Gleeful

Spruced up, delightful company, score!

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:07:00 +0000

On my way to meet Bertie and Lauren for dinner last night I noticed the GPO was sporting a festive new look thanks to red lighting in its windows. I'm not sure how I didn't notice this before because I work on the opposite corner, although I do look down on the building, so that's probably why. I did notice the clock appears to have emerged from the building's recent refurbishment with a new face - or has it always been blue around the outside? Maybe it's just brighter and more eye-catching now. (Hard to see here.)

Bertie, Lauren and I ate at Ca De Vin, one the the restaurants in the alley beside the GPO. Sounds unsavoury, but it's not. It's quite lovely, and warm thanks to lots of overhead gas heaters.

The entrance

The view from our table

(Camera phone = not very good pics)

There are quite a few old signs from the days when the GPO was an actual GPO (general post office) and the alley was a laneway servicing the GPO. I took some photos, but the lighting was very dim further in where the best ones were. I'll have to go back during the day.

Oh, the dinner. The food was tasty and, as always, the company of my former work colleagues was delightful. I really miss working with people I'm genuinely fond of - people I consider real friends, not just work friends. Sigh.

Today I ate a mandarin, one of those ones with two or three pips per segment. I dropped a pip on my desk and it bounced along it, fell off and landed in my bin.

TWO MORE SLEEPS TIL SYDNEY!!

Televisual ESP, cheesy, musical inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:55:00 +0000

Yesterday evening, for reasons I know not, I felt an urge to re-watch Amelie. A little later on I was flicking through the channels and there it was, showing on SBS One. Is it one of those movies that gets shown every two months, like the Back to the Future movies on commercial TV? It was about half way through, so I didn't watch it then, but I will soon.

Cheesy

Luke bought some marinated artichokes during the week which didn't end up getting used, but I didn't want them to go to waste (they came from the deli, not out of a jar). This morning a recipe popped up on Pinterest using marinated artichokes - a baked chicken dish with garlic, tomatoes, cheese and basil - so I made it for dinner (with some added spinach). It was so quick and easy to make, and very tasty. Is it possible for anything topped with golden, slightly crispy cheese to not be tasty? It was perfect Sunday night fare.

Musical inspiration

I haven't bought any new music in months and was lacking inspiration, so I asked Twitter for suggestions. Jane (Gleeful reader, logophile and writer of the Six Degrees of Sir Thomas Urquhart blog) suggested this song, which I like very much, and not just because it has our name in it.

The song was performed and filmed for Radio National and was on a playlist of 39 songs and interviews uploaded to Youtube by the broadcaster. I spent most of the afternoon listening to and watching them - such a wide variety of performers, most of whom were completely new to me. I liked Paul McDermott and his band singing Slow Ride, the work of Tuba Skinny and Moriarty, Gordon Webster and Friends with Every Day I Got the Blues, and watching RN Drive host Waleed Aly trying to play the kazoo, using a kazoo made by the world's only kazoo museum. (Can you believe that? Only one!)

A few other Twitter people made suggestions too, but I haven't looked them up yet. Feeling much more inspired now.

Monet's garden, mint, here to help

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:56:00 +0000

After we finished doing all the boring stuff we had to do yesterday, Luke and I walked up to the National Gallery of Victoria to see the Monet's Garden exhibition. The air was brisk, but the sun was warm. The path was lined with autumn leaves. The trees have been really holding onto their leaves, but it's finally looking more like autumn now.

There was a quite mesmerising art installation in the foyer of the NGV consisting of a pool of gently moving water and a flotilla of shallow ceramic bowls of all sizes. The bowls tinkled and chimed as they drifted into each other. So simple, but quite captivating. I made a short video of it so you can hear it.

I enjoyed the Monet exhibition. Like many people, I was most familiar with his water lily paintings, but didn't know much of his other works, or of his life. We were amused by his description of his labours in a letter to his first wife Alice in 1894:

Think of me getting up before 6; I’m at work by 7 and I continue until 6.30 in the evening standing up all the time, nine canvases. It’s murderous and to think I drop everything, you, my garden, all for this …

I suspect there would have been many late 19th century workers who would have been delighted to swap places.

Apart from the water lily paintings, Vetheuil in the Fog, was my favourite, which is probably not surprising since I'm very partial to a foggy landscape photo.

My Impressionist-style photo of a deer made of

glass orbs (taken through the NGV's water wall)

On our way home we ventured into the Queen Victoria Gardens and King's Domain.

Raindrops

Unexpected duck discovery (ducks on right)

This pond is near the Sidney Myer music bowl

The city, also from near the music bowl

The Tan track in the foreground

It was very chilly by this stage. I was very happy to get home to our warm flat (the heat is back on).

Baby mint

A few weeks ago I cut a long shoot off our mint plant and put it in a glass of water on the kitchen window sill. It's grown roots. I'd better plant it.

