Strange things continue to happen in The Highrise. A nice little display of shells turned into a very large display after Phyllis and Kosov walked along a beach with their phone torches alight. Perhaps their friend needed more sex advice, although it sounded like she was doing quite ok on her own to me with a virile young man.
"Phyllis, what if the printer runs out of paper. I can't insert new paper with the shells there."
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But wait, there are more.
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They were scooped up and put into a bowl, and just as well, the next day the printer ran out of paper when I had to print out a document that some poor old age pensioner widowers need to do. Doesn't poor old age pensioner sound so much more needy than my former guise as a poor old age self funded retiree.
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Kosov has been here for since last Friday but he has gone home tonight. That's fine. He was given one day's unpaid work at a cafe as a trial part time worker. He worked one shift and he was then told he was casual. He was given cash in hand and then not called back.
It is hard for foreign students. However Kosov has what sounds like a decent proper part time job now, in Peel Street, Collingwood, and if I have any gay Melbourne readers, you will no doubt know Peel Street.
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There was something fermenting in the dish under the heating. I think it was for a lemon pasta sauce. Three days later, for lunch I had a small bowl of left over creamy and spicy pasta. It was ok.
I am a tidy person and so was Ray. I dislike untidiness. Phyllis has learnt that I like the kitchen tidy. "Phyllis! There is a splodge of what looks like fermenting lemon pasta sauce on the dining table". "Phyllis, I don't want that supermarket bag left all day against my newly painted smart wall next to my art deco auto trolley, once owned by the mother of our Brother Friends".
Now, I just have to train Kosov to automatically recognise that the recycling bin is full and needs to be taken down to the basement, and for him to push his chair back in under the dining table.
These young people! How they must adjust to old man widower ways.
I spent over an hour on the phone to our electric company today. Although the bill payment automatically comes out of my account, the account is in Ray's name. Clearly this is the only time this has happened in the world. I only did so because I wanted the pensioner concession.
I managed to apply my concession to my local council for reduced rates almost online. I had to write onto a printed out form, scan it along with a scan of my concession card, and email it to the council. At least my home was in both names.
Not so for the car, that I paid for. The car ownership needs to be changed from Ray's name to mine.
Lordy, then there is insurance to sort out. I am so busy being a retired person and I have all this extra loaded on to me.
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He will learn your ways . . .
ReplyDeleteJB, and I will make sure he/they does/do.
DeleteI dread the changing of names on accounts. So many hoops to jump though.
ReplyDeleteOur home is NOT tidy. Himself seems to view empty bench tops/tables as a challenge.
And you have reminded me that the recycling needs to go outside as soon as it is light. Our recycling bin is always full to the brim when we put it out. As it the green bin. The garbage bin is not.
EC, I think if in joint names, it is much easier. But to change from one name to joint names might be just as hard. I dunno. Once Ray died, and I was alone, eating bought meals, there was little recycling but now with Phyllis here, there is a lot of recycling.
DeleteI am with you on tidiness. If P leaves anything lying around it gets tidied away, much to his disgust and ire.
ReplyDeleteWe opened a joint bank account when we married and both incomes all go into the same pot. The account is linked to a joint credit card account. If there are any problems though, the bank will only accept telephone queries from P as his was the first name at the top of the form we filled in. Makes me spit!!
JayCee, I didn't agree with it at the time but I am pleased Ray and I never mixed money with a joint account. That seems absurd about you not having control over a joint account. I would push against that.
DeleteThose shells are taking over!!!
ReplyDeleteBob, I am worried that shells will be glued to my walls.
DeleteI ended up leaving a couple of bills in my late husband's name because not only was it complicated just to change one name, but the utility company said they had to treat it as a new account, several hundred dollars deposit etc. So I decided as long as the bills are paid I'm not going to worry over it and left it.
ReplyDeleteBoud, I would have left it as you describe but at least government owned institutions caught up that Ray was dead, phrased as 'A person no longer at this address' and so I lost his age pension concessions. I have to change names to get the benefit of my just acquired aged pension concession card.
DeleteYour life is filled with warmth and noises in a good way. We all need companies to thrive
ReplyDeleteRoentare, it is good to liveliness and laugher at home.
DeleteMy husband often annoys me but I must retain gratefulness for his attention to financial matters, various insurance coverages, home maintenance and the like, not to mention keeping me informed of it all. And thank heaven this house is in both our names as a widowed neighbor has been kicked out by her adult stepchildren. At least a local judge is allowing her to share proceeds in the home's sale. Hugs and well wishes, my dear.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is good Darla, training you for your old age when you will have to do things yourself. But you never know. You may die first, so what help can you pass on?
