It was such a nothing week. We did nothing of any significance. Each day we went out in the morning at about 11 for brunch and coffee, in the City, Prahran, Port Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne. Thursday was different as R went out with a former workmate and two former high functioning disabled clients, except one was in the last stages of a Covid infection, so there was only one former client.
They visited their former work place to find out it is now a medical centre. They went on to Rickett's Point Cafe for lunch, a mega popular place right on the seaside. Don't quote me on this but I think it began with a couple of middle aged ladies opening a tea room there. They went on for a walk on Mordialloc Pier. R left home at 9.30 and arrived home at 4.30. I remarked, 'The ladies who lunch, lunch long'.
I've travelled most of our tram lines in the last ten years but not the route 59 tram. I have a few to tick off still. The tram driver was simply awful. Way to much ringing of the bell at a passing sparrow in the sky and a surging acceleration and braking style, off on, off on with the foot. No sooner had we started off than some bloke boarded the tram and sat to the right of me and ate a cooked supermarket chicken. Revolting, and the stench awful This did not bode well. Then someone to the rear of me decided his music was for the public and god awful music boomed out from his music machine Just horrible. I went to end the end of the line and the trip itself was interesting. I bailed off the tram on the return journey when it reached Essendon railway station and caught a train back to the City. The train was very comfortable.
Brighton Antique Dealer called R. She had totally forgotten we met for lunch just before Christmas. At 86, maybe she is losing her marbles. At 88 Mother says she is, but no, she is still sharp as a tack. I respect my mother's thoughts, if they aren't about her medical issues. Yes, her granddaughter Hippie Niece is hard work.
A phone call from Ex Sis in Law informed us that her daughter Hippie Niece had separated from her partner and moved out of his parents home with her five year old twin daughters, with her moving back to her mother's and staying some nights with her father, Tradie Brother. Her former partner seemed like such a good guy. As Mother said, on Christmas he took my arm and walked me across the room without my walker. He is always nice to us. The twins love him dearly. It is so sad and I guess it is really down to Hippie Niece's mental health issues. Hippie Niece says he is 'too controlling'.
A phone call from Ex Sis in Law's husband this evening asked if we would like to join them for a Sunday lunch at the Seaford RSL. Apparently Hippie Niece had a 'bad day' today, this Friday. They will bring the twins and give their troubled mother a break. That's terrific as we were thinking we really ought to visit my 'dying' mother. Mana. She'll live for another week. Next weekend. Need to mentally prepare.
This Friday afternoon our public transport served me well. A 58 to Sturt Street, a 1 to Clarendon Street and a 12 to Fitzroy Street for an ice cold g&t at Leo's Spaghetti Bar with a 16 tram home. I was lucky, two minutes waits only. But Jesus, the Yarra Tram driver on route 1 was a another surge and brake type driver. Doesn't anyone check their driving?
This Friday night after cleaning my bathroom, R made a pizza with fresh ingredients. Very nice. I am a spoilt person in so many ways. Just keep my trap shut.
Ugh. The mere thought of that chicken on the tram just grosses me out.
ReplyDeleteThat's so sad about Hippie Niece and her husband. We never know what goes on inside others' relationships, but I hope they're both thinking about what's best for the kids.
Steve, I dislike people eating while walking along the street too, but on public transport...well, it is banned in many countries and cities for good reasons.
DeleteEx Sis in Law and her husband are very good at caring for and giving stability and discipline to the twins. The twins love them and respect them very much. It is all quite sad. We will hear more tomorrow at lunch, no doubt.
I am so sorry to read about Hippie Niece. I hope things settle for them all. That supermarket cooked chicken smell is incredibly pervasive. I notice it in the car park at our local supermarket. In the close confines of a tram? Shudder.
ReplyDeleteYet again you and R were much more social than we were. A cleaned bathroom and a freshly cooked pizza? Definite luxury.
EC, it is very sad. As far as we can all see, he is a good guy. But, you have to walk a mile in... You would well know how people can present a good public face.
DeleteThe smell wasn't quite as bad as McDonalds
Tram life is just as you have described. I do not miss any of it. Young people do not last relationships or commitments these days
ReplyDeleteRoentare, partly true on both counts but thankfully it is really a minority.
DeleteThe stench of the chicken was awful? While that's certainly unpleasant, I think what for me might be equally unpleasant is if the chicken smelled good and made me hungry and suddenly I'm running around looking for a KFC or a Church's or a Popeye's because I have to satisfy that craving for a chicken.
ReplyDeleteKirk, I like food smells when I want to eat but they just revolt me on public transport. I don't know Church's or Popeye's but I guess they are are just cooked chicken shops. I at times crave but rarely give into the Colonel's original deep fried chicken.
DeleteI won a meat tray at the Seaford RSL. I felt truly Australian then.
ReplyDeleteThat was a big adventure for R. All the way down to Beaumaris with a stop at Mordi on the way back. I guess they must have driven.
I have never really been a tram traveller (no need or no trams) but I miss the connies. They were always good value.
