183/365

Watching Up for the second time, and being able to cry properly (last time I was on a first date and I didn't want to smudge my mascara, so I had to choke back the tears). Isn't it amazing that a cartoon can do that?

182/365

Leftover Christmas cake that me and my Mum keep pouring sherry over. Mmm.

181/365

Being the only person in the pathology waiting room who realised there was a numbered ticketing system, so I got called up first.

So long, suckers!

180/365

Taking mum's painting off the wall to "tweak" the poppy in the foreground. I had a moment where I thought I'd ruined it, but it all came together and I'm much happier with it now.

But that pod could be a little smaller...

179/365

All three of us siblings and two sister-in-laws squashed on the 3 seater couch at my bro's place for his birthday (yep, Boxing Day birthday - sucks to be him!), and having my brother tell a bad Dad joke just because he knew it would make me laugh.

178/365

The silliness of Christmas Day with my crazy fam - party-popper wars, balsa-wood aeroplanes getting stuck in trees, putting cones over our eyes and giving out ridiculous presents (Reynolds brand biro's, anyone?). I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

177/365

Finally reaching the turning point with the painting I'm doing for my mum, to go at the end of the hallway. Future archaeologists might get a glimpse of the crappy mountains and fake-looking flowers that I painted over.

176/365

Receiving long-distance Christmas gifts in the post (which appear as if by magic on the front porch).

175/365

Being followed part-way home by one of my friend's twins (age 5, broken arm, feeling a little sorry for himself) at his insistence, then watching as he reached the outer extreme of his comfort zone and turned tail for home.

174/365

The exquisite sadness of sitting on a train with your head resting against the window, watching rain drops trickle down the other side of the glass, while listening to Joan as Police Woman singing "To Be Lonely".

173/365

Running into our family car mechanic (2 generations thereof) while having dinner at the local RSL.

Hi, Mr. O'Connor (Senior)! You don't remember me, but you probably remember the succession of shitty cars I limped over to your garage to be fixed...

172/365

Seeing a man on the train with real life Sideshow Bob hair.

171/365

Seeing a monk in orange robes putting out his wheelie bin for the rubbish collection.

170/365

Christmas lights on the "random" setting.

169/365

Going to a job interview where I wasn't asked: "What would you consider your greatest success stories?". Just nice, down-to-earth people who were interested in me and my folio. Ahh.

168/365

Being the devil on my friend's shoulder, telling her she only need tell the Agency what they need to know...

167/365

Whipping up some lovely lemon butter for Christmas presents (only I forgot to leave some for me and my parents).

166/365

Making pickled onions for my Dad for Christmas (or possibly his b'day in January). Don't worry, he doesn't "get" the internet so there's not even a slim chance he will stumble across this post.

165/365

Just making the 12.38am train back to Glen Waverley...

164/365

Hearing Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas..." for the first time this year.

Yup, it's trashy but admit it: you secretly love it too.

163/365

Giving the neglected compost heap a good mix with the gardening fork, and adding some green trimmings. It's basically like preparing a salad - you want a good mix of textures; not too dry or too wet.

162/365

Cycling the Pashley home from the bike shop :) Melbourne streets are so smooth after pot-holey old London!

161/365

Making McReyno's burgers and chips for my parents for dinner, with direction from Dad ("More onion! How about some tomato sauce? Did you butter the roll?")

160/365

Comparing strange dreams with my Dad. His "John Lennon's body with Andy Lee's head" dream won this round.

159/365

Riding my 10-year-old bike to an appointment in a $9 Salvo's dress. Who needs a car/disposable income?

158/365

Getting two phone calls in a row from my SILs (sisters-in-law) to organise a market day. I love having extra family members of the female persuasion!

157/365

156/365

The thrill of seeing my banana-passionfruit seeds sprouting - who would have thought those tiny green shoots could produce such a reaction? I hope I get to eat the fruit from one of these babies, one day in the not-too-distant future.

155/365

Wandering around Ceres "Community Environment Park" day-dreaming about having my own garden.

154/365

Having a Keanu Reeves "whoa" moment at a hippy party, while chatting with a bloke who had had plastic surgery on his ears to make them pointed (as well as an enormous tatt over half of his face/head/body), as he told me about his past living on the streets of Sydney and his dreams to run his own fashion label.

Everybody is people, even those outside the norm.

153/365

Making it to the other side of the lake, tugging little Arwen by one hand.