A strange conversation

I had a telehealth appointment with my gynaecologist urologist at 10.30 this morning. He called at 9.02. A two minute phone conversation and he had clearly looked at my latest test result, which may have taken one minute, $100 thanks, paid in advance. There will be a Medicare rebate for about half.  The good news is that post surgery my left kidney while not perfectly draining, it is draining adequately. I am happy and since surgery, no more UTIs. 

My seven day waterproof bandage kind of fell off last night. R took a look and said the wound looked fine. For the second day this morning I didn't shower as I like to, just using the hand held. I'll get R to take another look at the wound later tonight and I think tomorrow I will shower normally. 

Hey, you are not getting away with me moaning about medical matters so easily. This morning I woke up coughing and stuffed up. Yep, I caught R's cold. I am not dying, but quite close. But unlike someone else, I no complain. 

We drove to Bay Street, Port Melbourne in the morning purely to brunch at the bakery. Later, normally I would walk but I caught a tram one stop to have a look at what is happening in Albert Road in association with the building of the new underground Anzac Station. It is still far from complete but roads in both directions and protected bike lanes have opened. 

I was standing, looking around at what I could observe. A beggar asked me for money. I later saw him praying at a letter box with his filthy bare feet showing. Mental illness is among us and I wish the sufferers had better support. Was the next conversation a case of mental illness? I don't know.

A short and stout women stopped and exclaimed how wonderful the roads works were. I replied, yes but it has been a long time in the making. She went further about what a great project it was. While the end result may be good, lordy it has been a long and difficult time and it is far from over yet.

"We are from the United States and my husband has a contract here, but it is soon to end and I can't wait to get home".

"Err, you don't like it here?"

"Not that, I want to get home and get rid of that Biden bastard".

She turned on her heels and quickly walked away. I was dumbfounded. She was still within earshot when I did say loudly 'really'. 

I've thought about the encounter.

1. I didn't notice she had a US accent, but maybe that is just me. If she did, it was very neutral. 

2. By her dress, makeup and carriage, she did not look like a wife of a US person who would have an Australian contract.

3. Australians are generally up for a conversation with a stranger if the situation is right. Even if we are not, we will tell the person to fuck off in the most polite way. Some may take advantage of this. 

4. The way she approached me was strange.

5. Making such a profound statement about bastard Biden might be expected from a certain class of US citizens. I would not have thought the wife of a contractor employed in Australia would say such a thing. 

I think I conclude she was a person with a mental illness. What do you think? 

Inside The 'Gog

Steve wondered about the internal stained glass of the synagogue. I think R took these photos when he visited The 'Gog during an Open House day. I too have taken photos but I can't immediately find them. 

So these windows are what are on the inside the externally brightly lit but opaque windows. Some are not great photos. 

Wednesday

I had done one load of washing before R arose and the second load was underway, both hung up on the clothes rack in the spare bedroom. During the cold days of winter we keep the spare bedroom door shut, less to heat. But if washing is hung on the rack, I leave the door open for heat and turn the overhead fan onto medium and the clothes dry within a few hours.

While R showered I did some vacuuming. A little vacuuming often is the way to go. I watered an unwanted gift viola plant on the balcony, cut a couple of fading blooms from the winter feature pot of red cyclamen. It's last flower is about to bloom. It will soon go down the rubbish chute.  

We caught the tram to St Kilda and had brunch in Acland Street. R was not feeling well, coming down with a cold I think so after eating and coffee, we returned straight home. I hung up the second washing load on the spare room rack and put in the next load, socks and jocks and added a 90 minute drying cycle. I am not hanging up umpteen socks and jocks on a rack. R retired to his bedroom to watch tv and nap.

I watched a couple of YouTube clips on the big tv screens. 

At 1.30 I caught a tram to Prahran where my skin cancer doctor took a chunk out of the back of my neck. Probably nothing, she said, but to be on the safe side. She is a nice and friendly doctor and it wasn't a bad experience. Since May, it was the first day I went out without a jacket and the heating was turned off for a few hours. 

