Time for my regular work rant. I'm delighted (really) to be incredibly busy. In the life of a freelancer, this is definitely a Good Thing. It's just that, right now, all the work I have is of the deathly boring variety. My field is finance, so thrills are few and far between at the best of times, but even within this narrow spectrum I am currently at the wrong end.
I could just about grin and bear it if it weren't for one particular client. This person begins requests with 'May you do ...' (the horror), and frequently asks me to send things 'to myself' (to him). He works in marketing, so it's probably not entirely his fault. I could almost forgive him (well, not really) if he didn't take it upon himself to edit my work, adding words like 'thus' and 'whilst' and 'value-add', and changing everything to passive voice. Yes, I'm a writer, so I'm used to my work being edited. When it's my magazine editor, I don't argue (even if I disagree); when it's a literate publishing client, I keep my mouth shut. When it's a pompous, sub-literate marketing twit, I want to stab him with a red pen.
There. I feel slightly better now.
I will go and have my yoga lesson later today and emerge a less angry person. Perhaps.
18 February 2011
Clueless
I bought a couple of pairs of jeans when we were in New York. What I didn't realise at the time was that I had been gradually putting on weight. By January this year, I noticed that a few kilos (not sure exactly how many, as I don't own scales, but probably 3 or 4) had crept on and so I made a few minor tweaks to make sure they'll come off (about as slowly as they appeared).
Unfortunately, as I'm heading back to my standard size and shape, my new jeans now don't fit very well. Do I keep them as 'big jeans' or do I send them to Vinnies and get new ones? I hate wasting money on clothes, but is there any point having something that doesn't fit lurking in my tiny wardrobe?
Unfortunately, as I'm heading back to my standard size and shape, my new jeans now don't fit very well. Do I keep them as 'big jeans' or do I send them to Vinnies and get new ones? I hate wasting money on clothes, but is there any point having something that doesn't fit lurking in my tiny wardrobe?
16 February 2011
Three Colours: Red
Some time ago, I mentioned a local designer whose clothes I really like. Unfortunately, the only stand-alone shop was in Melbourne and my planned shopping trip never eventuated. So imagine my delight when I discovered that they had a new store in Sydney. Yesterday morning, feeling oddly melancholic and sick of sitting my cave writing, I ventured out.
The shop is in Paddington, where I lived when I first moved to Sydney, many years ago. In those days, you could afford to rent a (not terribly nice, it's true) share house in Paddo as a student; these days, it's all boutiques, art galleries and multi-million dollar abodes. Plus great shopping and a disproportionate number of long-legged models in incredible outfits - Sartorialist heaven. (Regular person hell.)
The shop is in Paddington, where I lived when I first moved to Sydney, many years ago. In those days, you could afford to rent a (not terribly nice, it's true) share house in Paddo as a student; these days, it's all boutiques, art galleries and multi-million dollar abodes. Plus great shopping and a disproportionate number of long-legged models in incredible outfits - Sartorialist heaven. (Regular person hell.)
I tried on almost the whole winter collection, but I was very restrained. I loved this red skirt, but it was about an inch longer than I like (the model is about 6ft), and the hem detail would have made it complicated to adjust, so I passed. I did get a lovely 3/4 sleeve rust coloured silk/linen v-neck cardigan at 60% off, and ordered in a simple but beautifully made grey wool shift dress that I think will form the basis of my winter wardrobe ...
But that's not all. Emboldened, I ventured into the city to buy lipstick. More success - two MAC lippies, one a wearable red (Lady Bug), and another everyday colour with the alarming name of Hot Tahiti.
So what if the only 'people' who see my lipstick all day are the cats and dogs. I'm sure they'll appreciate me making the effort.
15 February 2011
True Romance
Yesterday was Valentine's Day, but as our wedding anniversary is exactly one week later, we don't tend to acknowledge it. Plus it was a Monday, hardly the most romantic day of the week ...
It was one of those days where I struggled through my jobs, wondering if there's a parallel universe in which I could find something interesting to do for a living. In fact, by lunchtime I had descended into downright grumpiness, which was not assuaged by more jobs coming in, and a growing list of domestic chores (why do children have teeth? why do dogs need to be clipped? how does Spouse wear 20 outfits per week, all of which need washing after just one outing?).
Once I'd got through my deadlines (and my chores), I decided the solution was to get into the kitchen. The other option was retail therapy, but we're having a frugal month as well as a dry(ish) one. My kitchen (pictured, somewhat skewiff) is the size of a not-very-capacious broom cupboard, so whipping up a storm can be a challenge. But I did manage pork fillet in cream mustard sauce with potatoes roasted in goose fat, fresh steamed asparagus and a heart-shaped red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and strawberries. (Yes, of course I have a heart-shaped cake tin lying around - doesn't everyone?)
And I decided that Valentine's Day is a ticket of leave for FebFast and stuck a bottle of champagne in the fridge as well. Much better.
It was one of those days where I struggled through my jobs, wondering if there's a parallel universe in which I could find something interesting to do for a living. In fact, by lunchtime I had descended into downright grumpiness, which was not assuaged by more jobs coming in, and a growing list of domestic chores (why do children have teeth? why do dogs need to be clipped? how does Spouse wear 20 outfits per week, all of which need washing after just one outing?).
Once I'd got through my deadlines (and my chores), I decided the solution was to get into the kitchen. The other option was retail therapy, but we're having a frugal month as well as a dry(ish) one. My kitchen (pictured, somewhat skewiff) is the size of a not-very-capacious broom cupboard, so whipping up a storm can be a challenge. But I did manage pork fillet in cream mustard sauce with potatoes roasted in goose fat, fresh steamed asparagus and a heart-shaped red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and strawberries. (Yes, of course I have a heart-shaped cake tin lying around - doesn't everyone?)
