So I’m a bit late on my scheduled blog update because I didn’t write one. I was having too much fun over the weekend and in my spare time not having fun, was trying to catch up on the thousands of VeganMoFo blogs. Not even exaggerating. So my friend D came down from Canberra for the weekend and bought me an Ocsober leave pass, which basically meant I could drink on the weekend, not feel guilty, and still raise money for the Life Education program. It had an interesting effect. I actually didn’t really want to drink that much, found myself drinking a lot slower and on Sunday, even though I ended up having a couple of catch-up beers with a different friend, could really have left the rest of the weekend dry. I’m sorry, who am I and what have I done with HPG!? I love a social drink or few, usually… but I have really realised what an effect it has on my system.
Regardless, we had a great weekend. I wasn’t feeling that great in the morning on Saturday so instead of all my amazing planned exercise, I went shopping with my housemate, L, and our friend A, for our Adam Jay photo shoot costumes. I didn’t find anything I liked and I hate shopping so I got bored pretty quickly. They looked smoking hot though. In the evening, we headed out to Brunswick Street aiming to have dinner at The Vegie Bar, which wasn’t my idea for once! Too bad they had a 45 minute wait and we ended up at Naked for Satan instead. There the four of us enjoyed a multitude of pintxos including their Vegan options (Veg*n options clearly labelled), and flavoured vodkas. Mine was violet, it was odd. From there we tried to get into Mana Bar but the wait was long there as well, so off to the cocktail lounge, Polly, instead. They had heaps of amazingly-named cocktails including Chairman of the Board, Booty Call, At The Drive-In, Flower of Tokyo, and more. We all chose each others which I think ended up pretty well.
Shared plate: Vegan Pintxos at the rear
Cocktails at Polly - please excuse the bad photo
I’d like to pretend we didn’t end up at China Bar, but we did. A few Vegan pintxos aren’t really filling, especially after only having two sushi hand rolls for lunch.
Waking up not hungover was quite nice though. We had coffee and then headed out to Yum Cha at Tao Tao House. Even though I had a crummy experience last time with the “vegetarian” trolley, I was prepared this time and spoke to the maitre’d about my food preferences and the menu. Doing so meant I had enough dishes brought to me to lapse into a food coma along with everyone else, having inhaled steamed vegetable dumplings, spring rolls, fried tofu skin rolls, Chinese broccoli with garlic, salt & pepper tofu and finally coconut agar jelly. Sorry, no pics. Too busy eating. The maitre’d was hilarious and really helpful. I rate her!
So, I did indeed have a weekend off from everything. Even though I did have an awesome workout and heaps of fun at the Pink Poles Across Australia Girls Night In for the Cancer Council (phew), I didn’t do any of my planned weekend exercise, had a weekend of (modest) drinking with my Oscober leave pass and even though I didn’t eat badly, I didn’t exactly eat really well. In fact, I just remembered the bag of caramel popcorn my housemate and I ate on Saturday afternoon. Don’t be hatin’.
Back to it this week! I slammed my Advanced Pole assessment tonight and even though I think I could use another term to work on technique, I nailed a few difficult tricks & combos tonight that I felt I had no hope of getting 7 weeks ago. Now I have a week to practice my solo performance before that gets assessed. Scary. Tomorrow I need to get my run on, and make a tofu & vegetable stir-fry to take to work for dinner. I’m out of protein powder so that makes me sad but on Wednesday night when I get paid I’ll do another grocery shop and try to get some ingredients for another Veganomicon recipe.
Naked for Satan – www.nakedforsatan.com.au - 285 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, ph: (03) 9416 2238
Mana Bar – www.manabar.com.au - 336 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, ph: (03) 9417 3432
Polly – www.pollylounge.com.au - 401 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, ph: (03) 9417 0880
China Bar on Urban Spoon – 325 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, ph: (03) 9415 8118
Tao Tao House – www.taotaohouse.com.au - 815 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, ph: (03) 9818 0968
Can you have a weekend off like I did, or do you blow-out like crazy? What Veganomicon recipe do you think I should make next?
Hey! Really liking your blog, I’ve just moved to Melbourne so it’s good to know it’s possible to combine my two favourite things – partying and fitness – in my new hometown.
I tend not to have weekends ‘on’ or ‘off’, instead opting for everything at once!!
This weekend I went in a hot air balloon on Saturday morning (up from 4:15am) followed by the obligatory champagne buffet breakfast and then a mammoth day of visiting the grandmother, Ikea shopping and setting up my new place. Sunday morning I completed my first marathon but still went out visiting Sunday arvo then had cocktails at my local (Kitty Somerset in High Street Thornbury) before some yummy Thai food as the local Tibetan place was shut.
Like Polly but it’s usually way crowded. Have never been to Naked for Satan but always wondered what it is like. Used to like the Gypsy Bar too.
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