A Vespa and me, an inner-city moment

by Cellobella on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 · 4 comments

Oh yeah baby!

btw... short skirt + Vespa = a lot of leg = judiciously cropped photo

That’s me on the back of a Vespa about to scoot through the streets of Perth with TFB.

You don’t know TFB?

Let me just say that the T stands for The and the F stands for Fabulous.

’nuff said.

We are co-training a course and after today’s sessions we decamped with participants of said sessions for a quiet Sav Blanc (the only kind to have on a Wednesday evening) to the Grosvenor on Hay St.

A surprisingly full bar on a Wednesday night we discovered!

Anyhoo, said Sav Blancs consumed, TFB offered me a lift to the station on the back of her little green Vespa – Gecko.

How could I refuse?

An invitation is issued and turns out... I'm just a girl who can't say no... to a Vespa.

The city is different on the back of a scooter.

It smells different.

Less inside of manky, not cleaned often enough, car… and more… cement dust, exhaust fumes, still night air.

It looks different.

You notice the inside of restaurants, the people on the pavement, the hotels and the parks.

TFB drives me down to City West train station.

I swing my leg over the seat, flashing the control tops of my 50 denier tights, and slide off the helmet.

“You’re a pretty good pillion”, says TFB.

Yeah.

I still got it.

The legacy of a mis-spent youth… well… a boyfriend with a motorbike anyway.

I walk up to the platform feeling good and resolve to buy an apartment in the city… and a lime green Vespa.

Or… maybe a red one.

They go faster… right?

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End of the cyclone season

by Cellobella on Friday, April 29, 2011

Nine systems

Today might be date of the wedding of the century but here I’m more concerned that it is finally the end of the cyclone season.

And I’ve checked with the Severe Weather Centre and they say there will be no more til November.

You might remember that I like to put up the track maps of the systems as they come through.

Usually I get four or five – this year – nine.

Fortunately none of them did any damage apart from bringing loads of rain – which of course caused flooding.

Which did cause damage – but not wind damage.

Anyhoo.

The bloody season is over – thank goodness – and now I can get out my hat, pour a nice glass of something white and wet, and sit back and watch two young folk tie the knot in spectacular fashion.

They seem a nice couple don’t they?

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The cushion skirt

by Cellobella on Friday, April 22, 2011 · 4 comments

skirt made from cushion material

It all started with The West Wing.

I love The West Wing.

I watched the whole series on DVD a few years ago and yes I’ve cried during episodes.

But I haven’t watched it since we’ve had a democrat in The White House.

I like to think that Obama’s White House is just like the TV series.

It’s my little fantasy.

And he’s had a bit of bad press, a bit of “disappointment” aired by commentators in his reign.

So my antidote to that is to watch The West Wing again.

That, and reading about Shelley Obama’s outfits.

Now you might think that having seen the series already I’d be more controlled in my watching habits.

But no.

It’s back to back – I am addicted.

So what’s this got to do with the skirt?

As I pressed play on the third episode in a row I started to feel guilty.

And I’m not sure it’s such a good look in front of my screen obsessed teenagers.

And Groover was starting to growl.

Or maybe he was just annoyed with the other gamers playing Half Life.

Anyway I figured that if I was making something, then watching the next three episodes would be okay.

So I got out my pile of material, and perhaps I was influenced by the fact I had been sitting on the living room sofas for hours, but the leftover cushion cover material fairly jumped into my hands.

And I wore the skirt to work the next day.

Should the same thing happen to you – here’s how I made the skirt.

I wrapped it around my waist.

I pinned up the back seam.

I then tucked in the top making darts around the waist to fit the skirt to my body.

I then measured out the darts so that they were equidistant around the top of the skirt.

I sewed the darts, then the back seam.

I sewed in a zip.

I left the selvedge of the material because it kind of looked funky and meant I didn’t have to hem the bottom of the skirt.

Then I turned over the top centimetre and hemmed the waist.

Job done.

And why am I writing about this post now?

Well I’m on the fifth West Wing episode of the day and I figured I needed to look busy.

Job done.

