Despite the next month of foodie posts would have you believe I don’t go out for dinner very often. Saturday just gone I went out for dinner with some friends. They are actually closer friends of a friend who couldn’t make it. So, I went out with a really lovely couple.
Anyway, my neighbourhood has an abundance of gourmet pizza places and burger places. Both exe Saturday night we did Italian pizza. A place called I’l Pizziaolo. Translation, the pizza maker. I did get better taking photos after the first course. In photos it went like this: going with other friends in a few weeks and one of those friends is more Wog than I am. He will cope.
Late Saturday night having already eaten what I refer to as my standard, standard Saturday wog lunch followed by more Italian for dinner. An ache in my side made me think for days, days! I had eaten too much food from the same food group. That being Wog.
Monday, I greeted my carer with the question, what’s in here? (Pointing to my side) Then questioning, kidney, liver? Which internal organ is so pissed off with me? Alas, I think I found another reason why I do not do chilli and pepper. It hurts my internal organs. Still going there again, just can’t eat the home made traditional Italian salamis.
Meanwhile, back to the present. Today’s offering is, a bolognaise arancini with side salad and medicine.
I think the punchline to the previous post is that despite eating dinner by 7pm, doing the classic dinner and a show, I was actually home by 11.30pm.
Despite being completely spent and everything hurt from the 4,500 steps I’d managed all past a time I’m normally committed to my couch, I couldn’t go to bed until 2am.
AND I WAS STILL AWAKE AT 4AM.
It takes me days to get over it. I don’t drink, so I really don’t understand the drinking/partying mentality. Where you are hungover the next day, or is this just getting old?
Well, this week has been so crazy! Let me tell you in photo form.
Monday! Osteo….
If we didn’t have churches great architectural features would be lost. Hope I get to the Notre-Dame one day! What? I might get there one day? I didn’t see the Sistine Chapel when I was in Rome back in 1994. It’s not even funny, but I always figured it meant I would go again. Right?
I digress, Tuesday, I provided the catering for an event for BIM the self-advocacy group I’m a part of. Basically, did the hunter/gathering, bought the cards, got everyone to write in them. Might get a little career being the buyer for people seeking cool birthday cards. Got an amazing cake for our lovely admin’s birthday! Here is a photo I got before it was almost gone! (#: Another reason Hellonwheels cannot do Insta)
Then, with many steps on my smart phone and minus any medicine. I was home, changed, make-up on and ready to be scooped up Foran event at the (wait for it) Government House Melbourne. It really is spectacular! The invite stated dinner and an upcoming post with better detail the issues with a dress code. But, in short, it’s a challenge for me to find something deemed ‘Appropriate You will see some pictures with me doing ‘Appropriate if you look closely.
Wednesday is looming as I write this. Another crazy day ahead and no sign I’ll get to Clifton Hill to my favourite cafe. No sign I’ll have lunch before this post goes live.
To be continued………………OK, I had lunch but it wasn’t photo-worthy.
A few times a year I am fortunate enough to be taken out for dinner. Monday after a rather long day it was once such lucky day. I was taken out by my Boo! (And his Boo!) well, he says he only has one Boo! Everyone says it with me now! ”aaaaawwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!”
Honestly, if I wasn’t lucky enough to have gay men in my life, I wouldn’t have any men in my life!
It is definitely easier to survive as a single barren spinster if you have some gay friends. We went to a Vietnamese place in Preston I was first introduced to around 15 years ago when it was so well respected it made the cover of the Age. That’s the Melbourne based newspaper and it didn’t make the cover of the Epicurian, the foodie magazine inserts, but the actual Age!
Doing Vietnamese must include vegetarian spring rolls wrapped in a lettuce leave with a mint leaf or two tightly wrapped inside before dunking in the dipping sauce. I also like the weird drink called three colour! It’s got kidney beans in the bottom, green jelly things and ice with coconut milk? It’s hard to tell but it’s nice.
The strangest and most important thing about going out for dinner with good food and even better company is I was actually home by 8pm! And with leftovers for tonight’s dinner! Again, no photos. My bad!
Here’s my second Bread and Butter pudding for the year! Oh, does it look exactly the same as the first pudding of the year? Yes, because it is, I forgot to take a photograph of that one also.
I actually had a day at home yesterday. Still dealing with this annoying cough from my cold and then I had a migraine!
So, needing a pain free easy day today at my favourite cafe for sure! Today’s offering is the Ortolani quiche with a side salad (Mediterranean vegetables) and my medicine
There are many times my disability has been embarrassing or humiliating. However, this is one of those occasions where I was standing in front of a large room of people with a microphone shoved into my hand and all I could think was – “FARRRRKKKK” (you will forgive me for that shortly)
Then I was thinking, rather swiftly I might add. “What just happened? Who did that? Where did they go? Help! Now what? How do I get myself out of this situation?”
