Author: Crofton77

talking to brick walls

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

Quick recap: HR and I are away for the weekend and so far so good (see To the Manor Born Blog).

It's Saturday morning and we've just had breakfast at Hampton Court. Up to now HR has been reasonably communicative. Seriously if HR didn't have shoulders he would NOT be able to communicate – shrugs once for yes and shrug twice for no.
Anyway, thus far, 0945, and all is well. 0955 and he has ignored me (reckons he didn't hear me, old mongrel is going deaf too it seems) and we get into the car cos we are off to Rutherglen, apparently its a food and wine zone. Only 45 minutes down the road so not all day in the car.

On the way out of Albury, down the main street and what do we see in the park? Oh YES a Triumph Rally! Heaps of the classic little cars of all models……

HR and I browsed the cars for a little while and I engaged a perfectly lovely Nanna in chat. HR was not very forthcoming about the cars when I got back to him.
After we looked at the lovely cars it was time to resume the trip to Rutherglen.

For the next 45 minutes I try to engage the curmudgeonly HR in conversation and get donuts, zip, zilch, nada, Sweet FA.
I get a little agitated as most women would under the circumstances. So when he asks ME a question I ignore him. I ignored him only one time, not multiples like he has me, oh no just once and he lights up like a Christmas tree, huffing and puffing like a freaking steam train!!!!!!!
So he asks again did I want to go to Brown Brother's winery (another 45 mins down the road, remember I didn't want to spend all bloody day in the car) and I tell him to please himself (with a few expletives for good measure) and remain totally silent for the whole time it takes to get there.
We duly arrive at the winery and he asks if we are getting out and I let him have it with both barrels!!
How on earth could he expect I would want to go into the winery ?
We sat in the car park for 30 minutes and 'discussed' the issues. Then we left.
By the time we left we had come to an accord.
We would revisit the winery next time we are in the region (Feb 17)
We would go and find some food (emotional outbursts make one very hungry)
We would enjoy the rest of the afternoon
and we did…..
We grabbed some schnitzel burgers from Schnitz and went to the Botanical Gardens in Albury for a picnic. It was lovely in the gardens, a tad breezy and the food was decent.
HR lived in the region when he was a youngster and he indicated it would be cool to have a wander down memory lane.
Off we went to Bandiana. We saw where he went to school and the vacant land where his house had stood.
On the way out we noticed a sign for the Bonegilla Migrant Experience and HR obligingly turned off the main road for me to have a look.
Now almost fifty years ago I arrived in Australia from the 'Mother' country and as Dad was joining the Royal Australian Air Force  we were promptly housed at the Smithfield Migrant Hostel in South Australia (recruit training was done at RAAF Base Edinburgh in the 'old' days). Visiting the Bonegilla Migrant Experience reminded me of the months we spent in that drab establishment before we were sent to Norlane Migrant Hostel when Dad had to go to Victoria for his category training after recruits.
Norlane had Nissan huts unlike the other two hostels that had barracks. While we had our own 'rooms' we used communal bathrooms and eating halls. It was very thought provoking wandering through the buildings and recalling things I hadn't thought of for many years.
The last port of call for the afternoon was the Hume Weir.

Awesome scenery!!!!! and apparently a popular place for Brides to have wedding shots taken.
By now it is time to go back to our fabulous hotel and get ready for dinner…
Dinner at Miss Amelie………

To the Manor Born…….

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

HR and I have been gallivanting about the countryside yet again.
I finished early on Friday and fled the Crypt with indecent haste, got home, packed a bag, grabbed a traveller and HR and off we went.

It's my birthday next week and we will both be working so we figured we'd take this weekend and go do some birthday type stuff.

I decided I wanted to go to Miss Amelie for dinner and that we should stay somewhere nearby so we could grab a cab and both be able to enjoy a drink with dinner. So Albury/Wodonga was our destination.
Three hours into a four hour drive I mentioned coffee to HR and we promptly pulled into Holbrook.
Now I may have mentioned J&B Cafe in Holbrook as being an excellent purveyor of Eggs Benedict and entirely drinkable tea and it is to this establishment we made a beeline only to find them closed.
So HR executed a quick U turn and we moseyed on in to the Holbrook Bakery.
Well what a bloody revelation!! They have almost any baked good you could desire and it all made on the premises.There are prize certificates proudly displayed in the window for their pies.
They have THE most divine Apple Crumble and the columbine donut thingy HR had  was filled with delicious custard and Chantilly cream and was very very very decadent.

