Shane.Blamer's blogspot

Took N to Rob Dolan winery, sth warrandyte B'fast in blackburn, then a walk at mullum mullum Rob Dolan had re-done their tasting room, wrap-around windows – much nicer. Sparkling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay x2, Pinot noir x2, cab sav. Supposed to be $15 each (or free if you buy a bottle) We bought 2 bottles of wine: white label Pinot noir & black label Chardonnay which were $50 (or should have been $35 each with the discount) They also have is an unfinished bottle of the black label Pinot noir & charged us $80 all up Interestingly, the white label is the premium range  Mitcham Social for dinner: spaghetti marinara, chicken burger Hit Man (Linklater) I finally saw this film last night. It was overall just okay. Entertaining, amusing, and i couldn't see exactly where it was going. Popcorn movie, you don't have to think too hard. One to just let wash over you

Bfast muffin and coffee at Station Street café w N Quick shower & costume change at home then ... CHERRY HILL IN TEMPLESTOWE Steak for lunch with my family, Pinot noir, sticky date pudding, 2nd coffee. It was a big meal, lovely The staff had to google how to make a Magic for me Was going to walk but then it rained (off and on) Nanna nap

Breakfast coffee at Jolimont café (no food) Work was ok. Had my yearly review & a Town Hall BIRTHDAY DINNER Borsch Vodka and Tears, chapel st prahran I fear my beers tonight will be Polish. I have never met a polish beer that i like. How can they fuck up a pilsner so badly. They are right next to Germany aren't they. Czech seem to be able to nail it consistently. Poland have a specific taste that they must do on purpose but it is too full-on and i find it very off-putting That being said, i have boycotted the Polish beers for too many years. I am willing to give them a chance ... tonight only They were out of POLISH beers. N and i enjoyed Budvars (Czech). The food was magnificent. Warm beetroot broth severed in a mug. Potato pancakes, saurkraut (pickled cabbage), sour cream, jalapeño puree, "pidgeons" which are dumplings: beef, mushroom, sweet potato NAUGHTY NANCY'S: red/white wine & live guitarist JUNGLE BOY: cocktail/red wine HOLY GRAIL was too p...

Shared an advacado bfast with N at Two Brothers We added bacon. They served us on 2 seperate plates. No need for a serving plate & to divide it in half ourselves. This is the 2st time that happened  Lunch-break. Total birds: 8 (only, unsure why) Somebody has added a medal & a propeller to the #lost and found stump I've added a Valvoline oil filter & a large yellow grapefruit — both of which i found nearby Trivia in at the Birmingham hotel tonight.. Where this team began (last year, around Easter/April) COLLINGWOOD I picked a terrible night to "not bother" with my leather jacket. By this end of winter, I'm sick of wearing it basically every day. Uber home time soon We won pub trivia 70$ at Birmingham hotel (Smith st collingwood) tonight Full stop beer at my favourite place, Beermash (Smith st collingwood). It used to be Range Taphouse brisbane brewery (Johnston st abbotsford) but they've shut up shop Scandinavian tap takeover. Too bad if you...

Get a room KopCha for morning coffee Train in to Flinders St (CBD) to meet my fiddle-playing friend from regional NSW Secret bar under Flinders Street train station ~7pm. There was a singer. Pinot noir $21 Y&J's for a schooner of Cloe's ale Train home

I'm up an hour early today – for no reason I've been thinking how it might be nice to walk when it's still getting light & really take my time It looks like it may rain but I'm undeterred I cooked a "cheat" stir-fry (meat & veg already chopped)  Two beers In bed 8pm Day 5: Ceiling fan on (like last night). I feel a bit warm, even though it's a cold winter night. It must be the vaccine, but it isn't fever (my forehead doesn't feel hot to the touch). This has been my only symptom — apart from tiredness Total steps: 9,000

Redwood for a morning coffee (and a B.L.A.T.) My walk up to redwood sweeping 7/11 views was more tiring than a normal day. I slept solidly, so it must be the vaccination Types of bird: 13

Coffee and cheeses toastie at Station Street café, Nunawading Train to the city 10:33am Melbourne Museum "Star Wars" exhibition, Lego, and café

2:30 AM little-to-none vax symptoms ²none  if i think about it i can feel my arm a bit like it copped a punch a few days ago no headache, no fever 7:30 AM sleepy 1:30 PM feel fine, arm still a tiny bit tender  CRANBOURNE No bandicoots, somebody spotted a Swamp Rat but not us. Countless wallabies that looked red like a fox 50+ Foragers Welcome to Thornbury Total steps: 16,000