Here to help

When I was buying my lunch today I overhead a man ask the sandwich shop people if they had gluten-free bread. They didn't, but before I could tell him that the shop next door did, he was off. While I was waiting for my toastie to toast, he walked past again, still sans lunch, so I walked over and told him where to get the gluten-free bread. I threw in a bonus tip on where to get a gluten-free muffin nearby.

Eye test, new specs, surprise sign

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:21:00 +0000

I had my eyes tested today. I like visiting the optometrist, although I don't enjoy it as much now that the goggle-machine is computer-controlled. It was more fun back when the optometrist had to manually switch all the lense testing things. I don't know why. Something about the noise.

I wasn't going to get new glasses, but then I spotted some frames with black and white striped arms. They shall be mine soon. Yes, my obsession with B&W stripes has reached new heights.

While I was in the waiting room at the optometrist overlooking Little Collins Street, I saw a ghost sign.

Baths!

This is the back of the Royal Arcade, which was built in 1896. Baths?? That's weird. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I have learnt that this part of the arcade once housed Turkish baths! There was even fainter writing on the left of the building, but I didn't bother to take a photo of it because it was too hard to read. I have to go back to the optometrist for another test next week, so I'll have a look to see if it says 'Turkish'.

I'm not working tomorrow. I have a day off for an appointment and I have a bunch of boring but essential stuff to do, but yay! A day off.

Now for something different

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:02:00 +0000

I've been thinking about writing this post for a while, usually when someone who reads Gleeful connects with me on Twitter or Facebook. It doesn't happen often, but when it does I worry - a little, not a lot - that they will be surprised or disappointed to find out what I'm really like.

If you only 'know' me from Gleeful, you might think I'm always cheerful and upbeat. I'm not. If you've read the little blurb in the sidebar you'll know I didn't start this blog because I was always super-happy and felt I had a duty to help make the world a happier place. I started it to lift my spirits after the end of a relationship*. I am generally happier since I started the blog, but there have been times I haven't been happy at all. In fact, for some of the time I've been writing the blog, I've been treated for depression.

The blog is genuinely me, just not all of me. The bits you don't read about here? I have a short temper, especially when I'm exhausted, and I'm never not tired; it's just a matter of degree. I have very little patience. I'm often oversensitive. I'm moody. I'm a sulker. I can be judgemental.

I have a veritable menagerie of pet hates, and a very low tolerance for people who exhibit the behaviours that annoy me. I quite often have a low tolerance for people in general. I not only think mean thoughts about people, I often share them online. I complain about my job and the people I work with. I complain about people who complain too much. I swear quite a lot.

What you'll get on Twitter or Facebook is a more rounded me. I'm not Pollyanna. I'm just normal.

* Gleeful has lasted a helluva lot longer than that relationship did.

That old treadmill, desk decluttering, fab freebies

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:36:00 +0000

I'm slowly making my way through Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness. I think this passage is just as relevant today as it was when he wrote it 80-odd years ago:

It is very singular how little men seem to realise they are not caught in the grip of a mechanism from which there is no escape, but that the treadmill is one upon which they remain merely because they have not noticed that it fails to take them to the next level.

He was writing specifically about the competitive lives of businessmen, but these days it applies to most adults at least at some stage. If people in the 1930s thought they were caught in the grip, people these days must feel as if they are being crushed.

Desk decluttering

I spent a few hours this morning cleaning out and organising my workspace, particularly my two desk drawers. The top drawer contained a mass of rubber bands and about 300 bulldog clips, and in the bottom drawer there was a pile of assorted envelopes that I had to shuffle through every time I needed to post something.

The drawer chaos has been driving me nuts for months, but I've been busy with actual productive work so didn't get around to sorting it out. Things were on the quieter side this morning, so I finally got to it. Most of the bulldog clips back went back to the stationery cupboard and the envelopes are now neatly divided up in suspension files. I also went through my "doesn't need to be filed, but I don't want to throw it out" tray and threw most of the stuff out. My mind feels less cluttered now too.

Fab freebies

A skincare product I ordered online a couple of weeks ago arrived this morning. The company also sent me two freebies - a Calvin Klein gel eyeliner and a lipstick (both full size). They must be hard-to-sell or last season's colours, but I like them. The lipstick is perfect, in fact - the exact colour I've been looking for, but unable to find. Just as well!

Spoiled for choice and off to see The Reverend

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Sat, 11 May 2013 07:37:00 +0000

I can't believe I didn't already know you can design your own sneakers online. What rock have I been under? Nike offers the service and so does New Balance - no doubt there are plenty of other sites that do too. You pick an existing style and then choose materials and colours. You can even have a personalised logo and your choice of words on the heel.

