bike

The day of cookie’s

Ahh Sundays. Lazy ol’ Sundays.

Really should have went out and enjoyed the sunshine but instead I ended up vegging (it’s all right sun is quite common here). Got some old games installed on a laptop I borrowed from Jean (Dungeon Keeper appears to be too much for it though :-() also caught up with Top Gear and refreshed myself with Luther by watching the second to last episode, great series so it is.

Cookie Monster

Cookie Monster

I did some baking though! Made a pile of chocolate cookies in the morning, great because there are loads but also bad because there are loads. I did venture outside once too, bought some lube at K-Mart…… for my bike. Got to keep it in tip-top condition, especially if tomorrows courier interview goes all right.

I think I just cycled over some glass

Didn’t do much until after lunchtime today, submitted a bunch more CV’s, watched the latest ‘Walking Dead’, phoned back a recruitment agent who told me they are only looking for permanent residents, ah well, then I got myself sorted and cycled down to Blender Lane, next to Victoria Market, to help setup a stall for Nat and Co.

When I arrived two street artists were busy painting a mural on one of the alley ways walls, the detail was pretty amazing. They continued to work on this throughout the evening. Monica went on a mission (it takes ages in those queues) for food and brought back a chicken AND beef Mediterranean style dish which I destroyed quick sharp.

Realising I had no lights on my bike (just a crappy LED on the back of my helmet) I decided it was time to leave as it was 9PM and dark (think this is illegal). Cycling back up that creek was interesting, dodgy but also a bit fun, the edge of not being able to see much gave made it more exciting. 🙂

No sign of Harold Bishop

I was at a loss as to what to do today so I watched the mid-season finale of ‘The Walking Dead’, which had lots of death plus a tank, then went for a cycle to the Queen Victoria Market only to find it closed on a Monday. Doh! Still I managed to get a pulled pork roll in a cafe next to it, nom.

Travelled South-West and connected onto the Maribyrnong river and continued Northwards, further than I’d been before on this route, puffing my way up a viewpoint in a nature reserve. Looking back on the city from here was cool. Google Maps told me that I was near a collection of interesting street names so I had to visit them for a few photo’s.

Further North up the Marribyrnong river

Further North up the Marribyrnong river

Neighbours, Bruce Wayne and Home all a stones throw from each other

Neighbours, Bruce Wayne and Home all a stones throw from each other

Got home and went past Nat’s folks house for the bike maintenance kit (tuned up my bike a bit) and to drop off the tea urn as it’s finally getting replaced. The rest of the day was spent chilling, hopefully this week I can get a few interviews under my belt that actually lead to work.

A trip to Williamstown

Sorted my bike (handle bars aint moving now) then went for a cycle South-West to Williamstown. Really nice cycle following the Maribyrnong River then through Yarraville and underneath the West Gate Bridge (where the memorial for workers who died is located) and past many fisherman and marina’s. You barely need to go on the road and if you do there is usually cycle lanes.

In Williamstown there was musicians playing under the band stand, people taking cruises across the bay or over it in the seaplane. There’s also an old warship from World War II parked there along with an even older tall ship, the Enterprize (no photo as he was out and about). I tied up the bike and then treated myself to some fish & chips, nom. After fuelling up I headed back but this time taking the other side of the river where I could and also dealing with the sporadic rain showers (been awhile).

Got in the door a wee bit damp but happy with the roughly 40km cycle completed, my body is getting used to cycling again just need gloves and padded shorts. Had a wee shop at Coles so I could cook up my twice cooked (boiled/fried) pork belly Chinese style, nom nom nom. I then melted into the couch and didn’t move for a few hours, loads of Arrested Development was on. 🙂

Look at the size of the spring onions!

Look at the size of the spring onions!

Entroducing…

Printed a bunch of CV’s today and inspected my tea urn when I got home, turns out it’s the wrong bloody size (20L not 40L) so will need to return that. Also my “next day delivery” SIM didn’t arrive so I’m another day off the grid.

CV’s in hand (bag) I cycled off to Brunswick to smooch up a few craft beer pubs down that way. Temple Brewery was closed (strange opening times and looks quite swish), Atticus Finch is a cocktail bar but I did get into the Alehouse Project. Cool place, 12 taps for good beer (inc. Tempest from Scotland), new chef for nom sounding food (crispy pigs ears or deep fried peanut butter ice cream) and the dude behind the bar was sound. After handing in my CV and wrapping my tastebuds around a beer (+ samples) I left to the Great Northern just a few minutes down the road.

