fuchsia fragments

I've had the worst allergies these couple of days and whilst I keep reiterating that I am not sick, everyone sort of tip toes around it and asks if I'm okay. My eyes are watery and my nose is red and dripping like a tab. It's actually quite irritating but it is so sweet that everyone cares.

One of the AEs from Brisbane came down on a day off and took me to lunch yesterday. I felt a bit guilty considering we haven't had the best relationship with a lot of the Qld people. But it was excellent to catch up over lunch and talk about things without eyes and ears around the office. Not to mention the gossip!

We certainly not spoilt for choice are North Sydney. There's probably 3 or 4 really nice places to go if you wanted to splurge a little for lunch. So I picked the Treehouse. Thank goodness I booked cause it was absolutely packed. They do some good dishes coupled with an adequate wine and drink menu and the service is very decent so it turned out to be a good meal. Too bad I had to rush (by rush I mean that I couldn't stay longer than  2 hours) back to the office for a meeting and an urgent approval.

Then the evening, it was Sarah's birthday! Ah... what an interesting event it was! I really made an effort to be on time to this one as I feel bad that every catch up we have, I am chronically late (work...). Anyways, my darling work hubby gave me a lift to the restaurant (oh bless him, he's really sweet when he wants to be) and so I arrived right on time! And.... I was the first person there. Um, awks. At one stage I actually thought I was in the wrong restaurant and freaking out. But all good!

Then the other people started to arrive (I didn't know very many of them and those that I did know, they were really more acquaintances than anything else) so it was a bit of small talk and boring stuff like that. Also, the crowd last night was probably mid-30s as a lot of the invitees were her BF's friends. Some had kids, one of the ladies was pregnant. A few of them were real estate agents so lots of house and property talk. And I picked up three new potential customers... yeah!

So needless to say, my cake was amaze... but that's not what I learnt from last night.

It was really refreshing to see that adults with lives probably very different to mine act just like how my friends and I act today. Even with kids and other responsibilities (they were all school friends), they manage to giggle like girls, gossip and just rehash memories like we do now. It was kind of ... soothing for me to see. I've always wondered what I'd be like in 10 years...

Anyways, I got a pick up last night as was so tired so my sister and Alberto came along. Thanks guys! Saved me a shitload in cab fare! Slept the night away and woke up to a blocked nose. urgh yuck.

Had a cake pick up (they are always late!!!) - need to post about that. And did some grocery shopping - westfield is a bit of a shithouse at the moment but the renos look promising.

Baked some bread. It turned out okay actually but I'm always so dejected that its not super high and round but more 'freeform'. Tasted delish but just looked... homely. Am I expecting too much of myself?

Off to steamboat (the fancy word for hot pot) and the movies now.

And it looks like a few of my friends are going to reconcile.

This is turning out to be a fabulous weekend.

#fulfilled

"I have never touched a bird this way before"

"Massaging a chook is totally the way I imaged my Saturday..."

We managed to fit 14 people, 2 dogs and a baby into the terrace... huge effort and watch 3 movies!!! Although we did skip through Into the Woods. Funniest thing ever though cause we skipped 5 minutes and NO IDEA what was happening. Weirdest movie ever... so not a Disney movie for kids. Mad Max: Fury Road was another weird one... it was literally a road fighting movie... with a guy playing the guitar the whole time??? And we also watched Pitch Perfect.

Catching up with friends and family is always fun, lighthearted and is likely to involve good food.

I felt quite special this week turning another year older - I'd still like to argue that I'm in my mid-20s. Thank you to every single one of the lovely souls who made it happen.

From the coffee guy shouting me a free coffee to the colleagues who offered to buy me one, my boss telling me to leave as early as I can, to those who came to the short lunch despite the rain and cold and my favourite lawyer baking me an incredible Guinness Dark Chocolate cake at 4 AM... thank you so much. It really made my busy day less stressful and more enjoyable. Thank you for the messages an the smiles.

I've been lucky enough this year to catch up with so many people in July.

From PR who I had sushi with on Thursday evening (and we exchanged birthday gifts), to my two favourite blondes and party ladies and an amazing night at The Butler to my nearest and dearest cousin, sister and Albert at Apollo tonight, thank you for the laughs. And the epic Catan game (my sister cheated to win...). And the 3/3 star spotting in Potts Points. Yes... 3 celebrities! Matt Moran was at our restaurant with an actor (but did not know name... so it's really a half point there) and SBS veteran Lee Lin Chin. *starstruck... not!

