Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

When Work Sucks

Welcome to my regular Friday song/tune day, ladies and gentlemen, where I pick a piece of music that reflects my mood or the times, to share with you. This week I have two pieces of music to tell a sordid story of potential abuse and dereliction of duty of care.

When I was a young lass and fresh out of uni, I applied for a job as electorate officer in the then PM’s office. I recall sitting in the foyer waiting for my interview. Coincidentally at that moment the PM appeared down the hall, a halo of light fell on him as he sauntered back to his office after Question Time. He oozed confidence. The Treasurer followed, also cock sure of himself. All the office staff leapt to their feet to stand as the great man passed. I didn’t know what to do. Should I stand or stay seated? I wondered whether I would have to leap to my feet every time the PM came into the room? This did not sit well with me, so I stayed seated. After all, who did he think he was? The PM? I didn’t get the job. I was pretty enough but the other applicant had more relevant experience. Fair enough. That wouldn’t have been hard in this town.

Read more
Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

October Coffee, Cake and Chat

Every month, Su from Zimmerbitch, hosts a virtual afternoon tea. and invites readers to go along for tea, bikkies and a chat. It’s very elegant …

I was having a moment today and feeling rather anti-social but it passed (no pun intended). Canberra (Australia) has not recorded a Covid infection for over 90 days now. It seems a miracle (not literally) to me that despite open borders and escalating community transmission in the greater Sydney region to our north, Canberra citizens appear to be returning to their pre-Covid lives without a care in the world. I went to brunch with a couple of friends recently and if the tables were any closer together we would be sitting on one another’s lap. I mentioned my concern to the waitress but apparently the seating arrangement was all legit. Go figure. At least one million people worldwide have died from Covid and we are going out for coffee. Being the martyr that I am, I sat there with my mask on and had nothing to eat or drink which rather defeats the purpose of coffee dates. Kudos to my long-suffering friends for putting up with me.

However, Su’s event is a virtual afternoon tea, so risk-free. I made a GF apple and ricotta cake to take along. The ricotta was about to expire and the apples were long past their best too. The texture is pudding-like, and perhaps under-cooked even though I baked it for much longer than the recipe required. Perhaps the chefs and the cooks out there can advise me whether I need to convert American measurements to metric measurements? Normally I don’t bother, but I dunno …. it might have helped in this case. Anyway, most importantly, it is delicious. Perhaps it is the sprinkling of brown sugar on the top that makes it so yummy. Next time I would probably use less oil and sugar.

Read more
Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

The Day I Had a Brain F**t

WordPress Daily Prompt  —  Deplete

We’ve all done it, haven’t we?  Said something we regret later.  I am many things – a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a colleague (at least I was until I retired), and a feminist.  And, because of all that I am, I really should have known better.  I should have.  But I didn’t.  And what was my transgression?  I made a sexist joke.  I made a joke about the inadequacies of men.  At work.  In my public (civil) service job; the public service being the very birthplace of political correctness.  And the joke was made about my boss.  In fact, I made the joke to my boss!  My male boss! Read more