anyresemblance

Saturday

I have been working flat out for what seems weeks and all the planned excursions have been cancelled but with a bit of a hiatus, I booked Monday as leave and am looking forward to a 3 day weekend.

I've been doing some leadership training which has been mediocre and required me to be on line for 4 hours for the past 3 days and I am done with sitting at my desk.

After I logged off at 5.30 last night, I set my out of office and took Charlie for a walk in the rain through the neighbourhood streets.  It was good to be out on a wild and windy night and stretch everything out.  I ate grilled chicken, salad and crinkle cut chips for dinner and watched the remaining episodes of Virgin River.  Virgin River, if you have not seen it, is the most ridiculously soapy Netflix series full of all the tropes of soap operas - hidden pregnancies, people in comas, secret illnesses, framed bad boys, tree changes.  I love it in all its stupidity.

This morning I got up early to do a zoom call with a recruiter who was doing a reference for a former employee.  This person is terrific and I was happy to give my unalloyed enthusiastic endorsement though a bit envious the recruiter was talking to me from her home in Texas wearing a sun dress while I was layered in wool.  Charlie and I then went for another rainy walk and then went and had breakfast with my daughter.  We were the only people sitting outside albeit in a zipped up verandah with outdoor heating.  Charlie stretched himself out to get all the radiant heat possible.

I've joined the gym in my complex for use of the pool which is glass roofed and quite beautiful.  The other evening I was swimming while it was dark outside and I could see both my reflection from above and the stars and it was quite magical.  The only draw back is having to wash my hair a lot but I bought a new swim cap which seems to keep it mostly dry.  I am planning a swim this afternoon before going to dinner with my old friends tonight.

Senior dogs

Charlie has been going to a dog walking group since he was a puppy, coming up on 10 years.  Yesterday, I got another reminder that he is now an old dog.  His favourite walker told me that he is getting very cranky with the other dogs when they get in his space and that he is probably getting too old for the full day experience.  He'll still go out with them on Friday mornings but it was tough news to hear.

For now, it is fine.  I am working at home and he gets lots of company but I dreading the return to the office and him being left all day.  It's hard now to remember a time when I was not a dog owner.  He gives such structure to my days and is a comfort to have around at night.  I hope this is just a transition into another phase.

Sunday stocktake: long awaited

 

1. Philosophical that so many travel plans are awry due to the new lockdown.  I was supposed to be in Perth this weekend but that was going to require a 14 day quarantine and the trip to Kangaroo Valley was too risky too.  I have good hopes for August.  Hope but no expectation.
2. Relieved to hear that pandas are no longer endangered but vulnerable is still not great.
3. Enjoying a vegetarian fine dining experience for a friend's birthday.  The Billiecart Salmon went down a treat as well.  
4. Eating a lot of broccoli and perfecting a delicious miso dressing.
5. Watching the Mysterious Benedict Society which has a beautiful Wes Anderson feel to it.  The premise is charming.  No super powers other than kindness, empathy, and lateral thinking.
6. Prepping stuff for lunches this week.  I've been working at home but think I'll need to be in the office this week and want to avoid the rubbish cafe lunches.
7. Listening to the Pandora Sykes podcast on Britney Spears which I enjoyed a lot.  
8. Reading more and really enjoyed the debut novel from Jacqueline Bubitz "Before you knew my name"
9. Brainstorming business ideas with my friend.  I am determined to find something else to fund my retirement.
10. Delighted with the Jon Kuldeka print, Whale Dreaming, which arrived this week.