Mid winter balloons

Midwinter, June, 2024.

Collapsing into Fawkner Park. 

Modernising

When Ray's Sister and husband to be first visited Australia, they stayed with us here at the Highrise. Ray was concerned about the noise the el cheapo fridge made, the fridge having come with the apartment and a few metres from their bed. So in the mid noughties we bought a new fridge. It has been fine, but it is nearly twenty years old. Read on.

"Kosov, get out of bed. It is 12 noon."

"Yes Andrew."

"Put on your lipstick and be ready in thirty minutes. We are going to buy a new refrigerator."

Well, his eyes widened and lit up at that. I had been looking online over a couple of days and had also visited a large retailer in the city. The more I looked, the more confused I became. My friend who I visited a fortnight ago had just bought a new fridge, (I've just noticed refrigerator doesn't have a d and fridge does. How queer! I believe I've always spelt both correctly but without knowing there was a difference) and I was most impressed with her new fridge, with a non plumbed water dispenser. 

My fridge is twenty years old and while it is showroom condition really, I wanted a sparkling new much more energy efficient model. My online research indicated brands that are very cheap are of poor quality and even if under warranty, they are difficult to repair and obtain spare parts. I wanted the freezer on the bottom rather than the top, and a water dispenser would be nice. 

Up and down the aisles of fridges Kosov and I walked. Nothing seem to match what I wanted that had to fit the alcove, which I had trusted Kosov to measure. Many fridges are black and there is little black in my kitchen. What I did notice was that stainless steel finished fridges were cheaper, and white just looked so old fashioned, like my fridge at home, and cheaper still. 

I received a message from Phyllis. "I think of you every day, every minute Andrew. Now can you wake that MFer and tell him to call me". I passed on the message, and that was pretty well the end of Kosov's input. I was getting nowhere.

"Kosov, follow me. I need to think about what I am doing wrong". I went outside as Kosov and Phyllis bickered over the phone. I shut them out and thought, what am I doing wrong?

I thought, and then remembered conversations with Ray over the last year or so, along the lines of that we had to stop going for cheap all the time. Yes, if what you want is a bargain, but don't make the price your first criteria. Obviously that is within reason. 

This, I am sure, will be the last fridge I will buy, so why shouldn't get it right if I can afford it. I went back inside, still with Kosov and Phyllis bickering over the phone in the background, and began looking with fresh eyes, and that is looking at what I liked, what would work and not look at the price tag. 

Guess what, I found one, a Fisher and Pakel, French! upper fridge doors with a larg lower freezer drawer.. The floor model I looked at had a water dispenser but it had to be plumbed in. As well as the extra plumbing expense, I've heard they are unreliable, so I can live without a chilled water dispenser. An extra $85 for delivery and removal of the old fridge and the packing of the new seemed reasonable, deal done. 

I asked Kosov if he could cook extra rice for me as I could not afford food this week and he replied, you have just spent the same as my life savings. The new fridge will be delivered next Thursday. Smart lad to have savings at his age. I never did. 

So here is how Thursday went. The night before I received a message that the fridge would be delivered between 8.30am and 11.30. I was awake so early and didn't really sleep properly after 4.30. I rose before six and a bonus was I saw balloons in the sky nearby. By 8.30 I had showered, dressed and removed everything from fridge. Most frozen items went into an esky, an insulated portable carry crate with freezer bricks. Some items were removed to just sit on the bench. For the rest of small things that needed to stay, I made a Coolgardie safe by draping a wet table cloth over a plastic washing basket and placing it under the spare room overhead fan. I had rewet the cloth twice to keep it damp. There was no where for the frozen vegetables but I had already asked if I use the fridge of my neighbour H. I took them down to her around 8.30.

Now I wait, and wait. I could track the delivery truck and the app stated I was ninth on the list for delivery. At the rate things were proceeding, there was no way I would have a new fridge at the latest of 11.30. I was not happy. The food was out for hours more than it needed to be. I've already lodged feedback and I will complain further. The delivery happened just after 1pm.

With a lot of help from Kosov, we worked things out for the fridge, including altering power supplies and ripping off everything protective. Food and drinks are back in the fridge but no one will know where they are, least of all me. The fridge looks so empty inside but the shelves are full of jars containing mysterious spices and sauces.

I set the fridge and freezer to maximum coolness and I am checking the temperatures with a thermometer. Adding to my stress about the new fridge, this post from Merlot where she mentioned her new but defective fridge did not help. 

In spite of the stress and delay, I am ever so happy with my new fridge. It rather dominates the kitchen, but I will get used to it. It is a bit sad in a way because for a couple of years Ray and I talked about buying a new fridge. We even went with a tape measure once. For whatever reason, it didn't happen and he missed out on the new fridge. 

