[relunctantly] returned

Just spent a week in Adelaide... at Doris and Bill's sexy house on Henley Beach. Just perfect, and didn't really want to leave the sparkling sunshine to come home. Every morning, you wake up to waves and at night, the sun sinks below the beach in front of you. Perfect.



So we had an absolute blast. Caught up with Melbourne expat Tomas` who is hiding out in the sleepy city, and who took us out for the biggest oyster and cheese platter known to man. Then up to the appropriately named 'Mount Lofty' for a view over the city [and an ice block].



On a stinky 40+ day we caught a coach out to A Day on the Green to see Serena Ryder, Missy Higgins, Lior and the Whitlams. Of course, the coach blew a tire so six of us jumped ship and joined another [where the aircon wan't working].



These slightly comedic errors seem to follow Kharen around... but we finally get there. At Annie's Lane winery, we sat under olive trees and ate woodifre pizza... and of course, listened in. We sat behind rude rude people who spent more time arranging their chairs, prams, buckets of chicken, rugs, tents, bottles of wine and children than they did enjoying the day. Crazy people. But we did meet some lovely [very drunk] kids to dance with...



Also took a wine tour out to the Barossa Valley... sampled wine of every colour, sparkling, sweet... you name it. Got a little tispy. While we were waiting for the minibus we bumped into the ENTIRE Australian cricket team. I giggled like a fifteen year old [couldn't help it] but it was pretty cool. Check me out, starstruck teenager right here.



So it was a week spent on the beach, wandering vinatge and record stores in adelaide with dori, eating dhal at a brilliant vege place run by 'robed people' and waiting half an hour for the best vietnamese i've ever eaten.

Came back... went to big day out where i managed to randomly bump into scotland at the magic numbers. they - and the white stripes - just rocked. i was so far up the back for franz, but they still managed to get the crowd jumping with a slightly odd set that started off blistering then knid of petered out.

Much like this post, I suspect.

a birthday a week...

So many january babies!

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear daniel
Happy birthday to you

How old are you now?
How old are you now?
How old are you daniel?
How old are you now?

[dan sings]

"I'm twenty-two today
I'm twenty-two today
I'm twenty-two dear family/friends/whoever
I'm twenty-two today"

hip hip hooray
hip hip hooray
hip hip hooray

blow out your candles... make a wish... cut your cake... if the knife comes out dirty you have to kiss the nearest girl... ooh, girl germs. gross.

North Melbourne treasure hunt

My brilliant mate ay has been on the hunt in north melbourne, seeking blank lavender billboards.

Isn't it lucky when you just happen to have your paintbrush in your pocket!



To win the treasure hunt mystery prize [which may or may not be a chupa chup, your choice of flavour], simply find the billboard, snap the angels and send me the pic.

Hurry before the council comes along and cleans up.

And of course, happiest of birthdays to my beautiful best mate. Hope you have a great 22nd year... oh hold on, what about the year before you were one? Damn, I've mucked that up again.

where have you been?

Yes, it's been a month. Sometimes I think that Christmas is over-rated... the excessive amounts of food, the stress to make everything perfect perfect perfect all the time...

After working full time all though December, then spending the last two weeks in Sydney - I'm appreciating my bed, my books, my own shower, my space. I do love Sydney's flashiness, her buzz and beauty and the care she takes with her appearance. I love wandering the QVB, the Strand Arcade, the little shops around Bondi and the ice cream near Manly. But I miss Melbourne's relaxed mood, her earthiness and funkiness and her music. It's nice to be home.

A few quick, blurry mobile-camera images of the last month...



Here's Cait and I [up] and Cait and George [down] at the St Jerome's Carpark Festival, here in Melb CBD. Was a brilliant day - scorching hot, but in a great space in the golden square carpark. Sons and Daughters were high, dirty and fantastic, and the Avalanches DJ set was blistering, full of breakdancers and men in odd costumes.



OK - Terrigal Beach, up on Sydney's north coast, on Boxing Day. Early early - spent the day on the beach, sunshine, crosswords, a shark alarm, iron-man races and a chicken burger and chips.



Right - my crazy little cousin Nicole, giving me her best 'I'm a sexy model'... she's about six.



Moving right along here... New Years Eve we had a BBQ, ate about five kilos of fresh prawns, drank a bottle of very fine tequila and another of gin, did some crazy karaoke...

Then NYDay it was the feelgood festival at luna park, right under the harbour bridge pylon at sydney harbour... Cait and Karen came to stay in Sydney for a bit, and we took my cousin Emma along to see Ember Swift, Lior, Ozomatli, The Beautiful Girls - it was 44deg that day, scorching, so we skipped boring Pete Murray and went for a midnight swim instead.











And that was how I spent the trip - music, sunshine, beaches and way too much very very good food.

Hope yours was fun family friends and all else that you treasure.