Woke a little late I was too tired to stay up to watch episode 3 of South Park at 10:30pm But i was awake enough to watch it 4am so i am all caught up It was funny and very clever again. They are giving a lot of shit to the orange tyrant, and chatgpt Work went well. Indeed, work overall ok today  Ran out of time to do a workout (due to a phonecall at 3pm) Covid vax. Lost count how many i've had by now Ran out of care-factor to book my with training course — that can wait until monday to commit to 5:50 PM Feeling a bit tired. Feel like a beer though 6:26 PM No flu-like symptoms 10:55 PM Two beers and a wine. Feeling fine Meet T at side, Parkside wine bar in Malvern east. My kind of place. Friendly staff, heated beer garden  They only had 4 beers on tap and 1 sour tinnie in the fridge. The german reisling i be asked to taste they didn't have, but let me try a substitute. They only had 1 of the 2 menu pinot noirs available. It was fine wine but not sublime T was in fi...

50% OFF Shared a big breakfast with N at kopcha Panadol at 3am, but didn't need any more at 9am Juggling many tasks at work Lunch-break 1pm-2pm, quick walk around the block ~20 min Too hit for a leather jacket ~20°C

Jolimont for coffee and croissant I can't remember the last time i had a croissant at this place, usually that is left for manta ray (where it is the only menu item that i have ever ordered) Listened to a lot of metal on Spotify incl. Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas album from a few years ago Apod, in picked up 15 beers which is a big haul Average beer tinnie cost: $11 AUD is a good deal Foragers for 5 pots or so. It felt like a weekend. They do trivia v quietly. Left my car parked overnight Beer of the year ... so far ... Range "No Sleep Til" Double IPA 8.0% (on tap)

1° overnight Woke at 5am, listening to some pods: If You're Listening and The Chaser Report. Cup of tea at 6am  KopCha for breakfast, smashed avocado Ordered $90 of groceries online, to arrive tomrw WORKING FROM HOME Busy morning. Phonecall before 10am stand-up: to discuss 3 topics/issues • Major approved change: day 6 of 8 • Overnight flood of production traffic, looks due to a network outage. Software spotted glitching, seemingly due to load • Also customer wants more complexity built into new system "because old system" very many years worth of features to cater for very many use-cases & scenarios. Highly customised code Lunch-break at 2pm Meetings at 2:30pm and 3pm

Return to work after a very fun 3-day weeken It's pretty quiet this morning in sleepy vermont. I didn't see any dogs at the café. I only saw 2 dogs on my walk up here (and 15 bird subgenres) Watched the two new South Park episodes (season 25) which were very good. Cutting parody Chatted with my sister on the phone I've been extended 3 months at the red supermarket, until December Booked a covid vaccination for friday afternoon Early to bed. Podcasts Total steps: 8,000

Mr.Rober'Tson for mushroom bfast & coffees Bunnings 50L rustic tan-bark (3 bags full) $16 Looked at cowboy boots w N in ringwood, moroondah hwy. She had a work lunch, ex- colleagues at suburban

Bagels from Dröm in bayswater with N We tried to go to Madhatter & hare, but it would have been a 1 hr wait until we got a table Big long walk with N from Blackburn to Box Hill South Drove to Natural Science for a beer, osso boccu, zucchini rigatoni Afternoon nap Uber to ringwood, the Suburban rooftop & mezzanine (mitcham social was already closed up by 10pm) for two drinks – midnight Total steps: 16,500

August "me" day NO WORK FRIDAY Months without a public holiday, my work gives us ½ a day of time on lieu (consulting firm) They also let us take the other ½ a day as annual leave, if the client agrees they can do without us  MORNING Vitemin D, anti-histamine, panadol Had a bfast/coffee with my mate A and his mate B who is a cyber security guy – always with interesting stories to tell, both of them. I'm glad he messaged me at 8:20am, it got me up to start making the most of this grey, drizzly day Rested, meditated, organised my whole places list by suburb Did weights, felt a bit dizzy at one point YARRA BEND PARK - AFTERNOON Met my 60yo friend D at 2pm, at the end of Gipps St near the river for a rain walk. Felt a bit dizzy again at one point. Total steps: 7,000 30 min to get there, 60 min to get back (peak hour traffic, 4pm-5pm) New contact lenses seem okay i think NIGHT - FROM 6:15PM Uber from 1col to food & drink at • Slowpoke, Collingwood (360° views, o...

