Best things (AM)

Today, I just wanted to talk about something I really love. 

Guys! Just because it is my Bluriversary today doesn't mean I'm going to go on about how great it was to see them a year ago or how much I love them or Damon. Give me some credit. Sheesh.

No, today I want to talk about ice cream. I don't know when I started loving ice cream so much, but I just love it. I feel like I know it well and understand it and if I could dedicate more time and effort to it I could do something really special. Has my early days working in an ice cream shop got something to do with it? I don't know. 

Where does the magic of ice cream lie? Is it the way it is both creamy and refreshing? The way you can pretty much make it any flavour and it will probably work. The way you can add it to cake or biscuits and both ice cream and companion are transformed into something better? The way it works with a warm pie?!? A warm anything! ICE CREAM GUYS!

According to Wikipedia, in Ancient Greece Hippocrates recommended people to "eat ice as it livens the lifejuices and increases the wellbeing." I think that by extension he would have said the same about ice cream right. And he's the father of western medicine. Or something. 

I feel like if I could spend my life getting to know ice cream better me and the world would be better off. I just want a lab and some testers and some ingredients and some time. And to try all the ice cream related things I've invented in my head. And then to share them with the world. And to have something better to do with the egg whites than make meringues. And to see Blur again. 

Once around the sun (PM)

Geez, I can't believe KB has been here a whole year. They grow up so fast.

You know what this means? One year ago K was having to come to terms with the fact she wouldn't get to see Blur. And in a week it will be one year since I saw Blur. God, what a special week June 21-28 was last year. Truly one of the greats!

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Truth be told I love Blur and by that I mean Ugg boots. And Blur.  But I'm constantly struggling with my love for shoe-free living and my love for Ugg. I didn't opt for expensive carpet and underlay just so I couldn't feel it underfoot for 6 months of the year. And yet I didn't opt for expensive Uggs just so I couldn't wear them for 12 months of the year.

I actually need a new pair of Ugg boots. Or at least new lining. Is that possible? In many ways, my Ugg boots are fine, just a little worn, but the lining in one boot is totally shot out. It's all bunched up and wackadoo and kind of gives me nightmares because they have been this way for two years and I wore them this way when I was in labour with Newbie and paced that hospital room for twelve hours, even after I thought I had no distance left to run, many of those hours were was in those boots. The day after he was born my foot was so tender from pacing on that bunched up lining that I couldn't wear those boots for days and the pain stayed with me for at least a week. And given that I had just given birth the fact the foot pain even registered is pretty remarkable.

Nevertheless I love Ugg boots and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to buy a new pair. But, girls & boys, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in an adult bootie. Though I don't think I'll use that phrase again because it conjures up the idea of adult diapers, which always makes me think of that astronaut lady that drove across America to kill her ex-astronut lover's lover. Or something.

Anyway, I'm out of time. Have a great weekend y'all. (I know it's Thursday, but I could use a break already.)

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Last winter, I stopped by J's house for a cup of tea one afternoon. I suspect it was during the brief period of time between when I'd finished work, but KB had not yet arrived and therefore the dream of seeing Blur was still alive. Not that that has anything to do with what I'm saying now, but it's as useful a way as any of marking time. Anyway, back to J's place. It was a cold winter's day, and we were sitting in her warm living room enjoying coffee and tv and trying hard to stay warm. J's living room is cosy, but you know what it's like in winter without central heating. As soon as you step into the corridor you're freezing you're beetlebum off. When J was walking me out she was clearly uncomfortable and lamented the fact that she was only wearing socks. "They're thick, woolly socks but it's not enough to keep you warm. Socks are not enough". She said it casually enough but we both realized she had touched on something that we have all tried to deny. When it comes to warm feet in winter, socks are not enough. 

The trouble with this is that ever since I went to my first Scandinavian country I've preferred going shoeless in the house. It just seems like one of those things the Scandanavians have got a better handle on than us, like interior design, lighting and the use of cardamom. It feels like it encourages a feeling of warmth and cosines in the the house, and in those countries where they know about heating, it really does. But of course in winter in Melbourne it is the opposite of that.

That's where the ugg boot comes in and Damon knows we at MSC love an ugg boot. But the truth is, sometimes I don't want to be wearing ugg boots either. The ugg boot is basically an incredibly warm and comfortable shoe. It's got a hard bottom and when you curl up on the couch in your uggies it doesn't matter that they are warm and comfortable, you're basically wearing shoes on the couch. 

So what the eff are we supposed to do, readers? Go shod or go cold? There has to be a better way. 

The end. 

Just jokes! Of course there's a better way and I've found it and I'm going to tell you about it. 

It's the Bonds women's knit bootie and it rules. You slip them on over your socks and kablammo, your feet are warm as toast. They warmth of ugg boots and the comfort of socks.

Obviously I never intended to buy an adult bootie, and I wasn't proud of myself for doing it. But I never intended the buy the vegetti either but I did and now I have zoodles for dinner once a week. The results of adult booties speak for themselves. What are you waiting for, readers? 

Remember the time (PM)

I just googled 'blur dancing' and this is what I got.