I mention this because I have a lot of trouble finding decent casual sneakers in colours I like. I'm quite particular. There's often too much yellow, orange and pink and pastel shades in women's ranges. Not my style. I bought a pair of men's Asics Onitsuka Tigers in purple, black and silver a few years ago because I couldn't find anything I liked in the women's range. Sadly they've just about had it and I need something more cushiony underfoot this time.

I think I want a pair of Nike Cortez, their original running shoe which came into the world the same year as I did. Trouble is...what colour? Maybe red or green. Or navy. Or royal blue. Too much choice now!

I discovered on Facebook that psychobilly legend The Reverend Horton Heat is playing in Melbourne on 31 May. Mojo Juju (formerly of The Snake Oil Merchants) is one of the supporting acts. Since I started writing this post, I've bought tickets to go. Woooh!

Did I mention I'm seeing Wagons again in June? They're previewing songs from their upcoming album. Can't wait. I'm off to Sydney to see Mark Forsyth in two weeks too. Lots of exciting things to look forward too. That's the way life should be.

Warm, Tour de France, Bach

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:10:00 +0000

I got my gloves out on Tuesday morning in anticipation of a chilly week ahead, but the last few days have been glorious. Today's top was 25 degrees, just a few weeks away from winter. Twenty-five! Yeah, I guess this is global warming at work and we do need rain, but it's hard not to enjoy an unseasonably warm spell when you're expecting the mercury to drop. The morning sun streams through my window at work, which always lifts my spirits.

I've been struggling to get myself to the gym more than once a week for months now and I haven't had the energy for cardio, but tonight I did my best workout for ages and I feel better for it. I did 30 minutes of cardio, including 15 minutes on one of the new bikes that offer a range of Tour de France courses. I cycled through French countryside and high up on cliffs.

A woman at the gym had two vinyl albums in her locker. One was JS Bach. I don't know why, but it made me smile.

Happy news, relief, the bird is back

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:44:00 +0000

One of my online friends shared some wonderful news on Facebook today. We're separated by sea and have never met in person, but her news made me genuinely happy. Every time I read a new comment on the thread, it made me happy all over again. Is it strange to feel so affected and uplifted by the happy events in the lives of someone you've never met? We've been friends online for a few years now, during which we've each been through some ups and downs, so I don't think it's odd. I don't really care if it's odd. I think it's one of the lovely things about the internet.

I had an ergonomic assessment of my workspace yesterday in the hope that it would ease the pain in my back. It only took a couple of adjustments to bring some relief. Aaaaaah.

The white-faced heron is back! I saw it this morning and yesterday morning creeping along the water's edge with its eye on a fish (I assume), but as usual I was in a rush to get to work so couldn't stop to watch.

There was a praying mantis on the front steps of my building when I got home tonight. I nearly stepped on it.

Absentedminded, feathered friend, glassy

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:50:00 +0000

I thought it was pay day next week, but it's not; it's two days away. Oh, the joys of absentmindedness.

I saw the* Nankeen Night Heron snaffling a fish or some other tasty morsel as I walked under Swan Street Bridge on my way home from the gym this evening. It was dark, but I recognised its little hunchbacked form in the gloom. (* I know it isn't necessarily the same bird, but I like to think it is, as if we have one of those relationships that sometimes develop between people who see each other on the train platform at the same time every day.)

There wasn't even the slightest puff of breeze as I walked home. The river surface was still, black and glassy. It was chilly despite the lack of wind. I think it's time to get out the gloves for my walk to and from work.

Massage, book bargains, The Dude

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Sun, 05 May 2013 08:18:00 +0000

I had a Thai massage after work Friday to ease the tight, sore muscles in my upper back and shoulders. It was AMAZING! Easily the best massage I've had. The pressure was perfect - hard, but not too painful - and she hit all the sore spots. I'll definitely be going back.

Luke and I went into the city yesterday. We visited Embiggen Books, but left empty-handed, which I was actually a little relieved about since I already have too many unread books. But then we couldn't resist the pull of The Book Grocer on Elizabeth Street. We left with six books - four for me, two for Luke - for $50. A bargain, yes; but all those unread books... My four books are all about words and books.

I'm currently reading Bertrand Russell's Conquest of Happiness, which I bought at the op-shop for $2 a couple of weeks ago. Last night I read the line: Man is perpetually toiling, and matter is perpetually in motion, yet nothing abides, and I immediately thought, 'The Dude abides'! That's because I saw The Dude's costume at the Hollywood Costume exhibition yesterday. The Dude is the main character in The Big Lebowski. Definitely not the flashiest costume there!

It's a gang, street art, random oddities

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Sun, 05 May 2013 07:43:00 +0000

It seems I'm slowly building a ghost hunting gang. As well as Jess, the friend who told me about the Robur sign in Fitzroy North, another Twitter pal told me about one in the city which has been revealed by the demolition of the adjoining building.

