The dollars and the pence

No one wants their house to burn, and I do feel sorry for the family, but...,

the fire was started in the two storey house by an electric go-cart. Now I am making assumptions but if you can afford a two storey house in Eltham, to breed five children and afford an electric go-kart, you can probably afford home insurance in case of fire, yet they did not have such cover. Naturally a gofundme has been set up.

At my great niece's birthday weekend before last, there were quite a few families who came along and bought their lunches and for their children. From my observations, it would have cost a couple with three children north of $150, drinks included, say a jug of Coke. My two gin and tonics cost $26, and my meal $32. It is a nice venue and the service was good, but it wasn't cheap. 

With a friend whose birthday it was, we had coffee and cake and the total cost was nigh on $40, just in a cafe. 

I'm not crying poor but as people moan on about the cost of living, there doesn't seem much of a sign of it affecting their spending. 

While I'm on about money, just over 60 years ago Australia switched from pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents. This clip to educate us about dollars and cents was released by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Friday Funny

I don't like videos that insert text to insist that you watch to the very end, but in this case you must. It was the final few seconds that really cracked me up.

The personal

I had new venetian blinds installed in the lounge room last Friday. The old ones had a couple of bent slats at the door, one when Mother went out to smoke on the balcony and closed the door on the blinds, and on the other side of the blinds, where I stood up from the lounge chair and fainted and fell against the blinds. I had them cleaned about 18 months ago, and the man said they would not stand up to another sonic clean. They are 28 years old, so they've done ok. An internal part on one important blind broke, which pushed me to get them replaced.

Sadly for the money spent, no one will notice the new blinds, six of them, but I see them and I did it for myself, and for Ray, who would also be pleased. 

I had a nice afternoon tea with my friend Bunyip to celebrate her birthday, the afternoon after the blinds were fitted in the morning.

Phyliss and Kosov were out both days at the weekend, socialising with female friends. Sunday I wanted to visit the shops at Port Melbourne, so I took the car, and stopped off at the big green shed hammer shop for a charity barbeque sausage in a slice of bread with fried onions. I did't even go inside the shed. Then for coffee at the Port Melbourne shops and I bought a couple of things.

Car parking at the South Melbourne Central Aldi car park has become difficult on Thursdays, often being full by 10am. It never used to be but it is now. I needed a plan B to reduce my parking stress. Let me try Tuesday. South Melbourne Market is not open either day, so I thought Tuesday would be quieter. It wasn't. Phyllis and Kosov came, well Phyllis drove and we were just lucky and found a space quickly. Soon after the red car park full sign illuminated, instead of showing in green the number of spaces available. I need a plan C. 

The barista where I have been buying coffee for quite some time, the one who winked at me a while ago, has left after seven years, wanting to get out of hospitality. I'll miss him and his attractive Italian accent.   

I blame Ballarat because about ten days after visiting, my car displayed a map of all four wheels with tyre pressures and one was low on air, 27 whatever. It should be 34. Phyllis and Kosov were with me and I showed them how to pump up a tyre at a service station, a servo as it is called here. Two weeks later it had lost air again and Phyllis pumped it up this time at the servo. Yesterday I took it for repair and I waited an hour for the repair in a nice air conditioned waiting room while it was 34/93 outside, with free coffee and cold drinks. A small piece of steel was pulled from the tyre and I guess the hole was then plugged. How much did this cost? No charge. When I need new tyres, that is where I will go. Nice work Bob Jane T-Marts in Port Melbourne.

How do my old lounge chairs look? Ok for a struggling person? They are a bit saggy in the seats, but still look reasonable. There are swing out footrests and the backs recline. Phyllis put them on FB Market Place, for free. I called a charity shop and they weren't interested, even though they welcome furniture. I put them on my FB for free. No one wants them. Phyllis and Kosov said they could carry them, and picked them up to check.

So they will go in the hard rubbish collection when the next happens. This Friday, the new lounge chairs will be delivered. There is space for the old ones to stay until the rubbish collection. I've spent so much on my home over the last year or so, and much of it not really visible, but the new chair assembly will be noticeable, I hope in a good way. 

I haven't checked this post, so it is just raw.

Monday Mural

Sami and others participate in Monday Mural. This is a mural I snapped while Marcellous drove me around inner western Sydney last October under brilliant blue skies. Only later when looking at maps did I work our where we had been. 

Views

My apartment has good views, slightly north east, majorly to the east, to the south east and south, even the south west.

But my neighbour HH on the other side of the building, has fantastic views. There are advantages and disadvantages to both apartments. My apartment balcony gets blasted by cold and gusty southerly winds, while HH gets blasted by hot northerly winds.

I took a few photos of the views from her balcony. The first looks more like a view from my balcony...maybe.

City views, with the war memorial, Shrine of Remembrance, in The (King's) Domain in the foreground. 

The most prestigious boys school in Melbourne, The Church of England's Melbourne Boys' Grammar School. Some of the boys will go on to great careers, and perhaps some will become politicians. It is not unknown for some them to become very well spoken drug users and/or homeless. 

HH still has the easterly views I have. 

And she can see down St Kilda Road.

Ten years ago

Almost ten years ago, that is.

These were quite interesting clips, the first in Alaska, the second in Minnesota and the third in Toronto. The post may be a little slow to load. 

https://web.archive.org/web/20160219012656/http://highriser.blogspot.com/

And, happy Valentine's Day. Luv youse all. 

Friday Funny

Kitty Flanagan is a great actor and she is very good at stand up comedy too. In these clips she talks about tech and how non digital natives have adapted to the world of phones and tablets. And let's face it, if it isn't us, we will have all seen it happen.

Could I learn to text with my thumbs? I doubt it, and I text as I write here. It takes me longer to insert BRB and an emoji than it does for me to type it in full.

OMG, I am not suspicious but it is Friday the 13th today. TTFN.