Then HR spotted the Wagon Wheels. These Wagon Wheels are freaking ginormous!!!

We bought two for spares on the Sportage and trundled off to our weekend destination (The Wagon Wheels are delicious by the way).

We have stayed in various hotels throughout the Albury/Wodonga area and while they are all good clean places I wanted something different.  I decided to use the TripAdvisor app on my phone to have a look – and found the Albury Manor House.  What an awesome place! ” The Albury Manor House is a truly individual 4 star boutique establishment that offers character and warmth in an English Tudor Style”  Reception has two suits of armour, each a different knight. The restaurants are Elizabethan themed ( we had breakfast at Hampton Court) and the room we stayed in was called Queen Elizabeth I Suite.

A beautiful King size four poster in a huge room with comfy lounging chairs and a cute little tea table and chairs, beautiful bedside cabinets and credenza, and a generous size bathroom with a spa. A range of pillows was provided and even though HR and I bring our own pillows, HR used the hotel pillow and was well pleased. The bed was really comfortable. The best thing? The MOST sensible thing? The thing that really will have us coming back again? There were FOUR, yes FOUR, towels in the bathroom. The women get it……

 HR and I do not get up early when we travel and so it was almost nine before we chose to break our fast.
Breakfast at Hampton Court was a buffet affair and well provisioned. A choice of warm croissant, English muffins or toast with all the condiments one could wish for as well as yoghurt and fruits, cereals AND they even had my green tea with Jasmine.
Hampton Court overlooks the swimming pool and the sound of the water fall was very pleasant.
The Albury Manor hotel is a very popular wedding venue and they even have their own stretch limmo!! We decided that rather than share a dining room with pre wedding guests we would forage afar and eat in our room. Hopefully we can try some of the restaurants next time (February next year I have made an executive decision!) and of course Saturday night we went to Miss Amelie.

Stayed tuned for the next Blog where we discuss the discussion (screaming argument) outside Brown Brothers Winery and other interesting Saturday events…….

Money Money Money

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

HR and I are on a good wicket. We each earn a good wage. Sure we help the kids out but, we still have enough to do the stuff we want; new cars,weekend brunches, weekend trips away, cruises and the New Zealand trip next year, always a few dollars in the pocket.
Yep we earn good money. However, it seems we will have to sell a child or take a personal loan to pay the winter gas bill.
I have been 'down south' for 6 months now and all of it has been cold. I love the cold, as long as I have a heater and a blanket. The first heating bill (gas) we got was in the region of $650 dollars and after HR got over his heart attack I mentioned that the heating was gas. He argued of course, I mean seriously how could I know it was gas? Anyway he checked the books and the gas meter and confirmed what I had told him. The electric bill was minimal.
Now some of you are out there saying there are ways we can minimise the use of the heater and,  you may well be right but not in this place. It seems that the heater is on, in every room, or it is off. There is no way to close the heat off in any of the rooms. Seriously, the upstairs is always ten degrees warmer than downstairs and we only use two rooms up there so closing the unused rooms off would be a no brainer. But we can't. If we closed any of the vents the system would over heat and shut down and then we would be up for repairs which may cost more than the gas bill.
Anyway we decided that the cold was too severe and we could afford the bill so screw it we will use the heater. Right up until yesterday when the second bill in 6 months rocked up. $1020.60!!!!!!!!! for 90 days. $1020.60 you have got to be joking!!!! A total of over $1600 for winter gas. That is ten times what we were paying in Queensland.
I figured I would see if there is an alternate power provider for the area – wasn't that a hoot. Bloody hell they want to know how many pairs of pink knickers you have as well as you credit rating before they will tell you the smallest thing.
HR is the name on the bill so he rang the energy provider and was a tad terse, seems as he scrutinised the bill further he discovered the bill was an estimate. He spoke to a very nice young man who advised that the people contracted to read the meters had not provided the information in time so they had taken a best guess. Great if they were anywhere near accurate. The numbers on the bill were so far out from what the meter read it was ridiculous (the meter read hundreds of MJ's less than what the bill read). So the young man mentioned that since the bill had been issued the required info had rocked up and that a new bill would be issued in the next few weeks.
HR and I have decided we need to move to a more temperate region or at least one where the gas is a lot bloody cheaper.
Until then we will sit here huddled in blankets sipping hot drinks to ward off the cold and dream of warmer days.

