I've been in a reflective mood lately, counting my blessings and appreciating the space I find myself in. The space in all it's dimensions. Take today, well it started last evening after yoga. Samantha and I have bought a table at the Gangsters Ball next month and preparations have begun. Like getting a costume to wear. We Internet shopped last week and they arrived yesterday. The giggles started as we checked them out at work, we are beginning to get a little bit of a reputation there for enjoying ourselves fully.
Try ons followed dinner, hilariously the costumes all fitted. Skimpy and not covering enough but fitted us both. There will be no photos of that experience, suffice to say there was riotous laughter as the corset ribbons were tightened, the tulle arranged, shoes added. We both loved the sailor outfit most of all, we need a second one. My sparkly heeled, high high heeled, blue satin shoes worked perfectly. The pics shared today caused more work hilarity. Apparently we are the funny ones, good thing is we now have some colleagues keen to come to the ball too.
It's been a while since I've been where there is a ball season and I'm slightly regretting giving away my gold dress and some of those shoes. The gold one would fit again now, yoga and all this walking and healthy eating has me looking okay. Maybe I just need a new wardrobe, I know Sam will help. More about today, it was Abi's birthday last Friday and mine on the Monday so a team lunch was in order.
Macchiato Wood Fired Pizza Co has become a bit of a go to for me. Perfect Italian food, amazing desserts, banoffi pie mmmmm, and best of all, very best of all the perfect coffee. Dopio, double espresso. Perfect. And that's high praise from me. I have struggled a little getting the best coffee here. The weekend found me brunching at South End Cafe after a Friday out celebrating my birthday with cocktails and the very best Spanish tapas at
Tapavino followed by some divine raisony sherry. Yes three lasses out drinking sherry on a chilly evening enjoying the best company.
So this has become a 'what I've been up to' that I've had very little spare time to write here, to write emails, to keep up with my social media. I'm very conscious that I owe emails, need to get some stuff done like sign pieces of paper that will end an era. Other pieces that will enable new beginnings. In a way this is procrastinating, thinking time.
Here are some of the promised reflections. Friends, I have found the best of friends here. The 'make new friends' of the poem. Through Meetups, at work, in my neighbourhood. Pleasant people, friendly in a way others told me Sydney might not be. Old friends, the ones I'll keep. The ones who write to me, make me laugh, don't mind if it's been a while between calls, comment on my comments and generally make me warm inside. The gold that sit nicely with the silver. Complimentary. Special.
Economies of scale. Well this reflection deserves it's own entry so I won't dwell too much now. Suffice to say that where there are many people, there are many amenities. Like my new yoga studio two minutes walk down the road. The place where I've been enjoying getting back into my most preferred activity. I think of Cayman Kim when I'm there, Monday yoga was our weekly get together. And my Al Ain yoga crew. Economies of scale that mean the city I live in has the very best public transport system too and so much to do. Like the going to the opera Marriage of Figaro on Thursday evening and hearing Louis de Bernieres speak next week.
Reflecting this evening as I wandered back from yoga on how I feel I've landed in the right place at the very right time doing the right thing. I've been published a few times in this new job and have another article brewing, due tomorrow. My work social media posts are popular too it seems. So all is well and truly well in my world. My lovely warm little home is still perfect and I enjoyed reading in the sun on Sunday. Noah and I talked on Sunday too. He had the funniest response when I showed him my view, it was almost snowing where he was.
"Wow grandma, where's that? Is it your place? Can I swim there? Can I come and visit?" He was very excited at the prospect of a visit, I am too. Photos will follow then.
