Another day to mark

Phew! My assessment is finally over!

Bev, my employer, had forewarned me two days ago that I was going to get my interview from the Guild today, and I had been trying to prepare for it since. Up until the call, it had been nerve-wracking to not have even an iota of what could be asked of me. Bev had ensured me all this time, though, that the Guild did not intend to fail me nor would they even try to find a fault. Did that help or what, but the 10-minute oral examination over the phone went like fireflies fleeing out of a tight jar!

After I put down the phone, I just found myself back to work as if nothing had happened. Like I had been aware of the sense of relief taking over only when Bev asked me later how it was. Yeah, it was alright, I told her. You didn't think they'd kill you, right? she asked. Well, I really didn't know what to expect.

Later in the afternoon, the Guild's training supervisor called to inform me I had satisfactorily passed the modules, and that I could enrol for the dispensary assistant course. She said I could choose to attend the 3-hour classes for 6 weeks which will commence mid-April OR a weekend course. Hmm, I thought the weekend course would expedite all that, and more importantly, save all the petrol it would be burning had I opted for the 6-week course. So, after having told the lady on the phone of my choice, she offered the one for this weekend. Well, isn't that just grrrrrrrrreat?

This will surely be an interesting weekend to look forward to, and hmm, a long weekend for the chef.

...and the Cyclist

From the start, I should have called this blog The Chef/Cyclist and The Chemist. Oh well.

Yesterday, the Chef came home with a sore wrist, limbs with scratches from the bushes, a bruise on his forehead from the helmet's impact when... dan dan dan! he crashed on a tree.

Oops.

Of course I had to show some sympathy; so after realising he made it home in one piece, my first concerned-sounding question was, "Is the bike okay?" And calmly, he replied that, yeah, nothing happened to the bike. Thank God.

A treat for coffee addicts

This is a treat for all ya coffee addicts out there. Someone sent me this in the mail and thought it would be nice to share the fun.

Drop the coin in the coffee machine, and click on wherever the hand prompt points. Enjoy every sip! :)

Pakbet rewind

For some reason, the chef was craving for pakbet tonight. That was the veggie side dish last night, and again he's 'requesting' it to be in tonight's menu. I was bound to think he felt sorry for me for not knowing much about cooking vegetables, that he'd ask for a rewind. But really, this was genuine craving.

I said it was done. He took a peek in the pan, sprinkled some spice (that originally shouldn't be there!), covered it again, and "let it sit for a while."

I said it was done. "Letting it sit would mash the pumpkin and make the string beans soggy."

"Exactly. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?"

Grrrr.

My first Dosette

I want to mark this day.

Bev, our pharmacist, had let me fill my first Dosette pack, with a month's worth of medicines. This one was pretty easy-- and therefore, less mistakes-- since the medicine in each cubicle was the same for all. Of course, Bev still had to re-check them. Earlier this month, she had already shown me how to fill a Webster pack and let me finish a day's dosing under close supervision. I would have considered that the big one, but this one just felt more like it.

:)

Let the Games begin!

Was going to, but now, can't talk much. The opening ceremony is too breathtaking.

Check all about the Commonwealth Games at its website --> www.melbourne2006.com

Labour Day

I had almost forgotten. I could have stayed longer in bed. Ho-hum... Yeah, I think I should.

Mornington Peninsula wine country

our route through the peninsula

With some sandwiches and bottles of water, the chef and I took off for a tour of the Mornington Peninsula wine country and coastal towns. It had been for some time now that he's been wanting to go for vineyard hopping to do a bit of tasting here and there and be on the lookout for some good cheeses.