Corner of Lonsdale and Russell Streets

Celebrated specialist!

I had seen a photo of this sign (I think on Finding the Radio Book), but I didn't take note of where it was, and I like to see and photograph a sign myself. So thank you, Cherie!

I think Jess has caught the ghost sign bug. She tweeted me photos of two other signs today, one of which she jumped out of her car in traffic to photograph! She tweeted:

Becoming slightly obsessed with spotting #ghostsigns in Melbourne for @FriskyLibrarian. It's kinda fun.

Heehee.

As well as the ghost sign photos from Anzac Day, I took photos of some other amusing, strange, quirky and cool things I encountered on my expedition.

Teeny weeny house! It's near where Cromwell Street

turns into McCutcheon Way in Collingwood

As you can see from the plaque above, it's old and heritage-listed. I can't get over the fact such a small house was designed to house workers and their families - it's smaller than my bedroom! - and that people lived in until 1977. Wow.

Oh-kay

This place - the People's Market on Stanley Street in Collingwood - looked cool. Music, food, art and markets stalls...but unfortunately I came upon it the day before it closed down. Maybe it will pop up again somewhere else.

Homage to the Beastie Boys

Rarrr!

Giant concrete spray can

Collingwood...Wellington Street, I think

Same artist. Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy Street

The bell at the front gate of a house on Queen's Parade, Clifton Hill

A dude in North Fitzroy

Pointy building on Brunswick Street,

completely covered in street art

This was one of my favourite non-sign discoveries of the day. It was in the window of an old shop - possibly now a residence - on Brunswick Street, just over Alexandra Parade. (Apologies for poor photo quality.)

I had to stretch up to take this shot (yes, that's my forehead) and the last bit is hard to read. It says: The octopus has 3 hearts, yet no skeletal system. They can fit into tiny spaces + love a lot. Of course I greatly approve of sharing octopus facts, though I'm not sure what they're getting at with the "love a lot" bit.

The best part of this is that several people have taken up the offer to educate the occupiers. Apart from the octopus facts, there was one about beer and a list of which countries have nuclear weapons.

Just off Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy

I ended up walking all the way back into the city. I spied a group of workers taking a break in an alley behind a Gertrude Street restaurant, with the dome of the Royal Exhibition Building in the background.

I arrived at the Carlton Gardens at the perfect time. The Hotchgurtel Fountain and the Exhibition Building were aglow in the late afternoon sun.

My Anzac Day sign hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:58:00 +0000

Finally, here is my haul of ghost sign finds from last Thursday. I originally planned to use the public holiday for a gym session, but a Twitter friend had told me about a sign she passes on her way to work, so I decided to go and have a look at that instead. I travelled on foot to capture other signs on the way. I ended up walking for about 5 hours almost non-stop. It was an expedition.

Unfortunately, my supposedly fully charged camera battery expired very early on in the piece and I'd left my spare at home on the charger, so I had to rely on my phone camera. Better than nothing, I suppose. Anyway, here they are:

Bridge Road, Richmond, near Hoddle Street intersection

Stark's Manufacturers. Spotted from Hoddle Street,

Richmond, behind Hungry Jack's carpark

Islington Street, Collingwood. Not a painted sign, but it's old

At first glance I thought James was a Malteser.

Maltster is still amusing. You don't meet maltsters

at parties these days

Further along Islington Street

A closer look at the right end of the above sign reveals

another old sign* - SHOE

And again...'manufacturer' or an abbreviation thereof

Islington again, but only a fraction

This is the Robur Tea sign that started it all, on the corner

of Michael Street and Park Parade, North Fitzroy

Close up. Dairy Produce on the top left

The Robur Tea sign was a great find (not that I actually found it), and a little further along I came upon this gem on the corner of Albert Crescent and Grant Street. How easily I could have gone down a different street!

TOE & BALLET SHOE MANUFACTURERS! J. Imbesi & Sons

Also a two-in-one - T Peters made some other kind of shoes.

Were basket shoes a thing?

This one is the side of a building on Queens Parade, which I saw from (I think) Grant Street. There was a high degree of difficult in spotting it - it was a 'blink and you'll miss it' thing. It looks like it says BLAND.

Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North (the bit north of Alexandra

Parade). Not sure what it says

A closer view...Looks like 'Chek....y' and second word

ends in S. Any ideas?

This is in Fitzroy...I forget which street

Collingwood (forget where...I did take note of street names,

but not which sign was where. Der)

Collingwood

Collingwood again

Also Collingwood (Vere Street, maybe?)

