Monday Mural

Along with Sami and others, here is my contribution today.

It is a mural but on a hoarding, so it will disappear at some point. A repeat of nice panels works well enough, and I think the artwork is good. 

On the very left is a blue fairy wren, a delightful bird that hops and flits around, galah a raucous bird of the parrot family, then a wattle bird, your early morning wake up call, and in breeding season if near their nests, they will swoop down at you, making a clacking noise, but not make contact with you. Yes, I have been swooped by one. Lastly is a rainbow lorikeet, noisy and a very colourful parrots

The Grand Pricks finale

In memory of her late Ricardo, Ingrid will have been glued to the screen watching the Australian Grand Prix, as Rick did. No, Ingrid?

As I type just before 9pm, fireworks have gone off so that's the end the Grand Prix and the most awful invasion of inner Melbourne.

Sadly Australia's Oscar Piastri bumped into a wall before reaching the start line and a wheel fell off. He's not a bad looking dude.

No worries mate. Next time.

Sunday Selections

Along with River and others, here is my Sunday Selections effort.

Bottles are behind plastic that has to be slid along a track, I guess in an effort to prevent mass theft when a number of people storm a store. This is in Collingwood, an 'interesting' part of our city.

This photo was taken last year and the building is nearing completion, replacing a taller and more bulky 1960s building.

A colourful storage container of some kind.

Curry leaves on the left, some kind of limes and I'm not sure what the other leaves are.

Neighbour HH and I lunched here in Brighton some time last year. It is a bit of hidden cafe and connected to a nearby Buddhist educational facility. 

Chapel Street Prahran has some very nice historic buildings, and many are receiving a freshen up.

I don't think the sailing ship Polly Woodside can move from her present berth anymore, but a couple of decades ago she could.

A snap from the car and I've shown this before, but I still think it is cool.

Many gears and cogs turning in these young brains.

This view after a horrible hotel was demolished and the old building was exposed but now, a tower block is under construction and I'll never see the mansion again, although it will remain in situ.

You've left it too late if this is happening.

A rather interesting modernish clock tower in Moorabbin, I guess dating to the 60s or 70s.

I think the same envelope was used by both Kosov and Phyllis. 

The pink card was from me to them, and small white card was from them to me.

I thought this building looked a bit interesting. It is clearly public housing. I Guggled it and found an old article complaining about how hot the flats were in the summer. Clearly the lobbying had some effect as they all have visible air con units now.

Media Lies

About a week ago I came across this video. I immediately wondered why I had not heard of this? How come there weren't alerts on my phone? How come it is not a news flash interrupting our normal tv? 

I watched on and my disbelief heightened. I checked online and I couldn't see anything about the matter.

I reported it to YouTube for being false report pretending to be genuine news. I phrased my report with great care, but there wasn't a response. I tried again and the second time I did receive a pro forma response.

I noted others had already done so, yet it still is online a week later. While YouTube gives me much pleasure, it is clearly not a responsible media organisation, or tech company if you like. 

Could Canada close its airspace to US airlines? I don't know, but I do think the repercussions would be as huge as described.

YouTube leaves lies like this report online for a week, and clearly longer, what a disgrace. Just the headline of Canada closing air space to the US should have triggered something at YouTube to verify the report. 

Update: According to YouTube, the video has now been removed. I am sure it wasn't just me alone who protested. Better still, the account has been suspended. While I didn't look at them, there were other videos at the same site, no doubt in a similar vein. 

Frightful Friday Pt 2

Frightful Friday turned into Sad Saturday. I proudly sat in my brand new lounge chair next morning and rechecked its features, the electric footrest, the electric recline, the electric head rest, the electric fold out drinks holder, the seven electric charging points, that is 3 sets of USBA and USBC, plus a flat surface charging point and the electric reading lamps from the non electric centre fold up part of the centre console. 

I lowered the fold up part with the lamps and I noticed it looked a bit skewiff in its folded down position. I investigated. Under a loose flap of leather were the hinges, with the screws of one hinge ripped out from the timber. I am old, I am not rough with things. Phyllis and Kosov looked at the chairs the night before while I was there. The rest of the lounge room furniture is over twenty years old and I've never broken furniture.