I remember catching a train from Bonbeach into town and someone decided it a good idea to slurp some godawful fishy soup. I'll take your chook any day but, really, eating on public transport should go the way of smoking.
I think you were concerned Hippy Niece was thinking about breeding again. I guess that's one good thing about the breakup but how sad for the twins.
Ah Caro, how much more Australian can you be than winning the meat tray raffle. I laughed.
DeleteYes, it was a drive, to Forest Hills, Blackburn, Ricketts Point, Mordialloc. The back to Forest Hills and home.
Oh, that fishy soup smell. I know it. Awful.
I think the twins will miss him more than their own father who they stay with every second weekend. Compared to the other greats, they have had a rough and unstable start in life.
Good thinking 99, jumping tram to get on the train. The benefits of knowing the transport system (or do they call it the transit system these days)
ReplyDeleteCathy, transit system does not come easily to me. It is public transport, PT, hence PTV, Public Transport Victoria. Yes, I do know our transport system well enough and I have multiple apps on my phone to check, but even so I at times get it wrong.
DeleteMental health issues are tough, but oh, the toll that they take on the children. We are seeing it first hand here and sometimes it makes me cry. There's nothing I can do about it, except to make sure the child is as secure and safe as we can make him.
ReplyDeleteDebby, I thought it may have been something like that. I feel for you and your charge. Security and reassurance is so important at that age. Believe me, I remember.
DeleteWe have a few "surge and brake" bus drivers here and for a while I reported them but nothing was ever done. I wonder if maybe they are newly licenced and not yet have the hang of smooth driving. I'm sorry to hear of Hippie Niece's breakup, but I guess there's really nothing anyone can do but be supportive as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteRiver, the driver's colleague boarded the tram and while it is rare, I was in the front seat and could kind of overhear their conversation. It was clear to me that the tram driver was a long time driver. I know their driving is checked at times by management, but this never seems to be picked up.
DeleteWe give Hippie Niece cautious support. She gets so much support from our medical system and social security. She has learnt how to use the system. We can't always agree with her behaviour and actions.
Posts like this are where I miss your former full-blog archive to check out some of the context - in this case the re your "hippy niece." Incidentally, do I detect aright that (maybe because your mother is no longer living alone) "mother days" on a regular/weekly basis are a thing of the past?
ReplyDeleteMC, I've found it is not too hard to check my old blog via the link I've provided, that I am still not really happy with. It should be one click.
DeleteMother has been living with my ABI Brother for well over two years now and it was weekly Mother Days. Then it became fortnightly and now is irregular. We will definitely go next weekend, if not before. She seems happy enough with how things are now. I speak to her a couple of times a week by phone. A little of Mother's company goes a long way, which is a bit sad as she used to be such fun.
For a quiet week you managed to get out and about. We are plagued by train strikes here which has curtailed my wanderings. Foolishly I didn't check with my local station and only discovered last night that a regular service has continued through my staion as it is considered an essential service for NHS staff etc. I'm even more annoyed now as I could have been out and about.
ReplyDeleteMarie, I must add the label 'wanderings' to my blog tags. As I read today, one bargaining tool will be that even with strikes, some services will be kept running, above what you described. While I have sympathy for the striking workers, TfL is in a difficult position with having to pay for its operational costs. May I politely say, TfL is fucked. The fares it charges are outrageous. Your whole mostly privatised system is close to being dead and buried. Your gov now runs the east coast mainline, with some competition from Lumo. That works up to a point. Private enterprise against government services.
DeleteI may have told you this story before, about Leo's Spaghetti Bar, but it is 100% true. In 1956 the Italian Olympic team wouldn't come to Melbourne unless there were espresso machines in town. My late father was the filtration engineer for the 3 water sports in 1956, and was asked to urgently find some coffee shops/restaurants who would buy an espresso machine in time. He negotiated with Mr Leo in Fitzroy St who agreed to buy a large machine, IF dad personally introduced the all Italian sportsmen.
ReplyDeleteAs a result, my parents and brothers and I had free espressos for the rest of Leo's life. He was like an uncle to me :)
Wow Hels. No, you did not tell me this before. I remember about your father being the filtration engineer but not about Leo's. You really are a tried and true St Kilda lass.
DeleteWell darn it had hoped it would work out for Hippie Niece and her twins. in Portland at the city train station, in the middle of the night when it wasn't running thankfully, one man, on drugs, attacked an old man, probably also on drugs and ate off his ear and part of his face. In jail he claimed the man smelled like a robot, as reason. LIkely the cocktail of drugs he was on played a large role. Eating chicken on public transport is not very well mannered behavior.Nor the boom box.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, we are feeling a bit sad about the situation but there is nothing we can do. Lives have to be lived. Eating off an ear is one thing, but eating off a part of face takes it to a higher level.
DeleteSounds like a good week.
ReplyDeleteIn a way TP, yes. Little happened.
DeleteWe had a nothing week as well. I really need to get my butt in gear! Do have a lunch planned this week with BFF.
ReplyDeleteJackie, the older I become the more nothing weeks we seem to have. Not a bad thing at times.
Delete