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At the races… For charity obviously

by Cellobella on Saturday, April 16, 2011

image

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So we went to the races to raise money for St Barts.

Sadly no money was made for me.

Off to the glue factories I say!

Oh but they moved so beautifully and the jockeys were so… tiny.

As were their saddles.

Somehow even reading every Dick Francis novel didn’t prepare me.

Ah the races.

I was surprised how busy it was.

See you in another decade or so my dears.

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Late afternoon light

by Cellobella on Friday, April 15, 2011

Love this church

There’s something about the light this time of year.

It’s softer.

More dreamy.

Imagine the wedding photos.

Yes there was a wedding going on.

It’s a very popular church for that.

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Why I catch the train

by Cellobella on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 · 1 comment

I know it's not London but it is still traffic

I had to drive my car into work the other day and on the way home got stuck in traffic.

I’ve been stuck in much worse traffic.

But it was just so irritating.

Especially because I hadn’t wanted to drive in case I got stuck in traffic.

Probably need to drive tomorrow… unless…

Groover?  Are you busy?

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On not inviting girls

by Cellobella on Friday, April 8, 2011 · 7 comments

Bloody hell - can I go now?

This is my boy, pre-ball.

My creation.

Well mostly mine.

Okay okay he had a bit to do with it.

Oh and Groover.

But for tonight?

That’s mostly me.

With my boy’s agreement.

Y’know a lot has been said about how expensive girls can be when it comes to the Year 12 ball but I found myself forking over huge wads of cash.

Suit, shirt, shoes, tie… haircut.

Okay admittedly the haircut was a bargain.

I don’t know.

I didn’t think I’d care so much.

How hard is it being a boy – turn up in any old suit and you’ll look good right?

Probably right.

But I wanted him to feel good and look good.

I wanted him to feel special, coz you know… he is.

And besides…

The lads

How gorgeous do they look?

And he’ll wear that suit again.

Hopefully.

Travelling in style

Interestingly lots of the boys didn’t invite girls to the ball.

They go to a co-ed school and I guess they figured girls would be there anyway.

Still I was a bit disappointed.

I think a lot of the girls would have liked to have been asked.

And I bet there were a few who wished one of these lads had asked them.

But maybe not.

Maybe I’m just old-fashioned.

Or maybe…

Maybe these boys are lucky they don’t go to an all-boys school.

Yeah.

Then they’d have had to ask someone!

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How much do I love winter?

by Cellobella on Friday, April 8, 2011 · 5 comments

image

Well winter in Perth anyway which is pretty mild.

Cool enough to wear boots. No need for a parka.

And yes I know it’s not winter yet.

And one shower does not a winter make.

Oh but wasn’t it nice to wake up to a washed world yesterday.

To not feel hot.

To wear boots to work.

Boots that have waited patiently in the bottom of my cupboard ready to jump out the first time the mercury dropped below thirty degrees.

That smell of petrichor in the air.

Is it just me?

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Theme change?

by Cellobella on Thursday, April 7, 2011 · 3 comments

So… I’m thinking of changing my theme.

Thoughts?  Experiences?  Recommendations?

 

Anyone?

 

Okay what do I want?

Clean design

I like red.

Widgetised obviously.

WordPress.

Fixed width (I think).

I want to show the entire posts on the front page.  No more of this “read more” malarky.

That’s about it.

 

Your input welcome.

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Waiting game

by Cellobella on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 · 3 comments

The road to the Perth Domestic Terminal

Have you ever driven to Perth airport and noticed the lines of cars along the main drag leaving to the car park?

They are nearly always there and today I am one of them.

I am picking up a colleague’s wife who is coming down to Perth for treatment.

Her flight is coming in at five past nine and I’m early.

It’s a typical scenario, no doubt replicated elsewhere, where there is nowhere to park at the airport if you are picking someone up except of course at the vastly overpriced short term car park.

Well… there’s room for about eight cars… maybe.

So I wonder why airport designers or local government don’t just cater for it.

Widen the area on the side of the road slightly.

Or at least make the edge of the road less sharp… thought I might burst a tyre.

Just to make it a bit safer.

Make it standing only.

Or am I being ridiculous?

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