2022 - The Year That Was

Another blog that’s like three months late 😓. I will post this one quickly so I can move on with life. 

2022 - like many things I could write a lot about this but will try and keep this one brief.

Jan

- Started the year as usual at Marketgrounds during COVID restrictions

- Leaving West Perth at the start of Jan and crying because have been there for eight years.

- Working in the city

- Trying to find food places every lunchtime in Allendale Square, Trinity Arcade, Forrest Chase

- Playing golf

- Going to the gym like always

- Waiting for the bus out the front of the hospital that I was born in

- Meatloaf passed away

Feb

- Going to the gym

- Exploring the city during lunch breaks

- Finally getting internet @ my unit

- Going to West Perth yoga from the city on Wednesdays

- Maybe getting on tv at Subiaco Woolworths

- Starting to appreciate Feb again and hot weather at night.

March

- Nights getting darker earlier

- Playing golf 

- Still running at Jacob’s Ladder on Tuesdays

- Still going to bed at stupid times on Friday nights

- WA winning Sheffield Shield and One Dayer’s

- Still having to wear masks for COVID

April

- Getting dark when waiting for the bus on St George’s Terrace every night

- Going to Subi & Floreat gyms

- Playing Metroid

- Watching movies

- Walking through Allendale Square, Trinity Arcade on Fridays after work when it is completely empty and closing up. Going to Woolworths in the city on Fridays and during the week after work.

May

- Getting COVID

- Doing missions to make it to the Perth train station late at night after work through shifty parts of the city. Most of the arcades practically empty or closed - always pushing time hard.

June

- Similar to May

- Getting so cold

- Going to exclusive seats at the footy. Drinking at Camfield after this which was like the first time out drinking since New Year’s Eve 😳 - crazy

- Not many people at gym on Friday nights 

July

- Watching tv

- Sleeping on the floor

- Finishing Metroid

August

- Working in Osborne Park

- Doing new route through Kings Park on Tuesdays. Going through the bush when dark.

- Usual

September

- Eagles not making the finals

- Drinking on a Wednesday night until 11pm at Mayfair after work. The day before Queen’s Funeral public holiday.

- Weather starting to get slightly warmer.

- Going to Floreat gym at midnight every Saturday night and then driving down to Coogee.

- Seeing the same cleaner at Floreat gym every Saturday night.

- Going to Cougars GF @ Basso

October

- Starting to get warmer.

- Kings Park starting to get busier on Tuesday nights 

- Classic October party vibe due to Oktoberfest / Halloween and no more footy.

- Going out to city / Marketgrounds for first legit Saturday night out since NYE - crazy! Good though.

- This Saturday night being really cold even though it was late October.

- Catching the train for first time in awhile.

- Going to Watertown Friday nights before late night gym missions.

- Cricket World Cup

November

- The 🐐 aka FIFA World Cup

- Doing walk missions in West Perth on Saturday nights.

- The World Cup - so good!!!!

- Msging Kiel on Friday night World Cup until like 230

- Survivor 

December

Although October is my go to for best month of the year, December is definitely goat level and the most special. Definitely the best month for blogs and reflecting on the year. Always start these blogs between the best week of the year during Christmas to NYE.

- Going to test match, going to Scorchers and Camfield on Saturday night with good seats too.

- Going swimming in the shark net most nights in Coogee during Christmas.

- Doing big walk through Lights Trail in the city on a Friday night. Was good.

- The countdown to New Year’s Eve

- Starting this blog just before New Year’s Eve and not finishing until March 😂😂😂

Saturday 29/10/22 - Prince Lane & Marketgrounds

Go out to Prince Lane for JC’s new GF’s 30th. Read the keywords from the FB event page and head into the city from Daglish. It is wet and pretty busy too because of Halloween. Make it to Prince Lane, go up the stairway and look for JC, not around so have a drink and scrutinize the event details on FB on my phone, realise I’m in the wrong place. Msg Jas, go back downstairs and around to the front entry. Go upstairs to a different place and eventually see Jas - crisis averted. It’s not too busy and about 1030 at this point, we all talk for a bit and then head to Marketgrounds - my first time since New Year’s Eve, not normal for me. Before we leave though there is a bit of a hood fight between Kristen’s friends (they are women) and some other women: hair pulling and pushing - pretty hectic!!!!