Not my first preference but oh well. 

I like how the black bit kind of looks like a K.

2015 ends (AM)

It is Christmas week! God, can you believe it?! Where does the time go, am I right?! Well, who the fuck knows. What I do know is that it's Christmas on Friday and today is the last day of Miss Soft Crab for the year. Sisters need a rest, yo! So to mark the passing of another year K and I asked each other a few questions. I answer some now and K will be back this afternoon to answer more. Merry everything friends!

What was the highlight of your year? 
Geez, what a question. On the whole I've had a pretty good time in 2015. Not all years are gooduns but this one was. I just did a super quick scroll through all my photos from the year and can confirm this. We had a great trip to the snow, another great one up the coast and generally some good times. But the true highlights really come down to this:

• The ever changing and continuing awesomeness of my children! A 5-year-old is great. Mine says wonderful things and learns new stuff all the time and shares them with me and is a goddamn joy. The other day I asked him what was the best thing that happened at kinder and he said "Smiling with Felix."!!! And a 21-month-old is probably at one of the cutest ages a kid can be at. Mine has a new found love for summer fruits, all of which he identifies as apricots, though he can not say such a complicated word and is only able to call them "cock" and he demands them all through the day.

• Meeting KB! It's rad when your friends have babies and another baby in the Soft Crab family! It's the best. Plus that kid is so goddamn cute.

• Blur. But I'll get to that.

What was the best/most memorable thing you ate or saw or thought about?
Look, K had a baby a week before Blur played in Melbourne. She has a baby now and that is the best. But she also had to miss Blur, so I feel a little bad going on about it, but seeing Blur is the best, most memorable thing I saw and thought about in 2015. And one of the best and most memorable things I've done in my lifetime. For the last two years the MSC end of year roundup was marked by a Most Five and Blur made it into both of mine. Natch they are here now when I finally got to see them. They were so great live, seeing them like that really was awesome. So hot. And their music, I mean shit you guys, their songs are so fucking good.  After seeing Prince I didn't think any live music experience could touch me so deeply but Blur were really, really special.

But I ate a really memorable thing too, it was the plum and green tea soft serve at Supernormal pictured above. It looked festive and that plum ice-cream was effing delicious. I had it when K and I celebrated Mate's Christmas before she went overseas. We got to spend whole hours together eating and drinking and shopping before rushing home to our progeny. It was a lovely day. But that plum ice cream...

What are you looking forward to in 2016?
More Blur. Just jokes. The only Blur I'll be getting will be on my  iPod. Ha! Do people still have iPods? I'm actually quite excited about 2016, basically because I'm planning on working entirely freelance. It's kind of exciting. I have some work lined up but need to pursue some too. Who knows exactly what I'll be doing but I feel like I'll be doing some new stuff. This is the best kind of year I'm my mind, the kind where you don't know what it holds because you know you are going to change something big. I can't wait.

I'm also looking pretty forward to wearing the white jeans I bought recently. Who knows if I can pull them off? But I look forward to the challenge and to looking fucking crisp this summer!

If you won $1000 on a scratchie, what would you spend it on?
Easy. Some art. Probably a photo. Very possibly this one by Tom Blachford.

I love photos and large ones and I have so many white walls and I think about buying art all the time. In particular I like this photo because it kind of looks like a hot night but the pool looks cooling and I guess after the weather of the weekend I want some kind of cooling image in my house. A thousand dollars, you may as well just spend it straight away, right?


Would you rather...the other Hemsworth or the other Affleck (Ben, of course)?

Ben Affleck in a Hemsworth sandwich. Let's just say it's lucky the Would You Rather didn't include sandwiches.

In 2008 I went on a European road trip with my mum and dad and Chickpea and Russeth. Because we spent a fair amount of time in  the car we played quite a lot of Would You Rather. And because we were driving through Germany and Poland and Tom Cruise had just made the film Valkyrie a lot of the scenarios were centred around Hitler and concentration camps in competition with Tom Cruise. Like, "Would you rather have sex with Hitler or live with Tom Cruise for a year?" These were pretty complex questions, but the upshot of the experience is that I really learned to know myself when it comes to Would You Rather. So I can tell you with absolute certainty I would definitely rather Ben Affleck. I do not find the other Hemsworth attractive at all, I have nothing for him and no emotional attachment. Ben Affleck, on the other hand, may go through some pretty repulsive phases, like that entire relationship with J.Lo, but I guess he has a certain something. Especially when he has a beard. Plus I guess I liked him in my youth, so Affleck, all the way.

Oh! Damon what are you doing here? 

PS. After posting this I started thinking of other great things. I just want to add that Tony Abbott being deposed was pretty great and if I'd been more prepared I would have included a video for the Blur song Ong Ong. Feel good track of the year and one of many highlights of the show. Go listen to it!

Back to basics (PM)

Oh god! I have so much to say on this matter. I mean, hair! Is there anything that elicits a more passionate response from me? Pretty much no. Unless we are talking about hunks. Then yes! Or that Blur concert I went to during the hiatus. Which it pains me (but probably K more) to say that although feeling like our whole lives, and more intensely the last 2 years, had been building to a point of seeing Blur together, K had to miss it because of aforementioned baby. And that concert was pretty much everything I’d hoped for and maybe even more. I guess for K though her life and more intensely the last 2 years have also been building to having a baby, so I guess it’s ok. 

