Jun 5, 2026 (Friday - Balwyn - Kew - Camberwell)

Camberwell

7:30 AM

I have an optimist assortment at 10am, but unsure if i should keep it - my did throat seems to have disappeared (?)

If i keep my appointment then i'm supposed to put my contacts lenses in my eyes for 2-hours beforehand

9:30 AM

I had breakfast at jolimont café with A + B

6 PM

Uber to Balwyn North to try out Bellevue Cellars

• I've been to the venue before, off the freeway 

• No fun beers: Hazy Pale / Balter XPA (no IPAs)

• He will open a bottle of W.A. Pinot Noir for me

• Only charged me $10 for a glass

Bar Alba

• Sessions Kew is not a bar

• Back to regular $19 glass of pinot noir

• Haven't eaten

• The proprietor (?) shook my hand & introduced me to a few of the staff - she had dark curly hair &: an accent i couldn't place 

• We flipped her coin to decided that i should walk too the next wine bar vs. uber to Camberwell

I walked down to the Postmaster / Skinny Dog corner & found the "bianco" door to the Italian sounding "bar" - but it really looked like a restaurant. I used the bathroom (very nice) and caught an uber or of there

He made an oddly satisfying triangle to chilly collect me. We talked about night spots: croydon, box hill, etc

East of Everything, Camberwell ~ 10 min uber

• Beer tap is very respectable

• Amalgamation on tap which i've had in the can (, good but not great) is a side project of a Bank brewer (makes sense: good but not great) 

• Cheesecake BA stout 7% bu Blackman's Brewery: underpowered for a desert stout, tasty & restrained for a desert stout.... overall i like it for the style that it is (usually as it is: certainly cheesecake, lemon) - not very roasted, not very boozey, not very barrel aged at all, certainly not chocolatey: lemon curd

• Ostensibly a 150ml pour ("good to finish the night" said the enthusiastic bar tender, accurately) but way over the line which is nice

9:15 PM

Sofia's, Camberwell - small 4-quarters pizza ~$15

I sent Marty a message. I haven't heard from him for weeks and weeks; Apr 22, 2026

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On this day: 2025. A quiet Thursday. JB's young son Sammy has passed.