Go to Marketgrounds and it’s wet and busy. The vibe is different than usual but my rival “Anti Dutch” is there - this guy may even top Jas & Kiel for the amount of Saturday nights he’s gone out in his adult life, respect to him. I get to six drinks and am there until 2 and then leave.

The end of 2021 - The Two Eves

Thursday the 23rd of December was hot and so rushed. Go to work then go to the city for lunch with cousins and bro, then go back to work to try and get everything done before Christmas and before I leave for new job in mid January. Have 545pm haircut too so this makes it hard. Leave work just after 5pm, catch train to Claremont for haircut and then catch train back home.

I have so much to do and haven’t even done my Christmas shopping yet. Find out that COVID restrictions are back in place only a few hours earlier and this is all too much, decide to just go to the gym to clear my mind. Arrive at the gym very late, like close to 11pm, about four other people there and they are barely wearing a mask like me. Stay at the gym until close to midnight and then head home. Decide that I will sleep in tomorrow, decide what I’m going to do with Christmas presents and then deal with work later. 

The next day I just sleep, do housework, miss the half day of work and then drive to Claremont about 530pm for Christmas shopping. Claremont Quarters is almost a ghost town and some shops still open, some not. Car parks empty and very few people there. I try to do some shopping, run out of time a bit and just play on my phone to see what stores are actually open. Eventually it is after 630pm and I have to cut my losses and head to Coogee for dinner. The drive down in the evening is probably the most relaxing drive of 2021 as the roads are almost empty.

The next couple of hours we have dinner with F&A and drink etc and presents until 11, 1130pm or so and then everyone goes to bed - there is so much food in the house. This is perhaps the first time in December I feel like I can actually relax... classic December.

The next six days I slowly relax and try my best not to think about starting new job. I sleep on the floor of the Games Room and watch YouTube on this very nice tv, play Animal Crossing, play on my phone, go to Goodlife in Bibra Lake, watch cricket, watch movies, suss out the beach and eat food. Time continues on.

Friday December 31 - New Year’s Eve

The Dec 24 snap lockdown really messed things up. JC and I decide that we will still go to Marketgrounds even though we can only sit. I also think “Damn, I should have gone out more since my last city Sat night mission back at the start of October”, anyway must move on.

I go to doctor’s late in afternoon to get my ears cleaned because I have not been able to hear for maybe six weeks now. When I get home, parents tell me that the last week I have been watching YouTube and fighting movies at midnight on extremely high volume that can be heard throughout the neighbourhood, they have not told me until now because they not want to ruin it for me. Now I know why dad come downstairs at night, because he think there is big fight going on but it is me watching violent movie on high volume because I’ve been practically deaf.

I cannot get much gym work in, I have to drive up to Jolimont as it is already 730pm. I go to my unit, get dressed etc and head into the city. By the time I arrive it’s close to 920pm. The crew is JC, LV & MB and the outside venue is busy but must sit down, can only stand up when go inside to bar to get drinks. Not amazing but better than staying home I guess. The fireworks are good, English and Argentina woman talk for a bit, we at MG until closing at 2am, we walk through Northbridge and it so quiet and shifty... feels like a Sunday night of a long weekend - so quiet. I say goodbye and head home via the train. 

Kind of a weird night. Lots of stuff going on Facebook etc, crazy. I stay on the couch until maybe 6pm and then head south again. Strange circumstances all round.

Friday 05/11/21 - West Perth, MYER & Subi

Wake up 0615, am tired but not too tired. Get ready for work, no tie. 8am leave my unit and walk to Jolimont bus stop on Hay St. The 28 bus comes about 0809 and slowly heads east through Subi until it crosses over into West Perth. I get off the bus at Harold Boas Gardens and walk down the hill to AFG building level 2 - my work. I make it to my desk in the corner which looks out to Watertown (if I face the other way). Time = 830.

Sometime during the next 7.5 hours I go downstairs to lunch and later realise that I am so tired that I must only do straight forward work and must not send any complicated emails. I do well. Time now = 4pm. 

4pm - 430pm: do quick job review with Sam, tidy up some loose ends and then go to the lunchroom to clean drink bottle and to see if Michael’s leaving feast has arrived. Leaving feast is nowhere to be seen but people  have started congregating for drinks. This is where my work day ends.

