When the weather app predicted a balmy 27C yesterday, I asked my boss if I could take a half-day holiday.

I needed some ocean therapy and figured it had to be the last warm day of autumn, being May and all.

I’d have taken a full day off, but the alcohol news doesn’t stop pouring in … Thursday is also my Drinks Bulletin scheduling day – I prepare a newsletter that’s emailed to the drinks industry at 6.30am every Friday morning.

Yesterday was the usual corker: a new MD for Campari, vigorous assurances from CUB that it wouldn’t be foisting VB onto Broncos fans at Suncorp Stadium, Lambrusco making a comeback … that sort of thing …

I whipped out a story on the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition results, then legged it north.

When I arrived, DD made me a coffee to sip on his deck while I talked at him for a while. Then we changed into our cossies and headed to my favourite beach – Bilgola – for burgers and a surf.

The water was STUNNING – 23C and so clear you’d have sworn you’d been transported to a tropical island.

Totally divine. And completely deserted! We had the waves all to ourselves.

Last night, DD suggested I include the bit where I got slammed by a wave, resurfaced spluttering and said “I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut” and he gave me a long “truer words have never been said” look … but that doesn’t fit with the romantic narrative ….

Neither does immediately falling into a back-to-reality funk on the drive home, which was such a waste of all those good vibes.

Though the pile of work I powered through once I got home meant there was no time to dwell on being miz.

But I need to get back to the sea. Stat!

Well, not stat, because I have to help run the t-shirt shop at the State Skipping Championships this weekend.

But soon. Please let it be soon.

Here are some pretty pictures, click on one to make them big:

Song of the day: The Honey Drippers “Sea of love”