There's Other Things in life Besides Work

What started off a year ago as one day/week of work morphed into two days/week last December and in June an uncomfortable third day popped up and just didn't go away and the odd 5-day week arrived in the mix.  Semi-retirement was starting to look a lot like part time work and I didn't like it at all.

Well, BD's impending surgery put the brakes on all those work shenanigans:  I've taken a month off and when I come back I intend to return to my 2 day week balanced out by my barely adequate 5 day weekend and that's my plan and I'm sticking to it.  It took all day on Friday but finally all the emails were sent, the phone calls made, the i's and t's dotted and crossed.   Come Saturday morning I hopped on my bicycle and took a little ride in to town to meet Roger and the BD after she finished her shift.

I started off along the Nepean Highway, which very considerately provided a service road or bike path on which to ride. I didn't take a photo: imagine a bike path between a 6 lane highway and a fence festooned with token greenery, and you've pretty much got the picture.

I did find a water fountain erected in honour of Mrs Bent by her daughter, although it wasn't clear which of the two Mrs Bents were being honoured. Mr Bent had his own grand statue nearby, having been a Very Important Man (albeit of somewhat dubious morality) in the late 1800s, including giving his name to the suburb of Bentleigh. Of Mrs Bent very little is known other than that her daughter felt strongly that she deserved recognition alongside her husband, and arranged it so.

Appreciated by her daughter, at least.

From there it was a quick trip past Elsternwick Park and down the canal to the bay.

The canal was full of water: a combination of  high tide and rain.

There was rain. A strong wind blew.  Despite this someone was jogging.  Someone is always jogging.

I didn't spend long beside the bay what with the cold wind and rain. Instead I took a detour through St Kilda to check out how the other half live.

Beautiful old houses and a separate bicycle lane. What more could one wish for? Oh, that's right. Sunshine.

After a quick tootle through Albert Park I just had to stop to reassure myself that, despite the miserable weather, spring was definitely on the way...

And then I cycled over the bridge, put on my big girl panties, and pedaled off up Swanston St.  I must say I was pleasantly surprised as cars, in general, weren't allowed; so Swanston St was left to bicycles and trams and was really quite a congenial cycling experience.  I learnt a few things too: firstly, it is just as quick to cycle up Swanston St as it is to catch a tram; secondly, electric scooters are evil and annoying in equal measure, their speed bearing an inverse relationship to the traffic skills of their operators.

I met Roger in North Melbourne, fresh from having his blood taken by the best pathology collector in the world (aka BD, and I'm not biased at all) and we took a long walk to explore the area. 

Large letters.

Old buildings.

New violins.

On the way home we were treated to an exciting rain storm complete with tiny scraps of hail, such that I could almost imagine myself to be back in Queensland except that it was really too cold for that.

 

Enough rain to melt buildings.

We ate our takeaway lunch with BD, and made necessary plans for her upcoming surgery. Then we decided we didn't want to think about it at all, and watched vapid shows on Netflix instead. Rain was still falling when we got home and the dogs, sadly, had to do without their walk.

I don't think they've forgiven us yet.