Half a Century

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

Late last year HR, Hagalicious and CR (her hubby) and I went on four day cruise. It was fantastic fun a relaxing cruise from Brisbane to Hamilton Island and back. Each couple had a mini suite aboard the Pacific Dawn and nothing to do but relax and sip the odd cocktail or five.
Whilst on this short but sweet holiday we received an email extolling the virtues of the Pacific Aria and how for a paltry sum we could have a seven day cruise to Cairns in a balcony room with a premium drinks package and $300.00 room credit ( because of who we work for we each got another $100.00 each person making it $500.00 per cabin). Cairns is a favourite destination for the four of us so that was a good enough reason to book the cruise. That and the fact that day two of the cruise was HR's 50th Birthday!!
At the end of the short cruise we immediately booked the Aria for August 2016. That was a hell of a long wait for the next cruise and so much happened between the booking and the cruising (have a read of my Reflections blog). Due to me moving 'down south' we had to travel back to Brisbane to go on the cruise. We decided to take a few days extra at the end of the cruise and go visit Mother, the kids and my gorgeous grandsons.
HR and I had great cruise. What's not to like? Everything is done for you! Someone cooks, does the dishes, makes the bed, cleans the bathroom, mixes the drinks and never do you have to do a damned thing you don't want to. The Aria does not have a Buffet for casual dining. The Aria has 'The Pantry' a series of small eateries that serve anything from fish and chips to a chef's salad to any pastry you'd like – total yummy-ness.The speciality restaurants were awesome, although the Luke Mangan Salt Grill was a little disappointing. We had some lovely wait persons in our favourite bars especially Minelli!.
After the cruise we went to visit the Boy Child and my Grandsons, then off Toowoomba to catch up with the Mini Brat (we had seen the Normal Autistic Girl before the cruise in Brisbane). Of course we went to visit Mother as well, took her shopping and spent time helping her do a few things. We stayed in a perfectly serviceable motel in Toowoomba. I even visited the folk at the Mausoleum!
While travelling around Toowoomba we passed the Ford dealership many times and HR drooled over the new Mustang sitting in the pride of place in the yard. He had also complained incessantly about the shortcomings of the Beast (Mazda BT50)
The afternoon before we left to return 'down south' we had said our goodbyes to family and friends and had a few hours to kill. 'Go to the pictures or go looking at car yards?' I asked HR. 'Car yards' he answered. 'Ford or Kia' I asked again 'Kia' he answered. So off to Kia we went and saw Grant the dealer who sold me two Cerato's earlier this year and Lachie.
We just wanted to have a look at the Sportage. We wanted a vehicle that was comfortable for the travelling we do all over the place. Quite frankly the Beast gets very uncomfortable after four hours driving and we generally like to travel 4-6 hours a day when we're roaming the country. I also wanted to get a vehicle that was easy to get my Grandsons in and out of but still had plenty of room and comfort.
Lachie showed us a few different models and then let us test drive Grant's Sportage Platinum.
The Platinum is top of the range with a moon roof, sat nav, blind spot mirror doovey, heated/cooled seats, electronic seat adjustment and all manner of other really cool options and this one is a diesel as well so very economical. HR was bowled over and so was I!!! What a great vehicle! Alas the Beast is a lease vehicle and we have too many years till payout and owe too much etc etc etc.
Grant and Lachie commenced the wheeling dealing part of the equation. Try as they might they couldn't get enough for the Beast to satisfy the lease and it looked like we would wait for the Sportage like we first planned. Que Sera and off we went back 'down south' a great trip in itself. HR and I DO love to travel.
The day we got home there's an email from Grant -' if you want to buy the demo you drove we can get the extra you need to pay out the lease (on the Beast)what do you think?'

