Lockdown

While we are sort of at the office and sort of not, we are encouraged to work from home, but every now and then we go into work - mainly on days where we have arranged to meet up together for lunch, which we usually do at The Turkish Pide House, where I like to order one of the chef's fusion dishes. 

Akendiz - swordfish infused with garlic, olive oil, tahini, and lemon sauce, served with saffron risotto

And then, due to COVID cases in the ACT, we went into lockdown - for the next two weeks we are only allowed to leave the house to get vaccinated, get groceries and medications, if one is an essential worker, or for one hour of exercise per day. In a fortuitous coincidence I received a parcel that very day. And I had also walked to the shops to get my 'non-panic-buying groceries. That's my essential shopping done for the week, then.

Typical weekly shop

Naturally there was consternation and much sadness about the news. So a group of us raised an on-line glass to commiserate with each other. Cheers!

 

Joking aside, once again I appreciate how lucky we are to have our garden in which we can relax with the butterflies and Melantho can prove that Tiggers don't climb trees. 

At the weekend I was able to go for a (carefully-timed) bike ride in Black Mountain Nature Reserve with Him Outdoors. Once again, I am very grateful to live where we do.

Hot Cats

Well, hello there! Good Morning all - especially America. And that's all I'm saying on the subject.

Good Morning USA

Although as I have mentioned before I am mainly working from home, I do pop into the office occasionally to catch up with people and conduct meetings - especially such as when a colleague departs on maternity leave and we all go out to lunch on her last day at The Turkish Pide House.

Sultan's Choice at the Turkish Pide House

At the weekend I'm happy to have a bacon butty for breakfast and catch up with my Family Zoom Book Club book, while watching the cats watch the parrots in the garden.

When the Lovely Bonkers came to visit, General Philosopher took this adorable montage of photos of the kittens playing tag.

When it is so hot, I sometimes leave my walk until the evening when it begins to (fractionally) cool down as dusk falls. 

Another walk around the lake with the Walking Crew; another picture of us all having coffee afterwards. 

Sometimes when it gets so very hot, one needs to stretch right out to cool down.

Whoops, where's her head gone?

Found it!

And this one

Work and Play

Our work conference has taken us to Lake Macquarie - a beautiful part of this country, with lots of blues and greens. Here are the obligatory views from our accommodation. 

Sunrise and sunset are both spectacular with clear water and cloud reflections. 

We did do a lot of work with presentations, seminars and workshops. There was also a team building exercise in which we had to do some basic navigation and physical tasks, answer riddles and construct as tall a tower as possible from bamboo sticks and sellotape. I'm not a fan of enforced fun, and I'm sure we are all being watched to see if we play nicely with others, but we got through it.  

As we were in a resort, we were a captured market. Fortunately, the food and wine was good, and there was lots of it, as these pictures may or may not suggest. 

Scallops for starters

Salmon for main

Calamity Sue...

...and accomplice

Ice cream dessert bar...

...with accompaniments

As we tick over into a new month, this is the updated pile of books on the bedside table (specific development details here). I'm working through them, but adding others...

Bedside books

Back to work, but with a lunchtime visit to the Turkish Pide House in Woden.

Lamb Rack Ala-Turko (seriously, that's what it says on the menu)

And to finish off the working week

The weekend highlights included a lovely walk up our local hill and afternoon tea with friends. 

Mt Painter

Afternoon 'tea' with the 'boys'