This place is a proper pub with old style furnishings and decor, got chatting with the barman and locals here (mainly about AFL and which team’s I can pick) whilst having a drink then handing in my CV. Problem with this strategy is when your cycling and running on empty these 10%+ beers hit you much quicker, so with that in mind I had to call it a day and cycled home. This wasn’t without issue either as my front brakes were constantly half on (flat ground was like going up hill) and worse than that my handlebars came loose. Feck sake. Entirely my fault though.

[Fair Ground Theme Tune]

[Fair Ground Theme Tune]

Got home, showered, ate food and bailed to see DJ Shadow down in St. Kilda. 🙂 Arrived early so wandered round the area for a bit (via a bottle shop) taking in the seaside sites and a small market next to the fair ground. An hour later I’m back at the gig with a fat grin on my face. Most of the tunes he blasted out (with no laptop in sight, proper mixing) were completely new and probably never to be heard of again with a few oldies in there to keep the crowd pumped, not that he needed too. Brilliant set and I even got to shake his hand at the end. 😀

Only bummer was missing my connecting tram in the city which meant an hours walk home… I did get to see the night time nature though including a possum, fox and two bloody giant bat’s. 🙂

The King is dead

Woke up with a weeee bit of a hangover but nothing that would put me off a good cycle. Weather was great too I.e. not unbearable hot. Donning the wife beater (I later found out this was a poor choice and have burnt my shoulders, really need to lotion up more) I scooted off on a roughly 35KM cycle up North following Moonee Ponds Creek and stopping for a Whopper fuel up. I only just realised that ‘Hungry Jack’s’ not only looks like ‘Burger King’ but is in fact ‘Burger King’. Feel a bit stupid now… Anyway I headed back a random unplanned route which shows the beauty of Melbourne’s cycle paths, they’re everywhere.

A bit knackered and sweat drenched I got back and chilled, the bike did good on its first proper outing. Blasted some YouTube (oh how I missed it, spend your lunch time watching this prank war) before heading out for a small shop. Got myself a pair of thongs (finally) at KMart for $2 haha ace. Also nipped past Coles for some food, mainly caramelised onion chutney for my blue cheese I would destroy for tea. NoM.

Need to make some bing soon…

Food glorious food

I bought a bike today! 🙂

Bike in a Box

Bike in a Box

Aldi were having a special on bikes and I wanted one cheap, well brand new for $130 is pretty bloody cheap! So got that and a helmet then went round to Nat’s folks house to build the thing. Fecking hot today (and only going to get hotter until the weekend) so I only cycled it up to the house and that was that, plenty of days to use it yet.

Not bad for $130!

Not bad for $130!

The Victoria Night Market was on today and Nat was setting up a stall (this is their label by the way) in the artists alleyway (Blender Lane). There was also an artists studio warehouse here so I poked my head in which is split into very different workspaces, some with the artists busy doing art. The main market is where it’s at though and for the food too, loads of stuff to buy but I wasn’t interested in any of that compared to the HUGE selection of food on offer.

After wandering into town a bit I cashed in my last 100RMB for $17 and I needed food. Ray and gang arrived and I was tasked with getting food for him too, on this occasion I opted for the Srilankan offering as the portions looked good and there was a big queue. They fry up some veg, meat, bread and spicy sauce and chuck it in a bowl, yes it was blooming nom.

Me and Ray left the stall for some drinks at the Mercat bar just around the corner overlooking the market. After hearing about some of Ray’s Scottish/European adventures (including chimpanzees and princesses) we got chatting to some Swiss girls and drunk lots of sangria until we could drink no more (place was closing). Eventually me and Nat got a taxi home via a 7/11 for some sausage rolls. 🙂

NOW I start helping with school runs?

I didn’t go for my usual long walk today, not because of the weather but the fact I had to take Benjamin back to school after lunch. Goa A Yi is ill and it’s not a hardship to do but it does mess up half the day. Nevermind soon won’t need to worry about any of that!

I took to the subway after dropping Benjamin off and ordered some food as soon as I got into the pub (not getting any at home rubbed the salt in further). Enda gave me a sample of their 100th Brew Barley Wine, this is the first time I have had a barely wine I think, tastes good, quite strong with a surprising amount of bitter. See what it’s like next week as it’s still maturing. Also my Oz/South-African friend popped in for a quick drink (his driver was outside) he’d not long came back from Oz so we chatted about that, Christmas, New Year, etc. Thankfully he couldn’t stay long so we wouldn’t be downing the stouts like last time...

Got home expecting Goa A Yi to be cooking and Randy tutoring Benjamin. No-one was in. Benjamin has a big test tomorrow so he stayed later at school today, he came back not long after me so there had been a little mix up. Played a wee bit of Lego after tea then he was off to bed. I’m preparing more for Oz and by this I mean looking into buying a bicycle on Gumtree and the possibility of getting some homebrew kit. What? 😉