Collingwood yet again

Wattle Poultry, I reckon. Alexandra Parade,

I think near the corner of Wellington Street

This was Brunswick Street, Fitzroy North again

(Yes, my photos are out of order and I'm too lazy to re-order them)

Corner of York Street (obviously) and Brunswick Street -

the same building as the one above

W Parkin & Co Engineers, Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy

Independent Hall, also Fitzroy Street

Strath Knits, Manufacturers of Fashion Knitwear.

I think this was Collingwood too

* What I've been calling a two-in-one sign, other ghost sign hunters call a 'palimpsest', but I'm not sure I want to go there...

Gippsland glee - part II

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:32:00 +0000

We woke on the second day of our Gippsland getaway to blue skies and sunshine. We had a quick breakfast at the Venus Foodtrap (which proved better at word play than food and customer service), then hit the road to Walkerville.

Walkerville North and South are two tiny neighbouring villages on the picturesque Waratah Bay, accessible only by gravel road. They had their heyday in the early 20th century when lime was mined from the cliffs, bagged and shipped to Melbourne for use in the construction industry. Remnants of the lime kilns remain.

I don't know what this rock is called, but it looks like a piratey shoe.

(That's Wilson's Promontory in the background)

There's a tiny cemetery in the bush between Walkerville North and South. About 15 people were buried there. As I stood there in the sun, listening to the wind in the she-oaks, it struck me as a very peaceful final resting place, but also a lonely, melancholy one.

There was an information display at Walkerville South which included excerpts of the diary of a man employed in the lime works. I found the entries for 25-27 December amusing (click to enlarge).

(Bonus reflection of Luke and me)

Next we headed to Cape Liptrap.

On the way - Wilson's Prom in the background again

Cape Liptrap's old, but still functioning, lighthouse

We stopped for lunch in Sandy Point.

And then to nearby Shallow Inlet where we nearly drove into the water. We were following a road that led off the car parking area, but we came to an abrupt halt when we saw that it led into the water. At first we thought it was a boat launching ramp, but when saw this sign a bit later...

No parking

...we realised the road and surrounding area were submerged at high tide. There was kitesurfer on the inlet and when he stood in the water it didn't reach his waist.

And then we hit the road for home, driving inland via Leongatha which was really pretty with lots of lush green hills and valleys dotted with cows.

Gippsland glee - part I

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:50:00 +0000

So, our little getaway! We hit the road at about 9.00am on Friday and made our first stop for morning tea at Kilkunda, a small seaside town not far past the turn off to the tourist hotspot Phillip Island.

We ate at an overpriced café ($10 for 2 small pieces of fruit toast!) overlooking the gloomy grey ocean, and then went for a wander to the beach...where I had an accidental paddle in the sea. I was bending over writing in the sand, thinking I was out of reach of the water, but no. My sneakers, socks and the bottom of my cargo pants were saturated and sandy. Thankfully my pants dried quickly - I didn't have another pair - but I did have another pair of shoes. My socks spent the rest of the trip drying on the dashboard of the car.

My soggy state didn't deter me from taking photos of the lovely old trestle bridge that runs parallel to the the shore.

We stopped at Cape Paterson (ho-hum) before heading on to Shack Bay, a pretty little bay with a rock formation we thought looked like Australia rising out of - or sinking into - the ocean. It's called Eagle's Nest. A google search reveals we aren't the only people who see the resemblance to northern Australia.

Tiny snake - about the size of a big worm - beside the

steps down to the beach

Luke with big seaweed

Our next stop was our destination - Venus Bay. Before heading to our accommodation we did the rounds of the surf beaches, which are evocatively named Surf Beach 1, Surf Beach 2 and so on. It was very windy on the Bass Strait side of the narrow peninsula where Venus Bay is located, but a few hardy fisherman and paddlers braved the conditions.

Beachgoers in the mist

We checked into our cabin and then headed to the nearby Tarwin Lower pub for dinner. We stopped on the way to take photos of the sun setting over the Tarwin River.

Cow waiting for its close-up while Luke takes sunset shots

We both had a huge T-bone steak for dinner at the pub which has one of those set ups where you get a ticket with a number for your order and they announce it over the PA when your order is ready. We got a giggle out of the rather nasal voice of the announcer. "Nointy-noin. Your order is ready. Nointy-noin."

Then it was a back to our cabin where we were lulled to sleep by the sound of the surf and the wind in the trees.

Close encounters, the joy of reduplication and being helpful

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:10:00 +0000

My extra long weekend is drawing to a close, but it's been a good one. I've left it too late to write a post about our Gippsland adventure tonight, but I'll share a quick pic.

On a whim, we stopped at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne on the outskirts of Melbourne on our way home. The gardens feature large tracts of fairly untouched native bushland. At the start of a walking track there was a sign warning of snakes. I secretly thought, "Ooh, I hope we see one", and we did! It was sunning itself on the path and we got within about 1.5 metres of it. No, I wasn't scared.

