Acclimatisation

The cold snap has been interesting but in a way it's a good thing since I'm heading to Melbourne next weekend.
The weather there can be unpredictable but in all likelihood it is going to be colder than it is in Sydney. The last time I was there it was the weekend of the massive hail storm so who knows what I'm in for.
So this week's temperature drop represents a chance to acclimatise somewhat to the type of conditions I will experience down there.

A week after the storm

Last weekend I went to Melbourne for what is known as 'Super Saturday' at the races but as it turned out it was memorable for completely different reasons.

What is strange though is that when I arrived back in Sydney on Sunday how little some people knew about what happened in Melbourne the day before.

Despite the predictions of showers all weekend I didn't take an umbrella with me. Some may call that a rookie mistake when you're planning to go to Melbourne.

I arrived the Friday and it was very humid but no real signs of rain. I met up with a couple of friends for a drink (after overshooting my tram stop by one) and then headed for Crown Casino. That was mainly because I hadn't been there before and I thought I might as well check it out. I chatted to a guy called Bobby on the tram on the way (initiated by the need for some direction on my part) who was off to watch the AFL game on that evening.

Crown Casino is something else. It makes Star City look like a backroom poker lounge. It's also quite mesmerising and it's very easy to get disorientated. I suppose that's one of the tricks of casinos.

Anyway, the next day I headed off to Flemington for the races.

It was an awesome day weather wise and I arrived there on the train. If anything it was a shade on the hot side. I met up with Luke, a guy I work with (sort of), for a bit and settled in to watch the Newmarket Handicap.

You could see a storm coming. It came up a lot faster than anyone expected and five minutes after the race it started to rain. No more than five more minutes later it started to hail and we're talking golf ball size at least.

Flemington was virtually covered in darkness as the sheer volume of hail that was falling turned the setting from lush green grass to appearing to be covered in snow.

As a result of the freak storm the racecourse was flooded, the trains were knocked out and the races called off. I had to line up for a bus for about 40 minutes and ended up at Footscray train station to catch a train into the city.

Flinders St Station looked like a tidal wave had run through it, sections of road were covered in water and debris littered around town.

Quite an experience. Of course I was sheltered from the storm in more ways than one - I was under cover when the storm hit and of course had nothing valuable unprotected, unlike some whose cars were either covered in water or damaged by hail or both.

I have to say I've seen some big storms over the years but never anything like this. Lightning strikes that seemed to cut the sky in half, thunder that would put God's tenpin bowling team to shame and hail that left piles of ice everywhere.

Won't be forgetting that weekend.

Living on Mars

You could be forgiven for thinking we're in some kind of twilight zone this morning.
Waking up and looking out the window to a sea of red is a bizarre experience. Like having a Total Recall moment.
Even now, behind the curtains, there is this eerie reddish presence.

Decision time

When I was in Melbourne I decided to see how things went with reducing some medication as it had been suggested to me to try it again a while back. I'd had one failed attempt after I went down too much in one hit last year.
The problem is that on Monday when I woke up I felt the same as I did that time before when I'd reduced too much. This time I'd only gone down a small increment and had no side effects for over a week until now. So I've got to decide whether or not to tough it out and see how I adjust (because it isn't fun to feel tired and headachey most of the time) or just return to my previous dose.
As much as I'd love to not have to use this medication it seems to do the job pretty well.
It may be drawing a long bow but in perspective this isn't a massive issue when you see what's going on in Victoria with the fires destroying towns and devastating people's lives.
Maybe I need to put up with a bit of discomfort for a few days while the body adjusts. The cooler weather has been great for getting good nights of sleep, it's amazing that on the weekend it was around 40 degrees and now it's half that and I had to get my doona out this morning because I was cold.
I guess the main question is do I put up with it for a while and see what happens or return to the comfortable level. I feel like I've made plenty of progress in the last few months and I know the decision to reduce was made in the middle of a high point in the steps I've been taking. Was it too fast?

