A lot has happened in March, so in the style of others, I’m doing a month’s round up.
Culture:
I went to the ArtExpress featuring the graduating class of 2016’s artworks, which I shared a photo heavy post on.
I had a weekend in Melbourne with my mother. It was spectacularly sunny and warm the whole weekend – Melbourne’s not known for having consistent weather at all! We ventured to a new suburb to try a Barre Tone class with an instructor who I used to have teach me in Sydney. I’d forgotten what an intense work out she provided, and my mother enjoyed her first ever class. We scoured op shops, first out of necessity for Mum to buy some work out pants, but then for fun. She brought a great black and white dress and a multi colour rain coat. I settled for a polyster top for work (I’d NEVER buy polyester new, but for cheap and second hand, I’ll bend the rules). The main reason for the trip, however, was to see Book of Morman. Neither of us are musical fans, but we both loved it. It’s incredibly quick, punchy and completely irreverent. We went to a Saturday matinee which was blissful (we’re both sleepy heads). On Sunday, we met Fiona from Declutterer for breakfast at St Kilda. All three of us talked our heads off, helped that Mum is also a teacher.
The following week was no slower for first times and fun times. On Thursday evening, I braved a lot of traffic to see my very first drive in film, Beauty and the Beast. Having a car is a certain prerequisite I didn’t fulfill previously! On the Saturday night, I went with my brother to see some Aussie Hip Hop. The main act was Urthboy, but I’d almost saw I enjoyed the support act more, Joyride. Joyride just seemed to have a smoother sound and strong convinctions in his thoughts, and I couldn’t help but be a little starstruck.
Following all this, on Sunday, Lucinda met a less than shiny and bright me – yep, in a week, I met two long time blog readers and writers. We ate lunch at a cafe (as Lucinda thinks breakfast out is ridiculous, which I’d agree if I settled for avo on toast, but I clearly do not!) before heading to see a French film at the festival. It was a harrowing (true) story of Polish nuns, pregnant through rape, and the help of a younger French doctor.
Romance:
As with past months, I continued dating in March. I saw one guy three times – first for a drink. Due to wet weather, I decided to hail a cab rather than walk the relatively short walk to our meeting point. The same time a water main failed in a main city street. In the end, I escaped my sky rocketing taxi fare for a different pub, and he came and found me! I was quite impressed by his efforts, so we met for another drink the following week. He kindly drove me from the date to Newtown, where I met my parents and my brother and his girlfriend for her farewell dinner (she’s returning to the US). It was a fun night, my family were in great spirits for a weeknight! I was going planning to go to the drive in with the same fella but he got cold feet waiting for me to pick him up (due to heavy traffic – an emerging theme!) We ended up catching up the next evening, but things didn’t gel and have silently fizzled out since then!
Technically the 1st of April, I went on a first date at a very hip and local cafe (it’s closed when I drive by for work, but I read it’s tasty menu one evening walking) They churned us in and out quickly but it was tasty!
And earlier in the month I met for a post work drink in what ended up being a very smokey outdoor area. We’ve remained in contact and somewhat as friends, he’s a lawyer, so good at chatty banter!
Work:
Work has been revolutionary in the past week – they announced some rather unexpected and hard to stomach changes to my management line. Both my direct boss and his boss (also my mentor) are in a perilous position. My boss is told to await Easter, and they may find him a role. My mentor is finished and leaving the company at Easter. The last week of March was consumed with finding this out, then disseminating the information, and attending roadshows and talks from management. Right now, it doesn’t mean my job is in jeopardy, but blind freedy can see it will mean my role and those similar to mine will need to be rationalised evenutally, having see such a huge reduction in front line staff in the two years I’ve been in this role.
Buying
- Black with white patten polyster work shirt – second hand – Melbourne
- White knit dress – second hand – Oxford brand
- Grey cable knit pullover – second hand – Cotton On <- cheap brand, cheap fabric, but comfy
- Navy top with sequin detail collar – second hand – David Lawrence
- Silver cross necklace
- Blue and white zig zag patterned glass studs
- Bamboo straw
Read
I’m on GooodReads, but for a quick summary
- Generation Less: How Australia is Cheating the Young
- My Husband’s Wife
- Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
- The Year of Yes
currently reading
How was your March? Which was the best thing you watched or read?
How cool is it that you met both Fiona and Lucinda? I’m jealous 🙂 I am of the age that I have been to both drive-in movies and diners – both back in the day, and recent retro ones! You are doing well in your dating adventures, unafraid to meet new people – it seems you have struck a good balance between making things happen, and letting go when appropriate. I feel that you have added tons of value for your company and they would be foolish to rationalize you out, but if it happens, your skill set is formidable and a new employer would be lucky to obtain your services!
It’s been a great month – just gotta get to Canada to meet you!!
An older friend and colleague has remarked at my somewhat emotional maturity with this dating stuff – he’s known me long enough to see some really dark times where I’ve not been as capable.
I don’t know if my company would rationalise me, but I would rather be proactive than reactive, so it’s worth at least seeing what’s out there.
Sarah, it was so, so good to meet you! Weirdly, it makes me very frustrated with blogging because I’d just like to be able to sit over coffee or breakfast much more often! I really wish I could catch up IRL with both you and Lucinda much more easily.
What a great month…I am intrigued at the whole thing of the dating scene now, in a smart-phone world. Have been talking to some girls at work and it boggles my mind how different it is from my era, when we barely even had mobile (‘dumb’) phones!
I hope things are going well on the work front and look forward to more updates.
Lucinda and I have decided you must come visit – perhaps we need a blogger gal weekend together!!
Dating in the phone era can be strange – some people seem super responsive and others so disconnected. And at any time I vary on that spectrum too (depending on boredom/busyness).
I was less than shiny too – had a tiff with Mr S before I came out. Nothing important. Don’t even remember what it was about. It was lovely to meet you. You are more bursting in the flesh with such glowing skin.
Hope work is holding up and they are not piling more on you with upper levels going.
Work’s been strangely quiet – school holidays always sees a HUGE reduction in people in the offices and field, and it’s been calm with call out & weather. So that’s nice. But… yeah.. we’ll see what happens.
Haha – I’m sorry you’d had a tiff. Me and the flatty fight too, so similar but different.