My Bloggable Day

Things I’m scared of

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Bec

What are you scared of? I’m not talking about things like failure or ending up alone or dead and not being discovered until your cats have eaten your carcass and alerted neighbours in their quest for more food, I mean day to day fears. These are mine:

1 Dislocating a knee

One of my biggest fears is dislocating a knee cap. My knee caps pop out at random times due to a genetic design fault and it is the most disgusting pain I’ve ever experienced. But thankfully since I’ve been doing Spin classes regularly and strengthened my quads, a dislocation is now a rare event.

2 Overtaking trucks

Another one of my biggest fears is overtaking trucks. I mean, what’s not to love about moving into the path of oncoming traffic and having to speed up to 130km per hour to hurtle past giant road trains?! I don’t even like overtaking trucks as a passenger in a car, I usually cover my eyes and hyperventilate slightly…

When I lived in Melbourne the only country driving I did was on the Hume, which is dual carriage way. Here in WA the two country roads I use the most involve the scary kind of overtaking. In fact I believe the Great Eastern Highway is ranked one of the worst roads in Australia. Last week when I drove to Esperance for work I had to do the scary kind of overtaking all by myself.

The first overtaking involved two road trains in a row, which is a fair amount of distance to cover on the wrong side of the road. My heart was pounding in my chest and I could quite literally feel the adrenaline surging through my veins as I did it. I kind of felt like I might explode?! It was incredible. Overtaking after that was far easier.

3 Scary movies

Seeing as I’m not a teenager anymore I don’t have to pretend to be fine with watching scary movies at sleepovers. I HATE them. I literally struggled to sleep for two weeks after watching The Ring. Why anyone willingly puts themselves through being petrified and calls it ‘entertainment’ is beyond me. Even scary movie parodies freak me out. Lame but true.

What scares you?

Posted in Misc | Tagged Fears, Phobias, Things I'm scared of | 13 Comments

Kalgoorlie’s Night of Nights

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Bec

Remember last year how I blogged about balls? Well on Saturday night we did it again. A decent chunk of the population of Kalgoorlie swapped high-vis overalls for suits and gowns and hit the local gymnasium for a good old fashioned knees-up. Doesn’t that sound awful? It isn’t true at all. I’ve never worn high-visibility overalls in my life.

But we did dress up and go to the local gymnasium, which by the power of some serious magical witch-craft was transformed into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

It all started in Claire and Mike’s backyard.

Having spent the most part of the afternoon making ourselves look decent it was time to relax with a drink (and pose for a million photos) ahead of the ball.

I got my red dress on ASOS for a steal.

^ Can you tell this laughing photo is completely staged? I think it comes across very natural. My friends think I’m super lame for suggesting such poses but then they turn out so well…

The boys looking very dapper.

^Looks like I have a grey streak in my hair! Maybe I do? Just call me Mr Sheffield.

Cuttsy and I. He refused to be my date after last year; I was dragged on stage and asked if I had come with a date and I answered “No”. To be fair I also told the 2000-strong crowd that my name was Consuela so I was clearly in no fit state to be accurately responding to questions. Thankfully no such incident took place this year.

Things started to get a bit more festive when it was almost time to leave.

Below is our version of Ellen’s Oscars Selfie, which sadly received nowhere near the shares and retweets that hers did (probably would have helped to tweet the photo in the first place…).

We headed to the converted gym and after walking through a hallway of auction items that non-mining industry people would have no hope in hell of affording we took our seats at our table just near the stage.

Cheers!

The place was decked out with giant candy canes and Willy Wonka, Veruca Salt, Augustus Gloop, Charlie and a bunch of Oompa Loompas (not to be confused with the ladies who had overdone the fake tan) where mingling around.

The food was amazing. We had salmon tart for entree, I had a rack of lamb for main (I may have gnawed on the bones in a manner that would have upset etiquette experts everywhere…) and then we were presented with a tower of desserts. Which Claire is presenting with her best Matt Preston ‘I’m so unimpressed face’:

After that we hit the dance floor and the photos took a definite downward turn:

Good times! I got home at 4:30am, slept for maybe two and a half hours and have been exhausted ever since. Totally worth it.

Posted in Misc | Tagged Ball, Goldfields Childrens Charity Ball, Kalgoorlie | 7 Comments

Calm

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Bec

I’m back at the beach, just for one night for work. It’s been just two weekends since I was last here and already everything is different.
I have Twilight Beach all to myself this morning. It’s calm.

