COVID-19 Times

Last week we went out for the first time in a very long time, and things are finally starting to get back to normal. I thought I'd reflect back on the last few months of life during COVID-19.



I did my nails a lot:











We exercised together (special thanks to Heather Robertson for her amazing online workouts):











We drank good drinks:















We had easter with family:



I made a LOT of puzzles, and discovered diamond painting (and used rock tape to fix up my associated RSI):















We cooked and baked:





















I saw a clairvoyant with the doco club girls (it was unsuccessful):



And I'm back to pole and rings; feels like starting from scratch, especially the bruises.



I wonder how these months will feel like when we look back on them in a years time; it already feels so surreal now. We've had it really easy in WA, I can't imagine what it's been like in places worse affected.

Can't wait to start getting some semblance of normal life going again!

Working from Home

Working from home is so sad and isolating, I never realised how much I enjoyed the day to day contact with my colleagues. I also miss getting up from my desk to at least walk between meetings; sitting down for hours at home is already taking a toll after just a couple of days!

I feel like work has really invaded our personal space. It's tough to separate work from home when your workstation is taking up the majority of your dining table, but I've found that lighting a candle when work is over at least makes it smell like home and not work.



We've had our last laughs at floorplay, one last impressive bruise, a last handstand practice at the gym and a lot of other lasts as everything shuts down with their fingers crossed they'll make it through. My fingers are crossed extra tight for Tammy at Flying High Aerial Arts, and the team at AirYoga and Stadium Fitness - once things are back to normal, I'll never take my fitness routine for granted every again!







Our fridge is a graveyard of tickets for events that will hopefully be delayed rather than cancelled (including The National, Pond, Tame Impala, The Crystal Method, Perth Beerfest, Chinta High Tea, ok so we spend lots on events), and we're getting accustomed to day to day life without looking forward to big plans on our weekends.

These are all small problems in the grand picture of course, but man day to day life is going to suck for a while.

To end on a lighter note, here's an improvised dessert I made recently with homemade lemon curd and blueberry compote we had ready in the fridge, heavy cream, and an improvised crumb of coconut, almond and hazelnut meal, sugar and butter. It was a success, will definitely have to remember that crumb!

Triple J Hottest 100 of the decade (2010s)

I love voting in the hottest 100; I feel like it's a great time to reflect on how musics has shaped the past year and what songs "felt" like that your for you. Voting for anything more than a year is extremely tough, and I was also interested to notice that my short-list wasn't just a summary of each of my vote lists from the past 10 years.

Can't wait to listen in and see what everyone thought the best song of the decade is, and whether it's a song that won any other title!

My votes:

• Alt-J - Breezeblocks (2012) (#12)
• Banks - Beggin For Thread (2014)
• Courtney Barnett - Nameless, Faceless (2018)
• FKA Twigs - Two Weeks (2014)
• Grimes - Oblivion (2012) (would have also voted for Kill V. Maim but it wasn't in the list)
• The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio (2010) (#197)
• Pendulum - Witchcraft (2010) (#169)
• Pond - Daisy (2019)
• Tame Impala - Let It Happen (2015) (#26)
• SBTRKT - Wildfire {Ft. Little Dragon} (2011)

Just missed out:

• Phoenix - Entertainment (2013)
• Methyl Ethel - Twilight Driving (2015)
• Nero - Guilt (2011) (would have voted for My Eyes, but it wasn't in the list)
• Purity Ring - Begin Again (2015) (would have voted for Stranger than Earth but it wasn't in the list)
• Tame Impala - Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (2012) (#65)

Further on the short list:

• Abbe May - Karmageddon (2012)
• Alpine - Seeing Red (2012)
• Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane (2010)
• Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010)
• Banks - Brain (2014) - well, everything by Banks
• Ball Park Music - Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You (2014)
• Billie Eilish - bad guy (2019) (#71)
• The Black Keys - Lonely Boy (2011) (#45)
• Calvin Harris - Pray To God {Ft. Haim} (2014)
• Caribou - Odessa (2010)
• Disclosure - Latch {Ft. Sam Smith} (2012)
• Flume - Never Be Like You {Ft. Kai} (2016)
• Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks (2010) (#7)
• Frank Ocean - Lost (2012) (#34)
• Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know {Ft. Kimbra} (2011) (#2)
• K.Flay - Blood In The Cut (2016)
• LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change (2010)
• Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness (2012) (#123)
• Lorde - Green Light (2017) (#61)
• M83 - Midnight City (2011) (#22)
• M.I.A. - XXXO (2010)
• Major Lazer - Lean On {Ft. MØ & DJ Snake} (2015) (#136)
• Mansionair - Easier (2016)
• Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Dance the Way I Feel (2010) (#107)
• Pnau - Chameleon (2016) (#149)
• Skrillex - Bangarang {Ft. Sirah} (2012) (#55)
• Superorganism - Something For Your M.I.N.D. (2017)
• Vampire Weekend - Giving Up the Gun (2010)
• Violent Soho - Covered In Chrome (2013) (#4)
• The xx - On Hold (2016)
• Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (2010)

Past votes:

• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2014
• 2015 
• 2016 
• 2017 
• 2018
• 2019 
• Hottest 100 of all time (2009)

Update: What a great countdown! Tame Impala is definitely the sound of the 2010's for me, glad the rest of Australia agrees. I actually liked all of the songs in the list and was happy to see some bandy bands in the top 4.

End of 2019

It's been a while since I've posted anything, and realised so much stuff has been going on!

Immersive has been bought by Komatsu and the software department has almost doubled in size, so I've been flat out at work, but in a good way. We've also lost a few awesome people (Raph, Adam, Luke, and Nikky soon), but I'm really excited about the new team, even though they make me feel really old.



I have a new bike! Andrew bought it for me for my birthday, and his family got me the coolest helmet to go with it. I've been riding to work, and am slowly getting my confidence; riding is really hard!



The Perth Royal Show 2019 was another best ever time of year, even though I only went 3 times. This year they had a Sandvik LH517 bogger (one of the really big underground machines) in the WA pavilion, it was so exciting! Also spotted some underground drill bit art. Ava saw her first fireworks, she thought they were too bright and loud (we improvised). 













I "got murdered" at a group escape room:


Drank lots of beer at Mane Liquor Carpark Party (yes, it's in a carpark Julien!), Freo Beerfest and Tusk Day:











Made cakes for Ria and Callan's wedding, and Georgia and Heath's engagement party (congratulations guys!):









Saw Regurgitator:



Did some more baking:





And there's still a few more days of 2019 to go! Yvonne, Simona and the kids, Michael and Iva are over, so we will be spending as much time as possible with them :)