They make all that effort to add random spaces in words so automated SMS spam filters don’t block their attempted spam/phish…and then the spam filters effortlessly figure it out and block their messages anyway.
(งಠ_ಠ)ง
Lifting party 2022 at Barbell Babes Brigade
Another year, another fantastic Barbell Babes Brigade lifting party for Nadia – with one equal and two new personal bests!
Photo of a woman in a large indoor power lifting gym. The woman is wearing black exercise gear, wrist straps, and a lifting belt and is smiling at the camera. She is leaning on a barbell with heavy weights on it that’s been placed on a lifting rack.
This year’s results:
Squat: 90kg
Bench press: 50kg
Deadlift: 107.5kg (up from 65kg just two years ago!)
Photo of a woman smiling broadly at the camera. The woman is wearing a sleeveless black exercise top and is standing in a large power lifting gym.
#JustStrong
Photo of the back of a woman’s head. The woman is standing in a large power lifting gym. She is wearing a sleeveless black exercise top and her hair has been arranged into a bun that’s being held together with paint brushes.
A little stressed at the vet
Maggie was only a little stressed at the vet today. Her visits usually end up net positive though, because the *second* the vet gives her a treat all her stress goes out the window :)
Photo of a red/brown dog standing in a large waiting area, looking up at the photographer. The dog’s mouth is open because she’s panting and her ears are pulled back slightly from the typical alert position. She looks a little stressed.
Working from home anniversary
Two years ago today I wrote this on the whiteboard next to where my team sits in the office. I guess “foreseeable future” was right because, in this post-vaccine stage of the pandemic, we’re all still working from home.
Photo of a whiteboard on which there is text that reads: “Looking for the Digital & Social Media team? We’re all working from home for the foreseeable future. Contact us via Webex, phone, or email. #FlattenTheCurve #COVID_19”.
My current plan is to start going into the office one day a week from April. Maybe. I’ll still be fully N95-masked, of course. We’re not in the post-pandemic stage yet! But let’s see what happens in the next few weeks.
We’re certainly living in interesting times!
Comfortable dog
Making the most of the sun and quickly-growing grass (which I haven’t mowed yet).
Photo of a red/brown dog that’s been taken through a wooden trellis. The dog is sleeping on its side on the grass on a sunny day.
Peanut butter bread
Turns out peanut butter bread is super easy to make and is quite delicious.
The recipe I followed made a relatively mild loaf, so next time I’ll make a richer, more cake-like version.
Photo of a home-baked loaf of rich brown bread cooling on top of a wire rack on a kitchen countertop.
FYI: I followed the 1932 recipe in this video (which is from the US Great Depression) and I’ll try Dylan’s own peanut butter bread recipe for the next loaf.
Spotting Nadia while she lifts heavy weights
Nadia Tweeted this:
Which I quote-tweeted and said:
Don’t tell Nadia, but spotting her is one of my favourite things to do. Not only do I get to watch her lift ridiculously heavy weights (and increasingly heavy ones at that) I also get the opportunity to hang out with her when she's having the most fun (+ take cool photos of her)!
Photo of a strong-looking woman in a black sleeveless shirt and hair held up in a bun with paint brushes. The woman is wearing wrist straps and a thick leather belt for lifting heavy weights. She is standing in a room in front of a weight rack that has a loaded barbell on it.
Pros and cons of wearing a mask
Up side of wearing a well-fitted, (K)N95/P2 mask: your likelihood of contacting COVID-19 in an indoor setting is greatly reduced.
Down side of wearing a well-fitted, (K)N95/P2 mask:
Close-up selfie of a man’s face. On the man's cheek and nose are reddened indentations made by the straps of a tightly fitted faced mask. The man is sitting inside a car.
Sunday afternoons
Sunday afternoons, amirite?
Close up photo of a sleeping red/brown dog with its head resting on the side of a fuzzy dog bed.
Highlights of red
My ‘highlights of red’ outfit while walking the dog today: red sneakers, red watch strap, and red leash+collar combo. Not exactly painting the town red; more like fine lining it :)
Photo of the bottom half of a man’s outfit as he stands on the pavement next to some grass. The man is wearing a black T-shirt, olive green shorts, and red sneakers. The man’s watch is on a red strap and he is holding a red dog leash.
Afternoon naps
The best way to spend an afternoon, tbh.
Photo of a red/brown dog asleep on its side inside an enclosed dog bed cube. The dog’s face and front paws are leaning against the circular hole that is the opening of this cube.