Anyway, I really digress.

So geez, where to begin? One problem is that another thing I did over the hiatus was go back to my office job. And that is where I am right now, so will I be able to get down on epaper all the things I want to on this topic? Probably not. God, where do I begin?!  K’s post brought up so much for me!

A couple of months ago I moved from a fringeless style to a fringe style. That is I decided one day I wanted a fringe and I thought about booking a cut and when I could do it and then I just walked into the bathroom and cut myself a fringe. I have to say it was the best thing I’d done in ages. Hair-wise. It really liberated me from my perceived need for a hairdresser. It looked pretty good and it would grow out anyway and I didn’t spend bulk cash on it. I am pretty committed to the self-cut right now, though that may change when I need a more substantial cut. Interestingly though, I’ve been pretty happy with my hair lately. By my standards, which is to say I don’t hate it as much as usual and some days I even feel happy with it. And last weekend I even got a complement on it, so I’m in a pretty good place. That may be because I’m essentially on the Semi-Scrubs Program, which I really see as more of a Hippy Scrubs Program, but I’ll talk more about that another day.

Another part of this may be the fact that cutting a fringe into a hairstyle suffering from a post-pregnancy wispy halo has meant that those stupid wispies are suppressed under my fringe which has really helped I think.

But finally, I think I may have reached a new level of maturity on this. When I walked into the bathroom a couple of months ago to cut my fringe I had this really zen feeling that whatever happened, I could always change my hair. If the cut sucked I could cut all my hair off or wait for it to grow out. Hair changes and maybe you can embrace that and let it guide you through new cuts. When I look at photos from a holiday 2 years ago when I had a short bob I think I look pretty cute. I don’t have to stick to the program, and neither do you! Any of you! Don’t be afraid to challenge your hair, Mate, or accept the challenge it gives you. You can always change your hair!

The Most Five (AM)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: how the hell does the space-time continuum work? Let me also say that I am dying a little bit inside because I used a hyphen in 'space-time continuum' because my laptop has died and I don't know how to do an en-dash on the iPad. In fact by the end of this post I will probably be completely dead inside because this is my last post for the year and the formatting is going to be completely wackadoo because Blogger and Apple can't seem to get together to make an easy blogging platform with nice formatting. Sorry, what I was saying is how the hell when you're a kid a year goes so slow and when you're an adult it seems to take about 15 minutes. I mean this time in two weeks its going to be 2015. Say what?!? So let's take a look back at the year that was with my Most Five List. Some bests, some worsts, all the mosts.

1. Blur. Not exactly, but I was just looking at last year's Most Five List and number one was Blur. The pleasure of buying tickets to see them, the pain of them cancelling their Big Day Out show and the fear I'd never get to see them. Well I still haven't, but given I just saw Damon play last week, which was absolutely a highlight of the year I thought, what the hell, Blur can top my Most 5 List. I loved the shit out of Damon's gig and I'd be happy if Blur could make it on my list for wonderful reasons every year. #hereshoping While we are on the rock and roll I don't want to forget how much I loved Bruce all the way back in February. I guess I don't get out much.

2. Newbie meets Baby. Obviously even more exciting that Damon was the arrival of Newbie. This kid is out of sight adorable. I mean, Baby was and is effing cute and it was hard to imagine meeting a kid quite as nice, but Newbie fits the bill! That smiley little head, his ability to develop just like a baby should. I effing love this kid and Baby is a pretty great big bro too. It's real nice having a little family of awesome dudes. But it's not all beer an skittles. Although a healthy little chubber now, Newbie wasn't always so healthy, it was stressful yo and definitely the source of some of this year's bests and worsts. Not to take away from Baby, that kid started kinder this year and is so goddamn delightful to watch continue to grow. I love these guys!!!   

3. Moving house. There were lots of great things about living at my Mum and Dad's house for 3 years: the views, the extra adult companionship when LB was away, the easy-access babysitting, but moving into our own (rental) house has really been great. The space is so nice, the white walls, all our books out of boxes and on shelves. Finally I'm starting to shed the feeling of regression, finally the feeling of inertia is leaving.  

4. Simple pleasures. One of the plus sides of being a stay-at-home mother that spends 70% of her time with people under 5 is that it does not take a lot to make me happy. Like I said before I really do not get out a lot, especially sans bebes and when I do I feel like I'm the luckiest person alive. A couple of months ago I was at Leglsly and Miguel's for dinner, there were a few other peeps there and it was very impromptu and we ate Lebanese pizza and my children were at home and I just felt so goddamn great. When other people have demands on all your time, any time alone or with a friend is really the dreamiest, and it's pretty great finding joy in such a simple thing. 

5. New steps, new steps. Ballet, yeah, that's been fun but doing something new has been great too. Here's to more of that!!

Hey, everyone, have a really great holiday period and new year, I can't wait to see you on here on the flipside!