Three weeks later HR drove the Beast back to Brisbane. I flew in (business class what a blast) and after spending the night in Brisbane we picked up the Normal Autistic Girl and drove off to Toowoomba to pick up the Sportage. While we did the paperwork and swapped out the cars the Normal Autistic Girl met up with the Mini Brat and went off to spend my money.
An hour later we picked up the girls and went to lunch in an early birthday celebration for the Mini Brat. After lunch we drove back to Brisbane and went to see my grandsons for a few hours.
The next day we stared our drive home in the new car. What a great trip! the Sportage was amazing and so comfy and HR didn't hobble/limp after driving for four hours.
I do need to mention The Stockmans Hotel in Tamworth. A truly awesome room with a bathroom to die for. A huge spa bath you can lie down in, twin vanities a huge shower all beautifully presented! The room had a huge king size bed with a fifty inch flat screen, lounge and table. The mini bar was fabulous and extremely well priced. Breakfast was simple food well cooked and reasonably priced. I thoroughly recommend this hotel to everyone.
So, HR had a cruise AND got a new car for his 50th birthday. Me? I ended up with a bad case of the flu that kept me away fro the Crypt for ten days. Swings and roundabouts people…swings and roundabouts.

Reflections

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

 They say you should be careful what you wish for…..you might just get it

 At the beginning of 2016 I decided that this was going to be a good year and I would get the things I wanted, nay that I deserved. The Universe was going to provide my every whim….

On reflection I have indeed received much largess from the Universe, but it has come at a cost.

Two weeks into the New Year and I am involved in a car crash (wasn't my fault but the Fleet Manager reckons no more work cars for me) and I still have internal bruising on my leg.

A few weeks later, in a flurry of interviews, I get the job that will move me to the same state as HR. This has been a double edged gift. I am glad to move after seven years in the one job. However where I work is way different to what I am used to and quite frankly I have no qualifications for the tasks I am set. There is precious little support and encouragement from my 'team' and often I flounder. I get tasked by my immediate and my second level supervisor  and get half assed instructions that make it tricky to prioritise work let alone complete it. Ah well I got what I wanted yeah?

We sold the house as we travelled from one end of the country to the other. We didn't get what we wanted for the house and the pennies we did have left over were used to; buy a  car for the Mini Brat, pay several lots of Bond money (the Boy Child and the Consort have gone their separate ways, as a consequence two households needed to be set up), and sundry other child expenses.
So again I got what  wanted – the house sold.

I am learning to live with HR again after 18 months apart. There are times I'd like to strangle him and I am sure he feels that he would like to strangle me too.

It's different not being in the same state as my children and Mother and that can add stress at times as we try and coordinate communications.

I wanted my Brisbane Lions to be competitive but it seems that was too big an ask of the Universe. 2017 is another year.

HR and I have been on a cruise, I think there's a blog in that.

I am looking for another job but while I have had a few interviews I have not yet been successful.

I have had a nasty dose of the flu complicated with cardiac issues – I had ten days off work….swings and roundabouts there yeah?

I am off to Wodonga again in October to have my birthday dinner at Miss Amelie!!!!!!!!!

Ah well there's still a few months left in this year lets see what good things it brings shall we?

Tales from the Crypt

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

Picture it…
A big square building (holds a zillion people) with only three windows
peering through one window we see…….

A Meglomaniacal Director (MD) and a deputy dawg (dd)
and then there's the idiot factor – me.
What IS she rambling on about you  ask, have I got a tale for you.