I’ve taken today off (yay for time-in-lieu leave) so I’m doing pretty much the same too :)
Neighbourhood drama
Someone is being a tad…dramatic in our neighbourhood. I wonder if that’s from the building owner or the current renter of this block of shops? Either way, they are decidedly Not Happy.
Photo of a side wall of a block of shops in a residential neighbourhood. The wall has been spray painted with a few graffiti tags, including two large ones. Written in the middle of this graffiti, in all capital letters, is “Tag in this place again I'll find you!!!”
Herring Island picnic
Hello from Herring Island in the Yarra River in Melbourne!
Selfie of a man wearing a t-shirt, sunglasses, and a straw hat. The man is standing in an lightly wooded area that’s on an island in the middle of an urban river.
The island is a short punt ride from Richmond.
Photo of a small punt making its way across an urban river to ferry people to the other side.
It has gazebos, public barbecues, several picnic areas, toilets, and even a pottery store.
Photo of a gazebo and some park benches in a large open field surrounded by a wooded area.
Plus there’s artwork to check out. Including this one – ‘Steerage’ by Jill Peck – that you can sit in :)
Selfie of a man wearing a t-shirt, sunglasses, and a straw hat. The man is sitting inside a large piece of artwork that’s shaped like a wide boat. This “boat” is made from pieces of granite, so it looks like grey cobblestones.
It’s a lovely place for a walk and a picnic. 8/10 would recommend.
Photo of a woman in a red and black patterned dress and a straw hat walking across an open field that’s surrounded by tall trees.
Just strong
#JustStrong
Black and white photo of a woman standing at a weights rack with her hands on a barbell that has heavy weights on it. She is wearing wrist straps, a lifting belt, and a black sleeveless top with the phrase “just strong” written across the back in bold, all-caps letters. She looks like a badass.
Justifiably clingy
*sigh*
(When you’ve been super busy at work and haven’t paid enough attention to the dog.)
Photo of a red/brown dog lying on her side in a carpeted room. The dog’s back is smooshed up against the leg and caster of an office chair. A very short distance away from the dog is a fuzzy, orange dog bed. The photographer had added bold, all-caps text on top of the three main objects in the photo. This text reads: MY CHAIR, MY DOG, and HER BED.
Important update: it’s warmer outside in the sun than it is my study.
Photo of a red/brown dog asleep on her side next to a fence in the sun.
A smidge of sunshine
A smidge of sunshine…
Selfie of a man walking a red/brown dog on a residential street. The man is wearing a bright blue cap and a light grey rain shell. There’s a bit of pale sunlight on the bottom half of the man’s face.
On an otherwise overcast and drizzly day.
Selfie of a man walking a red/brown dog on a residential street. The man is wearing a bright blue cap and a light grey rain shell, with the shell’s hood covering the cap. There are splotches of rain on the rain shell.
Hot day
I know it’s going to be a Hot Day today, but it’s quite nice out there right now. Even if it is a smidge windy and a tad humid.
Selfie of a man wearing sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat with the sun behind the man’s head.
That said, the temperature did rise by almost three degrees in just the half hour that Maggie and I were out walking. So it’s not going to be pleasant for too much longer!
Selfie of a man walking a red/brown dog on a red leash. The man is wearing a t-shirt, sunglasses, a wide brimmed straw hat and is looking up at the camera. The dog is just behind the man, sniffing around in the grass on a nature strip at the side of a road.
Mini apple pies
Home made, gluten free, mini apple pies on a Saturday afternoon.
My mother loved apple pie. Had she been alive, today would’ve been her 75th birthday. *sigh*
Photo of a few square, single-serve apple pies with a rich, brown, caramelised crust lying on a cooling rack.
Important Sunday breakfast update (lactose free vanilla ice cream in slightly warmed pie)…
Photo from the point of view of a man holding a yellow plate. The plate contains a square piece of pie with a scoop on vanilla ice cream on top of it.
Picnic throwback
Throwback to two weeks ago when we were picnicking at Donnelly Weir in the Yarra Ranges.
Selfie of a man with his back to a constructed weir in the middle of a forest.
You might not hear the tree fall in the woods, but at least you get to see it and then take a photo of it :)
Photo taken along the length of a tree that’s fallen in the woods.
Living near a train line
One nice thing about living near a train line is that you get the chance to take lots of train-in-motion photos when you take the dog for a walk every day.
Photo of a train in motion taken through a gap in tree branches. The train is in sharp focus but the branches of the tree are motion-blurred.