I did a quick phone photoshop for S's new job Breakfast coffee & croissant at Manta-ray with N Today work went okay, busy no lunch. I'm glad for the short week / "me" day friday / 3-day weekend  Amped up Too tired to go out No break today, so i haven't done my daily meditation (perhaps at end-of-day to calm myself before i sleep)

Go-live day 1 It could go pare-shaped but i surprisingly calm I slept okay. Glad i went to trivia (to help distract my mind) Friday is supposed to be a holiday.. Something to look forward to it it all goes well Watched the film, The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980) My favourite part was the very start, when it's like a documentary & the narrator is telling us that at 09:00 it's time for us all to look busy and at 10:30 we take a break to eat until 10:45 and then we all pretend to look busy again Total steps: 9,000

Inked⁴ for morning coffee I realise i skipped lunch  Drizzle by 5pm The Thornbury Local trivia at 8pm We came 3rd overall. There was 20 questions per round. In the final round we 100%'d (music round) I drove and had two Heineken 0.0's and two real beers: smores ba stout (8%) and an ipa Homemade pizzas were only $13. I had the chili pork. It was fresh & i enjoyed the soft, chewy base T was very happy with the night, which concluded at the upstairs balcony with DG and N-tacular I'm looking forward to reading his write-up on our trivia team's group chat Total steps: 6,500

Busy week I may be getting a daffoldil or jonquil Breakfast coffee at Redwood café, boronia rd Weights at lunchtime

Ms RoberTson

Pub crawl with N from midday Mitcham train station - Croydon train station Dainton taphouse Budgie bar Suburban rooftop The Firehouse 8 Track brewery Dutch Rules gin distillery Houseparty Foragers Drop 8th bday Total steps: 12,000

No morning walk to coffee I've used my kettle bot (and finger bot to turn on the heater). Back to bed with an instant coffee  Weights at midday Quick walk and 2nd coffee at ~2pm Called my family for a chat Tacos for dinner

Magic & a croissant at manta-ray coffee roasters Inked³ café is temporarily closed for a refresh My back seems good today. No gel required. I did weights last night comfortable (and i think the sit-ups may be doing it good) No trivia (they went to the fox on monday) UBER TO ST KILDA To see an acoustic gig: Delsinki Craig and Brooke Taylor. Both i like individually, however they have formed a band together for tonight  Rugged up to protect from the chilly St Kilda breeze off the water Dogs Bar - CB&Co IPA (surprisingly excellent) The Vineyard + CB&Co "South West" Sour (tasty!) The Ember Lounge - The Desserters (small room) The Espy Basement - free entry 10pm-10:30pm Brooke's voice was fantastic, powerful, do controlled (steel string guitar). Craig's voice is astounding too, thick, rich, super deep at times (banjo, mandolin, steel string guitar). Their tunes are always interesting, especially lyrically. The support guy was their 3rd band member (...

Rise & Grind bfast w/ N at 7:30am Worked late again tonight. That's 2 nights in a row Got some chores done at lunchtime. Half my weights. Then finished then of at ~7pm No trivia this week. There's a gig tonrw night, but it's in st kilda (cold at night this week) so i'm unlikely to go. Craig and BT on stage together  I'll catch up on Cheap Seats tv show tonight. I watched a film last night instead: Chuck Norris - The Hitman (1991) which was quite forgettable

Sweet Lime, mitcham rd I decided not to walk this morning

Sweeping 7/11 views for a morning coffee Total bird species: 15 incl. ganga-gang cockatoos (2x)

Big breakfast at Mr. Robertson w/ N 16,500 steps today Basically from the Mitcham-Frankston Freeway (East) to Heathmont along the river Blue skies, got to 18°C, many ducks, swamp hens Killer Sprocket for a pot of IPA, stout (pale ale) Mitcham Social for steaks (lamb shanks) & wines • Coldstream Hills chardonnay (old) • Vinfolk pinot noir, yarra valley (new)

I went to bed at 9pm Woke at 1am-4am • Converted my calendar "events" into reminders (and re-occurring reminders) • Logged into my rarely used emails. They need to be logged into at least 1 times every 2 years or they might get deleted  • Swapped over my 2FA for my proton mail from my work gmail to me personal gmail • Written out a timeline of my life starting at Box Hill Hospital Drew a swamphen & very happy with the result :) Did weights Walked to my optometrist appt: 4,000 steps The uber driver asked me what music i was into. He said to put some on, so we rocked out all the way to ... Running Postman, Camberwell • 16$ Yarra valley (Dol) ponot noir: no worries, yes • 23$ Mornington "herbaceous" / undrinkable Oydis (norse god of fortune) in Ashburton • Pinot noir (fully imported Burgundy, France) ok • Pinot yeah-home (Australian) French style: great  Two Doors brewery (Ashburton) • been here before.  • Extra Stout (6+ %) impressive  New Northcote Br...

Drive to tooronga to work in the office & pick up a laptop It was a successful day, social, not v productive  Total steps: 5,000