i drove on a road yesterday!

When your mother tells you not to go overboard with your sister's 21st Birthday cake, it kinda is an invitation for madness.

Just as a general guide to how mad I became, I went through 2 kg of caster sugar and 5 packets of icing sugar. The result was a monstrosity of sweet sweet sugary awesomeness.

I got it through my head that I wouldn't follow a single recipe, rather combine five different recipes to form the worlds most synergetic cakealicious tower of omnomness.

I started with the custard layering from her 20th Birthday cake. Thick gooey vanillaness, smooth and yet chunky at the same time.

I then boiled a sweetened condensed milk can for 2 hours, to form a sickly sweet rich caramel sauce when combined with fresh whipping cream.

Simultaneously baking the first batch of cookies from my new cookbook: big, soft, chewy cookies; cream drops. And my first attempt at macaroons [in the pink variety] modifying the inside cream to a rhubarb custard.

Then, using all my cunning and knowledge know how, I invented the worlds first vanilla mudcake. Well, maybe not world's first. But there's definitely no chocolate. AND it took 4 hours to bake.

Layering several slices of the cooled cake, I meshed cookies and custards and caramels until I had something that resembled that disastrous 15 layer cake the Fairy Godmothers in Sleeping Beauty created. Complete with broomsticks holding up the layers and candles sliding down the handle.

I managed to recoup my losses at this first stacking attempt, scoop out all the failed cake layers with my bare hands (which tasted amazing might I add?) and created an accompanying 21st Birthday Trifle.

The 5 levels of cake that were 95% still intact remained behind. A final layer of pink Coconut Ice made the cake so ugly I decided to coat the whole shebang with bright white piped royal icing.

The 21 candles became a cage for the pile of pink macaroons that weren't consumed due to their stubborn resolve to stick to the baking tray crowning the mountain with just the right panache.

I just about collapsed upon completion.

Coffees consumed: 6

Taste Testing: Every single layer and ingredient :)

Number of people eating the cake tomorrow: 3

Images of said cake will come tomorrow incase my sister decides to snoop around here.

Fruit of the Moment: Twin Vanilla Pods

Kenney stole my idea for the blog post title

Glen was the first to rise this morning. Last night, he and Leila stayed over my house on their way cross country. He looked after Link while I took in the view on my 8 mile run.

Sadly, it took me 4 more minutes to complete than last week's run, which is less than desirable. But I was tired. Perhaps I will run with more sleep tomorrow, although looking at the current time this may not be possible.

Today was all about the aftermath. No more party. No more cake. And soon, no more Kenney as he prepares to jett off to the USofA.

Leila and I allowed everyone to accompany us to breakfast this morning, and we were both horrified to find the eggs were 2nd hand leftovers. Well, probably not that bad, but they were pretty feral. Especially compared to every other tables. A fresh batch had fixed the egg problem, but in the process of replacing the meal, the focaccia was replaced with toast. Double Bay HAS spoilt us.

Louise was super dooper tired suffering a little post party blues me thinks, so it was good she caught up on some sleep. I, meanwhile spent the remainder of my day with Nanna Tess and Mum. I hired UP and got a few hamburgers together and we sipped our OAK classic milks, crying to the worlds most beautiful movie. Seriously. It makes me want to work for PIXAR. I need to find a way to make this happen. People: post your KENNEY IS AWESOME letters to the PIXAR head office* ASAP. Included below is a sample:

Dear Pixar,

Kenney. Is. Awesome. Period.

Hire him.

Love,

[your name]

Fruit of the Moment: Erwin's Eggs

*Pixar Animation Studios

1200 Park Avenue Emeryville,

California 94608

Who's telling the story?

To wake up on the day of your sister's 21st birthday party and face the possibility of a day without coffee was, to say the least concerning.

More so was the stubbornness of my coffee addiction as I refused to eat breakfast until Dad came home with the donuts Mum hadn't ordered (and expected to be all pink). Dad had diligently bought me a blueberry muffin and to top it off a delicious long black.

Mum had us in a whirlwind of party prep, paper cutting, plastic taping and roll cutting. People started arriving including Jonathan, the photographer for some early photo prep and Maureen's entourage for cake and pie patrol. Even Bob the glass repair man was in and out in the shake of a hand. My car no longer has an enormous crack along the windscreen.

I was really chuffed when dad took me aside and asked if that photographer fellow was single. You know you have pretty cool parents when your Dad tries to set you up. Even if his gaydar is way off. WAY off. I thought it was cute of Dad anyhew.

Louise and Brendan turned up for the party, and by that time I was in full party mode. Running around introducing people, showing them the bar and the crazy booth and making pitt stops at the local Wino store to pick up some much needed vodka along with a truck load of french fries from the local chicken and chip store.