No technicolor beach umbrellas, no beach cricket games, no frustrated parents chasing tiny sandy bodies for one more reapplication of sunscreen. No more loud board shorts, precariously erected beach tents, no discarded buckets and spades littering the shoreline.
No swimmers dotting the top of the rock like colorful limpets.

It feels clean. The last remnants of summer have washed away and the cool waves have cleansed the place.

I can see footprints from one other person and a dog. I nod hello to a runner. I greet a man setting up his metal detector in the car park. It seems the less people there are, the more you interact with.

A couple of optimistic seagulls hang around.

The normally turquoise ocean has transformed to a deeper, more serious colour, but the top of the waves still shimmer.

I love this place.

Until next time, Twilight.

Posted in Misc | Tagged Esperance, twilight beach | 2 Comments

I think the ‘downs’ have it

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Bec

This evening I asked the people of Instagram whether I should wear my hair up or down for a ball this weekend.
The answer was overwhelmingly ‘down’, 22 to 2.

Your thoughts? My housemate did point out to me that I almost always wear my hair down and that up might make a nice change… But then again a plane full of people has disappeared into thin air, there’s a serious crisis in Ukraine and WA is currently without a treasurer… So perhaps my hair chat is a tad self indulgent.

In any case I’m looking forward to the ball. How are you doing?

Posted in Fashion | Leave a comment

Adventures on Tinder: some tips for men

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Bec

So a few weeks ago, as I sat bored at Perth airport I signed up for popular 20-something dating app Tinder. I’d never tried any kind of online dating and honestly was signing up more out of curiosity and looking for a laugh than anything else. Well I certainly got a laugh.

Tinder is a fickle process and in order to be ‘right-swiped’ or approved by a potential ‘mate’ you need to present your best self as quickly as possible. This, I soon found out, is a talent that most males fail at miserably.

While it was obvious that some dudes put up ridiculous photos for no other reason than to be ridiculous, case in point:

There were plenty of decent guys that clearly had no clue. Blurry photos, group shots, awkward selfies, cars and unsubtle cropped out ex-girlfriend photos were rife.

So too were shirtless muscle pics which frankly, are a massive turn off.

Seriously, I don’t want to see nipple. Some other blunders? Trying to be funny in a way that comes off more weird than amusing:

And of course, this classic: uploading a photo of yourself smeared in mud with gold balls hanging around your neck:

We’ve all been there, am I right?! No.

So here are some tips from me, to the men of Tinder, to help increase your chances:

– No women and children please. This is not the lifeboat policy on the Titanic, women and children have no place on your Tinder profile. Group shot? Sure, go for it! But one-on-one photos with women, no matter how platonic the relationship is, mean pretty much an instant no from me. I’m going to (unfairly) assume that she is your ex and you have serious attachment issues as well as a lock of her hair.

– Please wear clothes. I’m not selecting a prize bull, I don’t need to see your rig. Beach shots are a grey area, but mostly fine.

– Keep group shots to a minimum. You only get something like 6 photos on your Tinder profile, if all of them are group photos I legitimately have no idea which one you are. Left Swipe.

– Your photos should be in focus, always. Blurry photos mean you have poor taste in photography or something to hide. Like an ugly mug.

So what makes a decent Tinder profile? Here’s what my girlfriends and I have surmised is a winning formula:

Your first photo should be of you, alone. Add a photo with mates, then perhaps a travel photo, then maybe a photo in a suit to show you scrub up nicely, a photo of you doing something you love and a photo at a party. I particularly love fancy dress photos but that’s probably just me. You should include a short and pithy tagline, just a few things about yourself.

Really, it’s not that hard. Now once you find a match and begin chatting that’s another minefield that I might go into later. Maybe. But as a preview, just spell things correctly and use the correct their/they’re/there and you’re off to a good start.

I should say that it’s not all bad. I have been matched up with some lovely normal people and had perfectly pleasant conversations.

To see some of the hilarious things that happen on Tinder I strongly suggest you check out the Tinder Banter Facebook page.

Meanwhile: Tinder makes its first match in Antarctica!

Have you tried Tinder? I want to hear your success/horror stories!

Posted in Misc | Leave a comment

Horses and hangovers

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Bec

I’ve blogged about the races so many times, that I’ve run out of ideas for what to call these posts. So I figure ‘horses and hangovers’ is a pretty apt description for spending a day trackside.

On Saturday we donned our glad rags and hit the track just in time for the first race.

I won $18.50 on a $20 bet in the first race and things didn’t get any better from there. I hate gambling!

We spent the day doing a circuit from the rails:

To the betting ring/TAB tent hanging our hopes on ill-advised tips:

And back to the tent to refuel:

I do love a country race meet, so casual and fun. Even the Kalgoorlie Cup can be overwhelmingly packed ( and with mostly questionable clientele).

