James O'Brien

It was an incredibly busy Saturday.

After a bit of a sleep in, I hit the op shops in search of some new clothing. In the back of my mind, I’ve been after a new pair of jeans and a new suit. I start acting in a new job on Monday, and I wanted a new suit to go with it, without the associated expense. The very nice suit I ended up with cost just forty dollars, which I thought was a bargain. And I also picked up a matching shirt for just eight dollars. And guess what? Both look quite fashionable, as well as being of quite good quality. Bargain.

Later in the afternoon I attended fortieth birthday drinks for a colleague at The Rose Hotel on Cleveland Street. It’s such a great pub with their wonderful beer garden, and with the two-way mirror in the men’s toilets that allows you the opportunity to keep an eye on activity in the beer garden while you go out your business. Inside, nothing much has changed in the fifteen or so years since I first went to The Rose except, maybe, the candles in the front bar.

A quick bite to eat followed at my favourite vegetarian place in Newtown, ahead of meeting Andrew for a drink and heading off to Glen and Greig’s for their annual party, The New Dulwich Hill Mardi Gras. Glen and Greig haven’t lived in Dulwich Hill for several years, though they’ve kept the name. It was a great night with lots to drink, some yummy food, and a few games of pinball on their “Six Million Dollar Man” pinball machine, though I sucked badly playing it.

And did I mention a couple of late night drinks at The Clarence? No, maybe best not to.