435pm

I spend the next 2 hrs drinking and socialising for Michael’s leaving drinks and the turnout is pretty good, like 12 + people. In this situation it can always be a little sombre as someone is leaving and you realise that nothing is really ever permanent... (this is a very common feeling at Pascoes 🤣). Anyway, drinks drop from about 12/13 people to four and at this point it must be about 640pm. The sun is starting to fade too and I feel like I really need to get out of the empty office so I don’t feel lonely. Michael stays, I say goodbye and then go to the bathroom downstairs to plan my next move.

7pm - 730pm

I spend the next half hour at several different locations in the building and basement, deciding if I should go home or go to the city to buy a tee-shirt. I do some research on my phone one last time and say “f*ck it, just do it!” I walk to the Yellow CAT stop at Watertown and catch the CAT into the city.

730pm - 750pm

I get off at the Perth station on Wellington St, a bit of commotion like always on a Friday night, cross the road, climb the stairs and head through MYER to the bottom floor - a journey I’ve done many times before 😂. I grab the tee shirt that I want and take it to the change rooms. I don’t have much time so I decide that it will fit without even trying it on, walk out of the change room to the counter and buy it - very quick. I cross the bridge over Wellington St, into the Perth Train Station, walk down to the platform, wait like 2 minutes and catch the 8pm train home to Daglish. I walk home.

820pm - 1110pm

Make it home, eat food, play on my phone and watch videos on Instagram, cook fried rice and do a week’s worth of dishes. At this point I realise that I’m like an hour behind schedule which is common for me but this happens a lot on Fridays when I’m so tired.

1120pm

I drive to Goodlife in Subiaco on Hay St, park my car and walk up to the entrance but it is not open, sign says “Closed until 12am for maintenance” - damnit, I talk to security guard and tell him I come back later. I walk back to my car and I try to decide if I go to gym on St George’s Terrace or Floreat instead, I decide I’m too tired and wait out the next 40 minutes in my car on Hay Street and try to sleep. It is 0005 now, I walk to the entrance, the lights are still not on. I try my luck... the door opens. As I walk in the lights start turning on and soon the music starts playing... the enormous gym in the middle of Subiaco (a focal point), with 20 tv’s, lots of equipment and Goodlife music tv is all mine. 

2am

I am so tired but still stay there until about 2am - everything takes so much longer when you’re tired. Finish my workout on the treadmill and then drive around the corner to Wembley IGA. I buy some bananas, frozen mangoes and ice creams. I normally talk to the staff there but I am too tired so just leave.

215am

Drive south through Jolimont, very slowly at like 20 km’s per hour, stop to have a look at an owl, keep driving.

220am

Make it home, eat some food... play on my phone.

3am

Go to sleep on the couch. Classic Friday.

Oct 09/10/21 - Claremont Showgrounds & Marketgrounds

I woke up early for a Saturday to make sure I was on time for my first COVID vaccination. Arrive at the Showgrounds by 10am, not knowing what to expect, park my car nearby and head in with the rest of the crowd. It is pretty busy and am ushered into one of the undercover pavilions and sit at the back of maybe 20 rows of chairs. Must be a few hundred people sitting down and some more on the other side who have already received their vax. I am tired but kind of enjoying being here as I don’t get out in public that much outside of work, gym, shops etc and Saturday nights... it is kind of nice. I keep moving forward through the rows of chairs and eventually get vaccinated. The whole ordeal takes maybe an hour and I am home by 1130.

The next few hours I eat and sleep and don’t wake up until 1630 or so, I am kind of f*cked. Jas msgs me to see if I am keen to go out, the plan was to meet at Reveley to celebrate JC’s Bday and I am expecting a big crew but turns out Kiel has pulled out so it’s only going to be Jas & Vesper. I’m like “Damn, where is everyone?!?” Such is the life of adulthood and when responsibilities kick in... anyway, I am def going to support my friend. It is about 6pm and I drive to work to use the bathroom (it is en route to the gym 🤣) and then quickly go to the gym to do some weights. I make it home just before 8pm, get ready and head to the train station about 9 o clock - good by my standards. I make it to Marketgrounds by 930.