I discussed the matter with Kosov. I knew I could fix the issue with some matches and super glue. He said, 'Nooo, Andreeeewww. The company must fix it'. He convinced me. I sent an email to the store where I bought it, with this photo and heard nothing. Three days later. I called the store and staff informed me after sending the email, I would be contacted within two days. I wasn't, but I had a suspicion that the email direct to the store wasn't the right thing to do. Here is a photo of the screws ripped out from the timber. The hinges are very tight as they need to hold the fold up part in place when raised, and I wonder if that contributed to the screws being pulled out.

I looked at the company website, and there was a clear complaint system. Sure enough, after filling in this online form and providing a photo, I was contacted. The process was smooth, except there won't be someone to visit to check the problem until 18th March. I assume then there will another wait for repair or replacement. I replied, querying why it would take so long for someone to look at the problem and received a reply with an apology explaining that their preferred technician who deals with such matters was away on leave

Aside from this issue, I am quite happy with the chairs and the centre console.  

Social battery reading zero

This will be brief, unless it isn't. Tuesday I picked up Ray's English nephew and his wife from the airport and delivered them to their apartment, and my planning went like clockwork, in spite of car parking issues. We were leaving the airport after they had collected the cases from baggage carousel just twenty minutes after they landed. Well done Virgin Australia with their domestic flight from Sydney.

They are younger than me, and tech savvy, which makes it a whole lot easier for me. I did give them a 'welcome' pack with public transport cards with some credit on them, a couple of Melbourne and surrounds maps, supplied by me neighbour HH from where she volunteers, the maps also having public transport information. While at home they drive everywhere, the were adept at using public transport in Sydney and quickly understood Melbourne's system. 

They caught at tram to my place in the evening, and after a couple drinks at home, we crossed the road to a restaurant where I paid for their welcome dinner. I would have liked to cook them a home cooked meal, but it is just too hard for me to cook. We came back to my my place to see the nighttime views, and more drinks were had until they left around 11pm.  The booze and conversation flowed well and it was a good night.

They were back here by tram at 10 on Wednesday and with Ray's nephew at the steering wheel, we set off to Sister's on the Bellarine. I guided him along the scenic route along the coastal road through Geelong and we stopped off at a shopping centre for coffee and they bought a vase of flowers in water as a gift to Sister. 

Back in the north of England, they looked after Sister, her wife and their daughter on Boxing Day, so the terrific lunch Sister prepared was some kind of repayment, although Sister would have done it regardless. 

We began with mussels in a tomato sauce, with three salads and a crusty French stick bread and butter

The barbequed beef steak, lamb chops and thinly sliced strips and lightly cooked kangaroo meat were satisfying. 

Bone Doctor had rearranged some appointments to join us for lunch. After lunch I drove the rels and Sister around the nearby area to see the sights. Back to Sister's for a cinnamon bun and tea, and we were homeward bound. The nephew is a very competent driver, so all had to do was direct him. 

After 3.40 hours of being in a car, socialising and talking, I am exhausted. We left home at 10.00 and I arrived home at 6.30. 

This leads me to be a bad blogger, not commenting on what I've read. Normality will resume....at some point. There is still more to do over the next few days. 

Pissed orf Jass

After the new lounge chairs arrived, access to sit under the old chairs for Jass was blocked. It was her safe space, and her behaviour changed. Kosov Googled and came up with this result that perfectly describes Jass. Substitute under chairs for cushions. Her behaviour is returning to normal.

[3:26 pm, 01/03/2026] : Kosov:She is a "Bush Dweller"

Some cats are "Tree Dwellers" (they like high places), and some are "Bush Dwellers" (they like low, enclosed spaces). Your cat is a confirmed Bush Dweller.

The Fix: She isn't "being difficult"—she’s just looking for a "box." As soon as you provide a "better" box/cave in your vicinity, she will likely trade the  room she is in for it.