"Kosov, it has been a stressful day. Please go across the road and buy me some medicine from the liquor shop." 

"Yes, Annnndrewwww."

Hot in Australia

Australia can become very hot, less so in southern Australia where I live, but I have experienced a day of 44 degrees in I think 2009. The hot northerly wind comes in, blowing very hot air from central Australia to the south, even to our island state, Tasmania, in the extreme south. Generally the very high temperatures don't come with humidity. It is a hot dry wind.

The melting thongs in this clip are a slight exaggeration, but I've certainly walked on asphalt that had become sticky in the heat. I've experienced all the rest. 

Domestic drudgery

You may remember Phyllis did not like the idea of me buying a new induction hotplate. He is experienced with that hotplate and much prefers cooking with gas. Fine, I won't, but you Phyllis will have to clean the gas hotplate. 

Yes, the lads wipe it down clean at times. But what you need to do is after cooking anything that might have spilt on the burners or especially splattered by fat, is to clean it off, and not leave it there when you next cook and it becomes baked on.

Yes, Andrewww (the lads have taken to stringing our my name, verbally and in writing). But they get so excited with cooking and eating, they forget everything else.  

I found it easier to clean the aluminium rings surrounding the hotplate burner myself, rather than lecture Phyllis or Kosov on the easiest way to do so. Ok, I've only done it twice in the few months Phyllis has been here. 

I soak them in hot soapy water for half an hour or so, then scrub them with soapy steel wool pads. Nothing works better than the steel wool pads. They are also good for cleaning pots when they have some food burnt onto them. 

They could be either brand, and I don't have a preference. 

But the pads are disappearing from our supermarkets. I've tried two of our major supermarkets to no avail. There are lots of sponge pads with an abrasive top, but they just don't do the job as well. I have one soap pad left, and then what will I do?

The supermarket websites still advertise them, but I can't find them. The first person who mentions 'first world problem' will get a slap.

There is some excitement happening in the highrise on Thursday. I will report on Friday.  

Passed on

Australia has unfortunately picked up the American phrase, passed on, and that has religious connotations, as passed on to a better place, perhaps heaven, maybe hell, but is there anywhere for we who are at times good and at times bad? 

In response to someone who uses passed, I will use the word passed, but for me the words are dead or has died. In my personal life, I have not said passed. 

Passed sounds gentler, softer, less confronting. But my Ray did not pass. He died suddenly, with some pain as his guts filled with blood from his ruptured aorta. He passed nowhere. He died while unconscious from blood loss. He's gone. Completely dead. 

I know I am out of step with society on this one, and if you say passed on, that is fine with me, but in my life, people have just died and they are dead.

My old blog had a about thirty unpublished posts, and this is the only unpublished post I have, written either on July eleventh or November seventh.  I can't tell from 11/7/24 with Blogger inconsistent dating system.  

Here is a photo for you. It isn't fake. Apparently you were given time for shopping in Vienna along the way. Would you like to take the trip? The fresh fruit in Vienna is rather good, imported from somewhere, along with apple strudel with vanilla sauce (custard). 

"Darling, an omnibus to Calcutta? What fun!"

Monday Mural

Along with Sami and others I am posting a photo mural, one which I did not immediately see even though it stared me in the face when I stayed in Geelong last weekend. I can never understand how mural artists get perspective. 

Sunday Selections

Elephant's Child, River and others participate in Sunday Selections. Here is my Sunday effort. 

Talk about from birth to the grave. This might come close. I thought it was so sweet. Imagine meeting the love of your life at the age of...seven?

My arranged cupboards are but a distant memory. I can no longer find anything. This one is not so bad.

Why is my Vegemite now pushed to the back of the cupboard? Where is my honey? My peanut butter? At least the labelled canisters have been respected, but the cupboard is now chaotic, with all sorts of exotic spices. 

No real change here.

This horrible corner cupboard was kind of well arranged. We knew where things were. Even after an attempt with Phyllis to make it organised, it is a disaster. Right at the back is an electric beater and an electric knife. 

To be fair, this other corner cupboard was never good, but it is whole lot worse now.

Oh yes, I have stashed these of Ray's history to look at down the track. As JayCee said, I am very busy being a retired person. 

I pointed out these Airstream buses out to Kosov in the way to town last week. Nephew and his wife stayed in one once. Maybe I should? 

A modern building off William Street I think, with rather a nice stained leadlight window.

Can you please tell me the location of this gorgeous road, and then how to use AI?