Dec 18 - Change in Transportation

Extra Dark Lindor Ball

"From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it."
- Katharine Whitehorn

  I caught the bus to work today.  I was up and on the bus by 7:15am.  Just goes to show I can actually get my bum out of bed if I really have to.  It was actually kind of relaxing not having to face traffic.  I was going to get off the bus at the corner of Canterbury Road and Springvale Road then walk down to the centre.  That would then have involved about an 800m walk down a steepish hill and then back up again.  I decided against that.
  My alternate plan, since I had time, saw me get off the bus about three stops early.  I walked in via the back streets instead.  A longer walk, almost two kilometres, but prettier and less change in the gradient overall.  A peaceful shady suburban morning walk.  It made a nice change.

  I got to relax and take in my surroundings.  I spotted a few galahs taking in the lovely morning (not too hot, not too cool).  The only thing I would change if I did it again would be my shoes.  It turns out flat shoes start to rub on the soles of your feet after about half a kilometre.  They are also rather prone to accumulating little stones and grass seeds.  By the time I made it to work I was rather grateful to be able to kick them off under my desk for a bit.  Sneakers or boots next time I think!
  And what was the reason for so radical a change?  Well it was Mr Smart's idea actually.  I was musing on Wednesday night and beginning to wonder if in fact my car might be a little on the small side for transporting four adults, two large suitcases and presumably carry on luggage as well.  I was humming and harring about it with Mr Smart earlier in the week when he suggested I catch public transport to work on Tuesday, get a ride with a work colleague to his place, have dinner and then take his big car home!  Brilliant.  It was a plan that took care of all the loose ends and meant each car ended up being where it needed to be.  There was only one requirement, I needed to bring dinner with me. Easy!

  I had Captain Cupcake visit for lunch today.  It gave us a chance to catch up and swap Christmas pressies.  Look what she got me!!  A brick mouse!  She's a lady who knows her target audience.  Squee!  We had a fun catch up and I got to relive memories of Tasmania.  I'm rather fond of thinking on it though it already seems far too long ago.  After lunch we popped quickly into Dimmeys as I needed thread bobbins for one of the craft projects to be finished tomorrow, then to the fish shop and Coles for dinner ingredients.  It was a lovely lunch even if it ran a smidge too long.
  It's getting closer and closer to Christmas and you can feel it in the office.  Everyone is getting that little bit more excited and a little bit more relaxed in anticipation of the upcoming break.  I'm definitely looking forward to it!  I always get excited about Christmas and of course it's also only ONE SLEEP until Gub and the Cambridge Rower arrive!!
  My offsider very kindly agreed to drop me at Mr Smart's place tonight.  We talked away the trip, suffering through the slow Manningham Road/Bell Street sections.  She went a different way to what I normally would though which was good because I got to increase my options for the next time I need to make the trip.  It was a favour definitely appreciated.  Thank you my dear offsider, I hope I can return the favour sometime soon.
  When I walked in I was greeted first by Pizza Cat and Mr Smart Snr.  Mr Smart himself had been having a bit of a lazy day, lucky thing, and was resting peacefully in bed.  It took a fair bit of clunking around in the kitchen to convince him to come out and join me.  He fried up the fish while I got the plates and sides ready.  Tonight's fish, Orange Roughy seems to fall apart a bit more easily during cooking than the Red Snapper does so it was a tough job getting them out of the pan in one piece but Mr Smart managed as best he could.  It tasted delicious.
  During dinner we watched the tail end of Gordon Ramsay's Christmas Special.  In it he made a divine looking large shareable Beef Wellington (among many other divine looking things).  Click here to see the recipe however, it being Christmas he also added some chestnuts into the mushrooms mixture too.  It looked really really yummy and not too complicated.  I found myself muttering "I could make that" and Mr Smart grinned and nodded his head toward the kitchen, "Off you go then".  One day I will.
  After dinner we switched to a combination of Doctor Who and Star Trek TNG and Mr Smart poured us both a Baileys on ice.  Very relaxing, sipping away in front of eagerly watched sci-fi.  It was a warm night so the ice-cold Baileys was also a little refreshing.  I made sure I stayed long enough for the alcohol in the Baileys to get processed out of my system before I jumped in Mr Smart's beast of a car and drove cautiously home.  Both the car and I made it home in one piece.

  Today's food and exercise were:

• Exercise was a 25 minute walk to work from the bus stop (about 1.9km).
• Breakfast was a Cheesymite Scroll from Baker's Delight.
• Morning Snack was 36g Assorted Lindor Balls (one each of white, milk, dark), a gift from a colleague.
  
• Lunch was a Turkey Reuben sandwich with fries and a lemon, lime and bitters at TGI Fridays Forest Hill.
• Dinner was a floured and pan-fried Orange Roughy fillet with sides of mashed potato and Asian-style noodle salad followed by two yellow-flesh nectarines.
• Dessert was a Baileys over ice.
• Today's advent calendar Lindor Ball was extra dark; a 60% Cocoa shell with a dark chocolate filling.

  
  Still a mountain of housework to be done of course, and I'll see to what I can tomorrow evening between finishing work and leaving to collect people from the airport!  So excited.  It was especially exciting to look at my phone when I got home to see a text message from Gub received at 8:34pm "All going according to plan this end - just boarding now.  See you all soon.  Love you! Xxx"  Well she won't see this until she gets off at this end I expect but love you too Gub!!  Now off to bed, I need to be at work early so I can leave early!  Good night!
  Jess