My social outing of the year that wasn’t family – and almost all of those were really a caring situation so I was “on” at all times. So it was nice to be able to head down to Sydney and catch up with Mel and Kristin in person for the first time since the Brisbane conference (yes, it really has been that long).
When I let Kristin know I was on the train down, she sussed out what I might like and we settled on Lebanese and Mel met me at the station and we toddled up to Fatima’s on Cleveland Street. Quiet little place with old decor and images of Lebanon past and not as far past.
I stared blankly at the menu, no idea what I wanted. The others sorted out the orders with the owner, who compromised and gave me one of each lamb and chicken skewers on plate because I really couldn’t decide.
I loved all the meat and the cauliflower and humus. The pickles were a great contrast, and the felafel crunchy outside and not dry on the inside. I really meant to get some baklava to take home with me, but perhaps another time.
We caught up about life and politics and plans for the future, short and long term. I don’t think I really have any yet, nor really know when I’ll be ready for more. My drafts want me to write more about food banks, and maybe I will this week. But we’ll see where my headspace is at. I haven’t quite got a current routine and keep laying catch up.
Treated myself to an overpriced Diet Coke for the trip home – much emptier train than the one down but the 10 carriage trains still confuse me with where I am in them. At least it doesn’t matter too much, I just need to not sit in the first couple of carriages in case it’s too long for the platform I do arrive home on.
How good are clean sheets tho?