Nevertheless after the traumatic surgery, I felt some need for consolation so I bought myself a double espresso coffee and and an ok Portuguese tart. She was just so

I sat in Prahran Square under an umbrella. I've complained to City of Stonnington about the non working water spouts and it wasn't working and the paving was dry, so had not been working earlier. As I sat there, it burst into life. The same thing happened earlier in the week when both of us were there late morning. The pigeons flocked in for baths when it fired up. Further contact with the local council is needed. 

Once home I took to my bed for an hour, watching YouTube vids, the real reality tv.

5.30 and it was time for wine.

Dinner was left over thawed pasta bolognese with a light salad and garlic bread. There is still left over pasta for lunch tomorrow, for me at least.

R fell asleep on the sofa as I sat here at the desk while tv was on in the background. I've been up and down from the desk chair, but now at 11pm, it is time to sleep. 

A quiz

A bit lighter than yesterday's post. 

No Guggling of course. Just what you remember. You are mostly of a similar age as myself, so this shouldn't be too hard but the questions do apply to Australia, Britain and the US, so it will be hard to know them all. 

Who said or on what tv show. movie, in public or YouTube clip were these said? As much detail or not as you like. 

1."Don't panic..."

Don't panic Captain Mainwaring (Mannering) a phrase from English tv show Dad's Army. 

2. "Those darkies next door..." 

English tv show called Love Thy Neighbour. It was shocking and blatantly racist. Ultimately though, the racist white character was always proved to be an idiot. 

3. "This is going straight to the pool room. "

A popular Australian film called The Castle. The item, perhaps a gift, was so good it was going to the pool/billiard room for display.  

4. "You can't say that."

Shaun of the YouTube channel Foxes Afloat telling his husband that he can't say that in the broadcast. 

5. "There's just one more thing..."

US tv show Columbo. I really liked it. 

6. "Your bloody Labour government didn't give you..."

Alf Garnett in the English tv show 'Till Death do us Part.  

7. "It's only Sonia."

A neighbour entering the main characters' house in the English tv comedy Fresh Fields. 

8. "Oh really Richard."

Hyacinth Bucket in the English tv comedy Keeping up Appearances. 

9, "I'm free."

The very camp Mr Humphries in the English tv comedy Are You being Served.

10. "You're not taking the Kingswood."

Ted Bullpit in the Australian tv comedy Kingswood Country. 

11. "There is no such thing as society."

Former Prime Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher.

12. "Hasta la vista baby"

Arnold Schwarzenegger in some shoot 'em up US film. 

13. "We shall fight them on the beaches..."

Former English Prime Minister Winston Churchill. 

14. "Look Arthur, stop, oranges are on special".

Demented Maggie on her way to a funeral with her long suffering son Arthur. Australian tv series Mother and Son.  

15. "These are my daughters, Billy Jo..."

US tv series Petticoat Junction with Kate introducing her three daughters, I think Billy Jo, Bobby Jo and Betty Jo.

16. "Good night John Boy...". 

US tv series The Waltons. 

17. "Blocked Drain!".

YouTuber Drain Addict as in each clip where he is called to clear a blocked drain, he proclaims when he finds the 'overflow' Blocked Drain. 

18. "It's goodnight from me and goodnight from him." 

English tv sketch show The Two Ronnies. Newsreaders Ronny Barker concludes the sketch each time speaking for co-newsreader Ronnie Corbett. 

19. "You're late Butler."

English tv show On the Buses, said by Inspector Butler to driver Stan Butler when he arrived late at work. 

20. "This is a local shop, for local people."

I am fairly sure this was from the at times very cringe worthy English tv show League of Gentlemen, said by the local shopkeepers if a stranger entered the shop.  

21. "Ma, we are thinking about Shady Pines..."

Dorothy to her mother in the US tv comedy The Golden Girls. 

22. "The computer says no."

Dour social security woman in the English tv show Little Britain. 

23. "Yes, I tuck my shirt into my underpants."

Former English Prime Minister John Major. 

24. "What could possibly go wrong?"

YouTuber Scott from Trains, Planes, Everything. He even had tee shirts printed with the slogan. 

25. "He went to Brighton and came back as a gay."