I think it was a young brown snake (considered the second most venomous land snake in Australia). It stayed where it was for about 20 seconds, then turned and slithered into the undergrowth. A few metres along we saw a bandicoot, which at first I thought was a rat.

It calmly toddled off into the undergrowth after spotting us too. Hopefully it didn't encounter the nearby snake...or hopefully it did? A snake's gotta eat after all. Circle of life and all that.

I'll tell you about the rest of our trip soon - and post the photos from my ghost hunting excursion too.

In the meantime...

I finished reading Let's Bring Back...The Lost Language Edition last night. I didn't think many of the words and phrases really were lost, which is perhaps due to the author being American and me Australian, but I still enjoyed the book.

Other favourites:

* womblecropped - a state of wretchedness or humiliation

* wiffle-woffles - down in the dumps

I will now have to choose between mubblefubbles and wiffle-woffles next time I wish to convey that I'm in low spirits.

I've noticed while reading the book that I have a fondness for words created through reduplication - that is, words created by repeating parts of a word. There are three kinds of reduplication: rhyming (mubblefubbles), exact (bling-bling) and ablaut, in which the vowel is changed, such as in wiffle-woffles and more common words like zig-zag, ding-dong and wishy-washy. I'm not fussed about exact reduplication, but I do get a kick out of the rhyming and ablaut kinds. There are lists of all kinds here.

I knew there was a term for these word forms, but I couldn't remember it, so I asked google. Fortunately, 'words like willy nilly rhyming' produced the desired result.

Fat glee

I had a gleeful moment at the supermarket today. As I waited at the deli, a customer asked the deli worker if she had goose or duck fat. She didn't, but said there might be some in the meat section. I said I'd just seen duck fat in the butter section - coincidentally the first time I'd ever noticed it. It was obviously in my destiny to help a stranger acquire the fat of poultry today. The man thanked me and wandered off.

I passed him in the butter aisle looking for it, but it wasn't there. I said maybe it was in the meat section after all and I'd have a look. He said not to worry and wandered off again. The meat section was only in the next aisle, so I got it and gave it to him. He was very thankful.

A small thing, but it made me smile. Never let it be said that I would stand idly by and watch someone leave a shop without their duck fat.

Signarama

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:22:00 +0000

I had a long sleep in this morning, but I didn't go to the gym because I wasn't feeling energetic. I walked around the backstreets of inner suburbia for five hours hunting for ghost signs instead. A Twitter friend had told me about an old sign she passes on her way to work just off Queens Parade in Clifton Hill so I decided to walk there, seeing what other signs I could find along the way.

I was spoilt for both quantity and quality. I also found a teeny tiny house and lots of fantastic street art and other quirky things, but I'm too tired to post them all tonight (partly because I stayed up too late last night watching two fascinating documentaries on polygamy and the history of sex research).

I was going to show you the sign off Queens Road and the other awesome sign I found just a block away from it, but Blogger is being temperamental and won't allow it. Another time. I'm taking my weary body off to bed now then.

Venus Bay tomorrow!

Sharing the love

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:57:00 +0000

A friend who is visiting Melbourne in June (hello, Wendy!) asked me for tips on things to see and do here, apart from visiting the La Trobe reading room at the State Library. The dome is already at the top of their to-do list so of course I like the cut of their jibs. I recommended a bunch of things I thought would appeal to people for whom the dome is a must-see. I could have gone on and on, but it was late and I had to go to bed.

It was really fun thinking about all the things I love about Melbourne that I think others would also enjoy. Maybe I should become a tour guide? I would never* tire of traipsing around the city pointing out all the things that I love about it. Melbourne doesn't have Sydney's breathtaking natural beauty. It's very nice, but its true charms are less obvious. I'd get a real kick out of helping others discover what makes Melbourne great. (*OK, maybe it would be a bit tiresome on a wet winter's day.)

I now have four whole days off work. Wooh! Tomorrow I plan to sleep in and go to the gym and not much else. Then on Friday morning we're off to Venus Bay. The weather's actually going to be fairly decent too.

A woman at work I've never met before complimented me on my hair today. A few weeks ago a barrista asked me what brand of hair dye I use. I said I don't know because the hairdresser colours it, and she asked if I could ask next time I'm at the salon. It makes a nice change from people who look at me as if I have two heads!

I'm going to Sydney!

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:22:00 +0000

I'm off to Sydney to see the Inky Fool! Just booked my ticket and flights before. I contemplated staying Saturday night as well to see Cheryl Strayed (author of the memoir Wild and writer of the Dear Sugar advice column on The Rumpus), but the return fare for the Sunday was significantly more expensive, and I'm supposed to be saving money for a trip to the UK with Luke in August.

I'm still pretty excited about it though. I've never flown anywhere just for a day before. I must remember to take my copy of The Etymologicon with me in case I have an opportunity for Mark to sign it. (Incidentally, Mark doesn't look the way I imagined. I expected an older, fusty man, perhaps with a bit of ear hair, but no.)