Now, to back up a second, I will put this situation into perspective. I was in Bendigo a few years ago at the ABIAW (Again: Acquired Brain Injury Awareness) week event. I had travelled to Bendigo from Melbourne with my mum, who had driven three and half hours to get to Melbourne, so she could carpool others around also from the ABI Group in Melbourne, I was part of.
So, mum was there also and we shared a room in the hotel we all stayed at.
The first day was a long one, lack of sleep and we went to sessions and heard people speak, we mingled, we ate, we collectively drank bad coffee and the first night we gathered at a dinner to mingle and socialize.
Now, mum and I retired to our room, like many others for a break before we went to the location for the dinner. Needless to say, my mum and I are both on a different page when it comes to tiredness.
I like to be early to be on time. My mum is much more lenient and we are both very stubborn on this.
By the time we arrived, the people we knew there from our group in Melbourne were spread over two big tables and there were NO SPARE SEATS and no one had thought to save us any.
The guy upon entering, suggested we could join another table to make some friends or sit at another empty table on one side and that table would likely fill up soon enough.
I dubbed it the single ‘girls table’. Oh, hell why not?
Here’s where mum and I differ. I was completely okay sitting there out in the bitter lonely cold, but mum wanted to join another table. Soon enough a younger ‘normal’ woman joined us and I enquired if she was single or not.
Sometimes, I can be such a Nona. Nona’s very prone to want to match you up with someone’s son/nephew, whoever.
She claimed to be single (turns out that was a lie), she soon decided to find secure and encourage us to abandon our single girls table and join another table with conveniently three empty seats. This table was front and centre.
I had already had a comment about the man facilitating and Master of Ceremonies. While it wasn’t bordering on sexual harassment, it might have been a bit wrong.
“Let’s give single girl a name, Stacey and let’s call him Fred. Again, Fred gets such a bashing, doesn’t he? So, Stacey spoke to Fred and as she returned to her seat Fred came up to me and…
Wait… Deep breathe,
He announced to the room there were single ladies at the front table and were there any men looking?
Well, time to confess. I start this post Tuesday night before going to bed so I can get a head start on everything that happens Wednesday. I do much prep work every day so the following day or days runs to plan.
Remember that migraine I had a week ago? Yes? Still got it! My GP would normally give me a jab in the ass of Tremadol. I always joke I’ll have it in the left glute please since I don’t feel it as much. Tremadol is high up in the food-chain of opiates. An injection normally knocks me out within half an hour so I have to hurry up and get home to bed. Tuesday after a big day in the city I got home just before 5pm. I took a Tremadol tablet (slower acting) and went to bed. Got up at 7.30pm, having not slept and still with the migraine.
There is no God!
It’s much earlier than I normally tap this out on my iPad and I might be lucky if I make it to midnight and I have trouble getting to bed or sleep before 1am. Don’t see the point anyway, since the street cleaners come around from then on. I failed to mention last week I found that pine-orange mushrooms have finally come into season. As a family when I was a kid, we would go to the pine-Forrest’s an hour away from home to pick them around the Easter weekend when the season started.
So, to be fair tonight’s dinner will be a very simple fry-up of potato chips a capsicum and just a few of these mushrooms cut up like fat chips. So simple, so tasty and again, like the prickly pear I can’t describe what the pine orange mushrooms taste like. I can tell you they do give you slightly weird dreams but considering the antidepressants I’m on already gives me those, that doesn’t mean much.
People often comment that I seem to be ok(?) about my disability. I prompt to explain how they mean this? And they suggest I don’t seem depressed, I tell them I’m self-medicated. Then there’s the assumption I’m mean, I smoke pot. I have never so I explain I’m on just the right amount of antidepressants. I’m on a small dose enough to keep me emotionally even without disturbing my sleep too much. Because they can.
Did not get to have lunch today, despite going to bed by 11pm! (it was a miracle) I slept on and off all night. I still felt seedy so had a kip before coming out instead of lunch. Here is a photo instead of the pine orange mushrooms that will be part of tonight’s dinner.
Another weird week has passed! Finished three comics and felt a moment of joy at this until I saw an advert for a Comic Con, in the States. The advert stating “Coming in September in 2015!” Growl!
Went out for dinner Tuesday night with some friends. Damo and my Boo. More later on Damo, however my Boo is one of my lovely gay friends who takes us out every now and again for adventures. We went to a ‘Place’ for dinner, prompting me to give people a pop quiz.
What suburb was this place in and what food did they specialise in? It was called Coburger and Co. Hint: There is a suburb in the North of Melbourne called Coburg. This pop quiz really threw a few people and they live here.
It’s going to be a monthly adventure ongoing as it’s good to catch up with friends and have a laugh. My chicken burger with Kim chi set my mouth on Fire!
Wednesday for some crazy reason, I had a weird song in my head that I proceeded to share with Young John and Maria my Chiro who I’ve been seeing for over 12 years.