Nana in the English tv comedy show The Royles.  

26. "This has been a Filmways presentation darlings."

Eva Gabor in the US tv show Green Acres. I had to check so carefully that is wasn't Zsa Zsa. 

27. "I will shirtfront him when we meet."

Idiot former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in reference to Russian President Putin. 

This final one I can't remember myself. There was an older slim and dour woman who read out the English Channel or English south coast weather report, to I seem to recall a bloke with a big grey beard. No one can help with this one? 

Sometimes writing blog posts can be fun. The answers in a couple of days, which gives you plenty of time to not Guggle. 

Musical Monday

I'll say this upfront, some of scenes in this music video are very confronting. If you are of a sensitive disposition and don't want to see scenes of war or orphanage children, don't watch it. After viewing it, I sat for a few moments, trying to digest what I had just seen that happened in my lifetime and my parents lifetime. The stills were hard to view but life is not all about blue birds flying over the white cliffs of Dover. 

It was a one hit wonder by Russell Morris, written, produced and recorded in Melbourne, reaching the top of our charts in 1969. It also became a number one in Chicago, New York City and oddly, Houston. It is obvious this video was made up with photos some time later. 

So set aside six minutes and have a listen, watch and be reminded of some of our world's less than great history. 

Sunday Sod It

The drive to see ABI Brother yesterday wasn't too bad. R hates freeway driving and prefers not to. I hate freeway driving for different reasons, mainly people in the two right hand lanes not driving at the speed limit, or worse, varying their speed so much. 100/60 is not too challenging, surely.

I sold my old phone to ABI Brother and he is not particularly interested in the phone. I sorted a couple of things out on his phone and added two apps, the AFL, football app and the BOM app, Bureau of Meteorology. 

R was in a bit of a mood but we only stayed at ABI Brother's home for an hour. We discovered that he already has Mother's death certificate and the cause of death was aspiration. She vomited and breathed it into her lungs. Who would have thought that was the way she would go. 

We discovered ABI Brother is a little confused about the $10,000 he withdrew from Mother's bank account to pay for her funeral and then put the payment on his credit card. We discovered that he will continue to receive the carer's pension for thirteen weeks after Mother's death, around $500 a week. We discovered that, I guess as part of Mother's aged care package, he received a cheque for $6000 for Mother's funeral from whatever government department. 

I wrote down some arithmetic for him, $10,000 for the funeral, less $6,000 from the government equals $4000 divided by four siblings. So he owes us, including his share, each $1000. Actually it is a bit more than that but I can't remember why now.

We discovered he is going to sell his house and move to a retirement village. We took a drive around where he wants to move to and it all looks very nice. Every place looked occupied so maybe there is a waiting list. But then I think the company probably ensures every place look occupied. 

We discovered the gardener who Mother employed as part of her aged care package will continue to tend to his garden and he is now paying for that himself. 

We discovered the cleaner who Mother employed as part of her aged care package will not continue. I used his toilet. He needs a cleaner. 

R and I lunched at the Great Australian Bakery, very nice. Mother did not like it as she caught her hand in a toilet door there and refused to lunch there again. 

We were back home by 2pm. At 7pm ABI Brother rang. He had recalculated  things and he now owes us a couple of hundred dollars. Bro, what about the $6000? He was unsure. He is going to call the company who he employs to deal with social security tomorrow for clarification. Good luck with that Bro. It will be Sunday. 

Once home, I read blog posts that I hadn't gotten around to this morning. The clip posted by Yorkshire Pudding amused me greatly. It's lucky that Spike died before Charles became king and could say 'off with his head'. 

I've posted this before but it was some time ago. Spike Milligan was subsequently banned from studios by the ABC, our publicly funded national broadcaster. Aside from the humour, the newsreader's speaking voice is so interesting. The ABC was on the cusp of great change, from being a BBC imitation to having a truly Australian identity. I saw the newsreader out at gay bars a couple of times in the 80s and once I sidled up near to him to hear how he was speaking to mates, and there was nothing false about his level above educated Australian speech. That was how he spoke and it sounded nice in person.

Anyway, here is the two minute audio clip that had Spike banned.