Sunsets over share houses

Nothing reinforces the pleasant realisation that you have left those crowded, messy share house days behind and moved into a grownup home like having a gorgeous garden.  A space that is not full of beer bottles and someone’s old bicycle but with flowers, light, birds, an outdoor setting and if you’re really lucky a water feature.  I’m not quite there yet, about half way I hope.  I’ve left the smelly share house of 4(!) boys behind and moved into a slick apartment with one boy (two if you include the dog). In the share house our yard was damp, full of cigarettes (I don’t smoke) and broken glass (also not me), generally just really an unpleasant area to be in.  But now with one small step of the ladder rung I have climbed to a clean balcony.  The garden of my dreams is a still a little way off but I do have a space to call my own and it does delight me with the most beautiful sunsets. 

Sunset from my apartment.

In this tiny, yet glorious, excuse of a balcony I have managed to squeeze one table and two delightfully vintage (street) chairs, a chilli plant (with no chillies) and some bamboo, because, well who doesn’t love some bamboo?   But this doesn’t exactly leave much room for outdoor dinner parties especially once the dog and his bowl are out there, thankfully there is a doggy door.  There is only just enough space for two people to share some bubbles, cheese and soak up some rays which is all very lovely, but not exactly practical. 

This in-between apartment is defiantly a step up from the environment of a house where everyone fights over the last clean fork.  But I would like enough room to grow some plants, a lemon tree and maybe lay out my yoga mat, so I will need some dirt too.  My lease runs out soon and I would like to continue to rise to a level where I have the space to turn my white thumbs green, and stretch out, physically and mentally.  This leads me to yearning for a house again.  But not a share house…

I like my little wolf pack so will hunt for a small house with a nice yard.  It needs space, light and a place for everyone and everything.  I don’t want messy street parties but nice dinner parties, apparently with the evolution of my living situation I have also matured.  I think the yard reflects what is in the home, the energy of the people living there and whether they care about their environment, immediate and global.  There is also the issue of how much love and energy to put into a space that is not yours.  I’m not going to be buying soon so I need a rented yard that is already nice so I can just add some small, cheap, touches to keep me happy in the meantime.

Until I continue to go up the ladder of mediocre to fantastic houses I will simply have to fantasise about what can be.   One thing I’m already certain about, besides the lemon tree, is the outside, newly purchased seating I will have from Cosh Living, and yes I will show you the picture.  Until then my unfruitful chilli bush and street chairs will keep me happy.

What happened to the friendly neighbour

Ever since I have moved to Melbourne I have wondered why all our neighbours are such A**holes, honestly, Melbourne I love you but somehow everyone missed out on the good neighbour memo.  Now I realise that long gone are the days where you could borrow sugar or just pop over to say hello, but this  angry neighbour act is getting to me. 

Last night my lover and I arrived home just after 11. We had been out for dinner and drinks with a friend and were in quiet a joyous state.  The lady in the apartment next to us apparently didn't appreciate our happy giggles.  She stormed out of her apartment and started banging on our door screeching that she had to get up and 5am and us and the dog were always keeping her up.  Now I understand being constantly woken up can be frustrating but why did she think that coming over to abuse us would cause any sort of resolution, it just made us angry, screaming back which in turn brought other tenants out of there apartments telling everyone to shut up.  Real pleasant end to the evening, what bugged me the most is we have lived here over 6 months and this women has never once said hello, introduced herself, been nice to us.  So why where we suddenly expected to shut up because she had to get up early?  In Canberra I had fantastic neighbours, both had been their my whole life.  There was love and respect, and no screaming, which is how it should be.  But this women gets my blood boiling.  After realising she wasn't going to win the fight she started to swear at us in French before storming back to her room.  Now my well travelled lover also knows French and returned her insults whilst adding more.  This sent her crazy and she called to cops, that's right the lady who came to our door and scream at us then called the cops on us, what the hell is the world coming to.  To make matters worse they came about an hour later, woke EVERYBODY up and told us she claimed "the male" had kicked her door.  Ahhhh utter nonsense, no one was impressed and the policeman just said "look, love your neighbours." 

I agree with this but am still fuming today over the incident.  What happened to common decency and kindness, I'm a super happy soul and hate any sort of negativity.  Why cant people just say hello and show common courtesy?  And what is going to happen now, the next time we see her?  I hate it, why are people so horrible when there is already enough evil in this world, just be a friendly neighbour or just a kinder person, and maybe you will get some respect from those around you, but for now I do want to kick her door!

This is not even the first incident in the building, there is a letter writer, oh yes, these are the worst.  Somebody who anonymously writes letters about an issue they have with a tenant and feels the need to share it with everyone else.  In this instance it wasn't about us but it was the same "you are too noisy" speech, but this person was trying to lobby the building to have people kicked out...bullying much? I didn't want to take part of that or any other kind of negative vibes in the building.  We are not living in the country or even houses, we are living on top of each other in a Melbourne apartment, its not going to be silent or serene but it could be pleasant and friendly, if everyone just stopped screaming.

The making of a domestic goddess

I don't know when it happened, but somewhere in between moving out of the family home (that my mother kept clean) and moving into a house with 4 boys (that no one cleaned) then moving into an apartment with just 2 boys one being #marvintheschnauzer I became a lady who liked to clean.  All of a sudden I value having shiny floors and an incense filled lounge room, I want clean dishes, our bed to be made and full tissue boxes.  I run around like a crazy person before I have any guests, even if it is just the bestie, Marvin has started being washed more, a vegie patch is growing away happily on the porch and there is always something being baked in the CLEAN oven.  When the hell did I get so domestic?

I haven't gone full OCD my wardrobe is an avalanche every time it try to open it, my mermaid hair rarely gets brushed and I cant handle the bathroom, cause well, ick!  But I can actually see the change in myself and I think I like it.  Obviously its quiet a good thing but I'm still a little surprised by my sudden domestic goddess role, perhaps its because this apartment now feels like ours and only ours, its our mess so is not a big deal to clean.  Maybe its because I love Nigella and anything she does I want to do!  Or maybe again its eek, an age thing, almost 24!  It could be because I spend more time at home.  My two writing jobs are both done at home and my barista job is a mere 1km away.  Instead of constantly going out to meet friends they now usually come over, this year I have already had 3 friends from Canberra come and stay the night and countless Melbourne friends.   And I actually relish this role, I love having girlfriends over when there is wine in the cupboard, homemade olive bread in the oven and soft cheese on the bench. Even more I like having a cheese board to serve it on and appropriate glasses for different alcoholic beverages.  I like Marvin's hipster moustache being clean and Chefs Hat is my new playground and South Yarra markets is my supermarket.  I scroll the internet for fantastic vegetarian recipes and chemical free cleaners.  I don't know anything about celebrities and I love it!

I think I have entered the stage of entertaining, dinner parties, leather bound books, expensive wine and beautiful 1000 count sheets.  I write for fun and read to relax, I have no daily rules (besides yoga and wine) and generally am enjoying moments in a lovely apartment with a well stocked pantry.  So please lovely friends and family come over for tea, I shall make you some cookies and we can be merry and sing.  Because I want to entertain and feed you on a couch that's not stained nor stinky!