A former colleague shared a photo on Facebook of her cow last week, with the caption: "Someone needs to tell Norman his head is now too small for his body #covidkilos." I think we're all looking a little like Norman after months in lockdown: stout and shaggy. My hairdresser can’t fit me in until November... Continue Reading →
Recipe of the week: Taco salad & panic attacks
I was in the shower at 8.20am yesterday morning, midway through washing my hair, when the lights went out. I was perplexed. NBN had texted to say there would be an outage in my street between 8 and noon. I’d prepared for the inconvenience by researching four stories I needed to write for a client... Continue Reading →
So good & so annoying
How was your yesterday? Mine was good and annoying, in equal parts. On the annoying front, NBN reminded me that it’s cutting off my access to the internet from 8am until noon today. That sucks because I have a major freelance job every Friday that requires me to write like a woman possessed for three... Continue Reading →
Can you feel it?
There's a buzz in the air in Sydney as we count down the days to leaving lockdown. I've been invited to two 50th birthdays, we've rebooked DD's birthday sunset cruise, I'm organising to use a restaurant voucher that's been languishing on my desk, we have two concerts coming up in Newcastle ... and that's all... Continue Reading →
Serenity awaits
I lost the plot about life in lockdown - and life in general - over the weekend. When I got a little teary on the phone to DD, he suggested I pop up to the Northern Beaches for my first sleepover in FOREVER. When I texted to say I was on my way, he replied:... Continue Reading →
Little dreams
I'm in shock. The kids want to go on holidays with me. And they've even agreed on a destination: Fiji. The eldest has been anti-beach over the past few years. I don't know why, perhaps it doesn't fit with the alternative, head-to-toe black attire vibe. So I was stunned to hear a beach holiday was... Continue Reading →
Extra kick
It was International Coffee Day on Friday …cue an avalanche of coffee-centric press releases and the terrifying news that there's a global coffee bean shortage. Nooooooo! The price of coffee has surged 21.6% this year to $3.65 a kilogram, according to IBISWorld, with climate change-related weather events affecting key coffee-producing regions. Drought and severe frost... Continue Reading →
Recipes of the week: Cauliflower dhal; Roast chicken & brown rice salad
I was pretty happy with how these recipes turned out, though the kids reckon I didn't add enough salt. The rice salad is a recipe that reminds me of Christmas - it was always served at my ex-husband's family celebrations. I brushed the roast chicken with a little chilli oil belonging to the youngest -... Continue Reading →
Receiving feedback
A sweet 20-something HR person called me yesterday to tell me I didn't get a job that I interviewed for last week. She hadn't been on the interview panel, which was a grim 45-minute affair that left me feeling like I'd been through a police interrogation. She'd just been tasked with the unhappy job of... Continue Reading →
Acting your age
My mind was a bit blown yesterday when I discovered Jack Nance was only 47 when he played Pete Martell on Twin Peaks. I thought he was OLD. He’s the one who drawled the iconic “wrapped in plastic” line in the first episode. And I didn't realise he was also the lead character in Eraserhead.... Continue Reading →