Marketgrounds

I had totally forgotten about this but it was the night of Oktoberfest and the city was seriously hectic! I am having to line up outside by myself and there are a lot people like me, either in the line or standing around deciding if the line is worth it. Like people from 18 - 60, everyone! Some people find the line tough, especially if they’re not drunk or with friends, my line experience is strong and I am good solo so I wait the 30 mins and make it in, 1010pm.

JC and Vesper are sitting down in one of the booths near the entrance, we all talk and start drinking, a lot of young and drunk people in tonight. We see my rival or anti-thesis, “Anti Dutch” - the skinny guy with spiked blonde hair who Jas & Kiel recognise from Mint 5 - 10 years ago, and this time he has a new male partner, slightly younger than his usual accomplice... I’m sure it won’t be long until Anti-Dutch gets kicked out again for being too theatrical or a similar misunderstanding, always such drama 😂. Anyway the night goes on and we keep drinking upstairs and eventually on the dance floor.

We keep drinking, Vesp is being social and maybe has found someone he likes, a fiery blonde haired lady. The crowd is a little hectic, many drunk young people, some getting kicked out, and wide cross section of other people. I am struggling a bit from my COVID injection earlier on, I keep drinking (by my standards anyway), it is definitely a classic first Saturday of October kind of vibe, where people are getting loose like there’s a full moon, two girls are kissing hard, like right in front of us on the dance floor and everyone is just looking at them and thinking “what the f*ck is going on?!”.

JC confident as always, MB msging Vesper the whole night, eventually after 1am MB rocks up, also looking extremely confident as always. I am there until just before closing, we are outside in the middle of the sitting area. I say goodbye to MB, JC by using fight moves, hug Vesper and then head past the security guards at the entrance, head up Wellington St towards West Perth and walk home. This will be my last city Saturday mission for nearly 3 months. 

Sept 11/09/21 - NB Brewery, Universal Bar & Niche

Another late post 🤣🤣🤣, I digress.

This was a good night and perhaps a little more dynamic than the usual. I will try and write this one quick.

Made it out to NB and to Northbridge Brewery just after. Pretty busy out there. Went inside NBB and looked for JC and eventually saw and crept up behind and prepared to kick JC (not hard obviously). This was a big crew already eight others not including me. Vesper’s close friends who JC and I are also friends with. Most of them had been drinking at the brewery since 2pm!!! Safe to say we had to leave after AJ was showing signs of inebriation and security become forceful - not much we could do here. Headed down the shifty part of Northbridge, down James St towards Brass Monkey - so shifty. 

Fast forward to Universal Bar.

An older crowd as expected but this was not a bad thing. Busy too. The peripheral of my vision caught a glimpse of an old, familiar friend... one that I had not seen for a long time... (the English Premier League). Maybe it was because Ronaldo was back at Man Utd after a decade away and he had just scored like he hasn’t lost anything at all but this was the point I started tweeting and taking Snapchats of random things like the water logged bathroom floor. I kept drinking, we waited, I discussed with Jas if we were going to stay here, I put small earplugs in to save energy because the music is so loud and I don’t want to wake up with ringing ears. I went to the bar to grab another drink and a harmless man probably in his fifties asked how my night was going and I said “yeah not bad, yours?” He said “good, I’ve got a root lined up”, I didn’t know what to say so said “that’s a good start”, he looked a little confused, I ordered my drink and walked off.

We were at the point now where the 2pm crew was starting to fatigue... Jas, Vesper, myself and MB were getting ready to make a move and go to Niche. We are on the middle of the dance floor with some others, the man before is among us and I’m trying to work out which woman (or man) he was referring to... I can’t work out which one but we head outside quickly after. It is cool outside and lively, we walk past our 2019 friend Palace Arcade - familiar territory, especially because it’s cold... AJ is clearly drunk and needs to get home before he gets cleaned up by a car. This is where everyone splits and the usual three (JC, me, LV) plus MB jump into a cab and head to Leederville... much more familiar than Universal Bar. It is about 1215am now.

