Flashback

Life continues here in Melbourne. Andrew has been away in Brisbane on tour this week, so I've had our place to myself. My clothes are on the floor, and the dishes are unwashed.

The Australians like to talk about Febfast... that thing you do when you try and get back to healthy after all of the Christmas silly season indulgences. (Andrew and I both really love gelato...and there's a gelato shop five minutes walk from our house. True fact: we have not yet walked there. And seriously, why walk when you can have yummy gelato in your tummy 5 minutes sooner?!) So....I've decided it's a good opportunity to join in on Febfast and have a week of healthy, spartan living and a whole lot of exercise.

I'd rather not post a whole heap of sweaty, self-portraits of me puffed after running, so instead, I'll post some pics of a great party I attended in December. My friend Emma turned 30, and to celebrate, she invited some friends to join her for the night at the famous Pole House on the Great Ocean Road.

The pole house looks out over Fairhaven Beach, and it is a fantastical 70's delight inside! Cork and carpet walls, funky light fixtures and amazing wrap-around views.

Good weather helps make the pictures look impressive! It was really exciting, and we all felt a bit like rock stars to be partying at the pole house!

A Jesus Moment looking west from the balcony.

Reflections on School Year Startups

It doesn't matter whether you're in the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere, schools smell the same.

Outdoor views

Our new apartment is in a block of 7 units. We have two entrances: the one through the front door of the building, and the second through our courtyard/driveway. On the right there's a door through the gate? That's it.

Along the drive, there's an existing planting of roses, succulents and Bird of Paradise. We also have a little grassy patch with a space for outdoor dining.

Reflections on Moving

1. Moving over the course of several days does not make the process any easier.

2. Cleaning up as one moves out is the least fun activity in the world.

3. I have very strong negative feelings towards dirty venetian blinds.

4. Happiness is a vase of fresh flowers, a cold cider and air conditioning.

Yeah, I know the Director...

In addition to moving house this week, Andrew has been directing a development of a new Australian rock musical, RAWK. This piece is part of a showcase of 4 new musical theatre works called Carnegie 18.
While RAWK is kind of along the lines of musicals like Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Tommy, the other pieces are all very different: there's an Opera about Netball, a Cabaret piece and a very dark musical about infanticide ....Yes, I know. "!??!"(Beautiful music, heavy content).
I don't think Andrew would be offended if I said that my favorite piece is definitely CONTACT, the Netball opera.

Enjoy this clip of RAWK. 

And this one of CONTACT.

Moving to Fairfield

(Not Fairfield!)

Click on the link below to check out the apartment Andrew and I will be moving into on Monday! It's about a 5 minute drive from where I live now in Northcote.... Fairfield is the next suburb east, actually.

Our New Address: 2/178 Gillies Street, Fairfield, Victoria 3078

Meet Ava Dimitra Neill

I went down to Deans Marsh on Wednesday to visit Jasmina, Mat and their new baby girl, Ava.

She's a really good little girl, and she looks a lot like her daddy. She's got his ears, for sure.