Getting real

I re-entered the real world with a thud last week.

I arrived home from the airport after 9pm on Wednesday night, crashed in bed and woke to a 10-hour work day from hell.

I was the only person on duty in my team due to the public service annual shutdown. It should have been a quiet day spent doing the odd bit of filing. But no, there was a to-do list the length of my arm, plus urgent requests for last-minute media release quotes and lots of sudden meetings to attend.

It was the opposite of fun and all the good vibes from my escape to the Tasmanian wilderness instantly evaporated.

Blaaaaaah.

Oh and do not get me started on the unhinged horror story that’s dominating my Facebook feed due to that evil, orange froot loop.

Friday was another shocker on the work front. I arrived at DD’s in a total lather about a big meeting scheduled for 8.30am. Both he and the dogs received perfunctory hugs before I threw myself into another stressful day.

DD ducked to Avalon to get my favourite green tea noodle Japanese salad at lunchtime to soothe my frazzled soul.

And the day conclude with a quick trip to my hairdresser, who squeezed me in for a 4.45pm dye job on my roots, but didn’t have time to rinse them.

He boosted my spirits with a lively 15 minutes of chitter chat, then sent me out the door with a towel wrapped around my neck, onto the hip streets of Avalon looking like this …

DD laughed at me when I arrived at his place and took my photo while I was pulling a face. So unflattering!

I don’t know how hot it was around your way on Saturday, but the Northern Beaches were baking. And the ocean was very rough. We headed to Kiddie Corner at Palm Beach in the hope it would be more sheltered. It wasn’t, but we braved a quick dip between the flags.

DD debuted his Nashie rashie and it performed well. I was very happy with it.

Then we huddled in the air con for the day, DD made chicken satay for dinner while we watched lots of tellie.

It was so bizarre to wake up on Sunday to freezing, wintry conditions. I was completely unprepared and had only packed t-shirts and shorts.

A friend came up for a birthday shopping trip to Avalon followed by lunch at Zubi cafe at Bilgola Beach, which has severely cut back its menu since I was last there and only serves toasties now. It didn’t feel like a very festive choice, but we headed back to Avalon for ice cream afterwards to make up for it.

All too soon it was time to return to the real world with the doggos, who were very sad to be dragged from their cushions beside the window at DD’s place.