We’re in the line but it’s not busy so we’re in soon. My first time back since they changed the decor and it looks good. New bar staff though? The next two hours I drink a little, tweet Nick and think about taking mirror selfies in the bathroom because I’m so in love with life... I’m def slightly drunk. I remember there was like a 40 year old woman (she looked nice, could have passed for 30’s) was talking to us but then she went off with some other guy. Later on she got angry at MB, looked like it was getting heated. She walks away, a few minutes pass, I can see MB is processing all of this in his head and then he rapidly walks over to her at the bar to clear this misunderstanding... I’m impressed. Fervently apologising to clear the air. At this point it’s about 210 and I realise that I’m not going to make the 219 train home, so I end up saying goodbye and making the journey back home on foot. This is another arduous walk home but one that I don’t mind. 

Aug 14/08/21 - Marketgrounds

(This is a late post, like 11 weeks late 🤣).

Week:

Monday - work then go Optus Stadium to watch the Eagles with Ben

Tuesday - usual

Wednesday - usual

Thursday - usual

Friday - usual 

Saturday - busy, this is where I begin

Saturday, am f**ked, usual. Get up, get dressed and go to Subi oval to kick the footy with Goat, possibly Trav. Meet up with reliable G-unit at Subi oval which is now hood territory. From Forrie and WG to Subi, Wembley & Jolimont - how things have changed. Was good to kick the footy again, Trav shows up too. Must be like 1pm by now and as we are kicking a guy who looks like Giumelli shows up. It is Giumelli? (Trav must have msgd him?). This is a good four-way crew. Eventually it’s getting to after 2pm and I have to go to meet with my parents to look at tv’s. 

The next three hours I’m out in Osborne Park looking at tv’s with mum and dad. We get some nice new ones and I get a bigger one for my unit as an early Christmas present. It’s like 530pm now and I’m seriously tired and trying to get some sleep so I have enough energy to go out tonight but I know I seriously have no chance of sleeping when I’m this tense! I may have gone to the gym and to get some food at this stage but I’m not entirely sure (I am 11 weeks late remember). Eventually I decide that I will go out as I half promised to Jas earlier in the week that I would.

I get dressed and head out, it’s like 840 at this point. I make it to the line at Marketgrounds and I’m seriously tired which means I don’t have much confidence. The line has moved to the other side and I haven’t been out for like three months so I’m pondering if I actually want to be here. Eventually make it in. 

Jas and Vesper are there, very happy to see them, have not seen them for three months! We talk for a while and sit down, sounds like they have gone out a few times whilst I’ve been hibernating at home. Jas has bought a house too - big news! They ask me what I’ve been doing and I obviously say “surviving” because this is true 😂. Anyway we keep drinking, go upstairs where there’s more room and easy bathroom access and eventually go downstairs to the dance floor. 

The music is good, we’re on the dance floor and like always there are a lot of nicely dressed women (guys too), always makes me feel good when I go out and see other people my age (or younger or older), looking their rest and happy to be out. Some time passes, Vesp and Jas have drunk more than me, they talk to a few people, we have a few more drinks and all having a good time.

It’s past midnight now and I literally have very little energy left, I know I gotta go soon. Two nice ladies seem interested, I’m like I’ve got no energy I can’t talk, I go to the bar to buy three more drinks, I spill one of them on a lady walking past and have to clean it off her. I get back to the crew and one of the two women interested in me but Vesper & I cannot work out which one it is. We talk for a bit and eventually they head out. It gets to about 1am now and my energy levels are too low so I say goodbye to Jas and LV and head onto Wellington St to start walking home. It’s pretty cold and I walk up Wellington St from Perth to West Perth and then cross into Subi onto Roberts Rd. It is so quiet and I am walking past all these nice, old houses and thinking that I would like to buy one and just live there by myself (if I’m still single) because it would be so quiet and I think I like old places that have nice trees / plants.

As I walk past Subi Oval lost in reverie I check my phone, three missed calls from LV?? I call back. He at Mint with Jas and the two women from before are there! I speak to them on the phone and the shorter, louder lady tells me to come to Mint!! I too tired so I cannot go but I say to LV “If they interested, they can have my number”. I keep walking home through Subi and make the turn up Hay St. I check my phone and there’s msg from a new number... am excited... could this be Mint / MG women?? It is the shorter lady who I spoke to on the phone, I msg back and keep walking home. Keep msging once I make it onto the couch to sleep. First time I’ve messaged a real world woman for quite a while. This is good and such a forgotten feeling 😂😂😂. I feel alive!

I fall asleep.