This song is a bit of an ear-worm so it quickly prompted her to thank me because she couldn’t get it out of her head either. Your welcome! Try the link at the bottom for a taste of Aussie/wog culture from the 80’s! As I prompted Young John….feel free to join in!
This week I decided to call my father. I only see him once a year. The only time I speak to him is if and when I call him. I attempted to express how much I needed his help. How I’ve spent money on new pants in time for winter ($24). How often I do my laundry so I can utilise my warmest tops. I even attempted to express how my fur-baby had been good for my mental health. Let me just say I used to be much better at guilting my father into helping me, because it would seem that’s my role in our family. I will also say it was half an hour of my life I will never get back!
Thought I would have a nice Thursday at home, but while I was at home I instead spent the afternoon chasing up services that didn’t just happen. Really wish my service providers would get their shit together to do their jobs.
Friday morning, I had a visit from a vampire. Taking my blood for a barrage of tests. Said vampire asked when I would see my GP again? It’s ok, if there’s anything noteworthy he will call me. Just checking up on the iron levels and such and the crazy lady hormones.
Not sure if I’ve expressed sufficiently how cold my home is in winter or the cheek I have with my carers however, Friday I gave my carer the Coo-Wee! That signalled I was ready for her help in the bathroom and after a deafening silence I heard the doorbell. Not uncommon however Aunty Christine was in the house this day and she has been one of my regulars for over 4 years. So, only able to throw a towel over one shoulder I padded bare ass naked really to the front door to let her back in. Steam coming off my very warm body and prompting Aunty Christine that she was not yet ready for her apprenticeship to be done.
Come a September I lose these carers I’ve had for the longest. I don’t have any new girls who I imagine will take their place.
Had an extra visit to my favourite cafe with my Friday afternoon carer so that was nice. Home again and smashed out a large slow cooker batch of minestrone the yield was about 8 Passatta bottles (300mls each). It’s always nice to gift someone a bottle of soup in winter when they have done something nice for me. I’m such a Nonna. (BT Dubs, that’s an Italian Grandmother!) I now need to offload half of the minestrone so I can make a batch of bolognaise sauce. Have I mentioned I don’t know how to cook for just one?
Now, despite my best efforts at times at avoiding lifting my slow cooker there are times carers don’t turn up or I can’t find someone to lift the very heavy ceramic bowl up onto the bench or to the sink to soak before washing etc. I imagine I lifted it about five times, which is about half the amount of times it moved in order for me to use it and empty every last drop of the minestrone soup from it. I shouldn’t lift it at all obviously so I do love when I have a carer my age who complains about how heavy it is. I nip their cries in the bud quickly stating “Tell me about it. I moved it one-handed!”
I don’t make a habit of lifting heavy things one handed anymore as I think I can blame doing this for my disc-bulge surgery back in 2011. There are times now when I forget how long that year was getting diagnosed, suitably medicated and eventually surgery on 11/11/11, when I get some stabbing sensation in my lower back and I realise I’ve got to stop lifting heavy things and I’m really not ready for another year existing only by spending all my time lying on my bed.
Single girl date night I watched Trainspotting 2, the sequel to the 90’s film Trainspotting. Not as shocking as the first but a 20-year reunion to see what happened to these characters.
Meanwhile, another week passes and a nice busy week coming. Winter in Melbourne and wet. Super!
Should mention the best way to survive winter in Melbourne is layers, layers and layers. Oh, wool jacket, umbrella and great coffee! Handy hint if coming to town! I’ve been wearing wool under my jackets for months, I can only go one further by wearing my long-sleeved wool jacket under my heavier jacket. It’s already next Level.
The only upside is the very brilliant TV series filmed in Melbourne called Offspring has returned. If you have the opportunity watch it!
I think I have a problem. I cannot single-task! It’s impossible. No matter how I try, I end up pausing something I’m watching on TV to go to my laptop and do a Google search. All while I write “pen to paper” for my blog, check emails on my iPad and text!
And it’s now 8pm and I’m yet to make dinner.
Guess the muffin’s I planned to make can wait.
Next!
Oh! Wait! Forgot the most important thing I was doing. It was Jamima’s bed! And she went from sleeping beauty to attack cat! And I have the scars to prove it.
Okay, here’s a picture of my dinner! Let’s start with that.
Please be mindful, while it looks huge, it’s full of salad. I’m a big multi-tasker, especially in the kitchen.
Sometimes, I set several things out of the fridge and prepare (chop, peel etc) for days in advance, so some parts of meals I can add to other meals up to a week later.
Here’s what I had for dinner tonight.
Lettuce, cucumber and carrot (both peeled) salad with dressing of salt, oregano, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, 3 veg stir-fry (usually had with BBQ chicken) Moroccan cous cous salad (yes bought that) and finished with BBQ chicken chopped up and fried lightly with Portuguese chicken spices and a small serve of BBQ chicken stuffing, heated.
Melbourne
Hell onWheels/Life One Handed 