fuchsia fragments

I had a 2 day on-boarding workshop. It was last minute and it meant working late to ensure that my work was done and deadlines met. Throw in all the IT issues that come with changing profile and as warned, it was a nightmare. But I made it to Friday afternoon. Cake, nibbles and wine!

So wasn't really up for much on Friday night. Seemed half the office was of that mind too anyway so headed home to be a good daughter and grand-daughter and have dinner with my parents and grandma.

Then decided to have a massive soak in the bath tub with candles and Matterhorn. Couldn't think of a better evening really.

Finally got to pick up my cake supplies from Sylvania today. Good thing they had it in stock! Had pho with grandma for lunch (haven't done that in a couple of months!) and now chilling.

This is turning out to be a pretty awesome weekend!

I'm such a good cook! Nailed it... delicious. No sauce left and definitely no crab left last night. We all thoroughly enjoyed dinner. Singapore Chilli Crab with fried mantou and a hundred dollar bottle of wine. Salted Caramel cake. nomnomnom. Love nights like these.

And Dad got everything he loves from his foodie daughters and co. Toby's Estate Coffee. Balnaves wine. Cheese making kit. Prosciutto and Pate. Whoop whoop.

Although Wendie and I are probs the most last-min daughters ever. All morning on email we were like... what are we getting? Oh Sht, where do we get it from? Did you call up, are they in stock? Don't forget the card. HAHAHA lucky for us, Victoria's Basement had the cheese kit we want albeit not our first choice. It should keep him entertained for now. We'll work on the blue cheese and hard cheese one down the track.

Beats getting a thousand dollar robo-copter/drone thing!

My first night ever out in Darlinghurst. And I call myself a local home owner of the area...

My two favourite white girls (haha, clear distinction I'm using tonight) and I went to our usual catch-up cuisine, Chinese @ Fu Manchu. And drinks in protest of V-day (and to celebrate my becoming perm and Sarah getting accepted to do a Masters!!!)

Service. So-so. Got two orders wrong. Didn't serve our wine quickly enough and overcharged us.
Food. Average. My mum makes better dumplings. And we got 4 for $12. She could have made 40 for that price. With a better chilli oil too.
Wine. Awesome. Rose. So smooth and buttery and completely drinkable.

Pre-drinks at the Passage. I have walked down this street so many times house hunting and visiting my place but I have never noticed this cute little bar perched on Victoria Street. Delightful place, small, cosy and just the right amount of things on the menu. A little beauty.

We're going to go to Dubbo and Taronga because of my free passes and because we want to. Random but its going to be awesome.

Stopping by Messina before home was also awesome. Long queue though but always worth it!

I knew change was coming. I was the change. But when the flow on effect brings on bigger changes... I didn't see that coming. But it is so common in my industry that you just have to go with it. Even if it means working harder in the short-term.

Probably a little harder for some others in the team to deal with. But one day at a time.

I usually think of the first quarter of each new year as the quieter period. And in some ways, it is. But I've already filled up so many of my weekends through till April (and trust me, I don't usually plan that much ahead). We're ticking off apple picking, children's parties, dinners, BBQs and the Cake & Bake Show! And plenty of catch-ups to fill the weeknights in.

Two more days until my grandmama comes over for dinner's for the next 2 months. My cousin in HK just had a baby so my aunt & uncle are going to visit so we're on grandma duty!

Finally some quiet time in the office this week and got to sit down and get through my numerous mundane queries in my inbox!

We went to Ryo's again for lunch. The walk this time wasn't so bad... 10 degrees from 36 to 26 makes a big difference. And again, we were early enough not to need to wait for a seat which was great.

Had the Tokyo Soy flavoured ramen which was nice. It's meant to have these great ratings but I don't think I'm a big enough fan of ramen for it to me sensational. And I do believe that there are a other better places around Sydney. And most certainly, in Japan!

And we were a little overdue for some Friday Night drinkies with a few of the people in the office so we headed to Opera Bar. And on the way, bumped into Tony Abbott's 3 car motorcade.

Opera Bar was completely packed but we managed to get a pretty cool seat. Beautiful sunshine and watched the P&O Carnival set sail out of the harbour. Not something you see everyday.

And saw a couple got engaged. Perhaps a little attention seeking but wish them all the best!

Then, our indecisiveness got the better of us and so began the slow and slightly painful trek from the quay to chinatown in search of food. We ended up at Arisun Korean just around the corner from darling quarter. It was good. Best pancake i've had in a while. More beer and a hot pot. Nomnom.

Heard the fireworks outside. And then time to call it a night!

I slept like a baby. Was so good. And churned out ANZACs, rocky road brownie (too cake-y), almond biscuits (failed macaron shells) and TWO baked cheesecakes. On fire.... I love baking!

Sunday lunch and Dance Academy was on. I'm probably a little old to be watching it but don't judge.

A scene or a line hit me and got me thinking.

The problem with being gifted at something [ballet in the show] is that you don't know if you are doing it because you love it or if you are doing it because you are good at it.

If you love it, then I guess you will never tire of it and it never becomes a chore.

Yet if you're natural at it, then its easy but do you love doing it? And life sometimes isn't so fair because the naturals may be better than those that love it. No matter how much they try and try again or practice...

Anyways, I think I've written a fair deep 'deeper' blogs lately. Guess there's a lot floating through my mind? Or that I have a lot of free time lately!

We celebrated Maxxie's first birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!! You are getting desexed next week as your pressie. And a giant bone for you! hehehe... <3 p="">

We were going to go to Oberon for mushroom picking. Only to find out that mushrooms weren't quite in season yet. And TBH... that doesn't interest me so much.

So we did a day trip to the Blue Mountains instead: Katoomba, Leura & Wentworth Falls. It's been 5 years since the last time I'd ventured up the mountains.

First stop, Echo Point.

The skies weren't too blue today and it was a little misty and perhaps the sun was shining a little too brightly but Jamieson Valley is still pretty breathtaking. So is the mountain air. My lungs felt healthier just breathing it in.


We also went down the stairs to the Three Sisters Bridge. I forget how hard bushwalking can be. Uneven steps,  steep declines and ascends, climbing over rocks, etc. This was the first of three little walks and we definitely weren't planning on doing the giant stairway (it was closed due to landslides anyway) or the walk in the valley.

Mum and I's selfie in the cave of one of the sisters: