The week that was

But in the meantime much was happening in the foreground for me, and not all particularly pleasurable. 

A gay guy who I know through work, though I never worked with him, invited me to catch up for coffee. The weather was so bad, we sat inside the cafe, rare for me. It was a nice catch up. He mentioned a former workmate who would like to catch up with me and he gave me his phone number.

He must have spoken to said person on the phone after meeting me and said person was in the city having lunch with someone and decided to call in to see me on his way home, UNANNOUNCED. I received a call from a neighbour and I went down and escorted him up from the foyer. He and his late wife liked us and in the eighties, we did socialise at times with them. Aside from Ray's flat in '79, they have been to every place we've lived. They bought furniture from us. 

His wife died I think in 2018 from rapid MND, so sad. When I saw him back at work after some time off, I offered my condolences and he cracked into tears. If you met him, you would swear he is gay. I think he was here for two and half hours and we chatted away. 

He has only recently bought mobile phone and is very anti technology. He proudly proclaims he doesn't know how to turn on a computer, yet he was proud of his achievement that when I called his phone, he had learnt how to add my phone number. I mentioned how without internet, people were becoming more disadvantaged. He asked for examples, and naturally I could not think of any. I have since. But then I realised that one of his sons looks after his financial affairs, which he oversees, by using the internet. 

From what he said, he is extremely social and goes out ballroom dancing three or four times a week. He is a member of other social clubs. He travels to country areas for dancing. He made me tired as I listened to what he did. He is very comfortable financially and will never be a 'burden on the taxpayers' like I will be. 

But you know dear readers, I decided I don't actually like him. He is openly racist when in the company of white people, his way is the right way and he is always right, he is intolerant and he is just so full on. To hear him talk, you would also think he is gay. He had four sons and doesn't agree with the way they are bringing up their children but to me it sounded like the children are being brought up like other children are now. Fortunately he mostly keeps his mouth shut about that.

Things calmed a bit for the next couple of days, until Hippie Niece and her partner, without their four children, would visit on Friday afternoon before they had an early dinner and attended a Rugby League semi final match. They are lovely and so caring but also so loud and so full on but I did give them a few books, the jigsaw puzzle I mentioned a few posts ago, and the Baby Q barbeque and gas bottle. I was going to sell it, but it would have taken over an hour to clean and no guarantee it would sell. Once we bought the air fryer, we stopped using the barbeque. 

Bone Doctor parked here Saturday morning and we went out for brunch before she went to the AFL grand final, then just as brunch finished, Hair Dresser Friend messaged me and as she was passing by in a tram, would she be welcome to visit. Of course, I said, so we chatted for a couple of hours. 

Phyllis and Kosov went out to buy ingredients for mutton korma to cook in a pressure cooker. I was going to have some, and they ended up buying lamb rather that mutton, but I knew it would not be cooked until well after my usual dinner time, so Bone Doctor to the rescue. After she returned from the football match, she asked if we could have some Thai food across the road, which we did. As I am typing at after 8pm, the meal is still not ready. I normally eat at 7. 

The socialising is not finished yet, with a catch up with another friend and Hairdresser Friend on Monday afternoon. Hair Dresser Friend asked me if it was for coffee or drinks. I replied, 2.30 is getting pretty close to 5 o'clock, so we could swing either way. Can you guess where the friend lives and Sister has posted some photos from the same place as she has just embarked on a four day walk with a couple of her friends. 

Fortunately Margaret shouldn't read this until tomorrow afternoon and not give the game away. 

I'll leave you with this, a rather unusual storm here in Melbourne last month. I did not know when  you are taking a video and turn your phone horizontally, the resulting video will be sideways.  The storm was a ripper.