While there was much to see other than the wine country, we decided to first drive along the western coast down to the tip of peninsula. Passing through Mornington, with beaches famous for their colourful boathouses, we made our first stop at the esplanade of Mount Martha to grab our morning coffees from South Beach Cafe. Hmm, there was a very tempting brekky being served there, but with more views to look forward to, and our sandwiches in our picnic bag, we headed further down to Safety Beach in Dromana. Tuna never tasted so much better than with the ocean in our horizon. :)

We passed through the townships of Rosebud and Rye, which are known for their caravan parks, and then further down to Sorrento just in time to see the ferry dock at the port before its trip back to the Great Ocean Road. We missed the marvelous sand sculptures at Rye Beach, and only realised we did upon reaching historic Portsea at the tip of the peninsula where we got hold of a visitor's guide from the visitor info centre. Sand sculpting is a yearly event at Rye, with always an interesting theme to showcase. It was Disney last year, and this year the theme is the animal kingdom. I would have loved to do a U-turn at this point, but our palates were already raring for the tastings. So, I guess Rye will have to wait for our next trip. The sand sculptures event is up until the 25th April.

On the way back north, we took concealed roads which cut through the centre of Mornington wine country. Prior to the trip, I had managed to download maps sourced from the internet, but the chef had chosen to follow his own routes. Because there were so many vineyards one could visit, we picked out a few where we could get more than just a view of the plantation.

Tuck's Ridge would have been lovely, but the parking was pretty packed when we got there. Quite understandably, it was nearly lunch time then; so, we left just as we arrived and was glad Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove was next door. No luck for lunch again here as the resto had been fully booked, but there was much to see around the property so we hung around a bit. We were caught up at first glance with what peaks the population here-- the resto, the cafe, the free tastings, the open gallery, and of course, the view.

At the entrance, a map was provided to guests to identify the abstract sculptures beautifully scattered amongst the rows of vines. First, we weaved our way through their garden of spices and herbs, where some of their cafe tables were set up amongst the patches of shrubs. So strategically and romantically set, I would say, with the surrounding scent of the herbs adding up to the ambience of the place. And I bet it would be so picturesque at dusk with a view of the vineyard spread out on the horizon. Then, after a stroll and a few snaps up and down the vineyard, we finally saw what we've come down here for. The tasting room was getting filled, but we managed to squeeze into the bar to get our first goblets. I was so raring for a taste of the whites, but the chef prefers only the reds. Starting from the other end would kill his patience, so I had to go with that. Not bad. The range was okay, except for the Shiraz which was quite acidic and very, very dry. The 2003 Pinot Noir of the Pennon Hill Range impressed us the most, and didn't hesitate to grab a bottle for take home. Hmm, we reckon it was a bit pricey for its vintage, but acquiring it from the source was something else.

Our next tasting stop was Pier 10, which was a short ride from Montalto. This was a totally different atmosphere, with a live jazz band performing at the resto. It was more rustic with a western cowboy appeal reflected in their furniture and menu blackboards. Compared to the previous resto's menu, the food items here were cheaper and mostly seafood and roasts. The tastings were generous, though, and so were their specials on "forgotten" chardy. Except for the sparkling red I liked, nothing enticed our palates to pick a bottle version of those sips. Or maybe my chef was just too hungry to think. Hehehe.

Despite the mouth-watering menu on giant display, the chef decided we cruised a bit more to the north to get to Red Hill Estate. The tannins from our tastings were surely making us crave for a bite! In a few, we were finally making our way through the long driveway up the estate. Parking was almost filled, and so was the tastings area, which was a warehouse of other delights as well-- jams, preserves, cordials, spices, cookbooks and souvenir items. The exceptional for my chef at this place was a cup of dukkah, Egyptian spices, a steal at $5.

Through a glass door, we slip to what seemed to be another realm. Oh yeah, this was the place to be. I thought we had seen the best, but the view from Max's patio was breathtaking, like being on a first date-- or even better, on a honeymoon. Sitting at such elevation gave us a spectacular view of other vineyards and a hint of the coastline below. Yeah, munching on Prawns on the Lawn for lunch kind of made sense somehow, with a platter of cheeses, water crackers, strawberries, and fig chutney. It was snacks special for the week, but it was filling enough. Besides, we still had some tastings to do.

