Perfect Sundays

Today was a nice day. One of those days where you are doubly happy to be living in this wonderful world. The sort of day where you forget about the troubles. I woke this morning at 5:30am and after laying there for 30mins I could not get back to sleep. I decided I may as well get up and face the day. I went into the kitchen and started the process of making some olive oil bread. I was using fresh yeast for the first time as well so that was fun. Once I had made the dough and left it to rise, I headed down to the Nundah markets which is very small affair of a few produce stalls and some other knick knacks. I was hoping to get some basil to make a big batch of pesto but was out of luck. I did however pick up some nice tomatoes which I will use for dinner tomorrow night.

It was also just such a lovely morning, Mum and Pabbi were at Tangalooma for their wedding anniversary, the guests of the Palsson Guest House (read my brother and his friends) were still fast asleep. It was just me, the overcast sky outside, the kitchen, a cup of Nature’s Cuppa Ceylon Tea and Macca on the radio. Macca and Australia All Over on a Sunday morning is something that I have grown up with. I know I often talk about how much I love listening to the ABC but Macca and Australia All Over is something extra special. Listening to people call in from all across this wide brown land and from around the world about what they are doing is just a great thing on a Sunday morning. Also just listening to Macca in general, he has such a great personality. I read the papers, had some breakfast, tended to my bread and just soaked up the overcast sky and the drizzle. I didn’t make a plain olive oil loaf but folded two cloves of finely chopped garlic into the dough as I formed it. Which when I got it in the oven made the kitchen smell wonderful, that mixing of the yeasty smell with garlic, just so yummy.

Once the bread was cooked I grabbed it out of the oven, wrapped it in a tea towel and headed over to Georgie’s house. Georgie and her boyfriend left Brisbane at Christmas to do their last semester of uni at University of Toronto before tripping across the world. They got home just over a week ago and even though we have spoken on the phone a few times, it was great to spend the afternoon hanging out looking at photos/videos, chatting, laughing, cooking and laughing some more. As well as chatting to her parents, boyfriend and playing with the cats and dog.

Today has been overcast for most of the day and raining for most of that. Which made it perfect weather for staying inside cooking in the kitchen. As opposed to going for a walk or browsing the shops on Oxford St. Staying inside cooking is what we did. We made a very tasty spiced pumpkin coconut soup with prawns for a late lunch which went very well with the bread. Then for afternoon tea we made a berry slice 🙂

It is bed time for me now as I have my last 5am start at work in the morning, oh I look forward to starting at 7!

Of course no post is ever quite complete without a photo and as I didn’t take any this afternoon at Georgie’s, here is one from the other week when the film festival was on.

The bridge

Aruba, Jamica, Melbourne?

BRISBANE TO MELBOURNE
Flight No DJ344
DEPARTING
Brisbane Domestic Terminal
2130hr (9:30pm), Wed 22 Aug 2007

ARRIVING
Melbourne Virgin Blue T3 Terminal
2355hr (11:55pm), Wed 22 Aug 2007

MELBOURNE TO BRISBANE
Flight No DJ321

DEPARTING
Melbourne Virgin Blue T3 Terminal
1315hr (1:15pm), Sun 26 Aug 2007

ARRIVING
Brisbane Domestic Terminal
1520hr (3:20pm), Sun 26 Aug 2007

Yes and that would be me who is going. I am going for a number of reasons, firstly to see the Guggenheim and Pixar exhibitions, secondly to go to Pete aka Owls of the Swamp album launch on the 24th and to see Tom Woodward play on the 25th. I also hope to meet up with some other friends in Melbourne as well as going to the Queen Victoria Markets, the shops to get some work clothes and gosh who knows what else. I won’t be going to see the Essendon Bombers play though because they are playing their round 21 match on Sunday evening when I will be back in Brisbane :(. Then Monday morning I start my first day as a full time employee in the 9-5ish grind and I can’t wait.

:D

Well only 10mths after finishing uni I have a full time job. I start on Monday the 27th as a receptionist/run-about girl for a shop fitting firm in Everton Hills. They seem like a nice bunch of people and I am looking forward to getting out in to the real world.

Ekka Fireworks night 2

Last night I headed to the parking lot on the cnr of Herston and Bowen Bridge Rd to take Ekka fireworks from the classic position. I have taken Ekka fireworks here for the last three years and each time just love the beauty of the fireworks exploding over Sideshow Alley. This year I took a slightly different perspective than I have before. There was not as much wind this year which meant that the smoke lingered round for a bit longer. I met up with two other guys off POTN and we had fun chatting and taking photos of course.

