The Glitz & The Glamour.....

Wow, what a night. Bill & I had the night of our lives last Monday when we received a last minute invitation to the 2010 Brownlow Medal Count. With only a few hours warning there was no time to stress over what to wear & we managed admirably. Every moment from the 'Blue Carpet' entrance to the Afterparty in Studio 3 was just pure glitz & glamour.

We shared our table with Guy McKenna and his gorgeous wife. And No we didn't get any inside information on whether Gary Ablett Jnr would be changing states. Our other dinner guests were Russell, a board member from North Melbourne football club, two very nice girls from Swatch Watch and another couple from the AFL.

James Hird & his wife were at the table beside us. This year almost everyone attending was looking very elegant. The Palladium at Crown just sparkled and with 1400 people attending, most in Black Tie & Evening wear it was an event to remember. The food and wine was excellent and the count itself was so exciting.

The arrival of the envelopes by Armoured Guard sent a ripple of anticipation through the crowd and with Judd out in front all night it got a bit close with only a couple of rounds to go. The excitement levels went up a nocth before the last round put him in the winners circle again.

With Melbourne in 'football mode' all week the city has had an air of excitement as it gears up for the Big Game at the MCG. It really is a lot of fun watching the city take on the atmosphere of whatever event is happening. As you can imagine, everywhere is a sea of either Black & White or Red White & Black as the workers and the city traders get into the vibe. And by now, of course, you all will know that they have to do it all again next week. Just when you thought it was safe to turn on the telly again. We had been going to watch the game in the city but with most venues full making it standing room over we decided that the couch at home would be the best place for Bill's wonky hip.

The other big event this week has been Bill's Birthday, he's now officially able to get cheap tickets to the movies at ACMI. We had dinner last night at the Rising Sun. Love that steak. This morning we were up bright & early to catch the train to Mordialloc where we had breakfast with Mum & Maree. It was great to see them both again and the French Toast with bacon and banana at Seed Cafe is just yummy and worth the train ride. Coming back into town with a train full of Collingwood & St Kilda supporters made for a fun ride as they all happily chatted together and ribbed one another. I'm thinking it might be a quieter ride home as they all think what might have been.

And tormorrow we are off to have lunch with Astrid & Hans at the Vines at Helens Hill, a winery in Coldstream. Home again and lunch was just lovely. The food and bubbles were great and a few hours in the sun filled dining room with friends was such a nice way to spend the afternoon. Oh and desert was just fabulous.

So with a week full of football & parties over it's time for me to leave you now. Just one question before I go, just what on earth is this latest installation in the ACCA forecourt. It appeared 2 weeks ago and I can only conclude that Melbourne is definitely not heaven as it certainly is all happening here.

until next time............

Well I'll bee......

This must be what the bears feel like at the end of a long winter hibernation. With the sun trying to break through we have emerged from 'our cave', the loungeroom, and have been checking out the action in the city.

We called in to the NGV the first weekend to see the Eurpoean Masters exhibition which has been on for a couple of months. The exhibition comprises more than 100 works from the Städel Museum in Germany by artists including Monet, Cézanne and Renoir, and is the first time this collection of works has been displayed outside Europe. A few of the paintings were very familiar having seen prints of them for many years. It certainly is wonderful to see the real thing. As always some of the great masterpieces leave you wondering but on the whole it was a wonderful experience.

A trip to the movies to see The Sorcerer's Apprentice finished off our day. It was a fun movie and it felt good to be out & about once more. The next morning we were up bright and early and as Spring looked like it was visiting we drove out to Werribee to check out the treatment plant. Yep, I must have been a very good girl last week.

Wow, what a day. We saw so many different birds that we had never seen before. Red Cheeked finches, Cuckoos, European Goldfinches and Greenfinches. Lots of Swans with Cygnets and I couldn't resist this pciture of Mum, Dad & the kids. After all that fresh air bed was very welcome that night.

