Okay it’s not really winter yet. Winter starts in June. In Canberra though the rules are that heaters should not be turned on until after ANZAC day (25 April) and they should not be used after the Melbourne Cup has run (the first Tuesday of November). There are also some similar rules about basil and tomatoes but they relate mainly to frost.
Out of all the capital cities in Australia, Canberra is the coldest and the driest. For me that makes it the most uncomfortable and frustrating place to live. This week has seen the weather settle into cold. We’ve even had some subzero mornings. I wouldn’t mind the cold if it wasn’t accompanied with the dryness. I have ichthyosis vulgaris, basically dry cracked hairless skin. I’m forever applying moisturiser and my skin feels cracked dry and at least once a day there is a degree of pain.
As a kid growing up in Brisbane I didn’t hang with my school mates or university friends that much. They were mostly well to do people who were a bit too sophisticated for me. I should qualify and say that after I started fourth year university I got into a friendlier group at university and hung out with them a lot more. Anyway my friends were from the neighborhood and we all liked cars. A couple of mates were doing apprenticeships as fitters and turners and another worked as a bank clerk. We liked V8 sedans and station wagons. I was into Mopar and Ford and my friends were into Holdens and makes from the GM stable like Chevrolets. In Brisbane such people were known as Bevans as distinct from Bogans. I’m not going to try to explain what a Bogan is. I think the term is misused and I think it’s used cruelly to describe people who are misunderstood.
The point of mentioning Bevans is that they had a standard winter garb. Jeans and a flanny. That is, a flannelette shirt. My winter avi reflects that.
I’ll write about my car history another time.
For now though I hope this post doesn’t scare anyone and given I’m doing it on an iPad I hope it works okay.
This weekend I visited my daughters in Brisbane. Miss14 was competing in the QueenslandWomen’s Artistic Gymnastics championships for 2012. It also included the trials for the state team to compete at the national titles in June in Sydney. Miss14 is Level 9. On Saturday she came third overall in Queensland. She freely admits her vault lets her down. Her routine is not as difficult as the others in the competition. When I asked why, she simply said she’s uncoordinated. That is the biggest understatement of her life. Compared to the rest of us in the family she’s amazing. So today as I was returning to Canberra Miss14 was competing to make a place in the Queensland team. She got in and received an award for her floor routine. I recorded her routine from yesterday which was ranked second.
On Friday I had lunch with some work mates and also some colleagues from another agency. We ate at the Hellenic Club. The Hellenic Club is a fantastic Canberra institution. It has a range of restaurants including a pretty good Chinese restaurant which is a nice touch for a Greek establishment. I love the Hellenic Club’s bistro. It does a really good steak with pepper sauce and chips (which is what I had) while others had chicken breast schnitzel or a roast dinner.
Hellenic Club's pepper steak (rib eye fillet) and chips (iPhone)
After a very squishy flight to Brisbane and then discovering I had rented a General Motors Barina (beep beep) I got to my parent’s place and enjoyed some time with the kids. Let me digress and discuss the rental car. I rent through Hertz and normally I get a small compact like a Toyota Yaris or Ford Focus. Both are good small manual transmission cars that I don’t find uncomfortable. I should declare that after Chrysler left Australia I switched my allegiance to Ford. For non-Australian readers, in the main, if you’re a bloke, you’re either Ford or Holden (GM). There’s not debate. The Barina, even if Ford produced it would have been and remains a lemon. For someone who is only 170 cm (short arsed), it’s hard to believe that leg room posed such a problem. I would NEVER purchase a General Motors Barina.
In the morning we had a light breakfast. By light I mean toast. I don’t mean warm bread either. I like toast that has a good amount of colour. Not burnt, but at least browned. I also like Vegemite. For non-Australians, Vegemite is a yeast extract and it is a salty dark paste the consistency of cream cheese. It is an acquired taste. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. I don’t get how some Australians go on and on about it. It’s good. Just don’t carry on about it.
Toast with a smear of Vegemite (iPhone)
For lunch I had a sausage roll and chips (no photograph). Most of the day was spent driving between Chermside, Clayfield and Chandler (Sleeman Sports Complex). The competition was at the Sleeman Sports Complex while Miss11 had to also train at Clayfield. I had Miss16 to keep me company
I also had fudge that Miss14 had cooked the day before. This is GOOD fudge.
Fudge after a bite (iPhone)
Miss14′s competition ran late, very late. We didn’t leave until nearly 2000 AEST. When we got back to my parent’s place, Mum and Dad had cooked a roast dinner. We had roast chicken, stuffing, roast potato, roast sweet potato, roast pumpkin, broccoli and beans. Mum also made gravy from scratch. I love Mum’s roast chicken with gravy and stuffing.
Roast chicken (Nikon D90) Click on the image for a more detailed view.
May is a big month for birthdays in our family and it’s not clear if I can visit in May so Mum made a cake. Miss14 and Miss16 become Miss15 and Miss17 on the same day in May. I turn 47 in May. My Dad also has a birthday in May.
Birthday sponge cake with almond chocolate (iPhone)
This morning we were in a rush but that didn’t stop Mum cooking us some snags, scrambled eggs and mushrooms. Mums and Dads are like that and I love my Mum and Dad for being like that.
It doesn’t look all that flash but it tasted great.
Sausages, eggs and mushrooms for breakfast on a plastic picnic plate. Classy (iPhone)
At the airport I sat in front of a container of macaroons. I will not say if I had any or not.
Macaroons (iPhone)
This afternoon after arriving back in Canberra I bought some baby spinach leaves, salmon and a tomato. Dinner was inspired by breakfast and I had the last of the very fresh free range eggs to cook. I cooked the scrambled eggs with cream, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt. I also added a little blue cheese for flavour.
Atlantic salmon and fresh free range eggs (Nikon D90) Click on the image for a more detailed view.
Look at how yellow and creamy the folds of egg are. They were amazing.
All in all it’s been a good weekend. Miss14 made the Queensland team. I hope Miss16 is watching the Brisbane Roar win the A-league soccer grand final tonight. Miss11 did an awesome job cheering today and being an all round great kid.