There's this document
it needs attention but…it doesn't match up with this corresponding document so we can't do what we need to do…let's send it to whatsherface the idiot newbie she'll fix it

but wait –  MD sends it to dd cc'ing me
dd sends it to me and says let's discuss
MD asks me about it but dd hasn't talked to me yet so I know naf all
dd says click the links in the document and talk to this chickie ( I have never met) in this section here
 I click links like the dutiful idiot I am and then approach this unsuspecting chickie and ask for help

the chickie provides details and a hazy picture emerges
MD and dd have a confab about the document dilemma, without me, and I get a half assed synopsis of the meeting and a few more supporting documents and get told to crack on

So the idiot newbie (me) makes the best guesstimate she can with the crap she is given and approaches MD (at the behest of dd as he is so BUSY and SO important)
but oh no, the idiot newbie (me) doesn't have a document that supposedly explains all
MD carries on like a raw prawn 'I have explained this once I shouldn't have to explain it again' (sic)
and various other complaints making me (the idiot newbie) feel like a total loser when I have never played in this particular space before

so MD and me approach the chickie and have a confab and do the investigation and lo and behold something wasn't calculated correctly in the original document

mea culpa screams MD and wonders how to fix the problem
phone calls are made and guess who gets to do the paperwork to fix the problem?

go on guess…..

give up?

it was ME yes ME the freaking stupid idiot newbie!!!!

this has taken four days to fix
four days of trying to complete tasking as well as other adhoc URGENT issues and dealing with snippy infighting in the 'team'

I need a holiday, a new job or a lotto win……….. I'll settle for a glass of wine

Miss Amelie

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

What a beautiful name for a beautiful restaurant.
Miss Amelie.
David Kapay has certainly created a very special eating experience in Wodonga.
Places Victoria has a lovely little blurb about Miss Amelie's origins, use the hyperlink to have a read.

I am going to tell you about our experience at Miss Amelie.
As you should know by now ( go read the blogs people, go read the blogs) HR gets one weekend a month as a weekend. HR likes to 'do something' on these weekends. 'Doing something' is generally HR code for going away. HR generally likes to find a good food experience on these trips.
Ok here is where it gets complicated but bear with me.
I am a Lions fan. David Kapay is a Lions fan. We both use Twitter. We follow one another on Twitter as Lions fans. David Kapay was Head Chef at 25Toorak Road (go and read the bloody blog!!!). HR and I dined at 25Toorak Road.
Right, connection established.
When David and his family returned to Wodonga to create Miss Amelie HR and I decided that at some stage we would make a trip to Wodonga and visit the restaurant.
Last weekend we made the trip to Wodonga. Less than 4 hours from home. A lovely drive down the Hume Highway. We stayed the night at the Comfort Inn Blazing Stump a very nice Junior Suite at a reasonable price.
HR and I are not late diners, we like to eat around 6 o'clockish. Of course we're flexible when we're 'away'. Table was booked for 6:30.
It was with a sense of anticipation that we drove out to Miss Amelie. Lots of parking was the first tick. Then a stroll around the old railway station absorbing the atmosphere before heading in to Miss Amelie.
What a lovely room!!!!

 Simple, elegant, clean, black and white with glorious splashes of pink. I really like the fact we can see our chefs as they prepare the delightful foods for our delectation. Watching them interact with each other you could see they were truly happy to be there and totally enjoying their craft.

We had decided not to drink alcohol but when the 'Miss Amelie' cocktail was described to us it seemed a shame not to try one! I'll tell you the ingredients after I go back next time. Suffice to say it was a refreshing pink drink that was a lovely confluence of flavours.
The menu had just the right amount of choices. Some restaurants overwhelm with choices and that can be a pain.
HR chose the 'king prawns, café de paris butter, wild fennel, sorrel' and I had the 'seared scallops, butternut pumpkin, beurre noisette crumble, cured pig’s cheek'.  I enjoyed trying HR's prawns, they were delightfully tasty. My scallops were perfect, a terrific combination of tastes and textures.

For mains HR chose 'goat shoulder ragu, pappardelle, green olives, pine nuts, meridith goat's cheese'. OMG it was to die for it was so awesomely delicious. I shall be having that next time! I had the 'seared duck breast, parsnip puree, poached rhubarb, macadamias + baby onions'. Never having tried duck before I was being brave and I am so gad I was brave (you can see images of all these delightful dishes at Miss Amelie Gallery). Crispy skinned duck breast beautifully presented and so delicious to eat.

Each dish was a symphony for the senses! Beautifully presented, the fine white china acting as a blank canvas for the chef to create a beautiful picture. The different textures and flavours combining to tantalise the taste buds. The delicious aromas tickling the nose.