Speaking of Cheryl Strayed, when I read Wild on my Christmas holidays, I made a note of a quote from it that resonated with me and reminded me of the George Bernard Shaw quote in the sidebar of Gleeful, but I forgot to mention it. Now seems like the time to do bring it up.

Wild recounts the story of Cheryl's physically and emotionally gruelling solo trek of more than 1,000 miles up the west coast of the US four years after the death of her mother and breakdown of her marriage. She was a novice hiker lugging a pack almost as heavy as herself on long distances nearly every day for months, in ill-fitting boots that caused painful blisters and the loss of several toenails. Add to that the risks of encountering big cats and strange men and dealing with extreme weather (including snow)... Anyway, she wrote:

"In the moments among my various agonies, I noticed the beauty that surrounded me, the wonder of things both small and large: the colour of a desert flower that brushed against me on the trail or the grand sweep of the sky as the sun faded over the mountains."

Life wasn't meant to be easy...but it can also be delightful.

Fancy some cow facts?

Someone I follow on Twitter tweeted a link to a story on the Top 10 facts about cows. My favourites:

In Moscow circuses cows have been trained to play football. Circus cows! Playing football!
A group of 10 or more cows is called a 'flink'.
In 1983, a Czechoslovakian was refused Swedish citizenship because of his dislike of cowbells, which showed he hadn't assimilated successfully despite living there for 14 years. The Swedish citizenship forms must be quite a read.

Ghost sign and word nerd glee

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:22:00 +0000

Walking home tonight

Remember the ghost sign seminar I went to last month? The one that I haven't got around to blogging about? Well, I finally sat down yesterday with my notes and googled some of the names that came up at the seminar.

The first speaker, Sam Roberts from the UK, started his talk by mentioning some of the pioneers of the ghost sign movement (I think I can call it a movement). One is William Stage, an American journalist, author and street photographer who published Ghost Signs: Brick Wall Signs in America in 1989.

Another is Frank H Jump, also American, who started photographing vintage signs in New York City in the late 1990s and maintains the Fading Ad Blog. Yesterday I liked the Fading Ad Facebook page and also followed Frank on Twitter. I mention all of this so I can tell you that he sent a request to follow me back and I'm a little bit chuffed. I'd better start tweeting more about my ghost sign finds.

I'm not going to write much else about the seminar now, but I've included a bunch of links if you want to find out more. I haven't had a good look at them yet myself.

Another gem from Let's Bring Back...The Lost Language Edition: quockerwodger, literally a marionette, but figuratively, a term for someone - a politician - whose strings are being pulled by someone else.

Ooh! I just remembered! The Inky Fool (author of The Etymologicon) is coming to Australia! Yay! But he's heading for Sydney for the Sydney Writer's Festival, not to Melbourne. Boo! I'm contemplating flying up there to see him at his Saturday afternoon gig. Return flights and the ticket would cost about $150... I think I'll sleep on it.

A day at the zoo

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 11:45:00 +0000

We went to the zoo today. Here is a video of young meerkats playfighting. I love the one that hastily exits stage right around the 23 second mark, then runs back into the fray.

(Note: that annoying voice isn't mine. Neither is.)

Basking

Snoozing

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

Sleeping cormorant

My, what long legs you have

An intimate moment
(yes, they really were doing it)

I'm not a pig! I'm a peccary!

Grazing

Now that's a furry tail (badly photographed)

Cosy, yummy, mubblefubbles

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:54:00 +0000

It's been a wintry day in Melbourne. The heating hasn't been turned back on in my building yet so I've been snuggled under a cashmere blanket on the couch to keep warm. It's very cosy.

I made a yummy chicken and vegetable curry for dinner and there's leftovers for my lunch tomorrow.

I'm still slowly working my way through Let's Bring Back...The Lost Language Edition. Next time I'm in low spirits, I shall describe myself as having a case of the mubblefubbles. Some other favourites:

Battyfanging - a thorough beating

Conflabberation - a hullabaloo

Kicksy-wicksy - restless

Lollpoop - lazy idler

Lumpshious - delicious

The bright side of the dark

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:17:00 +0000

I'm not sorry summer's over, but I am a little sad about the end of daylight savings. Walking home in the dark isn't all bad though. The sun was setting as I crossed Prince's Bridge and once it got dark, the lights of the city and the traffic on Brunton Avenue reflected on the black water of the Yarra.

After I took the photo above, a colony of bats flew over my head, silhouetted against the clouds, which were lit up by the city lights. (Incidentally, 'cloud' is another collective noun for bats.)

The end of daylight savings also means I get to see the city glowing during the late afternoon 'golden hour' from my office window.