Walked by a block of toilets with thick black smoke coming out of it and the brigade there and as we drove into the Cross, there was a truck decorated as a fire truck with teenage girls bopping up and down. It was hilarious... definitely a lot of funnies tonight!

Got a week of cakes, bakes, work and events coming up... super excited and what a way to start another year!

End of quarter lunch on Friday. Another lovely location but we really had to work for this one this time. Literally and figuratively - our new CEO wanted the know how we all could help improve the sales team and so we went round the table a few times. Lots to do before the DNA improves.

I am not trying to be snobbish but I'm a bit over (don't get me wrong) really good quality food on spotless plate is a bit boring. Wish we could do other things or make it more exciting somehow.

And oh dear... when too much red wine gets involved (at over $350 a pop...). It's a brand new ball game and we are so much closer when you get drunk with your boss. And you have to pretty much carry her back to your colleagues apartment and make sure she stays out of trouble. Not just my boss, but also one of the commercial directors. What a team we make...!!! It was hilarious yet so troubling at the same time. Way too many "I love you's" in the space of a couple of hours. I'd hate to think of the bill. And we left - on our own accord - but I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for the huge amount of money we spent, we would have been kicked out or banned for life...

Went to see Les Miserables last night with mummy and sissy. Ahh... what a good show it was even with all the unfortunate interruptions. A lot of people came in late and even though they were only permitted to enter after each Act, it was still quite disruptive. A poor guy fainted about 3 minutes from the end of the show... it even threw the actors off! There was a moment of pause. Simon Gleeson - theatrical genius. Just.. wow.

And today, back in the old denim with the apron tied on for a day of baking. It's hard to bake when its cold. Temperature affects everything. Made a huge batch of anzacs and danish butter cookies and a Black Sesame and Green Tea layered cake for my grandma's 97th birthday. 97!!!

I must be out of shape though, was so tired by the end of it. I just want to crawl up in my bed and snuggle and re-watch White Collar. I am also disgusted that I have spent so much money in the first week on the month already. And I want to buy all these books but now debating if I should wait a month. Cause I also just randomly spent a couple of grand on a weekend away in October - soooo needed. Ms S and I (and maybe Ms G!) are going to do the 12 Apostles walk with luxury spa retreat at the end of it. We can't wait.

First weekend of the second half of the year and it is a gooooood one! As much White Collar that I can fit in around my days and nights (yes, I am in love with Matt Bomer). And wine, giggles, junk food and the annual Rusty Chef Cook off. Amazing day. And thanks to Veeda, we pretty much had a free comic show in the evening.

I want to reiterate that I would never voluntarily move further west because the traffic on the weekend is just horrendous. Given, I was going from South to North but bumper to bumper traffic. So not cool. So not worth it.

Anyways, it was late lunchtime by the time I got there with my cake and bag of ice and we got stuck right into it. 3 teams, 3 colours. A taste test to name the most ingredients let my team take the lead early on and pick the protein: pork cutlets! The second team got a whole chicken and the third team got veal roast. Hahaha.

The rule was we had to use the protein, the limited spices available, a few staple ingredients and the ingredients designated to our Orange box (carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, dried apricots and oranges).

Came up with sweet potato puree with a orange zest and apricot crumbed cutlet and pumpkin and kale ratatouille. It was soooo good!!!!! Although I will admit that we probably needed more texture - like sweet potato crisps (or pork crackling... which didn't work in an hour) to make the dish come together more. And it was the winning dish... beating the next team by an average of 0.3 points. Yay!

I think we all did a variation of very similar dishes to suit the protein - team yellow did shallot fried chicken with tomato relish and green salad and team red did roast veal with mashed potato and strawberry and mint salad. I think we all ran out of salt towards the end so some of the dishes were a bit bland. Tons of fun though, cause we were all drinking and playing boardgames and taking turns to do everything. And then we facetimed Janny for her birthday and ate her cake that I made. Delish.

Tiring day though, to cook and drink and laugh. Tough life. Haha. Veeda is the funniest when she is drunk (and we all knew that years ago). We played her charades game - everyone had to put three names into a hat and then we took turns guessing. We are so original. There were 3 'Terminators/ Arnold S', 2 Chris Pratt and a whole heap of Avengers characters. Too funny.

Christmas in July next... helllllooooo Turducken!!!!!