The company I am currently temping at for five weeks has some seriously nice staff. No question is too big or too small. People are always willing to help. And there are 500 of them to entertain me in some way throughout the day. People are also pretty generous giving away things. Something I appreciate greatly. I don’t know if I told you about when the second to last time I was here I helped wrap the employee Christmas gift. It was this pretty fantastic picnic set with what they call an esky* attached. The picnic set included a pair of knives, forks, spoons, wine glasses, napkins and a bottle opener. I am a sucker for these kinds of things and was defiantly envious as I wrapped it up for them all last year. Ah well the picnic gods must be smiling down on me as I was handed one the second day I was here last week. And speaking of picnics I have just sent out invites for another potluck picnic in the Royal Botanical Gardens. Hopefully either summer or an Indian summer will grace us with their presence. In the late afternoon we will make our way to my friends place to play various board games! I am guessing Risk for the lads and Scrabble for the ladies! Along side the picnic set I have also been handed a decadent chocolate tort which I am slowly eating this afternoon as it’s too rich to eat in one setting. Plus I know my hostess this evening that I am going over to for dinner is making me banoffee pie from scratch…

The weekend before last I made my way back to the Belgian Beer Garden as I explained in my last post for an American meet up. This one had the biggest turnout I had seen but still almost all couples! In the evening my friend from the club and book club (Alana) had a barbecue at her amazing CBD apartment. The building tenants can sign out a fantastic 8th floor room and terrace with tables, chairs and a barbecue grill. Melbourne outdid itself again with another spectacular sunset for us all to enjoy whilst eating.

Last weekend I went to one of the two birthday drinks I had been invited to in St Kilda which also turned out to be a double celebration. The Swedish birthday girl’s Australian boyfriend had proposed to her that morning at sunrise on a hot air balloon! Oh my! Whilst there I befriended a colleague of hers who it turned out lived just up the road from me. She was going to drive me home when she remembered there was a gig on at the East Brunswick Social Club. I decided to tag along as I have not seen nearly enough local live music. The band was called the Tea Leaves and they were just charming! They were a wonderful seven piece folk band with really heartfelt lyrics. Said work colleague and I are going to another gig near us on the 24th. Saturday the weather was overcast and cold so I opted to stay in catching up on life via the wide world web. In the evening a friend and I met up for icecream! There is a fantastic place near him that does the best mint chocolate chip I have ever had. This time I had a scoop of the mint chocolate and a scoop of peanut brittle. The latter was equally as incredible. Sunday Alana and I went over to North Melbourne to check out a clothes market. We were a bit apprehensive it was going to be pricey but found $5 dresses upstairs! I walked away with two. After she took me to a crepe place nearby she knew where we shared a savoury and sweet one. It was an ideal way to end a great weekend.

It is Labour Day this weekend meaning I have my first public holiday as an employee to enjoy. There is something about the magic of three day weekends that just lifts everybody’s spirits. I especially enjoy the Sundays as everybody is looking forward to a nothing to do Monday. On Saturday an old friend from London and I are meeting up for the first time in just over four years. She moved to Los Angeles a few years ago and we seem to always miss each other when we are both back in the UK. The last time we properly met up was November 2005 when she was visiting NYC. We had an eventful weekend of vanilla vodkas and ginger ales (it tastes like Christmas in a glass), dancing til all hours in the East Village and an all you can drink mimosa brunch in Hells Kitchen. It was an eventful weekend. This time we have manicures and pedicures planned along with fine dining and local Victorian wine. Otherwise I am not entirely sure what the weekend has in store but I fully intend to get up to something on the Sunday evening!

Sunday will also mark four months left in the Southern Hemisphere, a daunting realisation that I am in total denial about. I am sure once winter blows through and the hours shorten next month it will ease the pain of leaving as I prepare for my third summer in a row. Speaking of weather, Melbourne continues to not be able to make up its mind about what season it is. Monday was the first day of autumn and boy did it show. Tuesday was the same cool windy autumnal feel. But then Wednesday and today have gone and surprised us with 30 degree sunshine (about 85F). And to keep us on our toes it drops down to about 18 by next week sometime. Layers are the name of the game.

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*Australian word for a cooler but can also be a special pouch which you would add ice packs too which is what my picnic set has