I love Melbourne

Despite looking like a stunned mullet in this picture, I had an awesome time in Melbourne this weekend.
The trip was the one I mentioned a week or so back about being the challenge I set myself, to do something out of the comfort zone.
So it was a trip to Melbourne, where I knew nobody and very little about getting around even though I had been there once before, about nine years ago. My situation then was much different to now, though.
I flew down on Friday lunch time and arrived in Melbourne to temperatures of about 45 degrees (Celsius), the city having been in the middle of a heatwave. It was hot, no doubt, but fortunately it was a dry heat with very little humidity and that is a lot easier to handle.
I arrived at my hotel in Carlton and changed my shirt, then headed off into the city to explore.
I remember just as I was walking there how awesome it felt to be doing it. I made it to the city in about 10 minutes and took a tram ride around the city until I arrived at Federation Square.
The first thing I wanted to do was check out the Australian Racing Museum and it was good, as far as museums go. I then walked along the river to Rod Laver Arena where the Australian Open tennis was being played and caught another tram back to the city.
I met a guy on the tram who was from, well I'm not sure where exactly, Canada or the US I think and he was telling me how he was going to St Kilda. After a bit more walking around I decided to head that way myself and caught another tram down there.
I walked along St Kilda beach, which was packed as you'd expect with the weather, and had dinner there as well.
After that I caught another tram back but caught the wrong one and almost ended up getting lost until I realised I needed to get off. I walked a few blocks back towards the city and eventually got onto the right tram. By this time it was much more comfortable and I found people to be generally pretty nice. There was one idiot who tried to pick a fight with a tram driver and another guy on a bike that almost collided with a tram I was on.
I walked back towards my hotel, it was 9pm by now, and missed the street I needed to turn down and got a bit lost but I didn't really mind because I was enjoying the walk despite being a bit tired.
I hung out in my room for a while and went to bed a bit late, then got up Saturday morning to prepare for my trip to the races (of course). More on that shortly.

Sleepless in Sydney

When you get home at 9pm or thereabouts and it is still 30 degrees you know you're in for a hot night.
It was the same yesterday. I had to resort to using a relaxation tape to get me to doze off when I couldn't get comfortable. Everyone complains about the weather, probably more than anything else, yet it is one thing we have no control over.
At the moment it's a heatwave but a few days ago we were obsessing over the coldest December in a while or something to that effect.. Where had summer gone? Now it's too hot!
I haven't exactly had sleepless nights, it just takes a while to count enough sheep to get the job done. Feels a bit like it though when you wake up after just six hours when eight would be much better. The predictions are that we're getting a 10 or so degree drop in temperature tomorrow so things should be more pleasant.
It was a fairly standard day today. Watched the cricket after work for a while and it was very intriguing for the fifth day of a test match but also satisfying to see Australia scape home to beat South Africa for what will really only be a consolation win. I went out to the club for dinner with some mates then watched an episode of Chuck before getting ready for bed.
So I sit here in my shorts ready to hit the sack. Sounds like a good idea.

Cold snap

It's closing in on the end of October and suddenly we have a maximum of 15 degrees and snow on the mountains. Add some rain and high winds (my umbrella escaped with its life this afternoon) and it's been a weird one.
For the benefit of those friends who are overseas, at this time of year 15 is a common minimum temperature - last Saturday is was 30 degrees and around 17 at night.
Funny weather, good for sleeping I suppose and I am opting for the long pyjama pants tonight.

Sunshine

It's great to see the sun for a change. After a week or so of cloud and rain it is also a bit strange.
A bit of cabin fever sets in when it is like that so taking the opportunity to get outside has been excellent and get some sun onto the skin.
Also good to be hanging clothes on the line and not using the dryer.

Merry Christmas

Having awoken from an afternoon nap (which I think I have needed all day) I offer somewhat belated Christmas greetings to everyone.
It has been a strange one today, quite cool (weather wise) by our standards and while that is not something to complain about it makes it an unusual Christmas. But, nevertheless, a good one.

You can still be free

Summer in Sydney - muggy, then rains, still muggy, sunshine, finally a cool breeze. Until it starts all over again.
Still, 26 degrees or so is a lot nicer than it could be. Enough about the weather.
Today was a bit surreal. I went out to Randwick races for the first time in what seemed like ages, it's probably been six months at least.
I was drawn out there to watch a particular racehorse, Takeover Target, race and he didn't let me down. Though there was an anxious moment there on the winning post.
A bit of an absence from the track lately for me meant I hadn't seen quite a few people I usually mix with so it was good to resurface and catch up with them.
A sense of freedom today.
It's been a pretty massive week or so and I've held up fairly well. Topping off a big week with another day out (and a trip to the races is equal to any working day) isn't something I've done a lot of this year. So be in a positiion where I seem to have no problem (to date anyway) with it is very enouraging.
That's about it, a nice day and here's to many more. By the way, tomorrow is Festivus - I will have to think of some grievances. But that's another issue.

* You Can Still Be Free is a song by Savage Garden

Not much to tell

Don't have an awful lot to add at the moment.
I'm listening to some of my music on the computer (Mariah's Fly Like A Bird is playing as a write this). I have a week off work coming up shortly which will be great.
The warmer weather over the last little while has been great, I've enjoyed taking the barefoot walks in the park nearby again (a great summer favourite of mine) and feeling the warmth of the sun has been great after such a cold, wet winter. Of course, like every year, it will get cold again before it gets warmer.