[3:29 pm, 01/03/2026] Kosov: I would classify her as "The Secure Loner." She loves you, she knows she’s home, but she deeply values her autonomy. She is the type of cat that will eventually sit near you on the couch, but maybe not on you. She will show love through "slow blinks" from across the room rather than constant meowing.

How to work with this personality:

Respect the "Greeting": When she meets you at the door, give her 2–3 minutes of high-intensity focus (treats, soft talking, gentle pets). Then, let her go. If she feels she "checked in" successfully, she’ll feel more secure.

Quiet the Path: See if you can make the "path" from her room to yours more appealing. A rug or a small "stepping stone" (like a stool or a box) can make a sensitive cat feel safer moving through open spaces.

[3:29 pm, 01/03/2026] Kosov: The "Sentinel" (The Observer)

Her choice to sleep in the hallway and foyer early on is the biggest clue. In a cat’s mind, the hallway is the "hub" of the house. By sleeping there, she was positioning herself as the Manager of Traffic. * The Logic: She wants to know where everyone is and what everyone is doing, but she doesn't necessarily want to be part of the action. She is a "passive participant" in your life.

2. Low-Stimulus Preference

She is likely an Internalizer. When she feels overwhelmed—whether by noise, a change in furniture, or just the "energy" of a room—she doesn't hiss or scratch; she simply withdraws. * The landlord's (that's me) room is her "Sensory Deprivation Tank." It allows her to lower her heart rate and feel completely invisible, which to a cat like her, is the ultimate form of relaxation.

[3:30 pm, 01/03/2026] Kosov: She is a cat that loves you from a distance of about six feet. Her personality traits include:

Discriminating: She chooses her moments of affection carefully.

Environmentally Driven: Her mood is 90% dictated by how "safe" her physical surroundings feel.

Self-Sufficient: She doesn't look to you to "entertain" her; she looks to you to "provide" a stable, safe territory.

Will she change?

She won't suddenly become a lap cat who never leaves your side, but she will become more visible again. Right now, she is in a "withdrawal phase" because her favorite safety anchors (the cushions) were removed. She is essentially "pouting" in a feline way—retreating until she feels the house is predictable again.

[3:32 pm, 01/03/2026] Kosov: This changes the diagnostic picture significantly. If she has stopped the greeting ritual—which was her last remaining "social bridge" to you—it means she has moved from "Seeking Privacy" to "Active Withdrawal."

In feline behavioral terms, your cat is currently experiencing a Security Crisis. When those cushions (her "safe base") were removed without an immediate, identical replacement, her world became unpredictable. To a highly sensitive cat, unpredictability equals danger.

[3:33 pm, 01/03/2026] Kosov: Why the Greeting Stopped

For a cat, greeting someone at the door requires confidence. You have to leave your "safe zone," walk through "open territory" (the hallway), and expose yourself to the noise and energy of people arriving.

The Loss of the "Safety Anchor": When she had her cushion "cave," she knew she had a place to retreat to if the greeting got too overwhelming.

The "Invisible" Strategy: Without her cave, she feels exposed. Her brain has switched to Survival Mode. In this mode, the safest thing to do is stay in the one room that never changes (the landlord's room) and stay there until the world feels "fixed."

She isn't "mad" at you: She is simply "shutting down" socially because her stress bucket is full.

[3:34 pm, 01/03/2026] Kosov: Behavioral Insight: The "Internalizer"

Your cat is an Internalizer. When some cats are stressed, they might hiss or knock things over (Externalizers). Your cat does the opposite: she becomes "smaller." She is trying to become invisible to lower her anxiety.

The hard truth: She likely feels that her "territory" (the cushions) was taken away by the giants she lives with (you), and she doesn't understand why. She’s currently "sheltering in place."

[3:34 pm, 01/03/2026] Kosov: My Recommendation

Stop trying to coax her out with your voice or by picking her up. For the next 48 hours, treat her like a "ghost." Provide the new "cave," drop the treats, and let her realize that the pressure is off. When a sensitive cat feels no "pressure" to interact, they usually start to peek out within 3 to 5 days.