Tag Archives: baby boomers

there’s a goddess in the laundry…

23 Apr

Today I was playing domestic goddess ! Transported back to my childhood in the 60’s laundrywhen my Mum and Nan managed to fill their entire day with getting the laundry done.

As I have admitted here before …when it comes to laundry I am not a match on my forebears; in fact when it comes to most things domestic … I get by… but I am certainly no Martha Gardener.

Anyway today was a perfect autumnal day, I had a pile of washing AND a pressing assignment to write. Now as many of you have heard me say…there is no better motivation for housework than a looming essay. I managed to get several loads of washing done and hung… then shuffled and rehung…then folded and (no …not yet ironed) while contemplating whether or not to start writing.

Here I am writing to YOU while still thinking about where to start the essay. Good thing I work best under pressure, eh?

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reliving the ’70’s…

29 Mar

 

Remember the 70’s when going to the Chinese restaurant was a 5 star dining experience?  We would get dressed up and head out full of anticipation… order  ‘the buffet’  and end up with more food than you could jump over. We all had our favourites, but they went something like … sweet n sour pork and anything swimming in honey…all washed down with a glass of Ben Ean Moselle or sickly sweet Sauterne.

Those were the days I hear you say. …BUT WAIT the 70’s Chinese Restaurant is alive and well in Richmond.chinese rest

From the minute we walked through the door we were transported back. The immaculate open space restaurant, where there was actually enough room between tables that you didn’t hear  every work being said beside you…waitstaff in black and white perfectly pressed uniforms,  silk flowers on the table, the mirror tiled open bar in the corner….and wait, the ‘faux brick’ feature wall.

The menu had all the old faves but with a few modern incarnations added, and the house wine was merely described as red or white.

The food was great. In fact we commented that it was a huge improvement on our last Chinese dining experience in a far more authentic, but somewhat dodgy restaurant in New York’s Chinatown. So if you are ever feeling the urge for a trip back in time I recommend you give Richmond’s East Court a whirl (but don’t forget your paisley shirts, flares  and blue eyeshadow for a real 70’s experience).

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some days it sucks to be a frog…

17 Feb

Driving to work minding my own business this morning and something very odd caught my eye. As the car in the next lane passed, I saw what looked like a leaf poking out the crease of the back side door; so after deciding it was no big deal, I continued to daydream and drive on.

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That is…UNTIL the traffic slowed a little, and I found myself alongside the car. I looked closer and the leaf started to wriggle. Trying not to run up the back of the car in front, I was soon close enough to identify the suspicious site as a small tree frog that was trapped by his (or her… I’m not real good a sexing frogs on the move) left foot.

WHAT SHOULD I DO ??  

Feeling compelled to do SOMETHING I try to get the driver’s attention. I wound the window down and tried to yell across to him…a big ask for anyone at 40kph …but without a voice it was just NEVER gonna work.

Next, I thought I would jump out and run to his window when the traffic was held up. But I began to imagine how he might react to a ‘crazy voiceless woman’ running between the traffic and up to his window to say there is a frog hanging out of his door.

Clearly I thought about it a minute too long and the traffic began to flow.

So…I just headed to work, feeling a little sad but amused by the thought of the little guy hanging on for the ride of his life. Wherever he is tonight, I’d reckon he has one very sore foot. … It’s days like this I’m glad I’m not a frog.

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the lost art of ironing

16 Feb

When I think back to my childhood, I remember the laundry being a feature of Mum’s life, something she took great pride in. Getting things soaked, washed, hung out to dry, back in and ironed all in the one day was a marathon that she ran with ease…. often competing with my live-in Nan for the gold medal.laundry

So why is it that staying on top of the ironing is such a hurdle for me ?? …how DID I miss out on the ironing gene?

I go through fits and starts… but anyone who knows me well, knows that there will always be one (if not two) baskets of clothes tucked away in the laundry somewhere waiting on their turn to be pressed and returned to their spot in the wardrobe.

Not really a big deal, until … 5 minutes before  time to walk out the door ‘Mr 50 Something’ has his heart set on  wearing a particular shirt …and it’s nowhere to be found.Chaos ensues and stress levels rise, until ‘said shirt’ is discovered in last month’s ironing pile …then the trusty appliance is heated and creases vanished, by which time we are running late. ….again!

Where’s Mum when I need her ? …

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my Saturday evening post ….

15 Feb

my Saturday evening post ....

mmmmm, so what do YOU all have planned ?

I wonder just how many ‘baby boomers’ were conceived after a night like like this ???

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the advantage of acne…..

14 Feb

As some of you know (and for those who don’t… I’ll tell you) 2 weeks ago I had a call to say I WON …repeat WON… a trip to New York City !!!!! (courtesy of the Sydney Opera House).

How awesome is that ?

So …. the arrangements are all coming together beautifully and easily (with the Opera House staff taking control) however the one thing that I need to arrange is travel insurance …. (funny really since they are paying, but hey, stick with me on this).

I do the obligatory on-line research and start the comparison of value for money…bla bla bla. acne 2Then suddenly I am stopped in my tracks. NOT because of ‘exclusions’ …. BUT because of automatic ‘inclusions’.

I quickly discover that I am covered (‘at no extra cost’) for ACNE and MENOPAUSE!!!  how generous!