The courses were not served one on top of the other but a perfect amount of time elapsed between them. It was great to watch the room fill up and hear the hubbub of happy diners around us.
HR and I were discussing retirement plans but the way things are going that will be a long way off!!

Of course we HAD to have dessert. Who has a peanut butter sandwich for dessert in a restaurant? HR does that's who. 'peanut butter + jam sandwich, raspberry sorbet, white chocolate crumb' I have never seen a peanut butter sandwich look quite that delicious (for the record I detest peanut butter but damn I was tempted to try this thing). I of course had the 'lemon soufflé, poppy seed sablé, french meringue, cheesecake ice cream. The soufflé was perfectly heavenly and a truly sublime experience in eating. I do LOVE a good soufflé. HR had a cappuccino and I had a green tea.

We left totally satisfied on all counts:

  • Terrific location
  • Great parking
  • Fabulous room
  • Wonderful atmosphere
  • Incredible food
  • Lovely staff
  • Reasonable prices 

As Molly Meldrum would say 'Do yourself a favour' and find the time to experience this all for yourself.
David Kapay and his staff have created a supremely wonderful dining experience that is accessible to all!!! Congratulations and keep up the good work.

Not Happy

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

Well that was pretty bloody ordinary. To say I am miffed is an understatement. I am borderline furious actually.
4 weeks ago I made an appointment to see a 'professional' service provider in the cosmetic solutions industry. Yes I was looking at a non invasive facelift type procedure – all the rage and no down time.

Sunday I got a text asking me to confirm my appointment and I duly responded with the required 'Y'.

I forgot to tell HR about the text and so today he rang them to confirm. Whilst on the phone they asked if I could go in earlier as they had had cancellations. HR indicated this was highly unlikely as I was at work and I was already finishing early to make the 4 o'clock appointment. HR advised me of this conversation but said the appointment was still on.

3 o'clock I get to my car to discover 7 missed calls and two texts. Remember where I work I cannot have my mobile phone with me for security reasons.

I call the number in the text. I ask them what is going on. The person was all. 'oh I don't see your name here who are you again?' I repeat that I have an appointment at 4 and that someone, obviously not her, has been calling me. 'Oh she is in with someone I'll get her to call when she gets out. What is your number?' Fecking heck I think you HAVE my number if the texts and missed calls are anything to go by. I repeat my number five times before they finally get it right. 'She'll call right back' Yep no worries there might be a black spot on my way in to you but keep trying. 'Oh yes we will call for sure'

I drive from work straight there and am 15 minutes early for the appointment. No phone call. No text.
I park the car and walk into the building. The door is locked and the lights are off.

How totally bloody rude!!! How bloody unprofessional!!!
They couldn't be bothered hanging around for my appointment cos they wanted to go home early.
I already knew what I wanted from these people and this appointment was a confirmation and then book for the 'procedure' worth $2,500. I took time off work and was so excited.
Guess I will just have to find somewhere else to spend my money eh?

Hair

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

As you all know I moved interstate earlier this year.
A good move mostly, the usual hiccups – settling into the new location and job, learning to live with HR again after 18 months of blissful peace…..
I think the worst thing about moving is trying to find the right 'support' team; you know – hair stylist, colourist, beautician and nail tech.
Three months in and the search continues, though I MAY have the hair stylist, colourist and beautician sorted. The nail tech not so much.
I had intended to continue getting my hair done in Queensland – once a month when I go up to visit Mother. Sadly every fricken Saturday I go up my stylist is not working!!!!
So I tried the local hairdresser in the local mall and while they did a reasonable job and didn't cost the earth the atmosphere wasn't quite what I wanted. I mean when I go to the salon it's all about ME!!! The interaction with my stylists etc must be positive, fun and at my whim. So I asked around at work and they recommended a place in Canberra, but on reflection it looked very young, not for the more mature person such as myself so I kept looking.
Then one day I was stuck at the lights and just idly surveying the scene when what should I see to my left but a hair salon. When I got home I googled the shop and lo and behold they had a website. Right then…I made the call. an appointment for Thursday afternoon.
I duly turned up for said appointment. We spent time discussing what colour and style I wanted. My hair will no longer hold red colours they fade quickly and look nasty. I decided to get the red out. An hour later the foils and colour were in. 45 minutes later the colour was set and time for the wash. The best part of going to the salon is the head massage!!!! Then it was time for the cut. The manager of the salon cut my hair and I am really happy with the style. Then came the drying and styling. The colour is gorgeous! Hardly any red left.The foils are subtle and natural looking. I actually look younger with this cut and colour!!
Three hours have passed and I am quite hungry as I thought this would take 90 minutes tops and then I would go and have dinner with HR. Now it is time for the 'beauty' Eyebrows waxed and tinted and of course the top lip rip!!
Because my hair is so fair whenever I get an eyebrow tint it can be quire scary lol. All of a sudden I have eyebrows.
It was after 9 pm when I got out of there and I went in at 5:30, almost 4 hours. I think it was worth it.
I am going back again. When I am sure I am on a winner I will name names!
Now if I could just find a decent nail tech…….