Or that's what I thought. As soon as we sat in the car, the heat of the day had suddenly risen. And the food seeming to have finally settled. We had some more places in our short list, but we agreed that was good enough for the day. While the chef/driver flushed himself with loads of water, the navigator (that would be me), started to review our route back home on the Melway.

This was a wonderful trip worth repeating, but for sure, next time, I'd be better giving directions. Ahh, that's another story.

Signed...sealed...mailed!

I have finally finished my books! After Bev's last signature, I had put them in an envelop, sealed and kissed it for luck before slipping it in the mail box. :)

They were two modules sent to me by the Pharmacy Guild which I had to accomplish as part of their assessment prior to enrolment for the dispensary assistant course. While I had yet to do those modules (and acquire the certificate upon completion of the course), Bev already had me started on the position to have some experience to back me up.

It has been a BIG learning curve for me these past weeks, and although feeling inadequate at times, I think I'm coping quite well. Nakanaman! Getting those books done shouldn't have taken that long, but with how busy the pharmacy could get at times made it difficult to do so. Just the same, I'm glad that's over and done with. I'm ready for the next step.

Pseudoephedrine update

Last night, our pharmacy took part in one of the pseudoephedrine information sessions given by Victorian pharmacy bodies and the Major Drug Investigation Division of the Victorian Police. While information dessimination about the misuse and abuse of pseudoephedrine single and combination products was the focal point, they also highlighted the changes to be observed with the implementation of the PseudoWatch Program.

There was an interesting talk given by one of the detectives, even supplying us with relevant news clips and photos to illustrate the effects of mishandling/abusing the drug. To see how relatively easy it is to crudely convert a therapeutic drug to a drug of addiction-- and much more with how rampant it is here-- was a shocking revelation.

Being seated amongst informed people does put a significant responsibility on one's shoulders. But, then again, to be able to educate others makes a lot of difference.

Joint birthday dinner for the chef and Yasas

No one had work yesterday. And more importantly, everyone could afford to get pissed last night. Hahaha!

Lashan and Phubudu presenting their cake to the celebrants

Birthday cuppa to the chef

Love didn't require me to be a gastronome to be with my man. I only had to be hungry for it. :) From then on, famish is just a word.

You are the one. You are the only. You are my all. You are my everything.

Happy birthday, sweetheart!

***

Preparing this morning's coffee reminded me why my husband stands by his seeming logic for not showering me with flowers, as most romantics would do. I had at one point been the nag for an answer-- not for flowers. No, really. My string of questions was answered with a string of reasons from him, which made me sympathise him somehow-- and then, fall for him far better than I already have. It made me learn to respect this romantic, and most especially to prepare myself for his unusual ways.

Then one day, he gave me this cup, which at first sight seemed to scream, "Now, shut up!" Everyone who's seen it reckons it's an unusual way to receive a bouquet. Hahaha! Nah, it's my everyday rose, my everlasting flower. Forever in full bloom, it makes every day Valentine's Day for us. And every cuppa is an extra special cuppa.

my cup of love ever-flowing

The start of firsts

The first of March marks the start of many things again for us. For us Christians, it's the first day of Lent, a time of reflection. Abstinence for some things are observed, like fasting, as a means of cleansing one's soul. This was almost strictly observed in my family, but living apart from them now means I will have to keep the drive by myself. While cutting down on meat consumption with my less-carbo-more-protein non-Christian husband, I have strongly suggested to myself to be on a diet. And be more consistent with my walking/jogging exercises.

Autumn officially starts today, but the weather is clinging to summer for a bit, I guess. It's still warm outside, but with the days finally grown shorter, my walks will also be shorter for sure.

Today also marks the first month for me and the chef since starting our respective jobs. Woohoo! We are definitely enjoying our jobs. Although some days we come home tired, that feeling of satisfaction comes with it, leaving us nothing but smiles.

Oh, this also happens to be my first March in Oz, as my previous visits have been after or before this month. I wonder what other firsts it will offer me...