As the shadows grew long there was one race we were all hanging out for, the big one. The Esperance Cup was the one race for which we actually received decent tipping advice, but never got around to actually placing a bet. Always the way.

Anyway, we made sure we were on the rails for the race before the Cup, as we had a friend whose horse was running.

I filmed the race and my friend Chelsea’s commentary is hilarious, as the horses were thundering down the straight she suddenly realised that our friend’s horse had got a serious lead and starts screaming hysterically. I’m very pleased I captured it (language warning):

After that excitement we headed back to HQ to make the most of the open bar as the sun set.

An excellent day, despite being down by at least $14 by the end. Afterwards we joined everyone at the Pier Hotel to party on. The night ended with me eating the leftover curry from the fridge at about midnight, much to the annoyance of my housemate Cuttsy, who had been hanging out for some Tikka Masala on toast. Whoops. Sorry… kind of.

Posted in Misc | Tagged Esperance, Esperance Cup, Horse Racing, Races, Weekend | 6 Comments

Farewelling Summer

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Bec

I’m feeling more than the usual amount of back-to-work blues at the end of this long weekend. It seems ridiculous saying this as temperatures of up to 36 degrees are forecast for later this week, but it feels like the sun is setting on summer. This weekend just gone was probably the last weekend at Esperance until next summer. Cue tears.

On Saturday we had a rather large day at the Esperance Cup, so on Sunday after driving through various fast food establishments we went straight to Twilight beach for some sand time.

Having eaten a kebab rather late on Saturday evening I skipped breakfast and went straight for a rum and raisin ice cream. An odd choice really, seeing as I’m not keen on either raisins or rum. But it was pretty great.

Bec had a chocolately sundae.

And Scotty had something with sprinkles. Which he looks pretty pleased about.

Taking time to photograph ice cream on a hot day for a blog is really sticky business.

I suppose that’s why they have those showers at the beach. HA! Just noticed the cone says ‘single’, how appropriate.

Such a glorious day.

We bade farewell to the beach and this morning I drowned my sorrows in pancakes. Then I got home I realised that tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday. Luckily I don’t have some stupid weekly pancake quota otherwise I’d be screwed for tomorrow. I’ve already packed the electric fry pan to take to work and whip up a batch. Yet another delicious religious holiday.

Do you get end of season sadness? Or enjoy delicious foods for religious reasons you don’t quite understand? Tell me about it.

Posted in Misc | Tagged Beach, Esperance, Ice Cream, Pancakes, Weekend, Weekend Away, Weekend Escape | Leave a comment

Good old fashioned family fun

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Bec

Last weekend I attended not one, but two, parental parties.

The first was my Dad’s 60th. Before everyone arrived we tried to get some nice family shots and actually managed a couple with all eyes open and no mouths in mid-sentence.

My brother Nick, sister Sarah and I.

Sarah, me (and my fabulous mid-flight hair), Dad, Nick, my step brother Tom and step mother Robyn in front.

My sister’s partner Nick, Sarah and Nick (it gets confusing).

Nick, Sarah and I.

Sarah and I.

One of the most excellent aspects of the night was that all of the Brewin cousins (of which there are many) were present. No one was overseas, working or at a 21st. We certainly made the most of the night, took many photos and even started a hashtag #troublesabrewin. Although I think we all spelled it differently, so it didn’t really work out.

The girls:

Sarah, Lily, Esther, Greta, Ruby, Mia and I.

All of the cousins, um, touching the birthday boy:

The Brewins generally aren’t a shy bunch, so after the speeches we wasted no time cranking up the karaoke machine Dad had hired for the night and letting all of the Boroondara municipality know what talented singers we all are. This led to many hilariously unflattering karaoke photos:

My sister and I ~~may have~~ hogged the microphones just a bit.

Unfortunately the karaoke machine was a little too complex for Dad, who couldn’t quite get the knack of singing the right words at the right time, despite the songs being ones he’s heard more times than anyone cares to remember.

Hence why people are trying to prompt him, mostly by pointing, in this photo:

He failed miserably, but more than made up for it with his dance moves:

Happy Birthday Phyllis. I’m sure you’ve got a few more good years still left in you.

The next day we headed up to the country to celebrate Mum’s 30th year of living in Australia. It was a beautiful day and Mum, as per usual, put on an incredible spread for 40 friends.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I was far too busy eating and then lying on a picnic rug in the shade to take lots and lots of photos. But it was a lovely afternoon.