Winter returned on Monday and stayed all week. In fact it has been the coldest September for 20 years but seems to be trying to warm up now. Dinner at the Rising Sun with Amber & Matthew on Tuesday night was great and the 16 piece Big Band very loud but good.

The following Saturday we set off to Federation Square nice & early to see the Tim Burton Exhibition at ACMI. It was well worth the early start and was an excellent collection of all his work. The man must have been a real hoarder as there is a lot of his early work from school and his first jobs. He is a very talented man with a very different look at the world around him. Back into town that night to the Regent Theatre were we saw West Side Story. It was a great production which we thoroughly enjoyed.

A quiet Sunday at home catching up on all the neccessary chores finished off a couple of fun weeks. With Spring in the air, I'm sure it won't be long before we start seeing the blossoms on the trees and the flowers in the gardens. I decided the giant bees on the Eureka building might be a good way to bring in the springtime.
The artwork is called Queen Bee by Richard Stringer who had the idea of making a permanent installation on various building projects over the years and the image of a Queen Bee and colony had a obvious conceptual compatibility to the context of this gigantic residential tower. The gold finish of Stringer's works also complimented the golden glass apex of the building.

On that note it's time I wasn't here anymore.

until next time..............

Fun with friends

As you have gathered the last few months have been a little more low key than usual. Bill's dodgy hip has kept us closer to home than in other years. That is apart from our last little trip to Queensland of course. And I suppose that if you have to slow down for a few weeks than there is really no better time to do that than winter. The other thing you will have gathered from my recent ramblings is that this winter has been the coldest & wettest for some time. This is not a problem as winter is meant to be cold and the rain for the most part is very welcome. In fact we have really only been caught in the rain a couple of times so really can't complain too much.

One of the things we have been able to do is catch up with friends and over the last few weeks we have had some fun times and some great food. The largest gathering was a few weeks ago when all the Victorian guys from the Feb RAAF reunion decided that it was time to say hello again. Eighteen of us gathered at Tsindos, a fabulous little Greek Restaurant, in Lonsdale St and a great time was had by all. Good food, good wine and great company made for a fun night and we look forward to doing it all again soon.

Dinner on Thursday night was lots of fun. Pat was here from Perth visiting her sister and we were happy to steal her for a night of much chatter and catching up. The following night Pat & Tracey were having dinner at a local Pub known for it great steaks. We mentioned that we had never heard of it and were promptly invited to join them. After only a tiny bit of arm twisting we agreed and met them the next night at 'The Rising Sun'. Yes, the steaks were great and the chocolate pudding to die for. We will definitely be going back. And it's within walking distance too. Neither Bill nor I can believe we had never found it before. We had a fun night hearing all about Pat's adventures in Melbourne & country Victoria where she had been visiting some other relatives. Pat went home the next day but I think she just might be back. Loved the shopping!

Last weekend we had a change of pace and instead of heading out for dinner Astrid & Hans took their life in their hands and let me cook for them. A trip to the South Melbourne Markets in the morning provided the inspiration and of course the ingredients for the night's Lamb Roast and Vegetables, followed by Strawberry Tart. All jokes aside, dinner was a success and we had a great night catching up on each others recent trips to find the sun.

Wednesday was the first day of Spring but unfortunately Mother Nature had not been notified and we had our coldest day for weeks. The sun shone the next day though so it is trying. The weekend saw a return to winter across the whole state and it was hats, coats & umbrellas as we headed out to South Yarra where we were meeting Maree, Mum, Jarrod & Aaron to have dinner at Fiesta. It was Maree's birthday and the meal of her choosing was Mexican. A great night was had, the food yummy and the Margaritas just the thing. It was good to see everyone again and we didn't even get wet going home.

Now with another weekend drawing to a close it's time to get back onto the straight and narrow for the week. Next weekend is a work in progress but I'm sure it won't be long before it's sorted.

until next time............