DeleteSounds like the 'kids' are keeping you young:) AND that you have a lot to deal with paperwise. Sandra sandracox.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteSandra, the 'kids' are endlessly amusing. Thanks.
DeletePlease explain how you train men to do anything, details please. Signed a desperate retiree, tired of doing it all, by herself:)
ReplyDeleteI truly don't know Pixie. I am a person with power over the lads, so I can tell them what to do. I never could with Ray.
DeleteWhen two adults come together living in one home, everything has to be negotiated. From toilet seat up or down, to smoking, drinking and tidiness.
ReplyDeleteHels, in The Highrise, the standard was both seat and lid down. That continues in my en suite but I have seen it is lid and seat up in other toilet.
DeleteYou will have Phyllis trained well soon. It is good the Kosov found a job. The foreign students here have a tough time too with so many of them riding around on electric bikes and delivering food to homes even in bad weather in winter. Good luck with the name changing, Andrew.
ReplyDeletePat, so much the same here with foreign students, and your weather is worse than mine for food delivery riders.
DeleteLot of shells! Is this Phyllis' and Koslov's first visit to a beach?
ReplyDeleteSecond visit Kirk. I don't like them roaming around at night, but they were in a very middle area, so probably ok.
DeleteMakes you wonder how you ever found time to go to work, right?
ReplyDeleteI think Phyllis's shell collection should be kept in his own room.
River, yes, and I've said it to myself, how did I find the time to go to work. I was better organised, that's for sure, and there wasn't so much, 'tomorrow'. Phyliss has plans for the shells, a board and resin as a birthday gift for Kosov.
DeleteSadly the shells that were cute when there were only a few…..turned into an ugly mess. Did they all get relocated to the mixing bowl or just the large oyster ones?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes that concession card is a blessing for some. I know someone who qualified, applied it to the relevant accounts, then when the bills came in……moved the discount ‘amount’ from one bank account to another. She said she ‘saved’ thousands that way!
Cathy, all shells are in the bowl, at least a bit tidy now. I don't think I like the person you know who cheats the system, by the sound of it, but I do doubt the thousands.
DeleteLooking at all those shells reminds me of decorated shell caves the rich used to go in for. If they collect enough maybe they can decorate something in the flat?
ReplyDeleteThelma, I don't know about the rich folk shell decorated caves. Over my dead body will I have shell decoration in my newly painted and carpeted apartment. Ray told me I must never call our place a flat. It is an apartment.
DeleteThat's a mess with the shells in front of the printer - did he wash them well first and put them there to dry?
ReplyDeleteSo many things to organize with changing names and so on, will all get done eventually, Andrew. That wasn't nice to work a whole day not get paid, told you are casual and never hear from them again - not nice at all.
Margaret, the shells are tidied away now. There's isn't sand so I guess he washed them, and there isn't water there.
DeleteThat's the way overseas students are treated, sometimes even local people.
Oh my, Andrew that is not nice at all, these students giving a free day to the employer and same employer taking advantage of them. Scoundrels.
DeleteTwo years after Rick's passing I got a letter from the police that I drive the car of a deceased person ! Crazy because all papers are on my name only the license plate not ! Thanks for the compliment that I belong to "these young people" because I am quite messy. Outside it looks tidy, but don't open a drawer or a cupboard door !
ReplyDeleteI totally get what you are saying Gattina.
DeleteMy mom used to say, "No matter what you try to do, you'll be the first person who's ever tried to do it!"
ReplyDeleteThat IS a lot of shells. I think someone needs to be more selective.
Steve, a bunch of shells to me, until Phyllis started pointing out the beauty of each shell, and he was right.
DeleteYour mom was right.
It would be a real adjustment to start living with someone new at this age. Take care,
ReplyDeleteChallenging at times TP, but I am so glad I did it.
DeleteMy longtime partner is thankfully still here although dealing with memory issues. So yes, I have all the normal tasks of both of us and for the most part and two phones to check for important messages. Isn't retirement? Great! Hang in there. Riding heard on those youngs could keep you in shape mentally, physically and humorously. Have a fabulous day my friend. Aloha
ReplyDeleteCloudia, assuming it is progressive, don't persist when it becomes too much for you. Sometimes people end up hating the person they loved because it just becomes so hard. I am developing a few different ideas about things in general with younger people around.
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