30 years in Australia and Mum still has a very confusing Canadian/Mid Atlantic/English/Australian accent. I love it.

And that was my weekend. Very family and friends-of-my-parents’ oriented, my small talk capabilities really took a thrashing. Kidding!

What’s your karaoke song?

Posted in Misc | Tagged Celebration, Family, karaoke machine, Weekend | 4 Comments

I need to address something…

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Bec

And it’s not my hideous habit of taking bathroom selfies (although that probably needs some work at some point). It’s this:

I kind of look like a Von Trapp child modelling the latest in curtain material fashions crafted by Fraulein Maria… Anyway, I have been blinded by an obsession for a print that, let’s face it, is probably well past its use by date already. I know that because once you can purchase something in Kalgoorlie (the top in the top right corner) you know it must be dead everywhere else. I swear to god the kids only just got tamagotchis here.

But even armed with this knowledge check out what’s lurking in my ASOS saved items:

More black and white squares. Two of those dresses look exactly the same only in reverse with an $83 price difference?! I have no why, seeing as they are both 100% polyester.

I like to think I don’t buy cheap, poorly made disposable fashion, but I do (anyone remember the neon phase?!). So I’ve been trying to justify these purchases by telling myself that black and white is classic, timeless even, that I will be wearing these long after we quit obsessing over kale, bunting and gourmet food trucks. But am I kidding myself?

Will these items simply go the same way as my Stevie acid wash jeans; into the ‘I would have to be drunk and temporarily vision impaired to even consider wearing these to paint the house’ pile? I eagerly await your response. I also want you to tell me what the stupidest ‘on trend’ item you’ve ever purchased is. Extra points if you shelled out far too many clams for it….. And go!

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Black and White, Fashion, Geometric Print, Monochrome, Trends | 18 Comments

Gazi with the girls

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Bec

This was us back in 2006:

Noa, Claire, Tarn and I. This photo was taken at the end of our final year of high school at the Valedictory Dinner. I want to say that we were fresh faced 18-year-olds, naive and ready to face the big wide world ahead but the reality is we had all spent the year partying very hard and probably would have benefited from some early nights and rest ahead of our exams.

We were the worst kind of teenagers. The kind that ‘went for a sleep over’ or a ‘study session’ and most hilariously ‘a book launch’ but really stayed out until the wee hours in nightclubs all over the city thanks to our fake IDs. Such frequent flyers were we that some clubs would send a car (either a Rolls Royce or hilariously vintage limousine, always with a bottle of champagne) to collect us.

We never waited in lines and rarely paid for drinks. My memories of this time mostly involve popping corks off the balconies of inner city apartments and not giving a thought to work the next day (as a waitress at the Melbourne Cricket Club) or to school on Monday.

It was like one long episode of Gossip Girl.

But of course those days ran out and we are now successful functioning adults with jobs. We still talk fondly of the days where we would sneak out two or three times a week.

This weekend just gone the four of us got together for the first time in about 2 years. I flew in from WA and Noa from Europe and we joined Tarn and Claire at Gazi.

We kicked off proceedings with a few rounds of espresso martinis.

I’m glad I photographed all the food because I honestly didn’t even notice what I was eating, too distracted was I, by being in the presence of these three gems again.

Hommus and beetroot, oregano and feta dip:

Deep fried calamari:

Saganaki with honey, sesame and lemon, and charred pumpkin, goats curd and chestnuts:

Cauliflower, pea, almond and lemon salad:

Souvlakis; soft shell crab, mint, coriander, honey and mayonnaise on the left and beef brisket, chips, parsley, onion, pear and mustard mayo on the right:

We ate, laugh, drank, talked absolute smack and two hours passed in about 10 minutes.

George Calombaris, who owns the restaurant and is a judge on MasterChef, came out of the kitchen and swanned around for a bit, having his photo taken with people.

We were encouraged by the waiter, who was presumably bored (?), to do the whole ‘pretend it’s someone’s birthday’ thing. Tarn was the winner.

On our way out we stopped in the bathrooms and couldn’t resist taking a selfie in the headache-inducing pink light. If they were trying to get the ladies in and out in hurry, they succeeded. Even the photos make my eyes pulse.

After Gazi we went on an unintended bar crawl that included Go Go Bar, Loop and culminated at the Toff.

I left the girls at the Toff far too early thanks to my red eye flight fatigue and big plans for Dad’s 60th the next night. I’m sure my 17-18 year old self would be horrified.

Posted in Food, Misc | Tagged Food, Gazi, Girlfriends, Melbourne | 1 Comment