Kaleidescope

Written by Crofton77 on . Posted in eatsaroundaustralia.

This weekend I am off to Brisbane and environs. HR is working. There will not be a brunch date.
We did, however, have dinner last night (Thursday 23 June).
We went to a nifty place called Schnitz. Schnitz is a franchise restaurant bordering on fast food but by golly they know how to do schnitzel!!
We were unsure about meal sizes so we ordered a schnitzel each.  HR went the beef Schnitzel, chips and coleslaw. I went for the chicken, chips and salad.
These are some big meals and in future we will just share!! The chickens Scnitzel was tender and moist and the crumbs were perfect. I tasted HR's beef and it was tender as well. The chips were AMAZING!!! Homestyle chips with a seasoning that just hinted of chicken salt. I tasted the coleslaw ( I LOATHE coleslaw) it wasn't drowned in dressing and was healthy sized shreds of cabbage and carrot etc. I could actually eat this coleslaw. The garden salad was crisp and fresh and not even a HINT of ice berg lettuce!! We had a dipping sauce of Honey Mustard for the chips as well. Tasty.

There has been a few days hiatus in writing this blog. I have been to Brisbane and back.
It was a quick trip and I managed to catch up with The Mini Brat, the Normal Autistic Kid, Mother and even had interaction with the Boy Child and the Consort (brief electronic contact with the latter two).
The trip from Brisbane to the top of the Range and beyond never ceases to drive me insane.
I do enjoy staying at The Hotel Grand Chancellor though. The rooms are clean and modern, off street parking, nice views, the room service is great and the location is perfect.

The football team got beat – again. My brother in law will be annoying me tomorrow. Last week he predicted a St Kilda win (he's a Saints fan) and I told him he was delusional- they won (only by 3 points and he said 22 so I figure he was still delusional). The bloody filth won, Freo is officially off the tip list. Tipping is a mugs game.

I read a book over the weekend; Scattered Pearls by Sohila Zanjani. What a fascinating, engaging read. The story of three generations of Iranian women spanning over a hundred years. It reminded me of when I went to university (as a mature age student – my mid life crisis). I studied History, International Relations and Asian Studies. One of the last pieces of work I produced was a 9000 word mini thesis and I chose to write about women in Afghanistan pre and post Talliban. I was most fortunate in that I had a real life study in my classes and this beautiful woman agreed to be interviewed by me for this paper. Over a period of 6 weeks I was invited to join her in her home and ask any questions, what a wonderful experience. Outside her home she embraced the Australian culture and laws. Within her home she kept certain traditions of her culture alive and I was privileged to partake of her hospitality. We ate traditional foods seated in the traditional manner. We talked for hours and I still have the tapes I made of those conversations. The stories she told me of being a woman in Afghanistan are similar to those Sohila Zanjani in Iran.
I have also read Jung Chang's Wild Swans, another fascinating insight into three generations of Chinese women. Reading of how other women live/lived during the period I have been alive, trying to understand their cultures and how those cultures have evolved, regressed/progressed, is totally fascinating to me. One day I may get my uni papers out and blog about them – one day.

 Ah well, back to work tomorrow.

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