Wednesday 2 February 2022

Taking Stock - January

Denyse's January review prompted me to do a Taking Stock post. This January has been a good but very strange month.

Getting: back into routines. 


Cooking: Trying not to. I'm a bit over this kitchen business. Unfortunately, there seems no way to avoid it...


Sipping: Ly-chi Martini's. I got myself a Lunar New Year present with my xmas money I was given from my Mum.





Reading: Currently working through The Gentleman from Moscow on audible. Not sure why I don't love it more. I read the first 120 pages about three years ago and just never finsihed it and now we're doing it for book club so I thought I'd try the audio version. I love end of empire books and I've read quite a bit about this period in Russia so I don't understand why I'm not loving it like most people. Not hating it, just not really engrossed. In paper, I'm reading The True Deceiver and enjoying it. It's funny feeling the snow fall out of the book in this heat! 






Thinking:  This is excellent and worth watching, and then talking about with your kids. I will say my kids school (even primary school) did better sex ed than the one she laments on, so there has been some improvement. And obviously not suitable for work. Or in earshot of young kids (until you've decided what is age appropriate and what isn't).

Listening: To the Grace Tame speech again. Worth it for the discussion of the signs of grooming and for the imporatnce of language. But if you listen only to the first 2 minutes, it frames the whole not smiling in a very understandable light. 

Enjoying: The theatre. I had a great Sydney festival, for those shows that weren't cancelled. I've got another play lined up next week.


Eating: Delicious lychee lamingtons and fortune cookie lamingtons to celebrate the Lunar New year.


Not Liking: That another live music venue is closing and all the post lockdown closures of restaurants and venues. It's sad. Get out and use them if you can, people.

Loving: The sea of decorations for the Lunar New Year.

Watching: The After Party which I'm finding hilarious but I suspect my husband is just humouring me. 

Hoping: The media actually holds the parties down to speak on their policy platforms instead of all the stupid media games in pointless campaigning. No pie eating or beers in the pub pics please. While I thought the complete psycho comment was amusing, I did think it was idiotic of PVO to ask "Do you think it's true?". It was just a stupid waste of everyone's time.  As is asking the price of bread and milk. Ask how they are going to ease the impact of the rising cost of living for the people on low incomes, which is over 2 million people in a population of 25 million (which when you take out children is an ALARMINGLY high percentage).

Wishing: The election was already over.

Glad: That Dylan Alcott is AOTY. I'm also glad he is wasting no time in begining his campaign. This is an area this country really needs education in, myself included. It will be good to start the conversation.

Wearing: Hilariously, my youngest daughter's shorts. She's thrown them out unworn and I've lost my exercise leggings so have taken to wearing them to exercise in. They are a little too short on me, for my liking but I'm clearly more frugal than vain. 

Walking: Finally. Had 4 weeks off and really didn't do much exercise. Was good to get back into it.

Noticing: My Spotify is trying to cheer me up. It ran the following songs in a block of 4 between news headlines on Daily Drive, in a clearly brainwashing data mining algorithm.

Better Days - Neiked

Better Days - Galantis

Best is yet to come -Gryffin

I'm Good - Mowgli's

(And it did lift my mood!!).

Feeling: Nervous about the return to school. 

Wanting: People to be kind to teachers (and hospo venues) in this rolling shitshow that's unfurling. I've had two friends not make it 90 mins into the first school day before getting the Covid alert,the primary school teacher of the child of a friend was in 7 day isolation for the first day back and one friend started her child in a boarding school in a different city and has had to drive back to bring him home after one day. We are in for a very disruptive month or two.



Have a good month everyone, be kind and stay safe! And to borrow from Anthony Burgess, it's Time for A Tiger!


Linking with MaktoTex for Yummy Treat as I'm craving the lychee martini now!! Planning a dinner at Lotus soon!
Pieni Lintu - MakroTex challenge

16 comments:

  1. So much to relate to here! Love I'm Good by The Mowgli's, singing along as I type :). All the election stuff - blah, blah, blah - hope the school return goes Ok but agree it's going to be a disruptive time for all. I've not read A Gentleman in Moscow but have seen lots of good reviews - enjoy the bookclub discussion. #weekendcoffeeshare

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  2. Beautiful Lunar New Year decorations and food. Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare.

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  3. OMG the "other sex talk" video is wonderful! Thanks for sharing that! Her experience with sex ed sounds a lot like mine from 40+ years ago--and that was much better than what most American kids get now.

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    1. I thought it was good. I think our best way of changing some cultural issues in this country is to change the conversation from a very early age.

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  4. What a cheerful post Lydia and looks like a lovely January for you. I agree with you about A Gentleman in Moscow, I just couldn't get into it. Sometimes I wonder if a book becomes over-rated because everyone writes positive reviews so our expectations are higher. My grandson starts back to Grade 3 school tomorrow what a start to the year for all the children (and adults). Elections I'm just not interested now I'm not sure who I would vote for. I love the Lunar New Year decorations. Enjoy your week. #weekendcoffeeshare

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    1. Good luck with the return to school. It's a worry for those little ones (tho data is good for recovery).

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    1. Will check out those books - I've read a couple on Shostakovitch. Just a fascinating (and dreadful) time

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  6. So many interesting snippets you've shared here :) Me too ... I started the Gentleman of Moscow and couldn't get into it, even though everyone told me it was brilliant. I need to pick it up again. Perhaps it was the wrong time, it was when Mum was dying and I don't think my head was in the right place. I too love stories about Russia (was lucky to visit St Petersburg on the cruise which captured my imagination entirely). Have you read Tsarina, about Catherine the Great - it's an easy, page turning read.... I need to watch the Grace Tame interview again and put the whole not smiling thing into perspective - although I feel that too much has been made of that already ;)

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  7. Looks like you got the Year of the Tiger got off to a very sweet start - lychee lamingtons! Yum! Not looking forward to the election - I think it's going to be a circus. So sad to see so many local venues closing down or struggling to keep open, it's time to support local for sure.

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  8. Those lamingtons look amazing. I am looking forward to the election. I wish it would happen now.

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  9. So good you are back walking and doing much more of what you love...very refreshing!
    Thank you for sharing Your blog post linked for #LifeThisWeek. I look forward to seeing you again when you next link up! Warm wishes. Denyse.

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  10. Great post. THe lunar new year has been fascinating me. I don't know much about it but have seen several people post on it. I need to read more about it.

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  11. We are watching The After Party too. A nice bit of lightness. 😄 School is a shit show here in the States too. And sadly political campaigning starts the minute the last election is over. Ugh.

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

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