March 27. Day 87. Egg-cellent

I have standards. These involve such important things as no Hot Cross Buns on any day other than Good Friday (although left overs may be consumed om subesquent days while still fresh enough to do so). In addition Easter Eggs may not be eaten before Easter Sunday. Again, in the unlikely event of left overs, these may be consumed after the event. Such is the importance of this rule, I did not even eat the eggs off the top of yesterday's trifle although that may have been as much to with the fact that the kids got in first as any matter of principle. Anyway, powered by chocolate, I took off in the early afternoon to South Bank where the crowds has gathered to enjoy Easter Sunday determined not to let overcast skies and a few spinkles of rain stop an otherwise egg-cellent day.

March 26. Day 86. No trifling matter

My lovely nieces Jess, Amelia and Lucy eye off the trifle

 Sometimes the world speaks to you and today it said "trifle" (it also said chocolate but it does that most days so that doesn't count).
Some years back I bought a trifle bowl on special and I loved it - to death. At Christmas, it collapsed under the weight of custard and cream. Today I found myself back in the same kitchen store and the same model trifle bowl was there once again on special.
Well, you can't ignore that can you especially when you have 12 people coming for Easter dinner and absolutely no idea what to present for dessert?
So now I am once again the owner of a trifle bowl the only decision was what type of trifle. Being Easter really that was no question at all. It had to be chocolate.
Bring in the chocolate sponge roll and thick chocolate custard with chocolate Easter eggs for decoration. Add strawberry jelly and whipped cream and there you have a dessert that had eye popping results.
It also tasted pretty bloody good but I will admit that when scooped out of the delightful trifle bowl and into the dessert bowl it looked like something that should be in a doggy doo bag.
Not that anyone seemed to care. Once it's in your mouth the presentation isn't such an issue and chocolate is chocolate and chocolate is good.

March 25. Day 85. A bright light on a dark day

It will come as a surprise to almost no-one that I think all dogs - and my dogs in particular - are special. Dogs have a unique ability to bring joy and love to just about every situation. Rumple is a champion at this and today he put in a gold medal performance. Today I spent quite a bit of time in the Prince Charles Hospital Palliative Care Unit at the bedside of an old family friend. Mum and I visited twice and on the second trip I took Rumple. There were many things about the experience that made me feel that Palliative Care units still have a way to go to create the best environment for people in their final days and for those who care about them. Having said that, the relaxation of rules to allow dogs into the rooms is a great step forward. Of course not every dog  should be there (I left the crazy Lady Winkle at home for a reason) but a quiet, well behaved dog is a huge asset. Later, I was reminded of another advantage of having a canine companion by your side. On the way home we stopped at the Night Owl where a bloke was practicing his performance skills onthe footpath. Normally I don't talk to men in the street but in a very public place and in the company of a fur friend it seems harmless. He let me take his photo and I promised to send him a copy, a promise I will break unless I can remember his name. Let's just say that perhaps today I have more reason than usual for being a bit forgetful and awesome though he may be Rumple is proving to be of no use in this one.

March 24. Day 84. Stone the crows

As I understand it, the correct collective noun for number of crows is a murder. I get that.  Crows at full CRRAWW sound does sound like what I imagine is someone being strangled. But here's the thing, fortunately not many of us will ever hear someone being strangled. Therefore, I suggest a new collective noun is appropriate. My suggestion is a staff meeting of crows. Many people drawing attention to themselves making a lot of unpleasant noises that amount to very little. But perhaps that's just me.

March 23. Day 83. Something is needling me

Some people will do almost anything for a free lollipop and by some people I mean me. 

Okay, that's not true. 

I don't even like sugar and food colouring on a stick that much. However, I hate being sick and flu really, really sucks. 

So every year I line up for the employer-provided free flu shot. 

I understand it isn't a cast iron flu-free get out of jail-free card but I figure it is better than nothing. 

Apparently I am not alone. The nurse who administered my jab told me he's been needling about 80 people a day. 

He also confirmed I am the first one of those who has photographed the experience (fortunately for all involved I was too close to get an in focus photo).

As these things go, almost the second I left the medical centre I started coughing. 

This afternoon I started sneezing. 

No, it's not the flu. 

No, it's not vaccination related but yes it's annoying. 

I think I'll have a lollipop as a sweetener.

March 22. Day 82. Colourful characters

The business of the haircut drives me slightly nuts. Sitting still on the couch I can do. Sitting staring at my reflection under unforgiving salon lights is my idea of torture.  Having said that, the parade of characters is both colourful and entertaining. Today there was Corey. From Corey I learned about a colleague with an unfortunate habit of returning to an ex, a man who is lacking in the area of teeth. Specifically he has none. While Corey was colouring my hair I learned that he had been a competitive swimmer but threw in the towel principally because he really wasn't a competitive person - at least when it came to the pool. Hairdressing competitions, however, brings out his competitive beast. He's working on a creation for an upcoming show. It will be a Carmen Miranda-inspired "do" with a twist in that all the fruit and the fruit basket will be made of hair. He has a couple of the pieces of fruit already done but is now deciding whether the basket will be real or synthetic hair. He prefers working with the real business but synthetic hair has a more consistent texture. He is about to embark on basket weaving lessons. I love colourful characters like that. His vision and enthusiasm is infectious.  For the protection of the innocent there will be no pics of Corey, his fruit basket or the man with no teeth. Instead the colour will come from the post haircut walk through the Roma Street Parklands.

March 21. Day 81. Leap dog

 The wonderful thing about Tiggers
And Tiggers are wonderful things
Their tops are made out of rubber
Their bottoms are made out of springs
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy
Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!
But the most wonderful thing about tiggers is
I'm the only one 
So says Tigger in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too.
Well I've got some bad news for Winnie the Pooh's buddy.
Miss Winkle is a Tigger in puppy clothing.
She's certifiably insane in a nothing's-going-to-stop-me-now sort of way.
Nothing is safe with her around. A bowl of food on the edge of the bench is fair game.
Rumple will sit and beg.
Winkle will leap three times her body height to try and pull it down.
You'll find her on the dining room table or at the computer desk.
She's small enough to squeeze between the glass panes of the pool fence and the bars of the security door but she refuses to let that small stature get in her way when it comes to reaching great heights.
One minute she's sitting quietly on  a seat during a neighbourly visit to Margaret.
Turn your back and she's climbed up on the window sill and in her eagerness to get any of the mince left behind from bird feeding has edged most of her body under the security bars.
Her fearlessness is terrifying.
You'll find her on the edge of the bath or on the bedside table.
She's in the boot of the car or sitting on your shoulder.
Honestly if there was a high jump event for dogs under three kilograms that one would be a gold medal performer.
Naturally Margaret finds the antics of the "little scallywag" to be most endearing. Like a good Grandma, she makes sure her easy tables are free from tablets or other nasties the little one might get her paws on. She pretends to be annoyed at her - but not at all convincingly. The "see you tomorrow" when we leave is a bit of a give away. And tomorrow the door will be open so Rumple and Winkle can make their own way in between the bars of the security grill when we arrive.