I've put this to the test, that is I've watched it four times over a few days and I still think it is great. The energy and choreography is amazing. It amuses me how the bus driver in the beginning of the clip keeps popping up in other roles. Later: The bus driver and the other roles he performed were cameo roles by Herb Alpert with perhaps the best known band in the world. How cool is that!
Saturday, August 10, 2024
Friday, August 9, 2024
The personal
Thursday, August 8, 2024
Little L's birthday
A couple of Sundays ago we celebrated my great nephew's five year old birthday at his paternal grandfather's small acreage. While some car shuffling happened, I reckon around thirty cars were accommodated for parking, with not a paddock used.
The monster blow up slide thingie was inflated by two air pumps and umpteen children had a fine old time. The food was lovely, set out in an open ended garage. Thankfully there was no music.
I am a firm believer in no alcohol at children birthday parties. Nevertheless when Tradie Brother offered me a tinny, I accepted. Hmm, ABI Brother had a can in his hand too.
I said to ABI Brother a little later, do you realise that we three brothers are the only people here drinking alcohol? He replied, he didn't but agreed with me. Lucky that Sister wasn't there too with a glass of champagne in her hand. What a disgraceful family we are.
Little L is a delight and so sweet to his old great uncle. The piƱata went off like a treat, with some kids hitting it softy and some, very hard.
We had only visited his grandfather's small farm twice I think and didn't take too much notice aside from there being a house, a cottage and an inground swimming pool. I took a little look around and it is a beautiful property, and close to a town. You can buy these few acres and all within for about $1.5 million, about an hour's drive from the city, on a good day.
There is a dam of water in the back of the photo.
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
A date anyone?
That's so ambiguous isn't it. I am talking about about time dates and the US using a different general date system to the rest of the world.
Published on the 11/24/23 is clear but not what I am used to. If it was 09/10/23, Houston and Blogger, we have problems.
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Tuesday Tait Train
Old red trains are of my yoof. Some of you may think I know a lot about trains and trams, along with public transport. I don't but I probably know more that you do. Not only did I work in public transport in various roles for 41 years, I've now used it for regularly for most of those years and add five years more of intensive use since I 've retired.
You cannot be interested in the history of your city unless you look at the way people moved around before there were cars and how that changed when public transport arrived and horses became redundant.
I've certainly caught heritage steam trains in the past and posted about them in my blog but for me steam trains are best viewed from the outside, as the depart or arrive, and as they travel up steep banks blowing lots of smoke.
I received a notification from Steam Rail Victoria that there would be old electric trains travelling this Sunday past between Melbourne Flinders Street and Showgrounds. They journey time was short, so why not. Come the Sunday morning, the booking process was painless and after careful examination of the timetable with its more frequent service in the morning, which would be busy, it dropped to an hourly service at lunch time but then there was a train at 1pm followed by a train at 1.40. That will do me nicely and it was a good call. It was quiet.
Here she comes.
Of course I will travel first class.
I'll leave 2nd Class for the prols.
I boarded with plenty of seats to choose from. I loved the way the old carriage looked. I popped out for a moment to check the carriage number, and it had a T in the carriage number which meant it was a trailer car without motors underneath. This should be the smoothest and quietest carriage. It was, as I discovered later but it didn't seem so quiet and smooth at the time. Unlike modern suburban trains, the seat did not have a body shape but it was very well padded; quite ok for a suburban train journey.
The carriages are not beautifully restored but just well maintained originals as far as I could see. A good test of cleanliness is the lamp shades, and they passed.
Trains are generally slow in the inner areas and this one was too, but travelled at a similar speed to suburban trains. I think it accelerated at a similar speed to our oldest Comeng suburban trains. For a short time the train accelerated hard after Kensington Station, up to 58/36 according to my app.
The train travelled to Showgrounds where there was model train exhibition, not really of interest to me. I planned to catch the same train back to Melbourne FSS. I knew its departure time and it was enough for me to change to a carriage with motors underneath to hear them. While it sounds so nerdy, I wanted to remember the noise of the motors from my youth. Damn, what is a D carriage classification? I think it means Driving Motor, as I've now remembered but at the rear I spotted a carriage with M classification...motors. I'll have that one, thanks. It was busier travelling back to the city.
Slumming it in second class. I couldn't tell the difference.
The motor carriage did not disappoint with its electric motor sounds. It seemed like a more active train trip. On the way out I noticed a mural and on the way back, I snapped it through an open window.
Victorian Railways used to own at least one country holiday guest house and provided services to a number of others. There used to be promotional posters for various country areas for those who wanted a holiday. I am not sure if VR provided a service to these places, but they were nice enough posters displayed in the train.
Near Lakes Entrance.
Monday, August 5, 2024
Monday Mural Moustaches
Nothing to wonderful today as I join with Sami and others for Monday Mural. I give you the mostly moustached men of Balaclava. I wonder if nicely painted shop fronts might look better.
Sunday, August 4, 2024
Sunday Selections
Along with Elephant's Child, River and others, I am joining in with Sunday Selections.
It has now been repaired but I will guess one of the Metro Tunnel digging machine buckets damaged the portico steel work of this very expensive and posh apartments known as The Domain.
Caught up
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