Ekka Fireworks night 2

Ekka Fireworks Night 1

Ekka fireworks night 1

It is that time of year again. Ekka time. This year I am going to take Ekka fireworks photos for 5 nights of the Ekka, that is providing that nothing happens between now and Sunday. I currently have another 3 spots planned for taking fireworks photos and might spend the day at the Ekka on Sunday to take some more photos from inside the ekka. Last night I headed up to Eildon Hill Reservoir to take photos.

20 hours in Noosa

When I left the Troubadour early last Monday morning, we had made plans to catch Parents on Tuesday night and maybe go to the beach on Tuesday. Monday Arvo, I was awakened by a phone call from Svavar, asking me if I wanted to go to Noosa with them for the night. As I had just bought my BIFF tickets for that night minutes before I said no. Then a phone call to Mum to hash it over I decided to skip BIFF for the night and to hit the road to Noosa. I rang Svavar back and then an hour so later I was at Thor’s house ready to pile into Ronnie’s land cruiser for an escape from Brisbane.

Once we were up the highway we made a toilet stop and supplies stop. For most journeys that is nothing out of the ordinary. Ronnie’s car often takes a little bit of fiddling to get going again. This of course proved a perfect time for some photos.

Polaroid Pete
Driving the car, well maybe Posing Ronnie the Bush Mechanic

We made it Noosa and found the YHA, after a walk round town we headed back to the hostel for dinner as well everything else was just slightly out of our price range. Had a very nice veggie lasagne from the hostel kitchen. Then it was time to socialise, play with cameras and watch the International Ping Pong tournament between Pete and Svavar, I believe Pete may have won this round.
Ping Pong Championship Ping Pong Ping Hello Helengrrrr What a tripThe Girls
Thor and RonnieCrazy Nuttersyegh!

From a photography perspective, I love this shot as I took it just as the flash went off on Svavar’s camera.
I love this

After some shenanigans, it was down to the beach for some ‘walking after midnight (though it wasn’t midnight yet), chasing the waves, doing cartwheels/handstands and having fun with some shadow plays.
'walking after midnight Walking on the beach playing Sand Castle

The next morning we woke up and made pancakes for breakfast, Ronnie headed off to do a mornings work with some guys who came to the hostel the night before.
grrr! Waiting
We headed off into the wilderness, well Noosa National Park. Where 3/4 of our party went swimming twice. Do the maths and look at the photos, I was not a crazy nutter. I didn’t go swimming.
Svavar, he relished the chance to swim in the Pacific Ocean and he ended up swimming at all three beaches we stopped at during the day. Pete was also in the water, but he is a Melbourne boy. Thor well she is 50% Icelandic compared to my 25%. I well I am a Brisbane girl, we don’t go swimming at the beach in Winter, the water is just too cold!

I'm in the water!! Thor, contemplating the waves_MG_9565 whoops Secret Mens Business Looking towards Hells Gate Explorer Perhaps the water is slightly cold

After a while it was wisely decided to head round to a more sheltered beach where the distance from trees to water was less. We walked up to Hells Gate which provided a great chance to whip out the 12-24mm and take some portraits.

It tis bright The Gang's all here Going Wide Pete at Hells Gate
ThorHelen by ThorunHelen by Helen Svavar, Guitar, Camera and Towel Thor taking a photo of svavar taking a photo of me

Shooting straight into the Sun gave me some sweet as sugar flare with this photo.
Flarey goodness

We then started walking again to the next beach where, Pete, Svavar and Thor frolicked in the ocean like Puff the Magic Dragon.
Thor Hey, we can float! take a photo of us all swimming Pete _MG_9594

Before it was time to retreat to the towels for some relaxing and some music.
chilling or really baking and it goes a little something like this he ain't no jack johnson Spending a day at the beach
had a swim, now it is music timePete, I think, therefore I am notThorPete cooking in the sunoh my darling clementine Popping the cashews

Looking towards Noosa proper

As well as checking out the local wildlife.
Koala! Scrubber! Bush Turkey

Once we had all baked like chickens in an oven we headed back to the entry of the National Park where we were met by Ronnie and we cooked up a pretty wicked BBQ lunch made all the more special by Svavar’s made on the spot Guacamole. Then we headed off to Noosa’s main beach where we spread out under some Pandanus , chatted and enjoyed some more music with Pete and Svavar providing a perfect soundtrack for an arvo at the beach.
Chilling in the winter sun with good friends and good music Playing the melodyhorn Svavar on the Beach

All good things to come to an end and before too long we were back in Ronnie’s land cruiser heading home to catch Parents with Thor’s parents, my dad and Tom the other member of this travelling trio of Troubadours.

A totally random trip and quite possibly the most spur of the moment thing I have done with people that I didn’t really know and it turned out to be the most fantastic experience.