It was the fabulous fifties and a fabulous party. I hope my unprepared speech didn't offend anyone, as I was planning on not speaking at all. Mum however made it clear I had to.

Louise was beautiful in her 50's get-up and I'm totally looking forward to the photos yet to come. And even though I was insanely tired, I didn't overly mind hanging back until 2:30 am to drive people home. Its become a stock standard at my parent's shindigs.

Fruit of the Moment: Cookiedough Cake

For inquiries, call 99334151

When waking up on the eve of a 3 day weekend, it's not a good day to feel like crawling into a hole and not emerging into the world.

I daresay I wouldn't be paid if I didn't turn up to work. And with my now climbing credit card bills thanks to my recent brush with an inconsiderate litterbug SMASHING my windscreen, I need all the mula I can get my grubby little hands on.

Gab at work was really nice to me today. Which really helped perk me up. She's been uber supportive recently, which is uber awesome.

I claimed my last coffee off of Phil the Coffee Guy, as next week he is off surfing his way down the coast of Australia. Crazy mo fo.

Athina had us on another rampage through the Gazal offices, clearing out all the unwanted sample stock. Which means more sample sales. Only this time, I can see all the stuff I worked on over the past year being fought over by employees out to grab a $40 bra for a buck.

I don't know why I didn't expect it being a long weekend and all, but traffic was a complete nightmare coming back from the city. 1 and a half hours for 10km? This was not fun. Thus I was uber late in getting to Mums house in preparation for tomorrow's festivities.

I'm just so frikin tired I don't know the difference between a cookie and a biscuit any more :(

Kenney Out.

Fruit of the Moment: Pide Garlic Bread

They are your last batch okay?

So much sadness. So much coldness. So little exercise and so many cookies.

Driving down the highway to work this morning, the carless ute in front of me decides to throw some rubbish out of their window. Hitting my windscreen, their crime became MORE THAN my week's wage. I now have a bill for a new car windscreen thanks to the enormous crack running through the middle of the glass.

I just don't get it. It got me down. Real down. All day. Not even a banana caramel muffin break muffin could cheer me up. Nor coffee it would seem. Or cookies. Even the David Jones cookies I bought turned out to be terrible. So I didn't eat any.

I think i'm also still riding the wave of upsetness due to a certain crush not liking me back. And combined with my visit to George street Apple Store, It was a fun filled day.

Louise and I had pancakes for dinner. And they were delicious. And now I am very tired. I am tired of everything. I'm so busy and yet doing nothing at the same time.

Fruit of the Moment: boss in a bakery

Not that he cares what I think

I managed to wake up about 4 times last night. That's at least once every hour folks! And it wasn't a URGH?! I need to get to sleep waking up, it was a real 'I'm-wide-awake' type waking up.

So its no surprise that when 3pm came today, I was dead to the world.

Meanwhile, Phil the coffee guy has stopped coming to work during the day. Thus limiting his delicious coffees to 8:15am visits. That's at least half his original daily visits folks!

After feeling a little cloud nine-ish yesterday due to the temporary insanity that comes with crushes, I managed to plummet down to Earth today and face the reality of the situation which was that I was being ridiculous. As usual. But no QS suffering this round. That's the same results with a completely new outcome for me folks!

Also, Leila is very pretty and awesome at hiding cookies. That's a really nice thing to say folks!

Fruit of the Moment: Belated Rice Paper Rolls

u seem familair... have i met u?

One of the many drawbacks of being in a minority group such as "the gays" is that you can never tell if others belong to the same minority.

I have, for a long time suffered from the Queensland Syndrome or QS. Basically, QS is where I will develop a crush on a really nice guy who happens to like girls. The common link between many of these men (and there are at least five that I can count atm) is that they all originate from Queensland.

So, there it is. I'm constantly falling victim to QS. Which is why when I find that I've suddenly been taken by someone new, rather than ask if they are straight I will ask where they grew up. Today I realised that I've been developing a little crush. It dawned on me and I became incredibly aware of it.

And the best (and worst) part of any new potential boy is the anxiousness suffered from a) them liking you back and b) not growing up in Queensland.

Its so hard to judge these things. Especially when you're in the early stages of friendship. Especially when you are about to leave the country for two months. Do you try and push it a little more? Do you do nothing? Will you have missed your chance? Will you screw it up and lose a great mate to awkwardness? Does it matter that you've put on some extra padding around your waist? So much worry.

Sometimes its better to test potential men for QS as early as politely possible.

This is what I contemplated as I drove to and from work. And It gave me a smile, knowing that I could have found somebody to like more than a friend.

Fruit of the Moment: Caramel Indulgence