Back home after a few days in Melbourne

Well it is Sunday again and I can't believe that the week has gone so quickly.....

I spent a few wonderful days in beautiful Melbourne - I just love that place. I flew in on Wednesday night and had dinner at a great Greek Restaurant Called the Kri Kri - just down the road from the Crossley where I was staying in Little Bourke Street. The rooms were great value at $149 per night and really convenient to the Sofitel where the conference was (which was enormously expensive at $289 per night - almost double)

The conference was the Addiction Summit and I will be writing a paper sometime when I can this week - it was good for new ideas and to see research about all facets of addiction from the individual to working through systems and approaches. For those who are interested Motivational Interviewing seems to be the therapy of choice when helping people with addicitions and there was heaps about empathy and change talk - all of which I am slowly processing to see what the organisation can work with to help our clients.......

On Thursday night I dined at a cute little Italian Restuarant called I think Lucianettis - the waiters where really great - older italian men who know what they were doing and who called me 'casa bella' which was sweet and senorina (which meant they needed glasses) but the calamari was definitely to die for! I would give you a link but I don't think they have a web address and I am sure I have spelt their name wrong anyway.

On Friday night after a pretty tiring 2 days I found my way to the cinema and watched Mama Mia.....what an absolute hoot! There were about 15 or so in the cinema and we all laughed and sang along! I loved it - it will never win an academy award, but it was fun and light, Meryl Streep was great (and she can sing) and Pierce Brosnon probably shouldn't sing - but then again he is great eye candy and at least he didn't sing off key! Go and see it if you can - I loved it (the guys might not enjoy it so much so go with your girlfriends and have fun!)

Oh and Maggie T had a sale - dangerous - I bought (and have justified) a green woollen coat for winter - reduced from $289 to $69....never could go past a bargain! And a 'few' other things too.... I had fun and I do love spending money!

Saturday I checked out of the Crossley and went to the Kaiser Craft Outlet in Geelong with the gorgeous Relsi and little Meg. What fun we had!!!! I bought more than I intended but things I find hard to get here..... The stock around Canberra is a bit hard to get AND I was going good for the world...... let me explain - the wonderful people at the Kaiser Craft Outlet sell their outdated stock for well below shop price and 90% goes toward building a boys home in Sri Lanka. These boys have lost their parents to Civil War or other circumstances. Pretty cool hey??? Kaiser Craft

As I can't find any reference on the web to the address or that it even exists here are the details
Location: 2 Fitzroy Square, North Geelong
Opening Days: Mon, Wed and Sat
Opening Time: 9.30am to Noon (Sat 9am - Noon)

Well I am back home now and ready to finish a few Christmas in July RAKS (another justification for spending all that money at Kaiser Craft.)

Thanks for visiting and thanks so much to Relsi and Meg for taking me out for the day!!! You are wonderful!!

Do a random act of kindness for someone this week and don't tell anyone!!!

Love Carol