Still going strong…

I can’t believe that it’s 20 days into the year and I’m still in the swing of updating this thing regularly! Amazing! I’m giving myself an encouragement award in the hope that I’ll keep up the good work. Something else that’s remarkable is the amount of exercise I have been doing in Melbourne. Running, riding, swimming, tennis, pumping iron. You name it, I’m up for it. That’s two New Year’s resolutions still going strong. Impressive.

Anyone would think I’d made a crazy resolution to attend as many cricket matches as possible… the weekend kicked off with an adventure to the G to see the Aussies take on the Saffas yet again, this time in the 50 over version of the game. Unfortunately work interrupted the afternoon and I was forced to watch the Aussie scores ticking over on the internet. Frustration. Finally made it to the ground to see the last half hour of the first innings… and then the successful Saffa run chase. I’m not too disturbed when Australia lose these days so walked away only mildly disappointed.

Whilst on the subject of the South African team, an honourable mention must go to the parents of Morne & Albie Morkel. Not only are they givers of entertaining names inviting all manner of further invention (such as Lobster Mornay Snorkel), but they somehow managed to temper this comedy by producing offspring who demand to be taken seriously on the cricket field AND who are very easy on the eye. Nice work Morkel seniors.

What better way to round out a good evening than a boogie to some classic tunes at the Precinct Hotel with the usual suspects B & L and their mates P & A. After a long absence, I reintroduced myself to the world of randoms… and I wasn’t disappointed. A girl I got chatting to in the bathrooms decided to reveal her intimacy issues (she was a massive fan of the one night stand while just couldn’t bring herself to become emotionally involved in a relationship) while another guy took my phone out of my hand and saved his number into it, even after I told him I wasn’t going to use it! I love people.

A resolution that’s not going so strong is the on time thing. Matt & Brooksta were both unfortunate victims of my tendency towards lateness on Saturday. Sorry guys. Matt’s idea for a hit of tennis was pure genius. It felt so good to be back on the court, especially being fit at the moment. I can’t believe what I difference it made to my game… I only wish I’d discovered the benefits of being fit 15 years ago!

On to the old homestead in Carlton St for a wine and cheese picnic in the park. Was great to see the old crew again. It was one of my favourite homes and I really miss living there. The awesomeness of having the beautiful Carlton Gardens as a front yard simply cannot be over overstated… best location in all of Melbourne! Although I’ll concede that I may be biased…

More random adventures at The Deck on Sat night when Brooke & I adopted an American traveller for the evening. Fun and games. On the less fun side of things, I am disturbed by my growing awareness of how elderly I am compared to the flock of youth out and about on the town these days. You’ve got to admire their pluck… one youngster thought he’d try his luck with this senior citizen and didn’t seem the least deterred by the fact that I told him I was probably old enough to be his mother!

Had been seriously considering flying down to Tassie for the one dayer @ Bellerive. A bit disappointed that I didn’t because it was a great day’s cricket and the weather looked beautiful. In the end, I spent the day at Werribee Open Range Zoo with Liz, Lil & Pete. As zoos go, it’s definitely a nice one and worth a visit. I like the open range concept as my visit to Taronga a few months ago left me wondering if it’s really fair to keep animals in such cramped conditions.

Rounded out the weekend with wine, cheese & dinner cooked for me by my adopted Melbourne family. Gold, thanks guys.