a magic carpet every time.
Mar, you would think, wouldn't you, that by this time they would have got these benefits sorted. I'm sure we all know of people who are happily swinging the lead and getting away with it, and others who desperately need and deserve a bit of help but are denied it. Life is so unfair sometimes.

I have the news on while writing this and it is wall-to-wall Royal Wedding. I can't summon up a lot of enthusiasm. I wish them both well, they seem like two lovely young people and I like a bit of pageantry as much as anyone, but this epidemic of excited hysteria leaves me puzzled. Yes, I will be watching some of it tomorrow, I adore brass bands and marching uniforms, especially mounted uniforms. I may even get a bit of glorious organ music during the service, which is also one of my great loves. Not to mention that it is a wonderful excuse to curl up with an endless supply of coffee and snacks and while away a couple of hours.

As I failed miserably on moving dust from one place to another yesterday, I'd better have another go today. If I'm having a day off tomorrow I'll need to earn it .

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

O, what a tangled web we weave,
when first we practice to deceive.

(But how we improve with practise.)