I'm having yet another long weekend soon. The Anzac Day public holiday is on Thursday 25 April, and I'm taking the Friday off as well. Luke and I are heading to the seaside town of Venus Bay on Friday and staying the night (Luke works Sundays). I've never been there before. I'm looking forward taking in some coastal vistas.

I got an unexpected email from a woman I used to work with in my old old job (the one I left in 2010). We lost contact, but her email was a pleasant surprise. It made my day.

Local adventuring and ghost sign hunting

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:38:00 +0000

Luke and I did some exploring (aka ghost sign hunting) in our local area today. When we were stopped at the lights at the intersection of Dandenong Road and Chapel Street, I saw part of an old sign lurking on the side of The Astor Theatre.

I only had time to take this one photo. The word at the top has to be Thursday, and I'm guessing it was probably advertising a weekly event at the theatre...Maybe they had Thrifty Thursday back in the days when Tight Arse Tuesday would have been too vulgar?

We headed on to Elsternwick, and wandered along Carlisle Street. There were a few old signs.

Holt's Big Bargain Drapers

Self Service

It's a long way fromTexas...

Bike manufacturer Malvern Star was founded in Melbourne in 1902.

It's now New Zealand-owned, according to wikipedia

Sennitt's Ice Cream

We made a spur of the moment decision to visit Rippon Lea, the National Trust-listed mansion in Elsternwick. Neither of us had been before. It was built in 1868 and is the largest surviving 19th century suburban estate in Australia.

We had a furry companions as we walked up the path to the house.

Leafy

I like the lamps

The front entrance

Taken from the front steps

There's a little sun dial near the foot of the stairs which appeared to be the favourite hang out of a tiny spider not much bigger than a house fly. When I trained my camera lens on it, the spider assumed its aggressive stance...which was kind of cute. Sorry, spidey. You didn't scare me. When I passed the sun dial later on, the spider was still there.

In the fernery (supposedly the largest in the
Southern Hemisphere)

There was a garden full of dahlias and
some of the blooms were huge

Like peas in a pod

The lake

Synchronised duck diving

We didn't go into the house, in case you were wondering

We also visited the St Kilda Botanic Gardens, another first for both of us. They're quite pleasant.

Rainman

And then on Barkly Street in St Kilda we came across this milk bar - Jerry's - with fantastic ghost signs. Unfortunately, I didn't have the spare battery for my camera, so had to use my phone for these shots, so they aren't great.

The back of the building. Icy cold drinks on the right,

but I can't work out what the rest says

A closer view

I love this. Insist on Swallow and Ariell's biscuits and cakes.

Insist! It looks like it's been re-painted at some point

Oh, before Luke and I set off on our adventure, we had brunch on Chapel Street and bought some books at the Salvo's op shop. I got two books for $4 - Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness, which was first published in 1930. I'm interested to see if his views are still relevant 80 years later. The other is The Prodigal Tongue: dispatches from the future of English by Mark Abley.

Speaking of books about language, I'm very slowly making my way through Let's Bring Back...The Lost Language Edition and I found the word for canoodling I spotted when I was flicking through it in the bookshop. It's 'firkytoodle' - to cuddle or fondle. Hehe.

It's a girl, three kinds of fish, sunset

noreply@blogger.com (Jayne) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:27:00 +0000

Funny little car on Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds

I'm still playing blog catch-up, but at least I'm only a few days behind now. Luke's sister had her third baby on Friday - a little girl after two boys. Yay! We visited on Saturday afternoon. So tiny and cute and not at all happy about being woken up to have a bath. Luke has an adorably funny picture of her reaction, which he will no doubt bring out for her 21st birthday.

Luke wore his Planet Terror t-shirt on Saturday, which was April 6. When we were in the lift going up to the maternity ward I noticed the date at the bottom of the print.

After we left the hospital, we visited Middle Brighton Beach. It was a warm, sunny day. Our Indian summer isn't quite over yet.

Brighton's famous bathing boxes

They're a popular backdrop for wedding photos

Look at all these little fish!

There were thousands - probably tens of thousands - of them swimming in the shallows around the Middle Brighton Pier, flashing silver in the sun. They were mesmerising.

Jellyfish!

Starfish!

This starfish is far more laid back than Sassy Starfish.

The hazy city

The clouds rolled in, but it didn't rain where we were

After Brighton, we stopped in St Kilda, just before the sun set. It was a pearler.

Puffy cloud on the horizon opposite the sun

We had dinner on Acland Street, and then gelato...well, had gelato; Luke didn't because his belly was full with the giant chicken parmagiana he had for dinner. I had the coconut meringue and the caramel popcorn flavoured gelato from 7 Apples (yes, it actually had bits of popccorn in it). The popcorn was OK and the coconut was pleasant. My heart/stomach still belongs to Fritz Gelato.