And I decided that Valentine's Day is a ticket of leave for FebFast and stuck a bottle of champagne in the fridge as well. Much better.
13 February 2011
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday was grey and rainy, which might sound miserable but provided much needed water for the garden. Today is more or less the same.
Last night I didn't do anything very interesting in the kitchen. We are doing the annual FebFast, where not a drop of wine or beer passes our lips for the month (except Spouse always cheats). I find that hanging around in the kitchen for hours on end is much less fun without a glass of wine ... Anyway, to torture Spouse, I did beef in stout and red wine, with mushrooms and mash. It was delicious but unphotogenic, in the way of most stews.
Still on the topic of food, somehow word got round that I like doing food for parties. Kid 2's school is planning a cocktail party event at the Writers' Centre (isn't it pretty?) just down the road and they've asked me to cater. I'm sure I remember saying, at some point, that I should learn to say 'no' sometimes, but I failed. So, next month I'll probably be doing canapes for 80 people ...
Last night I didn't do anything very interesting in the kitchen. We are doing the annual FebFast, where not a drop of wine or beer passes our lips for the month (except Spouse always cheats). I find that hanging around in the kitchen for hours on end is much less fun without a glass of wine ... Anyway, to torture Spouse, I did beef in stout and red wine, with mushrooms and mash. It was delicious but unphotogenic, in the way of most stews.
Still on the topic of food, somehow word got round that I like doing food for parties. Kid 2's school is planning a cocktail party event at the Writers' Centre (isn't it pretty?) just down the road and they've asked me to cater. I'm sure I remember saying, at some point, that I should learn to say 'no' sometimes, but I failed. So, next month I'll probably be doing canapes for 80 people ...
08 February 2011
The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
I'm not really back, just in the mood for jotting down random thoughts ...
Last week was horrendous. We had the longest heatwave ever recorded in Sydney, with the temperature still over 33 degrees C at midnight on Saturday (it went over 41 during the day). This is not weather conducive to work or anything else. Fortunately the long-awaited cool change came through on Sunday afternoon - after sleeping with airconditioning on full blast the night before, we were suddenly needing a light blanket.
I think all the weather weirdness has thrown my poor body into confusion and now I have a slight cold. Dull.
January is normally the month I spend wondering where the next job will come from, but this year it's been different - plenty of work, plus I scored a new client, so that's all good. I even have an excuse to buy some slightly workish garb, as meetings with corporates will be involved ... I want to buy everything here as usual.
Kids 1 and 2 enjoyed their summer holidays. Kid 1 had sailing camp; Kid 2 did a production at NIDA. In the last week of January we went down to Jervis Bay with another family and enjoyed doing quite a lot of not very much. This is the house we stayed in.
This is the beach we played on.
Coming back to work and school was something of a rude shock.
Last week was horrendous. We had the longest heatwave ever recorded in Sydney, with the temperature still over 33 degrees C at midnight on Saturday (it went over 41 during the day). This is not weather conducive to work or anything else. Fortunately the long-awaited cool change came through on Sunday afternoon - after sleeping with airconditioning on full blast the night before, we were suddenly needing a light blanket.
I think all the weather weirdness has thrown my poor body into confusion and now I have a slight cold. Dull.
January is normally the month I spend wondering where the next job will come from, but this year it's been different - plenty of work, plus I scored a new client, so that's all good. I even have an excuse to buy some slightly workish garb, as meetings with corporates will be involved ... I want to buy everything here as usual.
Kids 1 and 2 enjoyed their summer holidays. Kid 1 had sailing camp; Kid 2 did a production at NIDA. In the last week of January we went down to Jervis Bay with another family and enjoyed doing quite a lot of not very much. This is the house we stayed in.
This is the beach we played on.
Coming back to work and school was something of a rude shock.
15 December 2010
Surviving Christmas
How much do I love these boots? So much that I am SAVING UP for them (they're not insanely expensive, but they're not cheap). Saving up is a strange concept these days. I didn't have a credit card until my late 20s (funny thing about finishing uni in a recession - no full-time jobs to be had, and back in those days they were much stricter about giving out cards). So before that it really was a matter of saving up for things ... And of course I won't actually be able to wear these boots for another six months because it is Too Darn Hot. So waiting is good.
I told Spouse it can buy me this:
this:
or this:
for Christmas. It politely declined. Apparently it wanted to get me an Hermes cuff, but they don't have the exact one I want in stock (gold with orange enamel). It's the thought that counts. AND I am getting tix to see Madama Butterfly in February, which I'm very excited about.
Christmas is in 10 days. We are hosting 22 people (14 adults, 8 children). Our house is very small, so all festivities will have to take place in the garden (also small, but bigger than any of our rooms). As we've been having insanely bad weather - rain, floods, pestilence - we've taken the cautious step of getting a pop-up marquee. We popped it up for the first time on the weekend and it takes up most of the backyard.
Paving is underway so that there is somewhere to put the buffet table.
Baking has begun. Three batches of shortbread have been despatched. 60 chocolate truffles have been rolled in cocoa. Plans have been made for the building of a gingerbread house, which will probably collapse in the dire humidity. I made caramels (80 of them) for Kid 2's schoolfriends: they looked like this when we'd wrapped them.
I want to live somewhere where I could have eggnog and mulled cider and fondue and enjoy heating up the kitchen with baking. Like New York?
Again, there is controversy around the tree. I begged to be allowed an artificial one - and my wish was granted, but Spouse doesn't like it.
In other news, Kid 2 won the school's annual Creativity Award and was so happy it was almost levitating. I managed to miss the ceremony - after eight years of sitting through these terminally boring 'Presentation Days', where every single child in the school gets an award for breathing and there are about six awards with any significance, I bailed on this one. Sod's law, right?
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