DD and I had the most unexpectedly awesome time last night. We were invited to a Wild Turkey masterclass and gig, with DD collecting me from Wynyard Station at 5pm. As our cab negotiated the peak-hour streets we were slightly regretting saying yes. We both have very busy weeks and agreed to duck out as... Continue Reading →

Have you ever tried Venezuelan food? I had my first taste last night and it was delicious. The occasion was World Rum Day, which falls on 13 July, and I was lucky enough to belatedly celebrate the event in style. World Rum Day is held annually on the second Saturday in July and honours the... Continue Reading →

I caught up with old friends over the weekend, a couple called Kim and Jason. I have probably only met them in the flesh less than 10 times over the last 30 years, but our lives have been weirdly interconnected. I am a bit hazy on some of the details, but I think the story... Continue Reading →

I announced to my coworkers yesterday that it was my dad’s 84th birthday. The moment the words came out of my mouth I thought “Blimey, that makes me sound so old.” It’s not like I was an oooops baby. I was the first born. 84. Wow. Life gets away from you. I feel slightly panicked... Continue Reading →

I was a bit like the Gerogery Hotel's 1kg steak challenge last night - confronting. (The Gerogery Hotel is located about 20 minutes north of Albury and is famed for its steak challenge - patrons attempt to eat a meal consisting of 1kg of steak, 500g of chips and four servings of salad in under... Continue Reading →

The kids seem to be having a fabulous time in France. Their latest snaps include them visiting a palace in Versailles and spectating at the Tour de France. They also sent a shot of themselves posing together before heading out for dinner. The eldest looks solemn in monk's robes - have I mentioned those? While... Continue Reading →

I ate my third dinner in a row at DD's last night - I think that might be a record. I drove there on Saturday to catch up with his sister before she makes the big move to Tassie ... and so DD could mind the dawgs while I was in Newcastle for my dad's... Continue Reading →

I ducked up to Newcastle yesterday to celebrate my dad's birthday. We took him a goodie box with a crossword scratchie, a bottle of wine with a dog on it, some rocky road and a copy of my cocktail book. Men in their 80s aren't the easiest people to buy for, but he seemed pleased.... Continue Reading →

In case you missed my last blog post, I scored the fabulous job of judging the Australian Gin Awards this week. Yesterday I gathered with my fellow judges to celebrate the completion of our mammoth task of sampling hundreds of spirits and the results, including deciding on the country's Best in Show gin for 2024.... Continue Reading →

Yesterday involved me doing a pretty equal mix of stupid and awesome things. The stupid kicked off with buying the wrong charging cable for my new mobile phone. I backed it up by going to the coffee shop, grabbing a strong flat white and dropping it on the floor of my apartment building's carpark. Coffee... Continue Reading →