Given that we are both ’50 something’ …I’m guessing that acne is not likely to be a HUGE consideration…. but ‘MENOPAUSE’ ??? oh my goodness do they think I’m going  to make a claim for hot flushes?  sleeplessness?  brain fog?…. or just being grumpy.

…come to think of it …..maybe … just maybe!

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nature calling …..again

3 Feb

Today I’m  daring to take the tone of the blog down a little and revisit our earlier observations about bodily functions, …. THEN  by adding the provocative question:‘is  scratching a back-itch better than sex?’ … (but more on that later) .bladder

Back to the bladder blog ‘need to pee’…which has brought people out of the closet…(or perhaps loo) to admit that they too experience the  ‘get home.., remove key from ignition.., balance the groceries and handbag.., try to unlock the door.., burst inside and rush to the loo’ syndrome. Surprisingly even men in their middle years have whispered that they have these urges (minus the groceries and handbag of course).

But today I want to take it a step further …to the physical sensations of relief when you finally get there. I thought I was a little unusual and alone in this one…UNTIL the conversation turned to the recent blog post …Suddenly I discovered that I am NOT the only one whose teeth tingle when I have been busting to pee …and finally make it.

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Is that weird ? …. Well, I thought so, but at least 3 other people have admitted to sharing the same experience.  Then along comes  ‘Mr 50 something’  who shares the fact that HIS hands and fingers tingle at that glorious moment of relief !!! … WOW, the things we discover about each other after 33years of marriage.

 Having peaked your curiosity ~ I think I’ll save the back-scratch for tomorrow night.

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packing it …

26 Jan

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi ~  Happy Australia Day

I said right from the outset, that this blog is a  place for nonsensical, whimsical, amusing & everyday observations….not for political commentary nor whining, (unless of course I am really really annoyed in which case I reserve “authors prerogative” and I’ll bang on as long as I want too)…. So given this… I won’t get into the whole Australia Day issue….Instead I’ll talk about trying to open my mascara.

I am So OVER packaging !!!  (once more for effect…..) I am SO OVER packaging (you guessed it this is shaping up to be a whine)

packagingCosmetics are right up there with the best when it comes to the annoyance factor…You know, those double sided moulded and welded plastic casings that you simply cannot get apart without industrial strength scissors…and if you try with your teeth you just know it will result in a trip to the dentist. Then there are those shrink sealed wraps that have a perforated side but you can never find the spot to crack it open; and the SUPER sticky metal security tag that is usually stuck across the part where the lid connects …and you can never get it all off in one go….(by the way… can anyone tell me why the even bother….. I’ve never yet  been stopped at a store when I set that alarms off because of one).

All this made worse because of those ’50 something’ failing eyes… sigh

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size does matter …..

23 Jan

As my fingers begin to tap out today’s reflection …I suddenly realise that it is a combination of several earlier observations. …How could eyebrows, handbags and toilets possibly collide in one blog I hear you ask…well, let me explain.

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This afternoon I travelled into the city by train for a meeting. Now, despite my “bag management strategy” from a few days back, I found myself carrying both my oversized handbag, and a bag full of meeting papers (to keep me amused on the train). Predictably, as soon as I arrived at Central Station my first stop was the loo…and this is where things got interesting.

I don’t think any of us are  huge fans of public toilets, but let’s face it ….they are a necessity…However, they need to be BIG enough!!   

I found an empty (and reasonably clean) cubicle, but as I tried to manoeuvre my way inside…. I struggled. I mean really STRUGGLED!

Juggling the two bags… I found myself needing to straddle the loo backwards in an effort to get in far enough to turn and close the door. Now I admit that I am not ‘delicately dimensioned’ …BUT I don’t consider myself to be in the ‘oversized’ category either… It was ridiculous!!

Anyway, after I eventually managed to get back out of the cubicle; I was washing my hands and I glanced in the mirror, only to see an ‘afternoon face’ (missing lips & eyebrows… and in desperate need of a ‘freshen up’). The problem was that there was NOWHERE to hang… put…or perch my bags while I did the paint job… I ended up with bags jammed between my legs, clutching tight with my thighs while I did my best to draw on some eyebrows and throw some colour on my lips…

Who would ever think that a visit to the loo would be blog-worthy?

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first world birthday dilemmas

13 Jan

Ok so what do you do when you simply run out of ideas? …Birthday gift ideas that is.

After celebrating 35 Christmas’ …35 birthdays… and 33 anniversaries…not to mention the random acts of gift giving in between,  I have finally drawn a blank when it comes to that special treat for my ‘50 something’ man. The 103+ presents to date have ranged from practical to creative and at times completely useless (I remember the 2 ton pet rock for the garden in 1995),  and from thrifty to extravagant. P1090245But today I could think of  nothing!!! nought, zip, zero.

Why is it that are men are just so hard to buy for ?… He either has it, (or simply doesn’t need or want it) or is fussy and too hard to please.  Yet on the other hand women are so easy (they can NEVER have too much jewellery or perfume).

One year I even tried the World Vision ‘water wells for a village’ approach …mmm, while it made me feel good it probably missed the mark just a little (lucky I didn’t go for the goat).

Sigh…perhaps it’s time to revisit to old days of sock and undies with the odd hankie thrown in (actually, come to think of it …does anyone even use hankies these days?)

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